Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
UNIVERSAL SUPPORT BRACXET FOR AN
ELECTRICAL B~X
The present invention relates to a bracket for
supporting an electrical box in a hollow wall structure.
More specifically the present invention provides a
bracket that can be adapted to hold electrical boxes of
most standard sizes and fit either flush or recessed
within hollow wall structures of different depths.
Most interior non-combustible wall structures are
hollow and consist of a steel stud skeleton with wall
board coverings. The steel studs are made of khin sheet
metal which by itself is flexible, however, when the
studs are attached to the stiff wall boards then the
rigidity of the wall is achieved.
Electrical boxes for outlets, switches and the
like, are attached to the steel studs directly or by
means of brackets. In either case, the boxes require
some additional means of support from the wall boards to
achieve rigid mounting. In the past, this has been
achieved by attaching additional supports to the box at
the side opposite from the stud. In some cases, short
pieces o~ steel studs or wood are attached by screws to
the box and to the wall board. This method offers good
support, but is relatively expensive as the parts are
usually prepared at the job site and are time consuming
to assemble in place.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a
universal support bracket that attaches to an electrical
box and holds it rigidly within the wall structure. The
bracket can position the electrical box either ~lush with
the outside surface of the wall or recessed from the
outside surfac~ of the wall~ The box is generally
supported against the steel stud~
It is another aim of the invention to provide a
universal support bracket that can be adapted to fit most
sizes of electrical boxes and can also ~e adapted to fit
~ithin different depths of hollow wall structure.
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The present invention provides a universal support
bracket for attaching different sizes of electrical boxes
in hollow wall structures of different depths, the wall
structure being formed of a plurality of studs spaced
apart with a wall board covering, the bracket comprising
a flat elongate strip of sheet material; one end of the
strip having hook means to engage a side wall of an
electrical box; an arm having a first flange at the one
end of the strip, perpendicular to the strip and adjacent
the hook means; plurality of locking tongues spaced
apart at intervals on each side of the strip, each of the
tongues having a bend line such that at least one of the
tongues may be bent to lock the strip to an electrical
box of a certain size; the other end of the strip having
a second flange bent perpendicular to the strip; and
plurality of bend lines spaced apart across the strip
from the other end, such that a portion of the strip
adjacent the other end may be bent perpendicular to the
strip to accommodate different depths oE hollow wall
structure.
In another embodiment the first flange of the
support bracket is adapted to rest on the inside surface
of the wall board and position the electrical box
recessed from the outside surface of the wall board.
In a further embodiment the first flange of the
support bracket is adapted to rest on the inside surface
of the wall board and position the electrical box
recessed from the outside surface of the wall board. In
another embodiment, the arm has an arm bend line across a
portion of the strip with the first flange thereon. When
the arm is bent at the arm bend line, a portion of the
arm is adapted to rest on the inside surface of the wall
board and position the electrical box substantially flush
with the outside surface of the wall board.
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In yet other embodiments the support bracket may
include at least one reinforcing rib extendiny
longitudinally along the strip between the plurality of
bend lines spaced apart across the strip from the other
end. The arm bend line across a portion of the strip,
and the plurality of bend lines spaced apart across the
strip from th~ other end are preferably each provided
with an opening in the approximate center of the strip.
Referring now to the drawings:
FIG 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a
support bracket;
FIG 2 is a side view of ~he support bracket shown
in FIG l;
FIG 3 is a plan view of the bracket shown in FIG 1
with a strip pvrtion bent to position an electrical box
recessed and flush mounted to the inside surface of a
wall structure;
FIG 4 is a side view of the bracket shown in FIG 3
positioning an electrical box recessed in a wall
structure;
FIG 5 iS an isometric view of the bracket shown in
FIG 3 positioning an electrical box recessed ln a wall
structure;
FIG 6 is a plan view of the bracket shown in FIG 1
with a pair of locking tongues bent in to hold an
electrical box and an arm portion bent to position an
electrical box substantially flush mounted with the
outside surface of a wall structure.
FIG 7 is a side view of the bracket shown in FIG 6
positioning an electrical box flush mounted in a wall
structure;
FIG 8 is an isometric view of the bracket shown in
FIG 6 positioning an electrical box flush mounted in a
wall structure;
FIG 9 is a plan view showing another embodiment of
a support bracket;
FIG 10 is a side view of the support bracket shown
~ in FIG 9.
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One embodiment of a universal support bracket
10 is shown in FIGS 1 & 2. The bracket 10 is preferably
formed from sheet metal and has a flat elongate strip 12
which at one end has a pair of hooks 16 which fit over an
open side of an electrical box. The hooks 16 are to hold
the box. An arm 18 is positioned between the two hooks
16 with grooves 2n dividing the arm 18 from the hooks
16. At the end of the arm 18 is a first flange 22 which
extends perpendicular from the flat elsngate strip 12~
The first flange 22 is used for positioning the bracket
10 when the electrical box 17 is recessed and flush
mounted to the inside surface of a front wall board as
shown i~ FIGS 3 to 5.
A bend line 24 is placed at the top of the arm
1~ 18 at the termination of the grooves 20. The bend line
24 may include an opening in its approximate center so
that the arm may be bent by pliers or some other tool
across the bend line 24. When the arm 18 is bent up as
shown in FIGS 6 to 8, the perpendicular surface oE a
portion of the arm 18 supports an electrical box 17 when
flush mounted to the outside surface of the fron~ wall
board.
As shown in FIGS 1 & 2, at the other end of
the strip 12, a second flange 28 extends perpendicular
from the end of the strip 12 on the same side as the
fir~t flange 22. Three bend lines 30, 32 and 34 extend
across the strip 12, spaced down from the eh~ with the
second flange 28. These three bend lines 30, 32 and 34
may have openings in the approximate center of the strip
12 to help ensure that the bend occurs on the bend line~
There are generally two sizes of studs or
channels 40 used in the construction of a wall structure
as shown in FIGS 5 & 8, a 3 5/8 inch stud identified as
dimension A and a 2 1/2 inch stud identified as dimension
B. Other sizes of studs having different dimensions can
be accommodated with different bend lines or additional
bend lines. The bracket 10 is designed to fit in wall
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structures having either size of stud. In the case of
the electrical box 17 being recessed as shown in FXGS 3
5, a box cover 42 is placed over the box 17 having a
raised portion 44 which extends to the outside surface of
the outer wall board 46~ As shown in FIG 4, the strip 12
is bent at bend line 30 for dimension A and at bend line
34 for dimension B. The bent portion of the strip
resting on the surface of the inner uall board 48~
When the electrical box 17 is positioned flush
with the outside surface of the outer wall board 46 as
shown in FIGS 6 & 8, the strip need not be bent for studs
of dimension A, but rests on flange 28 as shown in FIG 7,
is bent at bend line 32 to accommodate dimension B studs.
The pairs of locking tongues 50 and 52 are
provided for locking the bracket to an electrical box
17. One tongue on each side of the strip 12 forms a
pair. Each locking tongue 50 and 52 has a bend line 54
at a slight angle to the strip 12 such that when a tongue
50, 52 is bent about it's bend line 54, it bends closer
towards the box so that an electrical box 17 is locked
between the tongue 50 or 52 and the hooks 16. By bending
towards the box, the tongue 50 or 52 compensates for
minor variations in depth for the box. The positions oE
the two pairs of tongues 50, 52 are such that they sui~
two standard sizes of boxes 17. When the electrical box
17 is recessed as shown in FIGS 3 to 5, the box 17 is
generally held in position by the ccver plate 42 which is
attached to the box 17 and grips the hooks 16 so the
bracket 10 is firmly attached. In this mode, it is not
essential to use the tongues 50 or 52. However, when the
box is flush with the outside surface of the outer wall
46 as shown in FIGS 6 to 8, then the tongue is bent to
grip the box~ As shown in the drawings, tongues 52 are
bent in to hold the box 17 between the tongues 52 and the
hooks 16. If the box 17 is deeper, then the tongues 50
are bent in rather than tongues 52 as illustrated.
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A reinforcing rib 56 is shown in the
approximate center of the strip 12 extending between the
openings in the bend lines 30, 3? and 34 and extending
towards the end of the strip 12 with the`hooks 16 and arm
18.
FIGS 9 & 10 illustrate another bracket
according to the present invention to fit in wall spaces
dimension A or dimension B. The main difference between
this bracket and that shown in the other drawings is that
single tongues rather than pairs of tongues are provided
to hold an electrical box. Tongues 60, 61, 62 and 63 are
designed to hold electrical boxes having depth dimensions
L, M, N and 0 respectively. Thus the bracket is
adaptable for four different depths of boxes and can hold
the box in two different wall space dimensions with the
box either flush with the outside surace of the wall or
recessed in so that it is substantially flush with the
inside surface of the outer wall board.
The bend lines as described herein may all be
scored in the metal to ensure ease of bending and ensure
that the location of bend occurs along the desired line~
The bracket shown in FIGS 9 & 10 has notches at each end
of the bend lines, except where the tongues prevent it~
In addition, holes in the center of the strip may also be
used. It is believed that the method of adaption of the
bracket to different sizes of electrical boxes, depths o
studs and location of electrical boxes flush or recessed
from ~he wall surface as well as the me~hod o attachment
of the bracket to the box is new~
Various changes may be made to the embodiments
shown herein without departing from the scope of the
present invention which is limited only by ~he following
claims~
