Electrical junction box with fastener knockout feature and method

• US 7,812,255 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwire Company
• Original Assignee: Barton L. Garvin
• Inventors: Garvin, Barton L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US12/157,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20090301776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/58, 174/63, 174/64, 174/666, 220/3.3, 220/3.5, 220/3.9, 439/535, 248/906
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/085 including knock-out or tear-out sections
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/088 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings or inlets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

A Chicago-style plenum-type electrical junction box provides an air impermeable barrier between a box support structure and a junction enclosure. The junction box includes a base plate and a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall extending from the base plate such that the base plate and peripheral wall define the junction enclosure. The base plate preferably includes a series of fastener knockouts so as to provide an air impermeable barrier. The fastener knockouts are selectively removable for exposing a series of fastener-receiving apertures. The fastener-receiving apertures receive a series of fasteners for sealing the fastener-receiving apertures when fastening the junction box to the box support structure thereby providing an air tight barrier between the box support structure and the junction enclosure.

Claims

1. A junction box assembly for providing an air impermeable barrier between a box support structure and a junction enclosure, the junction box assembly comprising, in combination:

at least one fastener and an electrical junction box, said fastener having a fastener head, the junction box comprising a base plate and a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall extending from the base plate such that the base plate and peripheral wall define the junction enclosure, the base plate comprising a series of fastener-receiving apertures and a series of fastener-based aperture-covering slugs, the fastener-based aperture-covering slugs being attached to the base plate adjacent the fastener-receiving apertures thereby covering the fastener-receiving apertures and providing said air impermeable barrier, the fastener-based aperture-covering slugs being selectively detachable from the base plate via an implement for selectively exposing the series of fastener-receiving apertures, the selectively exposed fastener-receiving apertures for receiving said fastener, said fastener head for re-sealing the selectively exposed fastener-receiving apertures when fastening the junction box to the box support structure thereby providing said air impermeable barrier between the box support structure and the junction enclosure.

2. The electrical junction box of claim 1 wherein the base plate comprises a series of conduit-based aperture-covering slugs, each of said conduit-based aperture-covering slugs being preformed in the base plate so as to provide said air impermeable barrier.

3. The electrical junction box of claim 1 comprising a series of fasteners, a series of fastener heads for re-sealing the fastener receiving apertures when fastening the junction box to the box support structure thereby providing said air impermeable barrier between the box support structure and the junction enclosure.

4. The electrical junction box of claim 1 wherein the peripheral wall comprises a series of conduit-based aperture-covering slugs.

5. A junction box, the junction box for providing an air impermeable barrier adjacent a box support structure, the junction box comprising:

a barrier structure, the barrier structure being selected from the group consisting of a base plate and a peripheral wall, the barrier structure comprising a fastener-receiving aperture and a fastener-based aperture-covering slug, the fastener-based aperture-covering slug being attached to the barrier structure adjacent the fastener-receiving aperture thereby covering the fastener-receiving aperture and providing said air impermeable barrier, the fastener-based aperture-covering slug being selectively detachable from the barrier structure via an implement for selectively exposing the fastener-receiving aperture, the selectively exposed fastener-receiving aperture for receiving a fastener having a fastener head, the fastener with fastener head for re-sealing the selectively exposed fastener-receiving aperture when fastening the junction box to the box support structure thereby providing said air impermeable barrier adjacent the box support structure.

6. The junction box of claim 5 wherein the peripheral wall extends from the base plate such that the base plate and peripheral wall define a junction enclosure, the base plate and the peripheral wall comprising at least one conduit-based aperture-covering slug.

7. The junction box of claim 5 wherein the barrier structure comprises a series of conduit-based aperture-covering slugs, each of said conduit-based aperture-covering slugs being preformed in the barrier structure so as to provide said air impermeable barrier.

8. The junction box of claim 5 comprising a series of fastener receiving apertures and a series of fastener based aperture-covering slugs, the fastener-based aperture-covering slugs being preformed in the barrier structure so as to provide said air impermeable barrier, the fastener-based aperture-covering slugs being attached to the barrier structure adjacent the fastener-receiving apertures thereby covering the fastener-receiving apertures, the fastener-based aperture-covering slugs being selectively detachable from the barrier structure via an implement for selectively exposing the series of fastener-receiving aperture, a series of fastener heads being operable to re-seal the fastener-receiving apertures when fastening the junction box to the box support structure thereby providing said air impermeable barrier adjacent the box support structure.

9. A method for installing an electrical junction box so as to provide an air impermeable barrier adjacent a box support structure, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a fastener-based aperture-covering slug in a junction box base plate such that the fastener-based aperture-covering slug provides said air impermeable barrier;

detaching the fastener-based aperture-covering slug from the junction box base plate via an implement thereby exposing a fastener-receiving aperture;

positioning the junction box base plate adjacent the box support structure;

inserting a fastener into the fastener-receiving aperture;

fastening the junction box base plate to the box support structure via the fastener; and

re-sealing the fastener-receiving aperture via the fastener thereby providing said air impermeable barrier adjacent the box support structure.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein a series of fastener-based aperture-covering slugs are formed in the junction box base plate before the step of detaching the fastener-based aperture-covering slugs from the junction box base plate.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said series of fastener-based aperture-covering slugs are detached from the junction box base plate before positioning the junction box base plate adjacent the box support structure.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a series of fasteners are inserted into the fastener-receiving apertures in order to fasten the junction box base plate to the box support structure.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each fastener re-seals respective fastener-receiving aperture for providing said air impermeable barrier adjacent the box support structure.

14. A method for installing a barrier structure upon a support structure so as to provide an air impermeable barrier adjacent the support structure, the method comprising the steps of:

removing a preformed, fastener-based aperture-covering slug from said air impermeable barrier structure thereby exposing a fastener-receiving aperture;

positioning the barrier structure adjacent the support structure;

inserting a fastener into the fastener-receiving aperture;

fastening the barrier structure to the support structure via the fastener; and

re-sealing the fastener-receiving aperture via the fastener thereby providing said air impermeable barrier adjacent the support structure.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein a series of fastener-based aperture-coveting slugs are preformed in the barrier structure.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising the step of removing said series of fastener-based aperture-covering slugs from the barrier structure before positioning the barrier structure adjacent the support structure.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising the step of inserting a series of fasteners into the fastener receiving apertures in order to fasten the barrier structure to the support structure.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein each fastener re-seals respective fastener-receiving aperture for providing said air impermeable barrier adjacent the support structure.