Open back junction box and method for pre-fab wiring

• US 9,040,848 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ERICO International Corporation (nVent Electric Plc)
• Original Assignee: Bruce G. Phillips
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng, Sherman
• Application Number:
  US13/908,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20130255988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/51, 174/520, 174/535, 174/58, 174/63, 174/528, 174/551, 298/25, 220/3.2, 220/4.02
• US Class Current: 174/535
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/00 Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/08 Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes
• 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

A bracket and open back junction box assembly allows simplified wiring at a construction site. An open back junction box including a detachable and reattachable rear cover plate is pre-assembled with a plaster ring, electrical device, and leads, at a prefab facility. A Metal Clad (MC) cable may be attached to the open back junction box and wires carried in the MC Cable may be connected to the leads. A mounting bracket is generally sandwiched between the open back junction box and the plaster ring for mounting to framing members at the construction site. Following assembly at the prefab facility, the prefab open back junction box is shipped to the construction site where the bracket and open back junction box assembly is mounted to framing members. Connections to wires carried by MC Cables are then facilitated by removing the rear cover plate to access the open back junction box interior.

Claims

1. A method for prefab wiring comprising the steps of:

obtaining an open back junction box assembly comprising;

an open back junction box having an open front for mounting an electrical device and plaster ring, and an open back comprising a single opening opposite the open front for accepting a detachable rear cover plate;

the plaster ring attached to the open back junction box;

an electrical device attached to the plaster ring;

first ends of electrical leads attached to the electrical device; and

a detachable rear cover plate attachable to the back of the open back junction box over the open back while leaving second ends of the leads inside the junction box and unattached; and

installing the junction box assembly at a work site without disassembling the electrical device and the plaster ring from the junction box assembly, the installing including the steps of;

mounting the junction box assembly to a framing member;

connecting a site electrical conduit to the open back junction box working through the open back of the open back junction box;

working through the open back of the open back junction box to connect site wires carried in the electrical conduit to the second ends of the electrical leads connected to the electrical device attached to the junction box; and

attaching the rear cover plate to the back of the open back junction box.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the open back junction box includes a bracket sandwiched between the electrical device and the plaster ring, and the open back junction box.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the site wires to the second ends of the leads through the open back of the open back junction box while leaving the first ends of the leads attached to the electrical device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the junction box assembly includes a protective cover over a face of the electrical device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the junction box assembly includes a prefab electrical conduit attached to the open back box and not detaching the electrical conduit from the open back junction box at the work site.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second ends of the leads opposite the first ends are unterminated, the method further including not detaching the leads from the electrical device at the work site.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric conduit is selected from Metal Clad (MC) Cable, Electrical metallic Tubing (EMT), Rigid Metal Conduit (RMC), Rigid Nonmetallic Conduit (RNC), Galvanized rigid conduit (GRC), Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing (ENT), Flexible Metallic Conduit (FMC), Liquidtight Flexible Metal Conduit (LFMC), Flexible Metallic Tubing (FMT), Liquidtight Flexible Nonmetallic Conduit (LNFC), Aluminium conduit, Intermediate metal conduit (IMC), PVC conduit, and underground conduit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the junction box assembly at a work site further includes installing a fire putty pad through the open back of the open back junction box.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching the rear cover plate to the back of the open back junction box comprises attaching the rear cover plate having a fire putty pad attached to the back of the open back junction box.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein constructing the junction box assembly includes:

attaching labels to the leads proximal to the second ends of the leads to identify the leads.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the open back is about the same size opening as the open front.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the completed installation of the junction box assembly performed at the work site is performed without making electrical connections working through the open front of the junction box.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric conduit is a metal conduit.

14. A method for constructing an open back prefab junction box assembly comprising the steps of:

providing an open back junction box assembly to a work site, the open back junction box assembly comprising;

a rectangular open back junction including;

four sides, opposite ones of the sides being parallel;

an open front;

an integrally formed interior ground screw receptacle; and

an open back comprising a single opening

a plaster ring attached to the open front of the open back junction box;

an electrical device attached to the plaster ring opposite the open back junction box and extending into the interior of the open back junction box;

first ends of electrical leads attached to the electrical device;

free ends of each of the electrical leads residing inside the open back junction box; and

the detachable rear cover plate attachable to the back of the open back junction box over the open back while leaving the free ends of the leads residing inside the junction box and unattached;

installing the open back junction box assembly at a work site without disassembling the electrical device and the plaster ring from the open back junction box, the installing including the steps of;

mounting the open back junction box to a framing member;

connecting a site electrical conduit to the open back junction box working through the open back of the open back junction box;

working through the open back of the open back junction box to connect site wires carried in the electrical conduit to the second ends of the electrical leads connected to the electrical device attached to the open back junction box; and

attaching the rear cover plate to the back of the open back junction box.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the rectangular open back junction box is a rectangular metal stamping.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the open back junction box assembly includes a mounting bracket sandwiched between the plaster ring and the open back junction box.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the open back junction box assembly includes a grounding pigtail attached to the open back junction box and a grounding wire connecting the interior ground screw receptacle.

18. A method for prefab wiring comprising the steps of:

obtaining an open back junction box assembly comprising;

an open front for mounting an electrical device and plaster ring, and an open back comprising a single opening about the same size as the open front and opposite the open front for accepting a detachable rear cover plate;

the plaster ring attached to the open front;

a mounting bracket sandwiched between the plaster ring and the open front;

an electrical device attached to the plaster ring;

a protective cover over a face of the electrical device;

first ends of electrical leads attached to the electrical device;

free second ends of each electrical lead; and

a detachable rear cover plate attached to the back of the open back junction box over the open back while leaving the second ends of the leads inside the junction box and unattached;

installing the junction box assembly at a work site without disassembling the electrical device and the plaster ring from the junction box assembly, the installing including the steps of;

mounting the junction box assembly to a framing member;

connecting a site electrical conduit to the open back junction box working through the open back of the open back junction box;

working through the open back of the open back junction box to connect site wires carried in the electrical conduit to the second ends of the electrical leads connected to the electrical device attached to the junction box; and

attaching the rear cover plate to the back of the open back junction box.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the open back junction box assembly includes a first end of a grounding pigtail connected to the open back junction box and a first end of a grounding wire connected to the electrical device.