U.S. patent application number 11/010337 was filed with the patent office on 2006-01-26 for access floor grounding fastener.
Invention is credited to Bruce Mead.
Application Number | 20060016135 11/010337 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35655645 |
Filed Date | 2006-01-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060016135 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mead; Bruce |
January 26, 2006 |
Access floor grounding fastener
Abstract
A fastener for connecting a panel to a support, comprising at
least one projection for penetrating said panel surface upon
fastenings of panel to said support and make electrical contact
thereto
Inventors: |
Mead; Bruce; (Mississauga,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MILLER THOMPSON, LLP
20 QUEEN STREET WEST, SUITE 2500
TORONTO
ON
M5H 3S1
CA
|
Family ID: |
35655645 |
Appl. No.: |
11/010337 |
Filed: |
December 14, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/126.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 15/0247 20130101;
H01R 4/2404 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/126.7 |
International
Class: |
E04G 1/22 20060101
E04G001/22 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 23, 2004 |
CA |
2,476,046 |
Claims
1. A fastener for connecting a panel to a support, comprising at
least one projection for penetrating said panel surface upon
fastenings of panel to said support and make electrical contact
thereto.
2. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 wherein the projection includes
at least two teeth for penetrating said panel surface.
3. A fastener as claimed in claim 2 wherein said panel and support
are metallic and have a protective surface.
4. A fastener as claimed in claim 2 wherein said protective surface
is selected from the group of paint, enamel or epoxy powdered
coat.
5. A fastener as claimed in claim 4 wherein said projections
comprise a protective surface removing means.
6. A fastener as claimed in claim 5 wherein said fastener is a
screw.
7. A fastener as claimed in claim 6 wherein said protective surface
removing means comprise teeth.
8. A fastener as claimed in claim 7 wherein said teeth are disposed
in the direction of rotation of said screw.
9. Access floor comprising: (a) a pedestal (b) a floor panel
supported by said pedestal (c) rotatable fastener having at least
one surface penetrating projection to remove a protective coating
when fastening said panel to said pedestal and make electrical
contact between said panel and pedestal.
10. An access floor as claimed in claim 9 wherein said rotatable
fastener is a screw having two teeth for biting into said
protective coating.
11. An access floor as claimed in claim 10 wherein said panel and
pedestal is metallic having said protective coating.
12. An access floor as claimed in claim 11 wherein said screw is
recessed into said panel.
13. An access floor as claimed in claim 12 wherein said screw is
countersunk into said panel.
14. An access floor as claimed in claim 13 comprising a plurality
of panels and pedestals and side by side relation, where each
corner of said panel rests on a pedestal, said screws disposed
through said corners of said panel into said pedestal to fasten
said panels to said pedestal for metal to metal contact and have a
positive continuous ground of less than 1 Ohm resistance.
15. A method of grounding a floor panel in a grid defined by a
plurality of raised floor panels each having a protective coating
in side by side relation supported at their corners by a pedestal
comprising: (a) rotating fastener having a projection into the said
corner and fastening said panel to said pedestal (b) removing said
protective coating in the vicinity of said fastener to produce a
continuous electrical contact with said panels and pedestals.
16. A method as claimed in claim 15 for producing a continuous
ground of less than 1 Ohm resistance.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said panels and
pedestal are metallic and have a protective coating, and said
fastener produces metal to metal contact between said panel and
pedestals.
18. A method as claimed in claim 17 for clamping and grounding said
panels and pedestals together.
19. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said fasteners have
teeth and said teeth removes the protective coating.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to a fastener for
connecting a panel to a support where the fastener has at least one
projection for penetrating the panel surface to make electrical
contact thereto. The invention also relates to a method of
grounding a floor panel in a grid defined by a plurality of raised
floor panels in side by side relation supported at their corners by
a pedestal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Access floor systems or elevated floor structures have
gained much popularity with the introduction of computer systems.
Such elevated floor structures comprise a series of square,
rectangular or triangular panels that are supported by an
under-structure to elevate the panels off the building sub-floor.
Such under-structure can include pedestals. In particular, a
popular arrangement comprises of rectangular panels in side by side
relation supported by a pedestal where one pedestal supports the
corners of four panels thereon. The cavity produced between the
underside of the access floor and the building sub-floor is used to
run electrical cables, voice and data cables, HVAC and other
services.
[0003] The access floor panels may be made of wood, aluminium,
hollow steel, cement, plastic, cement-filled steel or the like.
[0004] It is important for the safety of individuals working on the
floor and for the efficiency of operation of equipment,
particularly computer equipment, that the access floor is grounded
to the building ground system. This is usually accomplished by
having the pedestal of the understructure positively attached to
the building ground system. Accordingly it is important that the
pedestal have metal to metal contact with the floor panel.
[0005] Generally speaking such floor panels can be comprised of
metal such as steel or the like and have a protective coating such
as enamel, paint, or epoxy powdered coat. Accordingly it is
necessary to remove a portion of the paint on the panel to make
good electrical contact for grounding. Furthermore it is also
required to have the panel and pedestal under pressure where the
metal to metal contact occurs in order to have a positive
continuous ground less than 1 ohm resistance.
[0006] Various arrangements have heretofore been used in order to
improve the electrical grounding characteristics of structures. For
example U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,104 illustrates an electrical grounding
connector comprising a U-bolt, an upper clamp part and a lower
clamp part. The upper clamp part is connected to the U-bolt to
clamp a floor pedestal therebetween. The lower clamp part is
connected to the U-bolt to clamp a conductor between the upper and
lower clamp parts. The upper clamp part has a plurality of barbs
therein to penetrate through paint on the floor pedestal.
[0007] Moreover U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,627 teaches an electrical
connector for mechanically and electrically connecting conductors.
The connector includes a connector body formed of conductive
metal.
[0008] Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,390 teaches a ground connector
for securing a ground conductor with respect to a vertical support
post. The connector includes a body member, a hook member and
fastening means for securing the body and hook members to the
support posts.
[0009] It is an object of this invention to provide an improved
fastener for connecting a panel to a support where the fastener has
at least one projection for penetrating the panel surface. It is a
further object of this invention to provide an improved method of
grounding a floor panel in a grid defined by a plurality of panels
supported by a plurality of pedestals.
[0010] It is an aspect of this invention to provide a fastener for
connecting a panel to a support, comprising at least one projection
for penetrating said panel surface upon fastening of panel to said
support and make electrical contact thereto.
[0011] It is another aspect of this invention to provide an access
floor comprising a pedestal, a floor panel supported by said
pedestal; a rotatable fastener having at least one surface
penetrating projection to remove a protective coating when
fastening said panel to said pedestal and make electrical contact
between said panel and pedestal.
[0012] It is yet another aspect of this invention to provide a
method of grounding a floor panel in a grid defined by a plurality
of raised floor panels each having a protective coating in side by
side relation supported at their corners by a pedestal, comprising
rotating a fastener and having a projection into said corner and
fastening said panel to said pedestal, and removing said protective
coating in the vicinity of said fastener to produce a continuous
electrical contact with said panels and pedestals.
[0013] These and other objects and features of the invention shall
now be described in relation to the following drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the panels
supported by a pedestal including the fastener.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a side-view of the fastener.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a bottom-view of the fastener.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a side-elevational view of the projection where
the surface removing means is presented in the direction of
rotation.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a side-elevational view showing a symmetrical
surface removing means disposed above the axis of the screw.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a side-elevational view of the fastener including
a surface removing means disposed on the trailing edge of the
projection.
[0020] The invention described herein includes a fastener 2 for
cutting through a painted or coated surface or to produce metal to
metal contact. Fastener 2 also acts as a fastener which clamps the
panel 6 to the pedestal 8. The pedestal 8 generally comprises a
pedestal base 10 presenting an upstanding column 12 and a threaded
column 14 which engages the column 12 in a manner well-known to
those persons skilled in the art and includes a lock nut 16 so as
to adjust the height of the pedestal head 18 to a desired position
above the base 10. The pedestal head plate 18 includes generally
four fastening holes 20 which are threaded and adapted to receive
the fasteners 2. Alternatively the fasteners can be self-threading
into holes 20. The pedestal plate 18 may be comprised of metal
which is not coated or alternatively may also include a protective
coating in which event the threads 22 of the fastener 2 will remove
the protective coating in holes 20 when the screw 2 is threaded to
the threaded hole 20 of the pedestal plate 18.
[0021] Each access floor panel 6 requires a hold down fastener 2 in
each corner 24 of the panel 6 to prevent the panel 6 from moving
relative to the pedestal 8 and so as to make the panel 6 and the
pedestal 8 one structural component.
[0022] The fastener 2 includes at least one projection 30.
[0023] The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 illustrates two projections
30 disposed at opposite radial sides of the fastener head 32. The
fastener head 36 has a socket 34 for a screwdriver (not shown). The
embodiment showing the size of the screw head 36 has angled or
countersunk sides 38. The countersunk sides 38 present a generally
frusto-conical surface for presenting the projections 30. The
projections 30 define the protective surface removing means which
as shown comprise of two teeth 30. The projections or teeth 30 may
be symmetrically disposed about the axis 40 as shown in FIG. 5.
Alternatively, the projections 30 may have a leading edge 40 which
is disposed in the direction of rotation or a trailing edge 42 as
shown in FIG. 6.
[0024] More particularly the projections 30 are raised embossments
have a surface removing edge 44 which is adapted to remove the
protective surface of a panel.
[0025] Accordingly the teeth 30 are added to the fastener 2 in the
area of the head 36. The fastener 2 is recessed into the recess 50
as shown in FIG. 1 in the panel 2 with its top horizontal surface
54 flush or lower than the top horizontal 56 of the panel 6 as
shown. Alternatively the top 54 of fastener 2 may be lower than the
top 56 of the horizontal surface of the floor panel 6.
[0026] The fastener 2 projects through the panel 6 in an
appropriate hole 58 disposed through the panel 6 and threads into
the hole 20 in the pedestal 8. Teeth 30 on the fastener 2 during
its final rotation cuts through the protective panel coating 4 of
the panel 6 and makes a positive metal to metal contact with the
panel 6 joining the pedestal 8 and panel 6. In one embodiment for
example such joinder occurs with less than 1 ohm resistance.
[0027] The teeth or outward embossments 30 are shaped such that
they remove any protective coating upon contact during the panel
fastening procedure.
[0028] Such a process allows for positive grounding of the panel
while fastening the panel to the pedestal. The pedestal may then be
grounded to the building as shown by numeral 60 which is connected
to the pedestal base 10 as shown in FIG. 1. Such connection is
pursuant to local code requirements in order to complete the
grounding of the entire access floor system. More particularly, a
plurality of panels 6 are disposed in side by side relation in a
grid pattern and supported by a plurality of pedestals where the
pedestals support four adjacent corners of panels.
[0029] It has generally been found in one example that if the
coating 4 is removed from any part of the panel 6 there is
generally less than 1 ohm resistance between the panel 6 and the
pedestal 8.
[0030] The invention described herein illustrates the fastener 2
for connecting a panel 6 to a support 8 comprising at least one
projection 30 for penetrating the panel surface 4 upon fastening
panel 6 to the support beam and make electrical contact
thereto.
[0031] Furthermore the invention describes herein an access floor
having a pedestal 8, a floor panel 6 supported by the pedestal 8
and a rotatable fastener 2 having at least one surface penetrating
projection 30 for removing a protective coating 4 when fastening
the panel 6 to the pedestal 8 and make electrical contact between
the panel 6 and pedestal 8. The invention described herein
illustrates a method of grounding a floor panel 6 in a grid defined
by a plurality of raised floor panels 6 each having a protective
coating 4 in side by side relation supported at their corners by a
pedestal 8 by [0032] (a) rotating a fastener 2 having a projection
30 into said corner and fastening said panel 6 to said pedestal
[0033] (b) removing the protective coating 4 in the vicinity of the
fastener 2 to produce a continuous electrical contact with said
panels and pedestals.
[0034] Other variations and modifications of the invention are
possible. All such modifications or variations are believed to be
within the sphere and scope of the invention as defined by the
claims appended hereto.
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