FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of support brackets in general, and in particular, to a metal bracket for mounting an electrical box to a wall stud.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For many years, electrical boxes have been mounted to wall studs during commercial and residential construction. Such wall studs were historically made of wood, often in the form of “two by fours.” Over time, the industry has increased the use of channel-shaped metal wall studs in place of the wooden stud. To facilitate mounting an electrical box to a wall stud, whether it be metal or wood, metal stud brackets have been designed that are affixed to the wall stud and an electrical box is in turn affixed to the metal stud bracket via welding, rivets, screws or other connecting mechanisms. In this manner, through the use of a metal stud bracket, electrical boxes can be effectively mounted to wall studs during construction. In fact, a number of different metal stud bracket designs have been developed. When metal, channel-shaped, wall studs are used, it is desirable for the selected metal stud bracket to be sufficiently and quickly attached to the metal wall stud. In some prior designs, the installer needed to hold the stud bracket with one hand and then drill holes in the wall stud at a desired location with the other hand. It is therefore desirable to have a stud bracket that may be positioned in a desired location on the stud bracket and pressed into place in a manner that helps prevent relative movement between the metal stud bracket and the wall stud and that sufficiently secures the metal stud bracket to the wall stud to allow for easier installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a metal stud bracket that is designed to be attached to a wall stud and that may have an electrical box affixed thereto. The metal stud bracket includes a base with a first flange that extends downwardly from a first portion of the base, as well as a second flange that extends downwardly from a second portion of the base, where the base is positioned between the first and second flanges. The metal stud bracket further includes a first tooth positioned on the first flange that extends inwardly toward the second flange, as well as a second tooth positioned on the first flange adjacent to the first tooth that also extends inwardly toward the second flange. The metal stud bracket is designed to be easily positioned at a desired location on a metal wall stud and can be snapped into position by pressing on the base. The first tooth and the second tooth can engage a closed side of a wall stud to fix the metal stud in place and help prevent movement of the metal stud bracket relative to the wall stud. In this manner, the first and second teeth of the metal wall bracket serve to hold the metal stud bracket in place on the wall stud.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a row of teeth is added to the first flange where the teeth are angled inwardly toward the second flange. The row of teeth serves to provide a further barrier to help prevent movement of the metal stud bracket with respect to the wall stud. In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the second flange of the metal stud bracket includes a third tooth and a fourth tooth and a second row of teeth that serve to further prevent movement of the metal stud bracket with respect to the wall stud and allows the metal stud bracket to be used on either side of the wall stud.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a metal stud bracket affixed to a metal channel-shaped wall stud and having an electrical box attached thereto;
FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the metal stud bracket, wall stud, and electrical box shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a metal stud bracket;
FIG. 4 is another perspective view of a metal stud bracket;
FIG. 5 is a side view of a metal stud bracket affixed to a metal channel-shaped wall stud;
FIG. 6 shows a cutaway view of the metal stud bracket of FIG. 2 affixed to a metal channel-shaped wall stud with an electrical box attached thereto adjacent an open side of the metal wall stud;
FIG. 7 is a close up view of the encircled section of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a cutaway view of the metal stud bracket of FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a metal stud bracket;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another alternate embodiment of a metal stud bracket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present embodiments are illustrated as exemplary embodiments that disclose a metal stud bracket that that may be affixed to a wall stud and that may have an electrical box affixed thereto. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a metal stud bracket 10 affixed to a metal channel-shaped wall stud 20. Electrical box 30 is shown attached to the wall bracket 10. Wall bracket 10 is shown have a first tooth 12 and a second tooth 14 positioned on a first flange 52. A first row of teeth 16 is also shown positioned on first flange 52 between first tooth 12 and second tooth 14. In this embodiment, the electrical box 30 is shown positioned adjacent a closed side of the metal channel-shaped wall stud 20. In FIG. 1, the first row of teeth 16 is shown engaging an edge 22 of the metal channel-shaped wall stud 20. While metal stud bracket 10 is shown affixed to a metal wall stud, it may also be used with wall stud comprised of other materials including composites and wood.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the metal stud bracket 10 shown in FIG. 1 affixed to metal channel-shaped wall stud 20. In FIG. 2, the electrical box 30 is shown positioned adjacent an open side of the metal channel-shaped wall stud 20. Thus, with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the metal stud bracket 10 can be positioned on either side of the metal channel-shaped wall stud 20, allowing the electrical box 30 to be positioned adjacent either the closed side or the open side of the metal channel-shaped wall stud 20.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a metal stud bracket 10. Metal stud bracket 10 includes a base 50, a first flange 52 extending downwardly from a first portion of base 50 and a second flange 54 extending downwardly from a second portion of base 50. Second flange 54 includes a mounting extension 40 that extends therefrom and that is adapted for connection to an electrical box. Another mounting extension (not shown) extends from an opposite side of second flange 54. Mounting extension 40 is shown with two weld projections 42 that are adapted to have an electrical box welded thereto. Further, base 50 of the metal stud bracket includes two mounting holes 18 that allow the metal stud bracket to be firmly affixed to a wall stud via nails, screws, or other suitable fasteners. FIG. 3 further shows a first tooth 12 and a second tooth 14 that are positioned on first flange 52 and that extend inwardly toward second flange 54. Although not shown in FIG. 3, a first row of teeth could also be positioned on first flange 52.
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of metal stud bracket 10 having a base 50 and second flange 54 extending downwardly from a second portion of base 50. Second flange 54 includes mounting extensions 40 extending from either side thereof. Second flange 54 is shown having third tooth 19 and a fourth tooth 21 positioned thereon, as well as a second row of teeth 26 positioned between the third tooth 19 and the fourth tooth 21.
The metal stud bracket is preferably comprised of a steel material, and most preferably an SAE 1074 spring steel having a minimum thickness of 0.04 inches. The metal stud bracket may be formed from a single piece of steel wherein the first and second flanges are bent into position from the base. More particularly, a blanking operation is performed to develop the outside contour of the metal stud bracket 10. A piercing/lancing operation is performed to obtain teeth 12, 14, 19, 21 and rows of teeth 16 and 26. A first bending operation is performed to obtain mounting extensions 40, and the weld projections 42 are simultaneously formed with the same tool. A second bending operation is then performed to form the first flange 52 and second flange 54. Following the formation of the first flange 52 and second flange 54, the metal stud bracket 10 is subjected to austempering, and then subjected to zinc plating and then baked to prevent hydrogen embrittlement.
FIG. 5 shows a side view of metal stud bracket 10 affixed to metal channel-shaped wall stud 20. First tooth 12 and second tooth 14 are shown not in engagement with an edge 22 of the metal channel-shaped wall stud 20, whereas the first row of teeth 16 are shown in engagement with edge 22.
FIG. 6 shows a cutaway view of metal stud bracket 10 from FIG. 2 affixed to metal channel-shaped wall stud 20 with electrical box 30 connected to the metal stud bracket 10 adjacent the open side of the wall stud 20. First tooth 12 is shown in engagement with the closed surface of wall stud 20, thereby maintaining the metal stud bracket 10 in place and helping to prevent movement thereof relative to the with the wall stud 20. FIG. 7 is a close up view of the encircled section of FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, the second row of teeth 26 is in engagement with edge 22 of wall stud 20. At the same time, fourth tooth 21 extends into the open section of wall stud 20, but is not in engagement with edge 22 of wall stud 20. The engagement of the second row of teeth 26 with edge 22 of wall stud 20 further serves to maintain metal stud bracket in place and helps to prevent movement thereof relative to the wall stud 20. In a preferred embodiment and in practice, the first tooth 12 and the second tooth 14 are in engagement with the closed side of wall stud 20, and the engagement of the second row of teeth 26 with edge 22 of wall stud 20 prevent any movement of metal stud bracket 10 relative to wall stud 20.
FIG. 8 is a cutaway view of the metal stud bracket of FIG. 1. First tooth 12 extends inwardly toward second flange 54 and fourth tooth 21 extends inwardly toward first flange 52. As shown in FIG. 8, the ends of first tooth 12 and fourth tooth 21 terminate at a position that is further from the base 50 than the ends of the first row of teeth 16 and the second row of teeth 26. With this geometry, as shown in FIG. 7, the second row of teeth 26 may engage the edge 22 of wall stud 20, whereas the fourth tooth 21 does not. While the first through fourth teeth and the first and second row of teeth are shown angled upwardly toward the base, it is also possible for them to extend in a downward direction, although the upward direction is preferred. Further, while the teeth are shown as generally of triangular shape, it is also possible that they are of other geometric shapes, including square or rectangular, although a triangular shape with a pointed end is preferred. Preferably the first through fourth teeth and the first and second row of teeth are angled at 60 degrees towards their base. Further, the first through fourth teeth preferably extend toward base 50 at an angle of between 60-65 degrees, and most preferably 62 degrees. The first and second row of teeth 16 and 26 are preferably angled upwardly toward the base at an angle of 45 degrees. Although wall studs of varying thicknesses exist, in a preferred embodiment the distance between the inside surface of first flange 52 and second flange 54 is 1.38 inches. Also, the first through fourth teeth preferably extend inwardly from the inside surfaces of the respective flange on which they are positioned a distance of 0.15 inches. The ends of the first row of teeth 16 and the second row of teeth 26 preferably extend inwardly from the inside surfaces of the respective flange on which they are positioned a distance of 0.03 to 0.04 inches. The ends of the first row of teeth 16 and the second row of teeth 26 preferably extend to a distance of 0.11 inches from base 50.
FIG. 9 shows an alternate embodiment of metal stud bracket 60 having a base 70 with a first flange 80 extending downwardly from a first portion of base 70 and a second flange 90 extending downwardly from a second portion of base 70 at an angle α between 65 and 85 degrees, and most preferably an angle α of 75 degrees.
FIG. 10 shows another alternate embodiment of metal stud bracket 100 having a base 110 with a first flange 120 extending downwardly from a first portion of base 110 and a second flange 130 extending downwardly from a second portion of base 110. The distal ends of the first flange 120 and the second flange 130 include a row of serrated teeth 134 extending inwardly. Second flange 130 is shown with a tooth 136 extending inwardly toward first flange 120.
The claims should not be read as limited to the elements specifically described unless stated to that effect. Therefore, all embodiments that come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto are claimed as the invention.
Patent Application
20110001026
