Electrical box structure for securement to wall paneling without separate fasteners

Claim 2

A plastic molded electrical box assembly secured without fasteners to a wall panel and supported in an opening defined by said panel, said box assembly comprising a plurality of sidewall segments each extending forwardly of said back wall to collectively define, with said back wall, an open hollow box assembly defining an open front spaced from said back wall, said sidewall being substantially the same shape and size, in front elevation, as said panel opening, and integral wall panel securing means comprising stop members extending outwardly of said sidewall segments for limiting entry of said box assembly through said wall panel opening from the front and for engaging the fronT surface of said wall panel when the box assembly is secured to said panel, and outwardly extending locking elements integral with the sidewall segments of said box assembly and located a given fixed distance rearwardly of said stop members for engaging the back surface of said wall panel when the box assembly is supported in said opening, said locking elements each comprising an upwardly sloping cam segment having one end merging in the sidewall segment and an opposite exposed end disposed entirely outwardly of the respective sidewall segment, whereby said locking elements are proportioned to be deflected inwardly when said box assembly is pushed inwardly through said opening and then resiliently to move outwardly when said stop members have engaged the front surface of said wall panel, said locking elements being proportioned to prevent removal of said box assembly forwardly of said opening, and to prevent removal of said box assembly from said wall panel, and a plurality of knockouts formed with said box assembly along weakened lines of connection to facilitate their easy separation, thereby to provide access for electrical conductors to the interior from the exterior of said box assembly.

Claim 3

An electrical box assembly secured without fasteners to a wall panel and supported in an opening defined by said panel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said locking elements are closely adjacent said stop members and where, in front elevation, a pair of said locking elements straddle a said stop member.

Claim 4

An electrical box assembly secured without fasteners to a wall panel and supported in an opening defined by said panel in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cam segments are elongated and are each spaced from said sidewall along a narrow spaced pair of slits in said sidewall.

Claim 5

An electrical box assembly secured without fasteners to a wall panel and supported in an opening defined by said panel in accordance with claim 3 wherein each said locking element defines a portion of said sidewall intermediate said spaced pair of slits and positioned inwardly of said cam segment.

Claim 6

A molded plastic, hollow electrical box structure in accordance with claim 4 wherein at least one generally triangularly shaped web extends inwardly of each cam segment.

Claim 7

A molded plastic, hollow electrical box structure adapted to be inserted in an opening in a wall panel and to be secured thereto without fasteners, said box structure comprising an integral back wall and a sidewall forwardly of said back wall and forming with said back wall an open box structure defining an open front forwardly of said back wall and circumscribing a hollow space therewithin, said sidewall being formed of a plurality of generally planar sidewall segments, a plurality of knockout portions formed with said box structure along weakened lines of connection thereby to facilitate their easy separation from the box structure, and integral wall panel securing means comprising stop members for controlling the depth of entry of said box structure when it is inserted through a wall panel opening from the front of said wall panel into the space behind the wall panel and for engaging the front surface of said wall panel when the box structure is secured to said wall panel, said securing means further comprising locking element means mounted on and integral with at least one sidewall segment of said box structure and spaced rearwardly of said stop members by a given fixed distance and positioned for engaging the back surface of said wall panel when the box structure is secured to said wall panel, said locking element means and said stop members extending outwardly of said hollow space, said locking element means being positioned to be pushed inwardly as said box structure is inserted through said wall panel opening and then resiliently to move outwardly when said stop members have engaged the front surface of said wall panel, said locking element means defining an upwardly sloping camming surface to engage the pEriphery of said wall panel opening so that as said box structure is pushed inwardly through said opening, the locking element means will be deflected inwardly, there being a sidewall portion inwardly of said camming surface and connected thereto, said sidewall portion normally being disposed in the plane of its associated sidewall segment and being deflectable inwardly of the hollow space of said box structure when said box structure is pushed inwardly through said wall panel opening, said locking element means being proportioned to prevent removal of said box structure forwardly of a wall panel opening, so that when a wall panel is disposed between said stop members and said locking element means, said box structure may not readily be moved inwardly or outwardly of said wall panel.

Claim 8

A molded plastic, hollow electrical box structure adapted to be inserted in an opening in a wall panel and to be secured thereto without fasteners, said box structure comprising an integral back wall and a sidewall forwardly of said back wall and forming with said back wall an open box structure defining an open front forwardly of said back wall and circumscribing a hollow space therewithin, said sidewall being formed of a plurality of generally planar sidewall segments, a plurality of knockout portions formed with said box structure along weakened lines of connection thereby to facilitate their easy separation from the box structure, and integral wall panel securing means comprising stop members for controlling the depth of entry of said box structure when it is inserted through a wall panel opening from the front of said wall panel into the space behind the wall panel and for engaging the front surface of said wall panel when the box structure is secured to said wall panel, said securing means further comprising locking element means mounted on and integral with at least one sidewall segment of said box structure and spaced rearwardly of said stop members by a given fixed distance and positioned for engaging the back surface of said wall panel when the box structure is secured to said wall panel, said locking element means and said stop members extending outwardly of said hollow space, said locking element means being positioned to be pushed inwardly as said box structure is inserted through said wall panel opening and then resiliently to move outwardly when said stop members have engaged the front surface of said wall panel, said locking element means defining an upwardly sloping camming surface to engage the pEriphery of said wall panel opening so that as said box structure is pushed inwardly through said opening, the locking element means will be deflected inwardly, there being a sidewall portion inwardly of said camming surface and connected thereto, said sidewall portion normally being disposed in the plane of its associated sidewall segment and being deflectable inwardly of the hollow space of said box structure when said box structure is pushed inwardly through said wall panel opening, said locking element means being proportioned to prevent removal of said box structure forwardly of a wall panel opening, so that when a wall panel is disposed between said stop members and said locking element means, said box structure may not readily be moved inwardly or outwardly of said wall panel.

Claim 9

A molded plastic, hollow electrical box structure in accordance with claim 6 in which said locking element means comprises a pair of spaced apart locking elements.

Claim 10

A molded plastic, hollow electrical box structure in accordance with claim 6 in which said sidewall portion is integral with its sidewall segment at one end and which is spaced from its sidewall segment along its length by a pair of spaced narrow slits in said sidewall segment.

Claim 11

A molded plastic, hollow electrical box structure in accordance with claim 6 in which said locking element means comprises a pair of spaced locking elements, and each said upwardly sloping camming surface is generally planar and merges with its associated sidewall segment.

Claim 12

A molded plastic, hollow electrical structure in accordance with claim 6 in which said locking element means comprises a pair of locking elements which are integral with sidewall segments which are opposite each other.

Claim 13

A molded plastic, hollow electrical box structure in accordance with claim 6 wherein said sidewall segments and said sidewall portion terminate generally in the same plane at the front of said box structure.

Claim 14

A molded plastic, hollow electrical box structure in accordance with claim 6 wherein said sidewall portion is connected to said camming surface by at least one generally triangularly shaped web.

Claim 15

A molded plastic, hollow electrical box structure in accordance with claim 12 wherein said sidewall portion is connected to said camming surface by a pair of spaced generally triangularly shaped webs, so that an open space is defined between said webs.