Mounting Bracket with Far Side Support for Electrical Boxes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mounting brackets for electrical boxes lack adjustability and stability, particularly when supporting multiple boxes of varying sizes and depths between wall studs, leading to issues with screw threading and movement.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece, integrally formed mounting bracket with a far side support member and a cable guide that can be bent to accommodate different positions and depths, featuring a frangible member for easy separation and attachment, and a central opening with key-hole slots for secure screw placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the central cutout of the mounting bracket is made large to accommodate various electrical box sizes, then the adaptability is improved, but the mounting screws can move vertically causing wiring device screws to bottom out on the bracket
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket is divided into multiple functional zones: a central opening for box insertion, side rails with key-hole slots for screw positioning, and a central support rib. This segmentation allows the bracket to accommodate various box sizes while maintaining stable screw positions through the constrained key-hole slot geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bracket have different properties: the central opening is large and open for versatility, while the key-hole slots in the side rails have specific geometric constraints for stability. The central support rib provides localized structural reinforcement to prevent vertical movement and screw bottoming out.
2Manufacturing precision
If the mounting bracket is designed as a single fixed size, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the adjustability between wall studs is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket incorporates adjustable elements through the key-hole slot design, which allows horizontal positioning adjustment while maintaining vertical stability. This dynamic positioning capability enables the same bracket design to adapt to different stud spacings and box positions while preserving manufacturing precision in the bracket's overall dimensions.
3Quantity of substance
If the mounting bracket supports multiple electrical boxes, then the quantity of boxes supported is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is designed as a universal mounting structure with a central opening and side rails that can accommodate one or multiple electrical boxes of varying sizes. The same basic structure serves multiple functions: supporting single or multiple boxes, allowing horizontal adjustment, and providing stable screw positioning, thereby managing complexity through functional integration.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical box mounting bracket includes a mounting frame having a central opening. A removable support member is coupled to an inner edge of the central opening by a frangible tab. A removable extension member is coupled to the support member by a frangible tab that can be removed and attached to an end of the support member. A cable guide is coupled to an inner edge of the central opening by a first fold line and is bendable to a position for supporting a cable. The cable guide has a body or support plate with a plurality of adjacent cable openings with a retaining tab between two adjacent cable openings. The retaining tab is bendable from a first open position for inserting a cable into the cable openings and a second closed position to retain the cable in the cable openings.