Extendable electrical box

• US 8,899,431 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Shotey, Marcus J., Baldwin, Jeffrey P., Cleghorn, Richard L., Klein, John, Miserendino, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Luan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORTIZ, RAFAEL ALFREDO
• Application Number:
  US12/414,609
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 220/3.7, 220/4.01, 220/4.02, 220/8, 220/23.87, 248/59, 248/62, 248/70, 248/315, 248/230.1, 174/380, 174/58, 174/69, 174/161.R, 174/50, 361/679.05, 361/679.32
• US Class Current: 220/3.7
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/086 Collapsible or telescopic containers B65D1/0292 and B65D21/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/081 Bases, casings or covers
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes

Abstract

An extendable electrical box comprises an electrical box having two open ends to an internal box space having a first depth. The electrical box comprises a mounting structure attached to at least one wall of the electrical box. The mounting structure is configured to mount the electrical box to a vertical wall structure such that the open end faces substantially parallel to the vertical wall structure. At least two extendable first rings each continuously surround one of the two open ends of the electrical box. The at least two extendable first rings are each slidably coupled with the electrical box via the sliding mechanical cooperation of one or more guides with one or more tracks, such that sliding either of the at least two extendable first rings in relation to the open ends of the electrical box expands the electrical box from the first depth to a larger second depth.

Claims

1. An extendable electrical box comprising:

an electrical box comprising four side walls, two open ends to an internal box space having a first depth, a mounting structure attached to at least one side wall of the four side walls of the electrical box, the mounting structure configured to mount the electrical box to a vertical wall structure such that the open end faces are oriented substantially perpendicular to the vertical wall structure, and tracks defining a recess on an outer surface of at least two opposing corners of said electrical box, the tracks each having a longitudinal dimension and extending between the open ends perpendicular to the two open ends and extending from the respective open end inwardly toward the internal box space, a slot formed in two opposing side walls of said electrical box and extending from each open end; and

two extendable first rings slidably mounted on the outer surface of said electrical box, each comprising inwardly angled guides received in a respective track of the electrical box, the extendable first rings each continuously surrounding one of the two open ends of the electrical box and slidably coupled with the electrical box via the sliding mechanical cooperation of the one or more inwardly angled guides with the one or more tracks such that sliding either of the at least two extendable first rings in relation to the open ends of the electrical box expands the electrical box from the first depth to a larger second depth, each extendable first rings including a guide on an inner surface of two opposing walls of said extendable first rings, each said guide having a screw hole for receiving a mounting screw and supporting an electrical device, each said guide extending through a respective slot in the electrical box and slidably received in the respective slot.

2. The extendable electrical box of claim 1, wherein the at least two extendable rings each comprise a first ring and a second ring, wherein each second ring extends in relation to and beyond a corresponding first ring.

3. The extendable electrical box of claim 1, wherein each of the tracks comprises a channel extending inwardly toward the internal box space.

4. The extendable electrical box of claim 3, wherein each channel comprises a three-corned channel.

5. The extendable electrical box of claim 1, wherein said extendable rings comprise

a second ring slidably coupled to said first ring and being slidably adjustable outwardly from said respective open end face of said electrical box to expand the depth of said electrical box, and

said mounting structure integrally formed on the outer surface of the electrical box between said extendable first rings.

6. The extendable electrical box of claim 1, wherein

said tracks are provided on an inner surface of said electrical box and extend between said first open end and second open end, and

said guides are formed on an outer surface of said two extendable rings.

7. An extendable electrical box comprising:

an electrical box having a continuous front edge surrounding a first open end and a continuous rear edge surrounding a second open end opposite said first open end to an internal box space having a first depth, the electrical box comprising at least four side walls, and a mounting structure attached to at least one side wall of the electrical box, the mounting structure configured to mount the electrical box to a vertical wall structure such that the open ends are oriented substantially perpendicular to the vertical wall structure, and one or more recesses forming first tracks on an outer surface of at least one of the four side walls, each of the one or more first tracks having a longitudinal dimension extending from the respective open end and projecting inwardly toward the internal box space;

one or more extendable first rings having an axial passage and comprising one or more inwardly angled guides extending into said axial passage and adapted to mate with the one or more first tracks, the one or more first rings continuously surrounding a respective open end of the electrical box and slidably coupled with the electrical box via a sliding mechanical cooperation of the one or more inwardly angled guides with the one or more first tracks such that sliding the one or more extendable first rings in relation to an open end of the electrical box expands the electrical box from the first depth to a larger second depth, each said inwardly angled guides forming a longitudinally extending second track on an outer surface of said first ring;

one or more extendable second rings having an axial passage and comprising one or more integral inwardly angled guides extending into the axial passage and adapted to mate with a respective second track on the one or more extendable first rings, the one ore or more extendable second rings continuously surrounding the one or more extendable first rings and slidably coupled with the one or more extendable first rings; and

wherein when the one or more extendable first rings are in a collapsed position with respect to the electrical box, a front edge of the one or more first extendable rings is substantially flush with the continuous front edge of the electrical box.

8. The extendable electrical box of claim 7, wherein the one or more first tracks are located on an inner surface of the electrical box and the one or more guides are located on an outer surface of the one or more extendable first rings.

9. The extendable electrical box of claim 7, further comprising one or more reentrant opening auxiliary on at least one side wall of the electrical box, said reentrant opening extending from the open end of said electrical box in a longitudinal direction, and one or more auxiliary guides on an inner surface of said first ring adapted to fit within a respective auxiliary track and extend into said internal box space of said electrical box, each of said auxiliary guides having an aperture for mounting an electrical device.

10. The extendable electrical box of claim 7, wherein each of the one or more first tracks extends inwardly from a different corner of the electrical box toward the internal box space.

11. The extendable electrical box of claim 7, wherein each of the one or more first tracks comprises a channel extending inwardly toward the internal box space.

12. The extendable electrical box of claim 11, wherein each channel comprises a three-cornered channel.

13. The extendable electrical box of claim 12, wherein

said first ring has an inwardly extending portion defining said guide on an inner surface and a recessed portion defining a longitudinally extending recessed track on an outer surface, and

said second ring has an inwardly extending portion defining a longitudinally extending guide on an inner surface mating with said recessed track on said first ring.

14. An extendable electrical box comprising:

an electrical box having a first and second open end, and a first and second opposing side wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, said top wall and said bottom wall each having a slot extending from said first open end toward said second open end, said electrical box having a mounting structure coupled to at least one of said side walls, top wall and bottom wall and configured for mounting to a support; and

a first extendable ring slidably mounted on an outer surface of said electrical box for sliding movement between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to said first open end, said extendable ring having two opposing side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, an open front edge and an open rear edge, each said top wall and bottom wall having a guide on an inner surface and extending from the open front edge of said extendable ring and extending through a respective slot in said electrical box and into a cavity of said electrical box, each of said guides having an end face with a mounting screw aperture for receiving a mounting screw for mounting an electrical device, each said end face positioned at the front edge of said first extendable ring for spacing the electrical device from the open end of said electrical box, wherein said first extendable ring surrounds said electrical box and is slidable between said retracted position where said front edge of said first extendable ring is aligned with said first open end of said electrical box and said extended position where said front edge of said first extendable ring and said end face of said guides are spaced outwardly from said first open end.

15. The electrical box of claim 14, wherein

said electrical box has two spaced apart slots on said top and bottom walls and extending from said second open end toward said first open end, and

a second extendable ring slidably mounted on an outer surface of said electrical box for sliding movement between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to said second open end, said extendable ring having two opposing side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, each said top wall and bottom wall having two spaced apart guides on an inner surface and extending from an open front edge of said second extendable ring and extending through a respective slot in said electrical box and into a cavity of said electrical box, each said guides having an end face with a mounting screw aperture for receiving a mounting screw for mounting an electrical device, each said end face positioned at the front edge.

16. The electrical box of claim 15, wherein

said guides extend from said first open end to said second open end of said first and second extendable rings.

17. The electrical box of claim 14, wherein

said electrical box has a first recess between said first side wall and said top wall defining a first track on an outer surface of said electrical box, a second recess between said second side wall and said bottom wall defining a second track on an outer surface of said electrical box, and

said first extendable ring has a first projection between said first side wall and top wall and extending into said axial passage for mating with said first track, and a second projection between a second side wall and bottom wall and extending into said axial passage for mating with said second track.

18. An extendable electrical box comprising:

an electrical box having an open end, a second end opposite said open end, and a first and second opposing side wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, said top wall and said bottom wall having slots extending from said open end toward said second end; and

an extendable ring slidably mounted on and surrounding an outer surface of said electrical box for sliding movement between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to said open end, said extendable ring having a first end, a second end, two opposing side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, each said top wall and bottom wall having a guide on an inner surface and extending from an open front edge of said extendable ring and extending through a respective slot in said electrical box and into a cavity of said electrical box, each of said guides having an end face with a mounting screw aperture for receiving a mounting screw for mounting an electrical device, each said end face positioned at the front edge, said end face of said guides and said open front edge of said extendable ring being aligned with said open end of said electrical box in said retracted position and said end face of said guides and said open front edge of said extendable ring being spaced outwardly from said open end of said electrical box in said extended position.