U.S. patent number RE40,069 [Application Number 10/701,345] was granted by the patent office on 2008-02-19 for housings for underfloor raceways.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Wiremold Company. Invention is credited to Michael T. Cole, John P. Penczak, Thomas R. Russo, Joe Young.
United States Patent |
RE40,069 |
Cole , et al. |
February 19, 2008 |
Housings for underfloor raceways
Abstract
An housing is configured for connection to the raceway panels by
removing the concrete above the raceway panel, cutting a hole in
the raceway panel, and securing the housing in the hole in the
raceway panel. Alignment clips allow the afterset housings to be
ganged together to form an integral afterset assembly. Each
alignment clip is configured to slidably engage with a pair of the
afterset housings. In one embodiment, the afterset housing includes
a preset housing that is normally configured for connection to the
raceway panel prior to pouring of the concrete floor, and an
adapter connectable to the preset housing and being constructed to
reconfigure the preset for use as an afterset housing which is
adapted for connection to the raceway panel following pouring of
the concrete floor.
Inventors: |
Cole; Michael T. (Parkersburg,
WV), Penczak; John P. (Washington, WV), Russo; Thomas
R. (Bristol, CT), Young; Joe (Reedsville, OH) |
Assignee: |
The Wiremold Company (West
Hartford, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
22787030 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/701,345 |
Filed: |
November 3, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
09211464 |
Dec 14, 1998 |
6072121 |
|
|
Reissue of: |
09490201 |
Jan 24, 2000 |
06316725 |
Nov 13, 2001 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
174/481; 439/535;
174/58 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02G
3/185 (20130101); H02G 3/283 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H02G
3/04 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;174/48,49,58,17R,63,52.6,50 ;52/220.1,220.3,220.5,220.7
;220/3.2,3.3,3.6,3.8,3.94,4.02 ;439/535 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Patel; Dhiru R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McAndrews, Held & Malloy,
Ltd.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.
09/211,464, filed on Dec. 14, 1998 .Iadd.now U.S. Pat. No.
6,072,121.Iaddend..
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
NOT APPLICABLE
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An afterset housing for providing access to an underfloor
electrical distribution system of the type comprising at least one
raceway panel embedded in a concrete floor, the afterset
comprising: a preset housing having an interior compartment
generally defined by a bottom wall and a sidewall, the preset
housing be normally adapted for connection to said at least one
raceway panel prior to pouring of the concrete floor; and an
adapter connectable to the preset housing and being constructed to
reconfigure the preset housing for use as said afterset housing
which is adapted for connection to said at least one raceway panel
following pouring of the concrete floor.
2. An afterset as set forth in claim 1, wherein the adapter
slidably engagable with the bottom face of the preset housing.
3. An afterset as set forth in claim 1, wherein the preset housing
is formed of metal.
4. An afterset as set forth in claim 1, wherein the preset housing
is generally rectangular.
5. An afterset as set forth in claim 1, wherein multiple aftersets
can be ganged together to form an integral assembly.
6. An afterset housing for providing access to an underfloor
electrical distribution system of the type comprising at least one
raceway panel embedded in a concrete floor, said at least one
raceway panel having an interior passage defined by a top wall, a
bottom wall and a pair of side walls, the afterset being configured
for connection to the raceway panels by removing the concrete above
said at least one raceway panel, cutting a hole in said at least
one raceway panel, and securing the housing in the hole in the
raceway, the afterset comprising: a housing adapted for connection
to the top wall of said at least one raceway, the housing having an
interior compartment generally defined by a bottom wall and an
upwardly extending sidewall, the sidewall being adapted to receive
an activation assembly, the bottom wall including an aperture for
alignment with the aperture formed in the top wall of the raceway
panel to provide access to services that are carried by the
raceway; and means for ganging at least two of the housings
together to form an integral assembly, said ganging means
comprising at least one alignment clip being adapted to slidably
engage with a pair of adapter housings to form an integral
assembly.
7. An afterset housing as set forth in claim 6, wherein said
ganging means further comprises at least on ganging tab formed on
the exterior of each afterset housing, the ganging tabs being
configured to receive the alignment clip.
8. An afterset as set forth in claim 6, wherein the preset housing
is formed of metal.
9. An afterset as set forth in claim 6, wherein the preset housing
is generally rectangular.
10. An afterset as set forth in claim 6, further comprises at least
one locking tab adapted to secure the afterset to the top wall of
said at least one raceway panel.
11. An afterset as set forth in claim 6, further comprising a
radial flange extending downwardly from the bottom wall of the
housing and being configured for insertion into the opening in the
top wall of the raceway.
12. An underfloor electrical distribution system for placement in a
concrete floor comprising: first and second raceway panels
extending generally parallel to each other within the concrete
floor, each raceway panel having a top wall, a bottom wall and a
pair of side walls defining an interior passage; a plurality of
afterset housings, each housing being configured for connection to
one of said first and second raceway panels by removing the
concrete above the respective raceway panel, cutting a hole in the
respective raceway panel, and securing the afterset housing in the
hole in the respective raceway panel; and a plurality of alignment
clips, each clip being adapted to secure two of the afterset
housings together to form an integral afterset assembly.
13. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 12, wherein the alignment clips are adapted to slidably
engage with the afterset housings.
14. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 12, wherein each afterset housing has an interior compartment
generally defined by a bottom wall and an upwardly extending
sidewall, the bottom wall including an aperture that aligns with
the opening formed in the top wall of a raceway panel when the
adapter is connected thereto to provide access to services that are
carried by the raceway panel.
15. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 14, wherein each afterset further comprises at least one
locking tab adapted to secure the afterset to the top wall of the
raceway.
16. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 14, wherein each afterset further comprises a radial flange
extending downwardly from the bottom wall of the housing and being
configured for insertion into the opening in the top wall of the
raceway.
17. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 12, wherein the preset housings are formed of metal.
18. An underfloor electrical distribution system for placement in a
concrete floor comprising: a pair of raceway panels adapted to be
positioned on a subfloor prior to pouring of the concrete floor,
each raceway panel defining an interior passage and a plurality of
preset openings that provide access to the interior passage; a
plurality of preset housings mountable in the preset openings and
to provide access to the interior passage of said pair of raceway
panels from an upper surface of the concrete floor; and a plurality
of alignment clips, each alignment clip being adapted to secure and
align a preset housing carried by a first of the raceway panels
with a second preset housing carried by a second of the raceway
panels.
19. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 18, wherein each preset housing has a concrete cap and a
knockout section, the concrete cap and the knockout section being
removable to provide access to an interior compartment of the
preset housing, the knockout being configured to align with and
lockingly engage with the preset opening to secure the preset to
the raceway panel during pouring of the concrete floor, whereby
upon hardening of the concrete floor the concrete above the preset
can be broken away to permit removal of the concrete cap, whereupon
the knockout can be removed to provide access to the interior
passage of the raceway panel through the preset.
20. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 18, wherein each preset housing comprises a bottom wall, a
side wall extending from the base and defining an upper opening
configured to receive the concrete cap.
21. An in-floor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 18, further comprising a locking tab extending from the
bottom wall of the housing, the locking tab being adapted to
slidably engage with the raceway panel opening as the knockout
protrusion is engaged with the raceway opening.
22. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 18, wherein the preset housings are formed of plastic.
23. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 18, wherein the preset housings are formed of metal.
24. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 23, wherein each preset housing further includes a plurality
ribs extending from its bottom wall, the ribs being adapted to
engage against the surface of the raceway panel when the preset is
mounted on the raceway panel to provide ground continuity between
the raceway panel and the preset.
25. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 18, wherein the preset housings are generally
rectangular.
26. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 18, wherein the preset further comprises wire retaining clips
removable mountable in the interior compartment about the periphery
of the knockout section.
27. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth in
claim 18, wherein the upper opening of the housing is adapted to
receive an access assembly upon removal of the concrete cap.
28. A preset for providing access to an underfloor electrical
distribution system, the underfloor electrical distribution system
comprising at least one raceway panel adapted to be positioned in a
concrete floor, the raceway panel defining an interior passage
adapted to carry service cables and having an exterior wall
defining preset openings that provide access to the interior
passage, the preset comprising: a housing mountable in the preset
opening and to provide access to the interior passage of the
raceway from an upper surface of the concrete floor; and ganging
means for ganging at least two of the housings together to form an
integral assembly, said ganging means comprising at least one
adapter clip configured to slidably engage with a pair of preset
housings to form an integral assembly.
29. A preset housing as set forth in claim 28, wherein said ganging
means further comprises at least one ganging tab formed on the
exterior of each afterset housing, the ganging tabs being
configured to slidably engage with the adapter clips.
.Iadd.30. An underfloor electrical distribution system for
placement in a concrete floor, comprising: first and second raceway
panels disposed adjacent to one another in the concrete floor; a
first housing secured to the first raceway panel and a second
housing secured to the second raceway panel; and at least one clip
engageable with the first and second housings to secure the first
and second housings to one another..Iaddend.
.Iadd.31. An underfloor electrical distribution assembly as set
forth in claim 30, wherein the first and second housing comprise
preset housings that are secured to the raceway panels prior to
pouring of the concrete floor..Iaddend.
.Iadd.32. An underfloor electrical distribution assembly as set
forth in claim 30, wherein the first and second housings comprise
afterset housings that are configured for connection to a
respective one of the raceway panels after the concrete floor has
hardened by removing the concrete from above the respective raceway
panels, forming an opening in the raceway panel, and securing the
housing to the raceway panel at a location that overlies the
opening in the raceway panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.33. An underfloor electrical distribution system for
placement in a concrete floor, comprising: a raceway panel defining
an interior passage for carrying service cables; a housing
securable to the raceway panel, the housing defining an interior
compartment and including an opening alignable with a reciprocal
opening in the raceway panel to allow wires to pass between the
raceway panel and the interior compartment of the housing; and a
plurality of wire retention clips mounted around the perimeter of
the opening of the housing for storing wiring that has been routed
into the housing through the opening..Iaddend.
.Iadd.34. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth
in claim 33, wherein the retention clips are configured to mate
with reciprocal mounting brackets formed in the interior
compartment of the housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.35. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth
in claim 33, wherein the retention clips are generally
U-shaped..Iaddend.
.Iadd.36. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth
in claim 33, wherein the retention clips are formed of a
non-conductive material..Iaddend.
.Iadd.37. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth
in claim 36, wherein the wire retention clips are formed of
nylon..Iaddend.
.Iadd.38. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth
in claim 33, wherein the wire retention clips are formed separately
from the housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.39. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth
in claim 33, wherein the wire retention clips are formed separately
from the housing and are adapted to snap into place into reciprocal
mounting brackets formed in the interior of the
housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.40. An underfloor electrical distribution system as set forth
in claim 33, wherein the opening in the raceway panel is formed in
a top wall of the raceway panel and the opening in the housing is
formed in a bottom wall of the housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.41. A housing for providing access to an underfloor
electrical distribution system of the type comprising at least one
raceway panel embedded in a concrete floor, the housing comprising:
a generally rectangular body having four corners and a top opening;
and a housing interconnector located proximate each of said four
corners of said generally rectangular body, wherein said housing
interconnector is configured to be at least one of slidably and
snapably engaged by an alignment device that is adapted to
interconnect said housing to another housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.42. The housing of claim 41, wherein said housing
interconnector is a tab extending outwardly from said generally
rectangular body, and wherein said alignment device is an alignment
clip comprising an upper portion integrally formed with legs
extending downwardly from said upper portion, wherein said legs are
configured to engage around said tab..Iaddend.
.Iadd.43. The housing of claim 42, wherein said alignment clip
further comprises teeth formed on lower edges of said legs, wherein
said teeth are configured to engage against top edges of said tab
as said alignment clip is driven downwardly toward said tab, and
wherein said teeth are configured to abrade said tab with continued
downward pressure..Iaddend.
.Iadd.44. The housing of claim 41, wherein the housing is formed of
a die cast metal, and wherein said alignment device is formed of a
metal that is relatively harder than said die cast
metal..Iaddend.
.Iadd.45. The housing of claim 41, wherein the housing is formed
from plastic..Iaddend.
.Iadd.46. The housing of claim 41, wherein the housing is one of a
preset housing and an afterset housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.47. The housing of claim 41, wherein the housing is a preset
housing having an interior compartment generally defined by a
bottom wall and a sidewall, the preset housing being normally
adapted for connection to a raceway panel prior to pouring of the
concrete floor..Iaddend.
.Iadd.48. The housing of claim 41, wherein the housing is
configured to receive and retain an activation assembly through
said top opening..Iaddend.
.Iadd.49. The housing of claim 48, wherein the activation assembly
is a flush mount duplex electrical outlet..Iaddend.
.Iadd.50. The housing of claim 41, wherein said generally
rectangular body comprises a locking tab extending from a bottom
surface of said generally rectangular body, wherein said locking
tab is configured to slidably engage a reciprocal aperture formed
in a raceway panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.51. The housing of claim 41, wherein said housing
interconnector is integrally formed with said generally rectangular
body..Iaddend.
.Iadd.52. An assembly for providing access to an underfloor
electrical distribution system of the type comprising a plurality
of raceway panels embedded in a concrete floor, the assembly
comprising: first and second rectangular housings, each of said
first and second rectangular housings comprising: four upright
walls integrally formed with a bottom wall defining a top opening
therebetween and four corners; and housing interconnectors, wherein
at least one of said housing interconnectors is located proximate
one of said four corners such that at least one of said housing
interconnectors is located proximate each of said four corners, and
an alignment device that securably engages one of said housing
interconnectors of said first rectangular housing and another of
said housing interconnectors of said second rectangular housing to
gang said first and second rectangular housings
together..Iaddend.
.Iadd.53. The assembly of claim 52, further comprising additional
rectangular housings ganged at least one of together and with said
first and second rectangular housings..Iaddend.
.Iadd.54. The assembly of claim 52, wherein each of said plurality
of housing interconnectors is an outwardly-extending tab, and
wherein said alignment device is an alignment clip comprising an
upper portion integrally formed with legs extending downwardly from
said upper portion defining slots therebetween, wherein said legs
are configured to engage around said tab..Iaddend.
.Iadd.55. The assembly of claim 54, wherein said alignment clip
further comprises teeth formed on lower edges of said legs, wherein
said teeth are configured to engage against top edges of said tab
as said alignment clip is driven downwardly toward said tab, and
wherein said teeth are configured to abrade said tab with continued
downward pressure..Iaddend.
.Iadd.56. The assembly of claim 52, wherein said alignment device
is configured to slidably engage said housing
interconnectors.Iaddend.
.Iadd.57. The assembly of claim 52, wherein said first and second
housings are formed of a die cast metal, and wherein said alignment
clip is formed of a metal that is relatively harder than said die
cast metal..Iaddend.
.Iadd.58. The assembly of claim 52, wherein said first and second
housings are formed from plastic..Iaddend.
.Iadd.59. The assembly of claim 52, wherein each of said first and
second housings is one of a preset housing and an afterset
housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.60. The assembly of claim 52, wherein at least one of said
first and second housings is a preset housing having an interior
compartment generally defined by a bottom wall and a sidewall, the
preset housing being normally adapted for connection to a raceway
panel prior to pouring of the concrete floor..Iaddend.
.Iadd.61. The assembly of claim 52, further comprising an
activation assembly secured within each of said first and second
housings..Iaddend.
.Iadd.62. The assembly of claim 52, wherein said activation
assembly is a flush mount duplex electrical outlet..Iaddend.
.Iadd.63. The assembly of claim 52, wherein each of said first and
second housings further comprise a locking tab downwardly extending
from said bottom wall, wherein said locking tab is configured to
slidably engage a reciprocal aperture formed in a raceway
panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.64. An underfloor electrical distribution system for
placement in a concrete floor, comprising: first and second raceway
panels disposed adjacent to one another in the concrete floor; a
first housing secured to said first raceway panel and a second
housing secured to said second raceway panel, wherein each of said
first and second housings comprises: four upright walls integrally
formed with a bottom wall defining a top opening therebetween and
first, second, third and fourth corners; and first, second, third
and fourth housing interconnectors, wherein said first, second,
third and fourth housing interconnectors are located proximate said
first, second, third and fourth corners, respectively, and an
alignment device that securably engages one of said housing
interconnectors of said first housing and another of said housing
interconnectors of said second housing to gang said first and
second housings together..Iaddend.
.Iadd.65. The system of claim 64, further comprising additional
housings ganged at least one of together and with said first and
second rectangular housings..Iaddend.
.Iadd.66. The system of claim 64, wherein each of said first,
second, third and fourth housing interconnectors is a tab outwardly
extending proximate said first, second, third and fourth corners,
respectively, and wherein said alignment device is an alignment
clip comprising an upper portion integrally formed with legs
extending downwardly from said upper portion defining slots
therebetween, wherein said legs are configured to engage around
said tab..Iaddend.
.Iadd.67. The system of claim 66, wherein said alignment clip
further comprises teeth formed on lower edges of said legs, wherein
said teeth are configured to engage against top edges of said tab
as said alignment clip is driven downwardly toward said tab, and
wherein said teeth are configured to abrade said tab with continued
downward pressure..Iaddend.
.Iadd.68. The system of claim 64, wherein said alignment device is
configured to slidably engage said housing
interconnectors.Iaddend.
.Iadd.69. The system of claim 64, wherein said alignment device is
configured to snapably engage said housing
interconnectors..Iaddend.
.Iadd.70. The system of claim 64, wherein said first and second
housings are formed of a die cast metal, and wherein said alignment
clip is formed of a metal that is relatively harder than said die
cast metal..Iaddend.
.Iadd.71. The system of claim 64, wherein said first and second
housings are formed from plastic..Iaddend.
.Iadd.72. The system of claim 64, wherein each of said first and
second housings is one of a preset housing and an afterset
housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.73. The system of claim 64, wherein at least one of said
first and second housings is a preset housing having an interior
compartment generally defined by a bottom wall and a sidewall, the
preset housing being normally adapted for connection to a raceway
panel prior to pouring of the concrete floor..Iaddend.
.Iadd.74. The system of claim 64, further comprising an activation
assembly secured within each of said first and second
housings..Iaddend.
.Iadd.75. The system of claim 74, wherein said activation assembly
is a flush mount duplex electrical outlet..Iaddend.
.Iadd.76. The system of claim 64, wherein said first and second
raceway panels further comprise first and second reciprocal
apertures, respectively, and said first and second housings further
comprise first and second locking tabs, respectively, said first
and second locking tabs extend downwardly from said bottom walls of
said first and second housings, respectively, wherein said first
and second locking tabs are configured to slidably engage said
first and second reciprocal apertures, respectively..Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to underfloor electrical
distribution systems, and, more particularly, to improved
underfloor preset and afterset housings. Modern office buildings
require electric power, communication, and computer data services
in various combinations at a large number of locations. In many
instances these needs are addressed by underfloor distribution
systems consisting of a network of ducts or raceways that are
mounted in concrete floors. Access to the underfloor service
raceways may be obtained through preset housings that mount on the
raceways at regular intervals, usually 24 inches on center, before
the concrete floor is poured. The preset defines a hollow interior
compartment that is interconnected with the interior of the duct to
provide access to the services that are carried in the raceway. The
preset includes a removable mud cap that is generally parallel to
the surface of the floor and is positioned slightly below the
surface of the concrete floor. The mud cap serves to prevent
concrete from entering the interior compartment of the preset when
the floor is poured. After the concrete floor has hardened, the
concrete above the mud cap is broken away and the mud cap is
removed to provide access to the interior of the preset. An
activation assembly that provides for power or data outlets may
then be installed on the preset.
Access to the raceways may also be provided through afterset
housings that are attached to the raceway after the concrete floor
has been poured and is set. Aftersets are installed by cutting a
hole in the concrete above the raceway and then securing the
afterset to an opening that is cut in the raceway after the
concrete has been removed to provide access to the raceway. Like a
preset, the afterset defines hollow interior compartment that is
interconnected with the interior of the raceway to provide access
to the services that are carried in the raceway. The afterset is
configured to support various activation kits, such as duplex
outlets, phone outlets, coaxial connectors or fiber optics
connectors.
In both presets and aftersets it is desirable to provide a housing
that is gangable so that multiple services can be provided at a
single location.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide a preset that can
be converted for use as an afterset housing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide presets and
afterset housings that are gangable to provide multiple services at
a single location.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a manner
for aligning and interconnecting preset and afterset housings
carried by adjacent raceway panels.
Still another object of the invention is to provide preset and
afterset housings that can accommodate a wide variety of activation
assemblies.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide preset and
afterset housings that are economical to manufacture in mass
production, and easy to install in the field.
According to one aspect of the present invention, afterset housings
are provided and are configured for connection to the raceway
panels by removing the concrete above the raceway panel, cutting a
hole in the raceway panel, and securing the housing in the hole in
the raceway panel. Alignment clips allow the afterset housings to
be ganged together to form an integral afterset assembly. Each
alignment clip is configured to slidably engage with a pair to the
afterset housings. In one embodiment, the afterset housing
comprises a preset housing that is normally configured for
connection to the raceway panel prior to pouring of the concrete
floor, and an adapter connectable to the preset housing and being
constructed to reconfiguring the preset for use as an afterset
housing which is adapted for connection to the raceway panel
following pouring of the concrete floor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a preset housing
according to certain aspects of the invention, shown in combination
with an underfloor wiring duct.
FIG. 2 is cross-sectional view showing the preset housing in a
poured concrete floor, prior to installation of the activation
assembly.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the preset housing,
illustrating removal of the concrete cap and the knockout
section.
FIG. 4A is a top perspective view of a preset housing of FIG.
1.
FIG. 4B is a bottom perspective view of a preset housing of FIG.
1.
FIG. 5 is a top view of one of the locking tabs of the preset
housing.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of one of the locking tabs of the
preset housing.
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating installation of
the activation assembly into the preset housing.
FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 4 after it
has been installed in a concrete floor.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a pair of
preset insert housings ganged together in accordance with the
certain aspects of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a pair of ganged preset
housings installed in a poured concrete floor, prior to activation
of the preset.
.Iadd.FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a wire retaining clip in
accordance with certain aspects of the present
invention..Iaddend.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an adapter that can be used in
combination with the preset housing of FIG. 1 to convert the preset
housing into an afterset housing.
FIGS. 13a to 13f are schematic drawings illustrating installation
of the afterset housing of FIG. 12 onto a raceway in a concrete
floor.
FIG. 14 is an exploded top perspective view of an afterset housing
according to certain aspects of the present invention, shown in
combination with an extension sleeve.
FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the afterset of FIG. 14.
FIG. 16 is a top perspective view showing the afterset of FIG. 14
installed on a raceway, prior to activation of the afterset.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing three ganged afterset
housings after activation.
FIGS. 18a to 18.Iadd.h .Iaddend.are schematic drawings illustrating
an alternative method for installing the afterset housing of FIG.
12 onto a raceway in a concrete floor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
While the invention will be described in connection with one or
more embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not
limited to those embodiments. On the contrary, the invention
includes all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be
included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-8, an underfloor electrical distribution
system 10 includes a plurality of raceway panels 12 (one shown)
that are adapted to be positioned on a subfloor prior to pouring of
the concrete floor 13. The raceway panels 12 are laid out in
accordance with a predetermined pattern to route service cables to
desired locations in the building. Each raceway panel 12 consists
of a metallic duct of a generally rectangular cross section. The
raceway panel 12 has a bottom wall 14, a pair of opposing side
walls 16, and an upper wall 18 which define an interior passage 20
for carrying the service cables. Preset openings 22 are formed in
the upper wall 18 of the raceway panel 12 to provide access to the
interior passage 20.
Presets 24 (one shown in FIG. 1) are configured to be mounted in
the preset openings 22 and to provide access to the interior
passage 20 of the raceway 12 from the upper surface of the concrete
floor 13. The preset 24 defines a hollow interior compartment 26
that is interconnectable with the interior passage 20 of the
raceway panel 12 to provide access to the service cables that are
carried in the raceway panel 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the
preset 24 has a generally rectangular housing consisting of a
bottom wall 30, an upstanding side wall 32 defining a top opening
34, and a concrete cap 36 (i.e., mud cap) that is removably mounted
in the top opening 34. Although a rectangular housing is
illustrated, it should be appreciated that the housing could be
cylindrical, for example, without departing from the scope of the
present invention. Preferably, the side wall 32 of the preset
housing is angled or beveled inwardly a slight amount, e.g.
approximately 1.0 degrees from vertical, to restrict upward
movement of the housing once the concrete floor has hardened.
As shown in FIG. 2, upon installation of the preset 24 and pouring
of the concrete floor 13, the concrete cap 36 is generally parallel
to the surface of the concrete floor and is positioned slightly
below the surface of the concrete floor. The concrete cap 36 serves
to prevent concrete from entering the interior compartment 26 of
the preset 24 when the concrete floor 13 is poured. After the
concrete floor 13 has hardened, the concrete above the concrete cap
36 is broken away and the concrete cap is removed to provide access
to the interior 26 of the preset 24 (see FIG. 3). As explained
below, an activation assembly that accepts a duplex receptacle or
other wiring device may then be installed on the preset 24.
A knockout section 40 is formed in the bottom wall of the preset
housing 24. The knockout section 40 is positioned to align with and
lockingly engage with the preset opening 22 to secure the preset 24
to the raceway panel 12 prior to and during pouring of the concrete
floor 13. For this purpose, the lower edge of the knockout section
40 includes a beveled protrusion 42 (see, e.g., FIGS. 2 and 4B)
that extends beyond the plane of the bottom wall 30 of the preset
and into the present opening 22. The preset 24 is further secured
in the opening 22 by a radial flange 43 that extends downwardly
from the bottom wall 30 along the periphery of the knockout 40 on
the side opposite that of the beveled protrusion 42. The radial
flange 43 is configured to engage against the front edge of the
preset opening 22 when the preset is mounted on the raceway panel.
The preset 24 further includes a plurality (three in the
illustrated embodiment) of locking tabs 44 that extend from the
bottom wall 30 and are configured to slidably engage with
reciprocal aperture 46 formed in the raceway panel 12 adjacent the
preset opening 22. Each locking tab 44 consists of a downwardly
extending leg 47 and flange 48 extending generally perpendicular
from the bottom end of the leg, i.e., generally parallel to the
bottom wall 30 of the preset 12.
The manner by which the preset 24 is attached to the raceway panel
12 is best understood by reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Initially the
locking tabs 44 are aligned with the reciprocal apertures 46 in the
raceway panel 12. The tabs 44 are then inserted downwardly into the
apertures 46, while the preset is simultaneously slid in the
direction of the arrow 50. As the tabs 44 move downwardly into the
apertures 46, the lower edge of the protrusion 42 engages against
the upper wall 18 of the raceway panel 12. Further downward
movement of the preset 12 biases the protrusion 42 upwardly. The
preset 24 is slid in the direction of the arrow 50 until the
trailing edge of the protrusion 42 extends past the edge of the
preset opening 22, at which time the protrusion 42 springs
downwardly to lock the preset 24 into the preset opening 22 (see
FIG. 2). At this position, the lower flanges 48 of the locking tabs
44 extend under the upper wall 18 of the raceway panel 12, to
further secure the preset 24 to the raceway panel 12. Ribs 51
formed in the upper surface of the flanges 48 (see FIGS. 5 and 6)
are compressed between the flanges 48 and the upper wall of the
raceway as the preset 24 is slid into position to form good ground
continuity between the preset 24 and the raceway 12. As can be seen
in FIG. 6, the ribs 51 may be beveled or tapered to an increasing
height near the back edge of the flange 48. A plurality of ribs 52
(see generally FIG. 10) may be formed in the exterior surface of
the bottom wall 30 of the preset 24. As the preset 24 is slid into
place, the ribs 52 abrade against the exterior surface of the
raceway panel 12 to form good ground continuity between the preset
and the raceway panel.
Ribs 51A along sides or legs 47 (FIG. 4B) can also provide ground
continuity and restrict lateral movement.
Further movement in the direction of the arrow 50 is restricted by
the interface between the legs 47 and the walls 43 against the
front edge 45 of the preset opening 22. Conversely, movement in the
direction opposite the arrow 50 is restricted by abutment of the
protrusion 42 against the back edge 49 of the opening 22. If
necessary, the preset 24 can be removed prior to pouring the
concrete floor by prying out the knockout section 40, or by bending
the trailing edge of the protrusion 42 upwardly and sliding the
preset 24 in the direction opposite arrow 50.
The preset 24 is preferably formed of a die cast metal, and in
particular from Zamak 3 which is commercially available from a
variety of suppliers including Eastern Alloys of Maybrook, N.Y.,
ARCO Alloys Corporation of Detroit Mich., and Imperial Zinc
Corporation of Chicago, Ill. Zamak 3 is an alloy of zinc, aluminum,
magnesium, and copper. Alternatively, the preset 24 could be formed
from other metals or from plastic.
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the use of alignment clips 60 to
interconnect and align presets carried by adjacent raceway ducts
12. Each alignment clip 60 has an upper portion 61 and three legs
62, 64, 66 extending downwardly from the upper portion. The legs
62, 64, 66 are separated by vertical slots 68, 70 which configured
to engage around tabs 72 that extend from the corners of the
presets 24. In addition to interconnecting the presets 24, the
alignment clips 60 maintain a uniform space between the presets 22
and hence the adjacent raceway panels 12. The alignment clips 60
are installed by aligning the vertical slots 68, 70 with the tabs
72 on the presets 22. As the alignment clip 60 is pushed or driven
downwardly, teeth 74 formed on the lower edges of the legs 62-66
engage against the top edges of the tabs 72. Continued downward
pressure on the alignment clip 60 causes the teeth 74 to abrade the
tabs 72 that are formed from the relatively softer Zamak 3
material, thereby allowing the clip to slide into place over the
tabs 72. (The clips 60 could alternatively be configured to snap
into place around the tabs 72.) Heads 76 formed on the ends of the
tabs 72 further secure the clip 60 in place on the tabs 72. It will
be appreciated that the tabs could, for example, be replaced with
slots configured to receive the clips 60.
Installation of an activation kit into the preset 24 is illustrated
in FIGS. 3, 7 and 8. Specifically, when a preset 24 is to be
activated, the concrete overlaying the preset is broken away to
provide access to the concrete cap 36. The concrete cap 36 is then
pried out of the preset (as is shown in FIG. 3). Striking the mud
cap 36 at 78 with a screwdriver or cold chisel will deflect the
edge inward to assist with removal of the concrete cap. Once the
concrete cap 36 is removed, the knockout 40 is removed to gain
access to the interior passage 20 of the raceway 12, as shown in
FIG. 1. The knockout 40 can be pried out by inserting a screwdriver
into the slots 80 formed at the periphery of the knockout and
twisting the screwdriver to break the retaining tabs 82. An arched
member 84 extends upwardly from the center of the knockout 40. A
wire can be hooked through the arched member 84 to prevent the
knockout 40 from falling into the raceway panel 12 as the knockout
40 is pried from the preset 24. Another function of the knockout is
to prevent fish tapes from entering unactivated openings. Fish
tapes may be pushed through the raceway panel 100 feet or more.
With presets on 24'' centers, the fish tape will easily pass by the
unactivated presets.
Removal of the knockout creates an opening 101 that overlies the
preset opening 22 in the raceway panel 12. Service cables 89 (e.g.,
electric wires, fiber optic cables, telephone lines, etc.) can be
routed into and out of the raceway panel through the openings 22,
101. The top opening 34 in the preset 24 is configured to receive a
variety of activation assemblies. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the activation
assembly is illustrated as a flush mount duplex electrical outlet.
It will be appreciated, however, that numerous other activation
assemblies can be employed with the preset without departing from
the scope of the claimed invention.
The duplex activation assembly includes link straps 85, a carpet
flange 88, a duplex receptacle 90, and a concrete cap 92. The link
straps 85 are secured in the inner compartment 26 of the preset 24
with self-taping screws 93 that thread into reciprocal bores 94
formed in upwardly extending bosses 96 located in the corners of
the interior compartment 26. The carpet flange 88 overlies the top
of the preset 24 and is secured thereto by screws 98 that thread
into apertures 100 in the link straps 85. The service cables 89
carried in raceway panel 12 are routed up through the knockout
opening 101 and into the interior compartment 26 of the preset 24.
Excess wire can be looped around wire retaining clips 102 that are
positioned around the periphery of the knockout opening 101. The
wire retaining clips 102 are formed from a non-conductive material
such as nylon and are adapted to snap into place into reciprocal
mounting brackets 104 formed in the bottom wall of the interior
compartment. As can be seen in FIG. 10, the wire retaining clips
102 are generally U-shaped and have forked bottom legs 106 which
slide into the mounting brackets 104. A grommet 108 may be secured
in the knockout opening 101 to provide a smooth, non-abrasive
surface for pulling wires into and out of the raceway panel 12. The
grommet 108 is made from a non-conductive material, such as nylon,
and is constructed to snap into place in the opening 101 after the
knockout 40 has been removed.
The wires 89 are appropriately connected to the electrical outlet
90 and the outlet is secured in place by mounting screws 110 that
thread into apertures 112 the carpet flange 88. The concrete cap 92
is generally rectangular and is sized to fit within a reciprocal
recess formed in the top of the carpet flange. Fasteners 114 extend
through apertures 116 in the corners of the concrete cap 92 and
thread into reciprocal apertures 118 in the carpet ring 88 to
secure the concrete cap in place. A rubber gasket 120 may be
interposed between the concrete cap 92 and the carpet flange 88 to
prevent contaminants from entering the interior compartment. The
concrete cap 92 has hinged doors 122 that can be pivoted upwardly
to access the outlets in the duplex receptacle 90 (see FIG. 8).
A threaded aperture 86 extends through the bottom wall of the
preset and overlies the top wall 18 of the raceway. A screw 87 is
threaded through the aperture 86 and until it engages securely
against the top wall 18 of the raceway 12 to provide ground
continuity between the preset and the raceway.
As shown in FIG. 7, an extension sleeve 124 may be interposed
between the preset housing 24 and the carpet flange 88 to increase
the depth of the preset 22 when a thicker concrete floor is
required. The extension sleeve 124 is generally rectangular and
includes a downwardly extending side wall 126 sized to fit within
the side wall of the preset 24. Bosses 128 are positioned in the
extension sleeve 124 to align with the bosses 96. The extension
sleeve 124 is secured in place by coupling rings 94 that are press
fit between bosses 94 and 96. Alternatively, the extension sleeve
may be secured in place by self taping screws (not shown) which
extend through the boss 94 and thread into the bosses 96.
Referring now to FIG. 12, an adapter 200 for converting the preset
20 into an afterset is described. (In the description of FIGS. 12
and 13, the term "afterset" is used to refer to the composite
assembly of the preset 12 and the adapter 200. The afterset is
identified in these Figs. by reference numeral 201). The adapter
200 is generally in the form of a rectangular plate, which is
configured to slidably engage with the bottom wall 30 of the preset
20. For this purpose, the adapter 200 includes three slots 202 that
are configured to align with and receive the locking tabs 44. The
adapter 200 further includes central opening 204 that is configured
to align with the knockout opening 101 when the adapter 200 is
connected to the preset 20. The afterset 201 also includes a pair
of locking tabs 203 that are secured to the bottom face of the
adapter 200 respective tab screws 205. The tab screws 205 can be
accessed through the slots 80 when the preset 20 is connected to
the adapter 200. The locking tabs 203 are used to secure the
afterset 101 to a raceway as is explained below.
The preset 12 is secured to the adapter in a manner similar to the
manner in which it is secured into a preset opening. In particular,
the locking tabs 44 are aligned with the reciprocal apertures 202
in the adapter 200. The tabs 44 are then inserted downwardly into
the apertures 202, while the preset is simultaneously slid in the
direction of the arrow 206. As the tabs 44 move downwardly into the
apertures 202, the lower edge of the protrusion 42 engages against
the upper face 208 of the adapter panel 12. Further downward
movement of the preset 12 biases the protrusion 42 upwardly. The
preset 24 is slid in the direction of the arrow 206 until the
trailing edge of the protrusion 42 extends past the edge of the
opening 204, at which time the protrusion 42 springs downwardly to
lock the preset 24 into the opening 204. At this position, the
lower flanges 48 of the locking tabs 44 extend under the adapter
200, to further secure the preset 24 to the adapter 200.
Further movement in the direction of the arrow 206 is restricted by
the interface between the legs 47 and the walls of the apertures
200, and also by abutment of the radial flange 43 against the front
edge 210 of the preset opening 204. Conversely, movement in the
direction opposite the arrow 206 is restricted by abutment of the
protrusion 42 against the back edge 212 of the opening 204. The
preset 20 is further secured to the adapter 200 by a fastener 214
that extends through the aperture 86 in the preset 20 and threads
into a reciprocal opening 216 in the adapter 200.
The manner in which the afterset 201 is installed will now be
described with reference to FIGS. 13a to 13f, which illustrate
installation of a pair of ganged aftersets. Initially, the
centerlines 220a, 220b of the raceways 222a, 222b are located,
e.g., by using the markers (not shown) at the ends of the raceways
or using existing fittings (not shown) in the raceways. Round core
holes 224a, 224b on the order of 2.5 inches in diameter are then
drilled through the concrete floor above the center of each of the
raceways 222a, 222b. The drill is run through the concrete until it
reaches the top of the raceway. The concrete slugs are then
removed, leaving the round core holes 224a, 224b in the concrete. A
concrete saw is then used to cut a rectangular opening 226 around
the core holes. (See FIGS. 13b and 13c). The rectangular opening
228 should be slightly larger (on the order of 1/8 inch) than the
outer dimensions of the afterset housing assembly (i.e., the ganged
afterset housings). The rectangular slug 230 is then removed from
the opening, e.g. with a hammer drill or similar device, leaving
the rectangular opening 288 in the concrete above the raceways.
Circular openings 232a, 232b on the order of 2.5 inches are then
drilled through the top walls of the raceways 222a, 222b.
The afterset housing 201 are then inserted into the opening 228 in
the concrete and secured to the raceways 222. Specifically, as can
be seen in FIG. 13d, the bottom face 234 of the adapter 200
includes a radial flange 236 that surrounds the center opening 204.
The radial flange 236 is sized for insertion into the circular
opening 232 that has been cut in the top wall of the raceway 222.
The afterset 201 is positioned on the raceway 220 with the locking
tabs 203 turned toward the center of the opening 204. Once the
afterset 201 is positioned on the raceway, the tab screws 205 are
tightened. As the tab screws 205 are tightened, the locking tabs
203 rotate outwardly and secure under the top wall of the raceway
220 to secure the afterset 201 to the raceway.
Where multiple aftersets are ganged together adjacent aftersets are
connected together with the alignments clips 60 in the manner
described above in connection with FIGS. 9-10. It should be noted
that in an afterset application, the center tooth 74 of the
alignment may need to be shortened to avoid hitting the concrete
that is located between the raceways. In this respect, the teeth
should not extend beyond the bottom wall of the afterset when
installed. The alignment clips 60 are installed prior to tightening
the locking tab screws. The alignment clips 60 ensure that adjacent
afterset housings 201 are properly aligned for receiving the cover
plate, e.g. carpet flange. (See, e.g., FIG. 13f). The carpet flange
88b of FIG. 13b is similar to the carpet flange 88 of FIG. 7,
except that it covers two afterset housings as opposed to a single
housing. In thicker concrete floors, it may be necessary to install
extension sleeves 124 between the afterset housing 201 and the
carpet flange to increase the depth of the afterset in the manner
described above.
After the alignment clips 60 are installed and the locking tabs are
tightened into place, grout is used to fill the open areas around
the afterset housings and the saw cuts. (See FIG. 13e) It may be
desirable to install mud caps in the aftersets prior to pouring the
grout. Once the grout is set, the grout above the mud caps is
broken away and the mud caps are removed to provide access to the
aftersets. Once the afterset housings are installed, the housings
may be activated by installing the appropriate activation
assemblies as was generally described above in connection with
FIGS. 7 and 8. As will be appreciated, the knockouts 40 need to be
removed from the preset prior to activation.
FIGS. 14-17 illustrate an alternative embodiment of an afterset 300
in accordance with certain aspects of the present invention. The
afterset 300 has a similar construction to the afterset 201, and
hence, like components have been identified with the same reference
numerals as were used above in connection the afterset 201. The
primary difference is that the afterset shown in FIGS. 14-17
comprises an integral assembly, as opposed to the afterset 201
which consists of the preset housing 20 and the adapter 200. (See
FIG. 15). The afterset 300 also does not employ the knockout of the
above described afterset 201. Referring to FIG. 15, the bottom wall
302 of the afterset is stepped (e.g. by 1/4 inch) along the sides
to provide clearance for concrete that is not completely removed
during formation of the afterset opening in the concrete floor.
The afterset 300 is configured to be mounted on a raceway in the
manner described above. The afterset 300 defines a hollow interior
compartment that is interconnectable with the interior passage 20
of the raceway through the opening 204 in the bottom wall 302 of
the afterset. The afterset has generally rectangular housing
consisting of the bottom wall 302, and an upstanding side wall 304
that defines a top opening 306. As will be appreciated, the
aftersets can be made in a variety of depths to accommodate floors
of different thickness'. Referring to FIG. 15, the radial flange
236 extends from the bottom wall 302 of the afterset 300 and is
configured for insertion into a reciprocal opening in the raceway.
Tabs 72 extend from the corners of the afterset 300 to allow the
aftersets to be ganged together via the clips 60.
FIG. 16 illustrates installation of a single afterset 300 on a
raceway. The afterset in FIG. 16 is shown prior to activation. FIG.
17 illustrates a three gang afterset application following
activation. As can be seen in FIG. 17, the aftersets are configured
to receive a wide variety of activation assemblies. In the
installation shown in FIG. 17, the one afterset houses coaxial
connectors 240, another afterset houses duplex outlet 242, and the
third afterset houses data jacks 244. A single carpet ring 88c
extends over the top of the three ganged housings. Proper alignment
of the adjacent afterset housings is ensured through the use of the
alignment clips 60, as was described above.
Mounting brackets 104 are formed in the bottom wall of the interior
compartment for receiving the wire retaining clips 102. An
extension sleeve 124 may be interposed between the afterset 300 and
the carpet flange to increase the depth of the afterset. As will be
appreciated, the sleeve may be provided in different heights to
accommodate floors of different thickness'. The afterset may also
be manufactured in a variety of depths to accommodate floors of
different thickness.
Referring now to FIGS. 18a to 18.Iadd.h.Iaddend., an alternative
method of the afterset 201 will now be briefly described. The
method is generally similar to that set forth above in connection
with FIGS. 13a to 13f. Initially, the centerlines 320a, 320b of the
raceways 322a, 322b are located, e.g., by using the markers (not
shown) at the ends of the raceways or using existing fittings in
the raceways. (See FIG. 18a). A round core hole 324a on the order
of 6.5 to 7 inches in diameter is then drilled through the concrete
floor above the center of one of the raceways 322a. (See FIG. 13b).
The drill is run through the concrete until it reaches the top of
the raceway. The concrete slug is then removed, leaving an opening
326 in the concrete over the raceway. (See FIGS. 13c and 13d). If
more than one afterset is to be installed at the location, the
above steps are repeated for the additional to provide access to
the other raceway 322b. (See, e.g. FIG. 18d). It should be noted
that both holes could be drilled before removing either of the
concrete slugs.
Once the concrete is removed from above the raceways, circular
openings 322a, 332b on the order of 2.5 inches are drilled through
the top walls of the raceways 322a, 322b. The afterset housing 201
are then inserted into the opening 326 in the concrete and
positioned on the raceways 322 in the manner described above. Where
multiple aftersets are ganged together, the adjacent aftersets are
connected together with the alignments clips 60 in the manner
described above. After the alignment clips 60 are installed and the
locking tabs are tightened into place, grout is used to fill the
open areas around the afterset housings. (See FIGS. 18g and 18h).
Preferably, mud caps are installed in the aftersets before the
grout is poured. (See FIG. 18g). Once the grout has hardened, the
grout over the mud caps is broken away and the mud caps are removed
to provide access to the aftersets. (See FIG. 18h). Once the
afterset housings are installed, the housings may be activated by
installing the appropriate activation assemblies as was generally
described above.
* * * * *