ELECTRICAL OUTLET BOX WITH GROUNDING TAB

PRISE ELECTRIQUE A PATTE DE MISE A LA TERRE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An electrical outlet box has a grounding tab
located adjacent the front opening of the box so that it
is more easily accessible even when an electrical fixture
is in the box. The grounding tab is located within the
box on at least one of the two ends of the box and sloped
towards the open front of the outlet box positioned close
to the front opening and adjacent one of the sides of the
box. The grounding tab has a threaded screw-receiving
hole therein for a grounding screw.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined
as follows:
1. In an electrical outlet box including a sheet
metal rectangular shaped box having two sides, two ends,
a back and an open front, the improvement of a grounding
tab within the box located on at least one of the ends
and sloped towards the open front of the outlet box, the
grounding tab positioned close to the open front and
adjacent one of the sides, the grounding tab having a
screw-receiving hole therein for a grounding screw positioned
normal to the sloped tab, thus providing access to the
grounding screw from within the box for attachment of
a grounding wire.
2. The outlet box according to Claim 1 wherein the
grounding tab is pressed out of one of the ends thus
providing access to the grounding screw for attachment
of a grounding wire.
3. The outlet box according to Claim 1 wherein a
grounding tab is located at each of the two ends on
diagonally opposite corners of the box.
4. The outlet box according to Claim 1 wherein the
grounding tab is embossed on one of the ends, thus providing
access to the grounding screw for attachment of a grounding
wire.

Description

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ELECTRICAL OUTLET BOX WITH GROUNDING TAB
The present invention relates to an electrical
outlet box and more speciically to a grounding tab
located adjacent the front opening of an electrical
outlet box~
Electrical outlet boxes are used for mounting
electrical fixtures such as switches, receptacles,
lighting fixtures and the like. Such boxes form part of
electrical systems in most houses and industrial
buildings. Nearly all outlet boxes used today are
supplied with an attachment for grounding wires as many
electrical codes call for outlet boxes to be grounded.
Most outlet boxes presently available have an
attachment for a yround wire on the back of the box. Thus
it is necessary to attach a ground wire to the box
attachment before inserting the electrical fixture into
the outlet box. Once the electrical fixture has been
mounted in the outlet box, then access to the grounding
screw in the box is limited.
Some outlet boxes have attachments for ground wire
outside the box. Another design of outlet box shows a
grounding attachment integral with the mounting tab.
This type of grounding attachment whilst being accessible
from the outside of the outlet box when an electrical
fixture is in place~ is in a plane parallel with the open
face of the outlet box and thus requires the ground wire
from the attachment to project out into the box. For
certain types of electrical fixtures, such a ground
attachment interferes with mounting in the outlet box.
It is a purpose of the present invention to
3a provide a grounding attachment for a grounding wire that
may be attached and detached whether or not the
electrical fixture is mounted in the outlet box. This is
achieved by placing the grounding attachment on a sloped
plane, close to the front opening of the outlet box an~

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at one side so that a screw driver can be inserted past
the electrical fixture to rotate the grounding screw.
The present invention provides in an electrical
outlet box including a sheet metal rectangular shaped box
having two sides, two ends, a back and an open front, the
improvement of a grounding tab within the box located on
at least one of the ends and sloped towards the open
front of the outlet box, the grounding tab positioned
close to the open ~ront and adjacent one of the sides,
the grounding tab having a screw-receiving hole therein
for a grounding screw. In another embodiment, the
grounding tab is pressed out of one of the ends, thus
providing access to the grounding screw for attachment of
a grounding wire.
In a ~urther embodiment~ the grounding tab is
embossed on one oE the ends thus providing access to the
grounding screw for attachment of a grounding wire. A
grounding tab may be located at each of the two ends on
diagonally opposite corners of the box.
In drawings which illus~rate embodiments of the
nventlon,
Fig. 1 is an isometric view of an outlet box
showing one embodiment of a grounding tab according to
the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an end view of the outlet box shown in
Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at line 3-3 of
Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view, similar to
Fig. 3, showing another embodiment oE a grounding tab.
Referring now to the drawings, an outlet box 10 is
shown which has two sides 12, two ends 14 and a back 16.
Wire access holes 18 are provided in the ends 40 and
removable access tabs 20 are positioned over the wire

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access holes 18 and removed when a wire is to be
inserted.
Mounting tabs 22 with mounting holes 24 are
provided in the open front at each end for mounting
electrical fixtures, such as receptacles, switches,
lighting fixtures and the like. Fastener tabs 26 are
Eormed integral with the sides 12 and extend in the plane
of the sides beyond the ends 14. Attachment holes 28 are
provided in the fastener tabs 26 for attaching the outlet
box 10 to a wooden stud.
Grounding tabs 30 are shown in the outlet box 10
positioned at the top of each end 14, close to the open
front and adjacent a side 12. As illustrated in Fig. 1,
the grounding tabs 30 are positioned on diagonally
opposite corners of the outlet box 10. It is not
essential that the grounding tabs 30 be positioned on
diagonally opposite corners; only one is needed, but
there could be two, one at each end adjacent one side.
Each grounding tab 30 is formed by being pressed out of
the end plate 14 inwards towards the center of the box
10, the tab 30 connected to the end plate 14 at the top
; edge. The grounding tab 30 is sloped at an angle and the
angle is selected to be convenient for access to attach
grounding wires. As shown in Fig. 3, a screw-receiving
hole 32 is provided in the senter of the tab 30 and a
grounding screw 34 screws into the hole 32 and when
tightened, attaches one or more grounding wires to the
outlet box 10. The grounding screw 34 may be a self
tapping screw to form a thread in the screw-receiving
hole 32 when first inserted.
Another embodiment of a grounding tab 30 is
illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein the end plate 14 is
embossed or deformed to form a sloped surface, but is not
pressed out of the end plate 14 leaving a cut-out as

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shown in Fig. 3.
The position of the tab 30 and the slope of the
tab 30 is arranged so that a screw driver may be used to
tighten or loosen the screw 34 with the electrical
fixture mounted within the outlet box on the mounting
tabs 22.
Whereas one pa~ticular angle is shown for the tab
30, it will be appreciated this angle may be varied,
provided the screw 34 is accessible when an electrical
fixture is mounted in the box 10. Whereas the tabs 30
are shown on each end 14 of the box 10, it will be
appreciated that only one tab need be provided~
Various changes may be made to the embodiments
shown in the drawings and described herein without
departing from the scope of the present invention which
is limited only by the following claims.
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