Abstract:
An electrical outlet box including a first planar box wall and a second planar box wall. The first and second box walls are positioned substantially perpendicular to each other. One of the walls includes an extending clip. The other wall includes a receiving slot. The clip is insertable into the slot to couple the first box wall to the second box wall.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/617,895, filed Oct. 12, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to electrical outlet boxes. More particularly, the present invention relates to metallic electrical outlet boxes having plural walls which are assembled together to form the box.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     It is well known to use electrical outlet boxes to house electrical components such as switches and receptacles. The boxes are attached to wall studs. Once the wall board is placed over the studs, the outlet box provides access to the components.  
         [0004]     Many electrical outlet boxes are formed of metal. These metallic outlet boxes typically include a back wall, a perimetrical side wall and an open-front face defining a box interior through which a switch or receptacle is placed. The boxes are typically constructed from multiple walls which are assembled together. The most common technique for assembling boxes is to fold a planar sheet of metal into a U-shaped configuration this defines the top, bottom and back walls. Then side walls may be attached to the U-shaped member to form the box. Common techniques to secure the walls of the box together include the use of separate fastening hardware such as a screw which must be accurately fastened to correctly assemble the box. Another technique is to weld the side walls to the U-shaped member to form the box.  
         [0005]     While these techniques serve adequately to provide an electrical box which will house a switch or receptacle, boxes formed by these techniques are expensive and time consuming to manufacture.  
         [0006]     It can be appreciated that improper weldments may result in an inadequately formed box and use of screws requires a secondary component and the risk of stripping the threads of the screws upon assembly.  
         [0007]     It is therefore desirable to provide an electrical box which may be more easily, quickly and reliably assembled.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention provides an electrical outlet box including a first planar box wall and a second planar box wall. The first and second box walls are positioned substantially perpendicular to each other. One of the walls includes an extending clip. The other wall includes a receiving slot. The clip is insertable into the slot to couple the first side wall to the second side wall.  
         [0009]     The slot may be formed as an aperture in the other side wall or alternatively, the slot may be formed by a portion of the side wall being struck outwardly therefrom. It is also contemplated that the clip can be captively retained in the slot. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective showing of the electrical box of the present invention including assembly of side walls of the box.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective showing of a U-shaped portion of an alternative embodiment of the electrical outlet box of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an end view of a U-shaped portion of the box of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0013]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show, respectively, side and end views of side walls attachable to the U-shaped portion of the electrical outlet box of  FIG. 2 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     The present invention provides an electrical outlet box. More particularly, the present invention provides a metallic electrical outlet box that may be assembled without the need for fastening hardware, such as screws or a secondary operation, such as welding.  
         [0015]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an electrical outlet box  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown. Electrical outlet box  10  is formed from a planar sheet of metal  12  which is arranged in a U-shaped configuration to define a back wall  14  and opposed top and bottom walls  16  and  18 . As will be described in further detail hereinbelow, a pair of side walls  20  and  22  are attachable to the U-shaped member  12  to form an enclosed box having an open front face  24  which defines a box interior  25 . As is well known, a switch, receptacle (not shown) or the like may be inserted through the open front face  24  into the interior  25  of the box where electrical wires (not shown) may be brought to terminate the switch or receptacle.  
         [0016]     Traditionally, electrical outlet boxes are formed by attaching the side walls  20  and  22  to the U-shaped member  12  with the use of mechanical fasteners such as screws or by welding the side walls to the U-shaped member. The present invention provides a simple and secure technique for attaching side walls  20  and  22  to U-shaped member  12  without the need for secondary operations such as weldments or additional mechanical fasteners.  
         [0017]     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , side walls  20  and  22  each include, at the ends thereof, clips  30 . Each of clips  30  extends generally perpendicular from opposed ends of the sidewalls. Moreover, the end walls  16  and  18  include along a periphery thereof slots  32 . In the present illustrative embodiment, slots  32  are formed by striking out from the surface of the end walls, a web  34  of material which forms a protruding strap. As the web  34  is struck from the planar walls, an opening  36  is formed thereunder.  
         [0018]     Clips  30  are generally dual-tine shaped members having a U-shaped trough  30   a  between spaced apart tines  30   c  and  30   b.  The tines may include hooked ends  30   d.  The trough  30   a  allows some degree of flexibility for the tines so that the tines may fit within the slot formed by the extending web  34 . Hooked ends  30   d  engage the web  34  to secure the clip in the slot. Thus, upon attachment of the side walls  20  and  22  to end walls  16  and  18  the relationship between the extending clips  30  and slots  32  secures the side walls to the U-shaped member  12 . This is done without need for separate mechanical fasteners or welding. The slight flexibility provided by the U-shaped trough  30   a,  allows insertion of the clips into the slots and the hooks  30   b  securely retain the clips in the slots preventing removal therefrom.  
         [0019]     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown. Box  110  includes a U-shaped member  112  formed of a sheet of metal so as to define a back wall  114  and top and bottom walls  116  and  118 . The side walls are attached to U-shaped member  112  to form the enclosed box  110  having an open front face  124 . One of the side walls shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , is generally planar member  117  having an outward central bulge or raised area  119  to increase the interior volume of the box. Side wall  121  includes a pair of depending clips  130  which are planar in fashion and which extend from one peripheral side thereof. Clips  130  are insertable into slots  132  in the back wall  114  of U-shaped member  112 . The opposed peripheral side of side wall  121  includes a pair of laterally extending hooks  135 . The hooks  135  define recesses  137  between the side wall and the end of the hook. The top and bottom walls  116  and  118  are formed to have a pair of mating recesses  139  at the upper edge thereof. The recesses  137  of hook  135  are fittablly assembled in the mating recesses  139  of the top and bottom walls  116  and  118  to captively retain the side wall  121  in position upon attachment. When so positioned, the clips  130 , which are bendable, may be bent against the back wall  114  to securely and permanently attach the side walls  121  to U-shaped member  112 .  
         [0020]     As can be appreciated, the present invention therefore, provides the ability to assemble an electrical outlet box having plural separable walls without the need for use of separate mechanical fasteners or a secondary operation such as welding. This greatly reduces the manufacturing cost of the assembled box.