Wall Mount Electrical Box With Movable Back Bracket
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical boxes face challenges in installation within walls due to mechanical obstructions like ductwork or plumbing, where it is difficult to extend components into the wall without damaging these features or losing attachment parts.
Innovation Solution
An electrical box design with a movable back bracket and fasteners that allow installation from outside the wall, using a pan with a front flange and back bracket, where the fasteners' shafts slide through the back wall, preventing them from extending behind the bracket, and allowing the box to be clamped securely between the flange and bracket.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If threaded fasteners are used to secure the electrical box to the wall, then the box can be firmly attached, but the fasteners extend deep into the wall and may damage mechanical features like ductwork or plumbing pipes
Solution Approach 1:
The back bracket is made movable relative to the pan through sliding fasteners, allowing the bracket to be positioned at different depths within the wall cavity. This dynamic adjustment enables the bracket to clamp securely against the back wall for strong attachment while preventing fasteners from extending too deep and damaging mechanical features behind the box
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical box is divided into separate components: a fixed pan and a movable back bracket. The bracket can be independently adjusted and secured at different positions, separating the attachment function from the box structure itself. This allows the fastening mechanism to be optimized independently from the box depth requirements
2Volume of moving object
If the electrical box is designed to be shallow, then it is easier to install in obstructed spaces, but the fasteners still extend deep into the wall creating potential damage to mechanical features
Solution Approach 1:
The movable back bracket allows the attachment point to be dynamically positioned independent of the box depth. Even in shallow boxes, the bracket can be adjusted to extend far enough to reach secure attachment points near the back wall without requiring the fasteners to extend beyond the bracket's clamping position, thus avoiding damage to mechanical features
3Strength
If tabs or toggle parts are used within the wall for attachment, then the box can be secured to the wall, but these parts cannot be retrieved if the box is removed as they fall to the bottom of the wall
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is extracted from within the wall cavity and repositioned to the back bracket that clamps against the back wall. The fasteners are accessible from the front of the box, and the bracket itself remains within easy reach. When the box is removed, the bracket and fasteners can be easily retrieved without parts falling to the bottom of the wall cavity
4Strength
If the back bracket is fixed adjacent to the back wall, then secure clamping is achieved, but installation flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The back bracket is designed to be movable relative to the pan through sliding fasteners, allowing installers to adjust the bracket's position along the fastener shaft. This enables the bracket to be positioned optimally for different wall thicknesses and configurations. Once positioned, the bracket provides secure clamping against the back wall, achieving both flexibility during installation and strength during operation
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical box mountable within a wall and installable from outside the wall. The box has a pan that includes a front flange for contacting an outer wall surface that extends outwardly from a sidewall. A back bracket is positioned opposite the front flange and adjacent to the back wall and a fastener having a shaft extends through the back wall to movably secure the back bracket to the back wall. No portion of the shaft extends behind the back bracket. The back bracket is movable relative to the pan between a first position adjacent to the back wall and a second position spaced farther from the back wall. The bracket and front flange are adapted for clamping a portion of a wall located between the front flange and back bracket when the back bracket is in its first position.