Electrical component support assembly
View Patent ↗An electrical component support assembly that includes an electrical component and a bracket removably attached to the electrical component. The bracket is configured to couple to the electrical component and includes a base member that has a first side with a substantially planar shape. The bracket also includes a pair of elbow members that are located proximate to a second side of the base member. The elbow members are configured to be mounted to a support frame. Each of the elbow members is shaped to include a spring portion and a tab joined thereto. The spring portions flex with respect to the base member. The tabs on the pair of elbow members are arranged adjacent to one another and oriented to extend in a substantially common direction to be received in a common hole in the support frame. The tabs extend outward from the spring portions and have recesses for gripping the support frame.
1. A bracket for mounting an electrical component to a support frame, the bracket comprising:
a base member having a substantially planar shape and including first and second sides, the first side being configured to couple to the electrical component; and
a pair of elbow members located proximate to the second side of the base member and configured to be mounted to a support frame, each of the elbow members being shaped to comprise a transition member, a tab, and a spring portion that joins the tab and the transition member, the transition members of the elbow members extending along the second side toward one another to locate the spring portions adjacent to one another, the spring portions flexing with respect to the base member, the tabs on the pair of elbow members being arranged adjacent to one another and oriented to extend in a substantially common direction away from the base member to be mounted to the support frame, the tabs extending outward from the spring portions and having recesses for gripping the support frame.
2. The bracket in accordance with claim 1 wherein the spring portions bias the tabs outward away from one another such that the tabs securely grip opposed sides of a common hole of the support frame in which the tabs are received.
3. The bracket in accordance with claim 1 wherein the bracket is formed from a common blank of sheet material such that the tabs, spring portions, transition members, and base member are integral with one another, the base member being defined between two fold lines, each transition member sharing a corresponding fold line with the base member and being folded back along the corresponding fold line so that the transition members extend toward each other.
4. The bracket in accordance with claim 1 wherein the elbow members further comprise supports positioned between and joining respective spring portions and tabs, the supports extending the tabs a predetermined distance from the base member.
5. The bracket in accordance with claim 4 wherein the tabs and the supports extend along a common plane.
6. The bracket in accordance with claim 4 wherein the predetermined distance extended by the supports is configured to facilitate a user gripping the bracket to remove or mount the bracket to the support frame.
7. The bracket in accordance with claim 1 wherein each elbow member comprises at least two tabs joined to the spring portion, each tab having a recess to mount to the support frame.
8. The bracket in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one opening extending through at least one transition member and the base member, the at least one opening configured to receive a fastening device for securing the corresponding transition member, the base member, and the electrical component together.
9. The bracket in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first and second sides extend between two edges that define a width of the base member, the tabs being spaced apart from each other a predetermined distance along the width of the base member, the predetermined distance being less than the width of the base member.
10. The bracket in accordance with claim 1 wherein each transition member directly abuts the second side of the base member.
11. The bracket in accordance with claim 1 wherein the spring portion has a curved shape.
12. A support assembly for supporting an apparatus, the support assembly comprising:
an apparatus;
a bracket removably attached to the apparatus, the bracket comprising:
a base member having a substantially planar shape including two edges and first and second sides that extend therebetween, the two edges separated by a width of the base member, the first side configured to couple to the apparatus; and
a pair of elbow members located proximate to the second side of the base member and configured to be mounted to a support frame, each of the elbow members being shaped to comprise a spring portion and a tab joined thereto, the spring portions flexing with respect to the base member, the tabs on the pair of elbow members being arranged adjacent to one another and oriented to extend in a substantially common direction to be mounted to a support frame, the tabs being spaced apart from each other a predetermined distance, wherein the predetermined distance is measured along and is less than the width of the base member, the tabs extending outward from the spring portions and having recesses for gripping the support frame when inserted into the hole.
13. The support assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein the spring portions bias the tabs outward away from one another such that the tabs securely grip opposed sides of a common hole of the support frame in which the tabs are received.
14. The support assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein the bracket is formed from a common blank of sheet material such that the tabs, spring portions, and base member are integral with one another, the base member extending between two fold lines that define the edges of the base member, each elbow member extending from a corresponding fold line and folded back along the corresponding fold line so that the elbow members extend toward each other.
15. The support assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein the elbow members further comprise supports positioned between and joining respective spring portions and tabs, the supports extending the tabs a predetermined distance from the base member.
16. The support assembly in accordance with claim 15 wherein the tabs and the supports extend along a common plane.
17. The support assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein each elbow member comprises at least two tabs joined to the spring portion, each tab having a recess to mount to the support frame.
18. The support assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein the bracket comprises at least one opening for securing the bracket to the apparatus.
19. The support assembly in accordance with claim 12 wherein the spring portion has a curved shape.
20. A support assembly for supporting an apparatus, the support assembly comprising:
an apparatus;
a bracket removably attached to the apparatus, the bracket comprising:
a base member having a substantially planar shape including two edges and first and second sides that extend therebetween, the two edges separated by a width of the base member, the first side configured to couple to the apparatus; and
a pair of elbow members located proximate to the second side of the base member and configured to be mounted to a support frame, each of the elbow members being shaped to comprise a spring portion and a tab joined thereto, the spring portions flexing with respect to the base member, the tabs on the pair of elbow members being arranged adjacent to one another and oriented to extend in a substantially common direction to be mounted to a support frame, the tabs being spaced apart from each other a predetermined distance, wherein the predetermined distance is measured along and is less than the width of the base member, the tabs extending outward from the spring portions and having recesses for gripping the support frame when inserted into the hole; and
wherein the bracket comprises a plurality of openings for securing the bracket to the apparatus, each opening extending through one of the elbow members and the base member and configured to receive a fastening device to secure the elbow member, the base member, and the apparatus together.