Underfloor access housing

• US 4,603,523 A
• Filed: 06/20/1984
• Issued: 08/05/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Centria, Inc. (Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: H.H. Robertson Co. (Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Albrecht, Raymond E., Haskins, Paul L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/622,481
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 174/96, 174/95, 174/98, 174/48, 174/49, 52/221, 52/220, 220/3.3, 220/3.4, 220/3.5, 220/3.6
• US Class Current: 52/220.4
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 5/48 Special adaptations of floors for incorporating ducts, e.g. for heating or ventilating in block-shaped elements E04C1/39; in slab- or sheet-shaped elements E04C2/52
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/185 Floor outlets and access cups

Abstract

A preset access housing for use with metal cellular flooring units of the type placed in building floors, and which provide generally parallel enclosed cells separated by troughs. The housing spans between the confronting webs of two of the cells and has side walls depending into the region between the cells to enclose a trough space. A connection formed in part from portions of the end walls of the housing and in part by slots in the generally vertically webs of the cells, connects the housing to the flooring unit. Deflectible means associated with the side walls of the housing, engage a surface of the flooring unit in the region between the cells, are deflected, and urge the housing upwardly relative to the flooring unit thereby to retain the connection between the housing and the flooring unit. The upward biasing of the housing by the deflectible side wall portions, accommodates variations in the positions of the slots relative to the crests of the two cells, which variations may occur during roll forming of the upper sheet of the flooring unit.

Claims

1. An access housing in combination with a metal cellular flooring unit, said flooring unit providing generally parallel enclosed cells separated by troughs, each of said cells presenting a crest and webs depending therefrom and connected to valleys forming part of said troughs, said housing spanning between the crests of two of said cells and comprising:

a top wall having an access opening;

distinct perimeter walls including end walls depending toward the webs of said two of said cells and side walls depending toward the flooring unit, said side walls extending into the region between said two of said cells and having lower perimeter edges contoured to match the contour of that portion of said flooring unit in the region between the crest of two of said cells;

the webs of said two of said cells having generally vertically presented slots;

flexible connecting means presented by said end walls, engaging said slots and connecting said housing to said flooring unit; and

defectable means provided by each of said side walls, engaging a surface of said flooring unit intermediate of said two of said cells, being deflected, and urging said housing upwardly relative to said flooring unit to maintain said connecting means engaged in said slots.

2. The access housing as defined in claim 1 wherein said deflectible means comprise flanges, one inclined downwardly and outwardly from each of said side walls.

3. The access housing as defined in claim 2 wherein said flanges present upturned end portions.

4. The access housing as defined in claim 1 wherein said deflectible means reside at a level below said flexible connecting means.

5. The access housing as defined in claim 1 wherein said deflectible means reside at a level above said flexible connecting means.

6. The access housing as defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible connecting means of each of said side walls comprise spaced-apart upwardly hooking members extending downwardly and outwardly from said end walls.

7. The access housing as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said end walls presents an end wall portion disposed between and extending downwardly beyond said spaced-apart upwardly hooking members.

8. The access housing as defined in claim 7 wherein the shape of each of said end wall portion matches that of the adjacent ones of said upwardly hooking members.

9. The access housing as defined in claim 1 wherein said surface comprises a crest of a third cell presented between said two of said cells.

10. The access housing as defined in claim 9 wherein said crest of said third cell resides at a level below the crest of said two of said cells.

11. The access housing as defined in claim 9 wherein said crest of said third cell is coplanar with the crest of said two of said cells.

12. The access housing as defined in claim 1 wherein said surface comprises a valley of the trough separating said two of said cells.