IES980367A2 - Socket box - Google Patents

Abstract

A socket box comprises a rear wall (12) and sidewalls (14) defining an open-fronted housing. Moulded sections (28,30) within the housing are configured to receive metal earth connectors (32,34) respectively of square and circular cross-section. <Figure 1>

Description

TRUE COPY AS 1 .._ , $98ί}Λθ/ LODG ED ’&.$4'· fc*?«......- %^·*··*****^ UVUVaCM SOCKET BOX ____—---- This invention relates to a socket box. 1 [g^ckO _____ 5 According to the present invention there is provided a socket box including means for receiving metal earth connectors of two different cross-sections.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way 10 of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a socket box according to the embodiment; 15 i,_____ Figure 2 is a front plan view of the socket box of Figure 1; I and m 4§! | ~ Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the left hand end of the ’or 8 1 : rr Q 2(ki 1 soc^et ^οχ °f Figure 1. ;g < j| A J ) -’ jj Referring to the drawings, the socket box comprises a ) p Srectangular housing 10 moulded in one piece from a rigid o cS -1 -i t If,· ^vplastics material. The housing has a rear wall 12 and .! ϋ: , :. ^ 25^ sidewalls 14 which define an open front 16 to the box. The wall 12 has a plurality of elongate apertures 18 to allow the box to be screwed onto a wall, or into a wall recesss, in conventional fashion.

A further plurality of apertures 20 is formed in the rear wall 12 and sidewalls 14, each such aperture being substantially closed by a respective web 22 connected to the IE 980367 2 periphery of the aperture by narrow bridges 24. In use of the socket box, one of the webs 22 is pressed out of its aperture 20 by fracturing the bridges 24 to allow mains cables to enter the housing 10 through the aperture. The 5 particular aperture chosen will depend upon the position and direction of the mains cable relative to the housing 10.

A front plate (not shown} containing, for example, a switch and/or plug can be attached to the socket box in conventional 10 fashion by screw-threaded fasteners which enter respective internally screw-threaded apertures 26 one on each side of the housing 10.

Integral with the interior surface of the housing 10, at the 15 junction between the rear wall 12 and one of the narrower side walls 14, there are two moulded sections 28 and 30 respectively for receiving and locating respective metal earth connectors 32 and 34. Each section 28 and 30 comprises a pair of opposed walls 28a, 28b or 30a, 30b as seen most 20 clearly in Figure 3. The connector 32 has a square cross-section and the connector 34 has a circular cross-section, and the opposed walls 28a, 28b and 30a, 30b define between them connector receiving sockets of corresponding square and circular cross-section so that each connector 32, 34 fits 25 snugly in the respective moulded section 28 or 30 between the opposed walls.

Each connector 32, 34 is slid into its respective moulded section 28, 30 from the rear of the housing 10, the rear wall 30 12 being appropriately apertured at the base of each moulded section 28, 30 for this purpose (not shown). Each wall 28a, 28b, 30a, 30b has an inturned lip 36 at the front end which 3 IE 980367 acts as a stop to prevent over-insertion of the the connectors. When the connectors 32, 3'4 are fully inserted into the sections 28, 30 with their top ends abutting the lips 36, the rear of the connectors are flush with the rear 5 wall 12 of the housing 10 so as to abut the wall or recess against which, or into which, the housing 10 is mounted.

The provision of the two differently-shaped moulded sections 28, 30 is to allow the socket box to be used with either an 10 earth connector 32 of square cross-section or an earth connector 34 of round cross-section, these being the two commonest standard types. Thus, although the above has described the socket box as having two connectors 32, 34 present at the same time, this is only for the purpose of 15 illustrating the invention, and in practice one would normally use only one such connector and insert in the appropriate moulding 28 or 30 prior to fixing the housing 30 to the wall or recess.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.