A cover for a junction box for electrical wiring for lighting

Abstract

A cover 2 for a junction box 4 for electrical wiring 6 wherein the junction box comprises: a body portion 8 having receiving formations 10 for receiving lever-action screwless connection blocks (i.e.

Description

A COVER FOR A JUNCTION BOX FOR ELECTRICAL WIRING FOR LIGHTING This invention relates to a cover for an electrical junction box and, more especially, this invention relates to a cover for a junction box for electrical wiring for lighting. Junction boxes for electrical wiring for lighting are widely used. The junction boxes may contain different types of connection blocks for receiving the electrical wiring. Often the connection blocks are lever-action screwless connection blocks. These lever-action screwless connection blocks are easy to operate, with a connection being made to an end of a wire simply by pivoting a lever from an open position to a closed position. Often the lever-action screwless connection blocks are not fixed in position in the junction box. The junction box may simply comprise a body portion having receiving formations for receiving the lever-action screwless connection blocks, typically as a sliding fit in the receiving formations. One well known type of the lever-action screwless connection blocks are those known as Wago 221 lever-action screwless connection blocks. Where the junction boxes are intended to be fitted with lever-action screwless connection blocks, a problem can occur in that the lever-action screwless connection blocks which are not fixed in position in their junction boxes are easily substituted by other types of connectors, for example other types of connection blocks. These other types of connectors may not comply with British Standard Specifications for the junction box, for example, the present British Standard Specification known as BS7671. Electrical installations which do not comply with British Standard Specifications are dangerous and illegal. It is an aim of the present invention to avoid or reduce the above mentioned problem. Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a cover for a junction box for electrical wiring for lighting, and wherein: the junction box comprises: (i) a body portion having receiving formations for receiving lever- action screwless connection blocks: (ii) lever-action screwiess connection blocks which are not fixed in position in the receiving formations in the body portion, and the cover comprises: (i) tabs which extend into the body portion when the cover is closed on the body portion; (ii) the tabs extend into the body portion by sliding adjacent levers of the lever-action screwless connection blocks when the levers are in a closed position; (iii) the tabs prevent the levers of the lever-action screwless connection blocks from moving from the closed position to an open position; and (iv) the tabs will engage connection blocks other than the lever-action screwless connection blocks and thereby prevent the cover from being closed on the body portion and thereby deter use of connection blocks other than the lever-action screwless connection blocks. The cover of the present invention is effective to help to deter the use of incorrect connection blocks. The cover is easily able to be manufactured and thus the cover provides an elegant and inexpensive solution to an existing legal and safety problem. Typically, the cover will be one in which there is one of the tabs for each one of the receiving formations. There may be any suitable number of the receiving formations. Typically there are four of the receiving formations. The cover may comprise apertures for enabling the cover to be screwed by screws to the body portion. The cover may include support formations for the tabs. The cover may then be one in which the support formations are triangular buttress formations, and in which there is one of the triangular buttress formations for each one of the tabs. The support formations other than triangular buttress formations may be employed. Each support formation may have more than one of the support formations, for example the triangular buttress formations. The present invention also extends to a junction box for electrical wiring for lighting, the junction box comprising a cover according to the present invention. The junction box may be sold with or without the lever-action screwless connection blocks. Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a cover for a junction box for electrical wiring for lighting; Figure 2 shows the cover and junction box shown in Figure 1 and being fitted together; Figure 3 shows the cover fitted on the junction box and is a view from the bottom end of the junction box; and Figure 4 shows the cover and junction box of Figure 3 secured within a threaded lining sleeve or a hole made in a ceiling, and shows the junction box provided with a connector for attaching to a pair of cables containing the electrical wiring. Referring to the drawings, there is shown a cover 2 for a junction box 4 for electrical wiring 6 for lighting. The junction box 4 comprises a body portion 8 having receiving formations 10 for receiving lever-action screwless connection blocks 12. The lever-action screwless connection blocks 12 are such that they are not fixed in position in the receiving formations 10. The lever-action screwless connection blocks 12 are slidable into and out of the receiving formations 10. The cover 2 comprises tabs 14 which extend into the body portion 8 when the cover 2 is closed on the body portion 8. The tabs 14 extend into the body portion 8 by sliding adjacent levers 16 of the lever-action screwless connection blocks 12 when the levers 16 are in a closed position. The closed position is shown in Figures 1 and 2. The levers 16 are pivotable from their open position to the enclosed position in order to trap electrical wires of the electrical wiring 6. The tabs 14 prevent the levers of the lever-action screwless connection blocks 12 from moving from the closed position to the open position. The tabs 14 will engage connection blocks other than the lever-action screwless connection blocks 12. This thereby prevents the cover 2 from being closed on the body portion. This in turn thereby deters use of the connection blocks other than the lever-action screwless connection blocks 12. There is one of the tabs 14 for each one of the receiving formations 10. The cover 2 comprises apertures 18 for enabling the cover 2 to be screwed by screws to the body portion 8. The cover 2 includes support formations 20 for the tabs 14. The support formations 20 are triangular buttress formations 20. There is one of the triangular buttress formations 20 for each one of the tabs 14. Figure 3 shows the cover 2 in position on the body portion 8. Figure 4 shows the body portion as shown in Figure 3 located in a sleeve 22 which is externally threaded as shown and which locates in a hole drilled in a ceiling with the purposes of receiving the junction box 4 with its cover 2. As shown in Figure 4, the junction box 4 is provided with a connector 24 for securing the junction box 4 to a pair of cables 26, 28 shown in Figure 1. Also as shown in Figure 1, the cables 26, 28 contain the electrical wiring 6 which is in the form of a plurality of separate cables for connecting appropriately to the lever-action screwless connection blocks 12. Figure 1 further shows how the body portion 8 of the junction box 4 is provided with apertures 30, 32 for receiving screws (not shown) which connect the cover 2 to the junction box 4. The cover 2 may be such that tabs of other constructions are employed providing they are such that they operate in the same way as the tabs 14. Other types of buttress formations 20 may be employed. The cover 2 and the junction box 4 may be used for various types of electrical wiring for lighting including lighting for luminaires. It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. The cover 2 may be made of any suitable materials including folded materials currently employed for producing the body portion 8 of the junction box 4. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention. The invention also extends to the individual components mentioned and / or shown above, taken singly or in any combination.

Claims

1. A cover for a junction box for electrical wiring for lighting, and wherein:the junction box comprises:(i) a body portion having receiving formations for receiving leveraction screwless connection blocks;(ii) lever-action screwless connection blocks which are not fixed in position in the receiving formations in the body portion, andthe cover comprises:(i) tabs which extend into the body portion when the cover is closed on the body portion;(ii) the tabs extend into the body portion by sliding adjacent levers of the lever-action screwless connection blocks when the levers are in a closed position;(iii) the tabs prevent the levers of the lever-action screwless connection blocks from moving from the closed position to an open position; and(iv) the tabs will engage connection blocks other than the lever-action screwless connection blocks and thereby prevent the cover from being closed on the body portion and thereby deter use ofconnection blocks other than the lever-action screwless connection blocks.

2. A cover according to claim 1 in which there is one of the tabs for each one of the receiving formations.

3. A cover according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the cover comprises apertures for enabling the cover to be screwed by screws to the body portion.

4. A cover according to any one of the preceding claims and including support formations for the tabs.

5. A cover according to claim 4 in which the support formations are triangular buttress formations, and in which there is one of the triangular buttress formations for each one of the tabs.

6. A junction box for electrical wiring for lighting, the junction boxcomprising a cover according to any one of the preceding claims.