DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[001] The present invention relates generally to electrical enclosures which are enclosures for housing electrical/electronic components and connections, and more particularly to electrical enclosure and bolts for mounting the electric enclosure on a surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[002] An electrical enclosure (also herein called junction box) is a container for electrical components and connections, usually intended to conceal them from sight and deter tampering. A small metal or plastic junction box may form part of an electrical conduit or thermos plastic-sheathed cable (TPS) wiring system in a building. If designed for surface mounting, it is used mostly in ceilings, under floors or concealed behind an access panel particularly in domestic or commercial buildings.

[003] Junction boxes form an integral part of a circuit protection system where circuit integrity has to be provided, as for emergency lighting or power lines, or the wiring between a nuclear reactor and a control room. In such an installation, the fireproofing around the incoming or outgoing cables must also be extended to cover the junction box to prevent short circuits inside the box during an accidental fire.

[004] Electrical junction boxes are utilized to provide termination and connection points for electrical wiring. Generally, electrical wiring in residential and commercial construction will be installed in the walls or ceilings of the construction, and one or more electrical junction boxes can be provided at various points along the wiring to permit the installation of associated electrical switches and electrical outlets. In some instances, such as for wall mounted switches or electrical outlets, an installer may need a certain length of exposed electrical wiring to connect a switch or outlet to the electrical wiring. In such instances, the exposed electrical wiring should be contained within the junction box to protect residents and/or commercial workers from electrical hazards associated with exposed electrical wiring.

[005] The junction box consists of a bottom part and a top part called lid. The bottom part is a rectangular box having four walls, a base and open from one face. The lid is similar to the shape of the bottom part and is designed to fit on the open face of the bottom part to close the box. The lid is closed by screws, quick fasteners etc to contain the electric/electronic circuit components inside the box and prevent any dust, humidity, oil or water from entering inside it, thereby protecting the internal circuit elements.

[006] The box bottom part contains at least four holes located on its base for mounting the box on a mounting surface such as a wall. The bottom part is fixed on the wall with the help of screws. The bottom part further includes groves, projections, holes etc to place or mount the electronic circuitry inside it and then the lid is closed with additional screws connecting the lid to the bottom part of the box.

[007] The currently available junction box designs have at least four holes at the base of the bottom part for mounting the box to the wall. The top surface of the bottom part of the box further has four holes for connecting the lid to the bottom part by screws. The boxes have two different set of holes for lid fixing & wall mounting. This wastes a significant amount of space inside the box to fit the electronic circuitry components.

[008] In view of the limitations inherent in the available junction boxes, it is an object of the present invention to provide a junction box which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and which can be used in a simple, cost effective, reliable, secure and environmental friendly manner.

[009] The present invention fulfils this need and provides further advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior arts, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved combination of convenience and utility, to include the advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein.

[0011] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a junction box wherein the lid fixing and wall mounting could be done through the same hole, thus saving premium working space.

[0012] In one aspect, the present invention provides an enclosure for housing electrical connections that comprises a bottom part made of a five walled rectangular box open from one side, four through holes located on four corners of the bottom part extending from the open side to a base of the bottom part, a lid made of a five walled rectangular box open from one side, such that the lid dimensions corresponds with dimensions of bottom part to form the enclosure, at least four lid holes located on four corners of the lid, such that when the lid is placed over the bottom part, the lid holes match with the through holes of the bottom part and at least four bolts, such that each of the four bolts is adapted to pass through the lid holes and the through holes of the bottom part to fix the lid on the bottom part.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, each of the four bolt includes a wall fixing portion, a lid fixing portion, a middle portion, and a cap to fix the lid over the bottom part by engaging with the lid fixing portion of the bolt.

[0014] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the cross sectional dimension of the middle portion is greater than the cross sectional dimensions of each of the lid fixing portion and the wall portion.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, the lid fixing portion includes a slit cut adapted to engage with a screw driver to rotate the bolt.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, the middle portion includes a polygonal cross section disposed between two circular cross sections along its length.

[0017] In one aspect of the present invention, the bottom part further includes at least four slits along the edges, such that the slits allow a screw driver to engage with polygonal cross section of the bolt from outside to prevent its rotation.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, the bottom part further includes at least four Allen key holes along the edges, such that each of the Allen key hole has a Allen bolt inside it, which when tightened engages with polygonal cross section of the bolt from outside and prevent its rotation.

[0019] In one aspect of the present invention, the middle portion further includes a grip washer which is a ring with a plurality of protrusions.

[0020] In another aspect of the present invention, the bottom part further includes a plurality of indentations on a step of the through hole, such that the protrusions of the grip washer engages with the indentations to lock the bolt rotation.

[0021] In another aspect of the present invention, the cap includes a slit on its top surface to allow a screw driver to rotate the cap.
[0022] These together with other aspects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the description annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of the enclosure for housing electrical connections, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of the bottom part and the lid of the enclosure, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of a ‘bolt first type’, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of the enclosure with Allen key hole and Allen key bolt, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG.5 illustrates a schematic view of a ‘bolt second type’, according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

[0029] FIG.6 illustrates a schematic view of the enclosure showing the indentations on the step of the through hole, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

[0032] As used herein, the term ‘plurality’ refers to the presence of more than one of the referenced item and the terms ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘at least’ do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

[0033] Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “another embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Further, the diagrams representing one or more embodiments of the invention do not inherently indicate any particular order nor imply any limitations in the invention.

[0034] The terms “enclosure” or “junction box" or “electrical enclosure” interchangeably used in the present description, conveys the same meaning and all refer to the same object.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 1, that illustrates a schematic view of the enclosure 10 for housing electrical connections, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The enclosure 10 comprises a bottom part 12 , at least four through holes 14 (shown in FIG. 2) located on four corners of the bottom part, a lid 16 such that the lid dimensions corresponds with dimensions of bottom part 12 to form the enclosure 10, at least four lid holes 18 located on four corners of the lid, and at least four bolts 20, such that each of the four bolts is adapted to pass through the lid holes 18 and the through holes 14 of the bottom part to fix the lid 16 on the bottom part 12.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of the bottom part 12 and the lid 16 of the enclosure, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The bottom part 12 is a five walled rectangular box with opening from one face. During use of the enclosure 10, the electrical components or circuit boards and wire connections are made and mounted in the bottom part 12 and closed with lid 16 to form the enclosure 10. The bottom part 12 may include holes and attachments for mounting various electrical or electronic components as per the use of the enclosure 10.

[0037] The bottom part 12 includes at least four through holes 12 located on four corners of the bottom part extending from the open side to a base of the bottom part 12. The four through holes 14 are like four hollow cylinders located on the four corners of the open box. The diameter of the through holes 14 may vary along the length or remain same as per the bolt 20 to be used for making the enclosure 10. The through hole 14 further includes a step which is like reduced diameter portion at the base of the bottom part 12, that will prevent the bolt to come out from base of the bottom part 12.

[0038] The lid 16 is made of a five walled rectangular box open from one side, such that the lid dimensions corresponds with dimensions of bottom part 12 to form the enclosure. The shape and rectangular size of the lid 16 and the bottom part 12 are such that they can be engaged to form the enclosure 10 of required dimensions.

[0039] The lid 16 includes at least four lid holes 18 located on four corners of the lid, such that when the lid 16 is placed over the bottom part 12, the lid holes 18 match with the through holes 14 of the bottom part. These holes allow bolts 20 to be inserted through it to protrude from the base of the bottom part 12 located towards the wall facing side of the enclosure 10.

[0040] Each of the at least four bolts 20 further facilitate fixing the enclosure 10 on a wall. The bolt 20 includes a portion which is inserted into the wall to fix the enclosure 10 on the wall and lid 16 on the bottom part 12.

[0041] Now referring to FIG. 3, that illustrates a schematic view of a bolt 20, according to one embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is hereafter referred as ‘bolt first type’ 200. The bolt first type’ 200 includes a wall fixing portion 202, a lid fixing portion 204, a middle portion 206 and a cap 208 to fix the lid 16 over the bottom part 12 by engaging with the lid fixing portion 204 of the bolt 200.

[0042] The wall fixing portion 202 includes external threads and a pointed end to fix the enclosure 10 on a wall. The pointed end on the wall fixing portion pierces into the wall and the external threads allows it to rotate and move forward and out from the base of the bottom part 12 on application of torque into the wall. The lid fixing portion 204 has external threads and is adapted to protrude over the bottom part 12 from the open side, thereby allowing the lid 16 to be aligned over the bottom part 12. The lid fixing portion 204 acts as a guide for aligning the lid over the bottom part 12 to form the enclosure 10. When the ‘bolt first type’ 200 is inserted in the through holes 14 of the bottom part 12, the lid fixing portion 204 is visible outside over the top surface of the bottom part 12 of the enclosure, allowing the lid 16 to be aligned and placed over it. In one embodiment of the present invention, the lid fixing portion 204 includes a slit cut 210 adapted to engage with a screw driver to rotate the ‘bolt first type’ 200.

[0043] The middle portion 206 is located between the wall fixing portion 202 and the lid fixing portion 204 and is adapted to be contained inside the bottom part 12 along the through hole 14. The diameters of the three portions of the ‘bolt first type’ 200 may vary. In one embodiment of the present invention, the cross sectional dimension of the middle portion 206 is greater than the cross sectional dimensions of each of the lid fixing portion 204 and the wall fixing portion 202. The through holes 14 of the bottom part 12 contains a step to prevent the ‘bolt first type’ 200 passing through it. The step gets engaged with the lower face of the middle portion 206 of the ‘bolt first type’.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the middle portion 206 includes a polygonal cross section disposed between two circular cross sections along its length.

[0045] The cap 208 is used to fix the lid 16 over the bottom part 12 by engaging with the lid fixing portion 204 of the bolt, such that the cap 208 includes internal threads corresponding to the external threads of the lid fixing portion 204. In one embodiment of the present invention, the cap 208 includes a slit 212 on its top surface to allow a screw driver to rotate the cap. In another embodiment of the present invention, the lid fixing portion 204 may have internal threads and the cap 208 has corresponding external threads to make the connection.

[0046] For installation of the enclosure 10, the ‘bolt first type’ 200 is inserted from the through holes 14 of the bottom part 12, such that its wall fixing portion 202 protrudes from the base of the bottom part 12 and when a screw driver is placed on the slit cut 210 and rotated, it fixes the ‘bolt first type’ to the wall thereby mounting the enclosure 10 on the wall.

[0047] Now the lid 16 is placed over the bottom part 12 such that lid holes 18 matches with the through holes 14 of the bottom part and the lid fixing portion 204 of the bolt first type is contained in the lid holes 18. Now the cap 208 which has internal threads is tightened over the lid fixing portion 204 using a screw driver, thereby fixing the lid on the bottom part 12 of the enclosure 10.

[0048] The enclosure 10 is now installed on the wall, however during the need to open the enclosure 10, when the cap 208 is rotated for the removal of the lid 16, the ‘bolt first type’ 200 may also rotate and uninstall the box from the wall. In order to prevent this, it is needed that when the cap 208 is rotated to remove the lid 16, the ‘bolt first type’ 200 has to be held in position preventing its rotation along with the cap.

[0049] To overcome this problem, bottom part 12 further includes at least four slits 22 along the edges (shown in FIG. 2), such that the slits 22 allow a screw driver to engage with polygonal cross section of the bolt 200 from outside to prevent its rotation. The slit 22 is made tapered to adapt to the shape of the screw driver. The slits 22 may be made on any side of the corner edges. The slits should be located such that it’s not in the path of direct rain on the junction box preventing any ingress of water.

[0050] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of the enclosure with Allen key hole 24 and Allen key bolt 26, according to another embodiment of the present invention. Here the tapered slit 22 is replaced by an Allen key hole 24 on the outside of the bottom part 12 along with an Allen bolt 26. The Allen key hole 24 has internal threads allowing the Allen bolt 26 to be tightened inside. The Allen bolt 26 when tightened gets engaged with the polygonal cross section of the ‘bolt first type’ 200 and prevents its rotation when the cap 208 is rotated. An Allen key readily available in the market is to be used to tighten the Allen bolt 26.

[0051] The Allen bolt 26 may be semi tightened to retain in the Allen hole 24 during normal usage of the enclosure 10, however when the lid 16 is to be removed, it can be tightened to prevent rotation of the ‘bolt first type’ 20. In another embodiment, the Allen key holes 24 may also be provided from inside of the bottom part 12.

[0052] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a different combination of bolt and bottom part of enclosure is provided. Referring to FIG.5 that illustrates a schematic view of a ‘bolt second type’ 300, according to another embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment of the bolt 20 shown in FIG. 5 is hereafter referred as ‘bolt second type’ 300 in the present description.

[0053] The ‘bolt second type’ 300 is similar to ‘bolt first type’ 200 with some parts, which are same in both the embodiments. The ‘bolt second type’ 300 includes different portions along its length viz a wall mounting portion 302, lid fixing portion 304, a middle portion 306, the cap 208 and a grip washer 310. The wall mounting portion 302, lid fixing portion 304 and cap 208 of the ‘bolt second type’ 300 is similar to the ‘bolt first type’ 200. However the middle portion 306 of the ‘bolt second type’ 300 is circular in cross section along its whole length and includes a grip washer 310 which is adapted to be attached to the middle portion 306 by inserting from the wall mounting portion 302 side of the ‘bolt second type’ 300. In one embodiment of the present invention, the grip washer 210 may be made as integral part of the middle portion 306 of the ‘bolt second type’ 300 located towards the wall fixing portion 302 side of the middle portion.

[0054] The grip washer 310 has a ring surface including a plurality of protrusions 312 extended along an angle to with its axis. The outer diameter of the grip washer 310 is similar to the diameter of the middle portion 306 and its inner diameter is similar to the diameter of the wall mounting portion 302 of the ‘bolt second type’ 300.

[0055] Referring to FIG.6 that illustrates a schematic view of the enclosure showing the indentations on the step of the through hole, according to one embodiment of the present invention. For using the bolt second type’ 300 to mount the enclosure 10 on the wall and prevent rotation of the bolt while removing the lid 16, the bottom part 12 further includes a plurality of indentations 314 on a step of the through hole 14, such that the protrusions 312 of the grip washer engages with the indentations 314 to lock the bolt rotation. The indentations 314 are made such that they act as female parts for the male protrusions 312 of the grip washer. For mounting the enclosure on a wall, the ‘bolt second type’ 300 is inserted from the through holes 14 of the bottom part 12 to reach to the wall surface and get inserted into it on tightening by a screw driver. After the wall fixing portion 302 of the bolt is inserted in the wall, on further tightening, the protrusions 312 of grip washer sit in the indentation 314 on the step of bottom part of enclosure, thereby locking the bolt rotation.

[0056] Now when the lid 16 has to be removed and when the cap 208 is rotated, this interlocking prevents rotation of the ‘bolt second type’ and allows only the cap 208 to be removed. The grip washer 312 may be made as an integral part of the middle portion of the ‘bolt second type’ 300 or in another embodiment as a separate additional component to be placed between the through hole step and the middle portion 306 of the bolt.

[0057] In another embodiment of the present invention, the lid fixing portion 204 of the bolt may include a plurality of serrations on its outer periphery and correspondingly matching serrations on the inner surface of the lid holes 18. These serrations are adapted to interlock with each other, such that it keeps the bolt 20 in position preventing its rotation when the cap 208 is rotated to remove the lid 16. Eventually the lid 16 may be removed without dismounting the bolt 20 from the wall.
[0058] The enclosure 10 and bolts 200, 300 may be made of same material or of different material as per the requirements. Similarly different portions of the ‘bolt first type’ 200 and ‘bolt second type’ 300 may be made of same or different materials.

[0059] The enclosure 10 may be made of Aluminum, Aluminum alloy, cast iron, stainless steel, carbon steel or any such material used in the art of making the enclosures for housing electrical/electronic components and connections.

[0060] The enclosure 10 along with the bolt 20 of the present invention, provides following advantages:

- Lid fixing and wall mounting can be done through a single hole using both the types of bolts without making any changes in the enclosure
- The design is universal and independent of enclosure size and shape and make
- Can be made Anti-theft and vandalism proof with proprietary cap head design
- Further functionalities like remote lock, monitoring and control may be added
- Less inventory for manufacturing
- Scalable to any size and threads, materials

[0061] The shape, size, dimensions, selection of material and other relevant parameters of the enclosure and the bolt are derived from state of the art knowledge of mechanical engineering as per the technical requirements of the electrical/electronic components and connections to be housed in the enclosure.

[0062] Although a particular exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized to those skilled in the art that variations or modifications of the disclosed invention, including the rearrangement in the configurations of the parts, changes in steps and their sequences may be possible. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as may fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0063] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.

[0064] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
,CLAIMS:1. An enclosure for housing electrical connections comprising:
- a bottom part made of a five walled rectangular box open from one side;
- at least four through holes located on four corners of the bottom part extending from the open side to a base of the bottom part;
- a lid made of a five walled rectangular box open from one side, such that the lid dimensions corresponds with dimensions of bottom part to form the enclosure;
- at least four lid holes located on four corners of the lid, such that when the lid is placed over the bottom part, the lid holes match with the through holes of the bottom part; and
- at least four bolts, such that each of the four bolts is adapted to pass through the lid holes and the through holes of the bottom part to fix the lid on the bottom part.

2. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least four bolts further facilitate fixing the enclosure on a wall.

3. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least four bolt includes:
- a wall fixing portion, such that the wall fixing portion includes external threads and a pointed end to fix the enclosure on a wall;
- a lid fixing portion, the lid fixing portion has external threads and is adapted to protrude over the bottom part from the open side, thereby allowing the lid to be aligned over the bottom part;
- a middle portion located between the wall fixing portion and the lid fixing portion, the middle portion is adapted to be contained inside the bottom part along the through hole; and
- a cap to fix the lid over the bottom part by engaging with the lid fixing portion of the bolt, such that the cap includes internal threads corresponding to the external threads of the lid fixing portion.

4. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 3, wherein the cross sectional dimension of the middle portion is greater than the cross sectional dimensions of each of the lid fixing portion and the wall fixing portion.

5. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 3, wherein the lid fixing portion includes a slit cut adapted to engage with a screw driver to rotate the bolt.

6. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 3, wherein the middle portion includes a polygonal cross section disposed between two circular cross sections along its length.

7. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 6, wherein the bottom part further includes at least four slits along the edges, such that the slits allow a screw driver to engage with polygonal cross section of the bolt from outside to prevent its rotation.

8. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 6, wherein the bottom part further includes at least four Allen key holes along the edges, such that each of the Allen key hole has a Allen bolt inside it, which when tightened engages with polygonal cross section of the bolt from outside and prevent its rotation.

9. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 3, wherein the middle portion further includes a grip washer.

10. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 9, wherein the grip washer is a ring with a plurality of protrusions.

11. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 9, wherein the bottom part further includes a plurality of indentations on a step of the through hole, such that the protrusions of the grip washer engages with the indentations to lock the bolt rotation.

12. The enclosure for housing electrical connections according to claim 1, wherein the cap includes a slit on its top surface to allow a screw driver to rotate the cap.