Abstract:
An electrical conduit box mounting strap is described having a single unitary structure. The strap is used for mounting conduit boxes as a fixed rigid composite structure within a volume of an internal void or cavity of a concrete, cement or similar block of material. The strap is shaped and configured to stabilize the conduit box, particularly as conduit wires are pulled therethrough.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/206,241, filed May 23, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to electric conduit box mountings and, more specifically to a mounting strap for retaining an electric conduit box within a retaining wall or cavity.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    A variety of mounting devices have been devised for permanently and temporarily securing outlet boxes within the interior of a wall or cavity as a combination attachment. Many of the conventional electrical fixtures such as outlet boxes and the like require a number mechanical fasteners for mounting. Typically, when an outlet box is mounted to a wall, there is no remote need for having the box secured thereto, other than locally attaching a face plate for aesthetic appeal or residual wiring.  
           [0006]    Although mechanical fasteners have proven effective for mounting electrical fixtures involving sheet rock or wall structures (i.e. non-conducting materials) having wood as interior support beams, etc., the installation of conduit boxes with cement or concrete casting become nearly impossible with conventional techniques. This effectiveness of the conventional techniques primarily rest with the workable qualities of wood, sheet rock or similar material. These materials unlike the physical properties of cement, concrete and the like are not brittle and are easy to cut and repair. While there is a tendency for mechanical fasteners to become unattached or unthreaded within these particular materials, as a result of wall repairs, replacements, etc. mechanical fasteners or threaded fasteners are typically easy to replace after material refillings, replacement of studs, or locating another place within the wall for securing the fastener accordingly.  
           [0007]    This is not the case for concrete structures or the like which house electrical conduit boxes. Several difficulties arise which requires new or unconventional methods to resolve. First of all, mechanical fasteners for concrete or similar material have a tendency to destroy the integrity of the building structure. These materials simply do not lend themselves to replacements as recited above. Secondly, electrical conduit boxes require not only secure attachment for local wiring or common electrical finishing, but requires secure attachment for remote conveying of wires through conduits at from level to level of various residential and industrial building interiors. In this regard, a need exists wherein electrical conduit boxes can be retained without the use of conventional techniques or mechanical fasteners as described herein. An electrical conduit box mounting strap which mounts conduit boxes without the use of mechanical fasteners as recited above are lacking.  
           [0008]    For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,246,107 issued to Kendig discloses a support for electrical fixtures comprising a frame provided with laterally extended flanges adapted to engage the front face of a wall and having supporting members on the side of the frame for engaging the wall behind the front face by insertion. These type of supports are considered conventional fixtures used for retaining power socket conduits or the like within an interior portion of a wall.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,265 issued to Mulkey et al. discloses an electrical outlet box having an expandable protector. The protector is a substantially rectangular three-piece insertable band for mounting the outlet box within a wall. The band includes two pairs of connected corner pieces which interconnect around the box as male and female interconnected pieces.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,605,806 issued to Tinnerman discloses a fastening device which accommodates the use of conventional mechanical fasteners such as nuts, bolts, screws, rivets and similar studs as a spring loaded fastening device. The device comprises a spring actuated hook-type attachment means which is designed for clip or snap fastening of a bolt or nut to prevent the accidental removal or displacement while turning or otherwise threading the respective element within an a complimentary threaded aperture.  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 1,818,814 issued to G. R. Riggs et al. discloses an electrical outlet box support comprising a substantially C-shaped construction. Two sets of dual retaining apertures for mechanical fasteners are disposed on front top and bottom portions of the C-shaped support for attaching the support in combination with an outlet box to a wall.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,913 issued to Yates discloses a temporary support for an electrical outlet box comprising a transverse member which extends across an outer portion of a outlet box. The transverse bar member is spring loaded for attachment with an end of the outlet box for temporary mounting. Detachably connected to the transverse member is a support bracket having a general U-shape. The base of the U-shaped support is reduced in size for receiving loop-like ends from the tension springs for connections therewith in opposite directions.  
           [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,204 issued to Liss discloses an outlet box holder comprising a generally U-shaped strap member which is adapted to be inserted into an opening formed in a wall member. The strap member includes a base portion and a pair of legs which depend therefrom. Each leg has an outward directed extension end formed orthogonal thereto for attachment with a respective retainer. A retainer is adjustably and slidably mounted on each of the legs and has a first portion adapted to engage the inner surface of the wall member. Each of the retainers also has a second portion which is adapted to extend through the opening. The outlet box is inserted into the opening and is received between the retainers. The box holder is a distinctive three-piece outlet box retainer.  
           [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,438 issued to Angell discloses an electrical box retainer made of thin sheet metal. The retainer has a folded and flattened work hardened nose, a two layer leading protrusion, a divergent barb, an elongated shank and a multiple outward flange having a grasping catch for receiving an insertion tool. At least two retainers are needed to adequately secure an outlet-box within the interior of a wall.  
           [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,940 issued to Whitehead discloses a poke-through electrical connection assembly retainer which includes an elongate generally tubular housing member and at least one retaining clip for securing the connector in an interfloor passage. The retaining clip includes a transverse flexure portion and at least one anchor point dimensioned and angled from the flexure portion for substantially radially-directed engagement with the wall of the interfloor passage.  
           [0016]    None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0017]    The electrical conduit box mounting strap according to the invention is a single unitary structure for mounting conduit boxes as a fixed rigid composite structure within the volume of an internal void or cavity of concrete, cement or similar block material. The mounting strap provides a rigid and stable electrical fixture for conveying electrical wire through conduit. The strap is shaped to form a number of different attachment ends for securing an outlet box within a number of different materials.  
           [0018]    Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an electrical conduit box mounting strap which retains conduit boxes within concrete, cement or similar wall structures as a stationary conduit box for conveying wiring or the like therethrough.  
           [0019]    It is another object of the invention to provide an electrical conduit box mounting strap which attaches to and/or secures conduit boxes without the use of mechanical fasteners.  
           [0020]    It is a further object of the invention to provide an electrical conduit box mounting strap which is flexible and structurally rigid as conduit box retainer.  
           [0021]    Still another object of the invention is to provide an electrical conduit box mounting strap as a single unitary retaining structure.  
           [0022]    It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in the electrical conduit box mounting strap for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.  
           [0023]    These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a conventional electrical conduit box mounted within a concrete block.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 is an environmental perspective view of the electrical conduit box and strap according to the present invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 2, cut along the plane indicated by the lines  3 - 3 , to reveal interior detail.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the electrical conduit box and strap according to a second embodiment.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 5 is a top view of the electrical conduit box and strap according to a third embodiment.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 6 is a top view of the electrical conduit box and strap according to a fourth embodiment.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 7 is an perspective rear-view of the electrical conduit box and strap according to the fourth embodiment, illustrating side and rear insertable slots for inserting the strap as a conduit box retainer. 
     
    
       [0031]    Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0032]    The present invention is an electrical conduit box mounting strap for mounting conduit boxes within various material structures. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are depicted in FIGS.  2 - 7 , and are generally referenced by numerals  8 ,  9 ,  10  and  11  respectively.  
         [0033]    As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, there is shown a conventional electrical conduit box assembly  7  comprising a conduit box  12  disposed within a cement, concrete or similar block material  14  having at least one interior cavity  16 . This particular arrangement is shown without a retainer which allows the electrical conduit box  12  to move within the cavity  16  when electrical cables or the like (not shown) are pulled through the conduit  13  to be conveyed to another physical layer of a building or similar structure for electrical power output. The pulling force F typically required for electrical cable conveyance or the like usually causes the unrestrained conduit box  12  to bang or dangle within the cavity  16  thereby causing unwanted damage to the conduit  13  or the box  12 .  
         [0034]    As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the electrical conduit box and mounting strap assembly  8  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a strap  20  having a substantially rectangular configuration for mating and abutting attachment with at least one interior cavity  16  formed within a cement, concrete or similar block of material  14 . The attachment of the strap  20  within the cavity is retained by friction between at least one surface S of the strap  20  and at least one interior surface S i  of a cavity  16  formed within a respective material  14 . This particular method of attachment also includes wherein the strap  20  is made contiguous with at least one surface S cb  of the conduit box or similar box material  12 . As in the conventional conduit box assembly  7 , the conduit box  12  has at least one conduit  13  attached thereto for conveying electrical wires or the like therethrough.  
         [0035]    According to the preferred embodiment, the strap  20  comprises a first  20   a , second  20   b , third  20   c , fourth  20   d  and fifth  20   e  surface S for respective attachment with a distinct first  16   a  second  16   b , third  16   c  fourth and fifth  16   c  interior surface S i  of the cavity  16 . Depending on the specific electrical needs, the number of conduit boxes  12  installed within a single block of material  14  can vary as a matter of design choice by one having ordinary skill in the art. Notwithstanding, the strap  20  is mounted within the cavity  16  having at least one surface S of the strap  20  attached or mounted contiguous with at least one surface S cb  of a conduit box  12 . Each surface S cb  of the conduit box  12  comprising a first  12   a , second  12   b , third  12   c  and fourth  12   d  mating surface for attachment with a corresponding separate and distinct respective sixth  20   f , seventh  20   g , eighth  20   h  and ninth  20   i  surface S of the strap  20 .  
         [0036]    The conduit  13  of the conduit box  12  is preferably centrally disposed on a top surface  12   e  of the conduit box  12  and is substantially cylindrical. FIG. 3 illustrates the abutting and mating attachment of the strap  20  with both the interior walls of the cavity  16  and the respective surfaces of the conduit box  12  made contiguous therewith.  
         [0037]    Other variations of the electrical conduit box mounting strap assembly  8 , are diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS.  4 - 6  according to embodiments  9 ,  10  and  11 , respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 4 according to a second embodiment, the mounting strap  30  has similar abutting and mating surface attachments within the cavity  16  as previously recited above, except that the strap  30  is made to mount the conduit box  12  via contiguous attachment with a first  13   a  and second  13   b  surface portion of the substantially cylindrical conduit  13 . The strap  30  includes respective first and second conduit abutting surfaces  30   a ,  30   b  which are shaped to the contour C of the conduit  13 , and have at least one optional surface or edge  30   c  contiguous with the top surface  12   e  of the conduit box  12 .  
         [0038]    As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 5 according to a third embodiment, the strap  40  is configured with respective first and second orthogonal recessed planar ends  40   a  and  40   b  for mating and abutting attachment with a respective first and second protruding orthogonal planar surface corner  42  and  44  of the conduit box  12 . This particular arrangement provides alternative fixed security within an interior cavity  16  of the block of material  14  as similarly recited above.  
         [0039]    For additional structural reinforcement according to the third embodiment, FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the first  12   a , second  12   b , third  12   c  and fourth  12   d  surface portions of the conduit box  12 . As shown therein the box  12  further comprises at least one insertable slot  50  permanently fixed thereto for insertable attachment of the respective first and second orthogonal recessed planar ends  40   a ,  40   b  of the strap  40 . Each slot  50  is more clearly shown and identified in FIG. 7 from a perspective rear-view of the electrical conduit box  12 .  
         [0040]    Other advantages of the strap according to the invention includes making the respective straps  20 ,  30  and  40  out of a flexible yet structurally rigid metallic or composite material.  
         [0041]    It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.