Patent ID: 9466963
Filing Date: 2016-10-11
CPC Classification: H02G

Claim Text:
1. An improvement to an existing breaker box that includes: a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls, each of said side walls being at least partially joined to said bottom wall and to adjacent said side walls to form an open box, each of said side walls having a top edge wherein the top edges of the plurality of said side walls define a box interior and an open box perimeter, and an inwardly-extending portion of the top edge of a pair opposed said side walls extends inwardly and has a threaded hole in the inwardly-extending portion to form a screw connection to engage a mating thread of a screw that extends generally parallel to and adjacent the opposed said side wall when the screw is received in the threaded hole; a cover having holes that align with the threaded holes of the screw connections when the cover is positioned over the open box perimeter; a plurality of electrical breakers mounted to the bottom wall in the box interior, and a plurality of insulated wires that are attached electrically to each of the plurality of breakers and that extend out through the breaker box; the improvement comprising a screw guard including an elongated member made of a non-conductive material, disposed in a location between the bottom wall and the inwardly-extending portion, and adjacent the opposed side wall, the screw guard including a flat attaching surface positioned against and attached to the opposed side wall, and a cross-sectional shape that occupies a space around the screw and that has an interior portion with an opening to receive uninmpededly the screw inside the screw guard when the screw is received in the threaded hole, wherein the screw guard encompasses and isolates the screw from the box interior, and prevents contact and penetration of the screw with and through the insulation of the wires within the breaker box.