Adjustable Wall Box Support Frame for Level Device Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical wall boxes often result in crooked installations of electrical devices and wall plates when mounted at an angle, leading to undesirable aesthetic and functional issues.
Innovation Solution
A wall box with a support frame that allows for adjustable alignment of electrical devices, featuring a rotating support frame that can be locked in place, and flexible members with projections engaging detents for precise adjustment, ensuring level alignment and secure mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wall box is installed in the opening in the wall at an angle, then the installation process is completed, but the electrical device and wall plate appear crooked on the wall
Solution Approach 1:
The support frame is designed to be rotatable relative to the wall box body, allowing the electrical device to be dynamically adjusted to a level position after installation. The support frame can rotate about an axis perpendicular to the front surface of the wall box, enabling alignment correction without removing the device from the wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The support frame includes a locking mechanism with a locking screw that can secure the support frame in any rotated position. This allows the installer to first install the wall box, then rotate the support frame to achieve proper alignment, and finally lock it in place - performing the alignment action after the main installation is complete.
2Manufacturing precision
If the support frame is made rotatable to allow alignment adjustment, then level alignment is achieved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is divided into separate functional components: the wall box body, the support frame, and the locking mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the support frame handles rotation and positioning, while the locking mechanism secures the position, simplifying the overall design through functional separation.
3Ease of operation
If the locking screw is received through a slot in the support frame, then the support frame can be rotated for alignment, but the structural integrity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The slot in the support frame acts as a flexible element that allows the locking screw to move laterally as the support frame rotates. The slot is designed with appropriate dimensions and positioning to maintain structural strength while permitting the necessary rotational adjustment for alignment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables level alignment and secure mounting of electrical devices, preventing crooked installations and enhancing the aesthetic appeal and functionality of the mounted components.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible member is configured to flex as the electrical device is rotated to allow the projection to be received in other ones of the plurality of detents of the notched surface
Data Source
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AI summary
A wall box may provide adjustable support for a control device, such as a keypad, to allow for level alignment of the control device when mounted to the wall box. The wall box may have an adjustable support frame to which the control device may be mounted. When the control device is mounted to the support frame of the wall box, the support frame may be rotated to adjust the alignment of the control device. In addition, the wall box may comprise one or more projections configured to be received in respective detents in notched surfaces of the control device to allow for adjustment of the alignment of the control device. Further, the wall box may have a modular assembly and may be constructed from a central portion and two side portions at the time of installation of the wall box.