Wallbox installation tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11239642-B2
Application number	US-202017092879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2020
Priority date	Feb 2, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

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 planar front surface, a side wall, and a hollow back;
the planar front surface of the template body includes one or more attachment features;
the template body having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough; and
the template body including at least one reference feature having a peripheral wall that extends from the back of the template body and beyond the sidewall of the template body; and

one or more template card members, each of the one or more template card members having a respective plurality of apertures formed therethrough;
wherein the plurality of apertures forms a unique pattern on each respective one of the one or more template card members;
wherein each of the one or more template card members includes at least one attachment feature, wherein the one or more template card member attachment features are complementary to the one or more template body attachment features included in the template body.

2. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of apertures forming the unique pattern correspond to a mounting fixture location for an electrical faceplate.

3. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 wherein the template body further includes one or more reinforcing ribs extending from each of at least some of the plurality of apertures to the sidewall of the template body.

4. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 wherein plurality of apertures included in each template card member correspond to at least a portion of the plurality of apertures formed in the template body and the template card member covers at least one of the plurality of apertures formed in the template body.

5. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 wherein the one or more template body attachment features include a slot into which an edge of a template card member may be inserted.

6. The wall box installation tool of claim 5 wherein the one or more template card member attachment features include a protrusion along the edge of the template card member, the protrusion to fall proximate the wherein the one or more template body attachment features after insertion of the template card member into the slot.

7. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 wherein the wherein the one or more template body attachment features include one or more protrusions extending from the planar front surface of the template body.

8. The wall box installation tool of claim 7 wherein the one or more template card member attachment features include one or more apertures through which at least a portion of the one or more protrusions extending from the planar front surface of the template body pass.

9. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fingers to frictionally couple a spirit level to the template body, the spirit level disposed parallel to a longitudinal axis of the template body.

10. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 wherein the at least one reference feature in the template body includes at least one circular reference aperture, the at least one circular reference aperture having a diameter at least twice the size of one or more of the plurality of apertures formed in the template body.

11. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fingers to frictionally couple a plurality of spirit levels to the template body, each of the spirit levels included in the plurality of spirit levels disposed at an angle measured with respect to a longitudinal axis of the template body.

12. The wall box installation tool of claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of spirit levels align with a respective portion of the plurality of apertures formed in the template body such that when the spirit level is horizontally level, the corresponding plurality of apertures are horizontally aligned.

13. A method of forming a wall box installation tool, the method comprising:
forming a template body having a planar front surface, a side wall, and a hollow back;
forming one or more attachment features on the planar front surface of the template body;
forming a plurality of apertures extending transversely through the template body;
forming at least one reference feature in the template body, the at least one reference feature having a peripheral wall that extends from the back of the template body and beyond the sidewall of the template body;
forming one or more template card members, each of the one or more template card members including a generally planar structure;
forming a respective plurality of apertures through each of the one or more template card members;
wherein the plurality of apertures provides a unique pattern on each respective one of the one or more template card members; and
wherein the plurality of apertures aligns with at least some of the plurality of apertures formed in the template body;

forming at least one attachment feature in each of the one or more template card members;
wherein the one or more template card member attachment features are complementary to the one or more attachment features included in the template body.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein forming a respective plurality of apertures through each of the one or more template card members further comprises:
forming the respective plurality of apertures through each of the one or more template card members, each of the plurality of apertures forming the unique pattern correspond to a mounting fixture location for an electrical faceplate.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
forming one or more reinforcing ribs on the back of the template body, each of the one or more reinforcing ribs extending from each of at least some of the plurality of apertures to the sidewall of the template body.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the respective plurality of apertures through each of the one or more template card members, wherein the plurality of apertures aligns with at least some of the plurality of apertures formed in the template body further comprises:
forming a respective plurality of apertures through each of the one or more template card members, wherein the template card member covers at least one of the plurality of apertures formed in the template body.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein forming the one or more attachment features on the planar front surface of the template body further comprises:
forming one or more slots on the planar front surface of the template body into which an edge of the template card member may be inserted.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein forming at least one attachment feature in each of the one or more template card members further comprises:
forming at least one protrusion along the edge of the template card member, the at least one protrusion to fall proximate the wherein the one or more template body attachment features after insertion of the template card member into the slot.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein forming the one or more attachment features on the planar front surface of the template body further comprises:
disposing one or more protrusions extending from the planar front surface of the template body across the front surface of the template body.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein forming at least one attachment feature in each of the one or more template card members further comprises:
forming one or more apertures in template card member, the one or more attachment featu

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

• 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

• H02G3/086

  Assembled boxes · CPC title

• H02G2200/30

  Tools for installing cables comprising a spirit level · CPC title

• H02G3/10 Primary

  for surface mounting on a wall · CPC title