Floor stand system for mounting an electrical box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9653899-B2
Application number	US-201313839458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A floor stand system for mounting an electrical box above a floor includes an electrical box mount having a mechanical interface thereon. A set of substantially interchangeable floor supports have mating mechanical interfaces at their upper ends for connecting to the mechanical interface on the electrical box mount. The set of floor supports includes a plurality of floor supports having different fixed lengths. The floor supports are substantially interchangeable so that one of the floor supports having a fixed length suitable for supporting the electrical box mount at a desired elevation above the floor can be selected and connected to the electrical box mount using the mechanical interfaces to create a floor stand suitable for supporting the electrical box mount at the desired elevation above the floor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A floor stand system for mounting an electrical box above a floor, the system comprising:
an electrical box mount configured to attach to and support one or more electrical boxes, the electrical box mount including
a face plate having opposite upper and lower ends, and opposite front and back faces, wherein the face plate is configured to mount the one or more electrical boxes to the back face of the electrical box mount,
a lower mechanical interface at the lower end of the face plate, wherein the mechanical interface defines a lower horizontal channel including an upper wall projecting rearward from the face plate, a rear wall extending downward from a rear end of the upper wall, and a lower wall projecting forward from a lower end of the rear wall and generally opposing the upper wall, and
an upper mechanical interface at the upper end of the face plate, wherein the upper mechanical interface defines an upper horizontal channel including a lower wall projecting rearward from the face plate, a rear wall extending upward from a rear end of the lower wall, and an upper wall projecting forward from an upper end of the rear wall and generally opposing the lower wall;

a floor support having a first mating mechanical interface at an upper end of the floor support, the first mating mechanical interface being adapted to connect to the lower horizontal channel of the electrical box mount to secure the electrical box mount to the floor support, wherein the floor support is configured to support the electrical box mount at a desired elevation above the floor when the floor support is secured to the electrical box mount; and
a cable guide having a second mating mechanical interface at a lower end of the cable guide, the second mating mechanical interface adapted to connect to the upper horizontal channel of the electrical box mount to secure the cable guide to the electrical box mount, the cable guide being configured for supporting one or more cables connected to an electrical box mounted on the electrical box mount at a position spaced from the electrical box.

2. A floor stand system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electrical box mount defines a central opening and a plurality of perimeter openings adjacent a perimeter of the central opening.

3. A floor stand system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first mechanical interface of the floor support includes a resiliently deflectable first locking tab configured to enter the lower horizontal channel of the electrical box mount to facilitate connection of the floor support to the electrical box mount,
wherein the second mechanical interface of the cable guide includes a resiliently deflectable second locking tab configured to enter the upper horizontal channel of the electrical box mount to facilitate connection of the cable guide to the electrical box mount.

4. A floor stand system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the upper wall of the lower horizontal channel defines a first tongue-receiving slot, wherein the first mechanical interface of the floor support includes a first tongue at an upper end thereof configured to enter the first tongue-receiving slot to facilitate connection of the floor support to the electrical box mount,
wherein the lower wall of the upper horizontal channel defines a tongue-receiving slot, wherein the second mechanical interface of the floor support includes a tongue at a lower end thereof configured to enter the second tongue-receiving slot to facilitate connection of the cable guide to the electrical box mount.

5. A floor stand system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the first mechanical interface of the floor support includes at least one first finger extending upward and at least one first tab extending upward, wherein the at least one first finger and at least one first tab defines a first interface horizontal channel configured to receive the lower horizontal channel of the electrical box mount therein,
wherein the second mechanical interface of the cable guide includes at least one second finger extending upward and at least one second tab extending upward, wherein the at least one second finger and at least one second tab defines a second interface horizontal channel configured to receive the upper horizontal channel of the electrical box mount therein.

6. A floor stand system for mounting an electrical box above a floor, the system comprising:
an electrical box mount configured to attach to and support one or more electrical boxes, the electrical box mount including
a face plate having opposite upper and lower ends, and opposite front and back faces, wherein the face plate is configured to mount the one or more electrical boxes to the back face of the electrical box mount, and
a mechanical interface at the lower end of the face plate, wherein the mechanical interface defines a horizontal channel including an upper wall projecting rearward from the face plate, a rear wall extending downward from a rear end of the upper wall, and a lower wall projecting forward from a lower end of the rear wall and generally opposing the upper wall, wherein the upper wall of the horizontal channel defines a tongue-receiving slot;

a floor support having a mating mechanical interface at an upper end of the floor support, the mating mechanical interface being adapted to connect to the horizontal channel of the electrical box mount, without the use of any tools, to secure the electrical box mount to the floor support, without the use of any tools, wherein the mechanical interface of the floor support includes a tongue at an upper end thereof configured to enter the tongue-receiving slot to facilitate connection of the floor support to the electrical box mount,
wherein the floor support is configured to support the electrical box mount at a desired elevation above the floor when the floor support is secured to the electrical box mount.

7. A floor stand system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cable guide having a lower end adapted to connect to the electrical box mount to secure the cable guide to the electrical box mount, the cable guide being configured for supporting one or more cables connected to an electrical box mounted on the electrical box mount at a position spaced from the electrical box.

8. A floor stand system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electrical box mount is adapted to support a plurality of electrical boxes.

9. A floor stand system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electrical box mount defines a central opening and a plurality of perimeter openings adjacent a perimeter of the central opening.

10. A floor stand system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the mechanical interface of the floor support includes a resiliently deflectable locking tab configured to enter the horizontal channel to facilitate connection of the floor support to the electrical box mount.

11. A floor stand system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the mechanical interface of the floor support includes at least one finger extending upward and at least one tab extending upward, wherein the at least one finger and at least one tab defines a horizontal channel configured to receive the horizontal channel of the electrical box mount therein.

Assignees

• Cooper Technologies Co

Inventors

• Salian Jayanth Koragappa
• Nellikka Shainish

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• F16B5/0016

  with snap action · CPC title

• H02G3/121 Primary

  in plain walls · CPC title

• H02G1/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines · CPC title

• H02G3/123

  in thin walls · CPC title