Abstract:
A field installable support bracket assembly for an electrical box, wherein the electrical box is to be secured to a side surface of a first structural stud. The field installable support bracket assembly includes a stud bracket and an adjustable back bracket. The stud bracket includes a stud bracket member configured to be secured to a front surface of a second structural stud, and a stud bracket guiding rib. The adjustable back bracket includes a mounting panel configured to be secured to a back of the electrical box, and a back bracket guiding rib. The back bracket guiding rib and the stud bracket are configured to join the stud bracket to the adjustable back bracket. The field installable support bracket assembly is configured to provide support for the electrical box.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119, based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/724,307 filed Nov. 9, 2012, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
       [0002]    Electrical boxes are often required to be installed within a wall surface such that the front face of the electrical box is generally flush with the finished wall surface. For example, electrical codes may limit the distance that the front face of an electrical box can be recessed from the finished surface of a wall to no more than one-quarter of an inch. To meet these requirements, electrical boxes may be required to be installed in different configurations depending on the thickness of a metal stud, thickness of a wall surface, and distance from the metal stud (or other mounting surface). 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  provides a front perspective view of a field installable support bracket assembly installed between an electrical box and a structural stud according to an implementation described herein; 
           [0004]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  provide a front and rear perspective view, respectively, of the bracket of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0005]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  provide a front and rear perspective view, respectively, of the bracket of  FIG. 1  with components of an adjustable back bracket; 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  provides a perspective view of paired field installable support bracket assemblies that support electrical boxes between structural studs; 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  provides a top view of the bracket of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 6  provides a back perspective view of the bracket of  FIG. 1 , with a back support bent for a smaller dimension stud; 
           [0009]      FIG. 7A  provides a back perspective view of an alternative field installable support bracket assembly that includes back supports configurable for steel stud or wood stud applications; 
           [0010]      FIG. 7B  provides a back perspective view of the alternative field installable support bracket assembly of  FIG. 7A  that includes a longer back support bent for wood studs; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 7C  provides a back perspective view of the alternative field installable support bracket assembly of  FIG. 7A  that includes all back supports bent for smaller studs. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. 
         [0013]    According to an implementation described herein, a field installable support bracket assembly provides support for an electrical box that is installed on a first structural stud. The position of the electrical box may be adjusted based on a positioning system of the electrical box without measuring a thickness of an associated drywall. The field installable support bracket assembly may be installed between the electrical box and a second structural stud after the box is installed on the first structural stud. The field installable support bracket assembly may include an adjustable back bracket and a stud bracket. The adjustable back bracket is attachable to the electrical box. The stud bracket is attachable to a front surface of the second structural stud. The adjustable back bracket may be adjusted, by changing its position, to adapt the field installable support bracket assembly based on the depth of the electrical box and the thickness of the associated drywall. 
         [0014]    Consistent with implementations described herein, a back support for the adjustable back bracket may be bent in order to use the Field Installable Bracket with thinner studs. Alternative implementations may include multiple back supports that may be of varying lengths and may be bent based on the different studs, such as 2×3 studs instead of 2×4 studs. 
         [0015]    In descriptions herein, the terms “front” or “forward” may generally refer to a direction from a room&#39;s exterior toward a room&#39;s interior, and the terms “back,” “rear,” or “rearward” may generally refer to a direction from a room&#39;s interior toward a room&#39;s exterior. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  provides a perspective view of a field installable support bracket assembly  100  supporting an electrical box  10  according to an implementation described herein. Field installable support bracket assembly  100  may include a stud bracket  110  and an adjustable back bracket  120 .  FIGS. 2A and 2B  provide a front and rear perspective view, respectively, of field installable support bracket assembly  100  supporting electrical box  10 . Referring collectively to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A and  2 B, electrical box  10  may be screwed directly on a first structural stud  20 - a  and field installable support bracket assembly  100  may be installed between electrical box  10  and a second structural stud  20 - b  via mounting screws  126 . Structural studs  20 - a  and  20   b  may be wooden structural studs and/or metal structural studs. 
         [0017]    Electrical box  10  may be attached to first structural stud  20 - a . The position of electrical box  10  may be adjusted based on a positioning system of electrical box  10  without regard to drywall thickness (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). For example, electrical box  10  may include positioning tabs  12  that may enable correct positioning of electrical box  10  in wall frames. Electrical box  10  may be a single gang or multi-gang box and have particular dimensions (e.g., 2⅜ by 4½ inches) based on the particular box. 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIG. 2B , adjustable back bracket  120  may be attached to electrical box  10  after electrical box  10  is installed on first structural stud  20 - a . Adjustable back bracket  120  may include mounting holes  122  provided for attaching adjustable back bracket  120  to welded and/or gangable device boxes, such as electrical box  10 . A gangable box is a modular box that can be expanded into a casing for multiple devices. Electrical box  10  may include mounting holes (not shown). Mounting holes  122  may be aligned with corresponding holes on electrical box  10 . Adjustable back bracket  120  may be attached to the back of electrical box  10 , as shown in  FIG. 2B , by mounting screws  124  (shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ) through mounting holes  122  (shown in  FIG. 2B ). The position of adjustable back bracket  120  may be adjusted to adapt field installable support bracket assembly  100  based on the depth of electrical box  10  and the thickness of the associated drywall. 
         [0019]    Stud bracket  110  may be fastened on a front surface of second structural stud  20 - b  by mounting screws  126 . Field installable support bracket assembly  100 , when installed to support electrical box  10 , may have an attachment to electrical box  10  at one end (i.e., adjustable back bracket  120 ), and with the other end (i.e., stud bracket  110 ) on the front surface of the second structural stud  20 - b , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2A . Stud bracket  110  may be attached to adjustable back bracket  120 , such as described with respect to  FIGS. 3A and 3B  below. In one implementation, stud bracket  110  may be substantially perpendicular to adjustable back bracket  120 . 
         [0020]    Field installable support bracket assembly  100  may provide a rigid support for electrical box  10 . Adjustable back bracket  120  may allow field installable support bracket assembly  100  to adapt based on the depth of electrical box  10  and the drywall thickness, as described in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3A and 3B  provide front and rear perspective views, respectively, of field installable support bracket assembly  100  with components of stud bracket  110  and adjustable back bracket  120 . As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , field installable support bracket assembly  100  may include stud bracket  110 , adjustable back bracket  120 , a back bracket guiding rib  130 , a slot  132 , a stud bracket guiding rib  140 , a mounting screw  128 , and measuring markings  160 . 
         [0022]    The combination of guiding ribs  130  and  140 , slot  132  and single mounting screw  128 , shown in  FIG. 3A and 3B  may be implemented to provide bracket adjustment for installation of field installable support bracket assembly  100 . For example, adjustable back bracket  120  (i.e., back bracket guiding rib  130 ) may be slid along stud bracket guiding rib  140  to adjust placement of field installable support bracket assembly  100  to a determined position in a wall frame. Mounting screw  128  may be inserted through slot  126  and tightened when adjustable back bracket  120  is at a desired positioned with regard to stud bracket  110  based on the measuring markings  160 . Measuring markings  160  allow uniform installation of multiple field installable support bracket assemblies  100  (i.e., at a same depth for each electrical box  10 ). In this manner, back bracket  120  may be adjusted to accommodate boxes having different depths while ensuring that a front face of electrical box  10  is flush with or nearly flush with the finished wall surface. 
         [0023]    Although field installable support bracket assembly  100  is described with respect to electrical box  10 , other alternate constructions of field installable support bracket assembly  100  may be made by adding mounting holes on the adjustable back bracket  120  shown in  FIG. 2B ,  3 A and  3 B, or by replacing adjustable back bracket  120  with a larger back bracket, with different (appropriately positioned) mounting holes, in order to accommodate other boxes, e.g., octagonal or square boxes. Field installable support bracket assembly  100  may be installed to provide support for different gangable boxes, such as a 2-gang box, a 3-gang box, a 4-gang box, etc. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  provides a perspective view of pairs of field installable support bracket assemblies  100  (field installable support bracket assemblies  100 - a  and  100 - b  and field installable support bracket assemblies  100 - c  and  100 - d ) that are installed to support, respectively, a single gang electrical box  10 - a  and a multi-gang electrical box  10 - b  between structural studs  20 - a  and  20   b.    
         [0025]    By using two field installable support bracket assemblies  100 , electrical box  10  may be supported between studs  20 - a  and  20   b  as shown in  FIG. 4 . One end of each of the field installable support bracket assemblies  100  may be attached to a side of electrical box  10  using its respective adjustable back bracket  120 , as described above with respect to  FIGS. 3A and 3B . The stud brackets  110  of the two field installable support bracket assemblies  100  may be fastened to the front surfaces of supporting studs  20 - a  and  20 - b , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In this manner, an electrical box may be placed between studs and be provided with structural support. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , electrical boxes  10  may be positioned with respect to structural studs  20 - a  and  20   b  based on positioning of mounting screws  124  for each stud bracket  110 . For example, electrical boxes  10 - a  and  10 - b  may be positioned in a center position relative to structural studs  20 - a  and  20   b.  Alternatively, electrical boxes  10 - a  and  10 - b  may be positioned in an off-center position (not shown) relative to structural studs  20 - a  and  20   b.    
         [0027]      FIG. 5  provides a top view of field installable support bracket assembly  100  after drywall (not shown) installation on both stud ( 20 - a  and  20 - b ) faces. Field installable support bracket assembly  100  may include a back support  150 . 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , field installable support bracket assembly  100  may be installed with stud bracket  110  positioned with its front face  112  located adjacent or abutting the front drywall and back support  150  of adjustable back bracket  120  on the back drywall, increasing the whole assembly&#39;s rigidity. That is, adjustable back bracket  120  may be aligned such that the front of electrical box  10  is flush with the front of the drywall and back support  150  is flush with another piece of drywall on the back side. Back support  150  may be configured to be positioned in contact with an inner surface of a back drywall sheet. Adjustable back bracket  120  may also include a guide indentation  152  that may receive a lower edge of electrical box  10 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  provides a back perspective view of field installable support bracket assembly  100  with back support  150  bent for a shorter structural stud  20 . For example, as shown in above  FIGS. 1-5 , field installable support bracket assembly  100  was shown for use with longer structural studs having a greater depth, for instance 2″ (w)×4″ (d) studs. For use with shorter structural studs  20  that are not as deep, such as 2″×3″ studs, the bracket&#39;s back support  150  may be bent at an approximately 90° angle as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0030]      FIGS. 7A-7C  provide back perspective views of an alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  configured for installing electrical box  10  in multiple different stud applications (e.g., for both wood stud and steel stud applications). 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 7A , alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  may include multiple back supports (back support  710  and back supports  720 ) configured for installation with structural studs  20  of different depths. For example, a standard steel stud depth of 3⅝ inches is larger than a standard wood stud depth of 3½ inches. Alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  may include 3 back supports on the adjustable back bracket  120 : two shorter back supports  720  for use with awood stud and one longer back support  710  for use with a steel stud. 
         [0032]    For larger structural studs  20 , such as steel stud applications, alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  may be installed as shown in  FIG. 7A . All back supports ( 710  and  720 ) may be maintained in an upright position (i.e., none of the back supports  710  and  720  are bent) so that the longest back support (back support  710 ) effectively forms the back support for alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  (e.g., for standard steel studs of 3⅝ inches). 
         [0033]    For structural studs  20  having a smaller depth, such as wood stud applications, alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  may be installed as shown in  FIG. 7B . Larger back supports  710  may be bent inwardly so that the point of contact between a back drywall and the back supports occurs at the relatively shorter back supports  720  when alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  is installed. Relatively shorter back supports  720  may be maintained in an upright position to effectively form the back support for alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700 . For example, alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  may be installed for use on standard wood studs (e.g., depth of 3½ inches). 
         [0034]    All back supports ( 710  and  720 ) may be bent for stud applications that require installation of alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  with shorter structural studs as shown in  FIG. 7C . For example, if longer back support  710  is provided for installation of steel studs  20  with a depth (i.e., from back drywall to front drywall when installed) of 3⅝ inches, and relatively shorter back supports  720  are provided for installation of standard wood studs, both types of back supports ( 710  and  720 ) may be bent to provide a point of contact for wood or steel studs with a depth less than 3½ inches, such as a depth of 2½ inches. 
         [0035]    Generally, the distance between electrical box  10  and stud  20  may vary between one-half inch and four inches. Although alternative field installable support bracket assembly  700  is described with respect to particular stud applications, in other implementations, the material type, material thickness, and/or primary bracket dimensions of assemblies  100 / 700  may be altered to achieve a different range of distances between electrical box  10  and stud  20 . The alternate construction shown in  FIGS. 7A-7C  may be implemented for multiple stud applications based on a placement and stability of the different back supports. For example, an additional pair of back supports (not shown) may be provided for studs greater than the 3⅝ depth of steel stud  20 . 
         [0036]    Implementations described herein provide a field installable support bracket assembly that supports an electrical box installed on a first structural stud. The electrical box may be adjusted based on a positioning system of the electrical box without regard to drywall thickness. The field installable support bracket assembly may be installed between the electrical box and a second structural stud after the box is installed on the first structural stud. The field installable support bracket assembly may include an adjustable back bracket and a stud bracket. The adjustable back bracket is attachable to the electrical box. The stud bracket is attachable to a front surface of the second structural stud. The field installable support bracket assembly may provide a rigid support. In one implementation, an alternative field installable support bracket assembly may include multiple back supports that may be bent to allow installation of the alternative field installable support bracket assembly with different structural studs. 
         [0037]    The foregoing description of exemplary implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments described herein to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the embodiments. 
         [0038]    For example, by replacing the back bracket  120  described above with a larger one, with different mounting holes, field installable support bracket assembly may accommodate other gangable boxes, i.e., octagonal or square boxes. 
         [0039]    Although the invention has been described in detail above, it is expressly understood that it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that the invention may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. Various changes of form, design, or arrangement may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the above mentioned description is to be considered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims. 
         [0040]    No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.