Wallbox installation tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10714919-B2
Application number	US-201815887150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2018
Priority date	Feb 2, 2017
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

As described herein, a wall box installation tool may include a template body, one or more hollow pegs, a guide ring, and/or one or more template cards. The template cards may be configured to be installed on a front surface of the template body. A template card may define a plurality of holes therethrough. The guide ring may be configured to be installed within a pre-drilled hole in a wall. Each template card may be associated with a respective electrical device configuration. A subset of bores extending through the hollow pegs may be accessible via the template card when the template card is installed on the front surface of the template body. The wall box installation tool may include one or more fasteners that are configured to install a template card onto the front surface of the template body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wall box installation tool, comprising:
a template body having a front surface, a guide ring that extends from a rear surface of the template body, and a plurality of bores that extend through the template body from the front surface to the rear surface; and
a first template card located on the front surface of the template body and having a first plurality of holes;
wherein the guide ring is configured to be installed within a pre-drilled hole in a wall, and wherein the first template card is configured to move from a first position associated with a first electrical device configuration to a second position associated with a second electrical device configuration, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the first template card in the first position, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the first template card in the second position.

2. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 , wherein the first template card is configured to be slid along the front surface of the template body between the first position and the second position.

3. The wall box installation tool of claim 2 , wherein the template body includes a plurality of clips that are configured to retain the template card on the front surface of the template body.

4. The wall box installation tool of claim 3 , wherein the template body includes a plurality of stops that are configured to prevent the template card from sliding beyond a top edge and a bottom edge of the template body.

5. The wall box installation tool of claim 2 , wherein the template body defines a plurality of protrusions that extend from the front surface of the template body, and the first template card includes a plurality of openings configured to engage the plurality of protrusions and hold the first template card in a selected position.

6. The wall box installation tool of claim 2 , wherein the template body defines a plurality of triangular wedges that extend from the front surface of the template body, and the first template card includes a plurality of notches configured to engage the plurality of triangular wedges and hold the first template card in a selected position.

7. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second template card located on the front surface of the template body and having a second plurality of holes, the second template card configured to move from a third position to a fourth position;
wherein a third subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the second template card in the third position, and wherein a fourth subset of the plurality bores in the template body are accessible via the second template card in the fourth position.

8. The wall box installation tool of claim 7 , wherein a fifth subset of the plurality of bores is accessible via the first and second template cards when the first template card is in the first position and the second template card is in the second position.

9. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of the plurality of bores are accessed through a subset of the first and second plurality of holes in the first and second template cards.

10. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 , wherein the template body comprises a rim that extends at a perimeter of and substantially perpendicular to the front surface, and the guide ring extends beyond the rim.

11. A wall box installation tool, comprising:
a template body having a guide ring and a plurality of bores that extend through the template body, wherein the guide ring extends from a rear surface of the template body and is configured to be installed within a pre-drilled hole in a wall; and
a plurality of levels that are positioned at oblique angles on the template body, wherein a first subset of the bores are aligned with a first level of the plurality of levels such that the first subset of the bores are horizontal when the first level is level, and wherein a second subset of the bores are aligned with a second level of the plurality of levels such that the second subset of the bores are horizontal when the second level is level.

12. The wall box installation tool of claim 11 , wherein the template body includes a front surface and a rim that extends at a perimeter of and substantially perpendicular to the front surface.

13. The wall box installation tool of claim 12 , wherein the front surface of the template body defines a plurality of orifices configured to retain the plurality of levels.

14. The wall box installation tool of claim 12 , wherein the guide ring extends beyond the rim.

15. A wall box installation tool, comprising:
a template body having a front surface, a guide ring that extends from a rear surface of the template body, and a plurality of bores that extend through the template body from the front surface to the rear surface; and
a template card configured to be installed on the front surface of the template body, wherein the template card defines a plurality of holes therethrough;
wherein the guide ring is configured to be installed within a pre-drilled hole in a wall, and wherein the template card is associated with an electrical device configuration, and wherein a subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the plurality of holes of the template card when the template card is installed on the front surface of the template body.

16. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , wherein the electrical device configuration is a first electrical device configuration, and the template card is configured to move from a first position associated with the first electrical device configuration to a second position associated with a second electrical device configuration, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the template card in the first position, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the template card in the second position.

17. The wall box installation tool of claim 16 , wherein the template body includes a plurality of clips that are configured to retain the template card on the front surface of the template body, and the template card is configured to be slid along the front surface of the template body between the first position and the second position.

18. The wall box installation tool of claim 17 , wherein the template body defines a plurality of protrusions that extend from a front surface of the template body, and are configured to engage the template card to hold the template card in a selected position.

19. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , further comprising:
one or more fasteners that are configured to install the template card onto the front surface of the template body.

20. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , wherein the template card is a first template card, the electrical device configuration is a first electrical device configuration, and the subset of the plurality of bores is a first subset of the plurality of bores, and wherein the wall box installation tool further comprises a second template card configured to be installed on the front surface of the template body, and wherein the second template card is associated with a second electrical device configuration, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of bores is accessible via the second template card when the second tem

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Altonen Gregory S
• Andersen Adam
• Boudin Xavier
• Hanns Michel
• Mace Eric Johnathan

Classifications

• B25H7/02 Primary

  Plates having a flat surface · CPC title

• H02G2200/30

  Tools for installing cables comprising a spirit level · CPC title

• H02G3/00

  Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00) · CPC title

• H02G3/10 Primary

  for surface mounting on a wall · CPC title

• H02G3/086

  Assembled boxes · CPC title