Electrical box with recessed faceplate

Abstract

An electrical box with recessed faceplate having a one-piece recessed faceplate and adapted to accommodate a two-piece recessed faceplate. A rear portion contains channels on the top, bottom, and sides. A connecting wall attaches the rear portion to the front portion. The connecting wall extends beyond the rear portion and preferably contains one or more apertures to accommodate releasable fasteners such as screws. These apertures and the channels assure that no screws or analogous components of another type of releasable fastener are not exposed within the box. The two-piece recessed faceplate has an inner portion and an outer portion which slide along each other in order to enable the box to be mounted at different distances from the mounting surface. Optionally, a removable cover extends across the mouth of the faceplate. An extender is also available for converting traditional electrical boxes into a box that can accommodate a recessed faceplate. And an alternative electrical box holds switches and is L-shaped.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a divisional of copending prior application Ser. No. 10 / 008,738, filed on Nov. 9, 2001, which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,318 on May 16, 2006.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates to boxes for containing the wide variety of electrical equipment that is traditionally installed within electrical boxes, such as receptacles, modular telephone jacks, stationary connectors for coaxial cables, switches, and the like. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Electrical equipment, such as receptacles, modular telephone jacks, stationary connectors for coaxial cables, switches, and the like is placed in the walls of almost all modern buildings. Into such devices, electrical connectors of various configurations can be removably inserted to provide a pathway for electricity to be supplied to such device to perform a variety of tasks, including powering an electrica...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides two new electrical boxes with recessed faceplates. The new electrical box is designed to accommodate a two-part faceplate, which allows adjusting the distance between the outward surface of the electrical instrumentality installed within the electrical box and the flange at the front of the faceplate, ensuring that the flange of the faceplate will be flush against the wall in which the electrical box has been installed and that a wall of the faceplate will be flush against the outward surface of the installed electrical equipment. The new electrical box does not have any exposed screws or other components of a releasable fastener not employing screws, and once the electrical instrumentality is installed within the box, there are no openings. The new electrical box also allows for the installation of switches with faces oriented other than parallel to the wall of building in which the electrical box is placed."

Problems solved by technology

None of these, however, have the ability to accommodate a recessed faceplate adapted to be extended so that, after installation of the box, the faceplate can be adjusted so that the faceplate meets the preceding requirements of the National Electrical Code; nor do they provide a mechanism for adapting a traditional electrical box to accommodate a recessed faceplate.

None of such covers, however, can be slid onto a faceplate.

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