Electrical Box Adapter Assembly for Brick Wall Anchoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical outlet boxes struggle with secure installation and aesthetic issues when mounted on brick walls, as they do not extend beyond the brick surface, leading to inadequate anchoring and visible mortar contamination.
Innovation Solution
An electrical box assembly comprising an adapter with outward extending tabs for secure anchoring in a brick wall and a fastening arrangement to secure the outlet box within the adapter, eliminating mortar contamination and providing an aesthetically pleasing exterior.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional outlet box is inserted in an opening in the brick wall, then the outlet box can be installed in the wall, but the outlet box does not extend beyond the back surface of the bricks and cannot be secured to wall studs
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet box is divided into two separate components: an adapter that is mortared into the brick wall opening and an outlet box that is secured to the adapter. This segmentation allows the adapter to provide secure anchoring in the brick wall while the outlet box provides the electrical function, resolving the contradiction between installation ease and anchoring security.
Solution Approach 2:
An adapter is introduced as an intermediary component between the brick wall and the outlet box. The adapter extends beyond the brick surface and provides a mounting surface for the outlet box, enabling secure anchoring while maintaining ease of installation through mortaring.
2Reliability
If conventional outlet boxes are secured within the brick wall by installing mortar between the sidewalls of the box and the surrounding brick, then the outlet box can be anchored in the wall, but the mortar is visible around the periphery of the outlet box and detracts from attractiveness
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the anchoring function (adapter) from the electrical function (outlet box), the adapter can be mortared into the wall while the outlet box remains clean and visible. The adapter's tabs extend into the mortar for secure anchoring, while the outlet box itself is not contaminated by mortar, resolving the contradiction between anchoring security and aesthetic quality.
3Ease of manufacture
If the outlet box has smooth outer sidewalls, then the outlet box is easy to manufacture, but there is no structure on the outer surface for holding the outlet box fast within the mortar
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring function is transferred to the adapter component, which has tabs with mortar-receiving structures. The outlet box itself maintains its smooth sidewalls for ease of manufacture, while the adapter provides the necessary anchoring features through its tab structures that extend into the mortar.
4Strength
If a flange extends around the outer periphery of the sidewall at the front edge of the outlet box, then the outlet box can be structurally reinforced, but the flange interferes with the mortaring operation and can be contaminated with mortar
Solution Approach 1:
The flange structure is transferred to the adapter component, which has tabs that extend beyond the opening. The outlet box itself does not have a flange, allowing the mortaring operation to proceed without interference. The adapter's tabs provide the necessary structural reinforcement and mortar anchoring, while the outlet box remains clean and accessible.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical box assembly for providing electrical service on a brick wall. The assembly includes an electrical outlet box and an adapter. The adapter includes sidewalls defining an internal cavity, an open front, an open rear, and arcuate cable holders for temporarily holding electrical cables until they are routed into the outlet box. Outward extending tabs are provided on the sidewalls of the adapter for enabling secure anchoring of the adapter into a hole in a brick wall. The outlet box includes sidewalls, a hinged cover, and bosses for accepting an electrical device. A fastening arrangement is provided for securing the outlet box to the adapter. Electrical service is provided by mortaring the adapter into a hole in the wall, sliding the outlet box slid into the cavity of the adapter, and securing the outlet box to the adapter with the fastening arrangement.