Electrical box support

• US 7,381,891 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lamson & Sessions Company (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Hull, Eric G., Riedy, Charles H., Gudin, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada; Angel R.
• Application Number:
  US11/216,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20050284650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/48, 174/53, 174/54, 174/58, 174/61, 174/63, 174/17.R, 174/480, 174/481, 220/3.2, 220/3.3, 220/3.4, 220/3.5, 220/3.6, 220/3.7, 220/3.8, 220/3.9, 220/4.02, 248/560, 248/200, 248/903, 248/906, 248/343, 439/535, 439/536, 439/538
• US Class Current: 174/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/126 with supporting means for mounting on a single wall stud
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

An electrical box having spring legs for supporting the box within a space between a pair of spaced-apart parallel concrete forms. The legs engage the inside surface of one form and bias the open end of the box against the inside surface of the other form. The legs and the bottom of the box are cooperatively configured to facilitate attachment of the legs to the box. A bendable strap is attached to the box for wrapping around reinforcing bars within the forms. The legs and strap hold the box in position when concrete is poured into the space between the forms. The entire box and support elements remain embedded within the finished concrete wall, and with the open end of the box exposed at an outer surface of the concrete wall.

Claims

1. An electrical box for use in poured concrete construction of the type in which concrete is poured against a surface of a concrete form and metal reinforcing rods are positioned adjacent the form surface to be covered by concrete;

the box being positionable adjacent the form surface to be at least partly embedded in the poured concrete;

the box having a bottom wall with an external surface;

a pair of elongated flat bendable metal straps that are selectively manually bendable into engagement with the form surface and the reinforcing rods to locate and maintain the box in a desired relationship to the form surface during pouring and curing of poured concrete; and

,

said external surface and said metal straps being configured for attachment of said straps to said bottom wall with said straps extending generally parallel to one another in overlying relationship so that one strap is positioned against said bottom wall and the other strap is positioned on the opposite side of said one strap from said bottom wall.

2. The box of claim 1 wherein said pair of straps are interconnected adjacent said box bottom wall.

3. The box of claim 2 wherein said straps in said pair of straps have opposite sides and are interconnected at one of said opposite sides.

4. The box of claim 2 wherein said pair of straps is of a single piece of metal that is folded 180°

to locate said straps in overlying relationship.

5. The box of claim 1 wherein said straps have free end portions including curved free end portions.

6. An electrical box of plastic material, said box having a bottom wall with an external surface, a projection extending outwardly from said external surface, said projection having an enlarged head spaced outwardly from said external surface, a pair of elongated flat bendable metal straps having openings therethrough, said openings being configured for receiving said enlarged head therethrough, said enlarged head and at least one of said openings on at least one of said straps being configured to provide reception of said enlarged head through said one opening and to prevent withdrawal of said head from said opening after rotating said one strap about said projection, said straps being positioned in overlying parallel relationship, and said straps being interconnected adjacent to but spaced outwardly from said openings.

7. The box of claim 6 wherein said straps support said box between a pair of spaced-apart concrete forms that have inner form surfaces spaced-apart between 6-8 inches, said box having an open end and said straps supporting said box between said forms with said open end positioned closely adjacent to or in engagement with one of said form inner surfaces.

8. The box of claim 6 wherein said straps have free end portions including curved free end portions.

10. The box of claim 8 wherein at least two of said abutments have cam surfaces engageable by at least one of said attachment portions of said spring legs to cam said one attachment portion past said two abutments when said one attachment portion is placed over said projection and rotated 90°

.

9. A mud box having an open end and a bottom wall opposite from said open end, said bottom wall having an external attachment projection, a plurality of abutments on said bottom wall spaced outwardly from said projection and forming abutment guideways therebetween, a plurality of bendable metal straps having attachment portions that are received in said abutment guideways and have attachment openings received over said attachment projection to attach said straps to said box, said straps having free end portions that are bendable and positionable to locate said box open end adjacent to or in engagement with a surface of a concrete form.

11. The box of claim 9 wherein said free end portions of said straps include curved free end portions.

12. Apparatus for positioning an electrical box relative to a surface of a concrete form used in poured concrete construction comprising:

an elongated one piece strap member having a generally central opening therethrough for receiving a projection on an electrical box to attach the strap member to the box;

said projection and opening being configured to provide reception of said projection through said opening in a first position of said strap member and to prevent withdrawal of said projection from said opening in a second rotated position of said strap member;

said strap member including a plurality of flat bendable straps positioned in overlying parallel relationship with one strap positioned against the box and the other straps positioned on the opposite side of said one strap from the box;

said plurality of flat bendable straps including at least four manually bendable strap end portions extending outwardly from the box on opposite sides thereof; and

said straps being connected together adjacent said opening independently of the projection and opening attachment of the strap member to the box.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said strap member is a single piece of sheet metal.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said plurality of flat bendable straps comprise a pair of straps that are integrally connected along one side.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said pair of straps are connected at a pair of locations spaced from said opening.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said strap end portions include curved end portions.

17. In combination;

an electrical box having a bottom wall;

a plurality of elongated flat bendable straps having opposite ends; and

,

said straps being attached to said bottom wall intermediate said opposite ends thereof with one of said straps positioned against said bottom wall and the other of said straps positioned on the opposite side of said one strap from said bottom wall so that said one strap is between said bottom wall and said other straps.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein at least some of said plurality of straps extend generally perpendicular to one another.

19. The combination of claim 17 wherein at least some of said plurality of straps extend generally parallel to one another.

20. The combination of claim 17 wherein said plurality of straps comprises a pair of interconnected straps positioned in generally parallel overlying relationship.

21. The combination of claim 17 wherein said straps are attached to said bottom wall by way of at least one projection on said bottom wall that cooperates with said straps to hold same to said bottom wall without requiring the use of any additional fasteners.

22. The combination of claim 17 wherein said opposite ends of said straps include curved ends.

23. An electrical box having a bottom wall with an external surface, a plurality of elongated flat bendable metal straps, said external surface and said metal straps being configured for attachment of said straps to said bottom wall, said external surface having a projection thereon and said straps having openings through which said projection is receivable, said straps being positionable in overlying aligned inner and outer relationship for reception of said projection through said strap openings, and at least said outer strap being rotatable 90°

to move said opening in said outer strap out of aligned relationship with said projection so that said projection no longer is movable through said opening in said outer strap to thereby hold said plurality of straps to said bottom wall.

24. The box of claim 23 wherein said straps have free end portions including curved free end portions.

25. An electrical box having a bottom wall with an external surface;

a plurality of elongated flat bendable metal straps having opposite flat surfaces and opposite end portions;

said external surface and said metal straps being configured for attachment of said straps to said bottom wall intermediate said strap opposite end portions without requiring the use of any additional fasteners by positioning said straps against said bottom wall and then rotating said straps about a rotational axis that extends generally perpendicular to said bottom wall;

said straps when attached to said bottom wall having facing flat surfaces in overlying engagement with one another at least intermediate said strap opposite end portions so that one strap is positioned against said bottom wall and the other straps are positioned on the opposite side of said one strap from said bottom wall.

26. An electrical box for use in poured concrete construction of the type in which concrete is poured in a space between inner surfaces of spaced-apart concrete forms, the space containing metal reinforcing rods to be covered by concrete;

the box being positioned adjacent one form inner surface to be at least partly embedded in the poured concrete;

the box having a bottom wall with an external surface;

at least two elongated flat manually bendable straps attached to the box bottom wall intermediate the opposite strap ends to provide at least four individually bendable strap end portions extending outwardly from the box;

the strap end portions being bendable in directions toward and away from the external surface of the box bottom wall and being bendable along their entire length for locating said box in a desired position relative to the concrete form; and

,

at least some of said strap end portions being wrapped around the metal reinforcing rods to attach the wrapped strap end portions to the rods without the use of wire ties or any other supplemental attachment device for selectively positioning the box adjacent the one form inner surface.

27. The box of claim 26 wherein other of said strap end portions are bent into engagement with the other form inner surface to locate the box adjacent the one form inner surface.

28. The box of claim 26 wherein the straps are positioned with one strap against the box bottom wall and the other straps on the opposite side of the one strap from the box bottom wall.

29. The box of claim 26 wherein said opposite end portions of said straps include curved end portions.

30. An electrical box for use in poured concrete construction of the type in which concrete is poured against a surface of a concrete form and metal reinforcing rods are positioned adjacent the form surface to be covered by concrete;

the box being positionable adjacent the form surface to be at least partly embedded in the poured concrete;

the box having a bottom wall with an external surface;

a pair of elongated flat bendable metal straps that are selectively manually bendable into engagement with the form surface and the reinforcing rods to locate and maintain the box in a desired relationship to the form surface during pouring and curing of poured concrete; and

,

said external surface and said metal straps being configured for attachment of said straps to said bottom wall with said straps extending generally parallel to one another in overlying relationship so that one strap is positioned against said bottom wall and the other strap is positioned on the opposite side of said one strap from said bottom wall;

wherein said pair of straps and said bottom wall are configured for attaching said straps to said bottom wall without the use of any additional fasteners by positioning said straps against said bottom wall and rotating same 90°

about an axis that extends generally perpendicular to said bottom wall.

31. The box of claim 30 wherein said straps have free end portions including curved free end portions.

32. In combination;

an electrical box having a bottom wall;

a plurality of elongated flat bendable straps having opposite ends; and

,

said straps being attached to said bottom wall intermediate said opposite ends thereof with one of said straps positioned against said bottom wall and the other of said straps positioned on the opposite side of said one strap from said bottom wall so that said one strap is between said bottom wall and said other straps;

wherein said straps are attached to said bottom wall by way of at least one projection on said bottom wall that cooperates with said straps to hold same to said bottom wall without requiring the use of any additional fasteners; and

wherein said straps have openings in which said projection is received and said straps are attached to said bottom wall by rotating said straps relative to said projection.

33. The combination of claim 32 wherein said opposite ends of said straps include curved ends.