Patent Abstract:
This invention is a one-piece terminal or junction device for a low-voltage linear distribution system. The terminal device is formed in one piece with a terminal plate that may be easily removed and inserted into slots in the back of the terminal device to serve as a conduit mounting point or a cable tie-off. An opening in the terminal plate is of adjustable size to accommodate different sizes of conduit. The invention may be installed in the roughing out phase of new construction. After the interior wall is installed and a system device is hooked up, screwing down the faceplate brings the terminal device into firm contact with the back of the wall for a secure, tight installation.

Full Description:
This invention is a terminal device for use in low-voltage cable systems. 
     Refer to the patent application TERMINAL DEVICE FOR LOW-VOLTAGE CABLE SYSTEM filed the same day as the present application with the same inventor and assignee. 
     There are several approaches to installing communication cable, television cable, fiber optic cable or similar low-voltage cable or wire in new construction. Many devices for providing terminals and junctions for the cable are commercially available. Most generally such devices consist of a metal or plastic rectangular box which may be attached to a stud or other structural member during the roughing-out phase of construction. Such a device has an open side that usually faces the interior of the structure once installed. Upon installation of the interior wall a hole is cut in the wall material to allow access to the open side of the box. While such an arrangement can provide a satisfactory installation it is not uncommon for such boxes to move forward relative to the wall material upon fastening of the faceplate because there exists no means to bring the box in secure contact with the rear of the wall material. While such boxes will not move relative to the structural member to which they are attached, they can and will move relative to the wall material. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a one-piece terminal or junction device for a low-voltage linear distribution system. The device includes an open mounting plate in a plane generally parallel to and in contact with a subsequently installed wall. The mounting plate has ears for attachment to a wall stud, The mounting plate has a flange perpendicular thereto and extending forwardly which will extend through the wall and surround the wall opening. The depth of the flange will be equal to the thickness of the wall for the most secure fit. On the rear of the mounting plate are mounting slots for a terminal plate. Upon installation of a system device such as a cable outlet and application of a faceplate, as described more completely below, the surface of the mounting plate is drawn snugly against the rear of the wall when the faceplate mounting fasteners are tightened. 
     A terminal plate is fixed by frangible tabs in the opening formed by the flange in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the mounting plate. The terminal plate has a circular opening of adjustable size and a rigid mounting tab extending from the terminal plate. Upon fastening of the mounting plate to a wall stud the terminal plate is detached from the flange and its rigid mounting tab inserted into a mounting slot on the rear of the mounting plate. The terminal plate serves as means to tie off cable or to stub off conduit. A tie-off strap on the flange also may be used to tie off cable. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cable terminal device as manufactured. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device with the terminal plate broken out and inserted in one of the mounting slots in the mounting plate. 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the rear of the terminal device turned upside down from that shown in FIGS. 1-2 with the terminal plate in place as manufactured. 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the front of the terminal plate by itself. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the terminal device in place against a wall stud and ready to be fastened in place. The terminal plate is mounted in a slot at one end of the terminal device. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the terminal plate. 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 6 showing the capture tang with its nub. 
     FIG. 8 is a partial cross section of the terminal plate inserted in a mounting slot in the mounting plate. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the terminal or junction device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the cable terminal device of the present invention and its relationship with a wall stud when it is ready to be installed. Such a device is used in the roughing- out phase of construction. It is installed when structural members are in place but before the interior walls are installed. While the device of the present invention may be referred to herein as a terminal device it is to be understood that it may serve as either a terminal or a junction device. 
     There is shown a terminal device  20  consisting of a generally rectangular mounting plate  22  having mounting ears  24  in the same plane as the mounting plate  22 . Any number of mounting ears  24  may be provided. Three are shown so that the device  20  may be mounted with its long axis either horizontal or vertical. FIG. 5 shows it with the long axis vertical. The mounting ears  24  have openings  25  to accommodate fasteners such as nails or screws  26 ; see FIG.  5 . 
     Extending forwardly from the mounting plate  22  at essentially a right angle thereto is mounting flange  28 . The flange  28  is of a depth essentially equal to the thickness of the wall material with which the device will be used. 
     Bosses  32  on the sides of the flange  28  have openings for attachment of a system device such as a cable outlet with a faceplate, not shown. As shown in the figures these bosses  32  are located on the short sides of the flange  32 . A tie-off strap  34  is shown extending from one boss  32  to the flange at one side of the device. This strap  34  provides a means for tying off the ends of cable which is being run to the terminal device  20 . Any number of tie-off straps  34  may be provided and they may be located at other places such as across the corners of the flange  28 . 
     On the rear face of the mounting plate  22 , as especially seen in FIG. 3, are stop posts  36  extending from the four corners. These posts  36  serve as stops to locate the mounting plate against the stud to which it is being mounted as more fully described below. Although it is not necessary to use posts at each corner, this arrangement is most convenient since it allows the mounting plate  22  to be oriented either horizontally or vertically against a stud. Generally triangular gussets  37  provide bracing for the stop posts  36  and help to rigidify the mounting plate  22  against the forces of insertion of the terminal plate  42  as will be discussed below. 
     Referring to FIG. 3 mounting slots  38  for terminal plate  42  are formed in the rear of the mounting plate  22 . A channel  40  is formed on the flange  28  to complete the slot  38  as shown particularly in FIGS. 1,  2  and  5 . Although any number of the mounting slots  38  may be provided, four are shown in this preferred embodiment, one on each side of the mounting plate. This makes the device significantly more versatile than those of the prior art. 
     Terminal plate  42  is removably mounted in the rectangular opening formed by the flange  28 . If the terminal device  20  is of molded plastic the terminal plate  42  may be formed in the same molding connected to the flange  28  by frangible tabs  44  of which three are shown; a greater or lesser number may be used where desirable. Circular opening  46  is formed in the terminal plate  42  with an eccentric section  48  connected by frangible tabs  50  to the terminal plate  42 , the purpose of which will be discussed below. A mounting tab  52  extends from one side of the terminal plate  42 . The tab  52  is formed in a plane offset from the plane of the terminal plate  42  but parallel thereto as shown particularly in FIG. 6. A capture tang  54  extends across tab  52  essentially its entire width. The capture tang  54  has formed on it a semicircular nub  56  the purpose of which will be discussed below. 
     Although one terminal plate  42  is shown in a single piece with terminal device  20  in FIGS. 1 and 3, it may be desirable to have two or more terminal plates formed so, the number limited only by the thickness of the terminal plate  42  and the depth of flange  28 . 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial cross section of the terminal plate  42  in operative position with the rigid mounting tab  52  inserted into the mounting slot  38  in the mounting plate  22 . The spacing of the capture tang  54  from the end  58  of the terminal plate  42  is slightly larger than the thickness of the mounting plate  22 . One side  60  of mounting slot  38  is angled to facilitate insertion of rigid mounting tab  52  into the slot  38  to the point where the end  58  of terminal plate  42  stops against the rearward face of the mounting plate  22  and the capture tang  54  snaps into place against the forward face to hold the terminal plate  42  in operative position. The semicircular nub  56  also eases insertion of the rigid mounting tab  52  into slot  38  by providing essentially line contact between tab  52  and mounting plate  22 . Yet when tab  52  is inserted fully, the entire width of the capture tang  54  holds tab  52  in place against removal forces. Gussets  37  adjacent to slots  38  serve to rigidify the sides and ends of the mounting plate  22  against the forces of insertion of rigid mounting tab  52 . 
     The terminal device of the present invention would be used as follows: In new construction, in the roughing-out phase before wall material is installed, the terminal device  20  would be installed as shown generally in FIG.  5 . For vertical installation the terminal device is held against a wall stud  60  with stop posts  36  against the inside face  62  of the stud and the two mounting ears  24  on the long side of the device flat against the outside face  64  of the stud. If installation is desired on the other side of the stud, the device  20  is merely turned in its own plane 180°. Fasteners such as the nails  26  are driven through the mounting ears  24  into the outside face  64  of wall stud  60  to hold the terminal device  20  in place. 
     For horizontal installation the stop posts  36  on the short side of the terminal device  20  would be held against the inside face  62  of the stud and fasteners  26  driven through the mounting ears  24  on the short side into the outside face  64  of the stud  60 . 
     Now or at any other time before wall material is applied terminal plate  42  may be removed from the flange  28  merely by bending the plate  42  until the frangible tabs  44  break. If conduit is to be stubbed off at this location the eccentric section  48  may be removed by bending until the frangible tabs  50  break. Or, depending on the size of the conduit, eccentric section  48  may be left in place. The rigid mounting tab  52  of the terminal plate  42  may then be inserted as described above into any one of the mounting slots  38  desired. If no conduit is to be used at this terminal the terminal plate  42  may be discarded. 
     If conduit is to be stubbed off on terminal plate  42  this may be done at this time, or at any other time before application of wall material  30 . The cable destined for this device may be tied to the terminal plate  42  through the opening  46 , or to the tie-off strap  34  as the installer chooses. 
     Wall material may then be applied to the wall, leaving an opening to surround flange  28  of the terminal device  20 . At this time a system device such as a cable outlet [not shown] may be connected to the cable which has been tied off at the terminal device. The system device may then be mounted to the terminal device  20 , for example by screws through the system device into bosses  32 . A faceplate may then be installed over the system device by usual means such as screws through the faceplate into the system device. The faceplate screws are then tightened such that the faceplate pushes the wall material into tight contact with the face of mounting plate  22  which in turn is rigidly attached to wall stud  60 , thus making a tight, secure installation. 
     The terminal device shown and claimed here may be used for roughing out terminals in any number of different low-voltage linear distribution systems, such as television coaxial cable, sound systems, intercommunication systems and fiber optic cable systems. The device is relatively cheap to manufacture, especially when molded of plastic. All the components necessary for the rough installation of a terminal are in one piece. Packing and warehousing are simplified. Installation of the device is simple and quick. 
     While the terminal device  20  is molded of plastic in the preferred embodiment, it would be possible to make it by other means, such as stamping it from steel plate, at least in the form shown in FIG. 1 Also two or more such terminal devices could be ganged in one piece according to the principles of this invention. 
     While there has been illustrated and described a particular embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7