Junction box for LED drivers

• US 10,655,827 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2018
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elemental LED, Inc. (Elemental Led LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elemental LED, Inc. (Elemental Led LLC)
• Inventors: Buck, Wesley, Petersen, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Castellano, Stephen J
• Application Number:
  US16/173,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20190063737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/12 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/001 the elements being electrical wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/003 the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/10 Outdoor lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/10 protected by boxes, e.g. by distribution, connection or junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/088 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings or inlets
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0091 Housing specially adapted for small components for resistors H01C; for capacitors H01G; for integrated circuits H01L23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers

Abstract

Junction boxes for enclosing and making electrical connections to LED drivers are disclosed. The junction boxes include a bottom or base and a cover. Dividers arising from the base divide the junction box into high-voltage and low-voltage compartments. A cut-out open at the top of each divider allows drivers to be placed in a junction box without having to pull wires through holes or openings. Typically, the base is open along one long sidewall, with the cover being L-shaped to complete the enclosure. Various mounting mechanisms are disclosed for securing drivers within junction boxes.

Claims

1. A junction box, comprising:

a horizontal base that forms a lower wall of the junction box and that has

a central portion open along one long sidewall, and

two opposite end portions, each end portion having a three-walled compartment arising from the horizontal base, the three-walled compartments being at least substantially geometrically identical to each other and spaced from one another by the central portion, each of the three-walled compartments including

two vertical outer sidewalls, each of the two vertical outer sidewalls being aligned with an edge of the horizontal base and defining a portion of a sidewall of the junction box, with at least one frangible portion in one of the two vertical sidewalls that is adapted to be broken away to form an opening, and

a vertical inner sidewall separating the three-walled compartment from the open central portion of the base;

at least one mounting position including or being associated with mounting structure secured, or adapted to be secured, to the central portion of the base to secure one or more drivers;

a cut-out in each of the vertical inner sidewalls, the cut-outs corresponding in position to the at least one mounting position, and the cut-outs in the respective vertical inner sidewalls being aligned with one another across a length of the open central portion of the base, each of the cut-outs beginning at a top edge of one of the vertical inner sidewalls and extending downwardly; and

an L-shaped cover having

an upper wall with a size and shape matching a size and shape of the lower wall of the junction box, and

a depending side portion being sized and adapted to close the three-walled compartments of the opposite end portions and to create a contiguous sidewall along the open long sidewall of the base such that when installed, the cover forms a closed enclosure with the base;

the closed enclosure having

     1) a central chamber bounded at opposite ends thereof by the vertical inner sidewall of each of the two three-walled compartments, and

     2) a pair of end chambers at opposite ends of the closed enclosure and encompassing respective ones of the three-walled compartments, with the end chambers being substantially geometrically identical to each other and with each of the end chambers having a smaller interior volume than the central chamber.

2. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the junction box is a rectangular prism with the cover installed on the horizontal base.

3. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the cut-outs on the inner sidewalls of the three-walled compartments are U-shaped.

4. The junction box of claim 1, wherein each of the three-walled compartments includes a grounding screw adapted to secure a ground wire.

5. The junction box of claim 4, wherein each of the vertical inner sidewalls includes a horizontal flange with a threaded opening for the grounding screw.

6. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the cover is perforated.

7. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the horizontal base and the cover are made of sheet metal.

8. The junction box of claim 1, wherein each of the three-walled compartments includes at least one opening or frangible portion along an exterior wall.

9. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the mounting structure comprises one or more Z-brackets;

clips;

fixed straps that engage with a buckle;

fixed straps that engage with a quick-release;

a hinged bracket;

depending wedges on an underside of the upper wall of the cover;

or depending spring clips on the underside of the upper wall of the cover.

10. The junction box of claim 1, wherein each of the mounting structures is staggered in position with respect to the others.

11. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the mounting structure comprises a single, common mounting structure that is adapted to secure two of said one or more drivers at each of two or more mounting positions.

12. The junction box of claim 11, wherein the single, common mounting structure comprises a bracket.

13. The junction box of claim 12, wherein the bracket includes at least one downwardly-extending portion to define a lateral spacing between respective mounting positions.

14. The junction box of claim 13, wherein each of the at least one downwardly-extending portions extend to the horizontal base and are adapted to be secured to the horizontal base.

15. The junction box of claim 1, wherein the cutouts extend downwardly toward the horizontal base of the junction box by an extent that positions bottoms of the cut-outs generally at the same distance from the horizontal base of the junction box as a center of at least one opening that would be formed at each of the opposite end portions of the junction box by breaking away a corresponding one of the frangible portions.

16. A junction box, comprising:

a horizontal base that forms a lower wall of the junction box and that has

a central portion open along one long sidewall, and

two opposite end portions, each end portion having a three-walled compartment arising from the horizontal base and being spaced from one another by the central portion, each of the three-walled compartments including

two vertical outer sidewalls, each of the two vertical outer sidewalls being aligned with an edge of the horizontal base and defining a portion of a sidewall of the junction box, with at least one frangible portion in one of the two vertical sidewalls that is adapted to be broken away to form an opening, and

a vertical inner sidewall separating the three-walled compartment from the open central portion of the base;

at least one mounting position including or being associated with mounting structure secured, or adapted to be secured, to the central portion of the base to secure a driver;

a cut-out in each of the vertical inner sidewalls, the cut-outs corresponding in position to the at least one mounting position, and the cut-outs in the respective vertical inner sidewalls being aligned with one another across a length of the open central portion of the base, each of the cut-outs beginning at a top edge of one of the vertical inner sidewalls and extending downwardly toward the horizontal base of the junction box by an extent that positions bottoms of the cut-outs generally at the same distance from the horizontal base of the junction box as a center of at least one opening that would be formed at each of the opposite end portions of the junction box by breaking away a corresponding one of the frangible portions; and

an L-shaped cover having

an upper wall with a size and shape matching a size and shape of the lower wall of the junction box, and

a depending side portion being sized and adapted to close the three-walled compartments of the opposite end portions and to create a contiguous sidewall along the open long sidewall of the base such that when installed, the cover forms a closed enclosure with the base, the closed enclosure having

     1) a central chamber bounded at opposite ends thereof by the vertical inner sidewall of each of the two three-walled compartments, and

     2) a pair of end chambers at opposite ends of the closed enclosure and encompassing respective ones of the three-walled compartments.