Patent Application
20220263460
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The disclosure relates to junction box devices and more particularly pertains to a new junction box device for integrating electrical wiring for solar generated power into a building.
The prior art relates to junction box devices including a variety of plastic electrical junction boxes. Additionally, the prior art discloses a variety of electrical junction boxes that have mounting tabs for mounting to construction panels. The prior art discloses an electrical junction box that includes engagements for armored electrical cable. The prior art further discloses an electrical junction box for solar power systems that includes circuitry for processing electrical signal from the solar power system.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a junction box that is comprised of an electrically insulating material to house a plurality of electrical connections from a solar power generating system. The junction box has a plurality of attachment points each being integrated therein to facilitate the junction box to be integrated into standardized framing spacing in the construction industry. A terminal block is positioned within the junction box to electrically couple to electrical conductors for completing a circuit between respective electrical conductors. A cover is removably attachable to the junction box for closing the junction box and the cover is comprised of an electrically insulating material.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The outer wall 20 has a plurality of first holes 34 each extending therethrough to accommodate an electrical conductor 36 extending into the junction box 12. The first holes 34 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed around the top side 26, the bottom side 32, the first lateral side 28 and the second lateral side 30 of the outer wall 20. Additionally, each of the first holes 34 is positioned adjacent to the distal edge 22 of the outer wall 20. The outer wall 20 has a plurality of second holes 38 each extending therethrough to accommodate an electrical conductor 36 extending into the junction box 12. The second holes 38 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along the top side 26 and the bottom side 32 of the outer wall 20. Each of the second holes 38 is positioned adjacent to the back wall 18.
A plurality of tabs 40 is each coupled to and extends away from the outer wall 20 of the junction box 12. Each of the tabs 40 is aligned with respective ones of four corners 42 of the outer wall 20 such that each of the tabs 40 defines a respective one of the attachment points 16. Each of the tabs 40 is oriented to extend along a line extending between the back wall 18 and the distal edge 22 of the outer wall 20. Each of the tabs 40 has a first surface 44 and a second surface 46, and each of the tabs 40 has a plurality of apertures 48 each extending through the first surface 44 and the second surface 46. Moreover, each of the apertures 48 in each of the tabs 40 can accommodate a fastener to engage framing 50 in a building 52 for mounting the junction box 12 in a wall 54 of the building 52. Each of the tabs 40 extends from the back wall 18 toward the distal edge 22 such that each of the second holes 38 is positioned in the wall 54 and each of the first holes 34 is exposed with respect to the wall 54.
A terminal block 56 is positioned within the junction box 12 and the terminal block 56 has a plurality of connection points 58 each being integrated therein. In this way each of the connection points 58 can be electrically coupled to a respective electrical conductor 36 for completing a circuit between respective electrical conductors 36. The terminal block 56 may be an electrical terminal block of any conventional design that conforms to the National Electrical Code for residential electrical construction. The terminal block 56 is mounted to an inside surface 60 of the back wall 18 of the junction box 12, and the terminal block 56 extends between the first lateral side 28 and the second lateral side 30 of the outer wall 20.
The terminal block 56 has an upper side 62 and a lower side 64, and each of the connection points 58 is integrated into a respective one of the upper side 62 and the lower side 64. Each of the connection points 58 on the upper side 62 is in electrical communication with a respective one of the connection points 58 on the lower side 64. Moreover, the connection points 58 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along a full length of the terminal block 56.
A cover 66 is removably attachable to the junction box 12 for closing the junction box 12. The cover 66 is comprised of an electrically insulating material such as plastic or the like. The cover 66 has a front surface 68 and a back surface 70, and the back surface 70 abuts the distal edge 22 of the outer wall 20 of the junction box 12 when the cover 66 closes the junction box 12. The front surface 68 has indicia 72 printed thereon and the indicia 72 comprise the words “caution” and “solar electric system connection”.
In use, the junction box 12 is integrated into the wall 54 during construction of the building 52 that will employ a solar power generation system 14. In this way the electrical wiring associated with the solar power generation system 14 can be routed into the junction box 12. Thus, the electrical wiring can be electrically coupled to appropriate connection points 58 on the terminal block 56. The junction box 12 conforms to requirements of solar power generation systems 14 with regard to local, state and federal regulations thereby ensuring a smooth installation and inspection process with respect to solar power generation equipment.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
