Electrical junction box for use in curved structures

An electrical junction box is specifically designed for mounting within cylindrical concrete piers and other curved structures commonly employed for supporting light poles and other mechanisms wherein the front wall portion of the junction box including the face plate member associated therewith for controlling access to the interior portion of the junction box are both shaped and configured to conform to the specific curvature associated with the outer surface of the curved structure into which the present junction box will be mounted. This construction allows the present junction box to be completely embedded within the curved structure thereby enabling the exposed front wall portion thereof including the face plate member to lie substantially flush with the curved structure's exterior surface. Although a generally truncated cylindrical wedge shape junction box wall configuration is generally preferred for most applications, it is recognized that other wall configurations will likewise work equally as well so long as the front portion of the present junction box is so shaped and curved so as to be compatible with the curvature of the outer surface of the particular curved structure into which it will be encased. The present construction allows more convenient access to the interior portion of the junction box and provides a more weatherproof and tamperproof junction box as compared to the known square or rectangularly shaped junction boxes which are often times used in curved structure applications.

The present invention relates to an electrical junction box which provides 
protective housing and convenient access to electrical controls and 
connections embedded within curved structures and, more particularly, to 
several embodiments of an electrical junction box which is of a generally 
truncated cylindrical wedge shape so as to be madfly employed in 
cylindrical concrete piers for light poles and other structures that 
require electrical wiring and other electrical components to be associated 
therewith. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Electrical junction boxes are generally formed as box-like structures such 
as the known rectangular and square shaped junction boxes commonly 
employed in many different applications, such known junction boxes being 
specifically designed and conveniently adaptable for flush mounting to a 
planar wall, either interiorly or exteriorly. As such, the known 
electrical junction boxes are not readily adaptable for attachment to or 
encasement within curved structures such as cylindrical concrete piers. On 
those occasions when rectangularly or square shaped junction boxes have 
been either attached to or encased within concrete piers, unique problems 
have arisen. For example, in such a situation, square or rectangularly 
shaped junction boxes must be either specifically recessed within the 
curved structure so as to avoid any portion thereof from protruding beyond 
the outer surface of the curved structure thereby making access to and 
work within the junction box more inconvenient and difficult, or such 
junction boxes must be permitted to protrude beyond the outer surface of 
the curved structure into which it is being mounted thereby leaving 
portions of the junction box vulnerable to damage from weather or other 
external sources. Such an installation is therefore less weatherproof and 
tamperproof than generally desired. There, therefore, exists a need to 
specifically design an electrical junction box which permits ready 
employment in cylindrical or curved shaped structures such as cylindrical 
concrete piers commonly used for supporting light poles and other 
structures. 
Various electrical outlet and distribution boxes have been constructed and 
used in the past for many different types of applications. Typical of such 
devices are the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,646; 2,181,740; 
1,883,457; and 416,234. Although all of the prior art devices referenced 
above disclose somewhat different box-like shaped devices, none of these 
known prior art devices include any type of curvilinear or arcuate shape 
which would make such devices compatible for ready use in a wide variety 
of curved structures such as cylindrical concrete piers. None of the known 
prior art devices disclose or even suggest the construction and operation 
of an electrical junction box wherein the front facing of such junction 
box can be mounted flush within a curved structure as disclosed by the 
present invention. For these and other reasons, the known prior art 
constructions are materially deficient when it comes to applications 
involving curved structures. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present junction box overcomes many of the disadvantages and 
shortcomings associated with the known constructions and teaches the 
construction and operation of several embodiments of an electrical 
junction box which is specifically designed for use in cylindrical 
concrete piers and other curved structures. The present junction box is of 
a generally truncated cylindrical wedge shape and comprises a housing 
member having a curved front wall portion associated therewith and a 
curved face plate member attachable to the housing member, the face plate 
member and the front wall portion of the housing having the same curvature 
as the curved structure into which the present device is to be mounted. In 
its preferred embodiment, the housing member includes a concave rear wall, 
vertically planar side walls extending radially from the rear wall, and 
horizontally planar top and bottom walls interconnecting the rear and side 
walls and extending therebetween. The front portion of the housing member 
is substantially open but does include a front wall portion which extends 
around the perimeter thereof defining a lip or flange portion for 
attaching the face plate member thereto. The face plate member preferably 
includes a gasket type seal on the inner side portion thereof and is 
adapted to be readily attached by suitable means to the front wall portion 
of the housing member so as to form a front wall surface concentrically 
shaped with and spaced from the rear wall which totally closes the cavity 
or space for,med within the housing member. Also, importantly, apertures 
can be provided through any of the wall members forming the present 
junction box including the face plate member for receiving wire leads or 
other conduit therethrough for attachment purposes. 
The present junction box is therefore specifically designed for compatible 
use with cylindrical concrete piers and other curved structures that 
specifically require electrical wiring or other electrical controls and 
connections to be associated therewith to effect a desired result. 
Enclosure of the present junction box within cylindrical or other curved 
structures can be easily accomplished by inserting the present junction 
box into cutouts formed in sonotube forms commonly used to form up such 
curved structures or piers prior to the pouring of any concrete. Conduit 
or other electrical wiring or connections can likewise be attached to the 
junction box, as required, prior to the concrete pouring. Subsequently, 
after the concrete has been hardened, the sonotube form can be removed, 
leaving the concrete pier or other curved structure with the present 
junction box and conduit or other electrical components encased therein. 
Although it is preferred that the front and rear wall portions of the 
present housing member be concentrically spaced from each other so as to 
define the arcs of two concentric circles, it is recognized and 
anticipated that the rear and side walls associated with the present 
housing member may take on a wide variety of other shapes and angular 
orientations so long as the front portion of the housing and the face 
plate member are so shaped and curved so as to be compatible with the 
curvature of the outer surface of the particular curved structure into 
which the present junction box will be encased. Several embodiments of the 
present invention illustrating these variations are likewise disclosed and 
discussed hereinafter. Thus, when the present housing member is embedded 
and encased within a cylindrical concrete pier or other curved structure 
and the face plate member is attached thereto in accordance with the 
teachings of the present invention, the exposed face plate member will lie 
flush with the curved structure's exterior surface. This arrangement also 
provides a more weatherproof and tamperproof junction box as compared to 
the known square or rectangularly shaped junction boxes which have often 
been used in the past in this particular application. 
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to teach the 
construction and operation of an electrical junction box which is 
specifically designed for use with cylindrical concrete piers and other 
curved structures. 
Another object is to teach the construction and operation of an electrical 
junction box which affords convenient access when mounted within curved 
structures. 
Another object is to provide an electrical junction box which is both 
tamper-resistant and weatherproof when embedded within a curved structure. 
Another object is to teach the construction and operation of an electrical 
junction box which can be mounted within a curved structure such as a 
cylindrical concrete pier such that its front wall surface lies 
substantially flush with the exterior surface of such curved structure. 
Another object is to provide an electrical junction box that is less 
susceptible to accidental damage from external sources when embedded 
within a curved structure. 
Another object is to provide an electrical junction box that can be easily 
used in conjunction with existing tube-type concrete forms which are 
commonly employed to form cylindrical concrete piers for light poles and 
other mechanisms that require electrical wiring and the like to be 
associated therewith. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following 
detailed specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numbers wherein 
like numerals refer to like parts, number 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2 identifies a 
preferred embodiment of the present electrical junction box constructed 
according to the teachings of the present invention. The present junction 
box 10 is of a generally truncated concavo-convex cylindrical wedge shape 
and is shown in FIG. 1 installed in a typical cylindrical concrete pier P. 
The junction box 10 comprises a housing member 12 which includes a curved 
or concave rear wall portion 14, spaced side wall portions 16 and 18, a 
front wall lip or flange portion 20, and spaced top and bottom wall 
portions 22 and 24, the top and bottom wall portions 22 and 24 extending 
the full length and depth of the housing member 12 between the front, rear 
and side wall portions thereof as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. More 
particularly, the side wall portions 16 and 18 are vertically planar and 
extend radially along a radius of the cylindrical structure P between the 
concave rear wall portion 14 and the concentrically spaced front wall lip 
portion 20 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The lip or flange portion 20 extends 
peripherally around the front edge portion of the housing member 12 and is 
specifically formed so as to have a radius of curvature substantially 
equal to that of the curved structure P into which the housing member 12 
will be mounted. The top and bottom wall portions 22 and 24 each include 
curved front and rear edge portions, these edge portions having a radius 
of curvature corresponding to the curvature associated with the rear and 
front wall portions 14 and 20. The front wall portion 20 further provides 
a mating surface for attachment of the face plate member 28 as will be 
hereinafter explained. 
The housing wall members 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 define a substantially 
enclosed space 26 which forms the interior portion of the junction box 10 
wherein electrical connections and/or controls can be housed and accessed. 
This space 26 is easily accessed through the front portion of the housing 
member 12 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is completely enclosed when 
the face plate member 28 is attached to the housing member 12. 
With respect to the housing member 12, it is important to note that the 
front wall lip portion 20 is convex or otherwise curved or rounded (FIGS. 
1 and 2) so as to correspond to the curvature of the outer surface of the 
curved structure or cylindrical pier P as shown in FIG. 1. Although the 
shape and curvature of the rear wall portion 14 may vary, as will be 
hereinafter explained, it is important that the front wall portion 20 of 
the housing member 12 be curved such that it will be substantially flush 
with the exterior surface of the curved structure into which it is 
embedded as illustrated in FIG. 1. Similarly, the face plate member 28 is 
likewise convex or curved or otherwise rounded to correspond to the radius 
of curvature associated with the front wall lip portion 20. The face plate 
member 28 also preferably includes a gasket type seal 56, as shown in FIG. 
7, on the inner side portion thereof and is adapted to be attached by any 
suitable attachment means to the front housing portion 20 such as by the 
fastener means 30. It is recognized that the face plate member 28 may 
likewise be hingedly attached to the housing member 12 as shown in FIG. 8 
such as adjacent one side portion thereof as at 58 and may likewise 
include means 60 to securely lock the face plate member when in its closed 
position. When attached to the front wall portion 20, the gasket seal 56 
(not shown in FIG. 7) located on the concave side of the face plate member 
28 forms a tight weatherproof seal therebetween thereby further protecting 
the contents of the junction box 10 from deterioration and other problems 
associated with exposure to the elements. Likewise, since the junction box 
10 is recessed within the curved structure P, it provides greater 
protection to the contents thereof and greatly decreases its exposure to 
damage from a wide variety of other external sources, including unwanted 
tampering. 
Conduit, conductors or other components may extend into the electrical 
junction box 10 through any number of apertures or knockouts that can be 
located, where desired, on any of the wall portions associated with the 
housing member 12 such as the apertures 32, 34 and 36 illustrated in FIGS. 
1 and 2. These apertures can be provided through any of the wall portions 
including the side wall portions 16 and 18 for attachment to conduit 
and/or for receiving wiring leads depending upon the particular 
application. Any aperture that remains open after conduit, wiring or other 
components have been installed within the space 26 may be plugged or 
sealed so that excess concrete or other suitable materials do not leak 
into the housing member 12 during the casting process. 
The present junction box 10 is specifically designed to be cast within a 
cylindrical concrete pier or other structure and can be easily positioned 
and located in its proper operative position during the forming process. 
In this regard, the present junction box 10 can be easily inserted into 
cutouts in sonotube forms which are typically used for forming a wide 
variety of different types of concrete piers that are used in a multitude 
of different applications, such as a base for light poles and other 
structures. The present junction box 10 is secured within the sonotube 
form prior to the actual pouring of any concrete. The housing member 12 
can be positioned and supported in its desired location using conventional 
means sufficient to keep the housing member 12 stable and steady during 
the pouring process. Once the concrete material is cured and set, the 
housing member 12 will be firmly embedded therewithin as best illustrated 
in FIG. 1. Conduit and/or wiring can be attached to the junction box 10, 
as required, prior to the pouring process and such installation would also 
help prevent the junction box 10 from becoming dislodged from its 
encasement. Subsequently, the sonotube form can be removed leaving the 
concrete pier with the junction box 10 and conduit/wiring encased therein. 
As an additional precaution, means such as tabs, flanges or ridges may be 
employed on the top, bottom and/or side walls of the housing member 12 to 
further secure the junction box 10 within the concrete pier and to further 
prevent such junction box from being moved or otherwise dislodged from its 
proper position. 
Although the shape and configuration of the present housing member 12 
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is generally preferred, it is important to 
recognize that the particular shape and overall configuration of the rear 
wall 14 and opposed side walls 16 and 18 are subject to wide variations 
and may be conveniently fashioned into a variety of other sizes and shapes 
without impairing the teachings and practice of the present construction 
so long as the front wall portion 20 or other front edge facing is curved 
and has a radius of curvature substantially equal to that of the exterior 
surface of the curved structure or concrete pier into which it will be 
positioned. For example, the planar side walls 40 and 42 associated with 
the housing embodiment 38 illustrated in FIG. 4 may extend in a 
substantially parallel direction relative to each other between the rear 
and front wall portions 14 and 20, the rear and front wall portions 14 and 
20 in embodiment 38 being substantially identical to the rear and front 
wall portions associated with the housing member 12 illustrated in FIGS. 
1, 2 and 3; or the rear wall portion 46 associated with the housing 
embodiment 44 illustrated in FIG. 5 may be formed by a substantially 
planar rear wall portion as compared to the curved rear wall 14 associated 
with the housing member 12 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3); or both the rear wall 
portion 50 as well as the opposed side wall portions 52 and 54 associated 
with the housing embodiment 48 illustrated in FIG. 6 may be shaped and 
configured in a substantially rectangular pattern as illustrated; or the 
rear and side wall portions of the housing member 12 may take on still 
other shapes not illustrated herein which will likewise be compatible for 
use with the particular installation involved. Irrespective of the 
particular shape and configuration of the rear and opposed side wall 
portions associated with the present housing member 12, it is important 
that the front wall portion 20 as well as the face plate member 28 be 
curved so as to mount flush or nearly flush with the curved surface of the 
encasing structure as best illustrated in FIG. 1. 
It is therefore recognized and anticipated that the present electrical 
junction box 10 may be used in many different types of curved structures 
including curved structures fabricated from a wide variety of materials 
other than concrete. It is also anticipated and recognized that the 
housing member 12 may be formed from a single sheet of material pressed 
into the desired shape thereby further increasing its strength and 
durability as well as further increasing the weatherproof and tamperproof 
capabilities of the present device. Still further, it is also important to 
note that the overall dimensions of the present junction box 10 including 
the face plate member 28 as well as the particular configuration of the 
rear and side walls 14, 16 and 18 associated therewith are subject to wide 
variations, as previously explained. Although the present junction box 10 
has particular utility and is readily employable in cylindrical concrete 
piers, it can likewise be utilized in a multitude of different 
applications, including use in a wide variety of other curved structures. 
Thus, there has been shown and described a novel electrical junction box 
which can be readily employed in curved structures, which electrical 
junction box fulfills all of the objects and advantages sought therefor. 
Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of 
the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled 
in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying 
drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and 
applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the 
invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only 
by the claims which follow.