Abstract:
A prepackaged mounting assembly for securing a device, such as a ceiling fan, light fixture, or similar device to an overhead beam. The mounting assembly includes an L-shaped mounting box that includes a large side wiring cavity and an integral flange portion. A cover cooperates with the integral flange portion to provide a closure for the wiring cavity and a bottom flange for mounting a device-specific bracket thereon. The bracket includes slots therein and the integral flange portion includes downward extending alignment posts to enable easy centering of the manufacturer&#39;s bracket under the integral flange. The mounting assembly includes all hardware required to complete installation of the device including the cover, an initial fastener, and load bearing fasteners, which are all temporarily secured to the L-shaped box.

Description:
This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/790,973 entitled Prepackaged Mounting Assembly, filed Mar. 2, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,573 which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/723,122 entitled Fan Rated Junction Box Assembly, filed Nov. 26, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,777,615, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/464,334 entitled Prepackaged Mounting Assembly and Bracket Combination, filed Jun. 18, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,734,356, which is a Continuation-In-Part of Ser. No. 10/361,292 entitled “Prepackaged Mounting Assembly with Holstered Screws”, filed Feb. 10, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,998, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/287,088 entitled “Prepackaged Mounting Assembly”, filed Nov. 4, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,201, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/012,584 entitled “Prepackaged Mounting Assembly”, filed Nov. 7, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,509,524, and is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/017,571 entitled “Electrical Fixture Mounting Box and Mounting Assembly”, filed Oct. 22, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,523, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/784,981 entitled “Electrical Fixture Mounting Box and Mounting Assembly”, filed Feb. 16, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,883, and is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/373,431 entitled “Electrical Fixture Mounting Box”, filed Aug. 13, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,362, of which all of the above are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to mounting assemblies for electrical devices, and more particularly to an L-shaped mounting assembly for securing a device, such as a ceiling fan, light fixture, or similar device to an overhead beam. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention expands upon the concept of the prepackaged mounting assembly that is disclosed in and shares inventorship with U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,509,524, 6,632,998, 6,646,201, and 6,677,523. The prepackaged mounting assemblies disclosed in these patents provide all the hardware needed for attaching a mounting assembly to an overhead beam, including all required fasteners to complete the installation, without the need for an outer wrap or separate packaging to hold the separate components. 
   In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,201 provided an L-shaped mounting assembly that provided a large integral internal wiring cavity and also disclosed the use of an initial fastener for use in initially securing the mounting assembly to an overhead beam. By securing with the initial fastener, the installer&#39;s hands are advantageously freed to complete the remaining installation steps. Load bearing fasteners, which were held in temporary storage receptacles for shipment and storage, were then removed and driven into permanent receptacles and into the supporting beam to securely attach the L-shaped assembly thereto. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,201 included an alternate embodiment of the L-shaped mounting assembly, which was to be preferred when there was no provision in the mounting assembly for apertures for receipt of the load bearing fasteners or when the manufacturer&#39;s bracket included apertures extending beyond the side walls of the mounting assembly. This mounting assembly is installed initially with an initial mounting screw. The load bearing fasteners are then removed from their temporary storage receptacles and installed through the manufacturer&#39;s bracket and directly into the overhead beam to secure the assembly thereto. The load bearing fasteners are thereby installed outboard of the side walls of the lower junction box of the L-shaped mounting assembly and extend directly into the overhead beam. By moving the installation point of the load bearing fasteners outboard the side walls of the lower junction box, the alternate embodiment of the L-shaped mounting assembly could be used with virtually any oversized bracket provided separately by manufacturer&#39;s, including those for light fixtures, ceiling fans, or similar overhead electrical devices. 
   Although the alternate embodiment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,201 enabled the L-shaped mounting assembly to accommodate an oversize manufacturer&#39;s bracket, it was difficult to align the bracket with the mounting assembly and the beam to which it was attached. 
   Accordingly, what is needed is an L-shaped mounting assembly that provides an arrangement for aligning a manufacturer&#39;s bracket for proper installation of load bearing fasteners into the supporting beam. The mounting assembly should also provide a large cavity for wiring connections. The mounting assembly should furthermore have the advantage of providing a mounting structure that is capable of being stored, shipped, and sold as a prepackaged unit with all covers and fasteners required for installation self-contained within the unit. The mounting assembly should further have the advantage of holding the cover and fasteners securely enough to permit storage, shipping, display and handling without the need for an outer wrap or separate packaging to retain the cover and fasteners with the assembly. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the present invention, there is provided a mounting assembly for securing a device, such as a ceiling fan, light fixture, or similar device to an overhead beam. The mounting assembly includes an L-shaped mounting box that includes a large side wiring cavity and an integral flange portion. A cover cooperates with the integral flange portion to provide a closure for the wiring cavity and a bottom flange for mounting a manufacturer&#39;s bracket thereon. The integral flange portion includes downward extending alignment posts to enable easy centering of the manufacturer&#39;s bracket. The bracket typically includes slots therein and the mounting assembly includes all hardware required to complete installation of the device including the cover, an initial fastener, and load bearing fasteners, which are all temporarily secured to the L-shaped box. 
   At the installation site, the cover may be removed temporarily and the initial fastener used to secure the box to an overhead beam. Wiring connections are then completed in the wiring cavity and the cover reinstalled. After being reinstalled on the mounting box, the cover protects the wiring connections from application of sheet rock, spackle, and paint around the fixture. The manufacturer&#39;s bracket is easily centered with the mounting box by slipping the bracket onto the alignment posts with the posts extending through the slots of the bracket. The load bearing fasteners are removed from their temporary storage holsters and installed through the bracket and into the overhead beam to secure the bracket to the beam. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the L-shaped mounting assembly of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the mounting assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a conceptual sectional view of the mounting assembly taken along line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 2  and omitting the mounting box walls to show the relative positions of the initial fastener and load bearing fasteners in the mounting assembly. 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the mounting assembly taken along line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5A  is a top view of a cover which forms a portion of the mounting assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5B  is a side view of the cover taken along line B—B of  FIG. 5A . 
       FIG. 5C  is an end view of the cover taken along line C—C of  FIG. 5A . 
       FIG. 6  is a boss detail. 
       FIG. 7  is a boss detail including an initial mounting fastener. 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the mounting assembly of  FIG. 1  after it has been initially mounted on a support beam by an initial mounting fastener and with the load bearing fasteners seated in their holsters. 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the mounting assembly of  FIG. 1  after being secured to a support beam by load bearing fasteners driven through the manufacturer&#39;s bracket. 
     TABLE OF NOMENCLATURE 
     The following is a listing of part numbers used in the drawings along with a brief description.  
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The present invention is a prepackaged mounting assembly for mounting a suspended electrical fixture from an overhead beam. 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , a preferred embodiment is shown of the prepackaged mounting assembly  20 , which includes a first junction box  22  and a second junction box  24  integrally formed in one piece. The first junction box  22  includes deep side walls  26  that end in a common lower plane. The second junction box  24  includes a top  28  that is integral with and extends orthogonally from a first side  30  of the first junction box  22 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the top  28  of the second junction box  24  includes two opposing sides  32 , a distal end  34 , and a lower surface  36 . Integral side walls  38  extend downward from the lower surface  36  of the top  28  along the distal end  34  and along the opposing sides  32  of the second junction box  24 . The side walls  38  of the second junction box  24  at the distal end  34  form a first arcuate flange  40  having a lower edge  42  ending in a common plane with the side walls  38  of the opposing sides  32 . A cover  44  is secured to the deep side walls  26  of the first junction box  22 . A second arcuate flange  46  projects from the cover  44  and includes a lower edge  48 . With the cover  44  secured to the side walls  26  of the first junction box  22 , the lower edge  42  of the first arcuate flange  40  is coplanar with the lower edge  48  of the second arcuate flange  46 . Two alignment posts  50  extend downward from the side walls  38  of the second junction box  24  at each of the opposing sides  32 . 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1–3 , the prepackaged mounting assembly  20  includes two holsters  52  consisting of tubular projections  54  integral with the inner surface  56  of the first side  30  of the first junction box  22 . Each holster  52  includes a load bearing fastener  58  frictionally engaged therein for temporary storage with said prepackaged mounting assembly  20  prior to installation. The prepackaged mounting assembly also includes an initial fastener  60  frictionally engaged in the top  28  of the second junction box  24 . One or more removable wall sections  62  or knockouts may be included in either the side walls  26  or top  64  of the first junction box  22  or in the top  28  of the second junction box  24 . A snap in fitting such as the Black Button™ available from Arlington Industries, Inc., 1 Stauffer Industrial Place, Scranton, Pa., may be inserted in one or more of the knockouts  62  such as the fitting  66  shown in the top  64  of the first junction box  22  in  FIG. 2 . As should be readily discernible from the bottom view in  FIG. 2  of the prepackaged mounting assembly  20 , with the cover  44  installed on the first junction box  22  as shown, the load bearing fasteners  58  and the initial fastener  60  are easily accessible from the bottom of the mounting assembly  20  as the tubular projections  54  which hold the load bearing fasteners  58  and the boss  68  which holds the initial fastener  60  are positioned well within the side walls  26  of the first junction box  22  and the side walls  38  of the second junction box  24 . The first arcuate flange  40  and second arcuate flange  46  cooperate to form opposing circular flange portions  40 A and  46 A. The opposing circular flange portions  40 A and  46 A and the side walls  38  of the second junction box  24  define an interior volume  70  therein. The interior volume  70  includes the shallow internal cavity  72  of the second junction box  24  and the deep cavity  74  of the first junction box  22 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the load bearing fasteners  58  are held in their temporary storage positions in the holsters  52 . The holsters  52  consist of tubular projections  54  integral with the inner walls of the first junction box  22 . The tubular projections  54  include a wide bore  76  at the mouth  78  and a narrow bore  80  further within. The wide bore  76  is larger than the major thread diameter of the load bearing fastener  58 , the narrow bore  80  is smaller than the major thread diameter, and both bores include smooth interior walls. Threads are formed by the load bearing fastener  58  in the narrow bore  80  portion of the tubular projections  54  as the load bearing fasteners  58  are axially advanced therein. After being threaded into the holsters  52 , the load bearing fasteners  58  are held securely therein for shipment and storage and are easily accessible and removable when required at installation. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the load bearing fasteners  58  in temporary storage in the holsters  52  do not extend beyond a plane  82  connecting the coplanar arcuate flanges  40  and  46 . 
   The initial fastener  60  is securely held in its boss  68  for shipment and storage. As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the boss  68  is integral with the top  28  of the second junction box and with the initial fastener  60  inserted therein for shipment and storage, such as shown in  FIG. 7 , the point  84  of the initial fastener  60  does not extend beyond the top surface  86  of the top  28 . 
   With reference to  FIGS. 5A–5C , the cover  44  includes a closed slot  88  on one end and an open ended slot  90  on the opposite end. This feature further facilitates ease of installation of the prepackaged mounting assembly  20  as the cover fasteners  92 , depicted in  FIG. 3 , can be loosened slightly allowing the cover  44  be rotated away from the mounting assembly  20 . The installation task is therefore made easier for the installer by allowing the cover  44  to be simply rotated away from the mounting assembly  20  to allow access to the interior of the first junction box  22  and then rotated back into place. The second arcuate flange  46  extends downward from the cover  44  and includes a lower edge  48  as shown in  FIGS. 5B and 5C . As shown in  FIG. 3 , integral ears  94  are included on the first junction box  22  for receipt of cover fasteners  92 . 
   With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 8 , it should be noted that the top  28  of the second junction box  24 , being orthogonal to the first side  30  of the fist junction box  22 , forms a seat  102  thereon for flush placement against an overhead beam  96 . 
   For operation of the prepackaged mounting assembly  20 , the reader is referred to  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  FIG. 8  depicts the prepackaged mounting assembly  20  placed against the beam  96  with the load bearing fasteners  58  held securely in the holsters  52  for shipment and storage. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the prepackaged mounting assembly  20  is placed against the beam  96  such that the seat  102  including the first side  30  and top  28  are flush against the beam  96 . The initial fastener  60  is then driven into the beam  96  thereby securing the prepackaged mounting assembly  20  to the beam  96 . It should be noted that the purpose of the initial fastener  60  is to hold the mounting assembly  20  in place thereby freeing the installer&#39;s hands. The bracket  98 , which is typically supplied with the electrical fixture by the manufacturer, is then lifted upwards until the longitudinal slots  100  are fitted upon the alignment posts  50 . It should be noted that the alignment posts  50  have a width less than that of the longitudinal slots  100 . Preferably the alignment posts  50  are between 0.15 and 0.20 inch in width and even more preferably 0.18 inch in width. The alignment posts  50  are preferably between 2.6 and 3.5 inches apart measured between their outer sides and most preferably are 3.11 inches apart. These critical dimensions of the alignment posts  50  permit them to accommodate a wide range of brackets commonly supplied by manufacturers with their electrical devices. 
   The load bearing fasteners  58  are then removed from their temporary storage positions in the holsters  52 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , and placed through the longitudinal slots  100  of the bracket  98  and driven into the overhead beam  96  as depicted in  FIG. 9 . to securely fasten the bracket  98  and prepackaged mounting assembly  20  to the overhead beam  96 . It should be noted that the alignment posts  50  and second junction box  24  are of a size to position the load bearing fasteners  58  outside of the opposing sides  32  of the second junction box  24 . This insures that all of the weight of the fixture (not shown) that will be suspended from the bracket, is supported by the beam  96  and not by the prepackaged mounting assembly  20 . 
   After the prepackaged mounting assembly  20  is secured to the beam  96  by the load bearing fasteners  58  as shown in  FIG. 9 , the installer can then loosen the cover fasteners  92  and rotate the cover  44  away from the first junction box  22 , complete wiring connections between the supply and fixture (not shown), rotate the cover  44  closed upon the first junction box  22 , and tighten securely with the cover fasteners  92 . 
   The first junction box  22  and second junction box  24  of the prepackaged mounting assembly of the present invention are preferably molded in one piece from plastic. An especially preferred material of construction is polycarbonate, although they could be molded of other elastomeric materials. 
   The prepackaged mounting assembly of the present invention provides flexibility by supporting a wide range of fixtures of the type that include a mounting bracket. The prepackaged mounting assembly further provides the advantage that all of the required hardware for mounting the electrical fixture is included with the assembly. The possibility of mistakes from using a fastener that is inadequate for supporting the intended load is thereby minimized. By including all the fasteners temporarily secured in storage locations within the assembly, the prepackaged mounting assembly minimizes the chance of an installer will lose a critical fastener. By freeing the installer&#39;s hands, there is much less chance of a fastener being dropped. By locating the load bearing fasteners inside the interior volume of the assembly for shipment and storage, the fasteners are thereby protected during shipment and storage and facilitate ease of packaging. Inclusion of the alignment posts provides an arrangement for quickly aligning a manufacturer&#39;s bracket for proper installation of load bearing fasteners into the supporting beam. The prepackaged mounting assembly furthermore provides a large cavity for wiring connections. The prepackaged mounting assembly of the present invention provides the advantage of holding the cover and fasteners securely enough to permit storage, shipping, display, and handling without the need for an outer wrap or separate packaging to retain the cover and fasteners with the assembly. 
   As the invention has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Any and all such modifications are intended to included within the scope of the appended claims.