Outlet cover assembly for raceway

• US 6,355,880 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Czerner, Peter A., Bateson, Gary W., DeBartolo, Joseph V. Jr., Ewer, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US09/520,803
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 174/48, 174/49, 174/50, 174/58, 174/60, 174/66, 174/67, 220/3.2, 220/3.8, 220/4.02, 220/242, 220/3.3, 220/3.92, 220/241, 522/203, 522/207
• US Class Current: 174/502
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/105 in association with a plinth, channel, raceway or similar

Abstract

A raceway assembly includes a raceway and a cover assembly removably coupled to the raceway. The cover assembly is mounted flush on the raceway to avoid restriction of the channels formed in the raceway. The cover assembly includes at least one base that is snapped onto the raceway for supporting a wiring device and includes an access opening for accessing wires or cables in the raceway. The base can be used alone or can be assembled in a ganged relation with an identical base. A cover having an access opening is coupled to the base to enclose the base and the electrical data, telecommunications device. A face plate covers the access opening of the cover and is attached to the wiring device to secure the cover to the wiring device, base and raceway.

Claims

1. An outlet cover assembly for use with an electrical raceway, said assembly comprising:

a base having a bottom wall, an open top end, a mounting member for mounting a wiring device to said base, and a first coupling member on said bottom wall for coupling said base to an electrical raceway; and

a removable cover having a front wall and opposite end walls, said cover coupled to said base and forming an enclosure with said base for the wiring device, said front wall of said cover having an opening for the wiring device.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said mounting member comprises two spaced apart posts extending from said bottom wall.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said base further comprises a second coupling member on said bottom wall for removably coupling with said removable cover.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said end walls of said cover have an inner face with a third coupling member for coupling with said second coupling member of said base.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said second coupling member is a hook member on said bottom wall, and wherein said third coupling member on said cover is a ridge for coupling with said hook member.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said base includes opposite side walls.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said bottom wall of said base includes at least one access opening to said raceway.

8. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a face plate for said cover for coupling with the wiring device and for coupling said cover to said base, wherein said face plate has a dimension greater than a dimension of said opening in said cover.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening in said cover conforms to the periphery of the wiring device.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first coupling member comprises at least one hook member extending from a bottom face of said base for coupling with said raceway, and said base comprises a spacer on said bottom wall for spacing said bottom wall from said raceway and forming a gap between said bottom wall of said base and said raceway.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said cover member comprises a side panel extending from said end walls for overlying the raceway.

12. An outlet cover assembly for use with an electrical raceway, said assembly comprising:

a base for supporting a wiring device, said base having a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, said bottom wall having a top face and a bottom face, said base further having at least one first coupling member extending from said bottom face for coupling with a raceway, and at least one second coupling member extending from said top face of said bottom wall, and

a cover having a front wall and opposite end walls, said end walls having a third coupling member for cooperating with said second coupling member for coupling said cover to said base, and said front wall having an opening for the wiring device.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said bottom wall of said base includes at least one access opening to the raceway.

14. The assembly of claim 12, further comprising at least one mounting member on said bottom wall of said base for supporting a wiring device.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein said at least one mounting member comprises a post extending upwardly from said bottom wall.

16. The assembly of claim 12, further comprising a face plate having a dimension greater than a dimension of said opening in said front wall of said cover, wherein said face plate can be coupled to said wiring device for coupling said cover to said base.

17. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said first coupling member comprises at least one hook member extending from said bottom face of said bottom wall of said base for coupling with said raceway, said base further comprising a spacer on said bottom face of said bottom wall for spacing said bottom wall of said base from said raceway.

18. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said second coupling member is a hook member on said bottom wall of said base, and said third coupling member is a ridge for coupling with said hook member.

19. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said cover includes side walls and said cover is dimensioned to enclose said base.

20. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said assembly comprises at least two of said bases coupled to said raceway in a ganged relationship, each of said bases being capable of supporting a wiring device, and wherein said cover is dimensioned to cover said at least two bases.

21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein said front wall of said cover includes an opening for each of said wiring devices.

22. The assembly of claim 21, further comprising a face plate for coupling to each of said wiring devices for covering each of said openings in said opening in said cover.

23. An electrical conductor management assembly comprising:

a raceway having opposite side walls for forming at least one longitudinal channel;

at least one base having a first coupling member removably coupling said at least one base to said raceway, said base further having at least one access opening to said at least one channel in said raceway, a wiring device mounting member, and a second coupling member;

a wiring device coupled to said mounting member; and

a cover having a front wall, opposite end walls, and a third coupling member for coupling with said second coupling member, said cover being removably coupled to said base, and said front wall having an opening for said wiring device.

24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein said raceway includes at least one internal wall for forming at least two longitudinal channels in said raceway.

25. The assembly of claim 24, wherein said raceway includes at least one internal wall that has a generally T-shape.

26. The assembly of claim 24, wherein said base is coupled to said at least one internal wall.

27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein said base includes a flexible coupling member for coupling to said at least one internal wall.

28. The assembly of claim 27, wherein said at least one internal wall of said raceway includes a cross member whereby said at least one internal wall has a substantially T-shape, and wherein said flexible coupling member is a flexible hook-shaped member for engaging said cross member.

29. The assembly of claim 28, wherein said base includes an opening adjacent said flexible coupling member and being dimensioned to receive a tool for bending said flexible coupling members away from said at least one inner wall.

30. The assembly of claim 23, wherein said first coupling member on said base is a hook member and said side walls of said raceway include a lip for coupling with said hook member.

31. The assembly of claim 23, wherein said base comprises a bottom wall and opposite side walls and an open top end.

32. The assembly of claim 31, wherein said second coupling member for coupling with said cover is a hook member.

33. The assembly of claim 32, wherein said third coupling member on said second coupling member is a ridge.

34. The assembly of claim 23, wherein said base includes a bottom wall having a spacer member for contacting said raceway and defining a gap between said bottom wall and said raceway.

35. The assembly of claim 23, further comprising a cover plate having a dimension greater than said opening in said front wall of said cover, said cover plate being coupled to said wiring device for coupling said cover to said base.

36. The assembly of claim 23, wherein said wiring device is an electrical receptacle, telecommunications device or data device.

37. The assembly of claim 23, comprising at least two of said bases in a ganged relationship, and wherein said cover is dimensioned to enclosed said at least two bases.

38. An outlet cover assembly for use with an electrical raceway, said assembly comprising:

a base having a bottom wall, an open top end, a mounting member for mounting a wiring device to said base, and a first coupling member on said bottom wall for coupling said bottom wall of said base to a top surface of an electrical raceway; and

a removable cover having a front wall, said cover coupled to said base and forming an enclosure with said base for said wiring device, said front wall of said cover having an opening for the wiring device.

39. The assembly of claim 38, wherein said base has an open first end and an open second end.

40. The assembly of claim 38, wherein said cover has end walls for closing said first open end and said second open end of said base.