Grounding bridge
View Patent ↗By providing a single housing, component or element incorporating a plurality of passageways or receiving zones formed therein in cooperating association with a mounting ring or clamp constructed for being quickly and easily secured to a clamp, conductor or conduit mounted to an electrical box, junction box, meter box, or similar enclosure, an efficient, easily manufactured and easily assembled bonding bar or grounding bridge is achieved. Preferably, the plurality of passageways/receiving zones are constructed with each passageway or receiving zone cooperatively associated with a locking screw or set screw configured to enable grounding conductors to be inserted through the passageway/receiving zone and securely mounted therein. In this way, grounding conductors from telephones, cable televisions, satellite receivers, radios, television antennas, and the like may be inserted into the passageways/receiving zones and securely mounted in the desired position.
1. A grounding bridge assembly constructed for being mounted to a meter box, junction box, electrical outlet box, or other electrical enclosure having a knockout hole formed therein, in combination with an electrical grounding conductor, said grounding bridge assembly comprising:
a housing member comprising a compact configuration formed from electrically conductive material, the housing member having
a rectangular shaped portion with a front surface, a rear surface, a top surface, a bottom surface and a two side surfaces, the rectangular shaped portion having a plurality of passageways/channels formed therein through said top surface and said bottom surface with each passageway/channel being constructed for receiving and holding a grounding wire/conductor of a communication system component, a plurality of screw receiving cavities formed therein through said front surface, with each cavity being in cooperating association with one of said passageways/channels and constructed for receiving a threaded set screw for enabling said set screw to be advanced into securing engagement with a grounding wire/conductor inserted in said passageway/channel;
a mounting portion integrally mounted to one of the side surfaces of the rectangular shaped portion in a plane co-extensive with the plane of the top surface of the rectangular shaped portion, the mounting portion constructed as an annular ring,
a clamp/connector configured to pass through the knockout hole of the meter box, junction box, electrical outlet box, or other electrical enclosure, the clamp/connector secured thereto and to said electrical grounding conductor, clamp/connector extending out of the knockout hole in a region to which the annular ring of the mounting portion of the grounding bridge assembly mechanically and electrically connects to said clamp/connector, the clamp/connector having a portion dimensioned for threaded engagement with a coupling so as to sandwich said annular ring of the mounting portion between the meter box, junction box, electrical outlet box, or other electrical enclosure and said coupling so as to enable said grounding bridge assembly to be securely mechanically and electrically affixed to the electrical enclosure in combination with the plurality of grounding wires/conductors associated with various communication system components.
2. The grounding bridge assembly defined in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of passageways/channels is further defined as extending through the rectangular shaped portion of the housing member from a front surface to a rear surface thereof.
3. The grounding bridge assembly defined in claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of passageways/channels is further defined as comprising a generally circular shaped cross-section.
4. The grounding bridge assembly defined in claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of passageways/channels is further defined as being positioned in the rectangular shaped portion of the housing member in a generally continuous, side to side, co-axial array.
5. The grounding bridge assembly defined in claim 1 , wherein each communication system is further defined as comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of telephones, cable televisions, satellite receivers, radios, television antennas, and satellite dishes.