IP Library Granted Patent US 10,714,919
Granted Patent B2
US 10,714,919 · App. 15/887,150 · Granted Jul 14, 2020

Wallbox installation tool

Inventors: Gregory S. Altonen (Easton, PA); Adam Andersen (Allentown, PA); Xavier Boudin (London, GB); Michel Hanns (London, GB); Eric Johnathan Mace (Allentown, PA)
Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
H02G3/10B25H7/02H02G3/00H02G3/086H02G2200/30
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,714,919
App. No.
15/887,150
Granted
Jul 14, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

As described herein, a wall box installation tool may include a template body, one or more hollow pegs, a guide ring, and/or one or more template cards. The template cards may be configured to be installed on a front surface of the template body. A template card may define a plurality of holes therethrough. The guide ring may be configured to be installed within a pre-drilled hole in a wall. Each template card may be associated with a respective electrical device configuration. A subset of bores extending through the hollow pegs may be accessible via the template card when the template card is installed on the front surface of the template body. The wall box installation tool may include one or more fasteners that are configured to install a template card onto the front surface of the template body.

Claims (37)

1. A wall box installation tool, comprising:

a template body having a front surface, a guide ring that extends from a rear surface of the template body, and a plurality of bores that extend through the template body from the front surface to the rear surface; and

a first template card located on the front surface of the template body and having a first plurality of holes;

wherein the guide ring is configured to be installed within a pre-drilled hole in a wall, and wherein the first template card is configured to move from a first position associated with a first electrical device configuration to a second position associated with a second electrical device configuration, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the first template card in the first position, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the first template card in the second position.

2. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 , wherein the first template card is configured to be slid along the front surface of the template body between the first position and the second position.

3. The wall box installation tool of claim 2 , wherein the template body includes a plurality of clips that are configured to retain the template card on the front surface of the template body.

4. The wall box installation tool of claim 3 , wherein the template body includes a plurality of stops that are configured to prevent the template card from sliding beyond a top edge and a bottom edge of the template body.

5. The wall box installation tool of claim 2 , wherein the template body defines a plurality of protrusions that extend from the front surface of the template body, and the first template card includes a plurality of openings configured to engage the plurality of protrusions and hold the first template card in a selected position.

6. The wall box installation tool of claim 2 , wherein the template body defines a plurality of triangular wedges that extend from the front surface of the template body, and the first template card includes a plurality of notches configured to engage the plurality of triangular wedges and hold the first template card in a selected position.

7. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second template card located on the front surface of the template body and having a second plurality of holes, the second template card configured to move from a third position to a fourth position;

wherein a third subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the second template card in the third position, and wherein a fourth subset of the plurality bores in the template body are accessible via the second template card in the fourth position.

8. The wall box installation tool of claim 7 , wherein a fifth subset of the plurality of bores is accessible via the first and second template cards when the first template card is in the first position and the second template card is in the second position.

9. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of the plurality of bores are accessed through a subset of the first and second plurality of holes in the first and second template cards.

10. The wall box installation tool of claim 1 , wherein the template body comprises a rim that extends at a perimeter of and substantially perpendicular to the front surface, and the guide ring extends beyond the rim.

11. A wall box installation tool, comprising:

a template body having a guide ring and a plurality of bores that extend through the template body, wherein the guide ring extends from a rear surface of the template body and is configured to be installed within a pre-drilled hole in a wall; and

a plurality of levels that are positioned at oblique angles on the template body, wherein a first subset of the bores are aligned with a first level of the plurality of levels such that the first subset of the bores are horizontal when the first level is level, and wherein a second subset of the bores are aligned with a second level of the plurality of levels such that the second subset of the bores are horizontal when the second level is level.

12. The wall box installation tool of claim 11 , wherein the template body includes a front surface and a rim that extends at a perimeter of and substantially perpendicular to the front surface.

13. The wall box installation tool of claim 12 , wherein the front surface of the template body defines a plurality of orifices configured to retain the plurality of levels.

14. The wall box installation tool of claim 12 , wherein the guide ring extends beyond the rim.

15. A wall box installation tool, comprising:

a template body having a front surface, a guide ring that extends from a rear surface of the template body, and a plurality of bores that extend through the template body from the front surface to the rear surface; and

a template card configured to be installed on the front surface of the template body, wherein the template card defines a plurality of holes therethrough;

wherein the guide ring is configured to be installed within a pre-drilled hole in a wall, and wherein the template card is associated with an electrical device configuration, and wherein a subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the plurality of holes of the template card when the template card is installed on the front surface of the template body.

16. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , wherein the electrical device configuration is a first electrical device configuration, and the template card is configured to move from a first position associated with the first electrical device configuration to a second position associated with a second electrical device configuration, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the template card in the first position, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of bores in the template body are accessible via the template card in the second position.

17. The wall box installation tool of claim 16 , wherein the template body includes a plurality of clips that are configured to retain the template card on the front surface of the template body, and the template card is configured to be slid along the front surface of the template body between the first position and the second position.

18. The wall box installation tool of claim 17 , wherein the template body defines a plurality of protrusions that extend from a front surface of the template body, and are configured to engage the template card to hold the template card in a selected position.

19. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , further comprising:

one or more fasteners that are configured to install the template card onto the front surface of the template body.

20. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , wherein the template card is a first template card, the electrical device configuration is a first electrical device configuration, and the subset of the plurality of bores is a first subset of the plurality of bores, and wherein the wall box installation tool further comprises a second template card configured to be installed on the front surface of the template body, and wherein the second template card is associated with a second electrical device configuration, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of bores is accessible via the second template card when the second template card is installed on the front surface of the template body.

21. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , wherein the template card is configured to cover one or more of the plurality of bores not in the subset of bores such that the one or more of the plurality of bores are inaccessible via the template card when the template card is installed on the front surface of the template body.

22. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , wherein a number of the plurality of holes of the template card is less than a number of the plurality of bores of the template body.

23. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , further comprising:

a level that is retained within an orifice of the template body.

24. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , wherein the template body comprises a rim that extends at a perimeter of and substantially perpendicular to the front surface, and the guide ring extends beyond the rim.

25. The wall box installation tool of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of bores of the template body are formed in respective hollow pegs that extend from the rear surface of the template body.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2019
From: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
To: LUTRON TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 049286/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2019
From: BOUDIN, XAVIER; HANNS, MICHEL
To: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
Reel/Frame 048926/0485 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2019
From: ALTONEN, GREGORY S.; ANDERSON, ADAM J.; MACE, ERIC JOHNATHAN
To: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
Reel/Frame 048926/0685 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62503086 · May 8, 2017
Provisional Application 62453796 · Feb 2, 2017
Related Publication 20180219364A1 · Aug 2, 2018