Patent Application
20230332423
The present invention relates generally to a wall patch system and method for use thereof, and more specifically to a fill and patch system for abandoned wall boxes and holes in surfaces, such as walls and ceilings made of drywall, plaster, or other typical constructed surfaces.
When remodeling a home or office, wall boxes which previously may have contained electrical outlets, phone outlets, or light switches may be abandoned. Typically, these would be removed and the wall would be patched using one of three typical methods. Other holes in walls and ceilings, caused for various reasons, are similarly patched.
The first such method uses a cut piece of drywall material where a portion has been removed from the paper backing. This paper backing can be used to produce a seamless interface between the surrounding wall and the hole that is being patched. However, this paper requires a separated adhesive, can be time-consuming, and is not likely to provide a smooth and unnoticeable patch. These jobs typically require craftsmen with industry expertise to perform correctly.
The second typical method is to apply adhesive flat plates over the abandoned wall box opening. Drywall mud is then placed into the opening, which oozes into gaps causing a depression. This requires a thicker drywall mud to be used which requires a longer dry time and often causes cracking. It also makes the area more difficult to make smooth and unnoticeable.
The third such method removes the abandoned box and replaces it with a wooden backer. The wall can then be patched with a piece of drywall material similar to the first method, and the area can be taped and mudded to seal it.
What is needed and desired is a single patch kit which can adhere to the surrounding drywall while filling and gripping the hole and/or abandoned wall box, not requiring the box to be removed, and which can then be mudded over to provide a solid flat patch.
Heretofore there has not been available a system or method for a wall box patch with the advantages and features of the present invention.
The present invention generally provides a patch system for an abandoned wall box, such as an abandoned outlet box, phone jack box, light switch box, or any other holes in wall or ceiling surfaces. The system includes a patch device which has an adhesive drywall tape mesh front face connected to a closed cell foam backer. An overhang of the drywall tape allows the backer to fill the abandoned wall box while the overhang seals and secures the backer within the opening while securing itself against the surrounding wall material. This entire device is sold in a unitary construction and requires no on-site construction. Once placed within the abandoned wall box, the drywall tape can be mudded over to provide a smooth flat wall surface. The foam backer fills and grips the interior space of the abandoned box.
An embodiment of the present invention could also be used to patch holes of other shapes and sizes. The closed cell foam backer could be shaped manually or during manufacturing to fit into round holes or holes of virtually any shape with or without the presence of an abandoned wall box.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention illustrating various objects and features thereof.
As required, detailed aspects of the present invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed aspects are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, up, down, front, back, right and left refer to the invention as orientated in the view being referred to. The words, “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the aspect being described and designated parts thereof. Forwardly and rearwardly are generally in reference to the direction of travel, if appropriate. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar meaning.
As shown in
While the previous embodiment is designed to fit into a hole formed from a standard abandoned wall box which has a generally uniform shape and size, other holes could also be filled with variations of the present invention.
Any hole in a wall or structure could be cut around and out to fit the size of the rear portion 106 of the patch system 102. Smaller holes can simply be sawed or cut around. Larger holes may require larger patch systems.
It is to be understood that while certain embodiments and/or aspects of the invention have been shown and described, the invention is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects.
This application claims priority in U.S. Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/331,631 Filed Apr. 15, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63331631 | Apr 2022 | US |
