GB2236913A

GB2236913A - Improvements in and relating to the mounting of electrical accessories

Info

Publication number: GB2236913A
Application number: GB8923208A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Brian Pugh
Original assignee: ACKERMAN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS LI
Current assignee: ACKERMAN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS LI
Priority date: 1989-10-14
Filing date: 1989-10-14
Publication date: 1991-04-17
Also published as: AU5804590A; GB8923208D0

Abstract

A mounting system for an electrical accessory, such as a power socket (10), comprises a housing and a mounting means which may take the form of a linking arm (29) pivoted to the housing to enable the accessory to move between a retracted position and an extended position. The system may include a locking latch (12) to maintain the accessory in its extended position, and a lid (14) to cover the accessory. An electrical accessory such as a power telephone or computer socket (10), is mounted within a housing such as a floor box so as to be movable near to, flush with or beyond the housing opening. The socket (10) is normally held within the housing by a manually movable latch (24) carried by a socket-attached lid (14) and engageable with a housing flange (20). Release of the latch (24) allows springs and telescoping guides (6-8) to move the socket (10) to an exposed position in which manually releasable latches (12) hold the socket in place against the flanges (20). Alternatively, the socket is hinged to a pivoted arm and to the lid, and is held in a naked, exposed position by a strut. The socket may be removed completely from the housing. Cable guides (26) are provided. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Improvements in and relating to the mounting of electrical accessories Field of the invention The invention relates to the mounting of electrical accessories such as power supply sockets, and is more specifically concerned with a system for mounting such accessories on or in the floor of a building.

Backqround to the invention It is known to mount an electrical accessory, for example, a power supply socket in a housing which is, in turn, incorporated into the floor of a building. The housing has an open top which gives access to the accessory, and is pivotally connected to a lid which may be closed to cover the opening when the accessory is not in use.

The lid may be formed as a simple plastics or metal plate, or as a plate on which a portion of carpet is mounted to provide the upper surface of the plate. In either case, the housing is normally so installed that, when the lid is closed, its upper surface lies substantially flush with the building floor in order to minimise the danger of somebody stumbling on the housing or lid.

Consequently, the accessory must be situated below the level of the building floor so that the lid can be appropriately accommodated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for mounting electrical accessories which offers improved accessability to the accessories.

Summary of the invention According to the invention, there is provided a mounting system for an electrical accessory comprising a housing having an opening; means moveably mounting the accessory in the housing in such a way that the accessory may be moved from a retracted position, in which it is located within the housing at a position remote from the opening, to an extended position, in which it is situated nearer to, flush with or beyond the said opening; and means, enabling the accessory to be moved from one position to the other and retaining the accessory in each position.

Typically, the accessory may be stored in the retracted position, with a lid across the opening to close the latter. When access to the accessory is required the opening is uncovered, and the accessory is moved into the extended position, in which it is more readily accessible.

The lid may be mounted on the housing or on the accessory.

Where the lid is mounted on the accessory, it may serve as a handle which enables the user to move the accessory between the extended position and the retracted position.

When in its extended position, the accessory may be inclined relative to the opening.

The system may include means, in use, urging the accessory towards the extended position, and means, in use, releasably locking the accessory in the retracted position against the action of the urging means.

The urging means may comprise one or more compression springs acting between the accessory and the housing. The locking means may be in the form of a latch between the lid and the periphery of the said opening.

The mounting means for the accessory may be such that the latter may be moved between the retracted position and the extended position by translational movement within the housing. Alternatively, the accessory may be pivotally mounted on the housing.

In either case, the lid may advantageously be attached to the accessory in such a way as to form a protective cowlir7g for the latter when in either the extended or the retracted position.

The accessory may be removably mounted in the housing, allowing the former to be moved from the housing to, for example, a desk top. In this case, if the accessory is to be connected to power or signal supply cables, there may be provided a guide which allows the cables'to rise from the housing in a controlled and protected manner. The guide may be an initially separate item adapted to be mounted on the housing when the accessory has been removed.

Brief description of the drawinqs The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partially cut away side view of a system according to the invention, and shows an accessory when in a retracted position; Figure 2 is a view which corresponds to Figure 1, but which shows the accessory when in an extended position; Figures 3A and 3B are partially cut away side views of part of the system shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view, to a reduced scale, of the system shown in Figure 1; and Figures 5 and 6 are partially cut away views of an alternative system, the accessory being shown respectively in a retracted and an extended position.

Detailed description Referring to Figure 1, a mounting system for an electrical accessory includes an open ended metal housing 1 having an out-turned flange 2 which extends continuously from the periphery of the housing 1 in the region of the open end. The flange 2 is mounted on the floor 3 of a building, and supports the housing 1 in a hole 4 formed in the floor 3. The relative shapes and sizes of the hole 4 and the housing 1 are such that the housing is a close fit in the hole 4.

The base of the housing 1 includes a circular recess 5 in which a helical compression spring 6 is mounted at one end. A spring guide 7 extends through the centre of the spring 6, and as can be seen from Figure 2, comprises 5 telescopically mounted cyclindrical sections 8.

The end of the guide 7 opposite the recess 5 is mounted in a recess 9 formed in the corner region of the base of an electrical accessory 10, which in this case is a double outlet socket for an electrical power supply. Three more guides 7 and springs 6 are each mounted in a similar fashion on the housing 1 at a corner region of the base of the double socket 10 (Figure 1 shows two of the springs 6 and associated guides 7). The double socket 10 is thus mounted on the housing 1 via four springs 6 and associated guides 7 mounted one at each corner region of the double socket 10, which is biased by the springs 6 in an upwards direction.

The double socket 10 includes a front plate 11 which is inclined relative to the floor 3, and hence the opening in housing 1, whilst the underside (not shown) of the base of the double socket 10 is disposed substantially parallel with the floor 3. The double socket 10 includes a backwall (not shown) running between the upper end of the front plate 11 and the underside of the base of the double socket 10. The double socket 10 is thus generally triangular when viewed from the side Each of a pair of latching formations 12 projects from a corner region of the double socket 10, which includes similar formations (not shown) at its other two corner regions. Each formation is spring biased into an extended position, ie the position shown in Figure 1, and may be manually retracted into the body of the double socket 10 by pressing one of a pair of buttons 13 to which the formations are mechanically linked. Each formation 12 has a curved upper camming surface 40 and a substantially flat lower surface (not shown).

A lid 14 is rigidly attached to the double socket 10 in the region of the upper end of the top plate 11.

The lid 14 comprises an inclined lower plate 15, and an upper plate 16 which is substantially parallel to the floor 3. The lid 14 includes a backwall (not shown) which runs between the plate 16 and lower end of the plate 15.

As a result, like the double socket 10, the lid 14 is generally triangular when viewed from the side.

The lid 14 includes a portion of carpet 17 mounted on the plate 16. The arrangement is such that, when the lid 14 is closed, as is shown in Figure 1, the carpet 17 lies substantially flush with a surrounding carpet 18 on the floor 3.

When the lid 14 is closed, the periphery of plate 16 is positioned adjacent a peripheral frame 19 which is mounted on, and extends along the edges of, the opening in the housing 1, and which includes a continuous inturned flange 20 and a continuous out-turned flange 21.

A locking mechanism 22 is provided at one edge of the lid 14, and comprises a mounting member 23 mounted on the plate 16, and an L-shaped locking member 24 slideably mounted on the member 23.

The locking member 24 is slideable between a closed position (Figure 3A) and an open position (Figure 3B).

With the lid 14 closed, movement of the member 24 from the open position to the closed position causes the member 24 to engage the underside of the flange 20. The mechanism 22 thus provides locking means for holding the lid 14 in a closed position, and hence holding the double socket 10 in a retracted position against the biasing of the springs 6.

When the locking mechanism 22 is opened, the lid 14, and hence the double socket 10, are lifted by the springs 6 into the extended position shown in Figure 2. As the double socket 10 moves into the extended position, the latching formations 12 contact the underside of the flange 20, and are consequently retracted by the camming engagement of the formations 12 with the flange 20. After the latching formations 12 have passed the flange 20, they extend and, in use, engage the upper surface of the flange 20 to prevent the double socket 10 retracting when, for example, a plug is being inserted into one of the sockets.

In order to return the double socket 10 into its retracted position, the formations 12 need to be retracted using the buttons 13.

The double socket 10 is connected to an electrical supply via two cables 25, each of which passes through a rigid guide 26 which, in turn, passes through an aperture in the base of the housing 1. As the double socket 10 is moved between the retracted position and the extended position, the cables 25 slide through the guides 26.

In the system shown in Figures 5 and 6, an electrical accessory 27 is mounted in a housing 28 which is similar to the housing 1.

The accessory 27 is pivotally mounted on a linking arm 29 which is, in turn, pivotally mounted on a block 30, attached to the housing 28. A lid 31 is pivotally mounted at a hinge 32 on the accessory 27 and includes the same locking mechanism as the locking mechanism 22. The locking mechanism on the lid 31 cooperates with a peripheral frame 33 which is similar to the frame 21.

When the accessory 27 is to be moved into an extended position, the locking mechanism on the lid 31 is opened, and the lid 31 is raised. This causes the accessory 27 and the arm 29 to pivot into the positions shown in Figure 6. Additionally, the lid 31 pivots relative to the accessory 27, so that the lid 31 may maintain substantially the same attitude as the accessory is pivotted into its extended position. The lid 31 is maintained in the position shown in Figure 6 by fictional resistance in the hinge 32.

The accessory 27 is held in the position shown in Figure 6 by a strut 34 which is pivotally mounted on the base of the accessory 27, and which, in use, engages the frame work 33.

The accessory 27 is connected to appropriate cableing which runs through a flexible conduit 35.

As well as being used in relation to electrical power supply sockets, both the system shown in Figures 1 to 4 and the system shown in Figures 5 and 6 may be used in relation to other electrical accessories. Examples are telephone connection sockets, or sockets for connecting a computer to a network or peripheral devices. It is also within the scope of the present invention for the electrical accessory to be removably mounted in the housing.

Claims

1. A mounting system for an electrical accessory comprising: a housing having an opening; mounting means for moveably mounting the accessory in the housing in such a way that the accessory may be moved from a retracted position in which it is located within the housing at a position remote from the opening, to an extended position in which it is situated nearer to, flush with or beyond the said opening; and means enabling the accessory to be moved from one position to the other and to be retained in each position.

2. A mounting system according to claim 1 and further comprising a lid adapted to close the opening in the housing, whereby the accessory may be stored in the retracted position with the lid across the opening to close the latter.

3. A mounting system according to claim 2 in which the lid is mounted on the housing.

4. A mounting system according to claim 2 in which the lid is mounted on the accessory.

5. A mounting system according to claim 4 in which the lid serves as a handle which enables the user to move the accessory between the extended position and the retracted position.

6. A mounting system according to any one preceding claim in which the accessory is inclined relative to the opening when in its extended position.

7. A mounting system according to any one preceding claim and further comprising urging means for urging the accessory towards the extended position, and locking means for releasably locking the accessory in the retracted position against the action of the urging means.

8. A mounting system according to claim 7 in which the urging means comprises one or more compression springs acting between the accessory and the housing.

9. A mounting system according to claim 7 or claim 8 in which the locking means is in the form of a latch between the lid and the periphery of the opening.

10. A mounting system according to any one preceding claim in which the mounting means for the accessory is such that the latter may be moved between the retracted position and the extended position by translational movement within the housing.

11. A mounting system according any one preceding claim in which the accessory is pivotally mounted on the housing.

12. A mounting system according to any one of claims 2 to 11 in which the lid is attached to the accessory in such a way as to form a protective cowling for the latter when in either the extended or the retracted position.

13. A mounting system according to any one preceding claim in which the accessory is removably mounted in the housing, allowing the former to be moved from the housing (eg to a desk top).

14. A mounting system according to claim 13 in which the accessory is connected to power or signal supply cables, and further comprising a guide which allows the cables to rise from the housing in a controlled and protected manner.

15. A mounting system according to claim 14 in which the guide is initially a separate item adapted to be mounted on the housing when the accessory has been removed.

16. A mounting system substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.