Receptacle box for an underfloor system

• US 7,205,488 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Group Dekko Incorporated (Graham Holdings Company)
• Original Assignee: Pent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Riner, Raymond H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada; Angel R.
• Application Number:
  US10/016,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20030106701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/53, 174/54, 174/57, 174/58, 174/59, 174/48, 174/49, 174/480, 174/481, 174/482, 174/486, 174/490, 174/484, 220 32- 37, 220/4.02, 220/4.01, 220/242, 220/557, 220/535, 220/650, 220/926, 220/559, 220/536, 439/142, 439/131, 439/557, 439/650, 439/926, 439/559, 439/535, 439/536, 248/906, 361/600, 361/601, D13/152
• US Class Current: 174/482
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/185 Floor outlets and access cups

Abstract

An underfloor receptacle box, including a housing having at least one opening including a first opening, a lid detachably attached to the housing substantially closing the first opening; and an insert having at least one angled wall, the insert being removably connected to the housing, the insert having a continuous wireway between said at least one angled wall and said housing.

Claims

1. An underfloor receptacle box system, comprising:

an electrical cable connector;

a mating power connector,

a housing having a plurality of openings including a first opening and a second opening;

a lid detachably attached to said housing substantially closing said first opening;

at least one pass-through connector, said at least one pass-through connector being at least partially disposed in said second opening, said at least one pass-through connector releasably directly connected to said electrical cable connector on the inside of said housing and to said mating power connector on the outside of said housing; and

an insert having at least one angled wall, said insert being removably connected to said housing, said insert having a continuous wireway between said at least one angled wall and said housing.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of an electrical power receptacle, a telecommunication receptacle and a data receptacle connected to said insert.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said electrical power receptacle is electrically connected to said electrical cable connector.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said housing has at least one additional opening configured for the passage into said housing of at least one of electrical power cable, telecommunications cable and data cable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said lid has at least one slot along at least one edge, said at least one slot providing for the passage of electrical interconnections into said housing.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said lid includes a bezel that is detachably connected to said housing, said lid hingeably connected to said bezel, said bezel having at least one retaining hook which coacts with said at least one slot thereby retaining electrical conductors.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said housing portion is configured to be mounted below a finished floor level, said bezel being substantially at said finished floor level and connected to said housing.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one angled wall of said insert is two angled walls and said insert includes a bottom attached between said two angled walls, said wireway continuous between said bottom and said housing.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein mating connector is connected to one of a source of electrical power, a source of data and a source of telecommunications.

10. A method of reconfiguring an underfloor receptacle box, comprising the steps of:

removing a mounting assembly from the underfloor receptacle box;

disconnecting an electrical cable connector from a pass-through connector, said pass-through connector being releasably directly connected to said electrical cable connector on the inside of the underfloor receptacle box and a mating power connector on the outside of the underfloor receptacle box; and

installing a pro-configured mounting assembly into the underfloor receptacle box.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said removing step includes the steps of:

detaching said mounting assembly from a housing of the underfloor receptacle box; and

unplugging at least one of said electrical cable connector, a data connector and a telephone connector.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said installing step includes the sub-steps of:

connecting at least one of said electrical connector, said data connector and said telephone connector to said mounting assembly; and

attaching said mounting assembly to said housing.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of removing a bezel with a hingedly attached lid.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

removing at least one receptacle from said mounting assembly; and

attaching at least one receptacle to said mounting assembly.