Electrical box mounting plate with adjustable ring

• US 7,531,743 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Steven J., Korcz, Krzysztof W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada; Angel R
• Application Number:
  US11/648,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20080156513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/53, 174/57, 174/58, 174/480, 174/481, 174/496, 174/66, 174/67, 174/135, 220 32- 39, 220/4.02, 220/241, 220/242, 248/906, 248/343, 335/28, 33D/IG.10
• US Class Current: 174/57
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/081 Bases, casings or covers

Abstract

An electrical box assembly includes an adjustable electrical box cover. The cover includes a base having a central opening and a collar encircling the central opening. A sleeve slides through the collar and is adjusted by a plurality of adjustment screws. In one embodiment, the adjustment screws are positioned within the sleeve and the collar. The sleeve and collar have inwardly extending tabs to receive the adjustment screws allow adjustment of the sleeve with respect to the collar.

Claims

1. An adjustable electrical box cover plate for coupling to an electrical box, said cover plate comprising:

a base having an outer face, and an inner face, said base being adapted for coupling to said electrical box;

a collar defining a central opening having a dimension to receive an electrical device and extending axially from said outer face of said base, said collar having at least two tabs at a bottom edge thereof extending inwardly into said central opening, said tab having an aperture therein;

a sleeve received in said collar and being movable axially within said collar, said sleeve having at least two tabs at a bottom edge with a threaded hole therein that are aligned with a respective tab of said collar, said sleeve having a side wall with a coupling member for receiving a ground wire; and

a threaded screw received in each said threaded hole of said tab of said sleeve, and said screw having an end rotatably coupled with and axially fixed with respect to said tabs of said collar, wherein rotation of said screw adjusts said sleeve axially with respect to said collar.

2. The cover plate of claim 1, wherein

said collar includes first and second opposite side walls integrally formed with said base, third and fourth side walls separately formed from said first and second side walls, said third and fourth side walls having opposite ends coupled to respective opposite ends of said first and second side walls, and having a longitudinal bottom edge contacting side edges of said central opening, and where said tab extends inwardly from said bottom edge of said third and fourth side walls.

3. The cover plate of claim 2, wherein said collar has an axial length substantially equal to an axial length of said sleeve.

4. The cover plate of claim 2, wherein

said sleeve is adjustable between a first position where a bottom edge of said sleeve is substantially even with a bottom edge of said collar and an extended position where said top edge of said sleeve is spaced outwardly from a top edge of said collar.

5. The cover plate of claim 1, wherein said coupling member for receiving the ground wire comprises a bendable member for crimping over the ground wire.

6. The cover plate of claim 1, wherein said coupling member for receiving the ground wire comprises a band cut from said sleeve to define an opening having a dimension to receive the ground wire, and where said band is bendable to secure the ground wire to said sleeve.

7. The cover plate of claim 1, wherein said aperture in said tab of said collar has an open side defining a slot with a concave surface therein and wherein said threaded screw has a notch received in said slot.

8. The cover plate of claim 1, wherein said base is integrally formed with said collar and extends inwardly from said side wall with respect to said central opening, and where said tab on said collar is integrally formed with said base.

9. The cover plate of claim 1, wherein said base extends outwardly from said collar.

10. The cover plate of claim 1, wherein said base comprises

a first base plate extending inwardly from a first side of said collar and a second base plate extending inwardly from an opposite second side of said collar, each said first and second base plates having a mounting aperture for receiving a mounting screw for coupling said base to said electrical box, and where said tabs are integrally formed with a respective base plate.

11. The cover plate of claim 10, wherein

said first and second base plates have a length at least equal to a length of said first and second side walls, and where said first and second base plates include a mounting aperture at each longitudinal end of said base plates, and where said tabs are positioned between said mounting aperture of the respective base plate.

12. The cover assembly of claim 1, wherein

said coupling member for receiving said ground wire is on an inner face of said sleeve and is spaced from said tabs on said sleeve.

13. An electrical box cover plate comprising:

a collar having a base with at least one first aperture for receiving a fastener for coupling said collar and base to an electrical box and a side wall extending from an outer periphery of said base substantially perpendicular to said base, said base having a second aperture for capturing a threaded screw to limit axial movement of said screw to said base, said collar defining a central opening and where said base extends into said central opening; and

a sleeve received in said collar, said sleeve having a bottom edge and a top edge, first and second tabs extending inward from a respective portion of said bottom edge and having a threaded aperture to receive the screw, and first and second mounting flanges extending inwardly from said top edge for mounting an electrical device.

14. The cover plate of claim 13, wherein

said collar has first and second opposite side walls, and said base comprises a first base plate integrally formed with said first side wall and a second base plate integrally formed with said second side wall, said first and second base plates having a length substantially equal to the respective side wall.

15. The cover plate of claim 14, wherein

said first and second base plates have a first and second end section and a middle section between said first and second ends, said aperture for capturing the threaded screw being positioned in said middle section, said first and second ends including an opening for receiving a fastener for coupling said cover plate to an electrical box, and where said mounting flanges of said collar overlie said first and second base plates.

16. The cover plate of claim 14, wherein

said mounting flanges overlie said threaded aperture in said tabs of said sleeve, and where said mounting flanges have an opening aligned with said threaded aperture in said tabs and have a dimension to allow a tool to pass through to engage said threaded screws.

17. The cover plate of claim 16, wherein said mounting flanges have threaded mounting holes on opposite sides of said opening for mounting an electrical device.

18. The cover plate of claim 14, wherein said screws have a threaded body with a first end having an enlarged head and an annular recess adjacent said head for mating with said aperture in said base, said screws having a second end opposite said first end, said first and second ends having a recess for mating with a tool for rotating said screws.

19. The cover plate of claim 13, wherein said collar has an axial length substantially equal to an axial length of said sleeve.

20. The cover plate of claim 13, wherein said sleeve is movable between a first position where said bottom edge of said sleeve contacts said base on said collar to an extended second position where said bottom edge of said sleeve is spaced from said base.

21. The cover plate of claim 13, wherein said sleeve has an inner face with a coupling member for coupling to a ground wire.

22. The cover plate of claim 21, wherein said coupling member is a band integrally formed with said sleeve to define an opening to receive said ground wire, and where said band is bendable to crimp and capture the ground wire.

23. The cover plate of claim 13, wherein said collar has an embossed area extending out of the plane of the side wall.

24. The cover plate of claim 13, wherein said side wall of said collar includes an array of embossed areas to define guide member for said sleeve.

25. The cover plate of claim 13, wherein said side wall of said collar has an embossed area to define a recess on an inner surface of said side wall.

26. The cover plate of claim 25, wherein said embossed area has a length substantially equal to a length of said side wall.

27. The cover plate of claim 25, wherein said embossed area is formed at the bottom edge of the side wall to form an outwardly extending ridge.

28. The cover plate of claim 27, wherein said ridge has a longitudinal end with outwardly extending projections.

29. An electrical box assembly comprising an electrical box having an open top end and an inner cavity, and an adjustable cover plate coupled to the electrical box, wherein the adjustable cover plate comprises:

a collar having a base extending inwardly from a bottom edge of said collar and having at least one first aperture for receiving a mounting screw for coupling said base to said electrical box, said base having a second aperture for capturing a threaded screw, and

a movable sleeve axially received in said collar, said sleeve having a bottom edge and top edge, first and second tabs extending inwardly from opposite sides of said bottom edge, said tabs having a threaded aperture to receive said screw, and first and second mounting flanges extending inwardly from said top edge for mounting an electrical device.

30. The electrical box of claim 29, wherein

said collar has first and second opposite side walls, and said base comprises a first base plate integrally formed with said first side wall and a second base plate integrally formed with said second side wall, said first and second base plates having a length substantially equal to the respective side wall and extend inwardly with respect to said collar.

31. The electrical box of claim 30, wherein

said first and second base plates have a first and second end section and a middle section between said first and second ends, said tabs being integrally formed with said base plates, said aperture for capturing the threaded screw is positioned in said middle section, said first and second ends including an opening for receiving a fastener for coupling said cover plate to an electrical box, and where said mounting flanges of said collar overlie said first and second base plates.

32. The electrical box assembly of claim 31, wherein said mounting flanges have an opening aligned with said threaded aperture in said tabs and have a dimension to allow a tool to pass through to engage said threaded screw.

33. The electrical box assembly of claim 29, wherein said screws have a threaded body with a first end having an enlarged head and an annular recess adjacent said head for mating with said aperture in said base, said screws having a second end opposite said first end received in said aperture of said tab, said first and second ends having a recess for mating with a tool for rotating said screws, and where said sleeve is movable between a first position where said bottom edge of said sleeve contacts said base on said collar to a second extended second position where said bottom edge of said sleeve is spaced from said base.

34. The electrical box assembly of claim 29, wherein said sleeve includes a band integrally formed with said sleeve to define an opening to receive a ground wire, and where said band is bendable to crimp and capture the ground wire.

35. The electrical box assembly of claim 29, wherein said collar has an array of embossed areas extending out of the plane of the side wall to define guide members for said sleeve.

36. The electrical box assembly of claim 35, wherein said embossed area is formed at the bottom edge of the side wall to form an outwardly extending ridge.