Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
MOUNTING FOR ELECTRICAL OUTLET BOX
Background and Summary of the Invention
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This invention pertains to a mounting for sup-
porting electrical outlet boxes of at least two sizes
wherein there is provided an L-shaped mounting bracket
for attachment to a wall stud and having a front wall
containing a central opening to register with the open
side of an outlet box. The front wall has at least
two groups of four access openings located outwardly
of the central opening and all access openings are of
a size to receive therethrough the shanks of outlet
box mounting screws. The access openings of one of
the groups is more widely spaced than the access openings
of the other of the groups, whereby outlet boxes oE
at least two different sizes are mountable upon the
front wall of the L-shaped mounting bracket in conjunction
with dry wall rings of two comparable sizes. The mounting
bracket includes a substantially right angular rearwardly
projecting stabilizing extension.
More particularly, tha present invention provides
an lmprovement to the device disclosed in applicant's
U.S. Patent No. 4,399,922, granted August 23, 1983.
The prior U.S. Patent discloses a mounting bracket for
an electrical outlet box of one standard size and also
one adapted to cooperate with a dry wall ring of one
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standard size. The present invention improves upon
this arrangement by enabli.ng the mounting bracket to
support outlet boxes and dry wall rings of two standard
sizes presently in wide usage. This expanded capability
is realized merely by the addition of a second set of
screw receiving openings in the forward panel of the
L-shaped mounting bracket.
Another major impro~ement over the device in
the above U.S. Patent is the provision in the right
angular rearwardly projecting stabilizing extension
of the mounting bracket of a large clearance openlng
to receive therethrough an electrical conduit leading
from the outlet box, whereby this conduit can extend
in either direction on either side of the stabilizing
extension, as well as vertically in the interior wall
~ space. This versatility of use was not possible to
: achieve with the mounting bracket according to the prior
: patent, because the right angular stabilizing extension
blocked passage of the electrical conduit through the
extension.
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In the present invention, as further improvement
features over the device in the above U.S. Patent, the
L-shaped mounting bracXet is manufactured in three sizes
to enable use thereof on walls of thr~ee diEferent conven-
tional thicknesses. The necessity for break-away portions
of the mounting bracket AS in the above U~S. Patent has
been obviated, with a savings of meta:L and a simplifica~
tion of packaging. The front panel of the bracket has
also been si2ed according to the present invention to
allow the installation of outlet boxes and their mounting
brackets on two sides of a metal wall stud, when required.
Other features and advantages of the invention will
become apparent to those skilled in the art during the
course of the following detailed description.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a
mounting for an electrical outlet box according to this
invention.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the mounting.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the outlet box mounting,
partly in section, with the mounting bracket sized for one
conventional wall thic~ness.
Figure 4 is a ~ide elevation of the mounting
bracket in Figure 3.
Figure 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 are views similar to
Figures 3 and 4 depicting the invention with relation to
wall of two other conventional thicknesses.
Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of an
alternate embodiment of a mounting for an electrical
mounting box.
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Figure 10 is a plan view of the outlet box
mounting, shown in Figure ~, partly in section, with the
mounting bracket sized for one conventional wall
thic~ness.
Detailed DescriE~tion
Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like
numerals designate like parts, an outlet box 20 of one
standard size carries a pair of diagonally disposed corner
fastening means such as mounting screws 21. A cooperating
dry wall ring 22 of matching size has cooperating fasten-
ing means receiving openings such as corner slots 23 and
24 to receive the shanks of screws 21 prior to their
tightening, as disclosed in the above referenced U.S.
Patent.
:
An L-shaped mounting bracket 25 for supporting the
outlet box 20 and dry wall ring 22 on the metal wall stud
26 includes a front panel 27 having a main opening 28 to
register with the open side of the outlet box 20, and a
rearwardly extending right angular stabilizing extension
or flange 29, substantially as disclosed in the above noted
U.S. Patent. In accordance with a feature of this inven-
tion, the front panel 27 of bracket 25 is provided near
its four corners with two separate groups of access
openings quch as apertures 30 and 30a, there being four
apertures in each group/ as shown. The apertures in both
groups are sized to allow passage therethrough of the
shanks of outlet box mounting screws, such as the screws
21, prior to tightening the screws to complete the joining
of the box and dry wall ring to the mounting bracket.
More particularly, the apertures 30 are spaced and aliyned
A
to receive the screws 21 of the standard size box 20~ such
screws 21 also properly engaging the dry wall rinq 22 of a
matching size, as shown in Figure 2.
The second group of apertures 30a which are more
widely spaced than the apertures 30 can receive the mount-
ing screws of a larger standard size outlet box, not
shown, and the screws 21 of such larg~-r outlet box are
received in the corner slots of a similarly larger stan-
dard size dry wall ring 22a shown in phantom lines in
Figure 2. ~hus, the mounting bracket 25 possesses
increased utility and versatility compared to the mounting
bracket in the above U.S. patent by virtue of the provi-
sion of a second set of screw-receiving apertures in its
forward panel 27.
Additionally, the forward panel 27 has been fore-
shortened somewhat in comparision to the prior art whereby
its vertical edge 31 can be positioned at the transverse
center of a stud 26 and anchored thereto by a pair oE
screws 32 via apertures 32' in panel 27. In the above
U.S. Patent, the longer panel 27 overlapped the entlre
front face of the stud 26, whereby only one outlet box
could be attached to the stud at one elevation. The
present invention enables the attachment of two outlet
boxes to the stud 26, one on each side of the same and at
one elevation, the second box mounting bracket 25' being
indicated in phantom lines in Figure 2.
In accordance with another feature of the present
invention, the right angular stabilizing extension 29 of
mounting bracket 25 is provided with a relatively larqe,
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preferably 2'1 diameter circular opening 33, not provided
in the prior art. This large opening allows the elec-
trical cable or conduit 34 extending from the outlet box
20 to be routed on either side of the extension 29 and
through the extension, as shown in Figures 3, 5, and 7.
The cable 34 can be routed to the left or the right of the
extension 29, upwardly or downwardly within the wall, or
in substantially any required direction. In the prior
art, the cable could not extend through the non-apertured
bracket extension 29. This is an important advantage of
the present invention.
With reference to Figures 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8, it can
be observed that the mounting bracket is provided in three
sizes to enable placement of the bracket in walls having
three standard thicknesses between their opposite side dry
wall panels 35 and 36. The three sizes of mounting
brackets for this purpose are designated 25, 25a and ~5b,
Figures 4, 6 and 8. I~he only difference among the three
brackets is that their stabilizing extensions 29 are
formed progressively shorter to extend properly between
the dry wall panels 35 and 36 of the walls having three
thicknesses, as stated. This arrangement has been found
to be more convenient, more economical and more practical
than the provision of a mounting bracket of one size with
break-away portions of the extension 29 enabling the
bracket to be used on walls of all standard thic~nesses.
savings of metal is effected in manufacturing the
bracket in three sizPs according to the present invention.
It should now be apparent that the present inven-
tion materially increases the utility and the versatility
of the outlet box mounting in severAl different ways
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compared to the prior art. Two standard sizes of outlet
boxes and dry wall rings can be accommodated by the
mounting bracket 25. The electrical cable 34 can be
routed in any direction within the wa:Ll space by virtue of
the provision of the opening 33. The mounting can be made
conveniently and with economy and a minumum of labor on
walls of three standard thicknesses. Two outlet boxes can
be attached to a single stud 26 at one elevation.
A further embodiment of my present electrical out-
let box i5 shown in Figures 9 and 10, wherein a generally
L-sh~ped mounting bracket 125 for supporting the outlet
box 120 and dry wall ring 122 on a metal wall stud 126
includes a front panel 127 having a main opening 128 to
register with the open size of the outlet box 120, and a
rearwardly extending-right angular stabilizing extension
of flange 129, substantially as discloqed in the preceding
embodiment. In accordance with a feature of this further
embodiment of the invention, the front panel 127 of
bracket 125 is provided near its four corners with two
separate groups of access openings such as apertures 130
and 130a, there being four apertures in each group, as
shown. The apertures in both groups are sized to aliow
passage therethrough of the shanks of fastener means such
as outlet box mounting screws, such as the screws 121,
prior to tightening the screws to complete the joining of
the box and dry wall ring to the mounting bracket. More
particularly, the apertures 130 are spaced and aligned to
receive the screws 121 of the standard size box 12, such
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screws 121 also properly engaging the dry wall ring 122 of
a matching sl2e, in the same fashion as described in
Figures 1-8 of the first embodiment.
The second group of apertures 130a which are more
widely spaced than the apertures 130 can receive the
mounting screws of a larger standard size outlet box, as
previously described in the Eirst embodiment.
Panel 127 is provided with an offset 140 adjacent
its distal end by right angular panel portion 141 which
terminates in a right angular mounting flange 142 which is
displaced forwardly of and in a parallel plane with mount-
ing surface 127 on the mounting 125. This flange 142 is
provided with apertures 132' to receive screws 132 for
securing the mounting flange 142 to a stud 126.
As can be seen more clearly in Figure 10, the off-
set 140 (which is approximately 3/16"~ is provided to
accommodate for the thickness of the peripheral portion of
the mounting face plate 122' on the dry wall ring 122.
This arrangement including the distal mounting
flange 142 allows the peripheral portion of the dry wall
ring 122 to lie flat across the dry wall panel 135 while
still abutting the front panel 127 in a sandwich-like
manner. This arrangement eliminates the necessity for
cutting the inside surface of the dry wall panel 135 to
receive therein the peripheral portion of the dry wall
ring 122.
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It is to be understood that the form of the
invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a
preferred example of the same, and that various changes in
the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted
to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or
scope of the subjoining claims.
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