Recessed-mounted housing

Abstract

A system for mounting a recessed electrical or electronic device housing in (behind or above) a wall or ceiling surface utilizes a pair of resilient spring clips that are threadedly attached to respective diametrically opposed threaded screws. The threaded screws are accessible from the front surface of the housing so that the recessed-mounted housing may be inserted into a hole in the wall or ceiling material and fixedly mounted therein by rotating the screws from the front (ceiling or wall) surface of the housing. Each spring clip includes a bearing tab that bears down against the back side of the wall or ceiling material to sandwich the ceiling material between the bearing tab and an annular flange on the front, open end of the housing. Each threaded screw is journaled in a shouldered bushing which is press-fitted into the housing annular flange. The length of the shouldered bushing approximates the thickness of the ceiling or wall material so that, when the spring clip bearing tab bears down against the back side of the ceiling or wall material, the bearing tab is essentially coplanar with the back side of the material in order to distribute the retaining force of the housing and the weight of the housing and its contents over a maximum area of the ceiling or wall material in contact with the spring clip bearing tab. The spring clip is adapted to compress slightly inwardly (toward the housing) as the housing is inserted into a hole in the ceiling or wall material, springing back outwardly in a manner to grip the back side of the ceiling or wall material once the spring clip is beyond the back surface of the ceiling or wall material. Thereafter, tightening the spring clip down against the back side of the ceiling or wall material retains the recessed-mounted housing in place.