1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to support assemblies. Specifically, and not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to a support bracket for supporting electrical boxes.
2. Description of the Related Art
In construction of houses and buildings, it is quite common to have electrical boxes mounted in the walls or ceilings. These electrical boxes provide support and storage of various wiring devices, lighting fixtures, fans, and many other devices useful in a building. Electrical boxes also provide a space for electrical connections between the wiring device or fixture and the wiring of the building. These electrical boxes are normally attached to one or more structural supports, such as joists or studs. Often the electrical boxes include brackets for directly attaching the electrical box to the support member, while other electrical boxes are attached to a hanger or other support assembly which extends between a pair of adjacent structural supports.
There are various mounting assemblies which are currently used for supporting ceiling fans or other fixtures between a pair of structural supports. These assemblies are usually attached to the ceiling joists by a brace, a bar hanger or other suitable member extending between the joist.
The elongated members are expanded to engage adjacent structural supports or joists (not shown). The elongated members are expanded until the end mounts 16 and 18 frictionally engage the structural supports or ceiling joists. Other mounting braces may also include sharp prongs or teeth which are driven into the joists by force.
Although the existing mounting assemblies are acceptable in many applications, the support brackets are limited in the amount of weight they can support because of the position and point of force on the lips 42 of the elongated members.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a support bracket for a mounting assembly which provides greater support. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus.
In one aspect, the present invention is a support bracket for supporting an electrical box between two supports. The support bracket is used with a mounting assembly. The mounting assembly includes two elongated members each having an end mount. The elongated members are slidably coupled to each other, thereby allowing the mounting assembly to be telescopically extended. The support bracket is affixed to the one of the elongated members for supporting an electrical box and includes a planar surface and a slot having a plurality of extended clamps. The clamps are positioned and deformed within an inner lip of one of the elongated members. The bracket also includes a plurality of perpendicular extensions and a support rod affixed to the planar surface and positioned over at least one of the elongated members. The support rod is also affixed to the electrical box thereby providing support to the electrical box.
The present invention is a support bracket for a mounting assembly for a light or fan fixture.
The electrical box 20 is affixed to the elongated members 116 and 118 by a support bracket 150. The support bracket includes a diagonally aligned support rod 152 extending over an upper side 154 of the elongated members 116 and 118. In addition, the support bracket includes perpendicular extensions 156 and 158 located on diagonally opposing sides.
With reference to
The bracket enables support of the electrical box or other fixture (fan or light) by running the support rod over the elongated members. By supporting the bracket above the elongated members, the mounting assembly may hold far more weight than existing mounting assemblies.
In addition, the elongated members may be designed to be used with different depths of electrical boxes. The electrical boxes typically come in various standard sizes (e.g., pancake, 1 and ½ inch, and 2 and ⅛ inch) for which the mounting assembly may accommodate by adjusting height gages. In one embodiment, the height gages are each attached to a threaded bolt or screw. Turning the screw lowers or raises the height gage. The height gage may be held in place alongside the end mounts by a bracket. Preferably the bracket includes a slot sized and shaped to enable the height gage to slide vertically.
The height gage may include a foot section which enables a support structure (e.g., joist, dry wall section, etc) to lie flush against the attached mounting assembly.
The present invention is not limited to supporting an electrical box and may be used to support other devices such as electrical fans and light fixtures. Furthermore, the present invention may be configured in any shape which enables the support rod to be positioned over the elongated members and still remain in the scope of the present invention.
While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility.
Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope thereof.
It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
This utility application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/481,374 filed May 2, 2011 by Jack R. Kerr, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20130075555 A1 | Mar 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61481374 | May 2011 | US |