Mounting bracket for electrical or communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9780545-B2
Application number	US-201615262960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A mounting bracket for a junction box includes a face plate, a first leg extending from the face plate, a second leg extending from the face plate, and a leg connector extending between and interconnecting the first and second legs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting bracket for mounting a junction box on a wall stud, the mounting bracket comprising:
a face plate including
a main body having opposite front and rear faces and opposite first and second side edge margins, wherein the main body is configured for attaching the junction box to the rear face thereof, and
at least one stud mounting tab configured for attachment to a wall stud, wherein the at least one stud mounting tab extends outward from at least one of the first and second side edge margins of the main body; and

a stabilizing extension connected to the face plate, the stabilizing extension including
a first leg extending from the first side edge margin of the face plate,
a second leg configured to attach to the second side edge margin of the face plate so that the second leg extends rearward from the face plate, and
a leg connector extending between and interconnecting the first and second legs,

wherein the stabilizing extension comprises a unitary stabilizing body including bending locations for bending the stabilizing body to form the first leg, the second leg, and the leg connector,
wherein the stabilizing extension is bendable at the bending locations so that the first leg extends rearward from the first side edge margin, the leg connector extends generally transversely from the first leg, and the second leg extends forward from the leg connector.

2. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing extension is formed integrally with the face plate.

3. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing extension includes indicia indicating the bending locations.

4. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the second edge margin of the face plate defines an attachment opening, wherein the second leg includes a locking tongue configured to be received in the attachment opening to attach the second leg to the second side edge margin of the face plate.

5. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the locking tongue is a first locking tongue configured to attach the second leg to the second side edge margin of the face plate when the stabilizing extension is in a first stabilizing configuration, the second leg further comprising a second locking tongue configured to be received in the attachment opening in the face plate to secure the second leg to the second side edge margin of the face plate when the stabilizing extension is in a second stabilizing configuration.

6. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the leg connector includes extension tabs configured to be bent relative to the leg connector to increase a depth of the stabilizing extension.

7. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a depth extender configured for attachment to the stabilizing extension to increase a depth of the stabilizing extension.

8. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the depth extender comprises a first set of attachment clips configured for attachment to the stabilizing extension to increase the depth of the stabilizing extension to a first extended depth.

9. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the depth extender comprises a second set of attachment clips configured for attachment to the stabilizing extension to increase the depth of the stabilizing extension to a second extended depth greater than the first extended depth.

10. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the at least one stud mounting tab includes first and second stud mounting tabs extending from the respective first and second side edge margins of the main body, each of the stud mounting tabs being configured for attachment to both a wall stud and a second mounting bracket.

11. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second stud mounting tabs includes a clearance hole and a pilot hole vertically aligned with the clearance hole.

12. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the main body of the face plate further comprises:
a mounting opening for attaching the main body of the face plate to a junction box; and
a plaster ring mounting tab for mounting a plaster ring to the main body of the face plate, the plaster ring mounting tab being configured to be bent to overlie the mounting opening of the main body.

13. The mounting bracket as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the plaster ring mounting tab includes a pilot hole positioned such that when the plaster ring mounting tab is bent to overlie the mounting opening, the pilot hole is aligned with the mounting opening.

Assignees

• Cooper Technologies Co

Inventors

• Witherbee Martin Lee

Classifications

• H02G3/10

  for surface mounting on a wall · CPC title

• H02G3/126 Primary

  with supporting means for mounting on a single wall stud · CPC title

• H02G3/121 Primary

  in plain walls · CPC title