Access flooring module

• US 5,122,069 A
• Filed: 06/19/1991
• Issued: 06/16/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AMP Limited
• Original Assignee: AMP Limited
• Inventors: Brownlie, Alan W., Lincoln, Clifford F., Sigmon, Ned A., Lawhead, Jack W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US07/717,866
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 439/131, 439/535, 439/538, 439/539, 174/53, 174/48, 174/59, 174/68.5, 220/3.2-3.7, 220/3.94
• US Class Current: 439/131
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/501 underground installation of connection boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/185 Floor outlets and access cups

Abstract

An access floor module for use with wiring extending beneath the floor of a structure can be used with both high tension and low tension conductors. High tension and low tension outlets can be mounted on the front of a rotatable frame member. Cables are attached to the back and the frame can be inserted into the floor into the plenum beneath the access floor on the same level as the cables and the frame pivotably mounted with respect to the floor. The frame also provides structural support for the module cover.

Claims

1. An enclosure for housing a plurality of first and second electrical sockets separately interconnectable to high tension and low tension conductors of one or more high and low tension cables, the enclosure comprising:

a frame of opposing top and bottom walls and opposing endwalls having an open front face and extending to a rearward frame end, and including an intermediate wall extending between said top and bottom walls parallel to the front face spaced intermediate said front face and said rearward frame end with openings at opposite ends of said intermediate wall, said frame being mountable at a selected site in a structure requiring high and low tension conductors, and each opening being larger than twice a cable diameter;

cable mounting brackets securable to the frame at respective said openings and being defined by wall sections adapted to adjoin a said endwall, said top and bottom walls and said intermediate wall and close said openings without occupying space within said frame forwardly of said intermediate wall and in a manner permitting said high and low tension cables to extend through respective ones of said brackets, a high tension one of said cable mounting brackets having at least a pair of cable receiving apertures therethrough each being a single cable diameter in dimension for a respective one of said high tension cables to just fit therein and whereby said high tension cable mounting bracket is adapted for use with armored cable containing high tension conductors and being locatable adjacent one opening of the wall selected to correspond with particular site cable arrangement requirements, and a low tension one of said cable mounting brackets having an aperture therethrough large enough to be adapted to receipt of at least a pair of said low tension cables therethrough and being locatable adjacent the other opening of the wall; and

outlet mounting bracket means, at the front face of the frame, spaced from said intermediate wall by a distance sufficient to allow either a high tension conductor or a low tension conductor to pass between the wall and an outlet attached to said outlet mounting bracket means;

whereby one or more high tension conductor cables can be brought into one end of the frame selected on site and one or more low tension conductor cables into the other end of the frame as desired, and high tension electrical outlets can be attached to the outlet mounting bracket means adjacent the one end of the frame and low tension electrical outlets can be attached to outlet mounting bracket means adjacent the other end of the frame as desired and enabling the enclosure to be completed and programmed on site, for high and low tension conductors of the high and low tension cables to be routed to respective appropriate outlets along and forwardly of the intermediate wall from the one and other frame ends respectively.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 wherein the outlet mounting bracket means define a plurality of positions between opposite ends of the frame, each of the positions being suitable for attachment of either a high tension or a low tension outlet.

3. The enclosure of claim 1 wherein the outlet mounting bracket means comprise tabs located at the top and bottom of the front face, the tabs being positioned so that an outlet having upper and lower flanges can be secured to the tabs.

4. The enclosure of claim 1 including separator means, the outlet mounting bracket means being configured for receipt of separator means between any two adjacent outlets.

5. The enclosure of claim 1 wherein the frame is adapted to be mountable to a floor at an opening therethrough and further adapted to be rotatable between an open and a closed position with respect to the floor opening, and the outlets and the conductors are attached to the frame and thereby rotate with the frame.

6. An access floor module for use with wiring extending beneath the floor of a structure, the module comprising:

a box frame at least partially open on front and rear faces of the box frame and pivoted about opposite ends of the box frame;

cable exit means adjacent the rear of the box frame and near the pivot; and

outlet mounting means on the front of the box frame whereby rotation of the box frame exposes the outlets mounted on the front of the box frame, the cable exit means and the outlet mounting means being fixed to the box frame and rotatable therewith,

the cable exit means being disposed near each of opposed ends of the rear face and including sections having cable exit apertures extending therethrough, said sections being oriented near 90°

with respect to the rear face and generally facing the other of the opposed ends at least near the pivot,

whereby the cable ends exiting through said cable exit apertures and outwardly of the box frame are at least initially directed along the rear face of the box frame remaining generally horizontal with respect to the floor upon pivoting of the box frame.

7. The access floor module of claim 6 wherein the box is fabricated of stiff members so that the box frame provides structural support for loads applied to the top of the access floor module.

8. The access floor module of claim 7 wherein the box frame comprises a top wall, a bottom wall and end walls, the top wall being parallel to the floor with the end walls extending perpendicular to the floor when the module is in the closed position;

9. The access floor module of claim 8 including a cover attached to the top wall of the box frame.

10. The access floor wiring assembly of claim 8 wherein the bottom wall is partially defined by an intermediate wall having openings adjacent opposite endwalls thereof for providing communication means for passage of cables between the front and rear faces.

11. The access floor wiring assembly of claim 10 wherein the cable exit means includes brackets attachable to the intermediate wall and extending over the rear of the openings, each bracket including at least one aperture for receiving a cable therethrough.

12. The access floor module of claim 6 including means for supporting a cover when the module is closed, the box frame supporting peripheral edges of the cover between peripheral edges of the supporting means.

13. The access floor module of claim 12 wherein the means for supporting the cover comprises a shroud in which the box frame is positioned, the shroud including means for mounting the module in an opening in the floor.

17. The access floor wiring assembly of claim 11 wherein the cable exit means includes brackets attachable to the intermediate wall and extending over the rear of the openings, each bracket including at least one aperture for receiving a cable therethrough.

14. An access floor wiring assembly received within a plenum beneath an access floor including an access floor module communicating with the plenum, the module comprising:

a box frame at least partially open on front and rear faces of the box frame and pivoted about opposite ends of the box frame;

means for mounting the box frame in the opening in the floor so that the box frame is positioned beneath the floor in the plenum extending horizontally with respect to the floor can extend into the rear of the box frame;

cable exit means adjacent the rear of the box frame and near the pivot; and

outlet mounting means on the front of the box frame whereby rotation of the box frame exposes the outlets mounted on the front of the box frame, the cable exit means and the outlet mounting means being fixed to the box frame and rotatable therewith,

the cable exit means being disposed near each of opposed ends of the rear face and including sections having cable exit apertures extending therethrough, said sections being oriented near 90°

with respect to the rear face and generally facing the other of the opposed ends at least near the pivot,

whereby the cable ends exiting through said cable exit apertures and outwardly of the box frame are at least initially directed along the rear face of the box frame remaining generally horizontal with respect to the floor upon pivoting of the box frame.

15. The access floor wiring assembly of claim 14 wherein the means for mounting the box frame in the opening in the floor comprises a shroud in which the box frame is mounted, the box frame being rotatable relative to the shroud.

16. The access floor wiring assembly of claim 14 wherein the box frame has an intermediate wall having openings on opposite ends thereof for providing communication between the front and rear faces.

18. The access floor wiring assembly of claim 14 wherein the outlet mounting means comprises means for mounting a plurality of outlets side by side.

19. The access floor wiring assembly of claim 14 wherein the box frame includes cable securing means along the rear face at ends opposed from the ends from which the respective cables exit the box frame.