Abstract:
A bracket for supporting an electrical junction box within a wall frame. The bracket has a junction box support portion adapted to be connectable to the electrical junction box and a cable support portion extending from the junction box support portion. The cable support portion has a cable securing portion that receives and automatically secures the electrical cables in the cable support portion, thereby fixing the electrical cables a desired distance from the junction box.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to wiring accessories and more particularly, to wiring accessories for routing and securing wires in the interior of a studded wall.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Known building construction utilizes a wall frame structure comprised of vertical studs interconnected with horizontal head and toe plates. Wall material like gypsum wall board is fastened to both sides of the studs and plates to provide a finished wall surface. Electric utilities, for example, power wires, communications cables and other kinds of wiring are often located in flexible, metal clad or armored cable; and the metal cable containing the wires is routed within the wall frame structure prior to the gypsum wall board being installed. In recent years, an increasing number of structures employ a metal wall frame structure rather than the traditional wooden studs and plates. A typical metal stud is an elongated U-shaped sheet metal member having a cross-sectional area approximately equal to a cross-sectional area of a standard wooden stud. When metal framing is used, the toe plate is often referred to as the bottom track. Wherever an electrical outlet is required, an electrical junction box is secured at a desired location to the wall frame structure, for example, a vertical stud or the horizontal bottom track. A junction box may have a mounting flange for directly mounting the junction box to a stud, or the junction box may be mounted to a bracket that, in turn, is mounted to the wall frame structure. Further, brackets of different designs are known for securing a junction box to a metal stud or bottom track. The sheet metal brackets provide great flexibility in locating the junction box within the wall frame structure.  
           [0003]    It is often desired or even required that the cables terminating in a junction box be fixed or secured to a stud or other support within a fixed distance of the junction box. Thus, after a junction box is installed within a wall structure, cables going to and from the junction box are secured to a stud or plate with a separate clip. While any one clip does not take long to install, the cumulative time required to install a clip for all of the cables running to and from all of the junction boxes in a wiring installation can be significant. Thus, the installation of such clips substantially increases the labor cost associated with the installation of the electric utilities in a building.  
           [0004]    Therefore, there is a need for a wiring accessory that eliminates the need to separately install clips for securing cables that terminate in a junction box.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention provides a bracket for mounting an electrical junction box that substantially reduces the costs of installing electric utilities in a building. The electrical junction box mounting bracket of the present invention allows cables terminating in the junction box to be easily and quickly fixed or secured to the bracket a desired distance from the junction box. The electrical junction box mounting bracket of the present invention eliminates the need to separately install cable securing clips to the wall frame structure, thereby substantially reducing the labor and associated costs required to install electric utilities in a building.  
           [0006]    According to the principles of the present invention and in accordance with the described embodiments, the invention provides a bracket for supporting an electrical junction box within a wall frame. The bracket has a junction box support portion adapted to be connectable to the electrical junction box and a cable support portion extending from the junction box support portion. The cable support portion has a cable securing portion that receives and automatically secures the electrical cables in the cable support portion, thereby fixing the electrical cables a desired distance from the junction box without the use of separate cable clips.  
           [0007]    In one aspect of the invention, the cable support portion has a plurality of openings that receive the electrical cables and a plurality of deformable tabs. The deformable tabs secure an electrical cable in a different one of the plurality of holes. In a further aspect of the invention, the bracket can be configured to attach to a bottom track or a stud in the wall frame.  
           [0008]    In another embodiment of the invention, a bracket without an electrical junction box mounting surface is provided for supporting electrical cables within a wall frame. The bracket has an attachment portion that is connectable to the wall frame, a plurality of openings and associated deformable tabs. Each of the openings receives an electrical cable, and each of the deformable tabs automatically securing the electrical cable in the opening.  
           [0009]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a mounting bracket that attaches to a bottom track of a wall frame and supports an electrical junction box and associated cables in the wall frame structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a sheet metal layout of the mounting bracket of FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cable support used with the mounting bracket of FIG. 1 prior to an installation of a cable.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cable support of FIG. 3 after the installation of a cable.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a mounting bracket that attaches to a bottom track of a wall frame and supports an electrical junction box and associated cables in the wall frame structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a stud bracket that supports an electrical junction box from a stud of a wall frame structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a bracket for supporting wires and cables in a wall frame structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical junction box mounting bracket  20  is shown mounted within a wall  22 . The wall  22  is made of a known wall frame structure  24  including a generally horizontal bottom track  26  that is rigidly connected to a floor surface  28 . The wall frame structure  23  further includes generally vertical studs (not shown), the ends of which are rigidly connected to a generally horizontal top track (not shown) and the bottom track  26 . The studs and plates are often made from an elongated generally U-shaped sheet metal channel piece. Gypsum wall board panels  30 ,  32  are rigidly connected to the bottom track  26  and other portions of the wall frame structure  24  in a known manner via fasteners, for example, sheet metal screws (not shown).  
         [0018]    The bracket  20  is positioned at a desired longitudinal location with respect to the bottom track  26 . Such a junction box  40  is located at a desired position with respect to the wall  22 . The bracket  20  has a junction box mounting portion  44  with a planar junction box mounting surface  45 . The junction box  40  is mounted to the mounting surface  45  via fasteners, for example, sheet metal screws (not shown) extending through holes  46  in the bracket  20 . Electric utilities, for example, electric power, is routed inside the wall  22  by one or more metal clad or armored cables  34  that carry electric power wires  36  therein. Each of the armored cables  34  terminates with a connector  38  that is rigidly attached to an opening in an electrical junction box  40  in a known manner. The junction box support portion  44  is located at an upper end of a vertical post or column member  48 , and the vertical member  48  has a lower end connected to, and contiguous with, an attachment portion or foot  50 .  
         [0019]    Prior to mounting the bracket  20  to the bottom track  26 , the tabs  52  are bent outward as shown in phantom at  52   a . Next, the bottom track  26  is located at a desired position; and the foot  50  is kicked or pushed between the web portion  51  of the bottom track  26  and the floor  28 . When the bracket  20  is located against an outer surface of the bottom track sidewall  56 , the tabs  52  are then bent back to their original position as shown in solid lines. Thus, bracket  20  is secured to the bottom track  26 , by capturing the bottom track sidewall between the tabs  52  and the vertical plate  48 . One may also use fasteners, for example, sheet metal screws  57 , extending through the holes  58 . As will be appreciated, the bracket  20  can be connected with the bottom track  26  by fasteners extending through any other overlapping portions, for example, the foot  50  of the bracket  20  and the web  51  of the bottom track  26 .  
         [0020]    The bracket  20  further has a spacer or leg  60  with a lip  62  on its distal end. When the gypsum wall board panels  30 ,  32  are attached to the wall frame structure  23 , the lip  62  contacts a rear surface  64  of the wall  30  and locates the junction box mounting portion  44  against the inner surface  66  of the opposite wall  32 . Thus, the location of the electrical junction box  40  is stabilized between the walls  30 ,  32 .  
         [0021]    A cable support  70  is contiguous with and extends outward from the junction box support portion  44  of the vertical plate  48 . The cable support  70  is comprised of an extender member  72  that extends upward and outward from the upper end of the vertical plate  48 . The extender member  72  is oriented at an angle of about 45° with respect to the junction box support surface  45 . A cable securing portion  74  extends from a distal end  76  of the extender  72  in such a manner that the cables  34  are properly directed into the box  40 . For proper orientation, the centerlines  78  of the cables  34  define a plane that is substantially parallel to, but offset from, the junction box mounting surface  45 . Thus, the cable securing portion  74  has a first surface  81  defining a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the junction box mounting surface  45 . However, being sheet metal, the extender member  72  and cable securing portion  74  can be manually bent or adjusted to locate cable securing portion  74  at any desired position and orientation.  
         [0022]    Referring to FIG. 3, the cable securing portion  74  of the cable support  70  includes a plurality of holes or cutouts  80  lying in the first surface  81 . The cutouts  80  have a general keyhole shape and have a first generally circular portion  82 . The circular portion  82  terminates at a mouth  84  that defines a chord across the circular portion  82  having a length slightly less than a maximum diameter of an electric cable to be secured in the circular portion  82 . The cutout  80  flares outward with two diverging linear sides  86  that terminate into respective identical relief portions  88 . The cutout  80  terminates at an edge  90  of the planar surface  81 . The cable securing portion  74  further includes pairs of tabs  94  associated with each cutout  80 . Each of the pairs of tabs  94  have respective generally coplanar surfaces  96  that are substantially perpendicular to the surface  81 . Proximal ends  98  of the respective tabs  96  have respective holes  100 . The tabs  96  have a length such that their respective distal ends  102  are equally spaced from a centerline  104  bisecting the opening  80 . The bracket  20  is formable in a known manner from a flat piece of sheet metal as shown in FIG. 2 that has various holes, openings, slots and spaces cut or stamped therein.  
         [0023]    In use, a cable  34  is manually forced against the tabs  96  toward the opening  80 . The application of the force causes the tabs  96  to begin to bend inwardly toward the hole  80 . The linear sides  86  form a receiving space that allows the tabs  96  to fold inwardly without interference. The holes  100  provide a weakened area at the proximal ends  98  of the tabs  96 , and the tabs  96  generally fold along the line extending between the reliefs  88  and respective holes  100 . The continued application of the force against the cable  34  pushes the cable past the tabs  96 , and the sides  86  guide the cable  34  to the mouth  84  of the circular portion  82 . The mouth  84  has an opening size that is slightly smaller than a maximum diameter of the cable  34 , so that the cable  34  experiences some interference with the mouth  84  as it is moved therethrough. Thus, with a continued application of the force against the cable  34 , the cable snaps past the mouth  84  and into the circular opening  82  as illustrated in FIG. 4. Thus, the cable  34  is automatically held or secured in the circular portion  82  of the opening  80  by the mouth  84  and the distal ends  102  of the tabs  96 . Further, referring back to FIG. 1, the cables  34  are held or secured at a location that is a desired fixed distance, for example, six inches, from the electrical junction box  40 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a mounting bracket  91  that is also securable at any location on the bottom track  26 . The mounting bracket  91  is installed in a similar manner as bracket  20  previously described. First, tabs  92  are bent upward and a foot  93  is kicked or pushed between the bottom track web  51  and the floor  28 . The tabs  92  are then bent back down to their illustrated position to secure the mounting bracket  91  to the bottom track  26 . A vertical plate  95  is offset from a bottom track sidewall  56  by spacer plate  97 , and thus, the vertical plate  95  extends upward at a location between the bottom track sidewalls  56 . A spacer  99  extends from the vertical plate  95  and contacts a rear side of a wall board (not shown) attachable to the bottom track sidewall  56 . Thus, the spacer  99  properly locates an upper end of the mounting bracket  91  within the wall frame structure. An electrical junction box  101 , shown in phantom, is mounted to the vertical plate  95  via fasteners (not shown) extending through holes  103 .  
         [0025]    A cable support  105  extends from an upper end of the vertical plate  95  and is substantially identical in construction to the cable support  70  illustrated and described with respect to FIGS.  1 - 4 . The cable support  105  has an extender portion  107  that extends upward at an angle from the vertical plate  95 . A cable securing portion  109  extends from a distal end of the extender portion  107 . Being sheet metal, the extender portion  107  and cable securing portion  109  can be manually bent or adjusted to locate cable receiving openings  111  at any desired position and orientation. Normally, it is desirable that the cable receiving openings  111  lie in a generally horizontal plane. Pairs of tabs  113  function identically to the pairs of tabs  94  previously described in FIGS. 3 and 4 and help position and secure the cables  34  with respect to the junction box  101 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a stud mount bracket for supporting an electrical junction box. The bracket  106  has lateral mounting flanges  108  one of which is attached to an outer surface  110  of a sidewall  112  of a vertical stud  114  by fasteners, for example, sheet metal screws (not shown). The bracket  106  has a foot portion  116  with a series of holes  118  that permit the foot portion to be folded for use with a vertical stud of a different size. The bracket  106  has an electrical junction box mounting portion  120  with a planar mounting surface  122  to which an electrical junction box  124  is mounted in a known manner using fasteners (not shown) extending through the holes  126 .  
         [0027]    The foot  116  extends from a lower end  117  of the electrical junction box mounting portion  120 , and the foot  116  is substantially perpendicular to the junction box mounting surface  122 . A cable support  130  extends from an upper end  131  of the junction box mounting portion  120  and is substantially identical in construction to the cable support  70  illustrated and described with respect to FIGS.  1 - 3 . The cable support  130  has an extender portion  132  that extends at an angle of about 45° with respect to the junction box mounting portion  120 . A cable securing portion  134  extends from a distal end of the extender portion  132  at an angle of about 45°. Thus, cable receiving openings  136  lie in a surface or plane  138  that is substantially perpendicular to the junction box mounting surface  120 . Pairs of tabs  140  function identically to the pairs of tabs  94  previously described in FIG. 3 and help maintain cables  34  properly positioned and secured with respect to the junction box  124 . That is, the cable securing portion  134  orients the cables  34  such that their respective centerlines  78  define a plane that is substantially parallel to, but offset from, the junction box mounting portion  120 .  
         [0028]    Referring to FIG. 7, an independent cable supporting bracket  144  is mountable between vertical studs  146 ,  148 . The bracket  144  has a body portion  145  that extends between two attachment portions, for example, bendable mounting flanges  150 ,  152  at opposite ends of the body  145 . The bracket  144  is supported by attaching one mounting flange  150  to an inner surface of a sidewall  154  of the stud  146  by sheet metal screws (not shown) extending through holes  156 . Each of the mounting flanges  150 ,  152  has a relief slot  158  that permits a mounting flange, for example, mounting flange  152 , to be easily bent or folded as desired. Thus, the mounting flange  152  can be bent and attached to a web portion  160  of a vertical stud  148  using sheet metal screws or other fasteners extending through holes  162 .  
         [0029]    The bracket  144  includes a cable securing portion  163  that has a plurality of cable receiving openings  164  and respective pairs of tabs  166  that are identical in construction and operation to the holes  80  and pairs of tabs  94  illustrated and described with respect to FIGS.  1 - 3 . Thus, the bracket  144  is able to receive and support cables  34  extending between the vertical studs  146 ,  148 .  
         [0030]    The bracket  144  has a rear wall  168  containing an elongated slot  170  that is longitudinally aligned with a cutout  172  and centered on the rear wall  168 . The elongated slot  170  and cutout  172  divide the rear wall  168  and bracket  144  into two substantially identical halves  168   a ,  168   b  and  144   a ,  144   b , respectively. Thus, one end of the bracket  144  can be folded approximately 180° with respect to the other end, so that the rear walls  168   a ,  168   b  are adjacent each other. The bendable mounting flanges  150 ,  152  are also adjacent each other and can be bent so that the mounting flanges  150 ,  152  are in a common plane and can be attached to a common surface. The folded bracket  144   a ,  144   b  provides a first row of openings  164   a  that are parallel to a second row of openings  164   b . The mounting flanges  150 ,  152  of the folded bracket  144   a ,  144   b  can be mounted on any common horizontal or vertical surface, for example, the top or bottom surface of an upper or lower plate, the lower surface of a deck or subflooring, etc. Further, the mounting flanges  150 ,  152  can be bent to that they overlap, and they can be attached to an end of a threaded rod that extends through aligned holes extending through both mounting flanges  150 ,  152 . Thus, the bracket  144  provides significant versatility in mounting to surfaces regardless of their location or orientation. Alternatively, repeated folding and unfolding of the end  152  with respect to the end  150  results in the back wall  168  fracturing along the fold line extending through the elongated slot  170 . Thus, the bracket  144  can be fractured or cut along the elongated slot  170  to form two shorter brackets.  
         [0031]    The various embodiments of the brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  each provides an apparatus for quickly and easily securing cables that are routed within a wall frame structure. Further, the electrical junction box mounting brackets  20 ,  106  permit cables to be easily and quickly secured a fixed distance, for example, six inches, from the junction box. The brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  eliminate the need to manually install clips that separately secure the cables to studs or plates within the wall frame structure. Therefore, use of the brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  substantially reduces the labor and associated costs required to install electric utilities in a building.  
         [0032]    While the invention has been illustrated by the description of one embodiment and while the embodiment has been described in considerable detail, there is no intention to restrict nor in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those who are skilled in the art. For example, in the described embodiment, the brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  are described as being formed from a single piece of sheet metal. As will be appreciated, in an alternative embodiment, the brackets can be fabricated from multiple parts that fastened, bonded or welded together. Further, brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  are described as being used principally with metal clad or armored cable. As will be appreciated, in an alternative embodiment, the brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  can be made from sheet metal and coated with a plastic or other material that dulls the edges of the sheet metal. With that embodiment, the plastic coated sheet metal brackets can be used to secure “ROMEX” cable, other plastic wrapped wire or a plastic wrapped communication cable. In a further embodiment, the brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  can be made from plastic or a similar material and used to secure “ROMEX” cable, other plastic wrapped wire or a plastic wrapped communication cable. In addition, the brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  have respective cable securing portions  74 ,  134 ,  163  that include respective pairs of tabs  94 ,  140 ,  166 . As will appreciated, in an alternative embodiment, any of the pairs of tabs  94 ,  140 ,  166  can be replaced by a single deformable tab.  
         [0033]    In the described embodiments of the junction box mounting brackets  20 ,  106 , respective extender portions  72 ,  132  are oriented at an angle of about 45° with respect to respective mounting portions  44 ,  120 . Further, cable receiving holes  80 ,  136  are in respective planes or surfaces  81 ,  138  that are oriented at an angle of about 45° with respect to the respective extender portions  762 ,  132 . Those two 45° angles and other dimensional parameters determine the fixed distance that separates the cable receiving holes  80 ,  136  from the respective junction boxes  40 ,  124 . As will be appreciated, the distance that separates the cable receiving holes  80 ,  136  from the respective junction boxes can be varied by changing the length of the extender portions  72 ,  132  and the orientation angles of the extender portions  72 ,  132  and the respective surfaces  81 ,  138 .  
         [0034]    In the described embodiment, the cable securing brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  are described for use with armored cable. As will be appreciated, the brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  can be used with other types of cable, for example, BX cable, MC cable, “ROMEX” cable, communications cables as well as conduit and pipes. Further, in the described embodiment, the brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  are shown attached to studs and bottom tracks of a wall frame. As will appreciated, in other embodiments, the brackets  20 ,  106 ,  144  can be attached to other structural supports, for example, cement blocks, ceiling beams, ceiling grids, an A-frame bracket, etc., as well as to the exterior or the interior of an electrical panel.  
         [0035]    Therefore, the invention in its broadest aspects is not limited to the specific details shown and described. Consequently, departures may be made from the details described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims which follow.