Electrical box

• US 8,344,248 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Lalancette, Daniel, Veillette, Marc-Antoine
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhirubhai R
• Application Number:
  US12/869,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20110083871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/58, 174/60, 439/535, 248/906, 220/4.02
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/123 in thin walls
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/126 with supporting means for mounting on a single wall stud
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49963 Threaded fastener

Abstract

An electrical box may include a top side and a bottom side that are connected to one another by panels. Each of the top side and bottom side may include a front portion with a side edge, a front edge and a back edge, a back portion with a side edge, a front edge and a back edge, and an angled portion connecting the front portion to the back portion, the back portion being offset with respect to the front portion. The angled portion may include a transition edge that joins the back edge of the front portion to the back edge of the back portion. The transition edge may provide for space for maneuvering the electrical box aligned to a wall stud in a wall assembly out of the wall assembly through a hole in a drywall of the wall assembly.

Claims

1. An electrical box comprising:

a top side and a bottom side that are connected to one another by panels, each of the top side and bottom side including;

a front portion with a side edge, a front edge and a back edge;

a back portion with a side edge, a front edge and a back edge; and

an angled portion connecting the front portion to the back portion, the back portion being offset with respect to the front portion, the angled portion including;

a transition edge, of the angled portion, that joins the back edge of the front portion to the back edge of the back portion,

wherein when mounting the electrical box on a wall stud inside a wall assembly, the back portions of the top and bottom sides are inserted through a hole in a drywall of the wall assembly and passed between an edge of the wall stud and an edge of the drywall and when the electrical box is rotated about the edge of the drywall of the wall assembly to position one of the back edges of the electrical box to the wall stud,

the transition edges of the angled portions of the top side and the bottom side provide for clearance over the rotation of the electrical box unobstructed by the edge of the wall stud.

2. The electrical box of claim 1, wherein the transition edge includes one of:

one or more slanted edges;

or

a rounded edge.

3. The electrical box of claim 1, wherein the angled portion includes:

a curved portion formed between the front edge of the front portion and the front edge of the back portion, wherein the curved portion provides for additional space for maneuvering the electrical box, aligned to the wall stud in the wall assembly, out of the wall assembly through the hole in the drywall of the wall assembly.

4. The electrical box of claim 1, wherein the top side includes:

a cover fastening portion that is integrally and perpendicularly connected to the front edge of the front portion, the cover fastening portion including a threaded hole via which a screw fastens a face plate that covers the electrical box after an installation of the electrical box in the wall assembly.

5. The electrical box of claim 1, wherein the top side includes one of:

a grounding hole for inserting a grounding screw;

or

a grounding ear.

6. The electrical box of claim 1, wherein one of the panels includes a fastening portion that is integrally and perpendicularly connected to a front edge of the panel.

7. The electrical box of claim 1, wherein the top side, the bottom side, and the panels are attached to one another via at least one of:

welds or screws.

8. The electrical box of claim 1, wherein each of the top side and bottom side includes:

a step between the back edge of the front portion and the transition edge of the angled portion connecting the front portion to the back portion,

wherein the steps of the top and bottom sides fit over an edge of the wall stud when the electrical box is positioned for reinstallation inside the wall assembly.

9. The electrical box of claim 1, wherein the panels include a mounting panel that connects the back edge of the front portion of the top side to the back edge of the front portion of the bottom side, the mounting panel including at least one hole for passing a first screw for affixing the electrical box to the wall stud during an installation of the electrical box in the wall assembly.

10. The electrical box of claim 9, wherein the at least one hole includes a hole that permits the first screw to pass through and be inserted into the wall stud at an orientation that is perpendicular to the mounting panel.

11. The electrical box of claim 9, wherein the panels include a back side that connects the side edge of the back portion of the top side to the side edge of the back portion of the bottom side, the back side including knock-out portions, when removed, creates knock-out holes to receive cables, connectors, or conduits into the electrical box.

12. The electrical box of claim 11, further comprising:

a clamp for fastening the cables to one of the panels; and

a second screw for tightening the clamp, a head of the second screw passing through a hole in another one of the panels into a portion of the clamp.

13. The electrical box of claim 12, wherein the wall assembly includes a vapor barrier, and the other one of the panels includes a recessed area that includes the hole, the recessed area partially covering the head of the second screw and preventing the second screw from puncturing the vapor barrier during the installation of the electrical box in the wall assembly.

14. The electrical box of claim 11, wherein each of the knock-out portions has a hole, the hole being open for inserting a rigid member to pry out the knock-out portion from the electrical box.

15. A method comprising:

inserting a back portion of an electrical box at an angle through a hole in a drywall of a wall assembly and passing the back portion of the electrical box between an edge of a wall stud in the wall assembly and an edge of the drywall, wherein the electrical box includes;

a front portion,

the back portion offset with respect to the front portion, and

angled portion connecting the front portion to the back portion, wherein the front portion, the back portion, and angled portion include a top wall, bottom wall, and panels that are joined to form the electrical box;

partly rotating the electrical box to position a back side of the front portion of the electrical box to the wall stud, an angled panel on the angled portion of the electrical box providing for clearance for the rotation of the electrical box unobstructed by the edge of the wall stud; and

fitting a step on the back of the electrical box to an edge of the wall stud.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

removing the electrical box from the wall assembly by;

rotating the electrical box, in a direction opposite to that for rotating the electrical box to position the back side of the front portion of the electrical box to the wall stud, wherein the angled portion provides for clearance for moving the electrical box unobstructed by the edge of the wall stud;

pulling out the front portion of the electrical box at an angle through the hole in the drywall of the wall assembly, and

passing the back portion of the electrical box between the edge of the wall in the wall assembly and the edge of the drywall.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

covering a face of the front portion, which is exposed through the hole to space outside of the wall assembly, with a face plate; and

attaching the face plate to the electrical box.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

inserting a screw through one of the panels of the electrical box into the wall stud; and

fastening the electrical box to the wall assembly by tightening the screw.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

inserting a cable into the electrical box through a knock-out hole and tightening a clamp in the electrical box to affix the cable to a surface inside the electrical box.