Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-25
2002-09-24
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
C174S058000, C220S003200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06455773
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a branch connection box for trunking, in particular for trunking that passes through a floor, including a base and a cover.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One prior art branch connection box includes a separator which can be positioned above the base to create two mutually-isolated levels within the box.
The base and the separator of the prior art branch connection box include vertical partitions in a quincunx arrangement which can be cut to create paths for routing electrical conductors or cables.
The main drawback of the above kind of branch connection box is that it is relatively complicated to use because the installer must cut the partitions of the base and the separator as required in order to pass the electrical conductors or cables from one run of trunking to the other.
Also, the above kind of branch connection box does not include any housing constituting a connection box within the branch connection box.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To remedy the above drawbacks, the present invention proposes a branch connection box for trunking, the box including a base and a cover, wherein the base includes a central housing delimited by partitions that can be cut and forming an electrical connection box and, around the central housing, an open path for routing electrical conductors or cables.
Thus in the branch connection box according to the invention, and in conformance with the applicable standards, the connections between the electrical cables or conductors from the runs of trunking can be made inside the central housing forming an electrical connection box, the electrical cables or conductors to be connected in the central housing arriving via an opening formed by cutting one of the partitions delimiting the central housing on the base.
One preferred embodiment of the branch connection box according to the invention includes a separator adapted to be positioned above the base to create in the box two levels isolated from each other, namely a level for high-current conductors or cables and a level for low-current conductors or cables, wherein the separator has a central opening through it flanked by partitions which can be cut and, on each face of the separator, around the central opening, an open path for routing electrical conductors or cables, the central opening forming an extension of the central housing of the base.
Advantageously, in this preferred embodiment of the branch connection box according to the invention the partitions flanking the central opening of the separator and on the side facing toward the base form guide surfaces which slide on the partitions delimiting the central housing of the base during mounting of the separator on the base.
The above kind of branch connection box is easy to use because the open paths for routing electrical conductors or cables on the base and on the separator enable the installer to route electrical conductors or cables quickly from one run of trunking to another.
Also, the separator is easy to position on the base because its guide surfaces slide on the partitions delimiting the central housing of the base.
According to another particularly advantageous feature of the branch connection box according to the invention the separator can be placed at different positions in the heightwise direction relative to the base between top and bottom limiting positions to adapt the wiring volume of the two levels as required.
To this end the separator is slidably mounted on the base section and in particular the separator includes elastic tongues whose ends are adapted to slide in grooves on the outside face of upstanding chimneys on the base.
According to another feature of the branch connection box according to the invention the cover is in two parts, namely a first part forming a belt adapted to cover the base and including a peripheral side wall provided with openings communicating with the interior of the trunking and a front wall provided with a central opening providing access to the interior of the branch connection box and in particular to the central housing and to at least part of the path for routing electrical conductors or cables, and a closure plate for closing the front wall of the belt part.
When it is partly closed by the belt part positioned on the base, the cover of the branch connection box provides access to the interior of the branch connection box via the central opening in the front wall of the belt part.
In one embodiment of the branch connection box according to the invention the belt part is fixed to the base by screws screwed into chimneys on the base.
In one embodiment the belt part is fixed to the plate, which it covers, by screws that are screwed into chimneys on the plate.
To this end the front wall of the part belt advantageously carries guide studs for the fixing screws adapted to bear on ends of the chimneys.
Further, in accordance with other advantageous and non-limiting features of the branch connection box according to the invention:
the branch connection box includes covers attached to unused openings in the belt part to close them off,
the central housing of the base is circular and in conjunction with the open path forms a roundabout for routing electrical conductors or cables,
the open paths for routing electrical conductors or cables of the base and the separator are identical in shape and the central opening in the separator is identical in shape to the central housing of the base,
the base has, on its edges adapted to be placed adjacent cut ends of base sections of runs of trunking, partitions defining, in conjunction with partitions at the edges of the separator, parallelepiped-shaped housings isolated from each other and open toward the outside of the box, the partitions of the base and the separator being adapted to be cut to form ducts for inserting electrical conductors or cables at one of the levels of the box, isolated from the other level thereof, and
the branch connection box includes a plate in the form of a frame clipped around the base and adapted to be covered by the belt part of the cover, the plate in the form of a frame having, on its edges adapted to be placed adjacent cut ends of base sections of runs of trunking, partitions defining, in conjunction with partitions on the edges of the separator, parallelepiped-shaped housings isolated from each other and open toward the outside of the box, the partitions of the plate and of the separator being adapted to be cut to form ducts for inserting electrical conductors or cables at one of the levels of the box, isolated from its other level.
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example, explains in what the invention consists and how it can be put into effect.
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Estrada Angel R.
Legrand
Reichard Dean A.
Young & Thompson
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