Mounting brace assembly for mounting an electrical box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9285074-B2
Application number	US-201414542198-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A brace assembly is provided having a brace for mounting to a support and a hanger member. The hanger member is coupled to the brace by a bar positioned in a longitudinal slot in the bottom side of the brace. The bar enables the hanger member to slide along the length of the brace. The hanger member has a bottom wall and side walls with a top end for coupling to a support. A mounting bracket is removably coupled to the hanger member for supporting the brace.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A brace and electrical box assembly comprising:
a brace having a top wall, a bottom, a longitudinal cavity, a first longitudinal end having an aperture receiving a first nut, a first end bracket coupled to said first longitudinal end of said brace by a screw extending into said longitudinal cavity and threaded into a threaded hole in said first nut, a second longitudinal end having an aperture receiving a second nut, and a second end bracket coupled to said second longitudinal end of said brace by a screw extending into said longitudinal cavity and threaded into a threaded hole in said second nut, said first end bracket and second end bracket configured for coupling to a ceiling support bar; and an electrical box coupled to said brace.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first and second longitudinal ends of said brace have a plurality of prongs received in apertures in said respective end bracket.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein said coupling screws extend through the respective end bracket into said longitudinal cavity of said brace.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein each of said end brackets has a main body portion, a first leg extending from a first end of said main body portion and a second leg extending from a second end of said main body portion, said first and second legs being spaced apart from said main body portion to capture the ceiling bar support between said main body portion and said legs.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein each of said first leg and second leg include a bent portion extending from said main body portion forming a support surface for engaging a top surface of the ceiling support bar.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein each of said first leg and second leg has an outwardly extending flange with upwardly extending prongs for gripping a top edge of the ceiling support bar.

7. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein each of said first leg and said second leg has a bottom end offset inwardly toward the main body for coupling to the ceiling support bar.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said brace has a bottom portion defining a longitudinal slot and a channel, and where said assembly further comprises a hanger coupled to said brace by a bar received in said channel, said hanger having a substantially U-shaped portion with said bottom wall juxtaposed to said bottom side of said brace, and having side members extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said side members having a height greater than a height of said brace whereby said top end of said hanger extends above said top of said brace, and where a coupling at said top end of said hanger extends between said side members.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein said bar has a threaded hole aligned with said slot in said brace and said hanger has a bottom wall with an upwardly extending tab extending through said slot and is received in an aperture in said bar to align an aperture of said hanger with said threaded hole in said bar.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising at least one spacer member positioned between said bottom wall of said hanger and the electrical box, said at least one spacer having a width corresponding substantially to a width of said bottom of said brace and having an open slot to receive the coupling screw from said electrical box.

11. A brace assembly for supporting an electrical device, comprising: a brace having a top wall, a bottom with a longitudinal internal channel and a longitudinal slot open to said channel, a first longitudinal end, and a second longitudinal end, a first end bracket coupled to said first longitudinal end, and a second end bracket coupled to said second longitudinal end of said brace, each said end bracket having a main body portion, a first leg extending from a first end of said main body portion, and a second leg extending from a second end of said main body portion, said first leg and second leg being spaced from said main body portion to capture the ceiling bar support between said legs and said main body portion for coupling said brace to said ceiling bar support; and an electrical device coupled to said brace.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein said first and second longitudinal ends of said brace have a plurality of prongs received in a corresponding aperture in said respective end bracket.

13. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein each said first leg and second leg include a bent portion extending from said main body portion forming a support surface for engaging a top surface of the ceiling support bar.

14. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein each said legs have an outwardly extending flange with upwardly extending prongs for gripping a top edge of the ceiling support bar.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein each said legs have a bottom end offset inwardly toward the main body for coupling to the ceiling support bar.

16. The brace assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a bar received in said channel, said bar having a threaded hole aligned with said longitudinal slot;
a hanger having a bottom wall overlying said longitudinal slot and having an aperture aligned with said threaded hole in said bar, side walls having a bottom end coupled to said bottom wall, said aperture in said bottom wall adapted for receiving a coupling screw passing through an aperture in an electrical box and threaded into said threaded hole in said bar to couple the electrical box and hanger to the brace and to clamp the position of the electrical box to the brace.

17. The brace assembly of claim 11 , further comprising at least one removable spacer member positioned between said bottom wall of said hanger and the electrical box, said at least one spacer having a slot defining an opening for receiving said coupling screw from said electrical box to capture said spacer member and space said electrical box from said hanger a predetermined distance.

18. The brace assembly of claim 11 , wherein said first longitudinal end has an aperture therein, a first nut with a threaded hole received in said aperture and positioned in said longitudinal channel; a screw extending through said first end bracket and said longitudinal channel and threaded into a threaded hole in said first nut; said second longitudinal end has an aperture therein, a second nut with a threaded hole received in said aperture and positioned in said longitudinal channel; and a screw extending through said second end bracket and said longitudinal channel and threaded into said threaded hole in said second nut.

19. A brace assembly for supporting an electrical device, comprising:
a brace having a top wall, a bottom defining a longitudinal slot, and a longitudinal internal channel, a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end;
a first end bracket coupled to said first longitudinal end, and a second end bracket coupled to said second longitudinal end of said brace, each said end bracket having a main body portion, a first leg extending from a first end of said main body portion, and a second leg extending from a second end of said main body portion, said first leg and second leg being spaced from said main body portion to capture the ceiling bar support between said legs and said main body portion for coupling said brace to a said ceiling bar support a bar received in said internal channel and having a threaded hole; a hanger member having an aperture aligned with said threaded hole in said bar; and
an electrical box having a rear wall with a screw hole, and a screw passing through said hole in said rear wall and said aperture in sai

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Korcz Krzysztof W
• Ayrton Mahran H

Classifications

• H02G3/12

  for flush mounting · CPC title

• H02G15/06

  Cable terminating boxes, frames or other structures · CPC title

• F16M13/027

  Ceiling supports · CPC title

• F16M13/02 Primary

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

• H02G3/20 Primary

  Ceiling roses {or other lighting sets} · CPC title