Patent US4403708A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4403708A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical receptacle box assembly
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1982-07-19
•
Granted: 1983-09-13
•
Expires: 2002-07-19
Abstract
Abstract An electrical receptacle box particularly adapted for mounting to a metal wall stud prepared with a plurality of holes on the major side thereof arranged in ordered patterns at preferred installation locations of receptacle boxes. The electrical receptacle box includes a housing with a front opening and an interior volume for housing an electrical receptacle. A plurality of resilient tines are fixed in parallel relationship at one end to a side wall of the box housing and extend perpendicularly away from the side wall. The tines are arranged to describe a pattern generally corresponding to the hole pattern on the wall stud but can be slightly deviant from the pattern such that the tines fit in the holes of a selected hole pattern deflected under slight spring tension. The tines can have notches to engage the edges of the holes.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert A. Smolik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 01:52
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G3/00; H02G3/02; H02G3/08; H02G3/12; H02G3/123; H02G3/125; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S248/00; Y10S248/906
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
An electrical receptacle box assembly comprising: a box-like housing for accommodation of an electrical receptacle; a metal wall stud of the type for use in building construction with a major side member having a plurality of mounting holes describing a hole pattern; a plurality of resilient tines mounted on the exterior of the housing, each having a linear tine portion outwardly extended from the housing, said linear tine portions being substantially parallel to each other, each tine at an opposite end having a spring loop portion fixed to the housing permitting resilient deflection of the linear tine portion with respect to the housing; the outer ends of the linear tine portions of said tines being arranged to describe a pattern generally corresponding to, but slightly deviant from, the hole pattern on the wall stud whereby the tines are insertable into corresponding holes under slight spring deflection to mount the housing with respect to the wall stud; and each linear tine portion having at least one transverse notch positioned for engagement with the edge of a mounting hole upon insertion of the tines into the mounting holes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
186 words
An electrical receptacle box assembly comprising: a box-like housing for accommodation of an electrical receptacle; a metal wall stud of the type for use in building construction with a major side member having a plurality of mounting holes describing a hole pattern; a plurality of resilient tines mounted on the exterior of the housing, each having a linear tine portion outwardly extended from the housing, said linear tine portions being substantially parallel to each other, each tine at an opposite end having a spring loop portion fixed to the housing permitting resilient deflection of the linear tine portion with respect to the housing; the outer ends of the linear tine portions of said tines being arranged to describe a pattern generally corresponding to, but slightly deviant from, the hole pattern on the wall stud whereby the tines are insertable into corresponding holes under slight spring deflection to mount the housing with respect to the wall stud; and each linear tine portion having at least one transverse notch positioned for engagement with the edge of a mounting hole upon insertion of the tines into the mounting holes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 1 wherein: said metal wall stud has a plurality of spaced apart hole patterns.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The receptacle box assembly of claims 1 or 2 wherein: said mounting holes describe a rectangular pattern of four mounting holes, said tines describing a rectangular pattern comprised of four tines.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 3 wherein: the rectangular pattern described by the tines is slightly larger than the pattern described by the mounting holes whereby the tines are insertable in the mounting holes under slight spring tension.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 4 wherein: said tines have pairs of transverse notches for engagement with edges of the mounting holes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The receptacle box assembly of claims 1 or 2 wherein: said tines have pairs of transverse notches for engagement with edges of the mounting holes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
71 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 1 wherein: said housing having a back wall and perpendicularly orientated side walls connected to the back wall at one edge and defining a front opening at the other edge, and including a first bracket fixed to the housing and carrying a portion of said plurality of tines, and a second bracket fixed to the housing and carrying the remainder of said plurality of tines.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 7 wherein: said mounting holes describe a rectangular pattern of four mounting holes, said tines describing a rectangular pattern comprised of four tines, a first and second of said tines being located on the first bracket and a third and fourth of said tines being located on the second bracket.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 8 wherein: the rectangular pattern described by the tines is slightly larger than the pattern described by the mounting holes whereby the tines are insertable into the mounting holes under slight spring tension.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 9 wherein: said tines have pairs of transverse notches for engagement with edges of the mounting holes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
158 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 8 wherein: said first bracket is mounted on a first corner of the housing formed at the intersection of a first side wall and a first adjacent side wall, said first bracket including a base having a surface conforming to the shape of the first corner, means fastening the base to the first corner, said first and second tines extending from lateral ends of the base in generally perpendicular relationship to the first side wall; and said second bracket being mounted on a second corner of the housing formed at the intersection of the first side wall and a second adjacent side wall, said second bracket including a second base having a surface conforming to the shape of the second corner, means fixing the second base to the second corner, said third and fourth tines extending from lateral ends of the second base in generally perpendicular relationship to the first side wall.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
The receptable box assembly of claim 11 wherein: the rectangular pattern described by the tines is slightly larger than the pattern described by the mounting holes whereby the tines are insertable in the holes under slight spring tension.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The receptable box assembly of claim 12 wherein: said metal wall stud has a plurality of spaced apart hole patterns, the holes of each pattern being symmetrically disposed on the stud member.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
101 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 11 wherein: the first and second tines are each connected at one end to an edge of the base of the first bracket and have a reverse curve portion extending over the base and forming said spring loop, and said linear tine section extending from the spring loop; and the third and fourth tines are each connected at one end to an edge of the base of the second bracket and have a reverse curve portion extending over the base and forming a spring loop, and a linear tine section extending from the spring loop.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 14 wherein the first and second brackets each have one end flush with the front opening of the housing and an opposite end extended beyond the rear wall of the housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 14 wherein: said tines have pairs of transverse notches for engagement with edges of the mounting holes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 14 wherein: each tine has a first outward pair of transverse notches located near the outer tip of the linear tine section and a second inward pair of transverse notches located toward the spring loop portion of the tine.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
The receptacle box assembly of claims 16 or 17 wherein: the rectangular pattern described by the tines is slightly larger than the pattern described by the mounting holes whereby the tines are insertable in the holes under slight spring tension.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
The receptable box assembly of claim 18 wherein: said metal wall stud has a plurality of spaced apart hole patterns.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The receptacle box assembly of claim 19 wherein: the notches face outwardly from the hole pattern.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method of installing an electrical receptacle box to a wall stud comprising: providing metal wall stud according to claim 1; providing a housing having a plurality of tines according to claim 1; and inserting the tines in the mounting holes to mount the housing to the wall stud.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1660665A
Cited
US1800173A
Cited
US2016284A
Cited
US2265957A
Cited
US2361506A
Cited
US2562344A
Cited
US2567309A
Cited
US2627359A
Cited
US2759621A
Cited
US2721245A
Cited
US2871324A
Cited
US2878955A
Cited
DE1243920B
Cited
US3376005A
Cited
US4229614A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-09-12 | 1987-03-14 | 1987-09-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-09-12 | 1991-03-14 | 1991-09-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-09-12 | 1995-03-14 | 1995-09-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |