Electricity: conductors and insulators – Overhead – Towers – poles or posts
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2001-07-17
Dinkins, Anthony (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Overhead
Towers, poles or posts
C174S050540, C174S068300, C174S07100B, C220S003920, C052S220500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06262365
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cabling delivery and management systems in office environments for feeding premise cabling from above ceilings downward to work stations and, more particularly, is concerned with a ceiling feed assembly adaptable to fit raceways having different cross-sectional configurations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically in commercial environments, premise cabling systems for transmission of voice, data, video and power are distributed throughout the buildings hidden from view above suspended ceilings. Branches or short lengths of such cabling are then routed from above the ceiling downward to individual work stations through elongated ducts called raceways which are provided to enclose the cabling and to maintain the aesthetics of the commercial environment. The raceways are installed to run from ceiling fittings mounted below the ceiling, downward along walls or vertical columns, to the work stations.
Hubbell Premise Wiring, a division of Hubbell Incorporated of Orange, Conn., manufactures and sells components for constructing premise cabling systems for commercial environments. Among these components are three raceways, designated as R
1
, R
2
, R
3
in
FIGS. 1
to
3
, having different cross-sectional configurations, namely, different shapes and/or sizes. The raceway R
2
has a width W
2
substantially greater than the width W
1
of the raceway R
1
but only slightly greater than the width W
3
of the raceway R
3
. The raceway R
2
has a height H
2
substantially greater than the height H
3
of the raceway R
3
but only slightly greater than the height H
1
of the raceway R
1
. The height H
1
of the raceway R
1
is substantially greater than the height H
3
of the raceway R
3
, while the width W
3
of the raceway R
3
is substantially greater than the width W
1
of the raceway R
1
. Each of the raceways R
1
, R
2
, R
3
has a two-piece construction which includes an elongated bottom channel B and an elongated top cover T overlying and removably fitted onto the elongated bottom channel B. The bottom channel B has an U-shaped cross-sectional configuration and the top cover T has an inverted U-shaped cross-sectional configuration. The cross-sectional shapes of the raceways R
1
, R
2
, R
3
differ slightly from one another due primarily to the differing shapes of the complementary interfitting detent elements D
1
, D
2
, D
3
defined on the opposite longitudinal edge portions of the bottom channel B and top cover T of the raceways R
1
, R
2
, R
3
. These interfitting detent elements D
1
, D
2
, D
3
provide for removably snap fitting the top cover T onto the bottom channel B of the raceways R
1
, R
2
, R
3
.
Raceways of the different cross-sectional configurations are typically installed to handle different capacity requirements of the premise cabling routed to different work stations. As a result, the ceiling fittings used with the raceways also are provided in different sizes and shapes to accommodate the different raceways. The problem with this accepted practice is that it is costly to manufacture and maintain in inventory the different ceiling fittings to match the different raceways in order to fulfill the different commercial requirements as they arise.
Consequently, a need exists for innovations in the design of ceiling fittings which will overcome the above-described problem without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a ceiling feed assembly designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The ceiling feed assembly of the present invention is adaptable to fit with three prior art raceways having different cross-sectional configurations, namely, different cross-sectional shapes and/or sizes. The ceiling feed assembly thus overcomes the above-described prior art problem by eliminating the requirement for and cost of two of the three ceiling feed assemblies that were used heretofore to accommodate the three prior art raceways.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a ceiling feed assembly which comprises a ceiling fitting mountable to a wall surface and including a front panel having a first opening and at least one portion in the front panel being removable therefrom for defining a second opening in the front panel different from and overlapping at least a portion of the first opening. The first opening is for receiving a first raceway having a first cross-sectional configuration. The second opening is for receiving a second raceway having a second cross-sectional configuration different from the first cross-sectional configuration of the first raceway.
More particularly, the ceiling fitting includes a base and a cover on the base and, preferably, removably interfitted with the base. The base has a first side and a second side. The first side is mountable to one of a ceiling and a wall while the second side is positionable adjacent to the other of the ceiling and the wall such that the base is mountable at a junction of the ceiling and the wall. The cover includes the front panel. The first opening of the front panel has a substantially rectangular configuration with a width and a height for receiving one raceway of a first cross-sectional configuration in the first opening of the front panel. The second opening of the front panel has a substantially rectangular configuration with a width and a height. The width of the second opening of the front panel is greater than the width of the first opening and the height of the second opening of the front panel is greater than the height of the first opening for receiving another raceway of a second cross-sectional configuration in the second opening of the front panel. Alternatively, the width of the second opening of the front panel is greater than the width of the first opening of the front panel and the height of the second opening of the front panel is less than the height of the first opening of the front panel for receiving still another raceway of a third cross-sectional configuration in the alternative second opening, which now is a third opening, of the front panel.
The present invention also is directed to a raceway adapter. The raceway adapter is intended for use with the alternative second opening, or the third opening, of the front panel for receiving the raceway of the third cross-sectional configuration. The raceway adapter includes a main body having a substantially inverted U-shaped configuration and opposite ends defining inwardly extending hooks, a top flange having a rear side and mounted to and extending vertically upward from the main body, and a coupling member having a substantially L-shaped configuration and mounted to and extending outwardly and vertically upward from the rear side of the top flange. The main body is configured for receiving and fitting at least partially around the raceway of the third cross-sectional configuration. The top flange and coupling member together interfit with a portion of the front panel of the cover such that the top flange blocks a portion of the first opening of the front panel of the cover above the third opening of the front panel of the cover for receiving the raceway of the third cross-sectional configuration and such that the main body is disposed adjacent to and aligned with the front panel of the cover about the third opening of the front panel of the cover.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1254528 (1918-01-01), Paiste
patent: 3728470 (1973-04-01), Maier
patent: 4988831 (1991-01-01), Wilson et al.
patent: 5300731 (1994-04-01), DeBaratolo et al.
patent: 5629496 (1997-05-01), Navazo
patent: 5756933 (1998-05-01), Pitchford et al.
patent: 5929380 (1999-07-01), Carlson et al.
patent: 6107567 (2000-08-01), Blalock
'Hubbell Incorporated
Dinkins Anthony
Nino Adolfo
Swartz Michael R.
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