Outlet box knockout
First Claim
1. A wall having at least one knockout arrangement therein, said knockout arrangement comprising eccentrically positioned inner, outer and intermediate knockouts bounded by inner, outer and intermediate circular grooves in said wall, said grooves overlying one another at a tangent location, said grooves having a common first depth greater than zero at said tangent location and a second depth that is greater than said first depth at a location generally opposite from said tangent location.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical outlet box molded of plastic material has a knockout arrangement in a box wall that is formed by inner, intermediate and outer circular grooves that are eccentrically positioned to overlap at a tangent location and define inner, intermediate and outer eccentrically positioned circular knockouts. The grooves vary in depth from a minimum depth at the tangent location to a maximum depth opposite from the tangent location. Areas of increased weakness are provided in the box wall at the bottoms of at least the inner and intermediate grooves, and screwdriver slots are provided in the knockouts opposite from the tangent location.
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Citations
35 Claims
- 1. A wall having at least one knockout arrangement therein, said knockout arrangement comprising eccentrically positioned inner, outer and intermediate knockouts bounded by inner, outer and intermediate circular grooves in said wall, said grooves overlying one another at a tangent location, said grooves having a common first depth greater than zero at said tangent location and a second depth that is greater than said first depth at a location generally opposite from said tangent location.
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10. An electrical outlet box of plastic material, said box having a plurality of walls, at least one of said walls having at least one knockout arrangement therein formed by at least one generally circular groove in said one wall, said groove varying in depth between a minimum depth location and a maximum depth location that is generally opposite from said minimum depth location, said groove depth gradually increasing along inclined arcuate paths around the circumference thereof from said minimum depth location to said maximum depth location, said groove extending over a full 360°
- and reducing the thickness of said wall over a full 360°
, said groove having a groove bottom and a predetermined groove depth, said groove bottom being interrupted by at least one area of weakness in said wall within said groove that increases the groove depth and further reduces the strength of said wall in the area of said groove compared to the strength of said wall around the remainder of said groove, and the area of weakness occupying not more than 25% of the groove circumference and providing little or no strength and resistance against removal of the knockout compared to the strength and resistance of the wall around the remainder of the bottom of the groove. - View Dependent Claims (11)
- and reducing the thickness of said wall over a full 360°
- 12. An electrical outlet box of plastic material, said box having a plurality of walls, at least one knockout arrangement in at least one of said walls, said knockout arrangement comprising inner, outer and intermediate generally circular grooves in said wall, said grooves being eccentric with respect to one another and overlapping one another at a tangent location, said grooves varying in depth from a minimum depth at said tangent location to a maximum depth generally opposite from said tangent location, the thickness of the wall being reduced by said grooves including along said tangent location, and said groove depth for each of said grooves gradually increasing along inclined arcuate paths around the circumference thereof from said minimum depth location to said maximum depth location.
- 19. An electrical outlet box of plastic material, said box having a plurality of walls, at least one of said walls having at least one knockout arrangement therein formed by at least one generally circular groove in said one wall, said groove extending over a full 360 degrees and having a groove bottom, said groove having a predetermined groove depth and said groove bottom being interrupted by at least one area of weakness in said wall within said groove that increases the groove depth and further reduces the strength of said wall in the area of said groove compared to the strength of said wall around the remainder of said groove, the area of weakness occupying not more than 25% of the groove circumference and providing little or no strength and resistance against removal of the knockout compared to the strength and resistance of the wall around the remainder of the bottom of the groove.
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26. A flat plastic wall having inner and outer surfaces, a generally circular groove extending into said wall from said outer surface thereof and circumscribing a knockout having a knockout outer surface, said groove varying in depth from a minimum depth location to a maximum depth location that is generally opposite from said minimum depth location, said groove gradually varying in depth in both circumferential directions from said minimum depth location to said maximum depth location, and a recess in said knockout outer surface closely adjacent said groove at said maximum groove depth location for receiving a tool tip to apply force to said knockout and sever same from said wall.
- 27. A wall having at least one knockout arrangement therein, said knockout arrangement comprising eccentrically positioned inner, outer and intermediate knockouts bounded by inner, outer and intermediate circular grooves in said wall, said grooves overlying one another at a tangent location, said grooves having a common first depth at said tangent location and a second depth that is different from said first depth at a location generally opposite from said tangent location, the thickness of the wall being reduced by the grooves including along said tangent location, and the depth of all of said grooves gradually increasing along inclined arcuate paths around the circumference thereof from one of said locations to the other of said locations.
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30. A wall having at least one knockout arrangement therein;
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said knockout arrangement comprising eccentrically positioned inner, outer and intermediate knockouts bounded by inner, outer and intermediate circular grooves in said wall; said grooves overlying one another at a tangent location; said grooves having a common first depth at said tangent location and a second depth that is greater than said first depth at a location generally opposite from said tangent location; and the depth of all of said grooves gradually increasing along inclined arcuate paths around the circumference thereof from said tangent location to said generally opposite location.
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31. A wall having at least one generally circular groove therein forming a knockout;
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said groove having a depth that varies from a minimum depth at a minimum depth location to a maximum depth at a maximum depth location that is generally opposite from said minimum depth location; said groove depth gradually increasing along inclined arcuate paths around the circumference thereof from said minimum depth location to said maximum depth location; said knockout having a plane outer surface and an outer periphery; and
,a slot in said outer surface adjacent said outer periphery generally opposite from said minimum depth location for receiving a tip of a flat bladed screwdriver. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A wall having at least one generally circular groove therein forming a knockout;
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said groove having a depth that varies from a minimum depth at a minimum depth location to a maximum depth at a maximum depth location that is generally opposite from said minimum depth location; said groove depth gradually increasing along inclined arcuate paths around the circumference thereof from said minimum depth location to said maximum depth location; said gradually increasing groove depth being interrupted by at least one area of weakness in said wall within said groove spaced from said minimum depth location to further reduce the strength of said wall in the area of said groove;
the area of weakness being weaker than the wall at the maximum groove depth and providing little or no strength or resistance against removal of the knockout compared to the strength and resistance of the wall around the remainder of the bottom of the groove; and
,the area of weakness occupying not more than 25% of the circumference of the groove. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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Specification