WIRING JUNCTION BOX

Abstract: Junction box (1) provided with a cup-shaped body (3) which can be buried inside a wall and presenting a frontal opening (7) which is turned towards the outside of the wall itself; provided with a frontal panel (9) arranged so that it can close the frontal opening (7) and connected to the cup-shaped body (3) in such a way that it can be removed, and provided with a determined number of electrical switches (2) which are fed by the junction box itself and which are electrically connected to the mains electricity supply; an electrical safety panel (12) being arranged inside the cup-shaped body (3) and being electrically interposed between the mains electricity supply and the electrical switches (2).

Description: WIRING JUNCTION BOX The present invention refers to a wiring junction box. In general, wiring junction boxes of a well- known type comprise a cup-shaped body which can be buried inside a wall and present a frontal opening which is turned towards the outside of the wall itself, a frontal panel which is arranged so that it can close the frontal opening and which is connected to the cup-shaped body in such a way that it can be removed, and a determined number of switches which are supported by the panel and are electrically connected to the mains electricity supply. In wiring junction boxes of the type described above, the switches are electrically fed by means of electrical cables which are introduced inside the cup-shaped body via suitable holes which are obtained in the lateral walls of the cup-shaped body itself, the free ends of which cables are connected to the switches themselves. Furthermore, the frontal panel is usually made integral with the cup-shaped body by means of a number of screws, or by means of elastic snap couplings. In wiring j-unction boxes of the type described above, apart from inconveniences arising from the low level of safety which is inherent to the electrical connections inside the same boxes, there are other inconveniences which are due to the length of time necessary for assembling and disassembling the frontal panel and the time necessary for the installation and execution of all the electrical connections between one wiring junction box and another and between all these wiring junction boxes and the point of use . The aim of the present invention is to produce a wiring junction box which is free of the inconveniences described above . According to the present invention, a wiring junction box will be produced comprising a cup-shaped body which can be buried inside a wall, and presenting a frontal opening which is turned towards the outside of the wall itself, a frontal panel which is arranged in such a way that it can close the frontal opening and which is connected to the cup- shaped body in such a way that it can be removed, and a determined number of electrical outlets which are fed by the wiring junction box itself and which are electrically connected to the mains electricity supply; the wiring junction box being characterised by the fact that it comprises an electrical safety panel which is arranged inside the cup-shaped body and which is electrically interposed between the mains electricity supply and the said electrical outlets . The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention and in which: FIGURE 1 shows a prospective view of a preferred form of embodiment of a wiring junction box according to the present invention; FIGURE 2 is an exploded prospective view of the wiring junction box shown in FIGURE 1; FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a detail shown in FIGURE 2; and FIGURE 4 shows a section, on an enlarged scale, of FIGURE 3 along the line IV-IV. With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2 , the number 1 indicates, in its entirety, a wiring junction box which can function either as a wiring junction box for feeding a determined number of electrical outlets 2 or as a switch box, in which the electrical outlets are in fact defined by the switches themselves, and the description which follows will make explicit reference to the latter case with, however, losing any of its general nature due to this fact . The wiring junction box 1 comprises a cup- shaped body 3, which can be buried inside a wall (the wall is not illustrated) and which comprises four side walls 4, arranged two by two and at right angles to each other, and a base wall 5 which is transverse to the walls 4. The walls 4 present respective free edges 6 which define a frontal opening 7 which is turned towards the outside of the above-mentioned wall, and they are also provided with one or more passing holes 8 for the passage of the electrical connections of the wiring junction box 1 to the mains electricity supply. The wiring junction box 1 also comprises a frontal panel 9, which is arranged so that it can close the frontal opening 7 and which is connected to the cup-shaped body 3 in such a way that it can be removed, and a determined number of electrical switches 2, which are supported by the panel 9 itself and, as will be better explained in the description which follows, are electrically connected to the mains electricity supply. Finally, the wiring junction box 1 comprises an electrical safety panel 12, which is arranged inside the cup-shaped body 3 substantially behind the base wall 5, and which is electrically interposed between the mains electricity supply and the switches 2. The frontal panel 9 comprises a main support wall 13 for the switches 2 which has dimensions which are substantially equal to the dimensions of the frontal opening 7, and a quick coupling device 14 of the wall 13 itself with the cup-shaped body 3 which is partially associated with the wall 13 and partially associated with the cup-shaped body 3 itself. The device 14 comprises a flap 15 which is hinged to the wall 13 in correspondence with two respective hinges 16 and which presents at least one passing hole 8, and two guides 17, which are integral with one of the side walls 4 of the cup-shaped body 3 and which are slidingly engaged with the flap 15. The device 14 also comprises a side edge 18, which is substantially U-shaped, and which extends around the wall 13, and which engages with the edges 6 in order to close the opening 7 completely. As is better illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the electrical panel 12 comprises a rigid support base 19 made of electrically insulated material, and an electrical circuit 20 which is molded inside the base 19 itself. The electrical panel 12 also comprises a feed bridge 21 for each of the switches 2 and an input bridge which is linked to the bridges 21 by means of the electrical circuit 20 and to the main electricity supply. The bridges 21 are electrically connected to a similar bridge 21 which is installed on the back of a relative switch 2, and they are arranged in series in relation to each other and with the bridge 22 along the electrical circuit 20 in such a way that the disengagement of only one bridge 21, 22 determines the disconnection of the entire electrical circuit 20 from the mains electricity supply and the electrical isolation of the switches 2. Each bridge 21, 22 is defined by a plug with three or more poles 23, which are disengagably inserted into respective holes 24 obtained in the base 19 in such a way as to interrupt a respective phase of the electrical circuit 20. Furthermore, each bridge 21, 22 comprises a base plate 27 which can have different colours to emphasise its different connection, and a guide element 26 which is placed close to the plug to give the same orientation to the bridge 21, 22 at each assembly operation, more particularly with three-phase supply. The installation of the wiring junction box 1 which has just been described is carried out in an extremely simple fashion, in fact, once the cup- shaped body 3 has been buried in the wall and a free end of the tri-polar cable of the main electricity supply has been introduced inside the cup-shaped body 3 itself by means of one of the holes 8, it is sufficient o connect such a free end to the inlet bridge 22 in order to connect the electrical circuit 20 to the mains electricity supply itself. Subsequently, after the bridge 22 has been separated from the base 19, the bridges 22 are connected to the bridges 21 of the relative switches 2 and the feed bridges relative to the switches 2 themselves. At this point, it is sufficient to introduce the electrical panel 12 inside the cup-shaped body 3, insert the flap 15 inside the guides 17 and turn the main wall 13 until the edge 18 is placed over the edges 6. Any kind of maintenance or emergency operation which has to be carried out with regard to the wiring junction box 1 may be executed safely and quickly due to the fact that, once any of the bridges 21, 22 have been disconnected from the electrical circuit 20, the entire wiring junction box is completely electrically isolated from the outside. Furthermore, in order to increase the electrical safety of the wiring junction box 1, the electrical panel 12 also comprises an electrically insulated socket 25 which is obtained in the base 19 and to which the bridges 21 or the bridges 22 can be connected during the maintenance or emergency operations mentioned above. Also the socket 25 is provided with a guide element 28 which is placed close to the socket 25 to give the same orientation to the bridge 21, 22. According to a form of embodiment which is not illustrated, but which is easily understandable from the above description, the wiring junction box 1 can also present a greater number of bridges 21, 22 and a greater number of electrical outlets 2 than those illustrated, and it can be used uniquely and exclusively as a wiring junction box presenting the same advantages in terms of security, speed and ease of installation as those described above. It is intended that the present invention not be limed to the form of embodiment herein described and illustrated, which is to be considered as an example of an embodiment of the wiring junction box 1, and which may be subject to further modification in terms of shape and the arrangement of parts and details of construction and assembly.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Wiring junction box (1) comprising a cup- shaped body (3) which can be buried inside a wall, and presenting a frontal opening (7) which is turned towards the outside of the wall itself, a frontal panel (9) which is arranged in such a way that it can close the frontal opening (7) and which is connected to the cup-shaped body (3) in such a way that it can be removed, and a determined number of electrical outlets (2) which are fed by the wiring junction box itself and which are electrically connected to the mains electricity supply; the wiring junction box (1) being characterised by the fact that it comprises an electrical safety panel (12) which is arranged inside the cup-shaped body (3) and which is electrically interposed between the mains electricity supply and the said electrical outlets (2) . 2. Wiring junction box according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the electrical panel (12) comprises a feed bridge (21) for each of the said electrical outlets (2) and an input bridge (22) which is linked to the mains electricity supply; the electrical panel (12) also comprises a connecting electrical circuit (30) between the said bridges (21, 22) . 3. Junction box according to Claim 2, characterised by the fact that the said bridges (21, 22) are arranged in series along the said electrical circuit (20) . 4. Junction box according to Claim 3, characterised by the fact that the electrical panel (12) comprises a rigid support base (19) inside which is printed on the said connecting electrical circuit (20) , and each bridge (21, 22) is defined by a plug with three or more poles (23) which is disengagably supported by the rigid base (19) itself. 5. Junction box according to Claim 4, characterised by the fact that the said frontal panel (9) comprises a main wall (13) with dimensions which are substantially equal to the dimensions of the said frontal opening (7) , and quick coupling means (14) of the main wall to the cup-shaped body (3) which are partially associated with the main wall (13) and partially associated with the cup-shaped body (3) itself. 6. Junction box according to Claim 5, characterised by the fact that the said coupling means (14) comprise hinged slide (15) which is hinged to the said main wall (13), two guides (17) which are integral with the said cup-shaped body (3) and which are slidingly engaged by the slide (15) , and hooking means (18) which are arranged around the main wall (13) and which are engaged along a respective edge (6) of the cup-shaped body (3) . 7. Junction box according to Claim 6, characterised by the fact that the said electrical outlets (2) are defined by respective switches which are supported by the frontal panel (9) and which are electrically connected to the relative bridges (22) . 8. Junction box according to Claim 7, characterised by the fact that each of the said switches presents, on the part turned towards the cup-shaped body, a respective bridge (21) for electrically connecting the switch itself to the said electrical circuit (20) . 9. Junction box according to Claim 4, characterised by the fact that each bridge (21, 22) comprises a guide element (26) which is placed close to the plug to give the same orientation to the bridge (21, 22) at each assembly operation. 10. Junction box according to Claim 4, characterised by the fact that each bridge (21, 22) comprises a base plate (27) which can have different colours to emphasise its different connection.

Inventors: MORIGI ADRIANO, MORIGI, ADRIANO
Applicants: U S COMMERCIAL SERVICE, U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE
Application year: 2001
Main classification: H02G3
IPC codes: H02G3