Recessed electrical device housing assembly and clip

• US 8,072,779 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pass And Seymour Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Pass And Seymour Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Haberek, Andrew M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edmonds, Lisa Lea
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cunningham, Xanthia C
• Application Number:
  US12/349,673
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 361/825, 174/17.R, 174/35.GC, 174/43, 174/40.CC, 174/63
• US Class Current: 361/825
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/123 in thin walls

Abstract

A removable, uni-body, low voltage device adapter clip for an electrical device housing having an opening that is sized to accommodate a standard N-gang outlet box, makes it possible to mount a low voltage device in the sized-opening. The clip includes a longitudinal body portion having opposite ends defining an N-gang length there between. The clip has a finger structure that is configured to engage a front and a rear surface of an edge of the sized opening. It further has N device mounting bores disposed between the opposite ends, each of which is aligned with a longitudinal centerline of each one of the N-gang-sized openings. An electrical device housing assembly includes an electrical device housing having a plurality of recessed walls, wherein at least one of the walls has an opening that is sized to accommodate a standard N-gang outlet box, and a pair of removable, uni-body, low voltage device adapter clips. The assembly may include a low voltage device. The assembly may further include integrated mounting flanges and flange covers.

Claims

1. A removable, uni-body, low voltage device adapter clip for an electrical device housing having an opening that is sized to accommodate a standard N-gang outlet box, comprising:

a longitudinal body portion having opposite ends defining an N-gang length there between, further having a finger structure that is configured to engage a front and a rear surface of an edge of the sized opening and, further having N device mounting bores disposed between the opposite ends, each of which is aligned with a longitudinal centerline of each one of the N-gang-sized openings.

2. The clip of claim 1, wherein the finger structure is located at the opposite ends of the low voltage device adapter clip.

3. The clip of claim 1, wherein the N device mounting bores are threaded.

4. The clip of claim 1, further having N through-openings that each are adjacent to and vertically aligned with a respective device mounting bore.

5. The clip of claim 2, wherein the finger structure is adapted to slidingly engage the front and the rear surface of opposing edges of the sized opening.

6. The clip of claim 1, wherein the body includes a section that is longitudinally compressible to effect engagement with the front and the rear surface of the edge of the sized opening.

7. The clip of claim 1, wherein the body portion includes a device housing-detent-engaging protrusion disposed between the opposite ends.

8. The clip of claim 1, wherein the body portion includes a device housing-protrusion-engaging detent disposed between the opposite ends.

9. The clip of claim 1, wherein the clip has a front face engagement surface that is flat.

10. The clip of claim 1, wherein N is equal to one.

11. The clip of claim 1, wherein N is equal to two.

12. The clip of claim 1, wherein N is equal to or greater than three.

13. An electrical device housing assembly, comprising:

an electrical device housing having a plurality of recessed walls, wherein at least one of the walls has an opening that is sized to accommodate a standard N-gang outlet box;

a pair of removable, uni-body, low voltage device adapter clips, each clip comprising;

a longitudinal body portion having opposite ends defining an N-gang length there between, further having a finger structure that is configured to engage a front and a rear surface of an edge of the sized opening and, further having N device mounting bores disposed between the opposite ends, each of which is aligned with a longitudinal centerline of each one of the N-gang-sized openings.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the finger structure is located at each opposite end.

15. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the N device mounting bores are threaded.

16. The assembly of claim 13, wherein each clip further has N through-openings that each are adjacent to and vertically aligned with a respective device mounting bore.

17. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the finger structure of each clip is adapted to slidingly engage the front and the rear surface of opposing edges of the sized opening.

18. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the body has a section that is longitudinally compressible to effect engagement with the front and the rear surface of the edge of the sized opening.

19. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the walls having a sized opening has a detent, further wherein the body portion of the clip includes a detent-engaging protrusion disposed between the opposite ends.

20. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the walls having a sized opening has a protrusion, further wherein the body portion of the clip includes a protrusion-engaging detent disposed between the opposite ends.

21. The assembly of claim 13, wherein each clip has a front face engagement surface that is flat.

22. The assembly of claim 13, wherein N is equal to one.

23. The assembly of claim 13, wherein N is equal to two.

24. The assembly of claim 13, wherein N is equal to or greater than three.

25. The assembly of claim 13, further comprising a low voltage device.

26. The assembly of claim 25, wherein the pair of clips are removeably, slidingly engageable with the front and the rear surface of the opposing edges of the sized opening when the low voltage device is not fixedly assembled to the clips and, further wherein neither of the clips are slidingly dis-engageable with the front and the rear surface of the opposing edges of the sized opening when the low voltage device is fixedly assembled to the clips.

27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the finger structure is located at opposite ends of the clip.

28. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the electrical device housing includes a pair of oppositely-disposed mounting flanges integrally connected to the housing, wherein each mounting flange has a position-marking opening therein.

29. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the electrical device housing includes a pair of oppositely-disposed mounting flanges integrally connected to the housing, wherein each mounting flange has a flange cover attachment adapted to removably retain a flange cover.

30. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the electrical device housing has an exterior N-gang-sized opening.

31. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the electrical device housing has three, single-gang-sized openings, further wherein the electrical device housing has an exterior opening that is sized to accommodate a standard four-gang flange cover.

32. The assembly of claim 25, wherein the low voltage device has a rear surface that protrudes into the sized opening a distance that is equal to or less than a distance that a rear surface of the clip protrudes into the sized opening.