Electrical outlet box

Abstract

An electrical outlet box includes channels in a female member for receiving in spaced apart relationship three conductors of an uncut electrical cable. One or more sets of three receivers mounted in a male member for electrically engaging each conductor interconnects the conductors of the cable and defines an electrical socket of a socket assembly of the electrical outlet box. A cover is attachable to the male member for covering the space between the socket assembly and the surrounding wall board aperture. Fittings are included and formed as part of the electrical outlet box to permit back to back attachment of a pair of electrical outlet boxes and for side by side mounting in a ganged manner of two or more electrical boxes. Routing of the cable in slots in the studs of a wall is described along with a retainer for retaining the cable in the slots.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electrical outlet box, said electrical outlet box comprising in combination: 
 (a) female member including three channels, each channel of said three channels receiving an uncut conductor of a three conductor cable, and a flange extending laterally for mounting said electrical out box;    (b) a male member including at least a set of three receivers for engaging the conductors of the cable, each receiver of each said set of three receivers being slotted to pierce any insulation about an engaged conductor of the cable and to electrical interconnect with the engaged conductor of the cable, said male member including a socket assembly for receiving a conventional three prong electrical plug and electrically engaging the prongs of the plug with one set of said sets of three receivers;    (c) attachment means for securing said male member with said female member;    (d) said male member including at least a set of three cavities for housing said set of three receivers to position and maintain said set of three receivers in place upon securing said male member with said female member.    
     
     
         2 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  including a cover attachable to said male member, said cover including a plurality of studs for penetrably engaging corresponding apertures in said male member to selectable degree of penetration.  
     
     
         3 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 2  wherein each stud of said plurality of studs includes a plurality of bells for selectively engaging said apertures.  
     
     
         4 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  including means for mounting a pair of said electrical outlet boxes back to back, said mounting means being disposed at the back of said female member and including a plurality of posts at the back of said female member and defining an inscribed circle and a further post having a diameter not less than the diameter of the circle defined by said plurality of posts whereby said post of one of said electrical outlet boxes will mate with and be retained by said plurality of posts of another of said electrical outlet boxes.  
     
     
         5 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 4  wherein the back of each said female member includes a pair of said plurality of posts and a pair of said further posts.  
     
     
         6 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  including at least two of said outlet boxes and means for mounting said electrical outlet boxes side to side, said mounting means including a pair of spaced apart studs disposed proximate the lower edge of one side of said female member of one of said outlet boxes and a pair of indentations disposed proximate the lower edge of an opposing side of said female member of another of said outlet boxes, whereby said pair of studs of one electrical box of said pair of electrical outlet boxes will mate with and engage said pair of indentations of the other electrical outlet box of said electrical outlet boxes.  
     
     
         7 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 6  wherein one of said electrical outlet boxes includes a further indentation for receiving said flange of the other electrical outlet box of said electrical outlet boxes and retention means for retaining said flange within said one of said electrical outlet boxes.  
     
     
         8 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said female member includes a pair of ledges on opposed sides for supporting the cable into and out of said female member and wherein said male member includes a further pair of ledges mating with said pair of ledges of said female member for retaining the cable therebetween.  
     
     
         9 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  including a pair of ledges extending from opposed sides of said female member for supporting the cable and a further pair of ledges extending from opposed sides of said male member for clamping the cable between said pair of ledges and said further pair of ledges.  
     
     
         10 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  including an open ended isolated compartment disposed in said female member and a pair of knockouts for accommodating access to said component by two or more conductors of the cable to be electrically connected within said compartment.  
     
     
         11 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 10  including a cover for covering the open end of said compartment and shield any electrical connection therein.  
     
     
         12 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each receiver of each said set of three receivers includes a clamp for gripping and electrically engaging a further conductor.  
     
     
         13 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 12  wherein each said clamp includes a channel for receiving the conductor and an arm for urging electrical contact between said channel of said clamps and the further conductor.  
     
     
         14 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said arm includes an end bent toward said channel of said clamps for engaging the further conductor.  
     
     
         15 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each receiver of said set of three receivers includes at least one key and each cavity of said set of three cavities includes a slot for receiving said key of an inserted receiver of said set of three receivers.  
     
     
         16 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each slotted receiver of said set of three receivers includes a slot defined by a pair of tabs for electrically engaging the respective conductor of the cable.  
     
     
         17 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 16  including a plate having a plurality of apertures, each of said apertures being dimensioned to penetrably receive one pair of said tabs of each receive of said set of three receivers and retention means for retaining said plate adjacent said set of three cavities.  
     
     
         18 . An electrical outlet box as set for the in  claim 16  wherein each receiver of said set of three receivers includes two spaced apart pairs of said pair of tabs to define a pair of spaced apart slots for engaging the respective conductor of the cable.  
     
     
         19 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 18  wherein each receiver of said set of three receivers includes a pair of resilient arms for gripping therebetween the prong of a plug plugged into said socket assembly.  
     
     
         20 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 19  wherein each receiver of said set of three receivers includes a third resilient arm orthogonal to said pair of arms.  
     
     
         21 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 20  wherein each cavity of said set of three cavities includes a pair of opposed slots and wherein each third arm of each receiver of said set of three receivers includes a pair of keys extending in opposed directions for engaging said opposed slots of the respective cavity of said set of three cavities.  
     
     
         22 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 18  including a plate having three pairs of apertures, each said pair of apertures being dimensioned to receive said spaced apart pair of said pair of tabs to stabilize said set of three receivers upon engagement with the respective ones of the conductors of the cable.  
     
     
         23 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 22  wherein said male member, said female member, said socket assembly and said plate are of dielectric material.  
     
     
         24 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said male member, said female member and said attachment means are of dielectric material.  
     
     
         25 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said female member includes at least a pair of wall sections and said attachment means comprises at least one slot formed in an edge of each of said wall sections and an aperture disposed adjacent each of said at least one slot and wherein said male member includes at least a pair of male studs, each of said male studs engaging at least one of said slots, each said male stud including a lip for a snap fit with the corresponding one of said apertures.  
     
     
         26 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 25  wherein said at least one slot comprises a first pair of slots disposed in one of said wall sections spaced apart for a first distance and a second pair of slots disposed in another of said wall sections spaced apart for a second distance and wherein said at least pair of male studs comprises a first pair of male studs spaced apart the first distance for engaging said first pair of slots and a second pair of male studs placed apart the second distance for engaging said second pair of slots.  
     
     
         27 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 26  wherein the first and second distances are not equal, whereby said male member can be attached to said female member only in a predetermined orientation therebetween.  
     
     
         28 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each channel of said set of three channels is defined by pairs of ridges, each ridge of aid pairs of ridges being at least partly discontinuous to accommodate insertion of a part of a respective receiver of aid set of three receivers intermediate the discontinuous segments of respective ridges of said pairs of ridges.  
     
     
         29 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each channel of said set of three channels is defined by adjacent pairs of ridges, each ridge of each of said pairs of ridges being at least partly discontinuous to accommodate insertion of a part of a respective receiver of said set of three receivers coincident with the discontinuities of the respective ridge of said pairs of ridges.  
     
     
         30 . A method for mounting an electrical outlet box, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) attaching a female member of the electrical outlet box to a wall stud, which female member includes three channels;    (b) laying an uncut cable through the female member, including the steps of laying each conductor of the cable into a separate one of the three channels;    (c) mating a male member of the electrical outlet box with the female member, which male member includes at least a set of three receivers, said step of mating including the steps of electrically engaging each conductor of the cable with a corresponding receiver of the set of three receivers defining a socket of the electrical outlet box; and    (d) securing said male member with said female member.    
     
     
         31 . The method as set forth in  claim 30  wherein the electrical outlet box includes socket assembly comprising a pair of sockets, each of the sockets including the set of three receivers and wherein said step of mating includes the step of engaging each conductor of the cable with a corresponding receiver of each of the sets of receivers.  
     
     
         32 . The method as set forth in  claim 30  wherein said step of mating comprises the step of piercing any insulation about the conductor of the cable with each receiver of each of three sets of receivers to make electrical contact with the conductor of the cable.  
     
     
         33 . The method as set forth in  claim 30  wherein the male and female members are of electrically non-conducting material and including the step of limiting flow of electrical power directly and solely from the conductors of the cable to the receivers.  
     
     
         34 . The method set forth in  claim 30  wherein said step of securing includes the steps of securing the male member to the female member with a snap fit.  
     
     
         35 . The method set forth in  claim 30  wherein said step of securing includes the step of inserting screws through the male member into threaded engagement with the female member.  
     
     
         36 . The method set forth in  claim 34  wherein said step of securing includes the step of inserting screws through the male member into threaded engagement with the female member.  
     
     
         37 . The method set forth in  claim 30  including the step of affixing a cover to the male member.  
     
     
         38 . The method set forth in  claim 37  wherein said step of affixing includes the step of inserting studs extending from the cover into corresponding apertures in the male member.  
     
     
         39 . The method set forth in  claim 38  wherein the studs include a plurality of bells and wherein said step of inserting includes the step of inserting a selected member of bells of each of said studs into the corresponding aperture.  
     
     
         40 . The method set forth in  claim 30  wherein said step of mating includes the step of mounting two electrical outlet boxes back to back, said step of mounting including the step of engaging at least one tube at the back of one female member of one of the electrical outlet boxes intermediate at least a set of tubes at the back of an adjacent female member of the other of the electrical outlet boxes.  
     
     
         41 . The method set forth in  claim 40  including a pair of tubes disposed at the back of the one female member of the one electrical outlet box and a pair of sets of tubes at the back of the adjacent female member of the other of the electrical outlet boxes and wherein said step of mounting comprises the step of engaging each tube of the pair of tubes of the one female member with one set of tubes of the pair of sets of tubes of the other female member.  
     
     
         42 . The method set forth in  claim 40  wherein the back of each female member of each of the electrical outlet boxes includes a pair of tubes and a pair of sets of tubes and wherein said step of mating comprises the step of engaging the pair of tubes and pair of sets of tubes of one female member of the one electrical outlet box with the pair of sets of tubes and pair of tubes, respectively, of the other female member of the other electrical outlet box.  
     
     
         43 . An electrical out box, said electrical out box comprising in combination: 
 (a) a female member, said female member including at least one set of three channels for supporting the conductors of an uncut three conductor cable extending through said female member;    (b) a male member for penetrably engaging said female member in a fixed orientation relative to said female member, said male member including a three hole socket for receiving the prongs of a three prong electrical plug, said male member including three cavities positionally corresponding with said three holes of said socket and with of said at least one set of three channels;    (c) a receiver inserted into and supported by each of said cavities, each of said receivers including a pair of opposed resilient arms for gripping a respective prong of said plug plugged into said socket, a pair of tabs defining a slot therebetween for engaging and making electrical contact with a conductor of the cable disposed in one channel of said set of three channels and corresponding with the cavity supporting said receiver upon mating said male member with said female member; and    (d) attachment means for securing said male member mated with said female member.    
     
     
         44 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 43  including at least two electrical outlet boxes and interlock means disposed in the bottom of said female member for interlocking the bottom of said female member of one of said electrical outlet boxes with the bottom of said female member of another of said electrical outlet boxes.  
     
     
         45 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 43  including at least two electrical outlet boxes and interlock means disposed on opposed sides of said female member for interlocking one side of one female member of one of said electrical outlet boxes with another side of another female member of another of said electrical outlet boxes.  
     
     
         46 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 43  including a flange extending from said female member for attachment to a wall stud to mount said electrical outlet box.  
     
     
         47 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 43  including a ledge extending from each of opposed sides of said electrical outlet box for supporting the cable at the ingress and egress of the cable.  
     
     
         48 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 43  wherein each receiver of said set of three receivers includes a clamp for gripping and electrically connecting an end of a further conductor.  
     
     
         49 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 43  wherein each of said receivers includes two pairs of tabs defining two slots for engaging and making electrical contact with the respective conductor of the cable.  
     
     
         50 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 43  including an apertured plate for penetrably receiving said pairs of tabs and providing support for said set of three receivers.  
     
     
         51 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in  claim 43  wherein the cable is routed through slots formed in a stud of a wall and including a retainer for retaining the cable in a slot, each said retainer comprising a hat retainer for insertion into the slot and an element for contacting the stud to maintain said retainer in the stud.  
     
     
         52 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in claim  51  wherein said element comprises a prong for penetrating the stud.  
     
     
         53 . An electrical outlet box as set forth in claim  51  wherein said element comprises a bend compressible against the respective slot.