GB2428695A

GB2428695A - Enclosure providing a plurality of utilities

Info

Publication number: GB2428695A
Application number: GB0514103A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Eccleshall
Original assignee: Komfort Office Environments PLC; Komfort Workspace PLC
Current assignee: Komfort Office Environments PLC; Komfort Workspace PLC
Priority date: 2005-07-06
Filing date: 2005-07-06
Publication date: 2007-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 2025-07-06
Also published as: GB0514103D0; GB2428695B

Abstract

A self-contained unit for providing a plurality of facilities, the unit comprising a housing 2, one or more outlets 3 and supply means 4 for conveying each facility to an outlet. One or more facilities may be provided from the group comprising electricity, natural gas, non-natural gas, water, waste disposal, communications and computer connections. The housing preferably comprises an enclosure having a back 5 and side walls 8 and removable access means 6 with a planar outer surface. Dividers may be provided for separating each type of facility. Means for mounting the unit in a cavity 10, such as within a partition wall, are preferably provided so that the front 9 of the unit is flush with the surrounding surface 11. Means for connecting each supply means to a facility may be provided with the invention or may be provided at the installation. The connections may be position above the ceiling 12. In use the unit is easy to install, it prevents the accumulation of dirt and provides a range of facilities which can be easily modified or added to.

Description

APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF

FACILITIES

The invention relates to a self-contained unit for providing a plurality of facilities, and a system for providing a plurality of facilities comprising such a self-contained unit.

In any building, it is usually necessary to provide a plurality of facilities such as electricity, natural gas and water. In hospitals and laboratories it is often necessary to provide additional facilities such as waste disposal, other gases and computer connections.

These facilities can be provided by fixing the necessary ducts, pipes and cables to the walls of the building. However, the installation of such a system is time consuming, and it is difficult to add further facilities if these become necessary. In addition, it s difficult to keep such a system clean, with the result that it can become a source of contamination. This issue is of particular importance in hospitals and laboratories, as well as in clean rooms. Such a system also lacks aesthetic appeal.

: .. In order to overcome some of these problems, it is known to chase **S.

a channel into a wall so that the ducts, pipes and cables will be concealed.

While this system improves cleanliness and aesthetic appeal, it makes it harder to add further facilities, and increases the time taken for installation of the system.

It is also known to use trunking to conceal the ducts, pipes and cables. Such trunking may be adapted to receive the ducts, pipes and cables. This system has better performance than the previous system when it comes to adding further facilities and reducing the time taken for installation of the system, but is less successful from the point of view of cleanliness and aesthetic appeal.

It is an object of the invention to seek to mitigate the problems of the known systems.

Accordingly, the invention provides a self-contained unit for providing a plurality of facilities, the unit comprising a housing, one or more outlets to provide a connection point for the supply of each facility, and a duct, pipe or cable for conveying each facility to an outlet.

The unit is self-contained in that it includes all of the elements which are necessary to provide a plurality of facilities. Once it has been delivered to an installation site, all that is required is for the unit to be connected to each of the required facilities. This means that it is much quicker to install than the known systems. It also means that the unit can be readily exchanged in the event of a failure, or if it is required to add further facilities.

The unit may provide one or more facilities selected from the group comprising electricity, natural gas, a gas other than natural gas, water, waste disposal, communications and computer connections. * I. * * a a...

The housing may comprise an enclosure. This improves * a..

cleanliness, as well increasing the aesthetic appeal of the unit. II..

The enclosure may enclose a major portion of said ducts, pipes : * and/or cables. This will leave exposed a minor portion of said ducts, pipes and/or cables for connection to the facilities.

The housing may comprise access means for accessing the interior of the housing. This allows the ducts, pipes or cables to be readily accessed in the event of a failure, or if it is required to add further facilities.

The access means may be removable.

The housing may comprise one or more dividers for separating the ducts, pipes and/or cables for one facility from the ducts, pipes and/or cables for another facility.

The unit may comprise means for mounting the unit in a cavity.

Mounting the unit in a cavity is less obtrusive than mounting the unit on a surface such as a wall, and is therefore more aesthetically pleasing.

The outer surface of the housing may be substantially planar. If the unit is mounted in a cavity, this planar surface may then be positioned so that it is substantially flush with the surface which surrounds the cavity, such as a partition wall. This means that there will be no nooks and crannies in which dirt can accumulate, thereby improving cleanliness.

The unit may comprise means for connecting each duct or cable to a facility. This will further reduce the amount of time taken to install the unit. Alternatively, such means may be added to the unit on site when the unit is being installed. * S. * I S **5S

The invention further provides a system for providing a plurality of facilities comprising a self-contained unit according to the invention, the unit being mounted in a cavity.

II 11*5 * * : * * The invention will now be illustrated by way of example with I., S reference to the following drawing: Figure 1 shows a self-contained unit and system according to the invention.

The self-contained unit 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a housing 2, one or more outlets 3 to provide a connection point for the supply of each facility, and a duct, pipe or cable 4 for conveying each facility to an outlet 3.

The housing 2 comprises a back panel 5 and a front panel 6. The back panel 6 comprises a back wall 7 and four side walls 8. The front panel 6 comprises a front wall 9, which connects to the four side walls 8 of the back panel 6 to form an enclosure.

The ducts, pipes and/or cables 4 are mounted inside the housing 2, on the back wall 7 of the back panel 5. The ducts, pipes and/or cables 4 extend through apertures (not shown) in one of the side walls 8 of the back panel 5 to enable them to be connected to the relevant facilities.

However, the major portion of the ducts, pipes and/or cables 4 is contained within the housing 2. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the ducts, pipes and/or cables 4 do not include means for connecting the ducts, pipes and/or cables to the facilities, these being added to the unit 1 on installation. Any suitab'e means may be used such as a quick fix coupling or a plug-in coupling.

The outlets 3 are mounted both on outside of the housing 2, on the ::. front wall 9 of the front panel 6, and on the inside of the housing 2, on the back wall 7 of the back panel 5, apertures being included in the front wall 9 of the front panel 6 to allow access to these outlets 3. * S.. * S * III

SI'S..

All the outer surfaces of the walls 7, 8, 9 of the unit 1 are substantially planar. a..,

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the unit 1 is supplied with the front panel 6 detached from the back panel 5 so that further facilities may be added on site when the unit 1 is installed, if desired.

Alternatively, the unit 1 may be supplied with the front panel 6 already fastened to the back panel 5, or the front panel 6 may be connected to the back panel 5 by hinges to allow the interior of the housing 2 to be accessed as and when required.

In use, the unit 1 is inserted into a cavity 10, which has previously been prepared in a surface 11 such as a partition wall onto which the unit 1 is to be mounted. The cavity 10 is dimensioned so that the unit 1 can be contained within the cavity 10 with the outer surface of the front wall 9 of the front panel 6 being positioned such that it is substantially flush with the surface 11 which surrounds the cavity 10.

The ducts, pipes and/or cables 4 are then connected to the relevant facilities with the connections being positioned above the ceiling 12 so that they cannot be seen, and cannot accumulate dirt. * S. * . * *5*U * a * *** I... * S

S

* 55*S * I * 8 I

III I IS.. * . S..

Claims

1. A self-contained unit for providing a plurality of facilities, the unit comprising a housing, one or more outlets to provide a connection point for the supply of each facility, and a duct, pipe or cable for conveying each facility to an outlet.

2. A unit according to claim 1, wherein the unit provides one or more facilities selected from the group comprising electricity, natural gas, a gas other than natural gas, water, waste disposal, communications and computer connections.

3. A unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing comprises an enclosure.

4. A unit according to claim 3, wherein the housing comprises access means for accessing the interior of the housing.

5. A unit according to claim 4, wherein the access means is removable. * I.

I I I...

6. A unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing * I..

comprises one or more dividers for separating the ducts, pipes

I III

I".. and/or cables for one facility from the ducts, pipes and/or cables for another facility. * I

7. A unit according to any preceding claim, comprising means for I' mounting the unit in a cavity.

8. A unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the outer surface of the housing is substantially planar.

9. A unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the unit comprises means for connecting each duct, pipe or cable to a facility.

10. A self-contained unit for providing a plurality of facilities substantially or described herein or as shown in the drawings.

11. A system for providing a plurality of facilities comprising a selfcontained unit according to any preceding claim, the unit being mounted in a cavity. * 4, 4 4 *1p4 * 4

4 *4 44 4 4 * I I

III I I4I * 4 *1 IS