RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is based upon provisional patent application No. 60/488,506 filed Jul. 19, 2003 and claims benefit under 35 USC § 119(e) thereof. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to electrical boxes for low voltage wiring, such as coaxial cables, Internet communication wiring, cable television wiring and telephone wiring.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Low voltage electrical wiring are used for low voltage electrical applications, such as coaxial cable and/or telephone outlets which is needed in both new building construction (as “new work”) or retrofitted in existing buildings. (as “old work”).  
         [0004]     Traditional utility power supplied higher voltage applications require closed-ended electrical work boxes, which are utilized in buildings to distribute electrical power from the power supply to electrical devices such as outlets or switches.  
         [0005]     A traditional electrical workbox includes a metal or plastic housing containing a recess for electrical components such as wire outlets or switches.  
         [0006]     Presently, conventional electrical boxes are referred to colloquially either new workboxes, for new building construction, or old workboxes, for retrofitting into existing buildings.  
         [0007]     New workboxes have protruding accessory exterior sheaths for nailing the new workboxes to exposed wood or metal studs within a building. However, because the screw or nail mounting brackets protrude up from the external silhouette shape of the workbox, the brackets interfere with the flush mounting of the workbox within a hole within a building wall.  
         [0008]     Moreover, old work boxes are frequently held in place by bent tabs which engage sheetrock boards thus minimizing stability, as the sheetrock is prone to gradually falling apart.  
         [0009]     Existing workboxes for low voltage applications mainly include an open frame with a minimum of depth, wherein the frame is attached by fasteners above the confines of the workbox. However, in old work, adding fasteners above and/or below a workbox necessitates the removal of excess wall material, sheet rock, decorative wall coverings, etc.  
         [0010]     In some applications, conventional, fairly flat “mud plates” are used to frame out the opening in a wall for low voltage wiring.  
         [0011]     Among related patents for fairly flat, frame type openings with external fastener tabs, for low voltage wiring in a wall, include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,452,813 B1 and 6,452,098 B1, both of Gretz, for terminal devices for low-voltage cable systems. U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,890, also of Gretz, describes a mounting device for low voltage cable wires, which can only be used with old electrical work in existing buildings.  
         [0012]     Such prior art workboxes require protruding accessory exterior sheaths for nailing the workboxes to exposed wood or metal studs within a building. However, because the screw or nail mounting brackets protrude up from the external silhouette shape of the workbox, the brackets interfere with the flush mounting of the workbox within a hole within a building wall. Moreover, old work boxes are frequently held in place by bent tabs which engage sheetrock boards thus minimizing stability, as the sheetrock is prone to gradually falling apart.  
         [0013]     However, the aforementioned devices are not easily mountable to a stud in a wall, without having exterior fasteners on the frame, and these patents do not describe a low voltage work box for both new and old low voltage electrical work, which is sturdy in construction and which can be easily mounted to a building stud, with minimal damage to surrounding wall surfaces.  
         [0014]     An improvement in electrical work boxes for high voltage utility supplied voltage workboxes is shown in Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,093 of Herth and Davis, which describes an electrical work box for new work and old work, wherein a novel attachment is described for attaching the electrical work box to a building stud via an angled screw mount within the electrical work box.  
         [0015]     However, Herth and Davis &#39;093 describes a closed-ended electrical workbox, which is not needed for low voltage wiring applications.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a low voltage work box for both new and old low voltage electrical work, which is sturdy in construction and which can be easily mounted to a building stud, with minimal damage to surrounding wall surfaces. It is also an object to provide wide multiple gauge low voltage work boxes.  
         [0017]     Other objects which become apparent from the following description of the present invention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     In keeping with these objects and others which may become apparent, the present invention is a dual purpose low voltage electrical work box typically for coaxial cable and/or telephone outlets, which is equally as useful for new building construction (as a new work box) or retrofit (as an old work box).  
         [0019]     The low voltage electrical workbox of the present invention uses internal built-in angled fastener mounting bracket channel sheaths, to avoid the use of any external screw mounting bracket protrusions. These internal angled fastener mounting channel sheaths were first described in the Applicants&#39; earlier patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,093 as attached to a closed-ended electrical box used for house wiring of switches and outlets.  
         [0020]     In contrast to Herth and Davis &#39;093, the low voltage workbox of this invention has an open back and is of sturdy molded plastic construction. It accommodates standard low voltage outlet mounting plates.  
         [0021]     Since the internal angled fastener brackets accommodate nails, wood screws, or self-tapping screws, mounting to wood, aluminum, or steel studs used in home or commercial construction is easily accomplished.  
         [0022]     The low voltage work box of this invention is interchangeable, so that it can be mounted to on either the left or right side of a wall stud since the top and bottom have mirror image configurations permitting mounting in the upside down position.  
         [0023]     In its preferred embodiment, the terminal or junction box for a low-voltage electrical distribution system structurally includes an outer rectangular mounting plate attached to top and bottom truncated, rectangle walls. Each of these truncated, cut-off walls has a long edge joining top and bottom edges, respectively, of the mounting plate and a front edge at right angles to the long edge. Each of these top and bottom walls includes a short edge, which is parallel to the long edge, extending back from the front edge. This short edge is shorter than the long edge and the top and bottom walls each include a diagonal edge, which extends from a rear end of the short edge, to a shoulder joined to a rear end of the long edge. This shoulder is positioned at a right angle to, and joins a rear end of, the mounting plate.  
         [0024]     The low voltage box is open in the front and receives a plate, which encloses the front opening and which provides entry for low voltage wires into the low voltage box.  
         [0025]     The low voltage box has an opening between the aforementioned diagonal sides for a distribution network and one or more internal fastener brackets, which are nestled between the shoulder and the mounting plate. These brackets having openings for fasteners at a diagonal to and through the mounting plate, to attach the low voltage box to a stud or other surface.  
         [0026]     As a result, the low voltage box is mounted without any external extensions.  
         [0027]     Preferably, the low voltage terminal or junction box includes extension plates joining the internal fastener brackets to the mounting plate and the top and bottom walls, respectively, to prevent distortion of the low voltage box.  
         [0028]     The low voltage terminal or junction box further optionally includes front plate mounting brackets on the top and bottom walls within the box, and channels extending back from the brackets, along the top and bottom walls, to reinforce the brackets. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]     The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in drawings, in which:  
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a prior art low voltage electrical workbox;  
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded cutaway view of the present invention, showing the dual purpose low voltage electrical work box mounted to a structural stud, and showing the face plate in phantom for environmental purposes only;  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the dual-purpose low voltage electrical workbox, as in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0033]      FIG. 4  is a front elevational view taken on arrow “4” of  FIG. 3 , looking into the dual-purpose low voltage electrical work box;  
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a right side elevational view thereof, taken in the direction of arrow “5” of  FIG. 4 ; and,  
         [0035]      FIG. 6  is a rear elevational view thereof, taken in the direction of arrow “6” of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of a prior art two gang low voltage electrical workbox;  
         [0037]      FIG. 8  is a perspective exploded cutaway view of a two gang embodiment of the present invention, showing the dual purpose, two gang low voltage electrical work box mounted to a structural stud, and showing the dual face plate in phantom for environmental purposes only;  
         [0038]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the dual-purpose, two gang, low voltage electrical workbox, as in  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0039]      FIG. 10  is a front elevational view taken on arrow “10” of  FIG. 9 , looking into the dual-purpose, two gang low voltage electrical work box;  
         [0040]      FIG. 11  is a right side elevational view thereof, taken in the direction of arrow “12” of  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0041]      FIG. 12  is a rear elevational view thereof, taken in the direction of arrow “12” of  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0042]      FIG. 13  is a side elevational view of a horizontally oriented low voltage electrical workbox;  
         [0043]      FIG. 14  is a top plan view of the low voltage electrical workbox as in  FIG. 13 ; and,  
         [0044]      FIG. 15  is a perspective exploded cutaway view of the present invention, showing the dual purpose low voltage electrical work box mounted horizontally to a structural stud, and showing the face plate in phantom for environmental purposes only; 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0045]      FIG. 1  shows a prior art low voltage box  1 , which is attached to wall stud  2  with screws  4  in brackets  3  protruding from the side of prior art box  1 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 1  also shows that it would be not be possible to mount prior art box  1  to stud  2  through a rectangular hole in wall sheet rock the size of the box face. Box  1  is therefore used in new construction and is mounted before wall sheeting is installed. It would not be used for retrofit work where an existing wall must be penetrated.  
         [0047]     Low voltage box  10  of this invention, as depicted in the various views of  FIGS. 2 through 6 , is equally useful for new construction as well as retrofit work.  
         [0048]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , low voltage box  10  includes primarily a vertically extending fastener wall  26  having a depth deeper than a cantilevered ring edge casing portion, such as horizontally top wall  25   a  joined by vertically extending distal side wall  25  to lower wall  25   b , in a three sided C-shape configuration. Top wall  25   a  and bottom wall  25   b  are truncated rectangles, joining the shorter depth distal wall  25  to deeper fastener wall  26 .  
         [0049]     This configuration of fastener wall  26  having a depth significantly greater than distal wall  25  minimizes the material needed for distal wall  25 , while still providing a framed opening for inserting low voltage wires therethrough.  
         [0050]     The minimal depth of distal wall  25  also allows for wide access to back opening  17  through which low voltage wires are passed. Likewise, the deeper fastener wall  26  allows for the angled entry of fasteners  14  into stud  26 , as described in Applicants&#39; 093 patented electrical work box, but without the closed ended box therein, through which multiple, thick bundles of low voltage wires cannot pass.  
         [0051]     However, with such an angled mount, Applicants&#39; low voltage work box  10  avoids the external fasteners disclosed in the prior art low voltage outlet frames, which require protruding accessory exterior sheaths for nailing the work boxes to exposed wood or metal studs within a building, which protrude up from the external silhouette shape of the work box and which interfere with the flush mounting of the work box within a hole within a building wall.  
         [0052]     Moreover, the present invention avoids the problem of old work boxes being held in place by bent tabs, which engage sheetrock boards thus minimizing stability, as the sheetrock is prone to gradually falling apart.  
         [0053]     Low voltage box  10  can be easily installed through a rectangular hole in wall  5 , as in  FIG. 2 , by using mounting screws  14  in two internal angled brackets  11  and  12  for attachment to stud  2 . Top and bottom plate mount brackets  15  and  16  respectively accept plate screws  36  to attach plate  35  which may have coaxial cable outlets, telephone outlets, or one of each as shown.  
         [0054]     The top plan view of  FIG. 3  shows the location of back opening  17 , short side  25  and deep side  26  through which fasteners  14  emerge.  
         [0055]     The front view of  FIG. 4  shows top angled fastener bracket  11  emerging from wall  26  and further reinforced with extension plate  30  molded so as to rigidly attach wall  26  to the top of box  10 , thereby resisting “parallelogram” distortion. A similar plate  30  on the bottom ties wall  26  to the bottom of box  10  and reinforces bottom angled bracket  12 ; this also keeps box  10  square at the corner.  
         [0056]     The side view of  FIG. 5  shows holes  28  and  29  through side  26 ; these are the exit holes of angled brackets  11  and  12  respectively for fasteners  14 .  
         [0057]     The rear view of  FIG. 6  shows hollow channels  20  at the top and  21  at the bottom molded so as to reinforce plate-mounting brackets  15  and  16  respectively.  
         [0058]      FIG. 7  shows a prior art two gang low voltage box  101 , which is attached to wall stud  102  with screws  104  in brackets  103  protruding from the side of prior art box  101 .  
         [0059]      FIG. 7  also shows that it also would be not be possible to mount prior art box  101  to stud  102  through a rectangular hole in wall sheet rock the size of the box face. Box  101  can only be used in new construction and is mounted before wall sheeting is installed. It can not be used for retrofit work where an existing wall must be penetrated.  
         [0060]     Low voltage box  110  of this invention, as shown in  FIGS. 8 through 12 , can be used for new work construction as well as retrofit work.  
         [0061]     As shown in  FIG. 8 , low voltage box  110  includes primarily a vertically extending fastener wall  126  having a depth deeper than a cantilevered ring edge casing portion, such as horizontally top wall  125   a  joined by vertically extending distal side wall  125  to lower wall  125   b , in a three sided squared-off C-shape configuration. Top wall  125   a  and bottom wall  125   b  are truncated rectangles with extension wings  125   c  and  125   d , joining the shorter depth distal wall  125  to deeper fastener wall  126 .  
         [0062]     This configuration of fastener wall  126  having a depth significantly greater than distal wall  125  minimizes the material needed for distal wall  125 , while still providing a framed opening for inserting low voltage wires therethrough.  
         [0063]     The minimal depth of distal wall  125  also allows for wide access to back opening  117  through which low voltage wires are passed. Likewise, the deeper fastener wall  126  allows for the angled entry of fasteners  114  into stud  102 , but without the closed ended box therein, through which multiple, thick bundles of low voltage wires cannot pass.  
         [0064]     However, with such an angled mount, Applicants&#39; low voltage work box  110  avoids the external fasteners disclosed in the prior art low voltage outlet frames, such as in  FIG. 7 , which require protruding accessory exterior sheaths for nailing the work boxes to exposed wood or metal studs within a building, which protrude up from the external silhouette shape of the work box and which interfere with the flush mounting of the work box within a hole within a building wall.  
         [0065]     Moreover, the present invention avoids the problem of old work boxes being held in place by bent tabs, which engage sheetrock boards thus minimizing stability, as the sheetrock is prone to gradually falling apart.  
         [0066]     Low voltage box  110  can be easily installed through a rectangular hole in wall  105 , as in  FIG. 8 , by using mounting screws  114  in two internal angled brackets  111  and  112  for attachment to stud  102 . Top and bottom plate mount brackets  115  and  116  respectively accept plate screws  136  to attach plate  135  which may have coaxial cable outlets, telephone outlets, or one of each as shown.  
         [0067]     The top plan view of  FIG. 9  shows the location of back opening  117 , short side  125  and deep side  126  through which fasteners  114  emerge. Top wall  125   a  is increased in width by wing  125   c  to accommodate two gang cover  135 .  
         [0068]     The front view of  FIG. 10  shows top angled fastener bracket  111  emerging from wall  126  and further reinforced with extension plate  130  molded so as to rigidly attach wall  126  to the top of box  110 , thereby resisting “parallelogram” distortion. A similar plate  130  on the bottom ties wall  126  to the bottom of box  110  and reinforces bottom angled bracket  112 ; this also keeps box  110  square at the corner.  
         [0069]     The side view of  FIG. 11  shows holes  128  and  129  through side  126 ; these are the exit holes of angled brackets  111  and  112  respectively for fasteners  114 .  
         [0070]     The rear view of  FIG. 12  shows that rear top and bottom frame brackets  140 ,  141  add rigidity to rearwardly hollow channels  120  at the top and  121  at the bottom molded so as to reinforce plate-mounting brackets  115  and  116  respectively.  
         [0071]     While  FIGS. 1-6  depict a single gang low voltage box and  FIGS. 7-12  depict wider two gang low voltage boxes, it is noted that other configurations may be provided, such as triple gang low voltage boxes where three groups of low voltage wires are attached to a wide low voltage cover plate.  
         [0072]     In addition, as shown in  FIGS. 13-15 , low voltage box  10  includes primarily a vertically extending fastener wall  26  having a depth deeper than a cantilevered ring edge casing portion, such as horizontally top wall  25   a  joined by vertically extending distal side wall  25  to lower wall  25   b , in a three sided C-shape configuration. Top wall  25   a  and bottom wall  25   b  are truncated rectangles, joining the shorter depth distal wall  25  to deeper fastener wall  26 .  
         [0073]     This configuration of fastener wall  26  having a depth significantly greater than distal wall  25  minimizes the material needed for distal wall  25 , while still providing a framed opening for inserting low voltage wires therethrough.  
         [0074]     The minimal depth of distal wall  25  also allows for wide access to back opening  17  through which low voltage wires are passed. Likewise, the deeper fastener wall  26  allows for the angled entry of fasteners  14  into stud  26 , as described in Applicants&#39; &#39;093 patented electrical work box, but without the closed ended box therein, through which multiple, thick bundles of low voltage wires cannot pass.  
         [0075]     With such a horizontally angled mount of  FIGS. 13-15 , Applicants&#39; low voltage work box  10  avoids the external fasteners disclosed in the prior art low voltage outlet frames, which require protruding accessory exterior sheaths for nailing the work boxes to exposed wood or metal studs within a building, which protrude up from the external silhouette shape of the work box and which interfere with the flush mounting of the work box within a hole within a building wall.  
         [0076]     Moreover, the present invention avoids the problem of old work boxes being held in place by bent tabs, which engage sheetrock boards thus minimizing stability, as the sheetrock is prone to gradually falling apart.  
         [0077]     Low voltage box  10  can be easily installed through a rectangular hole in wall  5 , as in  FIG. 15 , by using mounting screws  14  in two internal angled brackets  11  and  12  for attachment to stud  2 . Top and bottom plate mount brackets  15  and  16  respectively accept plate screws  36  to attach plate  35  which may have coaxial cable outlets, telephone outlets, or one of each as shown.  
         [0078]     The top plan view of  FIG. 14  shows the location of back opening  17 , short side  25  and deep side  26  through which fasteners  14  emerge.  
         [0079]     The front view of  FIG. 13  shows top angled fastener bracket  11  emerging from wall  26  and further reinforced with extension plate  30  molded so as to rigidly attach wall  26  to the top of box  10 , thereby resisting “parallelogram” distortion. A similar plate  30  on the bottom ties wall  26  to the bottom of box  10  and reinforces bottom angled bracket  12 ; this also keeps box  10  square at the corner.  
         [0080]     In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment.  
         [0081]     However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.  
         [0082]     It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing from the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended claims.
A dual use low voltage electrical box is useful for both old electrical work and new electrical work. The box includes a rectangular mounting plate, as well as top and bottom truncated, cut-off rectangle walls. Each of the truncated walls has a short edge parallel to the long edge, extending back from the front of the box. The short edge of the box is shorter than the long edge and the top and bottom walls each has a diagonal edge which extends from a rear of the short edge, to a shoulder joined to a rear of the long edge. This shoulder is located at a right angle to, and joins a rear of the mounting plate. The box is open in the front and receives a plate enclosing the front opening and providing entry for low voltage wires into the box.