Electrical outlet box assembly

An electrical outlet box assembly including an outlet box and a lid. The outlet box generally includes a base, an outer wall parametrically bounding the base and extending upwardly therefrom forming a box interior, the outer wall having an upper and lower end, the upper end forming a lip which defines an opening to the box interior. The assembly further includes a lid. The lid has a closed position such that when the lid is in the closed position the opening to the box interior is partially covered forming a receptacle opening having a size substantially similar to an opening of a standard size outlet box. The lid further includes an open position such that when the lid is in the open position, the opening to the box interior is entirely uncovered thereby permitting unrestricted access into the outlet box interior.

FIELD OF INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to electrical outlet boxes. More 
particularly, the present invention relates to an electrical outlet box 
assembly for accommodating a receptacle, the assembly including an outlet 
box and a lid connected to the outlet box. When the lid is in an open 
position the box interior is entirely exposed and when the lid is in a 
closed position it forms a receptacle opening having a dimension that 
accommodates the receptacle. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
An electrical outlet box provides a termination point for wires carrying 
electrical current through buildings, houses and other structures. Wiring 
entering an outlet box is typically connected to a particular electrical 
fixture or receptacle such as a plug outlet or switch. The receptacle is 
mounted within the box along with a portion of the wiring connected to the 
receptacle. The box is then typically covered by a face plate having an 
opening therein to allow access to the outlet or switch while preventing 
electrified components from being exposed. Outlet boxes may be employed in 
concealed-wiring installations in which they are located within a wall or 
ceiling. Alternatively, outlet boxes may be used in exposed-conduit wiring 
installations where they are exteriorly mounted to a wall, column or 
ceiling. 
Outlet boxes are available in a variety of configurations and sizes. The 
selection of which type of box to use is dependant upon the specifics of 
the application. The most commonly employed box is a single-gang outlet 
box, also referred to as a standard outlet box. The single-gang box is 
ideal for applications in which only one receptacle is required for the 
application. Standard outlet boxes have opening dimensions of 
approximately 3".times.21/4" and are available in a variety of depths. 
Double-gang and triple-gang boxes are also available, and they typically 
have the capacity to hold two and three receptacles respectively. A four 
inch (4") square box is also commonly employed for multiple receptacle 
applications. 
In order to install the receptacle, an installer is required to pull the 
wire through openings in the outlet box wall. Outlet boxes typically 
include such openings in the box wall in order to provide entry for the 
wires into the box. These openings are usually covered by removable 
portions called "knockouts" which can be easily removed by the installer 
as required. The pulling of the wires through the knockout openings, 
however, can prove fairly difficult and time consuming especially when the 
wire sizes are relatively large. This task becomes even more difficult 
when the outlet box does not provide adequate room for the installer to 
manually reach into the box. Large wires sizes such as AWG #6 to #12 are 
difficult to bend and manipulate, thereby increasing the time required for 
installation. Such large wire sizes are typically employed in residential 
applications for clothes dryer installations as well as cooking range 
installations. This is due to the fact that such devices typically operate 
at 240-250 volts and carry relatively large amounts of current, 30-50 
Amps. The large wire sizes, therefore, are required to safely meet the 
load requirements of appliances such as ranges and dryers. 
Large wires sizes also present a problem of storage of the wires once the 
receptacle has been connected. After the wires have been pulled through 
the wall openings into the box and the receptacle hooked up, a certain 
length of wire along with the receptacle must be stored in the outlet box. 
It is beneficial to store a sufficient amount of wire in the outlet box so 
that upon subsequent removal of the receptacle, the stored wire will 
unfold allowing for the receptacle to be serviced. If an insufficient 
amount of wire is stored in the outlet box, the wiring will tend to 
prevent the receptacle from being fully removed thus making any 
maintenance procedures time consuming and difficult. Storing an adequate 
amount of wire takes up a significant amount of space, and single-gang 
outlet boxes may not provide enough space when relatively large wire sizes 
are used. 
Single-gang outlet boxes are ideal for many wiring applications and are 
commonly used in relatively low current 15-20 ampere, service. The wire 
sizes used in these applications are relatively small and easy to 
manipulate compared to the wiring used in dryer and range applications. 
The opening dimensions of standard sized outlet boxes is large enough to 
accommodate outlet receptacles used in dryer and range applications. 
However, the outlet box does not provide adequate space to allow for ease 
of wire installation or for storage due to the large wire sizes required 
by heavy current load applications. While increasing the depth of the box 
provides more storage for the wires, it increases the difficulty of 
pulling the wires into the box as the wire openings are typically in the 
bottom of the box or in a side wall close to the bottom. In addition, in 
certain applications the depth of the box must be kept to a minimum due to 
space constraints. 
The problems associated with large wire sizes has been addressed in the 
prior art by using an outlet box that is larger than a single-gang box. A 
larger outlet box provides both the room for an installer to manipulate 
the wiring in order to pull the wire into the box, as well as providing 
space for the wire and the receptacle to be stored once the receptacle is 
installed. 
Large outlet boxes include such outlet boxes as the 4" square and the 
double and triple-gang boxes. The 4" square box is typically surfaced 
mounted and includes a cover plate that covers the entire box. The cover 
includes cutouts that provide an opening for the outlet so the appliance 
may be plugged into the receptacle. Surface mounted boxes present several 
disadvantages such as taking up wall space and being aesthetically 
unappealing. Additionally, if a single receptacle is to be used with a 4" 
box a separated reducing component must be used to provide a mounting 
surface for the receptacle. The use of an extra component increases both 
the cost and time associated with the installation. 
The double-gang box is typically formed from joining two single-gang boxes 
side to side, and therefore, has approximately twice the width as the 
single-gang outlet box. As previously stated, these boxes typically are 
used when two receptacles or switches are to be installed. While such 
outlet boxes are typically in-wall mounted, they still present the problem 
of not being aesthetically appealing since they require two cover plates 
in order to cover the entire box. In dryer and range applications, 
typically only one outlet is installed per box, therefore, in order to 
effectively cover the entire outlet box one cover plate is used to cover 
the receptacle and a second cover plate is needed to cover the remainder 
of the box opening. If a standard size single-gang outlet box had been 
employed, only one cover plate would be necessary, thereby reducing costs 
and presenting a more aesthetically appealing appearance. 
It would, therefore, be desirable to have an outlet box which may be 
in-wall mounted, have an opening of a standard size single-gang outlet 
box, while still providing access to the interior of the outlet box in 
order to facilitate the introduction of wires into the box and provide 
space for the installation of the receptacle. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical outlet 
box assembly for accommodating a receptacle having an outlet box with an 
opening partially covered by a lid. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical 
outlet box assembly for accommodating a receptacle having an outlet box 
and a lid. The lid having a closed position such that when the lid is in 
the closed position the opening to the outlet box interior is partially 
covered and the lid forms a receptacle opening having a dimension which 
accommodates the receptacle. 
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an 
electrical outlet box assembly for accommodating a receptacle having an 
outlet box and a lid. The lid having an open position such that when the 
lid is in the open position the opening to the outlet box interior is 
entirely uncovered thereby permitting unrestricted access into the outlet 
box interior. 
In the efficient attainment of these and other objects, the present 
invention provides an electrical outlet box assembly for accommodating a 
receptacle. The assembly includes an outlet box and a lid. The outlet box 
includes a base and an outer wall parametrically bounding the base and 
extending upwardly therefrom forming a box interior. The outer wall having 
an upper and lower end, the upper end forming a lip which defines an 
opening to the outlet box interior. The opening has a dimension greater 
than that necessary to accommodate the receptacle. The lid has a opened 
and closed position such that when said lid is in the closed position the 
opening to the box interior is partially covered and forms a receptacle 
opening having a dimension which accommodates the receptacle. 
As more specifically described by way of the preferred embodiment herein, 
the outlet box has a front wall, back wall and a pair of side walls. Each 
of the walls has openings therethrough to allow for entry of electrical 
wiring into the box interior. The lid is substantially L-shaped having a 
cover and wall portion. The cover portion is hingedly attached to the 
front wall of the box by a thin strip of material forming a living hinge. 
The wall portion of the lid forms a side wall of the receptacle opening. 
The lid further includes a locking means including latches for securing 
the lid in the closed position. The latches engage projections that extend 
outwardly from the side walls of the outlet box. The outlet box further 
includes a pair of mounting ears having an aperture therethrough. The 
mounting ears provide a means for securing the outlet box assembly to a 
structure. 
In formation of the outlet box assembly, the outlet box and the lid may be 
integrally molded with the outlet box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to FIG. 1, an outlet box assembly 10 formed in accordance 
with the present invention is shown. The outlet box assembly is adapted to 
accommodate a receptacle 90 and a cover plate 95. Outlet box assembly 10 
includes an outlet box 11 and a lid 40. The outlet box preferably has a 
volume of 30 cubic inches and can accommodate the standard 3-prong or 
4-prong plug receptacles used in dryer and plug and cord range 
applications as well as all receptacles compatible with standard size 
single-gang outlet boxes which are well known in the art. The term 
standard size outlet box is also used in this disclosure to refer to a 
single-gang outlet box. Outlet box 11 is preferably formed from a molded 
polymer such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), however, other suitable material 
may also be employed. 
With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, outlet box 11 includes a 
substantially planar rectangular base wall 13 that is parametrically 
bounded by an outer wall 12 forming a box interior 22. Outer wall 12 
extends upwardly from base wall 13 ending in a rim 24 that defines an 
opening 26 into box interior 22. Outer wall 12 is comprised of a back wall 
14, two opposed side walls 16, 18 and a front wall 20 all of which are 
substantially planar. Each of the walls 14,16,18 has an upper portion 28 
and a lower portion 30. The front wall 20 is spaced from and substantially 
parallel to back wall 14 and is disposed between side walls 16, 18. In the 
preferred embodiment, opening 26 has a width, defined by the distance 
between front wall 20 and back wall 14, of approximately 35/16 inches and 
a length, defined by the distance between side wall 16 and side wall 18, 
of approximately 31/2 inches. 
Additionally, side walls 16,18 and front wall 20 further include various 
wire openings 76,78 through which electrical wiring can enter box interior 
22. In the preferred embodiment, two different size wire openings are 
employed with each size accommodating different size wires. Large wire 
openings 76 can accommodate wire sizes AWG #6 and #8 and the small wire 
openings 78 can accommodating AWG #10 through #14 wire sizes. Wire 
openings 76,78 are covered by knockouts 80 which are frangibly connected 
to box 11, and therefore, can be easily removed by an installer in order 
to allow for the wires to enter box interior 22. In the preferred 
embodiment, the knockouts are comprised of two frangible members 80a, 80b. 
One member 80a extending downwardly from the top of the wire opening, and 
the other member 80b extending upwardly from the bottom of the wire 
opening. 
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 2B the wall portions adjacent the wire opening 76 
may include inwardly curved portions forming radii 79. Each radius 79 
provides a smooth path over which the wire may travel to allow for ease of 
wire entry into the box interior 22. It is within the contemplation of the 
present invention that such radii may be included on the wall portions 
adjacent small opening 78. 
As shown in FIG. 1, back wall 14 has a uniform height throughout its 
length, therefore, the portion of rim 24 defined by the upper portion of 
back wall 14 is substantially linear. 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, side walls 16,18 are similarly formed. Side 
walls 16,18, unlike back wall 14, do not have a uniform height throughout 
their lengths, but instead have substantially two heights. The portions of 
side walls 16,18 adjacent back wall 14 have the same height as back wall 
14 forming full height sections 31. At a point on side walls 16,18, 
approximately half way between back wall 14 and front wall 20, the height 
of side walls 16,18 is reduced forming reduced height sections 32. Side 
walls 16,18 also include a transition section 34 disposed between the 
reduced height section 32 and the full height sections 31. It is in the 
transition section 34 that the height of the side wall 16,18 decreases and 
rim 24 inclines downwardly toward front wall 20. Front wall 20 is 
preferably of the same height as the reduced height sections 32 of side 
walls 16,18. 
Outlet box assembly further includes lid 40. In the preferred embodiment 
shown in FIG. 2, lid 40 is formed from a polymer material such as PVC and 
is connected to box 11 along the portion of rim 24 that corresponds to the 
upper end of front wall 20. Lid 40 is connected to box 11 by a thin strip 
of material forming a living hinge 42, as shown in FIG. 2A. In the 
preferred embodiment the lid 40, hinge 42 and box 11 may be integrally 
molded as one piece. Alternatively, lid 40 and box 11 may each be formed 
separately and lid 40 may be subsequently joined to box 11. In this 
alternative embodiment, box 11 and lid 40 may be joined by a process such 
as ultrasonic welding which is well known in the art. It is also within 
the contemplation of the invention that lid 40 not be joined to box 11 by 
a hinge but instead is a separate component unattached to box 11. 
Lid 40 includes a cover portion 44 and a lid wall portion 46. Cover portion 
44 and lid wall portion 46 are substantially perpendicular to each other 
forming an L-shaped member. Outer edge 48 of cover portion 44 is joined to 
box 11 by hinge 42. Lid 40 is rotatably moveable about hinge 42 between an 
opened and closed position. The Hinge 42 allows an installer to easily 
open and close lid 40. FIG. 1 shows lid 40 in substantially the fully open 
position, and FIG. 3 shows lid 40 in the fully closed position. When lid 
40 is in the open position full access to box interior 22 is provided. 
Such full access facilitates easy hook up of receptacle 90 by reducing the 
difficulty of pulling the wiring into the box 11. 
Range and dryer applications typically require wire sizes such as AWG #'s 
6,8,10,12, and 14 in order to accommodate the current load associated with 
such devices, 30-50 Amps. Many of these wires have large diameter 
conductors and are, therefore, difficult to bend and manipulate. Thus, 
pulling the wires into the outlet box is difficult and time consuming for 
the installer. By exposing the entire box interior when lid 40 is in the 
open position, the present invention reduces the difficulties encountered 
by the installer when attempting to reach into the box and pull the wires 
through wire openings 76,78. In addition, the reduced height sections 32 
of side walls 16,18 decrease the difficulty of pulling wires into box 11 
since the installer's hand may easily reach to the base wall 13 unimpeded 
by the rim of the back wall and the full height sections 31 of the side 
walls. 
Referring back to FIG. 3, when lid 40 is in the closed position, outlet box 
opening 26 is partially covered and access to box interior 22 is 
restricted. In the closed position, lid cover portion 44 is substantially 
parallel to base wall 13 and covers the portion of box interior 22 which 
is defined by front wall 20 and the reduced height sections 32 of side 
walls 16,18. Lid wall portion 46 aligns with upper portion of side walls 
16,18 forming a receptacle opening 50. 
Receptacle opening 50 is substantially rectangular and defined by lid wall 
portion 46 and the upper portions of side walls 16,18 and back wall 14. 
Receptacle opening 50 is dimensioned to accommodate a variety of standard 
size electrical receptacles including plug receptacles of the type used in 
clothes dryer and cord and plug cooking range applications. Opening 50 has 
a dimension substantially equivalent to the opening of a single-gang 
outlet box. Single-gang outlet boxes typically have an opening width in 
the range of 2 to 21/2 inches and an opening length in the range of 3 to 
33/4 inches. A typical single-gang outlet box has a width of 21/4 inches 
and a length of 3 inches. The length of the opening will vary depending on 
if receptacle mounting members disposed on the box are interior or 
exterior to the box opening. An outlet box having the receptacle mounting 
members disposed interior to the box will have a length of approximately 
31/2 inches. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, 
receptacle opening 50 has a 21/4 inch width and a length of 31/2 inches. 
The preferred dimensions are illustrative and not intended to be limiting. 
Accordingly, the installer may move lid 40 to the open position in order to 
gain full access to box interior 22 to aid in pulling the wiring into the 
box. Once the wiring has been pulled in the box, the installer may then 
quickly and easily move lid 40 to the closed position to allow for 
installation of the receptacle. 
It is also within the contemplation of this invention that opening 50 be of 
any size in order to accommodate a single receptacle. Opening 50, 
therefore, could be dimensioned to accommodate an over-sized receptacle 
which would not fit in a standard single-gang outlet box. Such receptacles 
are typically used in commercial applications. 
The outlet box assembly 10 may be in-wall mounted such that the only 
exposed portion of the box is the receptacle opening 50 after the wall 
material such as dry-wall is installed. Opening 50, which is substantially 
equivalent to a single-gang outlet box opening, receives a receptacle 90 
and can then be cover by a single cover plate 95. Such a mounting provides 
a clean aesthetically pleasing appearance while taking up a minimum amount 
of wall space. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, lid 40 further includes a pair of outwardly 
projecting triangular-shaped wings 52 located on the outer side edges of 
wall portion 46. Wings 52 extend toward back wall 14 and are generally 
parallel and in line with side walls 16,18. When lid 40 is in the closed 
position, each wing 52 aligns with its corresponding side wall and fills 
in a space defined by the side wall transition section 34. 
Referring back to FIG. 1, the fill height sections 31 of side walls 16, 18 
also include a pair of bead portions 54 projecting inwardly toward box 
interior 22. Bead portions 54 extend from rim 24 of side walls 16,18 and 
extend downwardly toward base wall 13. Each of the bead projections 54 
have apertures 56 disposed therethrough. Apertures 56 are adapted to 
receive fastening hardware used to secure receptacle 90 and cover plate 95 
to outlet box 11. Receptacle 40 may be supported in box 11 using screws or 
other fastening means as is well known in the connection art. The distance 
between apertures 56 is preferably 35/16" which corresponds to the 
standard distance between mounting holes on electrical receptacles. 
Due to the tolerances in the manufacturing process, lid 40 may not 
precisely align with box 11. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, lid 40 
preferably includes a pair of linear aligners 60 that project outwardly 
from the bottom surface of lid cover portion 44. Each aligner 60 is inset 
from the edge of cover portion 44 and positioned such that when lid 40 is 
in the closed position aligners 60 align with their corresponding side 
wall 16,18. If lid 40 is misaligned with box 11, and more specifically 
side walls 16,18, aligners 60 will abut side walls 16,18 and tend to force 
the components into proper alignment. As shown in FIG. 4, aligner 60 may 
include a beveled end portion 60a. The curvature of the bevel 
substantially corresponds to the curverture formed by the corners where 
front wall 12 meets side walls 16,18. As lid 40 is rotated toward the 
closed position, beveled end portions 60a assist in providing a tapered 
lead so that aligners 60 will smoothly engage the inner surface of the 
side walls. 
In order to maintain lid 40 in the closed position, the preferred 
embodiment includes a locking device. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the 
locking device includes a pair of latches 62 that extend outwardly from 
cover portion 44. Each latch is generally U-shaped and includes two legs 
64 connected by a bottom member 66. One latch 62 is located on each side 
of cover portion 44 adjacent lid wall portion 46. The locking device 
further includes triangular-shaped projections 58 located on side walls 
16, 18 such that when lid 40 is closed, latches 62 engage projections 58. 
The locking device operates such that when lid 40 is rotated toward the 
closed position bottom member 66 engages inclined edge 58a of projection 
58. The legs 64 are deflectable, therefore, bottom member 66 is forced 
outwardly as it rides over inclined surface 58a until it reaches the end 
of edge 58a at which point member 66 snaps underneath projection 58 as 
shown in FIG. 5. Bottom member 66 engages the flat portion 58b of 
projection 58, thereby securing lid 40. The lid may be subsequently opened 
by forcing the bottom members 66 outwardly until they clear projections 58 
and then rotating lid 40 toward the open position. In an alternative 
embodiment, the locking device may include latches formed on the side 
walls of the box with the projections being located on the lid (not 
shown). It is also within the contemplation of the present invention that 
the locking device may be formed in a variety of ways that are well known 
in the latching arts. 
Outlet box 11 further includes a pair of mounting ears 70. Referring to 
FIGS. 2 and 3, ears 70 are preferable triangular shaped and extend 
outwardly from side walls 16,18. The back end of each ear 70 is aligned 
with back wall 14. Each ear has an aperture 72 passing therethrough and is 
adapted to receive a fastening device such as a screw or nail in order to 
secure box assembly to a structure such as a stud or beam. Each aperture 
72 extends generally from the front to the back of box 11. In the 
preferred embodiment, apertures 72 are inclined inwardly and downwardly. 
Such inclination of apertures 72 allows for the fastening device to be 
easily secured to the structure. 
The outlet box assembly is preferably formed from one piece of integrally 
molded polymer material such as PVC. Alternatively, outlet box 11 and all 
its features can be integrally molded separate and apart from lid 40 which 
along with all its components can likewise be integrally molded. In the 
alternative embodiment, lid 40 and box 11 can subsequently be attached as 
stated above. 
While a plastic box is shown the concept may be employed in a metal box 
with a hinged lid. 
Various changes to the foregoing described and shown structures would now 
be evident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the particularly 
disclosed scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.