In residential and commercial construction, an entire electrical system of a structure is grounded to Earth to create a path to a zero potential. This is typically achieved by coupling a large grounding wire or wires from a junction box or other electrical source on the structure to a ground stake which is buried underground. The grounding wire(s) are typically fed through electrical conduit, i.e., larger diameter pipes that are buried in the ground. A grounding bushing is typically installed on a terminal end of the electrical conduit at an electrical junction box so as to reduce the likelihood that the electrical conducting materials will improperly contact either the electrical junction box or the conduit terminus. Without a properly installed bushing in place, the ground wires and/or electrical conductors may become damaged and/or the electrical conduit may become electrically charged, leading to unsafe conditions. The grounding bushing provides a lined aperture through which ground wires and/or electrical conductors pass and helps to ensure that the junction between the grounding wires and the electrical conduit is protected both electrically and against chafe. Grounding bushings have the additional capability of being grounded themselves.
Collar type grounding bushings are typically fitted during the initial installation of the electrical system. The complete disassembly of a grounding circuit may be necessary to retrofit or repair a collar type ground bushing. One solution to this difficulty is to provide a split collar type grounding bushing as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,782, which discloses a two-piece hinged collar-type grounding bushing including a fixed position ground lug. However, the hinged design and fixed position ground lug make the bushing unwieldy in applications where space is at a premium.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an alternative electrical grounding collar bushing. Such a grounding collar bushing benefits from the ability of a user to readily retrofit a grounding conduit without pulling the ground wires and reassembling the grounding circuit. The inventive grounding collar bushing also benefits from highly adaptable positions for varying installation conditions and the location of the ground lug based upon the particular circumstances of the installation conditions encountered by the user.
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