Convenience electrical outlet assembly
AssigneeAMP Incorporated
InventorsJames L. Dale, Vernon R. Miller, Lincoln E. Roberts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A convenience outlet assembly having a wall box which can be mounted relative to a stud in light frame construction is suitable for use with a hybrid cables containing both power and signal conductors. The assembly includes a mounting bracket attachable to a stud and a wall box which can be attached to the mounting bracket with a peripheral frame on the front of the wall box being precisely positioned relative to the exterior of a wall panel, even through the position of the mounting bracket can vary. A cable tap subassembly attachable to provided for interconnection of various modules in the assembly. This cable tape subassembly can be part of the rear wall of the housing.
Claims20
A wall box assembly for use in an electrical distribution system of a residential type construction, said assembly including at least one electrical cable disposed behind wall panels secured to studs of said construction, including:
- a mounting bracket comprising a frame having an opening therein and means for attaching the mounting bracket to one of the studs prior to installation on the wall panels over the studs;
- a box having an open front face and means for attaching the cable at the rear of the box, the box including a flange on the front face, said box further including means for positioning the cable parallel to said front face of the box so that electrical components can be inserted through said open front face and plugged into electrical contact with the cable;
- and means for attaching the flange to the frame with the flange being positioned on a front surface of one wall panel and the frame being positioned on the rear surface of the wall panel, whereby electrical components can be positioned in the box and the box can be positioned flush with the front surface of the wall panel and can be attached to the stud by the mounting bracket.
A wall box assembly for use in an electrical distribution system of a residential type construction, said assembly including at least one electrical cable disposed behind wall panels secured to studs of said construction, including:
- a mounting bracket comprising a frame having an opening therein and means for attaching the mounting bracket to one of the studs prior to installation of the wall panels over the studs;
- a box having an open front face and means for attaching the cable at the rear of the box, the box including a flange on the front face, where said flange extends from four sides of the wall box, at least one of the sides having an opening through which auxiliary cables can extend;
- and means for attaching the flange to the frame with the flange being positioned on a front surface of one wall panel and the frame being positioned on the rear surface of the wall panel, whereby electrical components can be positioned in the box and the box can be positioned flush with the front surface of the wall panel and can be attached to the stud by the mounting bracket.
A convenience outlet assembly for interconnecting electrical components to wires in a flat cable extending behind a wall in a structure, the assembly comprising:
- a mounting bracket secured to a structural support behind the wall, the mounting bracket having a peripheral frame;
- a cable clamp comprising means for positioning the plurality of wires in a prescribed orientation;
- a cable tap subassembly attachable to the cable clamp;
- a mounting box, separate from the mounting bracket, having an open front face with a peripheral flange on the front of the mounting box, the peripheral flange being attachable to the peripheral frame with the peripheral flange on the exterior of the wall and the peripheral frame being on the interior of the wall, the mounting box being insertable through an opening in the wall, the cable tap subassembly being mountable on the rear of the wall box;
- and
- at least one module insertable into the front of the wall box for attachment to the cable tap subassembly.
A wall box for mounting electrical components to be interconnected to wires, the wall box having four sides and being open on the front and having a rear wall extending between the four sides, a plurality of electrical interconnecting elements mounted on the rear wall, each interconnecting element having at least one first contact and at least one second contact, each first contact facing forward and each second contact facing rearward, the first contacts being offset from the second contacts, the rear wall of the wall box having apertures aligned with one of the first and second contacts so that components can be inserted into the interior of the wall box through the front and connected to the first contacts, and wires can be attached to the exterior of the wall box by connecting the wires to corresponding second contacts to connect the components to the wires through the interconnecting elements mounted on the rear wall of the wall box.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.