Wire deflection guide

Abstract

A wire deflection guide includes a curved surface that deflects a wire out of an electrical box. The guide is held in place within an electrical box by a suitable means such as a channel or protrusion at one end of the guide that rests against a bottom lip of the electrical box. An opposite end of the guide rests against a back wall of the electrical box. The guide allows wire to be pushed through conduit and out of the electrical box without an operator being proximate the box.

1 . A wire deflection guide comprising:
 an upper surface;   a lower surface;   a first end;   a second end; and   a stop on said lower surface proximate said second end.   
   
   
       2 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the stop is a substantially transverse channel formed within said lower surface. 
   
   
       3 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the stop is a protrusion extending from said lower surface. 
   
   
       4 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the stop comprises a plurality of protrusions extending from said lower surface. 
   
   
       5 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the stop comprises at least one protrusion extending from said lower surface in combination with a substantially transverse channel formed within said lower surface. 
   
   
       6 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between said upper portion and said lower portion decreases proximate said first end. 
   
   
       7 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the guide is made of a polymer. 
   
   
       8 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the guide is made of metal. 
   
   
       9 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the guide is made of a sheet material. 
   
   
       10 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 9 , wherein the sheet material is metal. 
   
   
       11 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 8 , wherein the sheet material is plastic. 
   
   
       12 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1  wherein the guide is made from a rigid core material coated with a low-friction material upon at least said upper surface of said guide. 
   
   
       13 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein said upper surface is substantially smooth. 
   
   
       14 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the guide has a substantially concave shape. 
   
   
       15 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the guide is constructed and arranged to fit inside a single-gang electrical box. 
   
   
       16 . The wire deflection guide of  claim 1 , wherein the guide is constructed and arranged to fit inside of a double-gang electrical box. 
   
   
       17 . A method of feeding wire through an electrical system having an electrical box on a lower wall portion where the electrical box has a front wall, a back wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, the front wall defining an opening and having a bottom lip, the top wall defining an aperture that is spaced from the back wall, and a conduit connected to the electrical box at the aperture and extending upwards to an upper wall portion, the method including the steps of:
 installing a wire deflection guide having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end and a second end; wherein said lower surface defines a stop proximate said second end; wherein said first end sits against the back of the electrical box such that said upper surface at said first end of said guide is closer to the back of the electrical box than the aperture; wherein said channel receives the bottom lip of the electrical box to hold said wire deflection guide in place relative to the electrical box; and   feeding an end of the wire into the conduit and through the aperture of the electrical box from the upper wall portion downward toward the electrical box, wherein feeding is accomplished by pushing wire into the electrical box;   deflecting the wire along said upper surface upon further advancement of the wire into the electrical box where the end of the wire contacts and slides along said upper surface; and   directing the wire through the opening of the electrical box.   
   
   
       18 . The method of feeding wire through an electrical system of  claim 14 , wherein the distance between said upper surface and said lower surface of the guide decreases proximate said first end. 
   
   
       19 . The method of feeding wire through an electrical system of  claim 14 , where the electrical box is wider than a single-gang electrical box, and wherein the installing step further comprises installing a plurality of guides into the electrical box to accommodate the width of the electrical box. 
   
   
       20 . A wire deflection guide for use in installing wire in an electrical system having and electrical box connected to conduit, the wire deflection guide comprising:
 an upper surface;   a lower surface;   a first end;   a second end; and   a stop on said lower surface proximate said second end;   whereby upon insertion of said guide into the electrical box, said stop registers with a bottom edge of the opening of the electrical box in order to hold said guide in place after wire contacts said upper surface after the wire is introduced from the conduit into the electrical box.