Adjustable electrical box and flange member for installation on a brick or stone wall

• US 7,528,322 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arlington Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Gretz, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada; Angel R
• Application Number:
  US12/005,948
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 174/480, 174/481, 174/50, 174/53, 174/57, 174/58, 174/559, 174/61, 174/63, 220 32- 39, 220/4.02, 248/906, 248/343
• US Class Current: 174/57
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/121 in plain walls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

An adjustable electrical box assembly for providing electrical service on a brick or stone wall. The assembly includes a flange member, box member, and a faceplate. The flange member includes a flange and a forward extending collar. The electrical box includes sidewalls that are telescopically received in the collar of the flange member and a fastening arrangement for securing the electrical box to the flange member. After installing an electrical fixture within the electrical box, a faceplate is secured to the front of the box member.

Claims

1. An adjustable electrical box assembly for mounting electrical components or fixtures on a wall comprising:

a flange member including a flange and a forward extending collar with an opening therein;

an electrical box including sidewalls having a front edge, a rear edge, and an inner surface;

a faceplate including a front panel having an opening therein;

one or more inward extending bosses extending from said inner surface of said sidewalls of said electrical box;

said sidewalls of said electrical box telescopically received in and adjustable with respect to said collar of said flange member;

an anchoring arrangement for securing said flange member to the wall;

a fastening arrangement for securing said electrical box to said flange member said fastening arrangement including a plurality of slots in said collar, one or more rows of apertures in said sidewalls of said electrical box, and fasteners for insertion through said slots in said collar into said apertures in said sidewalls of said electrical box; and

an attachment arrangement for securing said faceplate to said electrical box.

2. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 1 wherein said electrical box is substantially tubular shaped.

3. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 2 wherein said substantially tubular shaped electrical box includes a circular outer periphery.

4. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 1 wherein said anchoring arrangement includes

a plurality of apertures in said flange of said flange member;

and

fasteners for securing through said apertures of said flange into the wall.

5. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 1 wherein

each of said inward extending bosses includes a front face;

and

said front faces of said bosses are recessed a slight distance from said front edge of said electrical box.

6. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said rows of apertures extend through said sidewalls of said electrical box into one of said inward extending bosses.

7. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 6 wherein

said one or more rows of apertures in said sidewalls of said electrical box includes at least two rows of apertures;

each aperture in said rows of apertures is in alignment with a corresponding aperture in each of the other rows; and

each of said corresponding apertures is aligned along a plane bisecting said sidewalls of said electrical box and parallel with said edges of said electrical box.

8. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 7 wherein the depth of insertion of said electrical box in said collar of said flange member is adjusted by selecting a set of said corresponding apertures in said sidewalls of said electrical box.

9. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 1 wherein said sidewalls of said electrical box include a length of at least 3.5 inches.

10. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 1 wherein

said collar of said flange member includes an inner diameter;

said sidewalls of said electrical box include an outer diameter;

said inner diameter of said collar is slightly larger than said outer diameter of said electrical box; and

a fillet extends between said collar and said flange of said flange member.

11. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 10 wherein

said outer diameter of said sidewalls of said electrical box is between 3.98 and 3.99 inches;

said inner diameter of said collar of said flange member is between 3.995 and 4.005 inches;

said sidewalls of said electrical box are telescopically received within said collar of said flange member with a clearance between said sidewalls of said electrical box and said collar of said flange member; and

said clearance between said electrical box sidewalls and said collar of said flange member is between 0.005 and 0.025 inch.

12. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 1 wherein said flange member, said electrical box, and said faceplate are each molded of plastic in one piece.

13. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 12 wherein said plastic is selected for the group including polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene, and polyethylene.

14. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 12 wherein

said flange of said flange member includes a front surface;

and

said collar extends from said front surface of said flange by at least 1.26 inches.

15. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 1 wherein said front panel of said faceplate includes a chamfered edge.

16. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 1 wherein

said electrical box includes four of said inward extending bosses spaced equidistant around the inner periphery of said electrical box;

said collar of said flange member includes four of said slots; and

each of said rows of apertures in said electrical box are in alignment with one of said slots in said flange member when said electrical box is telescopically received in said collar of said flange member.

17. An adjustable electrical box assembly for mounting electrical components or fixtures on a wall comprising:

a flange member including a flange and a forward extending collar with an opening therein;

an electrical box including sidewalls having a front edge, a rear edge, and an inner surface;

a faceplate including a front panel having an opening therein;

one or more inward extending bosses extending from said inner surface of said sidewalls of said electrical box, said bosses extend longitudinally along said inner surface of said sidewalls of said electrical box, and said bosses extend along the entire length of said sidewalls;

said sidewalls of said electrical box telescopically received in and adjustable with respect to said collar of said flange member;

an anchoring arrangement for securing said flange member to the wall;

a fastening arrangement for securing said electrical box to said flange member; and

an attachment arranged for securing said faceplate to said electrical box.

18. An adjustable electrical box assembly for mounting electrical components or fixtures on a wall comprising:

a flange member including a flange and a forward extending collar with an opening therein;

an electrical box including sidewalls having a front edge, a rear edge, and an inner surface;

a faceplate including a front panel having an opening therein;

one or more inward extending bosses extending from said inner surface of said sidewalls of said electrical box, each of said bosses including a front face;

said sidewalls of said electrical box telescopically received in and adjustable with respect to said collar of said flange member;

an anchoring arrangement for securing said flange member to the wall;

a fastening arrangement for securing said electrical box to said flange member; and

an attachment arrangement for securing said faceplate to said electrical box, said attachment arrangement including an aperture in said front face of each of said inward extending bosses, arms extending from said front panel of said faceplate into said opening of said faceplate, an aperture in each of said arms, and fasteners for securing through said apertures in said arms of said faceplate into said apertures in said front face of said bosses.

19. The adjustable electrical box assembly of claim 18 wherein

said attachment arrangement includes two of said apertures in said front face of each of said inward extending bosses including an inner aperture and an outer aperture;

and

said inner aperture is closer to the axial center of said electrical box than said outer aperture.