Abstract:
An electrical box with multiple selectable fastening points. The electrical box is capable of being mounted on a wide range of structures including those that are constructed with metal framing, wood framing, or with a masonry wall. To accommodate various layers of drywall, fasteners for mounting the electrical box to a stud may be moved to any one of the several fastening points to ensure that the fastener is approximately centered with respect to the stud. Outward extending tabs are provided on the sidewalls of the electrical box to enable mounting to masonry walls. Multiple connection points are provided at the front opening of the electrical box to enable the mounting of electrical components or electrical fixtures.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to electrical junction boxes and specifically to an electrical box assembly for mounting electrical fixtures or components that include selectable fastening points for use in mounting the box assembly to a structure. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   It is often necessary for an electrician to stock several styles of electrical boxes to accommodate the myriad types of electrical devices, such as electrical fixtures or electrical components, that are affixed to walls and ceilings and also to enable the mounting of these varied devices to various building structures, such as buildings constructed with wood framing, metal framing, or with masonry. This forces the electrician to stock a large number of electrical boxes in order to facilitate the installation of electrical services. 
   What would be helpful is an electrical box that can be mounted on myriad structures and in various parts of each structure without requiring an electrician or homeowner to find a box specific to the location. For example, it would be helpful to have an electrical box that is adapted to mount both electrical components, such as a duplex receptacle or a switch, and that is also displayed to mount an electrical fixture, such as a light fixture. Additionally, it would be beneficial to have a single electrical box that can be mounted on both metal and wood studs and also on masonry. A versatile electrical box such as this could therefore be mounted on interior walls or on exterior walls where studs can be accessed or where studs are not available, such as for certain memory walls. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is an electrical box with multiple selectable fastening points. The electrical box is capable of being mounted on a wide range of structures including those that include metal framing, wood framing, or are finished with masonry. The box includes mounting fasteners that may be shifted to alternate positions to enable mounting the box with single or multiple layers of drywall. Outward extending tabs are provided on the sidewalls of the electrical box to enable mounting to masonry walls. Multiple connection points are provided at the front opening of the electrical box to enable the mounting of electrical components or electrical fixtures. 
   OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
   Several advantages are achieved with the electrical box of the present invention, including:
         (1) The electrical box of the present invention includes multiple fastening points, selectable by the user, to enable mounting to walls with one or several layers of drywall and with various thicknesses of drywall.   (2) The electrical box includes mounting fasteners that can be moved to alternate locations based on the thickness of the drywall or the number of layers of drywall used.   (3) The electrical box includes mortar anchoring tabs that allow the box to be mortared within a masonry wall.   (4) The electrical box includes multiple connection points to enable the mounting of electrical components within the box or the mounting of electrical fixtures such as light to the front of the box.   (5) The electrical box of the present invention is adapted for mounting to both metal and wood framing.   (6) Stocking requirements can be vastly reduced with the electrical box of the present invention as the one box can be used in a wide variety of structures including those with metal framing, wood framing, and for all types of exterior finishes including siding and masonry.       

   
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following description along with reference to the drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the electrical box assembly of the present invention in alignment with a stud and ready to be fastened thereto. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the electrical box portion of the assembly depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is an end view of the electrical box of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the electrical box of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the electrical box taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the electrical box taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the electrical box taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the electrical box of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a top view of the electrical box of the present invention installed over a wall constructed of one layer of drywall. 
       FIG. 10  is a top view of the electrical box of the present invention installed on a wall constructed of two layers of drywall. 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the electrical box of the present invention in alignment with a hole in a masonry wall and ready to be fastened thereto. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the electrical box assembly of the present invention in alignment with a stud and ready to be fastened thereto. 
     TABLE OF NOMENCLATURE 
     
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Part Number 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 20 
                 electrical box, preferred embodiment 
               
               
                 22 
                 box member 
               
               
                 24 
                 first sidewalls 
               
               
                 26 
                 second sidewalls 
               
               
                 28 
                 open front 
               
               
                 30 
                 enclosure 
               
               
                 32 
                 first flange 
               
               
                 34 
                 second flange 
               
               
                 35 
                 fastening point 
               
               
                 36 
                 aperture in first flange 
               
               
                 38 
                 aperture in second flange 
               
               
                 39 
                 first fastening arrangement 
               
               
                 40 
                 mounting fastener 
               
               
                 42 
                 post 
               
               
                 44 
                 first boss or component boss 
               
               
                 46 
                 second boss or fixture boss 
               
               
                 48 
                 bore in first boss or component bore 
               
               
                 50 
                 bore in second boss or fixture bore 
               
               
                 52 
                 corner of box member 
               
               
                 54 
                 gap 
               
               
                 56 
                 front edge 
               
               
                 58 
                 axis through flange 
               
               
                 60 
                 recessed portion or recessed area 
               
               
                 62 
                 knockout 
               
               
                 63 
                 alignment tab 
               
               
                 64 
                 back wall 
               
               
                 66 
                 nonrecessed portion 
               
               
                 67 
                 second fastening arrangement 
               
               
                 68 
                 anchoring tab 
               
               
                 70 
                 wall 
               
               
                 72 
                 drywall 
               
               
                 74 
                 stud 
               
               
                 76 
                 hole in wall 
               
               
                 77 
                 face of stud 
               
               
                 78 
                 masonry wall 
               
               
                 80 
                 duplex receptacle 
               
               
                 82 
                 component fastener 
               
               
                 84 
                 faceplate 
               
               
                 90 
                 electrical box, second embodiment 
               
               
                 92 
                 fastening points 
               
               
                 94 
                 apertures through sidewalls 
               
               
                 D1 
                 distance of aperture in first flange from front edge 
               
               
                 D2 
                 distance of aperture in second flange from front edge 
               
               
                 D3 
                 length of alignment tab 
               
               
                 Θ1 
                 angle of mounting fastener with respect to front edge 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , the present invention is an electrical box  20  with multiple selectable fastening points. The preferred embodiment of the electrical box  20  includes a box member  22  having first sidewalls  24 , second sidewalls  26 , and an open front  28  defining an enclosure  30  therein. The box member  22  includes a first flange  32  extending longitudinally along one side of the first sidewall  24  and a second flange  34  extending longitudinally along the opposite side of each first sidewall  24 , with the two flanges  32  and  34  parallel to each other. The electrical box includes multiple fastening points  35  with the fastening points  35  including a plurality of apertures  36  in the first flange  32  and a plurality of apertures  38  in the second flange  34 . The electrical box  20  includes a first fastening arrangement  39  for securing the box to a stud  74 . The first fastening arrangement  39  includes a mounting fastener  40  secured through one of the fastening points  35  on each first sidewall  24 . The mounting fasteners  40  may be captive within the apertures  36  and  38  of the flanges  32  and  34  as shown in  FIG. 1  or alternatively held within the enclosure  30  in a bag (not shown) or similar storage container. When extended through the fastening points  35  or flanges  32  and  34  as shown in  FIG. 1 , the mounting fasteners  40  extend through and are held in one of the apertures  36  in the first flange  32  and one of the apertures  38  in the second flange  34 . The electrical box  20  further includes a plurality of posts  42  extending from the first sidewalls  24  between the first flange  32  and the second flange  34 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the box member  22  includes two component bosses or first bosses  44  integral with each of the first sidewalls  24  and extending into the enclosure  30 . Two fixture bosses or second bosses  46  are provided integral with each of the second sidewalls  26  and extending into the enclosure  30 . The first bosses  44  are centered on each of the first sidewalls  24  of the box member  22  and include component bores  48  therein for receipt of fasteners (not shown) for securing an electrical component within the enclosure  30 . The second bosses  46  include fixture bores  50  therein that will be for receipt of fasteners (not shown) for securing an electrical fixture to the box member  22 . The box member  22  is rectangular shaped and includes corners  52  at the juncture of the first sidewalls  24  and the second sidewalls  26 . Preferably, the second bosses  46  are at opposing corners  52  of the box member  22 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the posts  42  extending from the first sidewall  24  of the box member  22  and include gaps  54  there between. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the sidewalls  24  and  26  of the box member  22  include a front edge  56  as shown at the top of each figure. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the aperture  36  in the first flange  32  are nearer to the front edge  56  as shown by distance D 1  for the aperture  36  nearest the front edge  56 , then the apertures  38  in the second flange  34 , as shown by distance D 2  for the first aperture  38  in the second flange  34 . The remaining apertures  36  and  38  in each flange  32  and  34  are spaced equidistant from each other. The staggered spacing of the apertures  36  and  38  with respect to the front edge  56  will orient any mounting fastener  40  placed therein through paired apertures  36  and  38  in each flange  32  and  34  at an angle θ1 with respect to the front edge  56 . Each pair of apertures  36  and  38  are depicted by the axes  58 , which are the axes along which a fastener will be aligned axially when it is inserted therein. Thus, each paired aperture  36  and  38  will define a selectable fastening point which can be later chosen by the installer based upon the specific requirements of the structure it will be secured to. Preferably angle θ1 is between 0 and 20 degrees and most preferably it is 10 degrees. Although the sectional view of the posts  42  in  FIG. 5  depict them as being cylindrical in shaped, they could have a wide variety of shapes including square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or oval. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , the first sidewalls  24  include a recessed area or recessed portion  60  extending between the first flange  32  and the second flange  34  and then posts  42  extending from the recessed portion. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the first bosses  44  include component bores  48  therein for receipt of fasteners (not shown) for securing an electrical component within the enclosure  30 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , a knockout  62  or removable wall portion is provided in the recessed portion  60  of each first sidewall  24 . The box member  22  further includes an alignment tab  63  on the outer surface of one of the second sidewalls  26 . The alignment tab  63  extends from the front edge  56  of the box member  22  and provides a means of aligning the box member  22  with respect to a stud (not shown). The length D 3  of the alignment tab  63  is preferably equal to or slightly less than the thickness of a single layer of standard drywall. More preferably, the alignment tab is provided in a length D 3  of 0.437 inch for use with drywall of ½″ nominal thickness. 
   With reference to  FIG. 8 , this rear perspective view of the box member  22  depicts two additional knockouts  62  that are provided in the back wall  64  of the box member  22 . The first sidewalls  24  of the box member  22  include the recessed area  60  on the rear portion of the first sidewall  24  and a front nonrecessed portion  66 . A second fastening arrangement  67  is provided for securing the electrical box  20  to a masonry wall (not shown). The second fastening arrangement  67  includes anchoring tabs  68  on the nonrecessed portion  66  of the first sidewall  24 , extending from the outer surface of the sidewall  24 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 9 , is a top view is shown of the electrical box  20  of the present invention installed on a wall  70  constructed with one layer of drywall  72 . The mounting fastener  40 , having an outer diameter that is greater than the gap  54  between the posts  42 , is held therein by contact with at least one of the posts  42  and the apertures in each of the flanges  32  and  34 . 
   Reference is made to  FIGS. 9 and 10  for an understanding of the operation of the electrical box  20  of the present invention. As described hereinabove, the electrical box  20  is provided with mounting fasteners  40 . The mounting fasteners  40  are preferably self-tapping and constructed of hardened steel so they can be driven into both wood and metal studs. Alternatively, for use with only wood studs, the mounting fasteners  40  can be nails as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 9  there is depicted a situation in which one layer of drywall  72  is to be installed against the framing members or studs  74 . In this situation, the electrical box  20  is placed against the studs with the second sidewall  26  flush against the stud  74  and with the alignment tabs  63  flush with the face  77  of the stud  74 . The installer has the option of placing the mounting fastener  40  in any one of the three positions or axes  58  through flanges  32  and  34  (see  FIG. 5 ). In the situation depicted in  FIG. 9 , with one layer of drywall  72  the installer typically would install the mounting fastener  40  in the position closest to the front edge  56  of the box member  22  at this position would align the mounting fastener  40  approximately with the midpoint of the stud  74 . In this position the electrical box  20  would be firmly braced against the stud  74  along a significant portion of the second sidewall  26  and the two mounting fasteners  40  would hold the electrical box  20  secure to the stud  74 . The alignment tab  63  would insure that the front edge  56  of the electrical box  20  is substantially even with the wall  70 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 10  there is depicted a situation in which two layers of drywall  72  are being installed against the framing members or studs  74 , which is a common procedure in those circumstances in which a firewall is being constructed or in which additional soundproofing is required. In this situation, the electrical box  20  is again placed against the studs with the second sidewall  26  flush against the stud  74 . As the electrical box  20  is farther forward with respect to the stud  74 , the installer would place the mounting fastener  40  in an alternative selectable fastening point. In  FIG. 10  the mounting fastener  40  is installed in the rearmost selectable fastening point which aligns the mounting fastener  40  approximately with the midpoint of the stud  74 . In this position the electrical box  20  would again hold the electrical box  20  secure to the stud  74 . If preferred, in those situations when a smaller outer profile is desired for the box member  22 , such that when space is tight, the anchoring tabs  68  can be broken off by use of pliers or similar tools to reduce the size of the box member  22 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 11  there is shown a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the electrical box  20  of the present invention in alignment with a hole  76  in a masonry wall  78 . For use in a masonry wall  78 , mounting fasteners are not used. The hole  76  in the masonry is typically made large enough to accept the electrical box and the anchoring tabs  68  that extend from the first sidewalls  24 . The electrical box  20  is placed in the hole  76  and is mounted in place. The mortar (not shown) is packed around the outer sidewalls  24  and  26  and surrounds the anchoring tabs  68 . After the mortar has dried, the electrical box  20  is anchored firmly in place in the masonry wall  78 . An electrical component, such as the duplex receptacle  80  shown in  FIG. 11 , can then be secured to the electrical box  20  by component fasteners  82  driven into first bosses  44 . A complementary faceplate  84  can then be secured to the duplex receptacle  80  to finish the installation. Alternatively, other electrical components such as switches or photocells could be installed in the electrical box. Additionally, electrical fixtures such as lightning fixtures (not shown) could be secured to the electrical box  20  by utilizing the second bosses  46  situated near the corners  52  of the electrical box  20 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 12  there is shown a second embodiment an electrical box  90  with multiple selectable fastening points  92  according to the present invention. In this embodiment of the electrical box  90 , the flanges of the first embodiment have been eliminated and the fastening points  92  are apertures  94  that are cored through the first sidewalls  24  of the electrical box. In this embodiment of the electrical box  90 , the first sidewalls  24  are thick enough to accommodate apertures  94  cored all the way through the box. 
   Preferably, the box member  22  portion of the electrical box, see  FIG. 8 , is constructed of plastic or metal. If constructed of plastic, the box member  22  is preferably molded in one-piece of plastic. Suitable molding plastics include polycarbonate and polyvinyl chloride. The mounting fasteners  40 , see  FIG. 9 , are preferably either nails or screws. More preferably the mounting fasteners  40  are screws constructed of hardened steel. Most preferably, the component bores  48  are smooth bores of a diameter to accept #6 screws from an electrical component and the fixture bores  50  are smooth bores of a diameter to accept #8 screws from an electrical fixture. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the recessed area  60  of electrical box  20  enables the use of electrical fittings or connectors such as the BLACK BUTTON™ push in-connector  86  for connecting non-metallic cable to the electrical box  20 . The BLACK BUTTON™ push-in connector, available from Arlington Industries of Scranton, Pa., is simply pushed into one of the holes provided by removing one of the knockouts  62  provided in the recessed area  60 . The recessed area  60  prevents the push-in connectors  86  from projecting outward from the sidewalls  24  and  26  of the electrical box  20  and interfering with placement of the electrical box in locations where space is tightly restricted. The “BLACK BUTTON™” connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,910, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
   Having thus described the invention with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited by the description herein but is defined as follows by the appended claims.