WO1995005022A1

WO1995005022A1 - Wall-embedded boxes for electric wiring systems with a temporary lid for protection and position indication

Info

Publication number: WO1995005022A1
Application number: PCT/IT1993/000106
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antonio Bruzzaniti; Michele Bruzzaniti
Original assignee: Antonio Bruzzaniti; Michele Bruzzaniti
Priority date: 1993-08-06
Filing date: 1993-10-13
Publication date: 1995-02-16
Also published as: IT1265052B1; ITMI931797A1; ITMI931797A0

Abstract

Box (10) for electric wiring to be embedded inside walls (50) comprising an extra lid (40) provided with means for its temporary association and of a width and length not greater than the width and length of the box, its purpose being to prevent introduction of masonry debris inside the ends of the tubes (21, 26, 27) carrying electric wires and which penetrate inside the box, there being on the upper surface of the lid (40) a slot (45) to take colouring matter (46) that dissolves on contact with humidity so that if the layer (52) of finishing material, especially of gypsum, has covered said lid as well, the colouring matter is absorbed by said layer forming on its outer surface a patch (53) of colour to show the electrician the position of the lid and therefore of the box underneath it.

Description

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Wall-embedded boxes for electric wiring systems with a temporary lid for protection and position indication

Modern electrical systems, especially those for civil 5 use, are usually installed behind wall surfaces.

This means that a network of plastic rubes is put in before the walls are finished and these tubes meet in junction boxes or in others for control and supply of current to switches, sockets and so on.

10 The tube endings are inserted into the box through holes in its sides and bottom.

During the work of finishing the wall by the use of pla¬ ster, mortar, cement, gypsum or other materials, parti¬ cles of these materials, small stones and dust can easily

15 enter the tube endings since the junction box cannot be closed at that stage with its own lid or with any elec^¬ trical device until the walls are finished. To prevent the tubes from becoming clogged with debris anything that comes handy such as folded paper, bits of wood etc., is pushed into the tube ends to act as a stop¬ per and keep them clean.

This method is obviously unsatisfactory both because it does not always protect the tube properly and also because such 'stoppers' project outward and hinder the work of smoothing down the plaster or gypsum for a good finish. Further, on account of irregularity of unfinished wall sur¬ faces, made with a variety of materials such as bricks, uneven stones or mixed materials, -these boxes have to be embedded at a depth greater than their thickness to prevent them projecting from the finally finished surface which would not only give a bad appearance but would also affect their efficiency. It follows that such boxes are often covered over with the final layer of plastering and when the electrician has to put in the wiring he must look for the box which means boring holes in several places to find it. All this is a waste, of time and causes no slight damage to finished walls.

The above invention avoids these drawbacks and also offers other considerable advantages as will be explained below. Subject of the invention is a box for electric wiring, to be embedded in the wall and comprising an extra lid for protection while finishing work on the wall proceeds.

Said lid is fitted with means for its temporary associatio to the box and is of a width and length not greater than those dimensions of the box measured at its .edges. The purpose of this lid is to stop masonry debris or any- thing else from getting into the tubes, connected to the box and already inside it, while the wall is being finished but without creating any impediment to the work in progres During installation of wires and electrical devices, the temporary lid is easily removed without damaging the walls In a preferred type said lid has one or more slots to re- ceive colouring matter that dissolves in the presence of humidity, said slots being open on the lid's upper surface When a layer of plaster or gypsum has covered the box,and the temporary lid as well, as this layer is still damp it will absorb the colouring matter. When absorption reaches the external surface the coloured area so produced will reveal the position of the box embed ded in the wall .

The slots holding the colouring matter are protected on the surface of the lid by a piece of gauze or other suit- able material that will allow humidity to pass through it, and, over that, by a piece of impermeable metal or plastic held firmly in place by means of adhesives.

The purpose of this protection is to prevent the colouring matter from leaving its slot during storage and to make sure that it only acts when plastering is being done on the wall, after the piece of impermeable material has been removed.

The colouring matter may be in powder or paste form.

In a preferred type said colouring matter is an aniline dye soluble in water.

It is an advantage to place at least one slot for the co¬ louring matter in the centre of the lid.

As particular cases and preferences may require, width and length of the lid are slightly less than or equal to the internal width and length of the box at its edges.

Holes are made in the lid near the sides, corners, centre or in other parts of the box at points where normally there are threaded holes in such boxes for fixing on the perma¬ nent lid or for mounting electric devices. In this way the temporary protective lid can be fixed on using the same screws or others having the same thread.

Alternatively the lid may have elastic tongues substantial¬ ly orthogonal to its under surface and close to its edges, said tongues having on them teeth or other outwardly facing projections . When the lid is placed on the box, the positions of these projections correspond to holes , grooves or cavities general ly present in the sides of the box to facilitate detachment of those areas through which the ends of the tubes will pas On placing the temporary lid over the box, these projection will enter the above cavities sufficiently to hold the lid on firmly so that, when electric wiring is to be installed, it is only needed to pull at the lid in order to bend the tongues holding it and allow it to be taken off. Alternatively the temporary lid has elastic tongues fixed to its under surface close to the edges and parallel to said edges, possibly with some raised portions on their out ward facing surfaces.

In relation to the under surface of the lid, said tongues are substantially orthogonal but with a slight inclination outwards and therefore towards the box. •

When the temporary lid is placed on the box, said tongues therefore press against the sides of the box and adhere to them sufficiently to keep the lid in place while the surfac of the wall is being finished. ^• Advantageously the lid may have means that can be gripped by the fingers or by a tool so that it can be easily taken off when electric wiring has to be installed. Such means may consist of areas prepared for penetration by the fingers or by tools, or may be tongues, hooks and the like articulated in grooves made for them on the sur- face of said lid.

Said means may thus be left lying in their grooves to as¬ sist application of wall finish, or be raised for pulling on the lid making it easier for the fingers, or tools to gain a hold on them. The advantages of the invention are clearly evident.

Boxes embedded in a wall, whether junction boxes or others for different electrical purposes, as well as the tube-ends that penetrate inside them, are fully protected from dust and dirt while finishing work on the wall is proceeding. The temporary lid can be put on and removed quickly and easily Junction boxes can be put on sale with both permanent and temporary lids, either of which can be fitted on using the same means for both. The position of the box inside the wall, covered with pla- ster, gypsum or some other finishing material, is always seen thus greatly assisting the electrician.

The whole consists of simple means of negligible cost, es¬ pecially considering the great economy obtained by ensur- ing protection for the wiring tubes and for the box, and the means provided for instantly showing, its position in th wall .

Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made even clearer by the following examples of its execution illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures. Fig. 1 Perspective view of a junction box with its lid as usually supplied. Fig. 2 Perspective view of a junction box embedded in a wall, with a temporary lid, as invented, fixed on by screws . Fig. 3 The box as seen in Fig.2 covered by a layer of gypsu Fig. 4 The view in Fig.3 when the gypsum has dried out. Fig. 5 Perspective view of box for electric control and feed devices embedded in a wall, with temporary lid. Fig. 6 The box seen in Fig. 5 covered by a layer of gypsum. Fig. 7 The view in Fig. 6when the gypsum has dried out. Fig. 8 Perspective view of a box for telephone connection embedded in a wall, with a temporary lid. Fig. 9 Perspective view of a junction box embedded in a wall, with temporary lid made stable by elastic tongues The junction box 10,has a box-shaped body 11, corner columns 12 with threaded holes 13,with an upper surface 14 and side 15.

In the bottom 16 there are circular areas 20 prepared for easy opening to allow passage of tubes 21, 27 that contain the electric wires. In the sides 22 of the box there are grooves 23, 24 to fa¬ cilitate formation of holes also used for passage of tubes 26 carrying electric wires.

At the top of the box 10 is the permanent lid 30 which has countersunk holes 31 at its corners for passage of fixing screws 32.

In Fig. 2 the box is shown embedded in the wall 50 with a layer of plaster 51.

Instead of the permanent lid 30-on the box 10, there is a temporary lid 40, subject of the invention, whose size cor- responds to the internal dimensions of the box at the level of the surfaces 14 of the columns 12 in which there are countersunk holes 41 to accept the screws 32 with suf¬ ficient space for the screw heads.

Centrally in said lid 40 is a cylindrical slot 45 to take a quantity 46 of aniline based colouring matter soluble in water.

Above said slot 45 is a sheet of gauze 47 and on top of that is a piece of aluminium sheet 48 with adhesive 49. Fig. 3 shows the wall 50 onto which, after removal of the metal sheet 48 and lid 40, a layer 52 of gypsum has been laid. The view in Fig. 3 is repeated in Fig. 4 but this time when the layer of gypsum has dried out naturally. As will be seen, the humidity in the gypsum has dissolved the colouring matter 46,which the gypsum has absorbed through the gauze 47, spreading out to form a patch 53. Completion of the wall surface: with plastering 50, as in Fig. 2, and with the layer of gypsum 51 as in Fig. 3, has in no way damaged the ends of tubes 21 and 26, nor have bits of cement, dust or any debris penetrated inside the embedded box. When electric wiring is to be installed all that is needed is to remove said lid 40.

As clearly seen in Fig. 4, even if the layer of gypsum 52 has covered the box 10 and lid 40, its position is at once visible , axked by the patch of colour 53 on the gypsum. When installation is finished, the box 10 can be defini¬ tively closed with its permanent lid 30.

Fig. 5 illustrates a box 60 for electric control and feed devices such as switches, sockets and others, mounted in^¬ side the wall 61. In this box there are squared metal tongues-62^' in grooves 63 in the box on its opposite sides 64.

In the tongues 62 the threaded holes 65 are made for screws to fix on the covers over these devices.

Said screws 66 can also be used to hold in place the tem¬ porary protective lid 70 through the holes 71. Inside the temporary lid 70 the round slot 72 is visible, this is to hold the tablet 73 of colouring matter over which is laid the sheet 74 of porous paper protected by the impermeable sheet 75 of plastic material stuck on by adhesive 76. Also visible in the box are the tube ends 77, 78 for elec- trie wires, entering through openings 79 in the bottom 80 of the box 60.

In Fig. 6 the box 60 seen in Fig. 5, is covered by a layer 82 of gypsum applied after removal of impermeable sheet 75. In Fig.7 the illustration in Fig.6 is reproduced after a lapse of time. The surface coloured patch 85 can be noted on the layer of gypsum 82, created by absorption of the co louring matter 73.

Fig. 8 shows a junction box 90 for telephone wires embedde inside the wall 95. The box is protected by a lid 96 whose width and length are substantially the same as the equiva¬ lent external dimensions of box 90 measured at its edges. By means of the edge 97 jutting out underneath, the cover 96 is positioned at a space from the edges substantially equal to the thickness of the sides 91 of the box 90. Said cover 96 is fixed by screw 92, the.n used to screw do the permanent lid on the box. This screw- goes into the us threaded hole 93 in the bottom 94 of the box. Fig. 9 shows another box 100 embedded in the wall 104 with a protective lid 105 held in place by elastic tongues 106 whose projections 107 penetrate by elastic reaction inside the holes 101 made in said box to create zones that can be easily detached to allow the wire-bearing tubes to pass inside the box.

Dimensions of the lid 105 are substantially the same as those of the box 100 and the lid can be removed by merely pulling sufficiently on it to overcome the resistance put up by the tongues 106.

Claims

C l a ims

1. Boxes (10, 60 , 90, 100) for electric wiring systems to be embedded inside walls (50,61, 5, 104) characterized in that they comprise a temporary lid, (40, 70,96, 105) for their protection during finishing work on the walls ( 50 , 61 , 95 , 104 ) , fitted with means (32,71, 92, 106) for temporary association to the embedded box 10,60,90, 100), lid width and length being not greater than width and length of the boxes measured at their ed- ges, the purpose of said lid being to prevent masonry debris from falling into the tubes (21,26,27,77,78) con¬ nected to the boxes and arranged inside them, and avoid - any hindrance to a proper finish being given to the walls (50,61,95, 104) and allowing said lid (40,70,96, 105) to be easily removed without damage to said walls when wir¬ ing and electric devices are being installed.

2. Boxes to be embedded inside walls, as in claim 1, characterized in that the temporary lid (40,70) has one or more slots (45,72) in which is placed colouring matter (46,73) dissolved by humidity, open on the upper surface of said lid so that if the layer of finishing material (52,82) especially gypsum, has covered the box and there¬ fore the lid (40,70) said layer (52,82) still being damp absorbs the colouring matter (46,73) and forms a coloured patch (53,85) .on the surface of said layer that indicates the presence of the lid and therefore the position of the box underneath it.

3. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 2, characterized in that the slots (45,72) holding colouring matter (46,70) are protected on the surface of the lid

(40,70) by a piece of gauze (47,74) or other porous pro¬ tective material or in any case such as will allow passage of humidity and by an impermeable metal or plastic sheet

(58.75) or film on top held in position by an adhesive

(49.76) the purpose of this being to prevent, during sto¬ rage of the boxes (40,60), the colouring matter (46,73) from coming out accidentally, and to make possible its position-marking effect by detaching said impermeable co¬ vering sheet (48,75) when the layer (52,82) of finishing material is being laid on the wall (50,61).

4. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 2, characterized in that the colouring matter (46,73) is in powder or paste form.

5. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 2, characterized in that the colouring matter (46,73) is a water-soluble aniline dye.

6. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 2, characterized in that at least one slot (45,72) for the colouring matter (46,73) is placed centrally in the lid(40,70).

7. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 1, characterized in that the upper surface of the lid (40,70) is flat and that its width and length are slightly less than the internal width and length of the boxes ( 10) mea¬ sured at their edges..

8. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 1, characterized in that the upper surface of the lid (96, 105) is flat and that its width and length are substantially equal to and in any case not greater than the external width and length of the boxes (90, 100) measured at their edges .

9. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 1, characterized in that in the temporary lid ( Q , 70, 96 )there are holes (32,71,98) close to the sides (22,64) or to the corners or to the centre or to other parts of the boxes ( 10,60,90) at positions corresponding to those of the usual threaded holes ( 13,65,93) generally cut in said boxes for fixing on the ordinary permanent lids (30) or electric devices by means of screws (32,66,92) so that said tempo- rary lid (40,70,96) can be fixed on with the same screws (32,66,92) or with others having the same thread.

10. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 1, characterized in that the temporary lid ( 105) is fitted with elastic tongues ( 106) placed substantially orthogo- nally to the under surface of said lid close to its edges, said tongues having teeth or projections generally ( 107) facing outwards which, when said lid is placed on the box ( 100) will be in positions corresponding to holes, grooves or cavities generally (101) existing in the sides of the box (60) to facilitate detachment of the areas through which the ends of the tubes , carrying electric wires, will pass, so that when the lid ( 105) is placed on the box ( 100) said projections ( 107) fit into said cavities to hold the lid on firmly while, when electric wiring is to be installed it is sufficient to give an adequate pull on the lid caus¬ ing the tongues ( 106) to bend and release the lid..

11 Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 1, characterized in that on the under surface of the temporary lid there are fixed elastic tongues close to the edges of the lid and parallel to them, possibly vjith some raised portions on their outward-facing surfaces_^, said tongues being substantially orthogonal to the lower surface of the lid with a moderate inclination outward and therefore to¬ wards the box so that, when said lid is placed on the box, said tongues exert pressure on its sides producing adherenc sufficient to keep it stable while wall finishing continues

12.. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 1 characterized in that the lids (40, 70, 96', I05) are fit¬ ted with means that can be gripped from outside by the fingers or by tools to facilitate removal of the lid when electric cables are to be installed.^"

13. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 12, characterized in that said means are areas prepared for easy breaking that allow passage of the fingers or of tools .

14. Boxes to be embedded inside walls as in claim 12, characterized in that said means are tongues, hooks and the like articulated inside grooves for them on the upper surface of said lids (40,70,96, 105) so that, as necessary, they can lie flat in their grooves to facilitate finish- ing work on the walls, or can be raised to assume a pul¬ ling position towards the outer surface of said lid.