Stackable Like-Ganged Electrical Boxes Nesting Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical boxes are voluminous and difficult to store, transport, and ship due to their one-piece structure, which hinders efficient nesting and stacking, especially when boxes with different numbers of gangs are involved.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates complementary shaped screw protrusions and screw boss channels in electrical boxes, allowing them to nest within similar types but preventing nesting between boxes with different gang configurations, ensuring only like-ganged boxes are stacked together.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electrical boxes are designed with external features to facilitate mounting or securing, then installation capability is improved, but storage and transportation space efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting features including screw protrusions on one electrical box that engage with screw boss channels on another electrical box, allowing boxes to be nested within one another. This reduces storage and transportation volume while maintaining external features for installation. The nesting features are integrated into the box structure without compromising mounting capabilities.
2Volume of moving object
If electrical boxes with different gang configurations are allowed to nest together, then storage efficiency is improved, but inventory accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric nesting features where screw protrusions and screw boss channels are configured with specific geometries that are complementary only for like-ganged boxes. For example, single-gang boxes have one screw protrusion that fits into one screw boss channel, while double-gang boxes have two such features. This asymmetric design prevents boxes with different gang configurations from nesting together, ensuring inventory accuracy while still achieving storage efficiency through proper nesting of compatible boxes.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional one-piece electrical box structures are used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but nesting capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates nesting features as distinct segmented elements (screw protrusions and screw boss channels) into the one-piece electrical box structure. These features are molded as separate functional elements during manufacturing, allowing the boxes to nest while maintaining the simplicity of one-piece construction. The segmentation of nesting features from the main box body enables nesting capability without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and structure of a system of electrical boxes having at least two screw boss channels and at least two screw protrusions wherein the screw boss channels are complimentary shaped to the screw protrusions for selectively nesting like-ganged electrical boxes while preventing nesting of dislike-ganged electrical boxes for more space-efficient storage of electrical boxes while increasing inventory control and accuracy.