Deflection resistant electrical enclosure

Abstract

An electrical enclosure for use in poured concrete construction having a peripheral wall with opposed longitudinally extending walls longer than opposed laterally extending walls and at least one physical support located substantially midpoint along the opposed longitudinally extended walls to resist deflection of the opposed longitudinal walls caused by the hydraulic pressure of concrete poured around the enclosure. The physical support can be a crossbar extending across the opening of the electrical enclosure with the ends of the crossbar fixed to the longitudinally extending walls. The physical support can also be fastening sleeves extending along at least a portion of the width of the longitudinal walls for receiving elongated fasteners which extend into the concrete form thereby resisting deflection of the opposed longitudinally extending walls.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . An electrical enclosure for use in poured concrete construction, said electrical enclosure comprising:
 a peripheral wall defining a cavity, said peripheral wall having opposed first and second longitudinally extending walls and opposed laterally extending walls and having a front surface and a rear surface;   a first fastening mechanism for fastening the first longitudinal wall to a concrete form, said first fastening mechanism comprising a first fastener sleeve extending from the rear surface for a distance greater than one half the width of the first longitudinal wall, but less than the width of the first longitudinal wall;   a second fastening mechanism for fastening the second longitudinal wall to the concrete form, said second fastening mechanism comprising a second fastener sleeve extending from the rear surface for a distance greater than one half the width of the second longitudinal wall, but less than the width of the second longitudinal wall;   wherein said first and second fastener sleeves receiving first and second elongated fasteners, respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  wherein said elongated fasteners are passed through the corresponding fastener sleeves and into the concrete form to fasten the first and second longitudinal walls, respectively, to the concrete form and to resist deflection of the opposed longitudinally extending walls during pouring of the concrete by laterally supporting the first and second longitudinal walls. 
     
     
         3 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a member extending from one opposed longitudinal wall to the other longitudinal wall, said member having opposed ends, each end fixed to a corresponding opposed longitudinal wall. 
     
     
         4 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 3  wherein the member is integrally formed in one piece with the opposed longitudinal walls. 
     
     
         5 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 4  wherein said enclosure and said member are moulded of plastic material. 
     
     
         6 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 5  wherein the member is a crossbar integrally formed with the electrical enclosure. 
     
     
         7 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 3  wherein the opposed longitudinal walls have a wall width from a front surface to a rear surface; and
 where the member is integrally formed with the electrical enclosure and has a thickness which is less than the width of the longitudinal walls. 
 
     
     
         8 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 3  wherein the member is nearer the front surface than the rear surface. 
     
     
         9 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 3  wherein the enclosure is an adapter, and wherein the rear surface mates with an electrical box body. 
     
     
         10 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  wherein said first fastening mechanism is located substantially midpoint the first longitudinal wall. 
     
     
         11 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 10  wherein the second fastening mechanism is located substantially midpoint the second longitudinal wall. 
     
     
         12 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 7  further comprising fastening bosses projecting into the cavity from the lateral walls for fastening an electrical component to be housed in the electrical enclosure. 
     
     
         13 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 3  wherein the opposed longitudinal walls are longer than the opposed lateral walls. 
     
     
         14 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a member having opposed ends, each end fixed to a corresponding opposed longitudinal wall at substantially midpoint along each opposed longitudinal wall, said member resisting deflection of the opposed longitudinally extending walls. 
     
     
         15 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  wherein said first fastener sleeve having a first fastener opening for receiving the first elongated fastener, said first fastener opening being substantially flush with the rear surface. 
     
     
         16 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 15  wherein the second fastener sleeve comprises a second fastener opening for receiving the second elongated fastener, said second fastener opening being substantially flush with the rear surface. 
     
     
         17 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a third fastening mechanism comprising a third fastener sleeve located along the peripheral wall, said third fastener sleeve having a third opening for receiving a third elongated fastener. 
     
     
         18 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 17  further comprising a fourth fastening mechanism comprising a fourth fastener sleeve located along the peripheral wall, said fourth fastener sleeve having a fourth opening substantially flush with the rear surface for receiving a fourth elongated fastener; and
 wherein the third fastener sleeves and the fourth fastener sleeve are located at intersections of the lateral walls and the longitudinal walls. 
 
     
     
         19 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 17  further comprising ear tabs extending diagonally from each of the intersections; and
 wherein at least one ear tab is integrally formed with the third fastener sleeve. 
 
     
     
         20 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 15  wherein the enclosure is an electrical box body and the rear surface is enclosed. 
     
     
         21 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  further comprising at least one member extending across the cavity, said member having opposed ends, each end fixed to a corresponding opposed longitudinal wall. 
     
     
         22 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  wherein the first and second fastening mechanisms are located externally of the cavity. 
     
     
         23 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a movable plate having opposed ends, said plate being insertable into the cavity between the opposed longitudinally extending walls, said opposed ends of the plate interacting with the opposed longitudinally extending walls to resist deflection thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 23  wherein at least one of the longitudinally extending walls comprises a channel for receiving one of the opposed ends of the movable plate; and
 wherein said at least one channel is located internally of the cavity, and, the movable plate is inserted into the cavity by sliding the one of the opposed ends of the movable plate along the at least one channel to the inserted position, and, wherein at the inserted position, the opposed ends of the movable plate abut the longitudinally extending walls to resist deflection thereof. 
 
     
     
         25 . The electrical enclosure as defined in  claim 1  wherein the at least one physical support further comprises a movable member having opposed ends movable to and from an inserted position wherein the opposed ends interact with the opposed longitudinally extending walls to resist deflection of the opposed longitudinally extending walls, in addition to the first fastening mechanism for fastening the first longitudinally extending wall to a concrete form, and, the second fastening mechanism for fastening the second longitudinally extending wall to a concrete form, said first and second fastening mechanisms being located externally of the cavity, and, along the first and second longitudinally extending walls, respectively.