Attachable Spacer for Electrical Box Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical outlet boxes often face issues with stability and detachment during drywall installation due to the lack of a secure mounting mechanism that prevents movement or damage when forces are applied.
Innovation Solution
A supporting spacer is attached to the electrical outlet box without tools, extending from the box to the drywall, which is designed to be rigid and prevent movement or detachment by using a fastening tongue and legs that engage with the box's back panel, providing stability and preventing collapse of the space between the box and the wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical outlet box is mounted on wall stud prior to drywall installation, then electrical box can be positioned correctly, but the space between electrical box and wall may collapse when force is applied during receptacle or drywall installation
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting spacer acts as an intermediary element between the electrical box and the wall/drywall. It transfers and distributes forces applied during installation (such as driving nails or screws) away from the vulnerable space between the box and wall, preventing collapse while maintaining proper box positioning and stability.
2Reliability
If supporting spacer is attached to electrical outlet box, then the box is stabilized and prevented from moving or detaching, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting spacer combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: it provides structural support to prevent wall collapse, acts as a spacer to maintain proper positioning, and serves as a mounting element that attaches to both the electrical box and the wall/drywall. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall installation process.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrally formed spacer may include an upper body having a flat surface. The upper body may include a fastening tongue perpendicular to the flat surface and dimensioned to fit into a first fastening hole in a wall of an electrical box. In addition, the integrally formed spacer may include a lower body with at least one leg having a notch to receive the wall of the electrical box via a second fastening hole in the wall. Further, the integrally formed spacer may include a neck portion having two ends in a lengthwise direction of the integrally formed spacer, one end of the neck portion connected to the upper body and another end connected to the lower body. When the at least one leg is in the second fastening hole and the lower body is held flat against an outside surface of the wall of the electrical box, the fastening tongue is in the first fastening hole and bending the integrally formed spacer to set the upper body perpendicular to the lower body fastens the integrally formed spacer to the wall of the electrical box.