GB2175459A

GB2175459A - Box for electrical wiring appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2175459A
Application number: GB08512763A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Dyment
Original assignee: EGA Ltd
Current assignee: EGA Ltd
Priority date: 1985-05-21
Filing date: 1985-05-21
Publication date: 1986-11-26
Also published as: FR2582457A1; CN86103549A; GB8512763D0; AU5747786A; DE3616942A1; ZA863589B

Abstract

A box, for a wiring appliance such as a switch or socket, has a base, side walls (4) and two lugs (2) arranged to slide in and protrude outwardly from respective openings in the side walls (4), there being resilient means (8) (a) to draw the lugs towards the base of the holder and (b) to draw the lugs in a direction outwardly of the openings. When a wiring appliance such as a socket is screwed to members (7) joined to the lugs (2), the lugs are drawn away from the base of the holder against the resilient bias thereby to secure the box with the lugs pressing behind a partition and the wiring appliance pressing on the face of the partition. The resilient means may be formed as an elastic band, as shown, or as individual spring clips, one for each lug (Fig. 3, not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Holder for an electrical component This invention relates to a holder for an electrical component such as a switch or socket.

Such holders are commonly in the form of boxes mounted on surfaces such as walls to contain various components and are provided on their sides or bases with holes to receive cables passing from the outside to the inside of the box. These holders can also be mounted flush with the surface of a wall or partition and these holders are often in the form of so-called dry lining boxes.

With known dry lining boxes, there is often a problem in installing them in that it is not always an easy task to ensure that securing tabs of the box, which are intended to be drawn against the rear of the wall or partition to hold the box in place, do not clear the wall or partition when the box is inserted in the aperture in the wall or partition.

According to the present invention, there is provided a holder for an electrical component, the holder having means for securing it in an aperture in a mounting surface of a part such as a partition, the holder including a base, two opposed walls extending from the base and an outwardly extending flange on the rim of each wall, said means including two lugs each arranged to slide in and protrude outwardly from an opening in a respective one of said opposed walls, there being resilient means acting to draw the lugs towards the base, each lug being joined to a respective member inside the walls, to which members a component can be secured by screws, whereby screwing of the component to said members causes the component to abut on a front face of said flange or on said mounting surface and causes said lugs to be drawn against a rear surface of said part thereby to secure the holder in place in said aperture.

The resilient means may be an elastic band engaged between the two lugs and passing underneath the base of the holder.

Alternatively, the resilient means may for each wall be provided by a spring clip extending between inside and outside surfaces of one of the walls, engaging an underneath edge of that wall, and pressing downwardly on an associated member to urge that member and its lug towards the base.

The two lugs can each be provided with sloping undersides so that, when the holder is pushed into the aperture, the lugs are pushed inwardly of the holder out of the way, the resilient means acting to restore them to their original positions once they have cleared the partition.

Preferably, the holder is in the form of a box with an open front and is made of a thermoplastics material.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly cutaway of one form of a holder for an electrical component, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of part of the holder shown in Figure 1 and illustrating a particular feature, and Figure 3 shows a view similar to Figure 2 of an alternative embodiment.

Figures 1 and 2 show a holder in the form of a so-called dry-lining box 1 for an electrical component such as a switch or socket (not shown), the box 1 having means for securing it substantially flush with a mounting surface of a part such as a wall, ceiling or partition.

This means includes two lugs 2 arranged to slide in and protrude outwardly from respective openings 3 in opposed side walls 4 of the box 1. Each opening 3 is substantially cruciform in shape and each lug 2 is able to be fitted into the opening 3 from the inside of the box 1 and, once fitted in the opening 3, is able to slide in it. Each lug 2 is joined to a respective member 5 inside the box, the member 5 having a portion 5A which fits in between a pair of pillars 6 which act as a guide for the sliding movement of the lugs 2.

The remainder of the member 5 is in the form of a block with a threaded aperture 7 in its upper surface.

In order to ensure that the lugs 2 clear the wall or partition upon insertion of the box 1 into an aperture in the wall or partition, resilient means in the form of an elastic band 8 under tension is passed around the two lugs 2 and underneath the base of the box 1 so that the elastic band 8 acts to draw the lugs towards the base.

Figure 2 shows in hatched lines how each member 5 with its lug 2 can be rocked into position through the opening 3. Once in place, the elastic band 8 can be engaged around the top on the lug 2 and be drawn around the box 1 under its base and around the other lug 2. The foot of each member 5 abuts against the base of the box 1 and this limits the movement of the lugs 2 downwardly. The part 5A is pulled against the wall 4 when the resilient bias is applied, thereby ensuring that the associated lug 2 always normally adopts the position shown in the drawings.

It will be seen that the underside of each lug 2 is sloped so that, when the holder is pushed into an aperture in the wall or partition, the sloping surfaces of the lugs 2 engage the edges of the aperture and so that the lugs 2 are pushed inwardly of the holder against the resilient bias. Once the lugs 2 become free of the wall or partition behind it, they are automatically pulled back to the position shown in the drawings.

An electrical component can then be screwed onto the members 5, using the threaded apertures 7, and this causes the component to abut on the front face of a flange 1 A of the box 1 or on the mounting surface of the wall or partition and causes the lugs 2 to be drawn against the rear surface of the wall or partition, thereby to secure the box 1 in place in the aperture. In other words, when the component is screwed on the mem bers 5, they are drawn upwardly as illustrated, thereby drawing the lugs 2 and flange 1 A to gether, thereby trapping the wall or partition between them.

In accordance with usual practice, holes and knock-out portions can be provided as appro priate in the box 1 to allow for the entry and exit of cable.

In the form shown in Figure 3, the resilient means to draw the lug 2 towards the base of the box 1 is in the form of a spring clip 9.

The spring clip 3 is elongate and has two free ends 10 each with a bent-over portion 11 which lead into downwardly-extending runs 12 which are parallel to one another and press against portions of the member 5. Both runs 12 of the clip 9 pass out of the box 1 through apertures 13 in the base and underneath the edge of the wall 4 and then are bent upwardly so as to embrace the outside of the wall 4. The outside of the wall 4 near its base is provided with a ridge 14 on either side of which two runs 15 of the clip 9 pass, the two runs 15 being bent over to meet and be joined to one another at 16. A cradle is thereby formed which engages over the ridge 14.

As with the first embodiment, the lug 2 and member 5 can tilt inwardly of the box 1 but ifl this case such tilting takes place against the resilient bias of the spring clip 9 which tends to urge the lug 2 and member 5 into the position shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, the portions 11 of the clip 9 tend to press the member 5 and thereby the lug 2 towards the base of the box 1.

When an electrical component is screwed onto the members 5 using the threaded apertures 7, the members 5 and their lugs 2 are drawn upwardly, thereby overcoming the spring bias of the clip 9 and pushing the portions 10 and 11 out of the way.

In both embodiments disclosed, it is a simple task to remove the box 1 from a wall in which it is mounted, simply by unscrewing the electrical component and pulling the members 5 and therefore the lugs 2 inwardly of the box 1 against the resilient bias so that the lugs 2 can clear the aperture in the wall.

Claims

1. A holder for an electrical component, the holder having means for securing it in an aperture in a mounting surface of a part such as a partition, the holder including a base, two opposed walls extending from the base and an outwardly extending flange on the rim of each wall, said means including two lugs each arranged to slide in and protrude outwardly from an opening in a respective one of said opposed walls, there being resilient means acting to draw the lugs towards the base, each lug being joined to a respective member inside the walls, to which members a component can be secured by screws, whereby screwing of the component to said members causes the component to abut on a front face of said flange or on said mounting surface and causes said lugs to be drawn against a rear surface of said part thereby to secure the holder in place in said aperture.

2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said resilient means is an elastic band engaged between the two lugs and passing underneath the base of the holder.

3. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said resilient means is a spring clip for each wall, each spring clip extending between inside and outside surfaces of its associated wall, engaging an underneath edge of that wall and pressing downwardly on an associated said member to urge that member and its lug towards the base.

4. A holder acoording to claim 3, wherein each spring clip is elongate and has two free ends each with a bentover portion which lead into downwardly-extending runs which are parallel to one another and are caused to press against portions of an associated said member, both runs of the clip passing out of the holder through apertures in said base and underneath the edge of the associated side wall and then are bent upwardly so as to embrace the outside of that wall.

5. A holder according to claim 4, wherein the outside of each side wall near said base is provided with a ridge on either side of which the two runs of an associated clip pass, the two runs of that clip being bent over to meet and be joined to one another thereby to form a cradle which engages over said ridge.

6. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said lugs are each provided with a sloping underside so that, when the holder is pushed into an aperture, the lugs are pushed inwardly of the holder out of the way, said resilient means acting to restore them to their original positions once they have cleared the mounting surface.

7. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each said opening is substantially cruciform and each lug, when viewed in a particular direction, is substantially T-shaped so that it can enter the opening when aligned therewith.

8. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the foot of each said member is caused to abut against the base of the holder so as to limit the travel of said lugs towards said base.

9. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein holes and/or knockout portions are provided to allow for entry and exit of cable.

10. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims, and being in the form of a box with an open front.

11. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims and being made of a thermoplastics material.

12. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each said lug is integral with its associated member.

13. A holder for an electrical component, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, with or without the modification of Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.