Low profile raceway

• US 10,333,283 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Strong Products Group, Ltd. (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Strong Products Group, Ltd. (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Strong, Clinton
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada, Angel R
• Application Number:
  US15/985,693
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 174480, 174481, 174 50, 174 53, 174 57, 174 58, 174 681, 174 683, 174 95, 174 97, 174 96, 174 99 R, 174 72 R, 248 681, 248 49
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/02 for simultaneous co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/08 through tubing or conduit, e.g. rod or draw wire for pushing or pulling inserting electrical cables into tubes using wallbores E21B17/206; for optical cables G02B6/4401
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0418 Covers or lids; Their fastenings
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0431 Wall trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0437 Channels
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/105 in association with a plinth, channel, raceway or similar
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/24 Installation of lines or cables on walls, ceilings or floors by means of insulators insulators H01B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 9/04 in surface ducts; Ducts or covers therefor

Abstract

In various implementations, a raceway may include a housing with walls and arms extending from the housing. A cavity may be disposed in the housing and cables may reside in the cavity, during use. The cables may provide connectivity to receptacles of the raceway and thus a variety of devices. A cover may be utilized with the housing to facilitate access to the cables in the cavity of the housing. In some implementations, the cover may be retained by flexible arms of the housing. The raceway may be configured to receive wire clips to retain cables and/or conduit disposed in a cavity of the raceway.

Claims

1. A raceway to provide connectivity, the raceway comprising:

a housing, wherein the housing comprises;

a base, wherein the base comprises;

a first side, a second side, and a length;

two flexible arms extending from the base of the housing, wherein one of the flexible arms is disposed proximate the first side of the base, and wherein the other flexible arm is disposed proximate the second side of the base, and wherein each flexible arm comprises;

a planar portion; and

a curved portion;

two structural walls extending from the base of the housing, wherein each of the structural walls is disposed between the two flexible arms, and wherein a gap resides between each of the flexible arms and each of the structural walls, and wherein each structural wall is capable of supporting a cover disposed on the structural wall; and

a cavity disposed between the two structural walls, wherein the cavity is capable of receiving at least one of cables or conduit to provide connectivity;

a first ramp disposed proximate the first side of the base; and

a second ramp disposed proximate the second side of the base.

2. The raceway of claim 1 further comprising at least one cover configured to couple with the housing;

wherein one or more of the covers comprise two walls extending from an inner side of the one or more covers; and

wherein each of the walls is disposed such that when the one or more covers are inserted into the raceway, each of the walls is configured to be disposed on one of the structural walls of the raceway such that force exerted on the one or more covers is at least partially transferred to the two structural walls of the raceway.

3. The raceway of claim 2 wherein each of the covers further comprises a first flange extending from a first end of the cover and a second flange extending from a second end of the cover, wherein the first flange and the second flange may inhibit damage to the raceway and wherein a first cover gap resides between the first flange and one of the flexible arms of the raceway and wherein a second cover gap resides between the second flange and the other flexible arm of the raceway.

4. The raceway of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a cable or a conduit disposed in the cavity of the raceway.

5. The raceway of claim 1 wherein each of the flexible arms comprises a first end of the planar portion with greater thickness than a second end of the planar portion to allow the second end to deform when subject to a predetermined force.

6. The raceway of claim 1 wherein the raceway has a height of less than approximately 1 inch.

7. The raceway of claim 1 wherein the raceway has a width of between approximately 2 and approximately 3 inches.

8. The raceway of claim 1 wherein the first ramp is coupled to the first side of the base and the second ramp is coupled to the second side of the base.

9. The raceway of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more cables to provide connectivity, wherein the one or more cables are disposed in the cavity of the raceway; and

one or more receptacles coupled to the raceway, wherein each of the receptacles are coupled to at least one of the cables such that the receptacle can provide connectivity via one or more of the coupled cables.

10. The raceway of claim 9 wherein each of the receptacles comprises at least one of a socket or a port.

11. The raceway of claim 1 wherein one or more of the structural walls comprises one or more recesses capable of receiving a portion of a wire clip, and wherein the wire clip is configured to retain cables disposed in at least one of the cavities of the raceway.

12. A raceway to provide connectivity, the raceway comprising:

a housing, wherein the housing comprises;

a base, wherein the base comprises;

a first side, a second side, and a length;

two flexible arms extending from the base of the housing, wherein one of the flexible arms is disposed proximate the first side of the base, and wherein the other flexible arm is disposed proximate the second side of the base, and wherein each flexible arm comprises;

a planar portion; and

a curved portion;

two structural walls extending from the base of the housing, wherein each of the structural walls is disposed between the two flexible arms, and wherein a gap resides between each of the flexible arms and each of the structural walls, and wherein each structural wall is capable of supporting a cover disposed on the structural wall; and

a cavity disposed between the two structural walls, wherein the cavity is capable of receiving at least one of cables or conduit to provide connectivity; and

one or more wire clips comprising;

a base;

a first flange disposed at a first end of the base; and

a second flange disposed at the second end of the base;

wherein the first flange is configured to be disposed at least partially in at least one of the recesses in at least one of the structural walls of the raceways;

and wherein the second flange is configured to be disposed at least partially in at least one of the recesses in at least one of the other structural walls of the raceway.

13. The raceway of claim 12 further comprising at least one cover configured to couple with the housing;

wherein each of the covers comprises at least two walls extending from an inner side of the cover;

wherein each of the walls is disposed such that when the cover is inserted into the raceway, each of the walls is configured to be disposed on one of the structural walls of the raceway such that force exerted on the cover is at least partially transferred to at least one of the structural walls of the raceway.

14. The raceway of claim 12 wherein each of the flexible arms comprises a first end of the planar portion with greater thickness than a second end of the planar portion to allow the second end to deform when subject to a predetermined force.

15. The raceway of claim 12 further comprising at least one cover configured to couple with the housing, wherein one or more of the covers comprises:

a first flange extending from a first end of the one or more one covers; and

a second flange extending from a second end of the one or more covers,

at least one first cover gap residing between the first flange of the one or more covers and one of the flexible arms of the raceway; and

at least one second cover gap residing between the second flange of the one or more covers and the other flexible arm of the raceway.

16. The raceway of claim 12 further comprising at least one of a cable or a conduit disposed in the cavity of the raceway.

17. The raceway of claim 12 further comprising:

one or more cables to provide connectivity, wherein the one or more cables are disposed in the cavity of the raceway, and wherein one or more of the wire clips retain at least one of the cables in the cavity of the raceway; and

one or more receptacles coupled to the raceway, wherein each of the receptacles are coupled to at least one of the cables such that the receptacles can provide connectivity via one or more of the coupled cables.

18. A method of installing a raceway comprising:

providing a raceway at a location, wherein the raceway comprises;

a housing, wherein the housing comprises;

a base, wherein the base comprises;

a first side, a second side, and a length;

at least two flexible arms extending from the base of the housing, wherein one of the flexible arms is disposed proximate the first side of the base, and wherein the other flexible arm is disposed proximate the second side of the base, and wherein each flexible arm comprises;

a planar portion; and

a curved portion;

two or more structural walls extending from the base of the housing, wherein a gap resides between each of the flexible arms and each of the structural walls, and wherein each structural wall is capable of supporting a cover disposed on the structural wall;

one or more cavities disposed in the raceway, wherein the cavity is capable of receiving at least one of cables or conduit to provide connectivity;

disposing one or more cables in at least one of the cavities in the raceway;

coupling one or more covers to the raceway, wherein each of the covers comprises at least two walls extending from an inner surface of the cover, and wherein coupling each of the covers to the raceway comprises inserting the cover at least partially into the raceway such that each of the walls is disposed at least partially in the raceway and is disposed on one of the structural walls, wherein inserting the cover at least partially into the raceway causes at least a part of at least one of the flexible arms to at least partially deform and couple the raceway and the cover; and

retaining one or more of the cables in at least one of the cavities by coupling one or more wire clips to the raceway, wherein coupling the one or more wire clips to the raceway comprises inserting flanges of each of the wire clips into recesses disposed in each of the structural walls of the raceway.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising disposing a tool in a cover gap residing between the housing of the raceway and one of the covers;

and applying a force via the tool to a surface of a flange of the cover to remove the cover coupled to the raceway.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising coupling one or more receptacles coupled to the raceway, wherein each of the receptacles are coupled to at least one of the cables such that the receptacle can provide connectivity via one or more of the coupled cables.

21. A method of installing a raceway comprising:

providing a raceway at a location, wherein the raceway comprises;

a housing, wherein the housing comprises;

a base, wherein the base comprises;

a first side, a second side, and a length;

at least two flexible arms extending from the base of the housing, wherein one of the flexible arms is disposed proximate the first side of the base, and wherein the other flexible arm is disposed proximate the second side of the base, and wherein each flexible arm comprises;

a planar portion; and

a curved portion;

two or more structural walls extending from the base of the housing, wherein a gap resides between each of the flexible arms and each of the structural walls, and wherein each structural wall is capable of supporting a cover disposed on the structural wall;

one or more cavities disposed in the raceway, wherein the cavity is capable of receiving at least one of cables or conduit to provide connectivity;

disposing one or more cables in at least one of the cavities in the raceway;

coupling one or more covers to the raceway, wherein each of the covers comprises at least two walls extending from an inner surface of the cover, and wherein coupling each of the covers to the raceway comprises inserting the cover at least partially into the raceway such that each of the walls is disposed at least partially in the raceway and is disposed on one of the structural walls, wherein inserting the cover at least partially into the raceway causes at least a part of at least one of the flexible arms to at least partially deform and couple the raceway and the cover; and

disposing one or more ramps proximate one or more of the sides of the base.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising coupling one or more receptacles coupled to the raceway, wherein each of the receptacles are coupled to at least one of the cables such that the receptacle can provide connectivity via one or more of the coupled cables.