Electrical junction box for existing wall constructions

Claim 2

A wall-mounting electrical outlet box which can be inserted for mounting through an opening in the front panel of a wall that has a rear panel spaced from the front panel, where the width of the opening and the wall panel spacing are materially less than the width of the box, said box comprising a back, enclosing sides joined to and projecting forwardly from said back, and a front which includes a closed area portion adjacent to one side and an adjoining open area portion affording frontal access to the interior of said box located between the opposite side and said closed area portion, said opposite side converging inwardly toward the first side over substantially a major portion of the depth of the box to join the back, such inward convergence reducing the width of the box at the back by an amount of the same order of magnitude as the extent of said depth major portion and forming a chamferEd relief corner enabling the box to be swung about an axis at the box front intermediate said one side and opposite side for clearing a side edge of the front wall panel opening during sidewise insertion of the box through said wall opening, and means adapting the box for mounting the same with its front open area portion in registry with such a wall opening and its closed area portion offset laterally from such wall opening behind the front panel.

Claim 3

The box defined in claim 1 wherein the open area portion of the box front immediately adjoins said opposite side.

Claim 4

The box defined in claim 1 wherein the slope of said opposite side follows a convex curve.

Claim 5

The box defined in claim 1 wherein the front open area portion of the box is at least partially surrounded by a rim which projects forwardly from the closed front portion of the box.

Claim 6

An electrical junction box, the wall structure of which has a front, back, and sides joined together to form a chamber within the box, there being an opening to the chamber in the front of the box whose center line is offset from the center line of the front, so that the opening is disposed adjacent one side of the box, and a portion of the chamber is enclosed behind the front of the box, adjacent the other side thereof, and the relatively back portion of the wall which joins the back with the front on the one side of the box, being sloped in chamfered relief relative to points adjacent the front of the box between the other side and the center line of the opening in the front, so that the box can be inserted sidewise through an aperture in a panel, with the other side advancing first, and swung into a position in which the other side is disposed behind the panel, laterally of the aperture, and the opening in the box is substantially registered with the aperture, for mounting of an electrical device therein.

Claim 7

An electrical junction box, the wall structure of which has a front, back, and sides joined together to form a chamber within the box, there being an opening to the chamber in the front of the box whose center line is offset from the center line of the front, so that the opening is disposed adjacent one side of the box, and a portion of the chamber is enclosed behind the front of the box, adjacent the other side thereof, and the relatively back portion of the wall which joins the back with the front on the one side of the box, being sloped in chamfered relief relative to points adjacent the front of the box between the other side and the center line of the opening in the front, so that the box can be inserted sidewise through an aperture in a panel, with the other side advancing first, and swung into a position in which the other side is disposed behind the panel, laterally of the aperture, and the opening in the box is substantially registered with the aperture, for mounting of an electrical device therein.

Claim 8

The electrical junction box according to claim 5 wherein the back portion is sloped in relationship to points on a curvilinear line.

Claim 9

The electrical junction box according to claim 5 wherein the back portion is sloped in relationship to points on an axis adjacent the front of the box between the other side and the center line of the opening.

Claim 10

The electrical junction box according to claim 5 wherein the relatively front portion of the wall joining the back with the front on the one side of the box, is substantially perpendicular to the front of the box.

Claim 11

The electrical junction box according to claim 5 wherein the back portion converges inwardly toward the other side of the box over substantially a major portion of the depth of the box.

Claim 12

The electrical junction box according to claim 5 wherein the wall joining the back with the front on the one side of the box, converges inwardly toward the other side of the box so as to join the back at a point opposite the opening.

Claim 13

The electrical jucntion box according to claim 5 wherein the opening is defined in part by the wall joining the back with the front on the one side of the box.

Claim 14

The electrical junction box according to claim 5 wherein the opening has a rim thereabout which is exteriorly outstanding from the front of the box.

Claim 15

The electrical junction box according to claim 5 wherein the portion of the chamber adjacent the other side opens into the portion thereof adjacent the one side of the box.

Claim 16

The electrical junction box according to claim 5 further comprising means adapting the box so that it can be fixed behind the panel in the position described.

Claim 17

An electrical outlet box structure of the type described adapted to be assembled through an opening of predetermined width in a wall panel or the like, comprising means providing a first box portion having opposite side walls, first and second end walls and a bottom wall, said side and end walls having upper margins defining an opening opposite from said bottom wall, and means providing a second box portion joined with and extending laterally from said first box portion In a direction opposite from said first end wall, said second box portion being in open communication with said first box portion and including a top wall offset inwardly from said upper margins, said first end wall including portions thereof shaped and directed generally away from the opening defined by the upper margins of said side and end walls and extending generally toward said second box portion and joining said bottom wall along marginal edge thereof, such that the distance from any point on said first end wall and those points on said second end wall and the top wall of said second box portion engageable with the wall panel during assembly, is not greater than the width of said wall panel opening for avoiding interference with an edge of the opening in said wall panel during insertion of the box structure through said last-mentioned opening.

Claim 18

An electrical outlet box structure of the type described adapted to be assembled through an opening of predetermined width in a wall panel or the like, comprising means providing a first box portion having opposite side walls, first and second end walls and a bottom wall, said side and end walls having upper margins defining an opening opposite from said bottom wall, and means providing a second box portion joined with and extending laterally from said first box portion In a direction opposite from said first end wall, said second box portion being in open communication with said first box portion and including a top wall offset inwardly from said upper margins, said first end wall including portions thereof shaped and directed generally away from the opening defined by the upper margins of said side and end walls and extending generally toward said second box portion and joining said bottom wall along marginal edge thereof, such that the distance from any point on said first end wall and those points on said second end wall and the top wall of said second box portion engageable with the wall panel during assembly, is not greater than the width of said wall panel opening for avoiding interference with an edge of the opening in said wall panel during insertion of the box structure through said last-mentioned opening.

Claim 19

An electrical outlet box structure as defined in claim 15, wherein said first end wall portions are curved.

Claim 20

An electrical outlet box structure as defined in claim 15 which includes a one-piece main box member providing said side walls, said first end wall and said bottom wall of said first box portion, and also providing said second box portion with side walls, a bottom wall and an end wall opposite said first end wall of the first box portion.

Claim 21

An electrical outlet box structure as defined in claim 15, wherein said second box portion further includes a bottom wall portion, side walls, and an end wall disposed oppositely of the first end wall of said first box portion and closing an end of said box structure, said second box portion being joined directly to said first box portion at the second end wall of said first box portion through an opening which provides the aforesaid open communication between said box portions, said last-mentioned opening corresponding to the interior cross-sectional dimensions of the second box portion and being defined by the top, bottom and side walls of said second box portion.

Claim 22

An electrical outlet box structure as defined in claim 15, further including knockout structure formed in at least one of the walls of said box structure.

Claim 23

In an electrical installation wherein an electrical outlet box structure of the type described is assembled through an opening of predetermined width in a wall panel, an outlet box structure comprising means providing a first box portion having opposite side walls, first and second end walls and a bottom wall, said side and end walls having upper margins defining an opening opposite side bottom wall, and means providing a second box portion joined with and extending laterally from said first box portion in a direction opposite from said first end wall, said second box portion being joined directly to said second end wall of the first box portion and an open communication with said first box portion through the second end wall of said first box portion, said second box portion including a bottom wall, side walls and end wall opposite said first end wall of the first box portion and closing an end of said box structure, and top wall offset inwardly from said upper margins, said first end wall including portions thereof shaped and directed away from the opening defined by said upper margins, and extending generally towards said second box portion and joining said bottom wall along a marginal edge thereof, such that the distance from any point on said first end wall portion and those points on said second end wall and the top wall of said second box portion engagable with the wall panel during assembly, is not greater than the width of said wall panel opening for avoiding interference with an edge of an opening in said wall panel during insertion of the box structure through said last-mentioned opening.

Claim 24

In an electrical installation wherein an electrical outlet box structure of the type described is assembled through an opening of predetermined width in a wall panel, an outlet box structure comprising means providing a first box portion having opposite side walls, first and second end walls and a bottom wall, said side and end walls having upper margins defining an opening opposite side bottom wall, and means providing a second box portion joined with and extending laterally from said first box portion in a direction opposite from said first end wall, said second box portion being joined directly to said second end wall of the first box portion and an open communication with said first box portion through the second end wall of said first box portion, said second box portion including a bottom wall, side walls and end wall opposite said first end wall of the first box portion and closing an end of said box structure, and top wall offset inwardly from said upper margins, said first end wall including portions thereof shaped and directed away from the opening defined by said upper margins, and extending generally towards said second box portion and joining said bottom wall along a marginal edge thereof, such that the distance from any point on said first end wall portion and those points on said second end wall and the top wall of said second box portion engagable with the wall panel during assembly, is not greater than the width of said wall panel opening for avoiding interference with an edge of an opening in said wall panel during insertion of the box structure through said last-mentioned opening.

Claim 25

In an electrical installation as defined in claim 20, wherein said outlet box structure being formed with the bottom walls of the first and second box portions connected in a coplanar relationship, and the respective side walls of said fiRst and second box portions also joined in a coplanar relationship.