Abstract:
Reconfigurable electrical and electronic communication receptacle boxes are in an assembly that has a face or plurality of faces having electrical and electronic communication receptacles. The faces are recessed from flanges which are mounted on a wall into which the assembly is inserted. The boxes in the assembly are secured to the wall by rotatable clips having a bent or kick to position correctly the clip when rotated. The assembly can be augmented after initial installation with minimal intrusion and destruction of the wall.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY UNDER 35 U.S.C., §120 
     This application is a continuation-in-part application of presently co-pending application Ser. No. 13/423,267 filed Oct. 23, 2012 by Applicant herein Manuel Jose Garcia for HDMI, VGA, COMPONENT, &amp; COAX RECESSED RECEPTACLES. Applicant herein claims all priority rights under Title 35 U.S.C., §120 et seq., for all matter disclosed in said co-pending application 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the art of electrical and electronic signal conduit receptacles and more particularly to the art of securing and fastening such receptacles against walls and like surfaces. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     In the past, it has been known to provide receptacles for electrical wiring and electronic conduits against walls and like structures. Typically, such receptacles are a terminus of electrical power and are designed to receive electrical wires emanating from electrical appliances to connect the electrical appliance to the electrical power. More recently, such receptacles are the terminus of electronic signals providing complete communication formats such as, for examples, telephony and digital video. The receiving devices, such as video display screens, frequently become part of the furniture of the house or like structure in which the receptacle is located. It is often desired to have such video display screens arranged within the house or structure so as to eliminate or at least hide the connecting wiring, cables or other electronic communication conduits, and to this end receptacles are constructed recessed within walls of the house or like structure, so that the connecting plugs for the electronic communication conduit can be wholly removed from the interior space of the house. Achieving this objective, a display screen can be mounted almost flush against a wall of the house or like structure. 
     Constructing a recess for such receptacles normally requires re-construction of the wall structure to provide a space for the electrical receptacle boxes. When trying to install a display screen onto an existing wall, constructing an electrical receptacle box within the wall requires substantial destruction of the wall in order to first position the box at the desired location, and then re-constructing the interior of the walls to position electrical conduit shields for shielding the wiring leading to the newly installed box. Such re-construction can become substantial, requiring not only material but also substantial labor time. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical and electronic communication receptacle that can be inserted recessed within a wall of house or like that does not require the usual destruction of the wall and re-construction normally required for installing electrical receptacle boxes. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical or electronic communication conduit receptacle that can be securely inserted into a wall to receive plugs for such electrical and electronic communication conduits while leaving the space out the receptacle completely free so as to allow mounting a display screen flush against the wall immediately adjacent the receptacle. It is yet another and further object of the present invention to provide an electrical and electronic communication receptacle structure that can be modified and augmented to provide additional receptacles without the necessity of installing additional electrical receptacle boxes and the usual attendant destruction of the walls associated with such installations. 
     SUMMARY 
     In brief, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an electrical and electronic communication receptacle box is provided having a face or receptacle surface recessed or set back from flanges that can be mounted against a wall. The receptacle surface is connected to the flanges by sides, and has on the surfaces the particular receptacles for receiving the particular plugs for the electronic communication devices. The flanges have clips behind the flanges which can be rotated from the front of the flanges for securing the receptacle box against the wall when the box is inserted into a hole formed in the wall. In another aspect of the invention, a plurality of such receptacle boxes is provided, each receptacle box having a different side and flange arrangement so that the plurality of boxes can be assembled together to provide a selectively extendable assembly of receptacle boxes to result in a larger receptacle box structure for a selected multitude of receptacles. The assembly can be changed and augmented if additional receptacles are required when new electronic communication equipment is acquired later. 
     These and other novel aspects of the present invention, together with other aspects thereof, can be better understood by the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which are designed to be read in conjunction and together with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a recessed receptacle of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the embodiment along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a detail of the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 1  showing the clip in position prior to installment in a wall; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing multiple receptacle boxes ganged to provide increased capacity; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one receptacle box showing details of an end box for an assembly; 
         FIG. 6  is side elevation view of the receptacle box of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second receptacle box showing detail of an end box complemental to the end box of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevation view of the receptacle box of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a third receptacle box showing detail of an intermediary box of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a side elevation view of the receptacle box of  FIG. 9 ; and, 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an assembly of indeterminate receptacle boxes of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An electrical and electronic communication receptacle box  10  adjacent a wall  12  is shown, reference being had initially to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the accompanying drawings wherein reference numerals refer to like numerals used in this specification. The receptacle box  10  has a flange  14  with fasteners  15  provided for firmly holding or fastening the receptacle box  10  to the wall  12 , as will be described in greater detail below. The receptacle box  10  has a receptacle surface  16  recessed from the flange  14  and connected to it by sides  17 . The receptacle surface  16  has a coaxial cable receptacle  18  and an electrical information conduit receptacle  19 , namely a video graphic array (“VGA”) receptacle  19 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , an important detail of the means by which the receptacle box  10  is connected or fastened to the wall  12  is shown.  FIG. 2  is a side elevation view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 , wherein the receptacle surface  16  is recessed from the flange  14  and connected to the flange  14  by sides  17 . The receptacles  18 ,  19  are then in a position substantially recessed from the plane of the wall  12  so that plugs from connecting conduits will not protrude beyond the wall  12 . The fasteners  15 , shown partially in broken line, hold the clip  20  to the flange  14 . The receptacle  10  is shown positioned within the wall  12 . The clips  20  are rotatable about the fasteners  15 , and are shown in position so that one end  22  engages the sides  17  while the other end  24  engages the back side of the wall  12  to press the flange  14  and the ends  24  against the wall  12 , thus firmly securing the flange  14  to the wall  12 . 
     Slightly off from the axis of rotation of the clip  20  where the fastener  15  is attached to the clip  20 , the clip  20  has a bend, sometimes called a kick, of thirty (30) degrees from the general alignment of the clip  20 , so that the end  22  of the clip  20  is offset from the general alignment of the clip  20 . In this manner, when the clip  20  is rotated about the axis of the fastener  15  ninety degrees, the end  22  will engage the side  17  to prevent further rotation of the clip  20 , so that the end  24  of the clip  20  results after rotation in substantially perpendicular alignment relative to the clip&#39;s proximal side  17 . This perpendicular alignment maximizes the engagement of the end  24  against the wall  12 . 
     In  FIG. 3 , the clip  20  is shown in position prior to the insertion of the receptacle  10  within the wall  12  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) and prior to the rotation shown in  FIG. 2 . The rotatable clip  20  is secured to the flange  14  by fastener  15 , shown in broken lines because of the angle of the view of  FIG. 3 . Initially, the clip  20  is parallel to the side  17  nearest or proximal to the clip  20 . 
     In operation, the receptacle  10  is inserted into an opening within the wall  12 , with the clip  20  initially in the parallel position shown in  FIG. 3 . Once the receptacle is inserted within the wall  12 , each clip  20  is rotated by turning the fastener  15  ninety degrees, as shown in  FIG. 2 , so that the flange  14  and the end  24  of each clip  20  presses against the wall  12  to secure the receptacle  10  to the wall  12 . Each clip  20  is firmly stabilized in its position shown in  FIG. 2  by the stop provided by the end  22  having a kick against the side  17  of the receptacle  10 . 
     In  FIG. 4 , a wall receptacle assembly  28  is shown depicting certain aspects of the present invention. Receptacle box  30  is shown ganged with receptacle box  32  and receptacle box  33  to create an expanded area for the recessed surfaces  34 ,  66 ,  98 . The recessed surfaces  34 ,  66 ,  98  are positioned recessed from their corresponding flanges  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  78 ,  80 ,  82 ,  108 ,  110  by sides  38 ,  40 ,  70 ,  72 ,  102  and other sides not seen in the view of  FIG. 4 . In  FIG. 4  are also shown the heads of the fasteners  48 ,  50 ,  74 ,  76 ,  104 ,  106  which hold and fasten the clips  20 , not shown in this view. Various receptacles  56 ,  54 ,  86 ,  88 ,  114 ,  116  may be seen in this view, as well. All of these features will be described in greater detail below, and are shown in this  FIG. 4  merely to show the relative positions of the receptacle boxes  30 ,  32 ,  33  in the assembly  28 . 
     In  FIG. 5 , the receptacle box  30  is seen having a surface  34 . The surface  34  is formed connected by a first side  36  to a first flange  42 , by a second side  38  to a second flange  44 , and by a third side  40  to a third flange  46 . The box  30  has a contiguous edge  58  to the surface  34 , sides  36 ,  38 , and flanges  42 ,  44 . Fasteners  48 ,  50  secure the receptacle box  30  to a wall  12 , in much the same manner as described for the embodiment of  FIGS. 1, 2 . Recessed surface  34  is substantially parallel with the flanges  42 ,  44 ,  46 , and contains an electrical information conduit receptacle  52  for a high definition multimedia interface (“HDMI”), an electrical information conduit receptacle  54  for a video graphic array (“VGA”), and a signal cable conduit receptacle  56  for a cable. 
     A side elevation of the receptacle box  30  is seen in  FIG. 6 , where the side  40  and the flanges  42 ,  44 ,  46  are seen in elevation. In this view, the connecting means for connecting the receptacle box  28  to the wall  12  is seen in greater detail. A clip  20  is held to flange  42  by fastener  48 , and another clip  20  is held to flange  44  by fastener  50 . The clips  20  have been rotated ninety degrees so that the ends  22  with their kick engage respective sides  36 ,  38 . The ends  24  of the clips  20  engage the wall  12  so as to hold firmly the flanges  42 ,  44  to the wall  12 . Receptacles  52 ,  54 ,  56  protrude to the rear of the box  30 . 
     A complemental second receptacle box  32  is seen in the views of  FIGS. 7 and 8 , where  FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the box  32 , and  FIG. 8  shows the box  32  in side elevation to present the wall connecting means in better detail. The second receptacle box  32  has a second recessed surface  66  with a fourth side  68  connecting the surface  66  to a fourth flange  78 , a fifth side  70  connecting the surface  66  to fifth flange  80 , and a sixth side  72  connecting the surface  66  to sixth flange  82 . Rotatable fastener  74  holds a clip  20 , and rotatable fastener  76  holds another clip  20  to the box  32 . The surface  66  contains an HDMI receptacle  84 , a VGA receptacle  86  and a cable receptacle  88 . The receptacle box  32  has a box open edge  90  defined by the surface  66 , sides  68 ,  70  and flanges  78 ,  80 . In these views of  FIGS. 7, 8 , the clips  20  are rotated ninety degrees to cause their ends  22  to engage with their kicks the sides  68 ,  70  and the ends  24  to engage the wall  12  to firmly secure the receptacle  32  to the wall  12 . 
     A third receptacle box  33  is seen in the views of  FIGS. 9 and 10 , where  FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the box  33 , and  FIG. 10  shows the box  33  in side elevation to present the wall connecting means in better detail. The third receptacle box  33  has a third recessed surface  98  with a seventh side  100  connecting the surface  98  to a seventh flange  108 , and an eighth side  102  connecting the surface  98  to eighth flange  110 . Rotatable fastener  104  holds a clip  20 , and rotatable fastener  106  holds another clip  20  to the box  33 . The surface  98  contains an HDMI receptacle  112 , a VGA receptacle  114  and a cable receptacle  116 . The receptacle box  33  has two box open edges  118 ,  120 . In particular, a third receptacle box left edge  118  is seen on the left of the contiguous surface  98 , sides  100 ,  102  and flanges  108 . In like manner, a third receptacle box right edge  120  is seen on the right of the contiguous surface  98 , sides  100 ,  102  and flanges  108 ,  110 . Again, in these views of  FIGS. 9, 10 , the clips  20  are rotated ninety degrees to cause their ends  22  with their kicks to engage their corresponding sides  100 ,  102 , and their ends  24  to engage the wall  12  to firmly secure the receptacle  33  to the wall  12 . 
     In operation, a hole is made in a wall  12  adequate to accept the number of receptacle boxes that may be desired. For an example, one option may be to establish six receptacles. For such an installation, only two of the receptacle boxes  30 ,  32  may be needed. To accomplish such an installation, one may take receptacle box  30  and the receptacle box  32  and hold them together, the first receptacle box open edge  58  being placed in alignment with, and abutting the second receptacle open edge  90 , and the combination inserted into the wall  12 . While the boxes  30 ,  32  are being inserted into the wall, the clips  20  are in the position seen in  FIG. 3 , substantially parallel to their corresponding proximal sides  36 ,  38 ,  68 ,  70 . After the boxes  30 ,  32  are inserted into the wall  12 , the clips  20  are rotated ninety degrees, so their ends  22  engage their corresponding proximal sides  36 ,  38 ,  68 ,  70 ; and the ends  24  of the clips  20  engage the wall  12  to firmly secure the receptacle boxes  30 ,  32  to the wall  12 . 
     In another variation of substantially the same embodiment, additional receptacles can be made available for additional multi-media connections. Thus, as best seen in  FIG. 4 , a third receptacle box  33  is added to the assembly  28 . The first receptacle box  30  and the second receptacle box  32  are inserted into the wall  12 , but a space is left between the two. The hole in the wall  12  must, of course, be made large enough to accept three of the receptacle boxes. The third receptacle box  33  will be of the form seen in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , so that the third receptacle box left edge  118  is joined and aligned with the first receptacle box edge  58 , and the third receptacle box right edge  120  is joined and aligned with the second receptacle box edge  90 . Fasteners  104 ,  106  will hold their respective clips  20  in parallel with their corresponding sides  100 ,  102  while the third receptacle box  33  is inserted into the wall  12 . After the receptacle boxes  30 ,  32 ,  33  are inserted into the wall  12 , the fasteners  104 ,  106  are rotated ninety degrees, as are the fasteners  48 ,  50  and  74 ,  76 , all to have the clip ends  22  with their kicks to engage their corresponding proximal sides  100 ,  102  for the third box  33 , proximal sides  36 ,  38  for the first box  30 , and proximal sides  68 ,  70  for the second box  32 . At the same time, the clip ends  24  will engage the wall  12  to hold their corresponding flanges  42   46 ,  78 ,  82 ,  18 ,  110  firmly against the wall  12  and thus secure the receptacle boxes  30 ,  32 ,  33  in ganged array within the wall  12 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     It will now be appreciated also by those skilled in the art that any number of additional receptacle boxes of a structure like the third receptacle box  33  can be ganged to the provided any number of receptacles as may be desired for any given installation, as representatively shown in phantom in  FIG. 11 . Furthermore, after an initial installation of two or three receptacle boxes such as receptacle boxes  30 ,  32  and  33  in assembly  28 , the configuration can be modified or re-configured to accept additional boxes. In such event, the connecting fasteners  48 ,  50 ,  74 ,  76 ,  104 ,  106  can be rotated in reverse to release their corresponding boxes  30 ,  32 ,  33  from their secured position to the wall  12 . The hole in the wall  12  can then be augmented so that additional intermediary receptacle boxes like receptacle box  33  can added to the gang. Any number of such additional boxes can be added to the gang as representatively illustrated in  FIG. 11 . 
     By these foregoing arrangements, it may be seen that the receptacle boxes  30 ,  32  and as many intermediary boxes similar to receptacle box  33  as desired, can be inserted into a wall  12  and secured to the wall firmly and securely without the necessity of installing an electrical box of the more traditional kind. Eliminating this requirement greatly streamlines the installation process. Importantly, the present invention provides a more simple process for creating electrical and electronic communication receptacles in adequate quantity at a new and desired location on existing walls within a house. Wall display screens now commonly acquired for home entertainment and multi-media systems can now be located and positioned anywhere where the wall space allows and interior decoration suggests, and electronic communication receptacles can be located within the wall adjacent the rear of such screens and hidden from normal view by the screen itself, without the necessity of constructing conventional electrical boxes. Moreover, in the event that conventional electrical boxes are available or desired for any reason, the clips  20  can be selectively removed merely by removing fasteners  15 ,  48 ,  50 ,  74 ,  76 ,  104 ,  106 . The receptacle boxes  30 ,  32  or even receptacle box  33  can then be inserted into the electrical box. 
     The foregoing detailed description of my invention and of preferred embodiments as to products, compositions and processes, is illustrative of specific embodiments only. It is understood, however, that additional embodiments may be perceived by those skilled in the art. The embodiments described herein, together with those additional embodiments, are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.