Stud-Mounted Wiring Bracket to Prevent Fastener Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for securing electrical wiring to studs behind drywall pose risks of electrical shock and fire hazards due to the potential for fasteners to damage wiring, as they often miss the stud during installation, and there is a need to ensure that wiring is adequately spaced to prevent such incidents.
Innovation Solution
A bracket with a stud securement portion and a pair of jaws, where a stationary jaw and a clamping jaw are designed to securely hold wiring at least 1.25 inches from the wall, allowing for safe spacing and preventing fasteners from penetrating the wiring, featuring a pivotable and bendable clamping mechanism for effective wire retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electrical conductors are secured close to the wall for ease of installation and accessibility, then installation efficiency is improved, but the risk of fastener damage to wiring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bracket as an intermediary component between the wall stud and the electrical conductor. The bracket is attached to the stud and extends outward to hold the conductor at a safe distance from the wall surface, preventing direct exposure to fasteners while maintaining organized wiring installation
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket utilizes the depth dimension perpendicular to the wall surface to position the electrical conductor safely. By extending the conductor-holding portion outward from the wall, the system creates a three-dimensional arrangement that separates the conductor from the hazardous zone near the wall surface where fasteners are driven
2Reliability
If electrical conductors are secured at least 1.25 inches behind the wall as required by NEC, then safety is improved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is pre-formed with the appropriate 1.25-inch extension length to automatically position the conductor at the NEC-required distance when installed. This preliminary design eliminates the need for installers to measure and calculate the correct positioning distance, reducing installation complexity while ensuring safety compliance
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket transforms the safety requirement (1.25-inch distance) into a fixed geometric parameter of the bracket structure itself. By incorporating this distance as an inherent design feature rather than a variable installation parameter, the system simplifies the installation process while maintaining the required safety parameter
3Productivity
If fasteners are installed rapidly with nail or screw guns, then productivity is improved, but the likelihood of missing the stud and damaging wiring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electrical conductor from the wall cavity and positions it on the exterior surface of the wall using the bracket. This extraction removes the conductor from the hazardous interior zone where rapid fastening operations occur, eliminating the risk of conductor damage while allowing uninterrupted high-speed fastening of wall components
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket for mounting wiring on a stud. The bracket includes a stud securement portion configured for attachment to a wall stud. A stationary jaw has a longitudinal axis extending laterally outward from adjacent a rear end of a side wall of the stud securement portion. A clamping jaw has a longitudinal axis extending laterally outward from adjacent the rear end of the side wall. The clamping jaw is at least one of pivotable relative to the stationary jaw and bendable along its longitudinal axis for clamping the wiring between the stationary jaw and the clamping jaw. A locking tie is secured to the clamping jaw adjacent the free longitudinal end of the clamping jaw. The locking tie includes a toothed, elongate member receivable in the locking opening to lock the free longitudinal end of the clamping jaw to the stationary jaw.