FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electrical junction boxes and specifically to a support bracket for an electrical junction box that enables mounting to a narrow support surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In commercial buildings, electrical wiring is frequently routed through rigid hollow conduit along the top of a top support member. The support member may be a C-beam, I-beam, angle beam or similar support structure. In order to provide electrical service to outlets, lights, and the like, the rigid hollow wall conduit is typically routed from the above the top support member to locations within the walls. The electrical code typically requires wiring connections to be within junction boxes or similar protective enclosures and that the junction boxes be securely anchored in place. In the past, junction boxes that were located above the top support member were frequently supported only by the rigid conduit that extended upward from the wall. Although brackets have been proposed for anchoring such junction boxes, the brackets thus proposed typically require a substantial area on the top of the support member in order to be properly anchored thereto. In many situations, such as when only narrow support structures are available, the required substantial area is not available for commercially available support brackets.
What is needed therefore is a support bracket with a small profile base for supporting an electrical junction box. The base portion of the support bracket should include a small profile in order to occupy minimal space on a suitable support structure. The support bracket with small profile base will enable an installer to anchor a junction box to a wide range of support structures, including those that have a narrow top surface or those that have only a narrow corner area exposed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a support bracket for securing a junction box to a support structure. The support bracket includes a brace member, a base member with two portions extending orthogonally from a first end of the brace member, and a flange extending orthogonally from a second end of the brace member. The flange includes two sides and ribs extending from the sides of the flange toward the base member. The base member includes a base flange extending from one side of the brace member and a bendable tab extending from an opposite side of the brace member. The base flange and bendable tab include apertures therein for receipt of fasteners. The flange includes a plurality of apertures therein for receipt of fasteners and a plurality of openings therein.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
Several advantages are achieved with the support bracket of the present invention, including:
- (1) The support bracket can be used to rapidly mount an electrical junction box to a support member.
- (2) The support bracket includes a small profile base that requires minimal space on the support structure in order to be installed.
- (3) The support bracket will enable an installer to anchor an electrical junction box to a wide range of support structures of various sizes, including narrow surfaces or angular surfaces in which only a narrow corner area is exposed.
- (4) The support bracket enables the anchoring of a junction box to a wide range of support structures, including C-beams, I-beams, and L-shaped angle beams.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following description along with reference to the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the support bracket of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of a blank that will be shaped to form the support bracket of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the support bracket after being formed from the blank of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the support bracket as viewed along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the support bracket as viewed along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a support bracket for an electrical junction box according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the support bracket in position to be secured to a support surface and in alignment with an electrical box which it will support.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the support bracket attached to a beam and supporting an electrical junction box to which electrical conduit has been connected.
FIG. 9 is a side view of the support bracket of the present invention attached to the top surface of a small beam and supporting an electrical junction box.
FIG. 10 is a side view of the support bracket of the present invention attached to the corner of a support surface and supporting an electrical junction box.
INDEX TO REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS
20 support bracket, first embodiment
22 brace member
24 first end of brace member
26 second end of brace member
28 first side of brace member
30 second side of brace member
32 base member
34 flange
36 base flange
38 bendable tab
40 blank
42 first bend line
46 second bend line
48 C-shaped slot
50 centerline
52 central opening
54 opening
56 aperture in flange
58 aperture in base flange
60 aperture in bendable tab
62 side of flange
64 third bend line
66 strengthening rib
68 inner edge of rib
69 open area
70 electrical junction box
72 C-shaped beam
74 electrical conduit
75 fastener for securing support bracket to support structure
76 mounting hole of junction box
78 fastener for securing junction box to support bracket
80 knockout
82 side of junction box
84 back wall of junction box
86 nut
88 opening in junction box
90 L-shaped beam
Θ1 angle of flange with respect to brace member
Θ2 angle of base flange with respect to brace member
Θ3 angle bendable tab with respect to brace member
W1 width of base member
W2 width of flange
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a portion of a preferred embodiment of a support bracket 20 with a small profile base according to the present embodiment. The support bracket 20 includes a brace member 22 with a first end 24 and second end 26 and a first side 28 and second side 30. A base member 32 extends orthogonally from the first end 24 of the brace member 22 and a flange 34 extends orthogonally from the second end 26 of the brace member 22. The base member 32 includes a base flange 36 extending from the first side 28 of the brace member 22 and a bendable tab 38 extending from the second side 30 of the brace member 22.
With reference to FIG. 2, the support bracket of the present invention is preferably stamped from a flat sheet of metal to form a blank 40. The blank 40 includes a plurality of bend lines including a first bend line 42 for bending the base flange 36 and the bendable tab 38 orthogonally with respect to the brace member 22 and a second bend line 46 for bending the flange 34 orthogonally with respect to the brace member 22. The blank 40 includes a substantially C-shaped slot 48 lanced in the planar brace member 22 which will form the bendable tab 38. The first bend line 42 and second bend line 46 form a centerline 50 about which the base flange 36 and bendable tab 38 will be bent to form the support bracket. The blank 40 further includes a plurality of circular openings including a central opening 52 and outlying openings 54. A plurality of apertures 56 are provided in flange 34 around central opening 52. A plurality of apertures 58 are provided in the base flange 36 and an aperture 60 is provided in bendable tab 38. Flange 34 includes two sides 62 and third bend lines 64 extending along flange 34 near the sides 62. The portion of the flange 34 outward of the third bend lines 64 is bent orthogonally with respect to the flange 34 to form strengthening ribs 66. The ribs 66 include inner edges 68 adjacent the brace member 22 as shown.
Referring to FIG. 3, the support bracket 20 is shown after being formed from the blank of FIG. 2. Base flange 36, as viewed in FIG. 2, has been bent upward 900 toward the viewer to form the support bracket 20 as shown in FIG. 3. As bendable tab 38 is lanced free of the brace member 22 by the C-shaped slot 48, bendable tab 38 remains planar with base flange 36 as base flange 36 is bent around first bend line 42. Thus, in the support bracket 20, the base flange 36 extends in a first direction from the centerline 50 and the bendable tab 38 extends in a second direction with the base flange 36 and bendable tab 38 being 1800 apart on the support bracket 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the small profile base member 32 includes a substantially narrow width W1, measured across the base flange 36 and bendable tab 38, as compared to the width W2 of flange 34. The narrow base width W1 creates a small profile base 32 that requires minimal space on a suitable support structure (not shown) when the support bracket 20 of the present invention is secured thereto. With reference to FIG. 2, flange 34 is bent 90° upward with respect to the viewer around second bend line 46 and the ribs 66 are also bent upward 90° with respect to the viewer around each of the third bend lines 64 in order to form the support bracket 20. Thus, in the support bracket 20, as viewed in FIG. 3, base member 32 is in a plane parallel to the plane through flange 34.
As shown in FIG. 4, bendable tab 38 of support bracket 20 is orthogonal to brace member 22 thereby forming open area 69 in brace member 22. As shown in FIG. 5, flange 34 is at angle Θ1 with respect to brace member 22, base flange 36 is at angle Θ2 with respect to brace member 22, and bendable tab 38 is at angle Θ3 with respect to brace member 22. Angles Θ1, Θ2, and Θ3 are each preferably 90°.
Referring to FIG. 6, the support bracket 20 is used to secure an electrical junction box, such as conventional 4″×4″ junction box 70 to a support structure. FIG. 6 illustrates the support bracket 20 of the present invention being used to secure a junction box 70 to a C-shaped beam 72 to accommodate an electrical conduit 74. The invention is operated by simply drilling holes in the support structure 72 in alignment with the apertures 58 in the base flange 36 and bendable tab (not shown) and securing the base 32 of support bracket 20 to the beam 72 with fasteners 75. The mounting holes 76 of the junction box 70 are then aligned with the flange apertures (not shown) of the support bracket 20 and fasteners 78 are then used to secure the junction box 70 to the support bracket 20. The support bracket 20 therefore provides proper support for the junction box 70 according to the electrical code and prevents the unsafe condition of an electrical box being supported solely by the rigid wall conduit 74. Conventional junction box 70 typically includes a plurality of knockouts 80 along its sides 82 and back wall 84 as shown. Fasteners 75 and 78 may be self-threading fasteners as shown.
FIG. 7 depicts the operation of the support bracket 20 of the present invention including electrical box 70 in alignment to be secured to the support bracket 20 and support bracket 20 in position to be secured to a support structure 72. Support bracket 20 in FIG. 7 is depicted being secured to C-shaped beam 72 with fasteners 75 through base flange 36 and bendable tab 38 and nuts 86. Apertures 58 in base flange 36 and aperture 60 in bendable tab 38 are located at the outer periphery of the support bracket 20 thereby making it easy for an installer to secure the bracket 20 to the support structure 72 even if the 4″×4″ junction box 70 is first secured to the support bracket 20.
As shown in FIG. 8, after the electrical junction box 70 is secured to the support structure 72, electrical conduit 74 can be routed into the junction box 70 by removing one or more of the knockouts 80 to create an opening 88 for receiving the electrical conduit 74. Support bracket 20 ensures that the electrical junction box 70 is properly secured according to the electrical code and is not merely supported by the electrical conduit 74.
FIGS. 9 and 10 depict one of the particular advantages provided by the support bracket 20 of the present invention. The small profile base member 32, including the base flange 36 and bendable tab 38, are substantially smaller in width than the electrical junction box 70. Thus, as shown in FIG. 9, the narrow base 32 enables an installer to secure the 4″×4″ junction box 70 to a narrow structural support such as the C-beam 72 shown. The support bracket 20 includes a small profile base 32 that requires minimal space on a support structure in order to be installed. As shown in FIG. 10, for a narrow structural support such as the L-shaped angle beam 90 for which the base member 32 is larger than the beam, bendable tab 38 can be bent to enable the base member 32 to fit flush against the corner of the beam 90. Fasteners 75 are then driven through base flange 36 and bendable tab 38 to secure the support bracket 20 to the beam 90. The support bracket 20 therefore enables an installer to anchor an electrical junction box 70 to a wide range of support structures of various sizes, including those having narrow surfaces or angular surfaces in which only a narrow corner area is exposed.
The support bracket 20 of the present is preferably constructed of metal. Most preferably, the blank 40 (see FIG. 2) is stamped from 0.040-inch thick AISI 1010 steel that has been galvanized to a minimum zinc plating thickness of 0.0005-inch.
Although the description above contains many specific descriptions, materials, and dimensions, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
Patent Application
20100181447
