Floor stand for mounting an electrical box

• US 7,956,285 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Kamm, Andrew C., Tally, Brandon Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada; Angel R
• Application Number:
  US12/167,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20100000783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 174/480, 174/481, 174/50, 174/53, 174/57, 174/58, 174/505, 174/61, 174/503, 174/54, 174/63, 174/496, 220 32- 39, 220/4.02, 248/27.1, 248/300, 248/56, 248/57, 248/68.1, 248/343, 248/205.7, 248/82, 248/201, 248/906, 439/535, 522/207, 522/208, 312/345
• US Class Current: 174/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

A floor stand is disclosed for mounting an electrical box at a location above a floor between two wall studs. The floor stand has an elongate sheet metal body and at least one mounting arm attached to the body. In one embodiment, the mounting arm is bendable from a position extending lengthwise of the body to a position in which it extends generally laterally outward from the body for attachment to one of the wall studs. In another embodiment, the two mounting arms are detachable from the body and re-attachable in the stated second position. An optional cable-containment section for connection to the box-mounting section of the floor stand is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A floor stand for mounting an electrical box at a location between two wall studs, comprising

an elongate sheet metal body having opposite ends and a box-mounting section between said opposite ends configured for mounting an electrical box,

at least one sheet metal mounting arm attached to the body,

said at least one mounting arm being bendable from a first position in which it extends generally lengthwise of the body to a second position in which it extends generally laterally outward from the body for attachment to one of said wall studs, said at least one arm remaining attached to said body in said second position.

2. A floor stand as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one mounting arm is integrally formed as one piece with said body and remains integrally attached as one piece when in said second position.

3. A floor stand as set forth in claim 2 wherein said at least one mounting arm has an upper end attached to said sheet metal body at a location adjacent said box-mounting section and a lower end.

4. A floor stand as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one mounting arm is one of two mounting arms attached to the sheet metal body, said mounting arms being bendable from said first position in which the arms extend generally lengthwise of the body to a second position in which the arms extend generally laterally outward from opposite sides of the body for attachment to respective wall studs.

5. A floor stand as set forth in claim 4 wherein said sheet metal body has opposite sides extending between said opposite ends, and wherein said two mounting arms are disposed inboard of said sides when in said first position.

6. A floor stand as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said mounting arms has a series of fastener openings spaced lengthwise along the mounting arm.

7. A floor stand as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a stand-off support integrally formed as one piece with said sheet metal body below said box-mounting section and between said two mounting arms, said stand-off support being bendable from a first position generally co-planar with said body to a second position extending rearward from the body for engaging a back wall surface.

8. A floor stand as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a pair of mounting tabs integrally formed as one piece with the sheet metal body adjacent opposite sides of the body, said mounting tabs being bendable from positions inboard of respective sides of the body to positions projecting laterally outward from respective sides, and at least one fastener hole in each mounting tabs for fastening the tab to a wall stud.

9. A floor stand as set forth in claim 8 wherein said mounting tabs are located above the upper ends of said mounting arms.

10. A floor stand as set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least one mounting tab integrally formed as one piece with the sheet metal body adjacent one side of the body, said mounting tab being bendable from a position inboard of said one side of the body to a position projecting laterally outward from said one side, and a fastener hole in the tab for fastening the tab to a wall stud.

11. A floor stand as set forth in claim 10 wherein said at least one mounting tab is located above an upper end of said at least one mounting arm.

12. A floor stand as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet metal body further comprises a cable-containment section above said box-mounting section for holding cable terminating in said electrical box.

13. A floor stand as set forth in claim 12 wherein said cable-containment section comprises a lower portion adapted for connection to the box-mounting section, a cable-containing flap adapted to extend rearward from an upper edge of said lower portion, at least one opening in the flap for receiving cable passing to or from the electrical box, and a cable holding mechanism associated with the flap for holding the cable in place.

14. A floor stand as set forth in claim 13 wherein said cable holding mechanism comprises a first set of one or more holding members on the flap and a second set of one or more holding members on the lower portion of the cable-containment section, said flap being bendable about a bend line to cause the first and second sets of holding members to engage the cable and hold the cable in place.

15. A floor stand as set forth in claim 12 wherein said cable-containment section comprises a separate sheet metal part adapted for connection to said box-mounting section.

16. A floor stand as set forth in claim 15 further comprising a quick-connect mechanism for connecting said cable-containment section to said box-mounting section.

17. A floor stand as set forth in claim 16 wherein said quick-connect mechanism comprises at least one clip on one section configured for releasable engagement with the other section.

18. A floor stand as set forth in claim 16 further comprising a locking mechanism for holding the cable-containment and box-mounting sections together against axial forces tending to pull them apart.

19. A floor stand as set forth in claim 4 wherein said two mounting arms are configured to have lines of weakness extending transversely of the arms at intervals spaced lengthwise of the arms whereby a portion of one arm can be removed at a selected line of weakness and then attached to the other arm to extend the reach of said other arm.

20. A floor stand for mounting an electrical box at a location between two wall studs, comprising

an elongate sheet metal body having opposite ends and a box-mounting section between said opposite ends configured for mounting an electrical box,

a first mounting arm on the body extending generally laterally outward from the body at only a first side of the body for attachment to one of said wall studs, and

a second mounting arm extending generally laterally outward from the body at only a second side of the body opposite the first side of the body for attachment to another of said wall studs,

said first and second arms being separate from one another and linearly aligned with one another.

21. A floor stand for mounting an electrical box at a location between two wall studs, comprising

an elongate sheet metal body having opposite ends and a box-mounting section between said opposite ends configured for mounting an electrical box, and

a sheet metal cable-containment section comprising a lower portion adapted for connection to the box-mounting section, a cable-containing flap adapted to extend rearward from an upper edge of said lower portion, at least one opening in the flap for receiving cable passing to or from the electrical box, and a cable holding mechanism associated with the flap for holding the cable in place.

22. A floor stand as set forth in claim 21 further comprising a quick-connect mechanism for connecting said cable-containment section to said box-mounting section.

23. A floor stand for mounting an electrical box at a location between two wall studs, comprising

an elongate sheet metal body having opposite ends and a box-mounting section between said opposite ends configured for mounting an electrical box, and

two sheet metal mounting arms having frangible connections with the body to permit detachment of the mounting arms from the body,

each mounting arm being configured for re-attachment to the body in a position in which the arm extends laterally out from a side of the body for securement to a wall stud.

24. A floor stand as set forth in claim 23 further comprising fastener openings spaced along each mounting arm for receiving one or more fasteners to secure the arm to a wall stud.

25. A floor stand as set forth in claim 23 further comprising a device for re-attaching each mounting arm to said body in said position in which the arm extends laterally out from a side of the body.

26. A floor stand as set forth in claim 25 wherein said device comprises a tongue on one of the mounting arm and body and a tongue-receiving opening in the other of the mounting arm and the body.

27. A floor stand as set forth in claim 23 wherein said frangible connections comprise breakable webs of sheet metal connecting the mounting arms to the body.

28. A floor stand as set forth in claim 23 wherein said body, mounting arms and frangible connections are formed initially as one integral part.