GB2229869A - Improvements in and relating to the mounting of electrical accessories - Google Patents

Abstract

A mounting system for electrical accessories such as power sockets, switches and the like in which the accessory (10) is supported in a housing formed from two opposing channel sections (16, 18) by engagement of opposite edges (12, 14) of the accessory with a groove in one, or with both of the channel sections (16, 18). An intermediate frame can be similarly mounted and itself receives, by snap fitting small size or tongued accessories. Banking pieces can also be mounted by snap fitting to the channels. Elongate channel section supports may be provided to secure the housings (16, 18) in position and provide a conduit for interconnecting cabling and/or bus box interconnectors. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Improvements in and relatinto the mounting Electrical Accessories Field of invention This invention concerns the mounting of electrical accessories such as power supply sockets.

Background to the invention Many electrical accessories are mounted behind front plates of insulating material such as plastics. Examples are socket outlets for electrical power supplies, electrical switches, timers and the like.

Conventional methods are such that the front plate of the accessory is secured in place by means of screws which pass through apertures in the front plate and are engaged in threaded apertures in a housing or metal box to the rear.

In an attempt to obviate the need for screws, it is known to provide such accessories with laterally extending outwardly directed flanges for engaging as a snap fit, grooves in opposite edges of an aperture in the support plate, wherein the accessories are snug fit within the aperture and is held in place by engagment of the flanges and the grooves, there obviating the need for fixing screws. Such accessorIes will be referred to as flange ittlna accessories.

It is also known to provide such accessories with outwardly biased resilient tongues on opposite sides, which are a snap fit behind the periphery of an aperture in the front face of an accessory housing, also for the purpose of eliminating the need for screws for securing the accessory in place. Such accessories will be referred to as tongued accessories.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative arrangement for housing electrical accessories which offers flexibility in the positioning of accessories in office laboratory workshop and domestic situations.

Summarv of the invention According to one aspect of the invention a mounting systems for a flanged electrical accessory comprises a first channel section housing member and a second similar member adapted to be clipped to the first to form a box section, opposed flanges of the accessory being trapped between the channel section members when the two said members aLe clipped together (or being snap fitted into grooves in one of the housing members, before the two housing members are clipped together), to thereby secure the accessory in the assembly.

In one embodiment of the invention a mounting system for an electrical accessory comprises a first channel section housing member, a second channel section housing member which is dimensioned and shaped so that its two parallel edges can be clipped to the two corresponding parallel edges of the first member, to fcr an open ended box section ncusUr.g, wherein a) opposite flanged edge regions of the accessory are trapped by at least one of the two housing members to hold the accessory in place, and b) one of the housing members is apertured to give access to the accessory.

The opposite flanged edge regions may be trapped between the aperture member and the upstanding edges of the other member.

The channel section housing members may be formed from a plastics material by extrusion and cut to length after extrusion.

Where the two housing members re of constant crosssection an accessory can be fitted between the first and second members at any position along the length, of the housing allowing complete flexibility in the primary positioning of the accessory along the length of the housing.

Where the housing is of sufficient length, two or more accessories may be mounted side by side along the housing.

The open ends of the box section housing may be closed by end closure members typically inserted after the accessory (or accessories) has (or have) been fitted in the housing.

ror aesthetic purposes the front face of the accessory (which is to be accessed through an aperture in the covering channel section) preferably protrudes therethrough so that the face of the accessory is flush with the external face of the covering channel section.

The interior of at least one of the two housing members between which the accessories are trapped preferably includes grooves into which cables for connecting to one or more of the accessories in the assembly may be located.

By extruding an externally protruding ridge or forming one or more grooves along one or both of the two housing members, so the housing can itself be positioned within a channel section support having parallel walls spaced so as to just accommodate the housing therebetween and shaped to accommodate the protruding ridges (or enter the grooves) in the housing walls. The resilience of the walls of the channel section support may be sufficient to allow them to be sprung apart to admit the housing assembly but subsequently to spring together when released to grip the housing in position. Alternatively the assembly may be slid into position from one end of the channel section.

The channel section support may be formed from metal or plastics material or plastics coated metal or any combination thereof.

The base of the support channel may be apertured to facilitate its being screwed to a wall or the like.

The support channel may be of sufficient length to accommodate a plurality of housings arranged end to end therealong, each containing accessories. Thus for example an elongate support channel may be mounted on a wall so as for example to extend along the length of a bench or a desk or line of kitchen units, and accessory housings may be fitted at intervals along the length of the support channel, with blanking plates located between the accessory housings, so as for example to provide a plurality of power sockets along the length of a work bench, line of kitchen units or the like.

Electrical connection between one accessory and another within a housing and between one accessory housing and another along a support, may be made by means of flying leads or bus bars or a combination of both.

In a preferred arrangement sockets are provided in end closure members of each accessory housing and plugs and flying leads are provided for interconnecting the accessory housings. Internal wiring or bus bars may be used for interconnecting accessories within each housing and to the sockets.

The accessories are not limited to power supply sockets and may include telephone sockets, data sockets, switches, timers, dimmers, process controllers, thermostatically controlled switches and the like.

By mounting the channel sections supports vertically and horizontally, so for example light switches may be mounted at any desired height along the vertical channels (the conduit so formed serving to provide a vertical path for cabling to be associated with the light switch) and also with accessories such as power sockets which may be located in the same vertical channel or along a horizontal channel interconnecting with the vertical change'.

Two support channel sections may be arranged back to back so as to provide a double sided unit to allow accessory housings to be fitted on opposite sides in a back to back manner. The thickness of the central region of such a double sided support may for example be equivalent to the standard thickness of a partition wall, so that the double sided support can be incorporated into the wall during building and accessory housings may be mounted as required along the length of the two supports.

In certain applications where back to back mounting of accessories with minimal spacing is required, the double sided support may be dispensed with if one of the housing members is of H section and two covering channel section members may be fitted thereto on opposite sides of the H section to secure accessories on opposite sides thereof.

The invention also comprises a method of securing an electrical accessory within a housing formed by two channel section housing members situated to the front and rear of the accessory, one of the housing members having an aperture to give access to the accessory comprising the steps of positioning the accessory in one of the two housing members and snap fitting the two housing members together to form â box with the accessory entrapped therein.

Where the accessory is too small so that opposite edges will not be entrapped, the accessory may first be fitted into bounding frame having external flanges spaced and dimensioned to fit between the housing members, (or into rocs in one of the housing members) may be provided as an Interme6ate adapting member to allow the accessory to be fitted.

Where the accessory is not provided with appropriate opposite edge flanges but instead is a tongued accessory, the same housing may be employed for such an accessory if the latter is first snap fitted within a bounding frame by means of its resilient tongues and wherein the bounding frame includes opposite edge regions which are shaped and dimensioned for entrapment between the housing members (or for fitting into grooves in one of the two housing members) when the latter are fitted together to form the box section. In this way the same channel section housing members may for example be employed to secure flange fitting accessories on the one hand and tongued accessories (when a flanged bounding frame is employed) on the other hand.

Where the depth of the housing members is insufficient to accommodate an accessory, a modified bounding frame may likewise provide an elevated internal flange or groove in an upstanding wall, so as to support the accessory at a sufficient height within the housing members so that the depth of the accessory can be accommodated within the box section.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a box for an electrical accessory which is secured in position by entrapment of edge profiles; Figure 2 is similar view of an arrangement which permits an electrical accessory to be mounted in the box but which does not have the edge profiles of the accessory for which the box of Figure 1 is designed for; Figures 3 to 5 are plan elevation and cross-sectional views of a profiled apertured insert by which snap-in accessories may be secured in a box; Figure 6 is an end view partly in section of a snap-in accessory in position in the insert of Figures 3 to 5;; Figure 7 is a cross-section through an assembly of box, insert and cover (without a snap-in accessory in position) in which the box and lid profiles are as shown in Figure 1 and the insert is as shown in Figures 3 to 5 and wherein the boxes shown snap fitted to a mounting plate; Figure 8 is a perspective view of another profiled insert for receiving snap-in accessories of a different design:: Figure 9 is a cross-section of the insert shown in Figure 8; Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view showing how three similar accessories can be mounted side by side in a box (the lid of which is not shown) in which itself can be secured within an elongate profiled section; Figure Ila shows in cross-section a box and lid with insert for snap-in accessories fitted within a profiled section having cable conduit defining regions and bus bar tracking for automatically providing power to the accessories in the box; Figure lib shows in cross-section â similar box and lid with insert for snap-in accessories which merely has cable conduit defining regions;; Figure 12 is a similar view to that of Figure 2 and shows an optional conduit dividing insert and a hidden bus bar insert for fitting in the cable conduit defining regions of the profiled section containing the accessory box; Figure 13 is a perspective view of a complete accessory containing box mounted in a profiled section with cover in place in which interconnection between boxes is by way of flexible cables and plugs and sockets; and Figure 14 is a similar view of an accessory mounting box and profiled section in which the power distribution to the boxes and accessories therein is by way of hidden bus bars and which also shows a blanking plate for covering regions of the profiled section not required to have boxes fitted thereto.

Detailec escriEtAon of drawinqs A UK standard 13 amp socket 10 having opposed flanges 12 and 19 is shown in Figure 1 and this is adapted to be fitted between upper and lower chanel section members 16 and 18 wIth the flanges 12 and 14 trapped in grooves 20 and 2, formed in the upper member and thereby trapped between the two members 16 and 18 when the former is clipped to the latter by means of ribs 24 and 26.

The upper face of the upper member 16 is apertured at 28 and the thickness of the material forming the member 16 is such as to accommodate the thickness of the rebate 30 above each of the flanges 12 and 14 of the socket 10.

When fizzed below the member 16, the top face of the 13 amp socket 10 is thereby flush with the top surface of the member 16.

A cover plate 32 having a diagonal aperture 34 typically for receiving a multiway socket for a communications outlet is also provided with flanges 36 and 38 similar to the flanges 12 and 14 of the socket 10 so that it can be fitted within the reminder of the aperture 28.

Alternatively two or more sockets such as 10 may be fitted side by side in the opening 28.

It will be appreciated that the socket 10 can be located at any chosen position along the length of the aperture 28 and the arrangement shown in Figure 1 is merely by way of example.

Push fitting end members 40 and 42 close off the open ends of the box section formed by the two members 16 and 18 when fitted together.

Figure 2 illustrates a modification to the arrangement shown in Figure 1 where instead of the accessories such as 10 and 32 being fitted directly within the aperture 28, a flanged frame is provided instead as denoted by reference numeral 44 with flanges 46 and 48 adapted to be received within the grooves 20 and 22 in exactly the same way as the flanges 12 and 14 of the socket 10. Apertures in the frame 44 at 50,52 and 54 are designed to receive snap-in tongued accessories such that the retaining tongues are a snap fit below the peripheral edges of the apertures 50,52 etc. In this way the same accessory housing parts such as 16 and 18 and end caps 40 and 42 can be utilised for mounting flanged accessories or tongued snap-in accessories.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a typical frame such as 44 of Figure 2. Here the frame is denoted by reference numeral 56 and the frame is shown as having break lines shown dotted at 58, 60 and 62 whereby separate sections of the frame 56 can be broken away by bending and breaking along the dotted lines 58 etc., or the frame can be left intact as desired. A long length or bandolier of apertured section can thus be produced and sections removed as required to fit into standard sized apertures such as 28 to thereby allow different sockets, switches and the like to be accommodated. Thus in Figure 3 the frame 56 is shown has having a half sized aperture 64 at the left hand end whilst the other three apertures 66, 68 and 70 are all standard sized apertures for receiving snap fit tongued accessories such as tongued snap fit 13 amp sockets.

Figures 4 and 5 are further views of the frame shown in Figure 3 and similar reference numerals have been used throughout the three views to denote common parts.

Figure 6 shows how a snap fit accessory 72 having outwardly biased resilient tongues such as 74, 76 and 78 on different faces thereof can be snap fitted below the frame 56 and how the latter can be accommodated within the aperture in a cover plate shown diagrammatically at 80.

Figure 7 illustrates how the frame of Figures 3 to 6 can be fitted between the box section parts 16 and 18. The aperture 28 aligns with the apertures in the frame 56 and the lower box section 28 can itself be snap fitted within a support bracket which may itself be of extruded plastics material and is designated in Figure 7 by reference numeral 82. The bracket may extend the length of the housing member 18 and may for example be screwed or otherwise secured to a floor or wall by means of screws, one of which is shown diagrammatically at 84.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a deeper intermediate frame 86 in tongued accessories can be snap fitted so as to be secured to the internal lip 88 with the tongues below the lip. The side cheek 90 which extends around the supporting lip 88 serves to cover up any apertures in the edges of the accessory snap fitted into the frame 86. One such aperture is shown at 92 in Figure 6.

The arrangement of Figure 7 and the frame of Figures 8 and 9 are particularly suited to Continental Standard accessories which are typically snap fit accessories and which tend to be deeper than standard UK accessories and therefore require a deeper box section. The elevated support flange such as 88 in Figure 9 and the frame 56 in Figure 7, sit higher up the box section assembly of upper and lower housing members than is the internal lip 94 shown in Figure 7, and in this way the increased depth of Continental Standard accessories can be accommodated without using different housing members.

Figure 10 shows diagrammatically an arrangement in which three accessories 100, 102 and 104 such as 3 different power sockets, can be located in a box 106 which itself consists of two clipped together sections of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2. The three units 100,102 and 104 are accessible side by side in an aperture 108 within the upper member of the box 106 and the aperture 108 is dimensioned so as to be completely filled by the three accessories so that no intermediate cover plates or infill plates are required.

Figure 10 also serves to show diagrammatically a channel shaped support 110. The box 106 can be inserted into the support 110 from one end or the other or possibly the lipped side walls 112 and 114 may be sprung apart to allow the box 106 to be inserted therebetween.

The versatility of the arrangement will readily be appreciated. The support channel 110 can be as long as is required to accommodate any number of boxes such as 106 inserted at selected positions along the length of the support 110. Any gaps between boxes 106 can be blanked off by blanking plates (not shown) fitted into or over the support 110 and each box 106 can accommodate any number of accessories up to the maximum carrying capacity of the box, with blanking plates inserted where the accessories do not fully occupy the aperture in the box.

As later described, provision is made along the support 110 for the supply of power to the accessories 100, 102 and 104, etc., and as many as necessary types of power supply lead can be accommodated. Thus in an office, for example, a simple long support may carry accessories for supplying power for machines, typewriters, computers and the like, power for lights, power for heating, a signal path for one or more telephone networks and a data path for interconnection of computer stations, and the like.

Figures lla and llb show possible extrusions from which such a system as shown diagrammatically in Figure 10 can be built up. Thus the support 110 is now shown to be the extrusion 116 and the box 106 is now shown in exploded form as comprising component part 118, 120 (and where required an intermediate tray or frame 122 such as that shown in Figures 3 to 5).

The interior of the extrusion 116 is considerably deeper than is the depth of the box section 118 and abutments such as 124 and 126 may be provided to support the underside of the box section 118. Alternatively these may be replaced by means of conductive tracks or rails to provide a form of bus bar for making connection through studs or the like (not shown) in the base of the section 118.

Cavities 128 and 130 serve as conduit defining cavities for cabling or bus bars as does the cavity generally designated 132 below the section 118.

In Figure 13 the same housing members 118, 120 and 122 are shown this time fitted within a different support extrusion 134 which does not include the cavity 132. Side lobes 136 and 138 provide cavities through which cabling or bus bars or the like can extend.

In each case the section 118 is held in place by a snap fit between flanges 140 and 142 along the length of the extrude section 118 and rebates formed in upstanding ridges 144 and 146 respectively, in the base of the extrusion 134.

Figure 12 is similar to 1mb but illustrates how cable holders such as 148 can be fitted into the cavity 136 and a hidden bus bar assembly 150 can be fitted into the cavity 138. In the assembly 150, conductive rails 154 and 156 are contained within slots within the extrusion 150 and b providing restricted access to the cavities within which the conductive elements 152 etc., are fitted, so the latter can be protected against accidentally being touched by fingers or tools. Although not shown, conductive pins or blades may be provided so as to extend from the side wall of the extrusion 118 to engage the conductive elements 152, 154, etc., as required for making electrical connection between the elements 152,154 etc., and electrical accessories mounted within the section 118.

Figures 13 and 14 illustrate two complete arrangements including flying lead connections. Thus a two part housing of the type shown in Figures 11 and 12 having a front panel 120 is shown fitted within a support extrusion 110 and is shown fitted with two 13 amp sockets 158, 160 and a rocker switch 162. Cables 164 and 166 serve to interconnect the box 120 to other similar boxes or to an electrical power supply. Plugs such as 168 and 170 are adapted to fit into sockets (not shown) fitted in the end caps of the housing 120 so as to facilitate rapid installation and if appropriate reinstallation of accessory mounted housings such as 120.

Figure 14 shows â similar arrangement in which the box 120 is fitted with two 13 amp sockets 158 and 160 and a central accessory 172, and three conductive rails 174, 176 and 178 extend along the length of the support extrusion 110 in the manner shown in Figure 12 and described in relation thereto, so as to provide a bus bar interconnection between an electricity supply main and sockets such as 158, 160 etc.

Blanking plates such as 180 are fitted to close off the open sections of the support 110 between boxes 120.

Claims (24)

1. A mounting system for a flanged electrical accessory comprising a first channel section housing member and a second similar member adapted to be clipped to the first to form a box section, the opposed flanges of the accessory being trapped between the channel section members when the two said members are clipped together (or being snap fitted into grooves in one of the housing members, before the two housing members are clipped together), to thereby secure the accessory in the assembly.

2. A mounting system for an electrical accessory comprises a first channel section housing member, a second channel section housing member which is dimensioned and shaped so that its two parallel edges can be clipped to the two corresponding parallel edges of the first member, to form an open ended box section housing, wherein opposite flanged edge regions of the accessory are trapped by at least one of two housing members to hold the accessory in place, and one of the housing members is apertured to give access to the accessory.

3. A mounting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the opposite flanged edge regions are trapped between the apertured housing member and the upstanding edges of the other housing member.

4. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, where In the two housing members are of constant crosssect ion so tat an accessory can be fitted between the first and second members at any position along the length of the housing, allowing complete flexibility in the primary positioning of the accessory along the length of the housing.

5. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the channel section housing members are formed from a plastics material by extrusion and cut to length after extrusion.

6. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the housing is of sufficient length to allow two or more accessories to be mounted side by side along the length of the housing.

7. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the open ends of the box section housing are closed by end closure members inserted after the accessory (or accessories) has (or have) been fitted in the housing.

8. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the front face of the accessory (which is to be accessed through an aperture in the covering channel section) protrudes therethrough so that the face of the accessory is flush with the external face of the covering channel section.

9. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 in which the interior of at 3east one of the housing members includes grooves for accommodating cables for connecting to one or more fl.:t the accessories located therein.

10. A mounting system as clamied in any of claims 1 to 9, in which an externally protruding ridge or one or more grooves are formed along one or both of the two housing members, so the housing can itself be positioned within a channel section support having parallel walls spaced so as to just accommodate the housing therebetween and shaped to accommodate the protruding ridges (or enter the grooves) in the housing walls.

11. A mounting system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the resilience of the walls of the channel section support is sufficient to allow them to be sprung apart to admit the housing assembly but subsequently to spring together when released, to grip the housing in position.

12. A mounting system as claimed in either of claims 10 and 11, wherein the channel section support is formed from metal or plastics material or plastics coated metal or any combination thereof.

13. A mounting system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the support channel is apertured to facilitate its being screwed to a wall or the like.

14. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the support channel may be of sufficient length to accomodate a plurality of housings arranged end to end therealong, each containing accessories.

15. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 10 to 14, wherein electrical connection between one accessory and another within a housing and between one accessory housing and another along a support, is made by means of flying leads or bus bars or a combination of both.

16. A mounting system as claimed in claim 15, wherein sockets are provided in end closure members of each accessory housing and plugs and flying leads are provided for interconnecting the sockets of the accessory housings.

17. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 10 to 16, wherein two support channel sections are arranged back to back so as to provide a double sided unit to allow accessory housings to be fitted on opposite sides in a back to back manner.

18. A mounting system as claimed in claim 17, wherein channel section supports are mounted vertically and horizontally, so that accessories such as switches may be mounted at any desired height in the vertical channels (the conduit so formed serving to provide a vertical path for cabling to be associated with the switch) and also with accessories such as power sockets which are located in the same vertical channel or along a horizontal channel interconnecting with the vertical channel.

19. A mounting system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the thickness of the central region of the double sided unit is equivalent to the thickness of a partition wall, so that the double sided support can be incorporated into the wall during building and accessory housings may be mounted as required along the length of the two supports.

20. A mounting system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein one housing member is of R section and two covering channel section members are fitted thereto on opposite sides of the H section to secure accessories on opposite sides thereof.

21. A method of securing an electrical accessory within a housing formed by two channel section housing members situated to the front and rear of the accessory, one of the housing members having an aperture to give access to the accessory comprises the steps of positioning the accessory in one of the two housing members and snap fitting the two housing members together to form a box with the accessory entrapped therein.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the accessory is too small so that opposite edges will not be entrapped and the accessory is first fitted into a bounding frame having external flanges spaced and dimensioned to fit between the housing members, (or into grooves in one of the housing members) to serve as an intermediate adapting member to allow the accessory to be fitted within the housing.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the depth of the housing members is insufficient to accommodate an accessory and a bounding frame is provided having an elevated internal flange or groove in an upstanding wall, so as to support the accessory at a sufficient height within the housing, so that the depth of the accessory can be accommodated.

24. Accessory mounting systems, housings and component parts therefor constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.