Electrical box mounting bracket with rails

• US 9,397,491 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ERICO International Corporation (nVent Electric Plc)
• Original Assignee: ERICO International Corporation (nVent Electric Plc)
• Inventors: Birli, Mary Ellen, Jones, Ronald Adam, Laughlin, Raymond Scott, Olle, Raymond Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): McKinnon, Terrell
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDUFFIE, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US13/651,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20140103180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 248/906, 248/200, 248/56, 248/57, 248/300, 248/68.1, 174/50, 174/58, 220/3.2, 220/3.3, 220/3.7, 220/3.9, 220/3.92, 220/3.94, 439/532
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/10 protected by boxes, e.g. by distribution, connection or junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/12 for flush mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/125 with supporting bar extending between two separate studs of a wall frame
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/183 support rails therefor

Abstract

An electrical installation bracket includes a body that may telescope to allow the length of the bracket to be changed to accommodate installation in different configurations, for example to accommodate different spacing between mounting studs. The bracket has rails on a face that allow an electrical box to be positioned, by sliding, at any of a variety of locations along the length of the body. The body has holes in it for securing the box to the bracket at a desired location along the body, with a front of the box for example protruding through an opening in the body. The body includes ears on opposite sides of the opening, with mounting holes for mounting the bracket to studs or other structure (or other hardware or devices). The electrical installation bracket advantageously provides more flexibility in placement of electrical boxes, with pre-prepared holes available for securing boxes.

Claims

1. An electrical installation bracket for securing an electrical box in a cavity between a first structure and a second structure, the electrical box including a first mounting part and a second mounting part, the electrical installation bracket comprising:

a first bracket part including;

a first ear for securing the first bracket part to the first structure;

a first leg extending from the first ear and including a first rail; and

a second leg extending from the first ear and including a second rail;

a second bracket part including;

a second ear for securing the second bracket part to the second structure;

a third leg extending from the second ear and including a third rail; and

a fourth leg extending from the second ear and including a fourth rail;

the third rail being nested with the first rail to form a first telescoping portion with a first length, the first length being changeable to correspond to a length of the cavity by sliding the third rail relative to the first rail;

the fourth rail being nested with the second rail to form a second telescoping portion with a second length, the second length being changeable to correspond to the length of the cavity by sliding the fourth rail relative to the second rail;

the first telescoping portion, the second telescoping portion, the first ear and the second ear at least partly defining a mounting opening with a length;

the first mounting part of the electrical box being received in and slidable within the first telescoping portion and the second mounting part of the electrical box being received in and slidable within the second telescoping portion to secure the electrical box to the electrical installation bracket, without fasteners, at any position of a continuous range of positions that extend over the length of the mounting opening.

2. The electrical installation bracket of claim 1, further comprising:

a first series of holes spaced along the first leg;

a second series of holes spaced along the second leg;

a third series of holes is spaced along the third leg; and

a fourth series of holes is spaced along the fourth leg;

wherein adjacent holes of each of the first series of holes, the second series of holes, the third series of holes, and the fourth series of holes are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

3. The electrical installation bracket of claim 2, wherein the predetermined distance is approximately 0.125 inches.

4. The electrical installation bracket of claim 2, wherein the first series of holes, the second series of holes, the third series of holes, and the fourth series of holes are configured to receive fasteners to permanently secure the electrical box to the electrical installation bracket.

5. The electrical installation bracket of claim 1, wherein the first mounting part of the electrical box is received in and slidable within the first telescoping portion and the second mounting part of the electrical box is received in and slidable within the second telescoping portion to temporarily secure the electrical box to the electrical installation bracket, without fasteners, at any position of a continuous range of positions that extend over the length of the mounting opening.

6. The electrical installation bracket of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first bracket part and the second bracket part is formed as a single monolithic piece of material.

7. The electrical installation bracket of claim 1, wherein the first rail includes a first curved portion with a first radius of curvature, the second rail includes a second curved portion with a second radius of curvature, the third rail includes a third curved portion with a third radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature, and the fourth rail includes a fourth curved portion with a fourth radius of curvature smaller than the second radius of curvature.

8. The electrical installation bracket of claim 1, wherein the first rail is folded at a first angle relative to the first leg, the second rail is folded at a second angle relative to the second leg, the third rail is folded at a third angle relative to the third leg, and the fourth rail is folded at a fourth angle relative to the fourth leg.

9. The electrical installation bracket of claim 8, wherein each of the first angle, the second angle, the third angle, and the fourth angle is approximately 45 degrees.

10. The electrical installation bracket of claim 1, wherein the first mounting part of the electrical box includes a first flange disposed at a front of the electrical box, and the second mounting part of the electrical box includes a second flange disposed at the front of the electrical box.

11. An electrical installation bracket for receiving an electrical box, the electrical box including a first mounting part and a second mounting part, the electrical installation bracket comprising:

a body with an opening;

a first rail on a first side of the opening, the first rail being configured to slidably receive the first mounting part of the electrical box;

a second rail on the second side of the opening, the second rail being configured to slidably receive the second mounting part of the electrical box;

a first flange on the first side of the opening;

a second flange on the second side of the opening;

a first curved portion tapering to connect the first flange to the first rail; and

a second curved portion tapering to connect the second flange to the second rail;

when the electrical box is moved along the body between the first flange and the second flange, the first curved portion guiding the first mounting part of the electrical box into the first rail and the second curved portion guiding the second mounting part of the electrical box into the second rail.

12. The electrical installation bracket of claim 11, wherein the first rail and the second rail extend along a first face of the body;

and

wherein the first flange and the second flange are substantially perpendicular to the first face.

13. The electrical installation bracket of claim 11, wherein the first rail, the first flange, and the first curved portion are included in a unitary first extension of the body;

and

wherein the second rail, the second flange, and the second curved portion are included in a unitary second extension of the body.

14. The electrical installation bracket of claim 11, further comprising:

a first tab on the body on the first side of the opening, the first tab being bendable from a first orientation that permits movement of the electrical box past the first tab to a second orientation that blocks movement of the electrical box past the first tab; and

a second tab on the body on the second side of the opening, the second tab being bendable from a third orientation that permits movement of the electrical box past the second tab to a fourth orientation that blocks movement of the electrical box past the first tab;

wherein, with the first mounting part of the electrical box disposed within the first rail and the second mounting part of the electrical box disposed within the second rail, bending the first tab to the second orientation and the second tab to the fourth orientation secures the first mounting part of the electrical box within the first rail and the second mounting part of the electrical box within the second rail, without fasteners.

15. The electrical installation bracket of claim 14, wherein the first tab is aligned with at least one of the first flange and the first curved portion;

and

wherein the second tab is aligned with at least one of the second flange and the second curved portion.

16. The electrical installation bracket of claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of third tabs on the body on the first side of the opening, the plurality third tabs being disposed at intervals along the first rail and at least one of the plurality of third tabs being bendable from a fifth orientation that permits movement of the electrical box past the at least one of the third tabs to a sixth orientation that blocks movement of the electrical box past the at least one of the plurality of third tabs;

wherein, with the first mounting part of the electrical box disposed within the first rail and the second mounting part of the electrical box disposed within the second rail, bending the at least one of the plurality of third tabs to the sixth orientation secures the first mounting part of the electrical box within the first rail and the second mounting part of the electrical box within the second rail, without fasteners.

17. The electrical installation bracket of claim 16, further comprising:

an angled flange including;

a first flange part that is secured to the body at one end of the opening; and

a second flange part that extends at an angle to the first flange part and includes a plurality of openings for receiving a plurality of conduit runs;

wherein, when in a seventh orientation, the angled flange is at least partly disposed in the opening and the second flange part extends to a first side of the body; and

wherein the angled flange is bendable, at a connection between the first flange part and the body, to an eighth orientation in which the angled flange is outside of the opening and the second flange part extends to a second side of the body.

18. The electrical installation bracket of claim 11, wherein the first mounting part of the electrical box includes a first flange disposed at a front of the electrical box, and the second mounting part of the electrical box includes a second flange disposed at the front of the electrical box.

19. An electrical installation bracket for receiving an electrical box, the electrical box including a first mounting part and a second mounting part, the electrical installation bracket comprising:

a body with an opening;

a first rail on a first side of the opening, the first rail being configured to slidably receive the first mounting part of the electrical box;

a second rail on the second side of the opening, the second rail being configured to slidably receive the second mounting part of the electrical box; and

an angled flange including;

a first flange part that is secured to the body at one end of the opening; and

a second flange part that extends at an angle to the first flange part and includes a plurality of openings for receiving a plurality of conduit runs;

wherein, when in a first orientation, the angled flange is at least partly disposed in the opening and the second flange part is disposed on an opposite side of the body from the first rail and the second rail; and

wherein the angled flange is bendable, at a connection between the first flange part and the body, to a second orientation in which the angled flange is outside of the opening and the second flange part is disposed on a same side of the body as the first rail and the second rail.

20. The electrical installation bracket of claim 19, wherein a tab is disposed on the first flange part of the angled flange, the tab being bendable to secure the first flange part to the body when the angled flange is bent to the second orientation.

21. The electrical installation bracket of claim 19, wherein, with the angled flange bent to the second orientation, with the first mounting part of the electrical box received in the first rail, and with the second mounting part of the electrical box received in the second rail, the second flange part extends above the electrical box to guide the plurality of conduit runs to the electrical box.

22. The electrical installation bracket of claim 19, wherein, with the angled flange bent to the second orientation, with the first mounting part of the electrical box received in the first rail, and with the second mounting part of the electrical box received in the second rail, the second flange part supports a back side of the electrical box.