Electricity: conductors and insulators – Overhead – Towers – poles or posts
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-11
2002-03-05
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Overhead
Towers, poles or posts
C174S0450TD, C174S050000, C220S003200, C220S003300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06353181
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to installing devices, in particular electrical devices, alongside trunking projecting from a wall and housing and projecting conductors or other lines connected to such devices.
Here, and in the usual way, the term “trunking” refers to a duct comprising a base section which is attached to the wall concerned and has an open cross section and a cover section which is attached to the base section, for example clipped to it, to close it.
The present invention is aimed more particularly at the situation in which a device is installed alongside trunking by means of a box including, on the one hand, a body which is attached to the wall, houses the device and has an opening along its side adjoining the trunking, and, on the other hand, a canopy which extends from the body, is in corresponding relationship to the opening therein, and is designed to cover the trunking locally, transversely to its length, to be more precise to extend in practice over the base section of the trunking, between two lengths of cover section.
One problem to be overcome when manufacturing a box of the above kind is that trunking is available with different widths or heights.
French patent No. 2 595 513, filed as application number 86 03334 on Mar. 10, 1986, proposes to overcome this difficulty by separating the canopy from the body and engaging it in the body to a greater or lesser extent, according to the width or height of the trunking.
However, to prevent any surplus length of the canopy inside the body from interfering with other components present therein, it is necessary to cut off the excess length, which entails cutting the canopy beforehand, which complicates installation.
In published European patent No. 0 633 639, the canopy is removable from the body, so that a canopy suitable for one trunking width or height can be replaced by another canopy suitable for a different trunking width or height.
However, this leads to costly manufacture of a multiplicity of canopies, which is detrimental from the cost point of view.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A general object of the present invention is to avoid the above drawbacks.
To be more precise, the present invention provides a box for a device to be disposed alongside trunking projecting from a wall, of the kind including, on the one hand, a body which is adapted to be attached to the wall and to accommodate the device concerned and has an opening along its side at which it adjoins the trunking and, on the other hand, a transverse canopy extending from the body, in corresponding relationship to the opening therein, and adapted to cover the trunking locally, characterized in that the canopy is formed of at least two separate parts which are staggered lengthwise over the width or height of the trunking, namely, starting from the body, a fixed part which is fastened to the body and at least one mobile part which is inter-engaged with the fixed part and adjustable in position relative to it.
Accordingly, it is sufficient to adjust the position of the mobile part of the canopy relative to its fixed part to adapt the length of the canopy to the width or height of the trunking to be covered.
This being the case, any surplus length of the mobile part of the canopy is advantageously absorbed by its fixed part, rather than projecting into the body, and therefore without interfering in any way with other components present therein.
The mobile part of the canopy preferably occupies one or other of two particular positions relative to its fixed part, those positions being chosen to correspond to the most usual trunking widths or heights likely to be encountered.
This advantageously avoids any fumbling when locating the fixed and mobile parts of the canopy relative to each other.
What is more, this has the advantage that they are neatly located, which has esthetic benefits.
To materialize the various positions of the mobile part, means are preferably provided for positively locating the fixed and mobile parts of the canopy.
The locating means are advantageously nesting means, which is beneficial from the point of view of retaining the mobile part of the canopy relative to its fixed part.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2987690 (1961-06-01), Marbais
patent: 3721762 (1973-03-01), Gooding
patent: 5277007 (1994-01-01), Hellwig et al.
patent: 5300731 (1994-04-01), DeBaratolo, Jr. et al.
patent: 5629496 (1997-05-01), Navazo
patent: 5998732 (1999-12-01), Caveney et al.
patent: 2 595 513 (1987-09-01), None
patent: 0 633 639 (1995-01-01), None
Bernardeau Patrick
Jarry Patrice
Pallier Michel
Estrada Angel R.
Legrand
Reichard Dean A.
Young & Thompson
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