Abstract:
The present application teaches a receptacle box and methods of installing same for use in new and existing home and building construction.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to receptacle boxes for construction of structures, and more particularly to receptacle boxes for the exterior of structures. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Exterior outlet receptacle boxes are commonly installed on the exterior surface of the sheathing of a structure before the building panels (e.g., metal wall panels or vinyl siding) are installed on the structure and run up to and in contact with the receptacle boxes. This often requires extensive preparation when planning the building panel layout, because multiple panels often need to be cut before installation onto the structure in order to accommodate the locations of the receptacle boxes. 
         [0003]    Accordingly, there is a need for a receptacle box and method of installing same that are improvements over existing devices and methods. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The receptacle box according to the present invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1A  is a front view of a box portion of an outlet box in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 1B  is a side view thereof; 
           [0007]      FIG. 1C  is a rear view thereof; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2A  is a front perspective view of a cover portion of the outlet box in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2B  is a rear view thereof; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the outlet box in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5A  is a front perspective view thereof; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5B  is a side view thereof; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5C  is a bottom view thereof; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the box portion of  FIGS. 1A-1C , before being folded into the configuration shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the cover portion of  FIGS. 2A and 2B , before being folded into the configuration shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ; and 
           [0018]      FIGS. 9-21  are views of various steps of a method of installing the outlet box on a structure in accordance with the present invention, 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    The ensuing detailed description provides preferred exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the herein disclosed inventions. Rather, the ensuing detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing the preferred exemplary embodiments in accordance with the herein disclosed invention. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0020]    To aid in describing the invention, directional terms may be used in the specification and claims to describe portions of the present invention (e.g, upper, lower, left, right, etc.). These directional definitions are merely intended to assist in describing and claiming the invention and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. In addition, reference numerals that are introduced in the specification in association with a drawing figure may be repeated in one or more subsequent figures without additional description in the specification, in order to provide context for other features. 
         [0021]    For purposes of the specification and claims, two parts, components, assemblies, lines, surfaces, or planes are considered to be “substantially parallel” to another when an absolute value of the measurement of the angle between the two parts, components, assemblies, lines, surfaces, or planes does not exceed 10 degrees. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 1A-1C and 7  show various views of a box portion  20  of an embodiment of an outlet box  10  (see  FIG. 4 ) according to the present invention. As best seen in  FIG. 7 , in this embodiment the box portion  20  is made from a single piece of material (e.g., aluminum, steel, or other metal), which is folded where illustrated by broken lines in  FIG. 7  to form the box portion  20  shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C . In alternate embodiments, the box portion  20  may be made of more than one piece of material. 
         [0023]    In this embodiment, the box portion  20  has a front side  24  and a rear side  25  that define a depth  22  of the box portion  20 . The box portion  20  has a top edge  26 , a side edge  27 , a bottom edge  28 , a side edge  29 , six exterior angled corner edges (for convenience, only exterior angled corner edge  52   a  is labeled in the Figures), and a pair of exterior straight corner edges  53   a , 53   b  that collectively form an exterior perimeter  30  of the box portion  20 . The exterior perimeter  30  of the box portion  20  defines the boundaries of a two-dimensional exterior area  31  of the box portion  20 , The top edge  26  and a first pair of the exterior angled corner edges (including exterior angled corner edge  52   a ) are parts of an exterior top flange  48 . The side edge  29  and a second pair of exterior angled corner edges are parts of an exterior side flange  51 . The bottom edge  28 , an exterior angled corner edge, and the exterior straight corner edge  53   a  are parts of the exterior bottom flange  50 . The side edge  27 , an exterior angled corner edge, and the exterior straight corner edge  53   b  are parts of the exterior side flange  49 . In an alternate embodiment, the exterior straight corner edges  53   a , 53   b  could be made angled like the exterior angled corner edges. 
         [0024]    The box portion  20  further comprises a top panel  55 , a side panel  56 , a bottom panel  59 , a side panel  61 , and an assembly flange  57  attached to the side panel  56 . The assembly flange  57  has an assembly fastener hole  58  therein and the bottom panel  59  has an assembly fastener hole  60  therein. When the box portion  20  is folded as shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C , an assembly fastener  62  (see  FIG. 14 ) is routed through the assembly fastener holes  58 , 60  in order to hold the box portion  20  together. In alternate embodiments, the assembly flange may be provided with a bendable tab or other piece that may fit within a slot or other appropriately shaped receptacle located on or in the bottom panel  59 , so that the box portion  20  may be formed from a single piece of material and held integrally together without the use of any additional parts. 
         [0025]    The front edges of the top panel  55 , side panel  56 , bottom panel  59 , and side panel  61  define a box portion front opening  36 . Ignoring the extreme corners of these panels  55 , 56 , 59 , 61  (i.e., where the panels transition from one side to the next and small gaps are present at the corners), the box portion front opening  36  defines a box portion front opening perimeter  37  that in this embodiment is approximately a square, though in alternate embodiments may be rectangular, triangular, circular, or an irregular shape. The box portion front opening perimeter  37  defines the boundaries of a two-dimensional box portion front opening area  38 . Interior to the box portion front opening  36  are four interior flanges, interior top flange  40 , interior side flange  41 , interior bottom flange  42 , and interior side flange  43 . Each of the interior flanges  40 - 43  has a pair of interior angled corner edges (for convenience, only interior angled corner edge  46   a  of interior top flange  40  is labeled in the Figures) and a pair of mounting holes routed therethrough (for convenience, only mounting hole  44   a  is labeled in the Figures). As will be described below in further detail, the mounting holes located on the interior flanges  40 - 43  receive fasteners for securing the box portion  20  to a structural surface (e.g., a. wall, roof, or floor of a structure). In alternate embodiments best suited for new construction applications, the interior flanges could extend away from (i.e., be located exterior to) the perimeter of the interior opening  32  located at the rear side of the box portion  20 . 
         [0026]    The interior flanges  40 - 43  collectively define an interior opening  32  of the box portion  20 . Ignoring the extreme corners of the interior flanges  40 - 43  (i.e., where the interior angled corner edges come together to form each corner, and small gaps are present), the interior opening  32  defines an interior opening perimeter  33  that in this embodiment is approximately a square, though in alternate embodiments may be rectangular, triangular, circular, or an irregular shape. The interior opening perimeter  33  defines the boundaries of a two-dimensional interior opening area  34 . 
         [0027]    In this embodiment, the interior opening area  34  is smaller than the box portion front opening area  38 , which is smaller than the exterior area  31  of the box portion  20 . Other relationships between the magnitudes of these areas  31 , 34 , 38  are possible within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 8  show various views of a cover portion  64  of the present embodiment of the outlet box  10  according to the present invention. As best seen in  FIG. 8 , in this embodiment the cover portion  64  is made from a single piece of material (e.g., aluminum or other metal), which is folded where illustrated by broken lines in  FIG. 8  to form the cover portion  64  shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . In alternate embodiments, the cover portion  64  may be made of more than one piece of material. 
         [0029]    In this embodiment, the cover portion  64  has a front side  65  and a rear side  66  that define a depth  71  of the cover portion  64 . The cover portion  64  has a top edge  67 , a side edge  68 , a bottom edge  69 , and a side edge  70  that collectively form an exterior perimeter of the cover portion  64 . The cover portion  64  further includes a outlet cover opening  72 , which in this embodiment is sized and shaped to accommodate the attachment of a standard outlet cover  2  thereto (see  FIG. 4 ). As seen in  FIG. 2B , the cover portion  64  comprises a top flange  74 , a side flange  75 , a bottom flange  76 , and a side flange  77 . 
         [0030]    As seen in  FIGS. 4-6 , the outlet box  10  is assembled by sliding the cover portion  64  over the exterior flanges  48 - 51  of the box portion  20  so that the cover portion  64  covers the box portion front opening  36  (with the exception of the outlet cover opening  72  located in the cover portion  64 ). The top flange  74  and side flanges  75 , 77  of the cover portion  64  are bent such that some space is left between each respective flange and the remainder of the cover portion  64  such that the respective exterior flange (i.e., exterior flanges  48 , 49 , 51 ) of the box portion  20  can be accommodated therein, As seen in the sectional views of  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the bottom flange  76  of the cover portion is bent so that it is flattened directly against the remainder of the cover portion  64 . In this way, once installed on the box portion  20 , the cover portion  64  is unlikely to be accidentally knocked loose from the box portion  20 , and may only be uninstalled from the box portion  20  by simultaneously moving the cover portion  64  in a removal direction  63  (i.e., in a direction that is substantially away from the front side  24  of the box portion  20 ) and upwardly (i.e., in a direction that is substantially towards the top panel  55  of the box portion  20 ). Only by moving the cover portion  64  in the removal direction  63  will the bottom flange  76  be relocated such that it is not located directly below the exterior bottom flange  50  of the box portion  20 , thus permitting the cover portion  64  to then be removed from the box portion  20  by sliding the cover portion  64  upwardly. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 5B , the outlet box  10  has a depth  12  measured between the front side  65  of the cover portion  64  and the rear side  25  of the box portion  20 . In this embodiment, the magnitude of the depth  12  of the outlet box  10  is less than the sum of the magnitudes of the depth  22  of the box portion  20  and the depth  71  of the cover portion  64 . In alternate embodiments, these magnitudes may be equal. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 9-21  illustrate various steps of performing a method of installing the outlet box  10  in accordance with the present invention on an existing structure.  FIG. 9  shows a structure  4 , which is comprised of wall sheathing  6  (e.g., plywood wall sheathing). Prior to the step shown in  FIG. 9 , the User will have determined where an object (e.g., a wire, conduit, or pipe) should penetrate from the interior to the exterior of the structure, and drilled or cut an appropriate object throughhole  78  in the structure  4 . In this embodiment, the object throughhole  78  is a round hole for passage of an electrical wire therethrough. 
         [0033]    In the step shown in  FIG. 9 , the user holds the box portion  20  of an outlet box  10  over the object throughhole  78 , approximately centers the object throughhole  78  within the interior opening area  34 , and then creates an approximate outlet box marking  80  on the wall sheathing  6 . The perimeter  81  of the approximate outlet box marking  80  will roughly correspond with the box portion front opening perimeter  37 . 
         [0034]    In the step shown in  FIG. 10 , an appropriate underlayment  82  is installed over the wall sheathing  6 , and an approximate object throughhole marking  83  is created on the underlayment  82 . The approximate object throughhole marking  83  overlies the approximate outlet box marking  80  and is centered about the object throughhole  78 . 
         [0035]    In the step shown in  FIG. 11 , the structural panels (e.g., metal wall panels or vinyl siding panels) are installed on the structure  4  until the next building panel will cover all or part of the approximate object throughhole marking  83 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , a first building panel  84  comprising a panel lock  85  has been installed on the structure  4 . In the step shown in  FIG. 12 , the user measures the distance  87  between a bottom edge  86  of the panel lock  85  of the first building panel  84  and the center of the approximate object throughhole marking  83 . 
         [0036]    In the step shown in  FIG. 13 , a second building panel  89  is placed in position adjacent to the first building panel  84  and the user creates an approximate object throughhole marking  88  on the second building panel  89  at a position corresponding with a distance  90  measured from the bottom edge  86  of the panel lock  85  of the first building panel  84 . The distance  90  is equal to the distance  87 , and the approximate object throughhole marking  88  corresponds with the approximate location of the object throughhole  78 . In the steps shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the user places the box portion  20  atop the second building panel  89 , approximately centers the approximate object throughhole marking  88  within the interior opening area  34 , and then creates a rectangular marking  91  on the second building panel  89 . The rectangular marking  91  has a length and width that approximately correspond with the maximum length and width of the exterior area  31  of the box portion  20 . 
         [0037]    In the step shown in  FIG. 16 , the user cuts an outlet box hole  92  in the second building panel  89  that corresponds with the rectangular marking  91 . The approximate object throughhole marking  83  should be visible within the outlet box hole  92  and approximately centered therein. At this point, the user may want to temporarily place the box portion  20  in the outlet box hole  92  to check for a proper fit. If the outlet box hole  92  is too small to fit the box portion  20  therein, the outlet box hole  92  may need to be increased in size. Once the outlet box hole  92  is properly dimensioned, the second building panel  89  is property installed on the structure  4 . 
         [0038]    In the step shown in  FIG. 17 , adhesive weatherproof strips  93   a - 93   d  are installed onto the rear sides of respective interior flanges  40 - 43 . In some embodiments, the adhesive weatherproof strips  93   a - 93   d  are comprised of butyl tape. In the step shown in  FIG. 18 , the box portion  20  is placed within the outlet box hole  92  and the adhesive weatherproof strips  93   a - 93   d  are pressed into contact with the underlayment  82 . At this point, the user may punch a throughhole  94  through the underlayment  82  at the location of the approximate object throughhole marking  83 . 
         [0039]    In the step shown in  FIG. 19 , a weatherproof sealant  96  is placed around each of the mounting holes (including mounting hole  44   a ) and the entire interior opening perimeter  33 , and a plurality of fasteners (for convenience, only fastener  95   a  is labeled in the Figures) are routed through the mounting holes and into the structure  4 , As the fasteners are tightened down, the sealant generates a nice seal around the fasteners and the interior opening  32 . The adhesive weatherproof strips  93   a - 93   d  and weatherproof sealant  96  act to ensure that no water that enters the outlet box  10  will escape behind the building panels  84 , 89 . In alternate embodiments, the weatherproof strips need not be adhesive, and could merely make a press fit against the underlayment  82 . 
         [0040]    In the steps shown in  FIGS. 20 and 21 , the cover portion  64  is installed on the box portion  20  to form the completed outlet box  10 , and the object  79  (in this embodiment, a wire) is pulled through the object throughhole  78 , throughhole  94  in the underlayment  82 , and into the outlet box  10 . The object  79  is now ready to be used, for example via, wiring to an outlet. 
         [0041]    An exemplary order of steps of the method according to the present invention has been set forth above. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that some of the steps could be reordered, combined, and/or omitted while keeping within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
         [0042]    Although exemplary implementations of the herein described device and method have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many additional modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiment(s) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the herein described device and method. Accordingly, these and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the herein described device and method. The herein described device and method may be better defined by the following exemplary claims. 
       ADDITIONAL ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0043]    Additional aspects of the invention include: 
         [0044]    Aspect 1: A receptacle outlet box comprising a body comprising: a plurality of rear flanges, a plurality of front flanges, and a plurality of side panels, the plurality of side panels defining a body front opening, each of the plurality of front flanges extending outwardly from one of the plurality of side panels, each of the plurality of rear flanges being co-planar to the other flanges of the plurality of rear flanges, each of the plurality of rear flanges being located in a first plane, each of the plurality of front flanges being located in a second plane, the first and second planes being substantially parallel, each of the plurality of side panels extending from the first plane to the second plane, the plurality of rear flanges having a plurality of fastener apertures formed therein; and a cover comprising a face portion and a plurality of cover flanges, the face portion having a front side having a cover front opening located therein, a rear side, and a plurality of outer edges, each of the plurality of cover flanges extending inwardly from one of the plurality of outer edges to form a gap between the rear side of the face portion and the respective one of the cover flanges, the plurality of cover flanges defining a cover rear opening; wherein the plurality of cover flanges of the cover and the plurality of front flanges of the body are shaped and configured so that at least some of the plurality of front flanges extend into at least some of the gaps in the cover when the cover is slid along the second plane into contact with the body. 
         [0045]    Aspect 2: The receptacle outlet box according to Aspect 1, the body further comprising a body rear opening having a perimeter, wherein the plurality of rear flanges do not extend into the perimeter. 
         [0046]    Aspect 3: The receptacle outlet box according to Aspect 1, the body further comprising a body rear opening having a perimeter, wherein at least one of the plurality of rear flanges extend into the perimeter. 
         [0047]    Aspect 4: A receptacle outlet box that is attachable to a surface of a structure, the surface lying in a plane, the receptacle outlet box comprising: a box portion and a cover portion, the box portion comprising a rear side that is attachable to the surface, the rear side having a rear opening; and a front side opposing the rear side, the front side located away from the surface when the box portion is attached to the surface, the front side having a front opening, at least one flange extending away from the front opening, and a first stop member located on a bottom portion of the box portion; the cover portion comprising at least one slot and a second stop member located on a bottom portion of the cover portion, the cover portion being removably installable onto the box portion by inserting at least one of the at least one flange into at least one of the at least one slot and moving the cover portion in a direction toward the first stop member until the second stop member moves past the first stop member and a bottom edge of the first stop member and a top edge of the second stop member become coplanar; wherein when the receptacle outlet box is attached to the surface, the cover portion is removable from the box portion by moving the second stop member in a direction away from the structure until the first stop member and second stop member are no longer coplanar and moving the second stop member past the first stop member and away from the bottom portion of the box portion until the at least one flange disengages from the at least one slot. 
         [0048]    Aspect 5: The receptacle outlet box according to Aspect 4, wherein the at least one flange is parallel to the plane and at least one of the first stop member and second stop member is not parallel to the plane when the receptacle outlet box is installed on the surface. 
         [0049]    Aspect 6: The receptacle outlet box according to Aspect 5, wherein both the first stop member and the second stop member are not parallel to the plane when the receptacle outlet box is installed on the surface. 
         [0050]    Aspect 7: The receptacle outlet box according to any of Aspects 4-6, wherein the rear side of the box portion comprises at least one mounting flange that extends into a perimeter of the rear opening. 
         [0051]    Aspect 8: The receptacle outlet box according to Aspect 7, wherein the at least one mounting flange is adapted to receive a fastener for attaching the receptacle outlet box to the surface. 
         [0052]    Aspect 9: The receptacle outlet box according to any of Aspects 4-8, wherein the rear side of the box portion comprises at least one mounting flange that extends away from the perimeter of the rear opening. 
         [0053]    Aspect 10: The receptacle outlet box according to Aspect 9, wherein the at least one mounting flange is adapted to receive a fastener for attaching the receptacle outlet box to the surface. 
         [0054]    Aspect 11: The receptacle outlet box according to any of Aspects 4-10, further comprising a plurality of panels that space the front side of the box portion away from the rear side of the box portion. 
         [0055]    Aspect 12:The receptacle outlet box according to any of Aspects 4-11, the at least one flange comprising a top flange and a pair of side flanges, wherein when the receptacle outlet box is attached to the surface the top flange and pair of side flanges are coplanar and lie in a second plane that is parallel to the plane of the surface and the first stop member lies in a third plane that is not parallel to the plane of the surface. 
         [0056]    Aspect 13: A method of installing a receptacle outlet box on a surface of a structure overlying a throughhole that extends between an interior and an exterior of the structure, the structure having at least one pre-installed building panel attached thereto, the receptacle outlet box having a box portion and a cover portion, the box portion having a front side and a rear side that is attachable to the surface, the rear side having a rear opening and at least one flange that extends interior to a perimeter of the rear opening, the front side having a front opening, at least one flange that extends away from a perimeter of the front opening, and a first stop member located on a bottom portion of the front side, the cover portion having at least one slot and a second stop member located on a bottom portion thereof, the method comprising: cutting a hole in the at least one building panel approximately overlying the throughhole in the structure and that approximates the perimeter of the rear side of the receptacle outlet box; inserting the receptacle outlet box into the hole so that the rear portion contacts the surface, at least a portion of the throughhole aligns with at least a portion of the rear opening of the rear side of the receptacle outlet box, and the at least one building panel is located between the at least one flange of the front side of the box portion and the surface of the structure; attaching the receptacle outlet box to the surface; and removably installing the cover portion to the box portion by engaging the at least one slot with the at least one flange of the box portion and moving the cover portion in a direction toward the first stop member until the second stop member moves past the first stop member and a bottom edge of the first stop member and a top edge of the second stop member become coplanar. 
         [0057]    Aspect 14: The method according to Aspect 13, further comprising passing a wire from the interior of the structure through the throughhole and into the receptacle outlet box. 
         [0058]    Aspect 15: The method according to either of Aspect 13 or Aspect 14, wherein the step of attaching the receptacle outlet box to the surface further comprises routing at least one fastener through the at least one flange of the rear side of the box portion and into the surface of the structure. 
         [0059]    Aspect 16: The method according to any of Aspects 13-15, further comprising, prior to the step of inserting the receptacle outlet box into the hole, forming the receptacle outlet box from a blank by folding the blank into the configuration of the receptacle outlet box. 
         [0060]    Aspect 17: The method according to any of Aspects 13-16, further comprising, prior to the step of removably installing the cover portion to the box portion, forming the cover portion from a blank by folding the blank into the configuration of the cover portion. 
         [0061]    Aspect 18: The method according to any of Aspects 13-17, further comprising applying a weatherproof material to the rear side of the box portion of the receptacle outlet box prior to the step of attaching the receptacle box to the surface. 
         [0062]    Aspect 19: The method according to any of Aspects 13-18, after the step of removably installing the cover portion to the box portion, removing the cover portion from the box portion by moving the second stop member in a direction away from the structure until the first stop member and second stop member are no longer coplanar and then moving the second stop member past the first stop member and away from the bottom portion of the box portion until the at least one flange disengages from the at least one slot. 
         [0063]    Aspect 20: A method for installing a plurality of structural panels and a receptacle outlet box onto a building structure, the building structure comprising an underlayment already installed thereon, the method comprising: (a) identifying a location of a throughhole to be formed in the underlayment; (b) installing the plurality of structural panels to the building structure over the underlayment; (c) after performing step (b), cutting a body hole in one or more of the plurality of structural panels of sufficient size to enable a body of the receptacle outlet box to be attached to the building structure directly atop the underlayment, the throughhole being located at least partially within the body hole, the body of the receptacle outlet box having a plurality of rear flanges located in a first plane, a plurality of side panels, and a plurality of front flanges located in a second plane, the plurality of side panels extending from the first plane to the second plane, the plurality of rear flanges having a plurality of fastener apertures therein; (d) fastening the body of the receptacle outlet box to the building structure through the underlayment using a plurality of fasteners that are passed through the plurality of fastener apertures; and (e) attaching a cover to the body by sliding the cover along the second plane to engage at least some of the plurality of front flanges of the body until a front opening in the cover overlaps the throughhole.