Electrical accessories and associated methods of use and manufacture

• US 8,669,471 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwire Company
• Original Assignee: Southwire Company
• Inventors: Temblador, Richard, Dixon, Mark Doughty, Kummer, Randy Deon
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada, Angel R
• Application Number:
  US13/232,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20120061137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 174/480, 174/481, 174/50, 174/53, 174/57, 174/58, 174/61, 174/63, 174/666, 220 32- 39, 220/4.02, 248/906, 248/200, 248/205.1, 248/213.2, 522/201, 522/208
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/085 including knock-out or tear-out sections
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/10 for surface mounting on a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/126 with supporting means for mounting on a single wall stud
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Electrical accessories and associated methods of use and manufacture. In one embodiment, a system includes a plurality of electrical junction boxes. Each electrical junction box includes at least one wall with a pair of spaced apart holes, wherein the holes are sized and shaped to receive a pair of corresponding mounting devices. The system also includes at least one bracket. The bracket includes a pair of spaced apart mounting devices, wherein the mounting devices are sized and shaped to protrude through the pair of corresponding spaced apart holes in the plurality of electrical junction boxes. At least one of the plurality of electrical junction boxes is maintained in a relative stationary position with respect to the at least one bracket when the pair of spaced apart mounting devices protrudes through the respective pair of spaced apart holes in the wall of the at least one electrical junction box.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of electrical junction boxes, each electrical junction box comprising;

at least one wall; and

at least two spaced apart holes in the at least one wall, wherein each hole is sized and shaped to receive one of the at least two corresponding mounting devices,

wherein at least one of the plurality of electrical junction boxes differs from another of the plurality of electrical junction boxes in at least one of a) a surface area of the wall comprising the at least two spaced-apart holes;

b) a size of the junction box;

c) a shape of the junction box;

or d) a number of knockouts on the wall comprising the at least two spaced-apart holes; and

at least one bracket comprising;

at least two spaced apart mounting devices, wherein each mounting device is sized and shaped to protrude through one of the at least two corresponding spaced apart holes provided in each of the plurality of electrical junction boxes;

wherein at least one of the plurality of electrical junction boxes is maintained in a relative stationary position with respect to the at least one bracket when the at least two spaced apart mounting devices protrudes through the respective at least two spaced apart holes in the wall of the at least one electrical junction box, and

wherein spacing between the at least two spaced apart holes is a predefined universal distance for each of the plurality of electrical junction boxes, wherein the predefined universal distance is selected based at least in part on a surface area of a wall for the plurality of electrical junction boxes, a number of knockouts on a wall for each of the plurality of electrical junction boxes, and relative sizes of the plurality of electrical junction boxes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mounting devices comprise at least one of the following:

a pivoting retainer clip, a locking spring, a locking ball mechanism, a V-shaped spring device, a wire spade device, an omega clip device, a combination tab and screw mechanism, a pliable lock device, a V-shape clip device, a winged locking device, a combination of locating devices and screws, a L-shaped tab or clip, a tree-shaped device, a T-shaped tab, a pliable tab, a split T-shaped lock, or a split elongated body pin.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two spaced apart holes in the at least one wall are adjacent to an edge of an accessory opening associated with the electrical junction box.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of electrical junction boxes further comprises a plurality of walls forming an opening, wherein each wall comprises a respective at least two spaced apart holes, wherein the holes are sized and shaped to receive the at least two corresponding mounting devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket comprises at least one of the following:

an elongated flat bar, or an elongated bar with an intermediate angled segment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wall comprising the space-apart holes further comprises a plurality of knockouts wherein each of the plurality of knockouts are disposed along a different portion of the wall.

7. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of electrical junction boxes, each electrical junction box comprising;

at least one wall; and

at least two spaced apart holes in the at least one wall, wherein the holes are sized and shaped to receive at least two corresponding mounting devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrical junction boxes differs from another of the plurality of electrical junction boxes in at least one of a) a surface area of the wall comprising the at least two spaced-apart holes;

b) a size of the junction box;

c) a shape of the junction box;

or d) a number of knockouts on the wall comprising the at least two spaced-apart holes, and wherein spacing between the at least two spaced apart holes is a predefined universal distance for the plurality of electrical junction boxes, wherein the predefined universal distance is selected based at least in part on a surface area of a wall for the plurality of electrical junction boxes, a number of knockouts on a wall for the plurality of electrical junction boxes, and relative sizes of the plurality of electrical junction boxes;

providing at least one bracket comprising;

at least two spaced apart mounting devices, wherein the mounting devices are sized and shaped to protrude through the at least two corresponding spaced apart holes in the plurality of electrical junction boxes; and

mounting the at one bracket to at least one of the plurality of electrical junction boxes to maintain the at least one electrical junction box in a relative stationary position with respect to the at least one bracket when the at least two spaced apart mounting devices protrude through the respective at least two spaced apart holes in the wall of the at least one electrical junction box.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mounting devices comprise at least one of the following:

a pivoting retainer clip, a locking spring, a locking ball mechanism, a V-shaped spring device, a wire spade device, an omega clip device, a combination tab and screw mechanism, a pliable lock device, a V-shape clip device, a winged locking device, a combination of locating devices and screws, a L-shaped tab or clip, a tree-shaped device, a T-shaped tab, a pliable tab, a split T-shaped lock, or a split elongated body pin.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least two spaced apart holes in the at least one wall are adjacent to an edge of an accessory opening associated with the electrical junction box.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of electrical boxes further comprises a plurality of walls forming an opening, wherein each wall comprises a respective at least two spaced apart holes, wherein the holes are sized and shaped to receive the at least two corresponding mounting devices.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one bracket comprises at least one of the following:

an elongated flat bar, or an elongated bar with an intermediate angled segment.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the predefined universal distance between the at least two spaced apart holes comprises the steps of:

providing a first depiction of a first wall of a first of the plurality of junction boxes;

providing a second depiction of a second wall of a second of the plurality of junction boxes, wherein the second junction box is different from the first junction box in at least one of a surface area of the second wall compared to the first wall, a size of the second junction box as compared to the first junction box;

a shape of the first wall of the first junction box as compared to the second wall of the second junction box; and

a number of knockouts on the second wall compared to the first wall;

overlaying the first depiction on top of the second depiction;

determining a common usable area for the first wall and the second wall, the common usable area being devoid of knockouts in the first depiction and the second depiction;

identifying the predefined universal distance between the at least two spaced-apart holes based on the common usable area of the first wall and the second wall; and

providing the at least two spaced-apart holes with the identified predefined universal distance therebetween in each of the first wall of the first junction box and the second wall of the second junction box.

13. An apparatus comprising:

an electrical junction box comprising;

at least one wall; and

at least two spaced apart holes in the at least one wall, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrical junction boxes differs from another of the plurality of electrical junction boxes in at least one of a) a surface area of the wall comprising the at least two spaced-apart holes;

b) a size of the junction box;

or c) a number of knockouts on the wall comprising the at least two spaced-apart holes, wherein the holes are sized and shaped to receive at least two corresponding mounting devices associated with at least one bracket, wherein the mounting devices are sized and shaped to protrude through the at least two corresponding spaced apart holes in the electrical junction box;

wherein the electrical junction box can be maintained in a relative stationary position with respect to the at least one bracket when the at least two spaced apart mounting devices protrudes through the respective at least two spaced apart holes in the at least one wall of the electrical junction box, and

wherein spacing between the at least two spaced apart holes is a predefined universal distance for the plurality of junction boxes, wherein the predefined universal distance is selected based at least in part on a surface area of the wall for the electrical junction box, a number of knockouts on the wall for the electrical junction box, and the relative size of the electrical junction box.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the mounting devices comprise at least one of the following:

a pivoting retainer clip, a locking spring, a locking ball mechanism, a V-shaped spring device, a wire spade device, an omega clip device, a combination tab and screw mechanism, a pliable lock device, a V-shape clip device, a winged locking device, a combination of locating devices and screws, a L-shaped tab or clip, a tree-shaped device, a T-shaped tab, a pliable tab, a split T-shaped lock, or a split elongated body pin.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least two spaced apart holes in the at least one wall are adjacent to an edge of an accessory opening associated with the electrical junction box.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electrical junction box further comprises a plurality of walls forming an opening, wherein each wall comprises a respective at least two spaced apart holes, wherein the holes are sized and shaped to receive the at least two corresponding mounting devices.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one bracket comprises at least one of the following:

an elongated flat bar, or an elongated bar with an intermediate angled segment.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electrical junction box is made using a folded wall manufacturing process.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electrical junction box comprises a plurality of knockouts in the at least one wall, wherein each of the plurality of knockouts are disposed along a different portion of the at least one wall.