Mounting bracket for electrical box

• US 7,439,443 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Dinh, Cong Thanh
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada; Angel R
• Application Number:
  US11/703,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20070187402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/53, 174/57, 174/58, 174/480, 174/481, 174/503, 174/61, 174/62, 174/63, 174/54, 220 32- 39, 248/906, 248/300, 248/343, 248/200
• 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

A mounting bracket for an electrical box that includes: a base plate having substantially planar top and bottom surfaces, a first side, a second side, a first end, a second end, a plurality of mounting screw apertures and an opening for receiving an electrical box; a first flange and a second flange connected to the first and second sides, respectively, of the base plate by a first flange neck and a second flange neck, wherein each flange has a top and a bottom flange surface, wherein the flange necks extend from the top surface of the base plate; a wall connected to the first end having a substantially flat outer wall surface and a pair of opposing ends, wherein the wall extends from the bottom surface of the base plate; and a tab connected to each opposing end of the wall, wherein the tabs are substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the wall.

Claims

1. A mounting bracket for an electrical box comprising:

a base plate having substantially planar top and bottom surfaces, a first side, a second side, a first end, a second end, a plurality of mounting screw apertures and an opening for receiving an electrical box;

a first flange and a second flange connected to the first and second sides, respectively, of the base plate by a first flange neck and a second flange neck, wherein each flange has a top and a bottom flange surface;

a wall connected to the first end having a substantially flat outer wall surface, a central portion and a pair of opposing ends, wherein the wall extends from the bottom surface of the base plate;

a tab extending from each opposing end of the wall, wherein the tabs are substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the wall and wherein the tabs extend beyond the flange necks; and

a second wall or a stiffening member connected to the second end of the base plate and extending from the bottom surface of the base plate, the second wall or stiffening member having distal ends that extend beyond the flange necks and are co-planar with the tabs.

2. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 1, wherein the top surfaces of the first and second flanges are offset from and are substantially parallel to the top surface of the base plate.

3. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 1, wherein the opposing ends of the wall extend beyond the central portion and define a notch in the wall.

4. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 1, wherein each of the flanges has one or more flange mounting screw apertures.

5. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 1, wherein each of the tabs has one or more tab mounting screw apertures.

6. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of mounting screw apertures are arranged to accommodate electrical boxes of different sizes and orientations and having different mounting tab locations.

7. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 1, wherein the base plate has a plurality of mounting slots and wherein the plurality of mounting slots and the plurality of mounting screw apertures are arranged to accommodate electrical boxes of different sizes and orientations and having different mounting tab locations.

8. A mounting bracket for an electrical box comprising:

a base plate having substantially planar top and bottom surfaces, a first side, a second side, a first end, a second end, a plurality of mounting screw apertures and an opening for receiving an electrical box;

a first flange and a second flange connected to the first and second sides, respectively, of the base plate, wherein each flange has a top and a bottom flange surface;

a wall connected to the first end having a substantially flat outer wall surface, a central portion and a pair of opposing ends, wherein the wall extends from the bottom surface of the base plate;

a tab connected to each opposing end of the wall, wherein the tabs are substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the wall, and wherein the tabs extend beyond the sides of the base plate; and

a second wall or a stiffening member connected to the second end of the base plate and extending from the bottom surface of the base plate, the second wall or stiffening member having distal ends that extend beyond the sides of the base plate and are co-planar with the tabs.

9. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 8, wherein the top surfaces of the first and second flanges are substantially parallel to the top surface of the base plate.

10. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 8, wherein the opposing ends of the wall extend beyond the central portion and define a notch in the wall.

11. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 8, wherein each of the flanges has one or more flange mounting screw apertures and each of the tabs has one or more tab mounting screw apertures.

12. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of mounting screw apertures are arranged to accommodate electrical boxes of different sizes and orientations and having different mounting tab locations.

13. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 8, wherein the base plate has a plurality of mounting slots and wherein the plurality of mounting slots and the plurality of mounting screw apertures are arranged to accommodate electrical boxes of different sizes and orientations and having different mounting tab locations.

14. A mounting bracket for an electrical box comprising:

a base plate having substantially planar top and bottom surfaces, a first side, a second side, a first end, a second end, a plurality of mounting screw apertures and an opening for receiving an electrical box;

a first flange and a second flange connected to the first and second sides, respectively, of the base plate by a first flange neck and a second flange neck, wherein each flange has a top and a bottom flange surface;

a wall connected to the first end having a substantially flat outer wall surface, a wall opening and a pair of opposing ends, wherein the wall extends from the bottom surface of the base plate, and wherein the wall opening is used to access the electrical box mounted in the bracket;

a tab extending from each opposing end of the wall, wherein the tabs are substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the wall and wherein the tabs extend beyond the flange necks; and

a second wall or a stiffening member connected to the second end of the base plate and extending from the bottom surface of the base plate, the second wall or stiffening member having distal ends that extend beyond the flange necks and are co-planar with the tabs.

15. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 14, wherein the top surfaces of the first and second flanges are offset from and are substantially parallel to the top surface of the base plate.

16. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 14, wherein each of the flanges has one or more flange mounting screw apertures and each of the tabs has one or more tab mounting screw apertures.

17. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of mounting screw apertures are arranged to accommodate electrical boxes of different sizes and orientations and having different mounting tab locations.

18. The mounting bracket for an electrical box according to claim 14, wherein the base plate has a plurality of mounting slots and wherein the plurality of mounting slots and the plurality of mounting screw apertures are arranged to accommodate electrical boxes of different sizes and orientations and having different mounting tab locations.