Stud-to-stud mounting bracket for electrical or communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077866-B2
Application number	US-201514733379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2015
Priority date	Jun 6, 2014
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A mounting bracket for a junction box includes a face plate having left and right edge margins and a central opening. The face plate includes a first set of indicia adjacent a top edge of the central opening and a second set of indicia adjacent a bottom edge of the central opening. Each set of indicia includes ruler graduations indicating a distance from the left edge margin of the face plate to the respective ruler graduation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting bracket for a junction box comprising:
a face plate having opposite upper and lower edge margins, opposite left and right edge margins, and a central opening;
an upper channel extending upwardly from the upper edge margin; and
a lower channel extending downwardly from the lower edge margin,
wherein each of the upper and lower channels includes an enlarged end portion at one end thereof, each enlarged end portion having a width greater than a width of a remainder of the respective channel,
wherein each of the enlarged end portions includes a first sidewall extending rearward from the corresponding one of the upper and lower edge margins, a rear wall extending from the first sidewall, and a second side wall extending forward from an upper end of the rear wall and opposing the first side wall to define an open front of the enlarged end portion,
wherein the enlarged end portions of the upper and lower channels are configured to be removed from the remainder of the respective upper and lower channels to form removed enlarged end portions,
wherein the enlarged end portions of the upper and lower channels are sized and shaped such that portions of the remainders of the upper and lower channels are capable of entering the removed enlarged end portions of the corresponding upper and lower channels through the open front of the upper and lower channels to nest the upper and lower channels in the removed enlarged end portions,
wherein each of the upper and lower channels includes a transition portion extending between and connecting the enlarged end portion and the remainder of the respective upper and lower channels, the transition portion gradually increasing in width toward the enlarged end portion.

2. The mounting bracket of claim 1 , wherein the rear wall of each enlarged portion includes a pilot hole.

3. The mounting bracket of claim 2 , wherein the rear wall of each of the upper and lower channels includes clearance holes at spaced intervals along a length of the respective channel, wherein the clearance holes have diameters greater than the diameters of the pilot holes.

4. The mounting bracket of claim 1 , wherein the face plate includes a first set of indicia adjacent a top edge of the central opening and a second set of indicia adjacent a bottom edge of the central opening, each set of indicia comprising ruler graduations indicating a distance from the left edge margin of the face plate to the respective ruler graduation.

5. The mounting bracket of claim 4 , wherein the indicia further comprises horizontal registration lines.

6. The mounting bracket of claim 5 , wherein the horizontal registration lines comprise a first set of horizontal registration lines at spaced locations and a second set of horizontal registration lines at spaced locations, the first set of horizontal registration lines being spaced a first distance from the respective top or bottom edge of the central opening, and the second set of horizontal registration lines being spaced a second distance from the respective top or bottom edge of the central opening, the second distance being different from the first distance.

7. The mounting bracket of claim 1 , in combination with an alignment plate configured to be mounted adjacent a rear face of the central opening, the alignment plate including a first flange configured to extend into the central opening and a second flange configured to align a junction box within the central opening.

8. The mounting bracket of claim 7 , wherein the first flange extends from the alignment plate in a first direction and the second flange extends from the alignment plate in a second direction generally opposite the first direction.

9. The mounting bracket of claim 7 , wherein the alignment plate has a height that generally corresponds to a distance between the first sidewall of the upper channel and the first sidewall of the lower channel to permit the alignment plate to be centered and aligned on the mounting bracket.

10. The mounting bracket of claim 1 , further comprising filler clips detachably connected to the face plate adjacent the central opening, the filler clips being configured for attachment to a junction box to align the junction box within the central opening.

11. A method of adjusting a length of a mounting bracket for a junction box comprising
providing a mounting bracket comprising:
a face plate having opposite upper and lower edge margins, opposite left and right edge margins, and a central opening;
an upper channel extending upwardly from the upper edge margin;
a lower channel extending downwardly from the lower edge margin, each of the upper and lower channels including an enlarged end portion at one end thereof, each enlarged end portion having a width greater than a width of the remainder of the respective channel such that the enlarged end portion is configured to receive a portion of the remainder of the respective channel, wherein each of the enlarged end portions includes a first sidewall extending rearward from the corresponding one of the upper and lower edge margins, a rear wall extending from the first sidewall, and a second side wall extending forward from an upper end of the rear wall and opposing the first side wall to define an open front of the enlarged end portion, wherein each of the upper and lower channels includes a transition portion extending between and connecting the enlarged end portion and the remainder of the respective upper and lower channels, the transition portion gradually increasing in width toward the enlarged end portion;

cutting the mounting bracket at a first cutting location to remove the enlarged end portions of each of the upper and lower channels, wherein the removed enlarged end portions of the upper and lower channels are sized and shaped such that portions of the remainders of the upper and lower channels are capable of entering the removed enlarged end portions of the corresponding upper and lower channels through the open front of the upper and lower channels to nest the upper and lower channels in the removed enlarged end portions;
cutting the mounting bracket at a second cutting location;
inserting portions of the upper and lower channels into the open front of the respective removed enlarged end portions such that each enlarged end portion receives the portion of one of the upper and lower channels; and
attaching the removed enlarged end portions to the remainder of the mounting bracket to create a mounting bracket having a length shorter than an initial length of the mounting bracket.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the face plate includes indicia adjacent the central opening, the indicia comprising ruler graduations indicating a distance from the left edge margin of the face plate to the respective ruler graduation, and further comprising measuring a distance between two adjacent wall studs.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein cutting the mounting bracket at a second cutting location comprises cutting the mounting bracket at a second location corresponding to the ruler graduation marking the measured distance to remove a portion of the mounting bracket, wherein the shorter length corresponds to the measured distance between two adjacent wall studs.

Assignees

• Cooper Technologies Co

Inventors

• Witherbee Martin Lee

Classifications

• F16M13/02 Primary

  for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle · CPC title

• H02G3/125

  with supporting bar extending between two separate studs of a wall frame · CPC title