CA2215441C - Multi-service floor outlet - Google Patents

Multi-service floor outlet Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2215441C
CA2215441C CA 2215441 CA2215441A CA2215441C CA 2215441 C CA2215441 C CA 2215441C CA 2215441 CA2215441 CA 2215441 CA 2215441 A CA2215441 A CA 2215441A CA 2215441 C CA2215441 C CA 2215441C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
housing
outlet
floor
relation
service
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA 2215441
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Randy J. Brown
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
COX WENDY
DODS LINDA
DOWNEY LINDA
ERICKSON GAIL
LAPIERRE GUY
LAPIERRE SYLVIA
LECLAIR ELIZABETH
LECLAIR MICHAEL
RALPH JOANNE
Original Assignee
Randy J. Brown
Ralph, Joanne
Dods, Terry
Cox, Wendy
Lapierre, Sylvia
Lapierre, Guy
Erickson, William
Leclair, Elizabeth
Leclair, Michael
Erickson, Gail
Downey, Linda
Dods, Linda
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Randy J. Brown, Ralph, Joanne, Dods, Terry, Cox, Wendy, Lapierre, Sylvia, Lapierre, Guy, Erickson, William, Leclair, Elizabeth, Leclair, Michael, Erickson, Gail, Downey, Linda, Dods, Linda filed Critical Randy J. Brown
Priority to CA 2215441 priority Critical patent/CA2215441C/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2215441C publication Critical patent/CA2215441C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02GINSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
    • H02G3/00Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles
    • H02G3/02Details
    • H02G3/08Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes
    • H02G3/18Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes providing line outlets
    • H02G3/185Floor outlets and access cups
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01RELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/73Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)

Abstract

A flush-mounted, multi-service floor outlet, gives economic supply of flush-fitting power and electronic jacks, such as Category 5 data jacks, within existing office towers having poured concrete floors, as original equipment, or by restro-fit or in relocating such services, while maintaining effective fire separation between the repective floors of the building. A unitary, longitudinally compartmented cylindrical metal housing is located in penetrating relation through an existing concrete floor, and the power, voice and data connections are routed through the ceiling space of the underlying room, the conduits for which are threaded into a base portion of the housing. The outlet housing provides a nominal fit within a standard sized hole drilled through the concrete floor to render the installation substantially fireproof. A top flange, and removable bottom flange such as a nut complete the fireproofing and secure the housing in place. The compartment partitions are withdrawable to facilitate installation and servicing. The substantially planar top face of the outlet fits effectively flush with the usual carpet floor covering.

Description

-MULTI-SERVIC'E FLOOR ~TLET
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a f'oor outlet for lnstallation through a concrete floor, to provide electrical power and voice/data Jack access.
BACXGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Modern office space ls frequentiy located wlthin hlgh rise buildinqs having existing concrete floors.
The floor plan for an office is rarely immutakle, so that the 10 location of services such as electrlcal power, voice and data connectlons requires a hlgh degree of flexibility. Flre codes frequently requlre that floor-to-floor lnterconnection shall be closely restricted, while electrical wirlng codes usually regulre the provision of isclated electrical services.
Many bullding owners and/or tenants require enclosed electrical and communlcations wlring ln celling spaces below. One prlor art approach to meet the problems imposed by these strlct~res h~s been the use of s~uare, recessable flush outlet housinqs.
A major drawback wlth this approach is the need to saw cut an ~0 oversized s~uare hole into the concrete floor, and to chisel out to an approprlate depth a recess for housing the outle~.
It is then usually necessary to secure the outlet housing ln the floor, and to patch, by cementing or grouting the outlet base ln place. Th~s can lmperll the lntegrity of the floor, and is usually unacceptable to the structural engineer CA 022l544l l997-09-l5 who is responslble for the buildln~.
In an exl~tlng offlce, adoptlon of thi procedur~ often ~auses unintended, highly undesireable local damage to t~e area carpeting.
Furthermore, the method is labour-intenslve, structurally damaging, and ~lakes difflcult the succeedlng step of lnEtallin~
the a6soclated condult.
Another prlor art approach is to lnstal a throu~h-the-~lo~
outlet, such as the "Walkertap" ~trademark), referred to commercially as the " 1503 Eerles flush poke-through" havlng a cyllndrical pot that is lnstalled through the floor. This service outlet, whlch is nominally "flush", has a domed top plate above which proJects the molded housings of the two voice/data jack outlets.
These voice jack outlets are serviced by plgtail connections that hang down within open recesses below the top plate, and the connections pass outwardly through apertures in the wall of the cylindrical pot, thereby providing a pair of vulnerable paths that requlre to be packed with flre-proof material, in 20 attempting to meet local fire regulations. These pig-tail connection~ are serviced wlthin the underlying ceiling space, and in the absence of an enclosure and provision for protection such as a conduit, are vulnerable to unautherized access.
The electrlcal service occupies the pot, and connects by way of an intermediate conduit with a Junction box accessible only ln the underlying celllny ~pace.
Typlcally, this hlgh-cost lnstallation provides a slightly domed outlet cover having a pair of flush power outlets and a pair o~ elevated volce/data jacks, which constitute a trippng hazard ln open and multi-use areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unitary, flush mounted, totally enclosed houslng for through-floor multi-service installation.
10 The subject servlce housing has a substantially planar top flange secured to a cylindrical housing for insertion ln close-fittlng relation within a cylindrical bore of predetermined standard size.
The housing includes provision for connection of a plurality of service conduits in threaded relation with the lower end of the housing.
The housing includes interior isolating partition means, to enable physical and electrical isolation of an electrical power service therein.
20 In a preferred embodiment lnterlor partltion means are removable, to facilitate manual access to the interior of the housing. A plurality of interior partitions may be provlded which are removable, for enhanced manual access. The partition means may be of flberglaEs or other electrical lnsulating material. Where internal clearances are adequate and no possibility of Ehort-clrcultln~ or un~e&iLed ~psclt~n~e effectE exiEts, and where safety co~es are not violated, the use of metal part1tions is contemplated.
The subJect service housing ~ay have housing securing means, in use to secure the housing in lnstalled relation within an aperture.
The hou~in~ ~eLu~lng me~n~ m~y c~mpEi~e a top flan~e, and a locknut threadedly attached to the lower exterlor por-tlon of the houslng, to engage the floor lower surface. The locknut lO also serves to complete the fla~eprocfing of the installatlon.
An alternative securing means that is contemplated may comprise a grubscrew or capscrew, the polnt of which extendE outwardly from wlthln the houslng, ln use to engage the interior of the bore within which the housing is inserted to hold the housing secured therein.
The su~ect service may include removable cap means, to provide access from above to the inte.ior vf the housing. The removable cap means may comprise an outer cover, in securing relation with a plurality of plug-accessed electrical 20 connection units.
The removable cap mean~ may include a flange portion of the pot, by means of which the pot is supported in its position by the surrounding floor.
Th~ rem~vable cap mean~ are preferably ~ecured by way of screws that are recessed in flush relation with the respective cover top surface, and engage threaded aperture~ of the hou~in~.
The housing may lnclude threaded recesses in a lower portion of the housing, to receive condult connectors in screwed se~ured relation therein. The conduit connectors, in turn, receive electrical conduit in connecting relation therewith. The houslng may lnclude a unit~ry bottom portlon having a pluraIlty of threaded recesses for the aforesaid conduit connectors.

Certaln embodiments of the lnvention are descrlbed by way of 10 lllustratlonr without llmitatlon of the invention thereto, other than as set forth in the accompanying claims, reference belng made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a front-and-top perspective view of a housing according to the present invention, complete with a plurality of power and voice/data receptacles;
Figure 2 is a slde view of the subject housing, in diametrical section;
Figure 3 is an exploded view, in perspective, showing the ~ajor components of the Figure 1 embodiment in exploded 20 relation; and, Flgure 4 is an enIarged vlew of a component portion of Figure ~.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTI~N~
Referring to Figure 1, the multl-service floor outlet 1~
according to the present lnvention comprises a cylindrical ~rrel portlo~ 2 o~ flreproof materlal, pre~erably alumlnum for weight and handllng considerations.
A flanged cap portlon 14 ~ecures a duplex power outlet 16 and four Category 5 voice/data ~acks 18.
The outer portion 20 of the bottom of barrel portion 12 is threaded.
Referrin~ to Flgures 2 and 3, a removable nut 22 ls mounted upon the threaded portion 20.
A bottom closure plate 24 is shown, preferably secured by 10 welding to the barrel portion 12. The plate 24 is illustrated as having four threaded apertures 25 therein, to receive eLectrical condult elbows (not shown~, ~ecured in screwed relation therein.
Removable partltion means 27 havln~ oppose~ plate portions provide segregated wirlng paths, pr1marily for the conductors for the duplex power outlet 16.
The slender flanged cap portion 14 may be installed so as to slt upon the concrete floor, the top of the outlet 10 being then substantially flush with the surface of the surrounding 20 carpet (not shown).
The cap portlon 14 lnolude~ a clrcu}ar plate 26 having off-set rectangular recesses to locate volce/data jacks 1~.
An overlying plate 28 serves to locate the duplex power outlet 16.
The plate 28 has two pairs of Elots 27~, by which partltionE 27 may be inserted in positioned, secured relation.
The cap portion 14 includes a fir-st flan~e plate .~C3~ which enci~cles the power outlet 16 and jach:s lZ and is secured by screws ~9 to the upper rim of barr-el portion 1~.
~ second flange portion of cap portion 14, plate 3b, serves as a closure plate and is secu~ed by screws to the ~irst flange plate .Y~. The plate ~ has ~ecesses 4~, 44 in which the dual head portions of the power outlet 16, and the foLIr ~ack:s 18 are accommodated in flush r~l~tic~.
lD In use the outlet 10 is installed ~ithin a core-drilled ~hrough-hole, in close-fitting relation therein, being secured and effectively sealed in place by way of the flanges of cap portion 14, and the nut ~2.
The partition means 27 may be removed durin~ installation to facilitate the introduction of the respective wiring Snot shown).
It will be understood that certain changes and modifications of the p~esently disclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the am~it of the present invention, as ~et forth ~Oin the accompanying claims.
COMME~CI~L UTILIZ~TION
There is a widespead mar~et, both in North ~merica and elsewhere, in high-rise concre~e buildinys, t~ safely accommodate the wiring needs of modern telecommunicati~ns and electronics~ along with poweF supp lies, while maintaining required st~ndards against flame penetration.

Claims (12)

1. A fire-resistant multi-service cutlet for mounting in a bore of predetermined standard size drilled through an existing concrete floor, to minimize structural damage to the floor, comprising a totally enclosed cylindrical housing having a shallow cover portion in substantial closing relation with the top of the cylindrical housing; said cylindrical housing having an outer diametrical dimension nominally less than said predetermined standard drilled bore; locating means for securing said housing in said floor;
at least two accesses in a lower portion of the cylindrical housing, to receive an electrical conduit and a further service conduit in attached relation thereto; an electrical outlet and at least one further service outlet secured in substantially flush-mounted relation with said cover portion, said housing fitting in secured, substantially sealing relation within said bore to maintain a fire separation and maintaining said outlets substantially level with said floor.
2. The service outlet as set forth in claim 1, wherein said electrical outlet is a power outlet.
3. The service outlet as set forth in claim 1, said lower portion having a plurality of said accesses; said cover portion having a plurality of said electrical outlets; and partition means within said housing to provide at least one isolated path between a first one of said lower accesses and a first one of said electrical outlet.
4. The service outlet as set forth in claim 3, said partition means being withdrawable from said housing, in use to facilitate the installation of electrical wiring between said first access and said first electrical outlet.
5. The service outlet as set forth in claim 4, said partition means comprising a plurality of separable partition portions, in use to provide a plurality of individual paths between said lower accesses and respective ones of said electrical outlets.
6. The service outlet as set forth in claim 3, said first electrical outlet being a power outlet.
7. The service outlet as set forth in claim 5, having said electrical outlet and a plurality of voice/data outlets in mutually isolated relation.
8. The service outlet as set forth in claim 1, said housing locating means including radially extending abuttment means removably attached to a lower end portion of said housing, in use to extend in overlapping, substantially sealing relation with an adjacent concrete surface portion of said floor.
9. The service outlet as set forth in claim 1, said housing locating means including a rotatable nut threadedly attached to a lower end portion of said housing, and rotatable thereabouts, in use to engage an adjacent concrete surface constituting a portion of said floor.
10. The service outlet as set forth in claim 8, including flange means extending radially outwardly from said housing, in use to engage the surface of said floor adjacent said housing.
11. The service outlet as set forth in claim 3, said partition means being electrically non-conductive.
12. A fire-resistant multi-service outlet for mounting in a bore of predetermined standard size drilled through an existing concrete floor, to minimize structural damage to the floor, comprising a totally enclosed cylindrical housing having a shallow cover portion in substantial closing relation with the top of the cylindrical housing; said cylindrical housing having an outer diametrical dimension nominally less than said predetermined standard drilled bore; locating means for securing said housing in said floor, including a top flange portion in overlying relation with said floor, and lower locating means removably secured to said housing, and extending in underlying relation with said floor, in substantial sealing relation with said bore;
at least two accesses in a lower portion of the cylindrical housing, to receive an electrical conduit and a further service conduit in attached relation thereto; an electrical outlet and at least one further service outlet secured in substantially flush-mounted relation with said cover portion, said housing fitting in removably secured, substantially sealing relation within said bore to provide a fire separation and to locate said outlets substantially level with said floor.
CA 2215441 1997-09-15 1997-09-15 Multi-service floor outlet Expired - Fee Related CA2215441C (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2215441 CA2215441C (en) 1997-09-15 1997-09-15 Multi-service floor outlet

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2215441 CA2215441C (en) 1997-09-15 1997-09-15 Multi-service floor outlet

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2215441C true CA2215441C (en) 2000-09-12

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2215441 Expired - Fee Related CA2215441C (en) 1997-09-15 1997-09-15 Multi-service floor outlet

Country Status (1)

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CA (1) CA2215441C (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005043867A1 (en) * 2003-09-30 2005-05-12 British Telecommunications Public Limited Company Telecommunications connection apparatus

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005043867A1 (en) * 2003-09-30 2005-05-12 British Telecommunications Public Limited Company Telecommunications connection apparatus
US7507030B2 (en) 2003-09-30 2009-03-24 British Telecommunications Public Limited Company Slim profile telecommunications connection apparatus

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