Suspended ceiling mounting bracket for connector installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10186816-B2
Application number	US-201715706635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A bracket and associated components provides a means to securely install one or more connectors within a dropped ceiling. The bracket can be mounted to a drop wire or threaded rod within a ceiling space, thereby suspending the bracket and associated connectors within the ceiling space. One or more connectors coupled to a cable can be directly installed on the bracket via port windows cut into the bracket. Alternatively, a surface mount box containing connectors can be mounted on the bracket to yield a protected, strain-resistant connector installation within the ceiling space. The bracket and associated components can be made of plenum-rated materials, making the mounting solution suitable for installations within plenum spaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a flat bracket comprising:
a port opening configured to receive and hold a connector,
two mounting holes configured to mount the bracket to a surface, wherein the two mounting holes are disposed along an edge of the flat bracket near a top corner of the flat bracket and a bottom corner of the flat bracket, respectively, and
a clip mounting hole configured to secure a clip to the flat bracket, wherein the clip is disposed along the edge of the flat bracket between the two mounting holes.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the clip is configured to affix the flat bracket to a drop wire.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the flat bracket further comprises a raised lance formed near the clip mounting hole and oriented substantially parallel with the edge, and
the raised lance is oriented to inhibit rotation of the clip about the clip mounting hole.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the clip comprises a bat-wing clip or a multi-function clip.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein
the clip mounting hole is further configured to secure a beam clamp to the flat bracket, and
the beam clamp is configured to affix the flat bracket to a planar structure.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the flat bracket further comprises a box mounting hole configured to secure a surface mount box to the flat bracket, and
the surface mount box is configured to receive and hold the connector.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the surface mount box comprises cable port openings and is configured to hold the connector behind one of the cable port openings.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the flat bracket comprises multiple box mounting holes, including the box mounting hole, located on the flat bracket enabling the surface mount box to be mounted in multiple orientations on the flat bracket.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flat bracket further comprises a raised lance configured to receive a cable tie.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the port opening comprises a notch configured to interface with a mounting clip on the connector.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the port opening is configured to receive and hold, as the connector, at least one of a registered jack 45 (RJ-45) jack, an RJ-11 jack, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an adapter to receive a fiber optic connector, a definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a video graphics array (VGA) port, a digital video interface (DVI) port, a coaxial port, a banana jack port, a Radio Corporation of America (RCA) port, a Bayonet Neill-Concelman (BNC), or a Thunderbolt port.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the port opening comprises a notch configured to engage with a mounting clip on the connector.

13. A flat bracket, comprising:
a port opening configured to receive and hold a connector;
a first mounting hole located at a top corner of the flat bracket along an edge of the flat bracket;
a second mounting hole located at a bottom corner of the flat bracket along the edge of the flat bracket; and
a clip mounting hole located along the edge of the flat bracket between the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole,
wherein
the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole are configured to mount the flat bracket to a surface,
the clip mounting hole is configured to attach a mounting device to the flat bracket.

14. The flat bracket of claim 13 , wherein the mounting device is a clip configured to attach the flat bracket to a drop wire.

15. The flat bracket of claim 13 , wherein the mounting device is a beam clamp configured to attach the flat bracket to a planar structure.

16. The flat bracket of claim 13 , further comprising box mounting holes configured to attach a surface mount box to the flat bracket, wherein the surface mount box is configured to receive and hold the connector.

17. The flat bracket of claim 16 , wherein the box mounting holes are configured to hold the surface mount box on the flat bracket in multiple orientations.

18. The flat bracket of claim 13 , further comprising a raised lance formed adjacent to the clip mounting hole and oriented substantially parallel with the edge,
wherein the raised lance is oriented to inhibit rotation of the mounting device about the clip mounting hole.

19. A flat bracket, comprising:
means for holding a connector;
first means for mounting the flat bracket to an external surface, wherein the first means for mounting is disposed along an edge of the flat bracket at a top corner of the flat bracket;
second means for mounting the flat bracket to an external surface, wherein the second means for mounting is disposed along the edge of the flat bracket at a bottom corner of the flat bracket; and
means for fastening a clip to the flat bracket, wherein the means for fastening the clip is disposed along the edge of the flat bracket between the first means for mounting and the second means for mounting.

20. The flat bracket of claim 19 , wherein the clip is configured to affix the flat bracket to a drop wire.

Assignees

• Leviton Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Seger John L
• Hudgens Bryan
• Dearing Mark E
• Shackelford Ronald E
• Hansen Brian

Classifications

• H01R13/518

  for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames · CPC title

• H02G3/20

  Ceiling roses {or other lighting sets} · CPC title

• H01R13/73 Primary

  Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall · CPC title