Modular plumbing box system and methods of mounting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10683645-B2
Application number	US-201815924675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2018
Priority date	Mar 23, 2017
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A system of modular boxes as shown and described can be interconnected directly to one another via connectors that are integrally molded with the sidewalls of the boxes. The connectors of the boxes may include fastener receiving apertures for receiving a stud-mounting fastener therethrough. The connectors are thin and flexible, such that insertion and forcible tightening of a fastener through the aperture will cause a compressive force to be exerted between the interconnected boxes to maintain their spatial relationship and to maintain their interconnection. A further feature of the modular boxes of the system are anti-rotation members and receivers that are integrally molded to the side walls of the boxes. The anti-rotation members and receivers interact with one another at the point of connection between the boxes to prevent the boxes from flexing, rotating, or otherwise moving with respect to one another post-installation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular plumbing box system for mounting to one or more studs within a wall, the plumbing box system comprising:
a first plumbing box having a top wall, a bottom wall, first and second side walls, a back wall, and an open front portion defining a central opening spaced from the back wall, the first plumbing box including:
a first connector that is integral with and extends outwardly from the first sidewall, the first connector extending continuously along the first sidewall from the top wall to the bottom wall, and the first connector having a top surface and a bottom surface separated from the top surface by a thickness along a direction (T),
wherein the first connector is configured to detachably connect with a second connector of a second plumbing box so as to interconnect the first and second plumbing boxes, and wherein the first connector further includes:
an anti-rotation projection that extends outwardly from the first connector at a location closer to the bottom wall than to the top wall, the anti-rotation projection having a top surface that is coplanar with the top surface of the first connector and having a bottom surface that is inset from the bottom surface of the first connector; and
an anti-rotation receiver that extends outwardly from the first connector at a location closer to the top wall than to the bottom wall, the anti-rotation receiver having a channel that is sized and configured to receive a portion of a second anti-rotation projection of the second connector of the second plumbing box.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first connector is substantially flat and further includes:
a projection member extending outwardly from the first connector at a location closer to the top wall than to the bottom wall, the projection member having a locking feature that is sized and configured to be received by a portion of a second projection receiver of the second connector of the second plumbing box; and
a projection receiver including an upper portion, a lower portion, and an open portion therebetween, the open portion defining a slot that is sized and configured to receive a portion of the second connector of the second plumbing box.

3. The system of claim 1 , further including the second plumbing box, separately formed from the first plumbing box, configured to be interconnected to the first plumbing box, the second plumbing box having a second top wall, a second bottom wall, third and fourth side walls, and a second back wall and a second open front portion separated therefrom by a second central opening, the second plumbing box including:
the second connector that is integral with and extends outwardly from the fourth sidewall, the second connector extending continuously along the fourth sidewall from the second top wall to the second bottom wall, and the second connector having a second top surface and a second bottom surface separated from the second top surface by a second thickness along the direction (T) that is substantially equal to the thickness of the first connector, wherein the second connector further includes:
a second anti-rotation projection that extends outwardly from the second connector at a location closer to the top wall than to the bottom wall, the second anti-rotation projection having a second top surface that is coplanar with the second top surface of the second connector and having a second bottom surface that is inset from the second bottom surface of the second connector; and
a second anti-rotation receiver that extends outwardly from the second connector at a location closer to the bottom wall than to the top wall, the second anti-rotation receiver having a second channel that is sized and configured to receive a portion of the anti-rotation projection of the first connector of the first plumbing box.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second connector further includes:
a second projection member extending outwardly from the second connector at a location closer to the bottom wall than to the top wall, the second projection member having a second locking feature that is sized and configured to be received by a portion of the projection receiver of the first connector of the first plumbing box; and
a second projection receiver including a second upper portion, a second lower portion, and a second open portion therebetween, the second open portion defining a second slot that is sized and configured to receive the locking feature of the first plumbing box.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first plumbing box is configured to house at least one water supply valve and the second plumbing box is configured to receive a drain hose, the system further including:
at least one supply line opening in the bottom wall of the first box for receiving the at least one water supply valve therethrough; and
a drain opening in the second bottom wall of the second box for receiving the drain hose, the second opening having a collar disposed about the drain opening about an exterior portion of the second bottom wall.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein when the first box is interconnected to the second box, such that 1) the anti-rotation projection of the first box is received by the second anti-rotation receiver of the second box, and 2) the second anti-rotation projection of the second box is received by the anti-rotation receiver of the first box, flexion and rotation between the interconnected first and second boxes is reduced.

7. The system of claim 3 , further including a spacer for stabilizing the system when the first box is interconnected to the second box, the spacer including a connection end spaced from an abutment end, such that when the first box is interconnected to the second box, the connection end of the spacer is configured to be attached directly to one of the first and second boxes and the abutment end is configured to abut against the other one of the first and second boxes.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first connector includes a first plurality of fastener receiving apertures, each aperture of the first plurality being configured to receive a fastener so as to mount the first plumbing box to the one or more wall studs; and
the second connector includes a second plurality of fastener receiving apertures, each aperture of the second plurality being configured to receive a fastener so as to mount the second plumbing box to the one or more wall studs, such that when the first box is interconnected to the second box no aperture of the first plurality will overlay any portion of the second connector.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein when the first box is interconnected to the second box, the insertion of a singular fastener through any one of the apertures of the first or second pluralities creates a compressive force between the first and second boxes, such that the compressive force spatially retains the boxes relative to one another.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the compressive force causes at least the locking feature of the first connector to be driven more deeply into the second slot of the second box.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to be mounted across one wall stud, such that the wall stud resides between the first and second boxes when the boxes are interconnected.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to be mounted in a stud bay located in between the one or more studs, such that the first box may be connected to a first wall stud of the one or more studs and the second box may be connected to a second wall stud of the one or more studs that is different than, but adjacent to, the first wall stud.

Assignees

• Oatey Co

Inventors

• Brown Kenneth
• Lorkowski Aaron

Classifications

• Y10T137/698

  Wall · CPC title

• E03B7/095

  Component holders or housings, e.g. boundary boxes · CPC title

• E03C1/021 Primary

  Devices for positioning or connecting of water supply lines (connection to the tap body E03C1/0403) · CPC title