GB2254966A

GB2254966A - Trunking assembly.

Info

Publication number: GB2254966A
Application number: GB9124363A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Paul Wood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-04-18
Filing date: 1991-11-15
Publication date: 1992-10-21
Also published as: GB9124363D0; GB9108296D0

Abstract

A cable trunking assembly 10 has a plywood decorative cover member 20 which is secured to a support member 11 comprising an upper part 12, a lower part 13 and optionally snap engageable extension members 38 to define three internal compartments for separating power, telecommunications and data cables. Cable separation at outlets can be arranged either by an external wire separator 34 in the case of cabling coming from the central compartment 30 or by an internal wiring separator 41 in the case of cabling coming from the top compartment 29 or bottom compartment 31. <IMAGE>

Description

TRUNKING ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a trunking assembly which was specifically designed for use with cables.

Electric cables such as those used in offices can be divided into three general types. Firstly, there are power cables supplied directly from the AC mains. Secondly, there are telecommunications cables used for internal and external telephone and facsimile communication. Thirdly, there are other cables such as those used for data transmission inside a building, alarm systems and the like.

It is current best practice to separate these three classes of cables where they are supplied in a building. Cable trunking is used to conceal and guide cables and can replace the conventional skirting board between a wall and floor.

Alternatively, cable trunking can be provided in the form of a dado rail which may conveniently provide raised level access to power supplies for individual desks.

Although cable trunking assemblies have previously been proposed, these have generally speaking been unsightly and lacking in versatility.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new or improved trunking assembly.

According to the invention there is provided a trunking assembly comprising an elongate support member adapted to be secured to a receiving surface and including divider means projecting away from said receiving surface to define a plurality of compartments, each adapted to receive cabling, and an elongate cover member of plywood adapted to be secured to the support member to close said compartments and contain said cabling.

The elongate support member may comprise upper and lower parts each provided with one of said divider means.

Viewed from an alternative aspect, the invention provides a trunking assembly comprising an elongate support member adapted to be secured to a receiving surface and comprising upper and lower parts, each provided with a divider means projecting away from said receiving surface to define a plurality of compartments, each adapted to receive cabling, and an elongate cover member adapted to be secured to the support member to close said compartments and contain said cabling.

The upper and lower parts may be adapted to engage each other and/or to engage one or more extension members to enable one or more compartments to be enlarged.

The upper and lower parts may be provided with longitudinal snap engageable edge formations and the or each extension member may also be provided with snap engageable edge formations.

The lower part may taper inwardly and downwardly towards the receiving surface.

The lower part may include an upwardly facing edge channel adapted to receive a lower edge of the elongate cover member.

A base channel clip may alternatively be provided with an upwardly facing edge channel adapted to receive a lower edge of the elongate cover member and adapted to be secured by fasteners to said taper. The upper part of the support member may have an offset top edge spaced from the receiving surface to enable the cover member to be clipped to the upper part.

The trunking assembly according to the second aspect of the invention may have an elongate cover member of plywood.

The plywood cover member may have a decorative laminated finish or alternatively a natural wood veneer finish.

The trunking assembly may comprise a skirting assembly or a dado rail.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of trunking assembly showing an external wiring isolator, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a second form of trunking assembly showing an internal wiring isolator, Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of trunking assembly comprising a dado rail and incorporating a face fixed socket, Figure 4 is a corner detail.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, a trunking assembly generally indicated at 10 comprises a support member generally indicated at 11 including an upper part 12 and a lower part 13 which are interengaged by cooperating edge formations 14, 15 which are snap engageable. The upper and lower parts 12 and 13 are formed as extrusions in plastics material.

Each of the upper and lower parts has divider means projecting away from a supporting surface against which the trunking is secured. The upper divider 16 is of hollow block-like form and affords a flat face 17 at the face opposite the supporting surface. The lower divider 18 is of relatively slender hollow section and is upwardly inclined, terminating in a face 19 which is aligned with a face 17. The faces 17 and 19 provide aligned abutment means for a cover member 20 which is of decoratively finished plywood. The cover member 20 is received in an upwardly facing channel 21 of a base part 22 of the lower member 13. Again the base part 22 is formed as a hollow structural member forming part of the extrusion.

However, it is additionally provided with an inwardly and downwardly tapering "shadow gap" face 25 below the channel 21.

The trunking assembly provides three compartments which are separated from each other and completely isolated once the cover member 20 has been secured in position. This is done by means of screws 26 which are screwed into the face 17 of the upper divider 16.

As an alternative, the channel 21 can be omitted ana a separate channel edge clip (not shown) can be substituted.

This can be screwed to the "shadow gap" tapered portion 25 of the base 22 of the lower member 13, the top free edge 27 of the cover member 20 being clipped by means of clips (not shown) to the upper member 12 at an offset top edge 28.

Cabling can be inserted in the compartments 29, 30, 31 of the trunking assembly before the cover member 20 is added. The cabling will normally include mains power cables 32, usually housed in the central compartment 30, data cables, along lines and similar cabling in one of the remaining compartments; and telecommunications cabling in the third compartment.

Where an external socket 33 is to be provided for access to the power cables, the cable 32 can be allowed to exit at the forward face of the trunking assembly through an aperture in an external cable connector 34. This is provided with a pair of decorative edge ribs 35 and a small section 36 of the plywood cover member can be attached by means of a screw 37 to conceal the cable.

Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings, like references are used to show like parts. In this case, where a substantial quantity of power cabling is to be provided, the central compartment 30 is enlarged by the addition of an extension member 38 which has upper and lower snap engageable formations 39, 40 which engage the corresponding formations 14, 15 of the upper part 12 and lower part 13 of the support member 11.

In a similar manner, a larger extension member 38 or more than one extension member could be inserted to enlarge the compartment 30.

It will be appreciated that there is no particular order in which the cabling is provided within the compartments. If a great deal of data cabling is expected to be used, this can be led through the central compartment while power cables can be placed in the upper compartment for example.

The figure also shows an internal wiring separator 41 which enables a cable from either the top compartment 29 or bottom compartment 31 to be led out to a surface outlet 42. In the example shown, a telecommunications cable 43 is being led to a telecommunications outlet 42. An aperture is drilled downwardly through the divider means 16 of the upper part 12, to coincide with a vertical channel 44 of the internal wiring separator 41.

It will be seen that cabling from the top compartment 29 or bottom compartment 31 can thus be taken through the central compartment 30 without any contact with the cables 32 carried therein, keeping all the wiring systems isolated.

Electromagnetic screening can be improved by insertion of metal screening strips laid on the dividers 16 and 18 (not illustrated).

Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings, this illustrates a slightly modified form of trunking assembly in which the upper part 45 and lower part 46 are identical in construction but are inverted. An extension member 47 having two female edged connection strips 48 is clipped between the upper and lower parts 45 and 46, each carrying a male connector strip.

The cover member 49 in this case is a dado rail intended to be provided between the floor and ceiling levels of a room.

An externally mounted electrical power socket 50 is mounted on the cover member 49. This is achieved by forming a rectangular hole 51 in the cover member 49 and routing out the surrounding part to provide a recess 52 adapted to receive a correspondingly shaped little apertured plate. The plate has a central aperture corresponding to the hole 51 and a pair of apertured fixing lugs 53 provided at standard spaced centres such that the socket outlet box 50 can be secured to the lugs.

It will be appreciated that the socket outlet could be a single or double socket or other standard fitting and an appropriately sized plate.

The system allows versatility in the size and layout of a cable trunking. The internal components of plastics can be sawn to length, as can the cover member of plywood.

Where two lengths of trunking meet at a corner, a corner fitment is provided. Figure 4 shows an external corner fitment comprising a plastics moulded member 54 having a central rib 55 intended to form the corner junction. It also has upper shoulders 56 adapted to support the free top edge 27 of the cover member 20, and lower flanges 57 adapted to engage the rear face of the cover member 20.

In order to make an external corner, the cover members are mitred and presented to the corner fitment 54 as shown, being secured by fasteners passing through the portions 56 and/or 57. Alternatively, adhesive means can be used or the corner fitment 55 can simply be retained in place by securing the cover members 20 to the support member 11 (not shown).

An internal corner can be constructed using factory cut mitred portions of the cover member and a suitable corner attachment (not shown). It will be appreciated that the internal support member 11 is simply mitred at the corner and that the fitment shown in Figure 4 or described in relation to an internal corner is added to provide an attractive appearance and reduce the danger of injury from sharp projecting corners.

In view of the use of plywood which may have a laminated surface or a natural wood veneer surface, the trunking assembly can be made to blend in with any type of environment or colour scheme.

Claims

1. A trunking assembly comprising an elongate support member adapted to be secured to a receiving surface and including divider means projecting away from said receiving surface to define a plurality of compartments, each adapted to receive cabling, and an elongate cover member of plywood adapted to be secured to a support member to close said compartment and contain said cabling.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the elongate support member comprises upper and lower parts, each provided with one of said divider means.

3. A trunking assembly comprising an elongate support member adapted to be secured to a receiving surface and comprising upper and lower parts, each provided with a divider means projecting away from said receiving surface to define a plurality of compartments, each adapted to receive cabling and an elongate cover member adapted to be secured to the supporting member to enclose said compartments and contain said cabling.

4. A trunking assembly according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the upper and lower parts are adapted to engage each other or to engage one or more extension embers to enable one or more of the compartments to be enlarged.

5. A trunking assembly according to claim 4 wherein upper and lower parts are provided with longitudinal snap engageable edge formations and the or each extension member is also provided with snap engageable edge formations.

6. A trunking assembly according to any one of claims 2-5 wherein the lower parts tapers inwardly and downwardly towards the receiving surface.

7. A trunking assembly according to claim 6 wherein the lower part includes an upwardly facing edge channel adapted to receive a lower edge of the elongate cover member.

8. A trunking assembly according to claim 6 wherein a base channel clip is provided with an upwardly facing edge channel adapted to receive a lower edge of the elongate cover member and adapted to be secured by fasteners to said taper.

9. A trunking assembly according to any one of claims 2-8 wherein the upper part has an offset top edge spaced from the receiving surface to enable the cover member to be clipped to the upper part.

10. A trunking assembly according to any one of claims 3-9 wherein the cover member is made of plywood.

11. A trunking member according to claim 1, 2 or 10 wherein the plywood has a decorative laminated finish.

12. A trunking assembly according to claim 1, 2 or claim 10 wherein the plywood has a natural wood veneer finish.

13. A trunking assembly according to any preceding claim comprising a skirting assembly.

14. A trunking assembly according to any preceding claim comprising a dado rail.

15. A trunking assembly according to any preceding claim and incorporating one or more metal screening strips provided on said divider means.

16. A trunking assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings modified by Figure 4.

16. A trunking assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A trunking assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A trunking assembly susbtantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A trunking assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings modified by Figure 4.

Ar-n-te to the clans have been fled as fdbwss 1. A trunking assembly comprising an elongate support member including a plurality of parts and adapted to be secured to a receiving surface, and an elongate cover member adapted to be secured to the support member, the elongate support member including at least an upper part and a lower part, each having divider means projecting therefrom in a direction away from the receiving surface, to define a plurality of compartments extending along the trunking assembly, the upper and lower parts being' engageable directly with each other or with an interposed extension member or members to provide an enlarged compartment or compartments.

2. A trunking assembly according to claim 1 wherein the upper and lower parts are provided with longitudinal snap engageable edge formations and the or each extension member is also provided with snap engageable edge formations.

3. A trunking assembly according to claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the lower part tapers inwardly and downwardly towards the receiving surface.

4. A trunking assembly according to claim 3 wherein the lower part includes an upwardly facing edge channel adapted to receive a lower edge of the elongate cover member.

5. A trunking assembly according to claim 3 wherein a base channel clip is provided with an upwardly facing edge channel adapted to receive a lower edge of the elongate cover member and is itself adapted to be secured by fasteners to the taper of the lower part.

6. A trunking assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the upper part has an offset top edge spaced from the receiving surface to enable the cover member to be clipped to the upper part.

7. A trunking assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the cover member is made of plywood.

8. A trunking member according to claim .7 wherein the plywood has a decorative laminated finish.

9. A trunking assembly according to claim 7 wherein the plywood has a natural wood veneer finish.

10. A trunking assembly according to any preceding claim comprising a skirting assembly.

11. A trunking assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9 comprising a dado rail.

12. A trunking assembly according to any preceding claim and incorporating one or more metal screening strips provided on said divider means.

13. A trunking assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A trunking assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A trunking assembly susbtantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.