WO2002091536A2

WO2002091536A2 - Arrangement at a vertical installation pole

Info

Publication number: WO2002091536A2
Application number: PCT/SE2002/000890
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lars Botvidsson; Hans Pettersson; Stefan Westlin; Sture Dahl
Original assignee: Thorsman & Co Ab
Priority date: 2001-05-07
Filing date: 2002-05-07
Publication date: 2002-11-14
Also published as: WO2002091536A3; SE519422C2; NO20030060L; NO20030060D0; SE0101603D0; EP1393422A2; SE0101603L

Abstract

Arrangement for a vertical electrical installation pole (1) intended for distribution of power and data preferably in working areas, especially in open office areas, comprising a supporting vertical central part (3) arranged on a foot (2) or similar, at which lower part of said vertical part (3) a number of outlet boxes (4) are arranged having outlets for power and data, and to which installation pole incoming electrical cables for power and data are connected, whereby the incoming cables for at least the power are connected to a terminal block in the lower part or foot of the installation pole and that the power to the different outlet boxes (4) are distributed from this terminal block.

Description

ARRANGEMENT AT A VERTICAL INSTALLATION POLE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention refers to an arrangement for a vertical so called installation pole. Such poles are used for distribution of power and data in working areas especially in open office areas. More particularly the invention refers to an arrangement for the internal distribution of power and data in the installation pole itself.

BACKGROUND ART

Installation poles of this type are previously known. They could be arranged to be mounted fixed between the floor and the ceiling, to be mounted fixed at a certain location on the floor or be provided with a relatively heavy foot in order to be able to be used free standing on the floor. Installation poles could also be intended to be mounted fixed on a wall.

Cables for high current, low current, communication, audio, video and data are typically led down into the pole from the ceiling or are led into the pole from the floor. Often the pole is provided with separate longitudinal spaces for the different types of cables (power and data).

The outlets on the pole for the different power and data types are often brought together in one or several so called service providers which in this connection stands for longitudinal outlet boxes mounted on the lower part of the pole. Depending on the actual client needs a pole could be only partly equipped at the delivery, i.e. could have space for additional outlet boxes. When today an installation pole should be additionally equipped with one or several outlet boxes additional cables have to be fed from the ceiling or the floor which could be complicated and time consuming taking into account that ceiling and floor, respectively, might have to be demounted. Additionally the installer might need a formal authorisation to be allowed to carry out the work. These circumstances will of course influence the cost of adding additional equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to reduce the cabling to the installation pole. This is of particular interest at free standing poles provided with a foot. The feeding of cables from the ceiling is usually made for these poles so that the cables get surplus length in order to make it possible to move the pole within a limited area on the floor if desired without a need to adjust the cable installation in the ceiling. The weight of the cables fed from the ceiling as well as the stiffness of the cable bundle influence the stability of the pole. Thus, a reduced cabling gives better stability.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a solution which allows installers without formal authorisation to carry out an additional equipment of the pole.

The invention is now proposing a solution to said problem which presupposes that the cables for at least the power feeding from the ceiling or the floor are fed to a terminal block in the lower part or the foot of the installation pole. From this terminal block is then the power distributed to the different service providers including the new service providers when adding additional equipment. A hub or data switch could also be arranged in the lower part of the pole for the same purpose.

This arrangement gives increased flexibility when adding additional equipment to the pole. A new box could be mounted on the pole and the power and possibly data could be connected without the need of changing the installation in the ceiling or the floor.

The length of the cables will be shorter and the cabling to the pole is not unnecessarily burdened which has special interest at free standing poles according to the above.

The invention is characterised more in detail according to the enclosed claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects and advantages with the invention will be apparent from the following description which is given with reference to the appended drawing on which:

Figure 1 shows an installation pole according to the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figure 1 shows an installation pole 1 according to the invention. The pole is in the shown example free standing with a relatively heavy foot 2. From the foot a central supporting part 3 reaches vertically upwards. Around the lower part on this central part three outlet boxes 4 are arranged in the shown example. Each of these outlet boxes could thus be provided with outlets for power and data for connection to lamps, computers, telephones etc.. (the outlets are not shown). At its upper part the pole is connected to cables which in this case are fed from the ceiling and which run in cable coverings 5, 6. Each cable covering comprises preferably only one type of cable, power or data. As can be seen from the figure these cables have a certain surplus length so that the pole could be moved around within a limited area on the floor.

According to the invention a terminal block (not shown) is arranged in the lower part of the pole 1 or the foot 2 to which the cables for the power supply from the ceiling or the floor is fed. From this terminal block is then the power distributed to the different service providers including the new service providers when adding additional equipment. As the terminal block can be of a standard type it will not be described more in detail here.

Thus, if in the shown example one wishes to add a fourth outlet box 4 at the free position no new power cables need to be fed from the ceiling which considerably facilitates the installation and makes it much cheaper. It is also allowed for an installer without formal authorisation to carry out the same.

A hub or data switch could also be arranged in the lower part of the pole for distribution of the data signals.

Claims

1. Arrangement for a vertical electrical installation pole (1 ) intended for distribution of power and data preferably in working areas, especially in open office areas, comprising a supporting vertical central part (3) arranged on a foot (2) or similar, at which lower part of said vertical part (3) a number of outlet boxes (4) are arranged having outlets for power and data, and to which installation pole incoming electrical cables for power and data are connected, characterised in that the incoming cables for at least the power are connected to a terminal block in the lower part or foot of the installation pole and that the power to the different outlet boxes (4) are distributed from this terminal block.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1 , characterised in that additionally a hub or data switch is arranged at the lower end of the pole or foot from which data signals are distributed to the different outlet boxes (4).