Universal mounting bracket for electrical boxes in concrete block walls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9300119-B2
Application number	US-201414265834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	Apr 30, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

An electrical box support bracket is provided for coupling to the side wall of an electrical box to support the electrical box in an opening formed in a hollow core building block. The support bracket has a flange at the front edge and coupling tab at a front edge that clips onto the side wall of the electrical box. The coupling tab at the front edge of the support bracket has a hook for engaging an inner edge of the electrical box to couple the support bracket to the electrical box and to prevent sliding of the support bracket on the electrical box. A leg extends substantially perpendicular from one end of the body of the bracket to contact the top or bottom surface of the building block during construction of a wall. The flange forms a positioning tab that contacts the front face of the building block to prevent the electrical box from being pushed into the hollow core of the building block until the wall is completed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting bracket for mounting an electrical box in an opening in a hollow core building block, said mounting bracket comprising:
a body having a first side edge, a second side edge opposite said first side edge, and a first end extending between said first and second side edges;
a first coupling tab coupled to said first side edge by a fold line and configured for bending over the front open edge of the electrical box and coupling said mounting bracket to the electrical box; and
a leg having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side extending between said first and second ends, said first side being coupled to said first side edge of said body by a fold line, whereby said mounting bracket has a substantially L-shape, said leg being bendable in a first direction with respect to said body to a position substantially perpendicular to a plane of said body and being configured for mating with a top or bottom surface of the building block.

2. The mounting bracket of claim 1 , further comprising
a bendable positioning tab coupled to said first end of said body and configured for mating with an outer surface of a second wall of the electrical box that is perpendicular to said first edge of the electrical box.

3. The mounting bracket of claim 1 , further comprising
a positioning tab coupled to said leg at said first end and configured for bending to engage an inner surface of the hollow core building block; and
a positioning tab coupled to said leg at said second end and configured for bending to engage an inner surface of the building block.

4. The mounting bracket of claim 3 , wherein
said leg has a longitudinal dimension greater than a width of said body,
said positioning tab coupled to said first end of said leg being bendable about a fold line extending substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal dimension, and
said tab coupled to said second end of said leg being bendable about a fold line extending substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal dimension.

5. The mounting bracket of claim 2 , further comprising
a positioning tab coupled to said first side edge of said body by a fold line and spaced from said first coupling tab, said positioning tab being configured to bend away from said first coupling tab to contact an outer face of the building block.

6. The mounting bracket of claim 2 , wherein
said first bendable positioning tab is bendable about a fold line and is aligned with the fold line between said leg and said body.

7. A one piece substantially flat metal blank for forming a mounting clip for mounting an electrical box in an opening in a hollow core building block, said blank comprising:
a substantially planar body having a first side, a second side opposite said first side, a first end extending between said first side and second side, and a second end opposite said first end and extending between said first and second sides;
a leg coupled to said first end by a fold line, said leg having a longitudinal dimension greater than a width of said body, whereby said blank has a substantially L-shape, and where said leg is bendable between a first position parallel to a plane of said body and a second position substantially perpendicular to said body;
a first coupling tab and a second coupling tab coupled to said first side of said body by a fold line and configured for folding over a side edge of an electrical box to couple the mounting bracket to the electrical box.

8. The blank of claim 7 , wherein
said leg has a first end with a bendable positioning tab coupled to said leg by a fold line parallel to said first side of said body, and a second end opposite said first end and having a bendable positioning tab coupled to said leg by a fold line parallel to said first side of said body.

9. The blank of claim 8 , wherein
said positioning tab at said first end of said leg has a free end extending toward said second end of said leg; and
said positioning tab at said second of said leg has a free end extending toward said first end of said leg.

10. The blank of claim 7 , further comprising
a positioning tab coupled to said first side by a fold line and being bendable away from said coupling tabs to a position substantially perpendicular to a plane of said body.

11. The blank of claim 7 , further comprising
a positioning tab coupled to said first end of said body by a fold line substantially parallel to said fold line between said body and said leg.

12. The blank of claim 11 , wherein
said leg has a substantially planar configuration and has a longitudinally extending reinforcing rib formed therein.

13. An electrical box assembly for mounting in an opening formed in a hollow core building block comprising:
an electrical box having a first side wall, a second side wall, a first end wall, a second end wall, and an open front;
a mounting bracket having a body with a first side edge, and a first end edge;
a first coupling tab coupled to said first side edge of said body and being configured for coupling to said first side wall of said electrical box; and
a leg having a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side, said first side being coupled to said first end of said body by a fold line and being bendable to a position substantially perpendicular to a plane of said body.

14. The electrical box assembly of claim 13 , wherein
said first coupling tab is folded over said first side wall of said electrical box to contact an inner surface of said side wall.

15. The electrical box assembly of claim 14 , wherein
a second coupling tab is coupled to said first side edge of said body and spaced from said first coupling tab; and
where said first coupling tab has a dimension to contact an inner surface of said first end wall of said electrical box.

16. The electrical box assembly of claim 15 , further comprising
a first positioning tab coupled to said first end of said body by a fold line and configured for folding over an outer surface of said first end wall of said electrical box.

17. The electrical box assembly of claim 16 , further comprising
a second positioning tab coupled to said first side edge of said body and configured for folding outwardly to contact an outer front face of the building block.

18. The electrical box assembly of claim 13 , further comprising
a positioning tab coupled to said first end of said leg by a fold line and configured to fold to a position to contact an inner surface of the hollow core building block.

19. The electrical box assembly of claim 18 , further comprising
a positioning tab coupled to said second end of said leg by a fold line and configured to fold to a position to contact an inner surface of the hollow core building block.

20. The electrical box assembly of claim 19 , wherein
said positioning tab at said first end of said leg is bendable from a first position extending toward said second end and a second position substantially perpendicular to said leg; and
said positioning tab at said second end of said leg is bendable from a first position extending toward said first end, and a second position substantially perpendicular to said leg.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Korcz Krzysztof W
• Johnson Steven J

Classifications

• H02G3/121

  in plain walls · CPC title

• H02G3/08 Primary

  Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes · CPC title