In a further aspect of the present invention there is also provided a method for embedding such an assembly into a wall.

More precisely, the invention is designed to be advantageously used for installing electrical or electronics systems, including entryphones, telephones, TV or other apparatuses in offices or buildings.

Thus, the invention is applicable either in the production field of the electrical components and in the field of the system installation.

Background art Nowadays, it is known that the mounting of an electrical system is accomplished through a series of steps that are hereafter synthetically listed.

At first, grooves in the masonry walls are traced corresponding to the layout of the system, in order to substantially provide conduits for housing the electric wires and cables.

At predetermined positions, generally mutually aligned, seats are also realised in the wall for receiving boxes (or cassettes) for containing electrical and/or electronic system components, such as electrical outlets, switches, spot lights or also outlet boxes or other equipment. In the following, any type of the above mentioned box,

usually of plastic material, designed to be embedded into the wall for receiving electrical parts connected by means of wires inserted into the canalisation, will be indicated, for simplicity, with the general term of box body. The same box body is usually indicated in the sector technical language with the name of"bedding box" and is normally provided with a face at sight partially or fully suitable for being closed by a cover and accessible for example from the exterior by means of switches, electrical outlets or similar devices.

Every box body is fixed in situ by means of mortar or concrete.

Afterwards, one the mortar is hardened, connecting tubes are embedded in the walls. Generally, aforementioned tubes are of plastic materials, of flexible type with rigid rings, and typically can connect a spot light with a source of electric current.

The above mounting step provides that, preliminarily the tubes are cut in lengths slightly longer than the distances existing between the box bodies. In such a manner the ends of the tubes con be further inserted for a certain length in the same box bodies.

The same ends of the tubes must be properly plugged, for example by means of simple deformation, so as to prevent debris or other materials from entering internally thereof, thus obstructing the passage of the wires.

In operation, the plugged ends of the measured sections of tubes are inserted into the box bodies after that these latter have been perforated generally along saw- toothed traces already predisposed on their lateral faces. The tubes are placed in the grooves of the walls (alternatively of ceilings or floors), and secured in position by means of mortar or concrete.

Consequently, the grooves can be closed with mortar in order to rigidly secure the assembly to the wall. Subsequently, the covers are removed from the box bodies, the corresponding hollow containing spaces are cleaned and then the ends of the

tubes, housed into the same box bodies, are cut at measure (preferably flush with the internal walls).

Only at this point it is possible to accomplish the installation of the very electrical system by inserting the electric wires or cables and placing the electrical components (the"cartridges") inside the box bodies. As alternative, the box bodies can be closed with their corresponding covers, deferring at a later time the installation of the electric parts.

The conventional installation method synthetically described above has proven in the practice to be not devoid of drawbacks.

A first drawback consists in that such known method entails quite long labour time such as to negatively affect the total cost of the system. Moreover, such known method requires specialised workers to correctly position the box bodies, which are provided with good manual skill in order to cut precisely the tubes and to plug their ends.

A second drawback is due to the same sequence of installation operations described above, that results to be excessively complex and cumbersome. In fact, for example, the positioning in the grooves of the flexible tubes of the type available on the market is actually far from easy and requires to fix such tubes at multiple locations with mortar or concrete. The flexibility of the tubes makes it obviously more difficult to insert them into the grooves since the tubes always tend to slip out during laying thereof. The use of mortar or concrete for fixing the tubes and the box bodies into the different seats involves transportation of not neglectable and heavy weights.

As is known, in the present technological field such as in other productive fields, an ever growing care is directed to reduce the production of waste, since this latter must then be disposed and/or recycled without pollution. This involves generally additional disposing charges that can negatively affect the cost of the entire

production process.

The conventional installation methods provide, as mentioned above, a cutting step of the tubes inside the box bodies and thus the production of plastic waste that must be then collected in differentiated manner in order to be consequently, properly disposed. Also this operation has a negative impact on both the costs and the later times of the installation method.

In an attempt to prevent these drawbacks, installation systems have been developed that provide joining the box bodies by means of conduits to be fixed externally on the walls. For this purpose, the conduits are provided with suitable clamping means for the connection with the box bodies.

Even though these latter solutions allow an easier installation and shorter operation time, they set out the evident disadvantage that they do not satisfactorily meet the current esthetical standards. In fact, the conduits used for example for embedding distributing systems of electric current results in remarkable visual impact sometimes of poor esthetical appearance.

Such known solutions of a mentioned type are shown in GB 1 155 668, GB 2 137 025 and EP 202 640.

Disclosure of the invention A primary object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks by providing a wire or cable bedding box assembly suitable for being embedded into masonry walls, that enables a fast and easy mounting operation without requiring the employment of particularly specialised personnel.

Another object is to conceive a wire bedding box assembly that enables to provide exact grooves on the masonry walls.

Another object is to implement a wire bedding box assembly that enables an handy installation of the wires inside the box bodies.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an actually simple and functionally fully reliable wire bedding box assembly.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for mounting wire bedding box assembly, that is functionally simple and fast to be implemented.

Another object is to provide a mounting method that is substantially free of conceive plastic waste to be disposed.

Another object is to conceive a mounting method that requires no transportation of heavy amounts of mortar or concrete for fixing tubes or box bodies in the grooves.

These and other objects are achieved by a wire bedding box assembly as mentioned above, that comprises a box body defining a hollow space for housing electrical and/or electronic components, having at least one externally accessible face at sight, said face being connectable by means of at least one through hole with at least one tubular conduit for the passage of the wires.

According to the invention the wire bedding box assembly is characterised in that it comprises at least one hollow junction element for rigidly and mechanically connecting the box body with the tubular conduit.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for mounting a wire bedding box assembly embeddable into masonry walls, characterised in that it comprises an assembling tubular conduits with box bodies designed to contain system components, by means of junction elements suitable for mechanically connecting each other the tubular ducts with the box bodies according to a predetermined system layout, in order to obtain a unitary substantially rigid and self-supporting assembly; preparing grooves in one or more masonry walls

according to said system layout ; placing said unitary assembly into the grooves; securing the unitary assembly at the interior of the grooves by means of a fixation product.

Thanks to this assembly it is possible to reduce in a significant manner the installation costs of systems requiring embedded wires or cables. The simplicity of the assembly is a further guarantee of high quality in its installation.

Brief description of the drawings The technical features of the invention, according to the above-mentioned objects and its advantages will appear more clearly by the following detailed description, made with reference to the attached drawings, showing an exemplary and not limitative embodiment of the assembly, in which : FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box body of the assembly of the present invention showing some junction elements ; FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the box body of Fig. 1; FIG. 3 is a plan view of an embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the assembly of Fig. 3; FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view of a detail of the present assembly showing junction elements associated with tubular conduits ; FIGG. 6a, 6bare views of a detail of the assembly according to the present invention showing two possible configurations of a junction element.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment With reference to the mentioned figures, a wire bedding box assembly according to the present invention, suitable to be embedded in masonry walls is generally indicated with the reference numeral 1.

The box assembly 1 comprises a main component consisting of a box body 2,

preferably of prismatic, for example parallelepipedic shape.

The box body 2 has a base or rear wall 5 and mutually opposed side walls 3,3', 4, 4', enclosing an hollow space 6 designed to house electric and/or electronic components, such as outlets, switches, spot lights, sources of electric tension or other (not shown). The box body 2 can be further used as outlet box (or cartridge) and can be used for any service system with electric cables, such as distribution systems of electricity, entryphones, telephones, TV or other similar apparatus.

Of course, the conformation of the box body 2 can vary according to various the requirements without falling outside the scope of the present invention.

An external face 7 visible from the outside of the wall is opposed to the rear wall 5 designed to be embedded in the masonry of a wall, the external face 7 of the wall is generally accessible from the outside by means of electrical outlets, switches or like, or can be totally or partially closed by means of a cover in a quite conventional manner.

The hollow space 6 may be connected with the hollow spaces of other box bodies 2 by means of one or more tubular conduits 8. To this end, one or more through holes 9 may be provided on the side walls 3,3', 4,4'of the box body 2 and/or on the rear wall 5 for connecting the tubular conduit 8 and enabling the passage of the electric wires or cables.

According to the invention, the assembly 1 comprises at least one internally hollow junction element 10 suitable for connecting rigidly and mechanically the box body 2 with the tubular conduit 8, in such a manner to put the hollow space 6 in communication with the tubular conduit 8 by the through hole 9.

To this end first coupling means 11 are provided for tightly connecting the junction element 10 with the box body 2 and second coupling means 12 are provided for tightly connecting the junction element 10 with an end portion 13 of the tubular

conduit.

Advantageously, the tubular conduits 8 are made of rigid material so as to form with the box bodies 2 and the junction elements 10 a substantially rigid unitary assemblies 1. A possible configuration of such assembly shown in Fig. 3 and 4.

More in detail, the first coupling means 11 are formed by seats 14 arranged on the box body 2 near the through holes 9 and comprise pairs of profiled guides 14'.

Each guide is adapted to slidingly receive internally thereof an appendix 15 projecting on the junction element 10.

The guides 14'extend in a perpendicularly direction between the rear wall 5 and the face at sight 7 so that the appendix 15 of the junction element 10 can be slidingly inserted into the seat 14 from the side of the rear wall 5 of the box body 2, along the direction indicated by arrows F in Fig. 2. The junction element 10 can be inserted so that the appendix 15 contacts an abutment element 16 closing the guides 14 at the face at sight 7.

In such a manner, once the rear wall 5 of the box body 2 has been embedded into the masonry wall, the junction elements 10 is clamped between the abutment element 16 and the same masonry wall.

As shown in Fig. 5, the junction element 10 presents a cylindrical portion 10' having at one end thereof the appendix 15 shaped like a plate frame.

According to an important feature of the present invention, the junction element 10, and thus the tubular conduit 8, are externally connected with the box body 2 without requiring the use of clamping members to be inserted into the hollow space 6. In fact, the first coupling means 11 are simply formed the box body 2 by the seats 14 associated with the external surfaces thereof. In such a manner, the entire volume of the containing hollow space 6 is available for easily inserting the electrical and/or electronic components.

The tubular conduit 8 may be coaxially tightly secured to the junction element 10 by friction force. The tubular conduit 8 may be inserted into the cylindrical portion 10'or externally thereto.

Advantageously, in order to increase the friction and thus the mechanical stability of the connection, the second coupling means 12 are provided with knurling or calibrated serration 17. These latter are formed on either one single or both the corresponding and complementary shaped surfaces of the junction element 10 and the tubular conduit 8 that are designed to come in mutual contact in a friction forced connection when the tubular conduit 8 is inserted in the junction element 10.

In the figures, the knurling 17 is shown on the external surface of the tubular conduits 8, whose end portion 13 is designed to be friction forced into the cylindrical portion 10'of the junction element 10. The same external knurling or wrinkling 17 enable an improved attachment to the wall on the entire section where the tubular conduit 8 is not inserted into the junction element 10.

Advantageously, also the internal surfaces of the conduit 8 can be corrugated in order to improve the insertion of the wires.

The thus provided junction element 10 enables in practice a fast and safe connection of the tubular duct 8 with the box body 2.

Of course, other coupling means 11,12 may be provided in order to connect such junction element 10 with the box body 2 and the tubular conduit 8 without falling out of the scope of protection of the present invention.

By way of example, the second coupling means 12 may simply consist of screw joints formed of the end portion 13 of the tubular conduit 8 and the cylindrical portion 10'of the junction element 10.

As alternative, the junction element 10 can be monolithically formed with the tubular conduit 8, for example by means of a mould injection process, so as to produce join conduits for the box bodies 2 of predetermined lengths and for example in accordance with the main regulation or standards in the technical field of the installation systems.

In case that the joint 10 consists of a distinct, independent members, the tubular conduit 8 may be inserted into said element at different depths in order to enable the remaining external length of the tubular conduit 8 to be exactly adjusted.

Such circumstance is particularly useful mainly in order to adjust the height D'from the ground at which the box bodies 2 are to be placed starting from an elbow element 120 lying on the ground, on which the rigid tubular conduit 8 (see Fig. 4) can be inserted, also in an adjustable manner. Of course, the connection between the tubular conduit 8 and the elbow element 120 can be direct or still again by means of the junction element 10.

The above adjustment further enables to vary in extremely precise manner the distance D existing between two box bodies 2 connected by one or more tubular conduits 8.

According to a further constructive aspect of the present invention, a protective film or layer 18 is removably provided for closing the showing face 7 of the box body 2. Such protective film 18 has mainly the function of keeping clean the containing hollow space 6 by preventing powder, debris or other from depositing internally thereof.

Preferably, the protective film 18 is glued on the peripheral edge 19 delimiting the face 7 at sight so as to be easily removed by a simple pulling action on a suitable tab 18'.

According to the embodiment exemplary shown in Fig. 3 and 4, the junction

element 10 may be used for directly connecting two distinct box bodies 2 by placing in communication two or more corresponding through holes 9. In this case, both ends of the junction element 10 may have an appendix 15 for the connection with the counter-opposed seats 14 obtained on the two box bodies 2 placed side by side, as shown in the attached Figures 6a and 6b where respectively a single and a double joint is provided.

The above mentioned through holes 9 can be traced only on the walls 3,3', 4,4'of the box body 2 by means of saw-toothed lines 9'suitable for enabling their internal portion to be easily removed when required in order to realise the holes 9.

Sealing gaskets (not shown) may also be provided between the junction element 10 and the box body 2 or between the junction element 10 and the tubular conduit 8 in order to achieve a watertight sealing connection in addition to a mechanical connection between the same elements.

A further object of the present invention is a method for mounting a wire or a cable assembly 1 embedded in masonry walls, specifically of the above disclosed type illustrated in the attached figures.

In the description of such a method, reference will be made hereinafter to the constructional features of the above described assembly 1, even though it may be clearly understood that the same method can be applied to other assemblies without falling outside the scope of protection of the present invention.

According to the invention, the method firstly provides the assembling of a plurality of tubular conduits 8 and box bodies 2 by means of junction elements 10 other according to a pre-established layout, so as to obtain a unitary assembly 1 substantially rigid and self-supporting.

At this point, grooves are formed in the masonry walls as needed to receive the unitary assembly 1 previously prepared.

Advantageously, the same assembly 1 can be functionally associated with the masonry walls in order to make the exact layout of the grooves where they will be realised.

The assembly 1 is then secured into the grooves by means of fixation products consisting for example of resins, adhesives, fixing foams, mortar and concrete.

Advantageously, since the assembly 1 is self-supporting, also small amounts of foam could be sufficient to keep said assembly in place inside the grooves.

Only at this point it will be possible to remove the protective film arranged for closing the external face 7 at sight of the box bodies 2.

Upon insertion of the assembly 1 into the grooves, the precise adjustment of the distance D between the box bodies 2 could be helpful. This can be achieved by varying the insertion depth of each end 13 of the tubular conduit 8 into the junction elements 10.

In the attached figures, reference has been made to box bodies 2 connected with two or three junction elements 10 on each side, even though it is understood that each box body 2 can be associated with a different number of junction elements 10 without falling outside of the scope of the present invention.

The material forming each box body 2 as well as the junction element 10 and the tubular conduit 8 will be preferably plastics and in particular can be for example self-extinguishing ABS.

The so conceived invention achieves the intended objects.

Of course the invention can assume in practise other forms and configurations different from those disclosed above, without departing from its scope of protection.

Further, all the details can be substituted by technical equivalent elements and the dimensions, the shapes and the materials used can be any according to the requirements.

The instant application is based upon and claims priority of patent application no. Vl2001A000164, filed on 02.08. 2002 in Italy, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated here in reference thereto.