Abstract:
Improvements in a bracket is disclosed for mounting an electrical box onto a mounting bar. An electrical box can be preinstalled onto the bracket and clamped onto the mounting bar using wings. Wings on the bracket are biased towards a closed position and can be moved to an open position by squeezing tabs on said wings. A fastener hole on the central body of the bracket allows for installers to preinstall an electrical box onto said bracket. Thus, an installer can secure the bracket and electrical box using a screw and adjust the position of the bracket on the mounting bar.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to improvements in an electrical box mounting bracket. More particularly, the present an electrical box mounting bracket connects between an electrical junction box and a rail and allows the electrical junction box to be installed and positioned or re-positioned along the rail without any tools. 
     Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     A number of patents and or publications have been made to address these issues. Exemplary examples of patents and or publication that try to address this/these problem(s) are identified and discussed below. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,182,805 issued May 11, 1965 to A. A. Foster Jr. et al., discloses a Telephone Office Mounting Plate. The mounting plate clamps to a pair of rails to allow the telephone plate to slide along the rails to mount the telephone box at any location along the rails. While this patent allows the telephone box to be mounted to the railing, the telephone box is not a standard junction box that can be moved along the railing system. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,967,990 and 5,209,444 issued on Nov. 6, 1990 and May 11, 1993, respectively, both issued to Eric R. Rider disclose a Support for an Electrical box. Both of these patents use a bar that mounts between two studs. The bar has a plurality of holes where a junction box is screwed onto the bar using holes on the bar. While this patent allows for a junction box to be mounted onto various positions on the bar, the positions are finite and further the bar is a fixed length. This patent does not allow for different lengths between studs or for infinite positioning along the bar. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,137 issued on Jul. 19, 1994 to John H. Olvia discloses an Apparatus and Methods for Mounting an Electrical Box between Studs in a Wall. This patent uses an open frame where a junction box is mounted with a faceplate through the open frame to an electrical box. The open frame has a fixed dimension between the studs and the connection between the faceplate and the junction box must be made through the frame. Both the faceplate and the junction box must be uniquely fabricated to operate with the frame. 
     What is needed is an adjustable stud support rail with a bracket that is slidable secured to the bracket. The bracket further should allow for a junction box to the mounted to the bracket. The electrical box mounting bracket disclosed in this document provides the solution. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the electrical box mounting bracket to clamp onto a rail or mounting bar and to be able to be adjustably positioned. A mounting bar typically has a channel shaped cross section with a plurality of fastening holes. Flanges on the ends of the mounting bar allow for installation onto wood studs. The electrical box mounting bracket is comprised of at least two wings that are biased towards a closed position. Gripping tabs on the wings clamp onto the open side of a mounting bar. To move the bracket to an open position for mounting onto a mounting bar, an installer can provide a compressive force on tabs of each wing. An installer can thus also adjust the relative position of the bracket with the mounting bar. 
     It is another object of the electrical box mounting bracket to preinstall an electrical box before installing onto a mounting bar. An electrical junction box is typically a metal enclosure where wiring is brought into the box with conduit. Electrical wires are typically connected to an outlet, switch, or device. In order to place the outlet, switch, or device in its desired location behind drywall, a mounting bar is used to secure the electrical box in place. The electrical box mounting bracket features a fastening hole and tail for securing the electrical box onto said bracket. The assembly of the electrical box and bracket can then be mounted onto the mounting bar in the desired position before permanently securing with screws. 
     It is still another object of the electrical box mounting bracket to be economical. A bracket that uses open and closed positions can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 8,702,047. However, due to the orientation of the front and rear jaw, a larger piece of sheet metal is required. The electrical box mounting bracket uses wings that can be moved to an open or closed position oriented in the direction of the mounting bar. As a result, the electrical box mounting bracket is reduced in size while maintaining a secure and dependable installation. This reduces the cost and greatly increases the ease of storage. 
     Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components. 
     Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  shows an electrical box mounting bracket. 
         FIG. 2  shows the electrical box mounting bracket mounted onto an expandable rail. 
         FIG. 3  shows a rear view of the electrical box mounting bracket mounted onto the expandable rail. 
         FIG. 4  shows a front view of the electrical box mounting bracket mounted onto the expandable rail. 
         FIG. 5  shows the electrical box mounting bracket in an open and in a “squeezed” embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  shows a cross-sectional view of a mounted electrical box mounting bracket cut through section  6 - 6  from  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  shows a rear perspective view of the electrical box mounting bracket mounted onto an electrical junction box. 
         FIG. 8  shows a cross-sectional view of a mounted electrical box mounting bracket cut through section  8 - 8  from  FIG. 7   
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an electrical box mounting bracket  19 . The electrical box mounting bracket  19  is a single piece of punched and formed metal that is bendable to secure the electrical box mounting bracket  19  to a rail and can further be squeezed or bent to move or reposition the electrical box mounting bracket  19  on the rail. An electrical junction box is secured to the electrical box mounting bracket  19  by placing the tab  22  through a first hole in a junction box and then securing a screw through hole  21  and then into the electrical junction box. This secures the junction box onto the flat surface  20  of the electrical box mounting bracket  19 . 
     The electrical box mounting bracket  19  has two wings  30  and  33 , with each wing having angled surfaces  31 ,  32  and  34 ,  35  respectively. These angled surface  31 ,  32  and  34 ,  35  grip into a rail to prevent movement of the electrical box mounting bracket  19  along the rail. The wings  30  and  33  are located on flexing arms  52 ,  54  and  53 ,  55 . The flexing arms are located outside of interior openings  50  and  51  respectively. The interior openings  50  and  51  allow for both reduced force to flex the electrical box mounting bracket  19  and also maintains a parallel relationship between the flat surface  20  and the two wings  30  and  33 . 
     On the outer sides of the flexing arms  52 ,  54  and  53 ,  55 , are squeeze tabs  40  and  41 . The squeeze tabs  40  and  41  allow an installer to squeeze the tabs  40  and  41  together. When the tabs  40  and  41  are squeezed together, the wings  30  and  33  and pulled away from the flat surface  20  to therefore release the grip of the angled surfaces  31 ,  32  and  34 ,  35  on a back rail. When the tabs  40  and  41  are released, the flexing arms  52 ,  54  and  53 ,  55  essentially clamp the flat surface onto a rail. This is shown in more detail in the next figure herein. 
       FIG. 2  shows the electrical box mounting bracket  19  mounted onto an expandable rail. The expandable rail is essentially fabricated from two telescoping components  60  and  61 . This allows the expandable rail to be adjusted to fit between wall (or ceiling or floor) studs placed at variable distances. The two telescoping components  60  and  61  have mounting ends  62  and  63  that are set-back with jogs  64  and  65  on the telescoping components, respectively. The jogs  64  and  65  allow for a standard junction box  70  to be mounted to the electrical box mounting bracket  19  and then the two telescoping components  60  and  61  at the dimension that essentially makes the front of the junction box  70  flush with a surface of drywall, sheet rock or similar material. The junction box  70  is shown with a single securing fastener  18 . 
     In this figure, the electrical box mounting bracket  19  is shown with two wings  30  and  33  gripping the electrical box mounting bracket  19  onto the telescoping components  60  and or  61 . The electrical box mounting bracket  19  is loosened or release from the telescoping components  60  and  61  by squeezing the tabs  40  and  41 . Because the two wings of the electrical box mounting bracket  19  are only supported from one side, the electrical box mounting bracket  19  can be completely removed and installed from the telescoping components  60  and  61  when the back rail is installed on studs. This gives an installer the ability to change the junction box as well as the ability to install multiple junction boxes onto the telescoping member  60  and  61 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a rear view of the electrical box mounting bracket  19  mounted onto the expandable rail and  FIG. 4  shows a front view of the electrical box mounting bracket  19  mounted onto the expandable rail. In these figures, the electrical junction box has been removed for clarity. These figures show the electrical box mounting bracket  19  as it wraps the wings  30  and  33  around one side of the telescoping back rail(s)  60  and  61  and uses the surface  20  of the front tab as a securing mechanism. 
     The telescoping back rails  60  and  61  are shown with the side securing plates  62  and  63  respectively. A plurality of holes on the securing plates  62  and  63  allows the telescoping rail to be secured. While the telescoping rail pieces show a number of holes along the length of the telescoping surfaces, they do not serve a purpose to secure the telescoping members or the electrical box mounting bracket  19 . The junction box mounting hole  21  and the mounting tab  22  are shown in these figures. 
       FIG. 5  shows the electrical box mounting bracket  19  in an open and in a “squeezed” embodiment. This figure shows how the geometry of the electrical box mounting bracket  19  distorts from a relaxed, normal or nominal condition to a condition that allows the electrical box mounting bracket  19  to be installed onto the rail. At the bottom of this figure, the mounting tab  22  is visible on the flat mounting surface  20  where an electrical junction box would be mounted. The outer tabs  40  and  41  are squeezed, or brought closer together  42 ,  43  where they flex through bending axis  44  and  45 . As the tabs  40  and  41  are articulated, the movement of the wings  30  and  33  are also shown to move to positions  36  and  37  respectively. When the outer tabs  40  and  41  are released, the electrical box mounting bracket  19  will return to the normal position, or the position where the rail is secured between the face  20  and the wings  30  and  33  as shown in the following figure. 
       FIG. 6  shows a cross-sectional view of a mounted electrical box mounting bracket  19  cut through section  6 - 6  from  FIG. 3 . This figure also shows the jog  65  of one of the adjustable rails  61 . The electrical junction box has been removed from this figure for clarity. A mounting hole in the side of the rail can be used to provide further support to the telescoping rail(s). The telescoping portions of the telescoping rails  60  and  61  can be seen in this sectional view. 
     The rear of the telescoping rail  60  has a recessed rear slot. The front flat surface  20  of the electrical box mounting bracket  19  is shown being held against the telescoping rail  60 . This is being held in place with wing  30  by angled sides  31  and  32 . This essentially creates a three point clamp to prevent movement of the electrical box mounting bracket  19  along the rail  60 . Two of the flexing arm  52  and  54  are shown. These arm provide the clamping force that retains the electrical box mounting bracket  19  on the telescoping rail  60 . Squeezing tab  40  will alter the position of the wing  30 . 
     The tab  22  is fitted into a mounting hole in an electrical junction box to provide one securing location for the junction box (not shown) while a second securing location is a screw (not shown in this figure). 
       FIG. 7  shows a rear perspective view of the electrical box mounting bracket  19  mounted onto an electrical junction box and  FIG. 8  shows a cross-sectional view of a mounted electrical box mounting bracket  19  cut through section  8 - 8  from  FIG. 7 . In these figures, the telescoping expandable rail has been removed for clarity. From  FIG. 8 , the junction box  70  is shown with the tab  22  in one hole and fastener  18  in a second hole in the junction box  70 . The junction box  70  is essentially flush with the flat portion of tab  20 . While two securing holes are being used, more than two locations are contemplated. While the double junction box is shown, a single, triple or greater junction box is contemplated. 
     In  FIG. 8 , the squeeze tab  41  is shown in the back of the electrical box mounting bracket  19  with the bends  53 ,  55  that connect to the wing  33 . Angled pinch surfaces  34  and  35  are shown in  FIG. 8 . These surfaces provide the clamping force to retain the electrical box mounting bracket  19  on the back rail (not shown in this figure). 
     Thus, specific embodiments of an electrical box mounting bracket have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. 
     SEQUENCE LISTING 
     Not Applicable.