Recessed electrical outlet box for floors

• US 7,838,769 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Peck, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US11/826,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20090014196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 174 53- 55, 174/58, 174 60- 64, 248/906, 439535-539, 220/3.2, 220/3.3, 220/3.8, 220/4.02
• US Class Current: 174/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/185 Floor outlets and access cups

Abstract

An outlet box assembly for installation within a wood, tile or carpeted floor, or any other type of flooring, includes a housing for accommodating an electrical power and/or data receptacle as well as the wiring connected to the receptacle and an adjustment mechanism attached to an outer surface of the housing for adjusting the receptacle downwardly to a recessed position a predetermined distance below the flooring material. The adjustment mechanism further includes an attachment mechanism for attaching the outlet box assembly to either the top or side surface of the floor. A cover plate is provided with a tapered recessed box and an access door for easy access to the recessed receptacle.

Claims

1. An outlet box assembly comprising:

a housing configured with at least two opposing side portions, two opposing end portions and a base portion;

at least one adjustment mechanism secured to a top surface of a floor structure with a top flange and in slideable relation with a respective side or end portion of said housing; and

at least one adjustment device mechanically attached to said housing and at least one a respective adjustment mechanism,

wherein the respective adjustment plate mechanism moves relative to said housing.

2. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one adjustment mechanism includes:

at least one tab portion operable to receive said adjustment device; and

a side flange integral with said top flange and operable to secure the adjustment mechanism to a side surface of the floor structure.

3. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

a tapered recessed box with a narrow opening at one end disposed adjacent to an opening in said housing and a wide opening at an opposing end, wherein the wide opening is larger than the narrow opening in at least one dimension; and

a cover plate mechanically attached to said tapered recessed box and including an aperture corresponding to the wide opening in said tapered recessed box.

4. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 3, and further comprising:

an access door mechanically attached to said cover plate and disposed to selectively cover and expose the aperture in said cover plate.

5. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein

said access door includes at least one aperture for providing access to said tapered recessed box.

6. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 5, and further comprising

at least one gasket for sealing the at least one aperture in said access door.

7. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein

said at least one gasket includes an aperture covering portion having a groove disposed in a side thereof for engaging a corresponding ridge disposed on an edge of the aperture in said access door.

8. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein

said at least one gasket further comprises a tethering strap attached at one end thereof to an underside of said access door and attached at another end thereof to said aperture covering portion, wherein, when said aperture covering portion of said gasket is removed from its respective aperture in said access door, the removed aperture covering portion is retained below said access door within said tapered recessed box.

9. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 3, and further comprising

an electrical receptacle mechanically attached to said housing at an open end thereof opposite the base portion.

10. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising

at least one pair of retainer guides disposed on an inside surface of said housing and operable to retain a dividing plate disposed within said housing for electrically separating the inside of said housing into respective chambers.

11. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 10, and further comprising

a receptacle mechanically attached to said housing at an open end thereof opposite the base portion, wherein said receptacle comprises a power side for providing electrical power and a low-voltage side for providing a communication signal.

12. An outlet box assembly comprising:

a housing for an electrical receptacle;

a cover plate having an aperture;

a door panel attached to said cover plate operable to cover the aperture in said cover plate, said door panel including at least one aperture smaller in dimension than the aperture in said cover plate, wherein each aperture in said door panel has a lip; and

at least one sealing gasket respectively corresponding to the at least one aperture in said door panel, wherein each sealing gasket has substantially the same dimensions as its respective aperture in said door panel and each sealing gasket includes a groove that engages the lip in the corresponding aperture of said door panel to create a seal against contaminants.

13. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 12, and further comprising

a tapered sleeve open at two opposing sides and disposed between a top of said housing and a bottom of said cover plate, wherein one open side of said tapered sleeve has the same dimension as the top of said housing and the opposing open side of said tapered sleeve has the same dimension as the aperture in said cover plate.

14. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 12, and further comprising

an adjusting means for maintaining the top of said housing spaced from the bottom of said cover plate by a first distance.

15. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein

said first predetermined distance is at least one inch.

16. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein

said adjustment means is slidably connected to said housing and includes an attachment device operable to secure said housing to at least one of the top surface of flooring material into which the housing is installed and floor support structure supporting the flooring material.

17. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 14, and further comprising

a non-conductive cover at least partially covering the adjusting means.

18. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 12, and further comprising

at least one tethering device, wherein the at least one sealing gasket is attached to the underside of said door panel by said tethering device.

19. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 12, and further comprising

a sealing ring disposed around a perimeter of the aperture in said cover plate and creating a tight seal between said door panel and said cover plate when said door panel is closed.

20. The outlet box assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein

said door panel is hingedly connected to said cover plate on one side of said door panel and a latch is provided on an opposing side of said door panel, wherein the latch retains the door panel tightly against said sealing ring.

21. An outlet box assembly comprising:

a housing for accommodating an electrical receptacle, wherein the housing includes two opposing end portions and at least two respective attachment tabs corresponding to and integral with the end portions,

wherein the attachment tabs each include mounting holes operable to accommodate corresponding mounting holes in the electrical receptacle, and

wherein, each of the end portions of the housing include a notch for accommodating a respective structural component of the electrical receptacle.

22. The outlet box as claimed in claim 21, wherein

the mounting holes in the attachment tabs include holes located such that they align respectively with mounting holes in a multimedia outlet which provides connections for power, Category-5 (Cat-5) and coaxial when the multimedia outlet is mounted to the housing, and the notches in each end portion of the housing correspond to respective structural components of the multimedia outlet when the multimedia outlet is mounted to the housing.

23. The outlet box as claimed in claim 21, wherein

said notches in the end portions of the housing respectively include a rectangular cutout beginning at a top surface of the end portion of the housing adjacent to the attachment tab and is wider in a dimension parallel to the top surface than it is deep in a dimension perpendicular to the top surface.

24. An outlet box cover assembly for covering an electrical outlet box, the assembly comprising:

a tapered recessed box with a narrow opening at one end and a wide opening at an opposing end, wherein the wide opening is larger than the narrow opening in at least one dimension; and

a cover plate mechanically attached to said tapered recessed box and including an aperture corresponding to the wide opening in said tapered recessed box.

25. The outlet box cover assembly as claimed in claim 24, and further comprising

an access door mechanically attached to said cover plate and disposed to selectively cover and expose the aperture in said cover plate.

26. The outlet box cover assembly as claimed in claim 25, wherein

said access door includes at least one aperture for providing access to said tapered recessed box.

27. The outlet box cover assembly as claimed in claim 26, and further comprising

at least one gasket for sealing the at least one aperture in said access door.

28. The outlet box cover assembly as claimed in claim 27, wherein

said at least one gasket includes an aperture covering portion having a groove disposed in a side thereof for engaging a corresponding ridge disposed on an edge of the aperture in said access door.

29. The outlet box cover assembly as claimed in claim 28, wherein

said at least one gasket further includes a tethering strap attached at one end thereof to an underside of said access door and attached at another end thereof to said aperture covering portion, wherein, when said aperture covering portion of said gasket is removed from its respective aperture in said access door, the removed aperture covering portion is retained below said access door within said tapered recessed box.