Universal electrical wiring component

• US 7,572,977 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alexandra Block, ANDREW KALANI NIHEU & JAY DEEP CHITNIS, Andrew M. Jenkins, Anne M. Mahoney, Baker Ken, Baum Family Trust, Binkley Family Trust, Bonnie Austin, Brandon Dinoto, Brandon Moore Utma, BRIAN DRISCOLL AND/OR DRISCOLL INVESTMENTS INC., Bruce Johnson, BRUCE & LORENE BOWERS, BRUCE & SANDY BRANDENBURG, CARL A LARSON, TRUSTEE LARSON 1995 REVOCABLE TRUST DTD 11/17/1995, CARL KOBAYASHI & MISHELLE NISHIDA, Chea Chung, CHRISTOPHER MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE MOORE FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/3/2006, Christy L. Hendrickson Trust, CLAUDE KORDUS TRUSTEE KORDUS FAMILY TRUST, CLIFF & MAKOTO MCQUEEN, Court Wilson, Craig Hillegas, Daniel Allen, Daniel C. Serpe, DANIEL & KIMBERLY DOTSON, Daniel White, Dan Way, DAVID & BONNIC AUSTIN INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES AUSTIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/1/1999, David Caldwell, David L. Lyon, Dominique Pandolfi, DONALD D. LEARNED, TRUSTEE DONALD LEARNED TRUST C/O SCOTT LEARNED, DONALD & MARY SPENCER, Don Farris Inc Retirement Trust, Doug Cox, Elizabeth Willis, Eric Rawa, Estate Of Gary W. Dixon, GARY & BARBARA A. GENTZKOW AND/OR BARBARA GENTZKOW'S IRA, GARY & LINDSEY BLOCK, George Block, Glenn Frieder, Gloria Marie Gammill, GREG A. JIRAK & LORI HUBBART, GREG BLOCK, TRUSTEE, BLOCK FAMILY TRUST DTD 6/22/1990, Greg MacDonald, Gregory A. Block, Gregory Bernett, HARDEY, JULIE E. AKA JULIE HELLUM FBO BREE DIXON, Hardie David, Howard Brian Malloy, Ian Nausner, IVAN & LORI MENDELSON, James Clifford, James Gammill, JAMES GEVARGES & DOMINIQUE BEITKANOUN, JAMES & KIM WEINBERGER, JAMES & ROBYN CARBAUGH, JANELL SKOMER AKA JANELL SOHMER-BLOCK C/O GREGORY BLOCK, Jeffrey Lubin, Jeffrey Teza, Jeff Schott, Jerry E. Jageman, John Chu, John F. Zolezzi, JOHN & LAUARIE DEWITT AND/OR THIEIR IRAS, JOHN & LYNN BOWEN, TRUSTEES BOWN FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/21/1985, Jon Hillegas, JULIUS & MARRIETTA ZOLEZZI, KASHAN PIRACHA (KPN, LLC), Katherine Williams, KENNETH & JANET SHANER, Ken Rubin, Kevin Thomas Dinoto, Kristopher Dinoto, Laura Lewis, Laurence Balter, LINDA MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE LINDA B. MOORE PERSONAL TRUST, Lisa Odenweller, Lori Shook, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS LIMITED C/O SMC MULTI-MEDIA, Man-Ling Lai, Marc Cahal, Marc Odenweller, MARION J. BAUER ROSIDUARY TRUST C/O BLOCK, GAUNCE & ASSOCIATES, MARK & DIANA KENNEY, TRUSTEES KENNEY FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/29/1996, Mark McDonald, Marview Holdings, Inc., Maui Preparatory Academy, Megan Molloy, Melody Kitchens, MICHAEL & ANASTASIA FARRELL AND/OR STERLING TRUST CO. FBO MICHAEL FARRELL, Michael Bosworth, Michael Dewitt, MICHAEL MCLOUGHLIN, TRUSTEE MCLOUGHLIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 3/22/1994, Milton F. Damerow, NGUYEN, PETER (KPN, LLC), Nicholas Block, Nicole Cox, Norman M. Estin Trust, Parvis Nabavi, Paul Block, Persis Hataria, PHILIP BURKHARDT, TRUSTEE BURKHARDT 2005 FAMILY TRUST AND/OR THEIR IRAS, Phillip Moore, PHYLLIS ORNDORFF, TRUSTEE PHYLLIS ORNDORFF TRUST DTD 12-30-2010, RANDY & LONA KENT, R/Com Retail Services, LLC, Richard Babcock, RICHARD & DEBRA MYTKO, RICHARD & JACQUELINE SMITH, Robert C. Albrow, Robert M. Skomer, Robert W. Dudley Trust, Ronald S. Chapman, RYAN & SUSAN BOWERS, Ryota Komaru, Samantha Carroll, Scot Hall, Sean Mundy, Shaochong Yan, SMC Multi-Media Products Company Limited (SMC Multi-Media Limited), S Steven Podstreleny, Steve Benshoof, Steve Marlette, Steven Purves, Steven Sreb, STUART & KAREN SHAFER, Sydney Block, TERRENCE E. LEE, TRUSTEE TERRENCE E. LEE TRUST, Terrill Stewart, Terry Davis, THOMAS DINOTO, TRUSTEE DINOTO FAMILY TRUST DTD 1/11/1993, Thomas Goergen, Thomas H. Zolezzi, Timothy Karis Sirak LLC, TIM WALKER, TRUSTEE WALKER FAMILY TRUST DTD 7/21//2009, Valeo Partners LLC, Vincent Guzzetta Vascular Associates Co., WALTER & REBECCA HICKEL C/O CALWEST PROPERTIES, WARREN & ROBIN COHEN, Wendy Frieder, William Orndorff
• Original Assignee: Protectconnect Incorporated
• Inventors: Gorman, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Dhiru R
• Application Number:
  US11/782,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/58, 174/60, 174/63, 174/48, 248/906, 248/298.1, 248/219.1, 297/29, 220/3.7, 220/3.8, 439535-537, 439/107, 439/652, 200/330
• US Class Current: 174/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/125 with supporting bar extending between two separate studs of a wall frame
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/128 in plinths, channels, raceways or similar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

A modular electrical wiring component comprises a wiring module having a wiring portion for coupling to a source of electrical power and a user-accessible portion configured to accept and provide electrical power to a functional module that provides a selected electrical distribution function, wherein the wiring module is configured to accept the functional module without access to the wiring portion. The modular electrical wiring component also comprises an adjustable plaster ring configured to couple to the wiring module and to an electrical junction box, wherein the adjustable plaster ring provides a variable distance between the electrical junction box and the wiring module.

Claims

1. A modular electrical wiring component comprising:

a wiring module having a first portion configured to couple to a source of electrical power and a second portion configured to couple and provide the electrical power to a separate functional module that provides a selected electrical distribution function, wherein the wiring module is configured to couple to the functional module without accessing the wiring first portion;

an adjustable plaster ring configured to couple to the wiring module and to an electrical box, wherein the adjustable plaster ring is configured to provide a variable distance between the electrical junction box and the wiring module; and

a protective cover to shield the second portion of the wiring module when no functional module is coupled to the wiring module.

2. The modular electrical wiring component of claim 1, wherein the adjustable plaster ring comprises a base ring and an insert ring that is slidably retained within the base ring.

3. The modular electrical wiring component of claim 2, wherein the insert ring is slidably retained within the base ring by adjusting screws.

4. The modular electrical wiring component of claim 3, wherein turning the adjusting screws varies the distance between the electrical box and the wiring module.

5. The modular electrical wiring component of claim 2, wherein the base ring is configured to couple to the electrical box and the insert ring is configured to couple to the wiring module.

6. The modular electrical wiring component of claim 1, wherein the wiring module is configured to accept a plug-in functional module.

7. The modular electrical wiring component of claim 1, further comprising the electrical box.

8. An electrical wiring method comprising:

providing a wiring module having a first portion configured to couple to a source of electrical power and a second portion configured to couple and provide electrical power to a functional module that provides a selected electrical distribution function, wherein the wiring module is configured to couple to the functional module without accessing the first portion;

providing an adjustable plaster ring configured to couple to the wiring module and to an electrical box, wherein the adjustable plaster ring is configured to provide a variable distance between the electrical junction box and the wiring module;

coupling the wiring module to the adjustable plaster ring; and

coupling a protective cover with respect to the wiring module so as to shield the second portion of the wiring module when no functional module is coupled to the wiring module.

9. The electrical wiring method of claim 8, further comprising mechanically coupling the adjustable plaster ring to the electrical box.

10. The electrical wiring method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting the distance between the electrical box and the wiring module using the adjustable plaster ring.

11. The electrical wiring method of claim 8, further comprising electrically and mechanically coupling the functional module to the wiring module.

12. The electrical wiring method of claim 11, wherein electrically and mechanically coupling the functional module to the wiring module comprises plugging the functional module into the second portion of the wiring module.