Lift cover and gasket assembly
AssigneeHubbell Incorporated
InventorsThomas J. Vigorito, Thomas W. Bracci
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical box assembly includes a cover assembly, a gasket and an electrical box coupled together by mounting screws. The cover includes a base with a plurality of screw holes for receiving the mounting screws. A support member having an axial passage extends from the bottom face of the cover around each of the screw holes. The gasket includes a cylindrical shaped sleeve that passes through the support member and has an axial length to extend from the screw hole in the cover. The mounting screws are inserted through the axial passage of the sleeve and the screw holes in the cover to axially compress the sleeve to form a watertight seal between the screw shaft and the support member.
Claims23
A cover for an electrical device, said cover comprising:
- a base having an opening with a dimension corresponding to the electrical device, a front surface and a rear surface, a screw hole extending between said front surface and said rear surface, and a support member extending from said rear surface;
- and
- a gasket having a body portion corresponding to a dimension of said base for forming a seal between said base and an electrical box, said gasket having a front surface, a rear surface, and a sleeve extending from said front face and positioned to align with said screw hole and support member of said base, said sleeve having a length to extending through said base, wherein said sleeve is axially compressible by a screw extending through said screw hole.
A cover for an electrical device, said cover comprising:
- a base having an opening with a dimension corresponding to a dimension of the electrical device, a front surface, and a rear surface, at least one screw hole extending between said front surface and said rear surface, and a support member extending from said rear surface and aligned with said screw hole, said support member having an axial passage;
- a screw having a head and a threaded shaft extending through said screw hole and support member in said base for coupling said base to an electrical box;
- and
- a gasket having a bottom portion corresponding to a dimension of said base for forming a seal between said base and an electrical box, said gasket having a front surface and a rear surface, a sleeve extending from said front surface and aligned with said screw hole and positioned within said cylindrical support member of said base, said sleeve having an axial length extending through said screw hole a distance to contact said screw head, wherein tightening said screw with respect to said electrical box axially compresses said sleeve to form a seal against the screw head and to deflect the sleeve radially outwardly to form a seal between the screw shaft and the support member.
A method of forming a weatherproof seal between an electrical box and a cover, said method comprising:
- positioning a cover and gasket onto an electrical box,
- said cover including a base having an opening with a dimension corresponding to a dimension of an electrical device mounted to said electrical box, a front surface and a rear surface, at least one screw hole extending between said front and rear surface, and a support member having an axial passage and extending from said rear surface and aligned with said screw hole;
- said gasket having a bottom portion corresponding to a dimension of said base and an electrical box, a front surface and a rear surface, and a sleeve extending from said front surface and extending through said axial passage of said sleeve and through said screw hole;
- inserting a screw through said screw hole and sleeve, threading into said electrical box, and tightening said screw to axially compress said sleeve into said screw hole thereby radially expanding said sleeve to form a seal with said support member and said screw.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.