MXPA00009907A - Floor box assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

It is disclosed an apparatus for use with an electrical receptacle and a floor box. A first part of the apparatus defines a floor plate which is configured to fit over the floor box in an installed position. The floor plate has an inner edge surface defining an access opening for providing access to the receptacle. A second part of the apparatus defines an access door for closing the access opening. A detent structure is operative between the door and the floor plate to retain the door releasably in the closed position. The detent structure includes an elongated spring which is mounted on one of the parts, and also includes a cam surface on the other part. A first end portion of the spring is anchored to the part on which it is mounted. A second end portion of the spring defines a cam follower. An intermediate portion of the spring supports the second end portion for movement pivotally about the first end portion against a bias of the spring upon sliding movement of the cam follower across the cam surface as the door moves to its closed position.

Description

FLOOR BOX ASSEMBLY DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to cover assemblies for floor mounted electrical receptacles. An electrical receptacle mounted on a floor is typically contained in a structure known as a floor box. The electrical power line is easily routed to the receptacle through an open lower end of the floor box. A cover assembly on the floor surface conceals the floor box to prevent it from being seen and has an access door that can be opened to access the receptacle in the floor box. The present invention comprises an apparatus for use with an electrical receptacle and a floor box. A first part of the apparatus defines a floor plate that is configured to fit over the floor box in an installed position. The floor plate has an inner edge surface defining an access opening to provide access to the receptacle. A second part of the apparatus defines an access door which pivots in and out of a closed position which closes the access opening. The apparatus further includes a retainer structure that is operative between the door and the floor plate to retain the door in a released manner in the closed position. ddiala > -. - "J *" - ^ - * - 'The retainer structure includes an elongated spring that is mounted on one of these parts, and also includes a cam surface on the other part. A first end portion of the spring is anchored to the part on which it is mounted. A second end portion of the spring defines a cam pusher. An intermediate portion of the spring supports the second end portion for pivotal movement about the first end portion against a bias of the spring. This occurs with the sliding movement of the cam pusher across the cam surface as the door moves to the closed position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an exploded view of the parts of an apparatus comprising a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view showing the parts of Figure 1 in an interconnected relationship; Figure 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a cover assembly 10 including a plurality of parts shown separately from Figure 1. Also shown in Figure 1 is a concrete floor 12 and a rectangular floor box 14 recessed in the floor 12. An open top end portion 16 of the box 14 has an edge surface 18 substantially aligned with the surrounding surface 20 of the floor 12. The cover assembly 10 is configured to cover an electrical receptacle (not shown) in the floor box 14 when the cover assembly 10 is fully assembled and installed on the floor box 14. The separate parts of the cover assembly 10 include a floor plate 30, a first access door 32, and a second access door 34. These parts of the cover assembly 10 are formed of a metal material, such as bronze, but can alternatively be formed of any suitable plastic or composite material. When the separate parts of the cover assembly 10 are interconnected, as shown in Figure 2, the first door 32 is mounted on the floor plate 30 and the second door 34 is mounted on the first door 32. The floor plate 30 it has a peripheral flange 40 that exits transversely from a notched structure 42. The notched structure 42, which is best shown in Figures 3 and 4, has a rectangular peripheral configuration and can thus be received closely within the open upper end portion 16 of the floor box 14 to support the plate 30 of floor in an installed position. When the floor plate 30 is in its installed position, the flange 40 exits transversely outwardly beyond the upper edge surface 18 of the floor box 14 to partially rest on the surrounding floor surface 20. A pair of opposing mounting structures 44, one of which can be seen in Figure 1, has openings 45 for receiving fasteners securing the floor plate 30 to the floor box 14 in a known manner. The notched structure 42 on the floor plate 30 has an inner edge surface 46. The inner edge surface 46 defines a rectangular access opening 47 for providing access to the electrical receptacle which, as is further known in the art, is also supported by the retainer ring. A flat support surface 48 on the notched structure 42 surrounds the access opening 47. The support surface 48 supports a gasket 50 in an installed position in which the gasket 50 rests on the support surface 48 coextensively around the access opening 47. An interior wall surface 52 in the notched structure 42 surrounds the support surface 48 which is configured as a frame for the first door 32. The first door 32 has a pair of opposite side edge surfaces 54 and 56 that extend longitudinally. between a pair of opposing end edge surfaces 58 and 60. When the first door 32 is mounted on the floor plate 30, a pair of openings 61 in the end edge surfaces 60 are aligned with a pair of openings 63 in the inner wall surface 52 of the floor plate 30. A corresponding pair of hinge pins 64 are received in the opening 61 and 63 aligned to support the door 32 for a pivotal movement in and out of a closed position in which the The door 32 closes the access opening 47, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The seal 50 is deflected by compression under a peripheral bottom edge surface 66 of the door 32 when the door 32 is in the closed position. The first door 32 also has a surface 72 of inner border (Figure 1). The inner edge surface 32 traverses the three sides of a door frame area 73 in which the second door 34 is received. An additional inner edge surface 74 of the first door 32 traverses the three sides of an opening 75 of corresponding access. Like the access opening 47 in the floor plate 30, the access opening 75 in the first door 32 is configured to provide access to the electrical receptacle. A flat support surface 76 also extends along the three sides of the access opening 75.

A single hinge pin 78 supports the second door 34 for pivotal movement in and out of a closed position. When the second door 34 is in its closed position, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, it closes the second access opening 75. Then, a corresponding joint 80 is deviated by compression between the support surface 76 and a peripheral bottom edge surface 82 of the second door 34. According to the present invention, the cover assembly 10 is equipped with first and second structures 90. and 92 of retainer (Figure 2). The detent structures 90 and 92 operate between the floor plate 30 and the doors 32 and 34 to retain the doors 32 and 34 in a released manner in their closed position. Specifically, the first detent structure 90 includes a cam surface 94 on the floor plate 30, and further includes a bent wire spring 96 which is mounted on the first door 32. A first end portion 100 of the spring 96 has a linear configuration and defines the first end 101 of the spring 96. The first end portion 100 is received within a hole 102 extending inward from the side edge surface 54 at a location near one end of the door 32. The first end portion 100 of the spring 96 is restricted from longitudinal movement within the hole 102. This can be achieved using an adhesive and / or an interference fit. An intermediate portion 104 of the spring 96 also has a linear configuration, and extends longitudinally along the side edge surface 54 of the door 32. A second end portion 106 of the spring 96 has an arched section 108 and a section 110. linear. The arched section 108 is configured as a cam pusher. The linear section 110 defines the second end 111 of the spring 96, and is received within a corresponding hole 112 in the door 32. It is important that the second end 111 of the spring 96 be separated from the inner end 114 (Figure 3) of the orifice 112, and the linear section 110 of the spring 96 can move longitudinally within the hole 112. When the first door 32 moves pivotally from an open position, as shown by imaginary lines in Figure 3, to the closed position of Figure 3, the cam pusher 108 slides down through the cam surface 94 on the floor plate 30 and snaps into a space 116 with biased cut below the cam surface 94. The cam pusher 108 moves from left to right, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, as it slides down through the cam surface 94. The second portion 106 of kÉMa &üaaní-, end of the spring 96 is thus forced to pivotally move around the first end portion 100 of a counterclockwise direction, as can be seen in Figure 2, against a bias of the spring 96. The space at the inner end 114 of the hole 112 allows the second end portion 106 of the spring 96 to move relative to the first end portion 100., and also in relation to door 32, in this way. The bias of the spring 96 then causes the cam pusher 108 to snap back outwardly into the spaced apart space 116 so as to retain the door 32 releasably in the closed position. The second detent structure 92 is substantially the same as the first retainer structure 90. Accordingly, the second detent structure 92 includes a cam surface 120 and a spring 122 which interacts between the floor plate 30 and the second door 34 in the manner described above. The present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Such improvements, changes and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims. itaMM ^ MiU-

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for use with an electrical receptacle and a floor box, the apparatus is characterized in that it comprises: a first part defining a floor plate configured to fit over the floor box in an installed position, the plate floor has an interior rim surface defining an access opening to provide access to the electrical receptacle; a second part defining an access door which pivots in and out of a closed position in which the door closes the opening; a detent structure which is operative between the door and the floor plate to retain the door in a released manner in the closed position, the retainer structure comprises an elongated spring in one of the parts and a cam surface in the other of the parts; parts; the spring having a first end portion anchored to the first part, a second end portion defining a cam follower, and an intermediate portion supporting the second end portion for pivotal movement about the first end portion against a bias of the spring when performing a sliding movement of the cam pusher across the cam surface as the door moves to the closed position.
2. 2. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the spring is a bent wire spring.
3. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that one part is the first part and the other is the second part.
4. 4. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 2, characterized in that the second end portion of the spring has an arcuate section configured as the cam pusher, and furthermore has a linear terminal end section that can move longitudinally within an opening in a part when performing the pivotal movement of the second end portion. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the door has a peripheral edge surface extending along an opposite inner surface of the floor plate when the door is in the closed position, and the intermediate portion. of the spring extends longitudinally along the surfaces between the surfaces when the door is in the closed position. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the first end portion of the spring is received in a corresponding hole in a part.