Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-13
2002-05-28
Reichard, Dean A (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
C174S058000, C174S060000, C220S003200, C052S220500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06395978
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an electrical outlet box which houses power and communication wires for termination. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrical floor box assembly having a divider for effectively isolating power wires from communication wires within the floor box.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known to use electrical outlet boxes to terminate electrical wires and cables. Such outlet boxes typically provide for the termination of the wires and cables to electrical receptacles, jacks and plugs and other termination devices. Certain of these outlet boxes, referred to as floor boxes, are designed to be supported within a poured concrete floor. One of the problems in positioning a floor box is that the installer must assure that the floor box is both flush and level with the top of the poured floor in which it is set.
In the prior art, it is known to provide floor boxes which are set in poured concrete floors and then sawed off to accommodate the depth of the poured floor. Examples of these cuttable floor boxes are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,343,704 to Terry and 5,466,886 to Lengyel et al. However, these cuttable floor boxes have certain disadvantages. The cuttable floor boxes typically have an open end and thus require a separate cover to protect the interior of the box from debris and extraneous concrete during pouring of the concrete floor. Furthermore, many of these cuttable floor boxes require complicated activation assemblies to assure that the terminations housed at the upper end of the box are level with the concrete floor.
Additionally, certain electrical standards such as those promulgated by the National Electrical Code (NEC) also require that floor boxes which accommodate multiple services such as power and communication services, be designed to maintain physical separation between the various services within the box.
Prior art floor boxes such as that shown in the above-referenced '886 patent and U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,774 to Bowman et al. require complicated assemblies to be placed within the floor box so as to maintain adequate physical separation between the different services within the box. These prior art devices require accurate measurement and cutting of the divider used to separate the power and communications wires. Also, the activation ring which supports the terminations must be fixed to the top of the box by cumbersome securement techniques such as adhesives, adjustable screws, clips or ratchet pawls. Finally, floor boxes of the prior art fixed the dividers or partitions in a particular orientation thereby dictating the orientation and arrangement of the power and communications wires entering and exiting the floor box.
It is therefore desirable to provide a floor box for use within the poured concrete floor which effectively partitions data/communication wires from power wires and which is easy to assemble and more versatile to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefor an object of the present invention to provide an infloor outlet box which accommodates and separates the power wires and data/communication wires.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an infloor outlet box which allows selectivity in inserting power wires and data/communication wires into the box.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a service divider which is selectively positionable within the outlet box for separating the power wires and data/communication wires therein.
In the efficient attainment of these and other objects, the present invention provides an infloor electrical outlet box assembly which accommodates and separates power wires and data/communication wires. The box assembly includes an outlet box positionable within a floor. The outlet box includes a base, an opposed open end and a perimetrical side wall therebetween defining a box interior. The box includes a plurality of access ports adjacent the base for providing separate entry of power and data/communication wires into the interior of the box.
A service divider is movably inserted into the box interior. The service divider includes an arch-shaped base defining a tunnel selectively alignable upon the movable insertion of the service divider with at least one of the access ports so as to accommodate data/communication wires within the tunnel. The power wires are accommodated over the arch-shaped base. The service divider further includes an upstanding divider wall extending from the base towards the upper end of the box. The divider provides continued separation between the power wires and the data/communication wires.
An activation member is fixably positioned at the open upper end of the box for supporting both power receptacles and data/communication receptacles for terminating the power wires and data/communication wires. The activation member includes a depending divider wall for positioning in side-by-side registration with a portion of the upstanding divider wall so as to maintain physical separation between the power wires and the data/communication wires. Also, the activation member fixes the position of the service divider within the box interior.
As more particularly described by way of a preferred embodiment herein, the outlet box is generally in the shape of an open ended cylinder having a circular base. The activation member is in the form of a ring defining a ring wall which is insertable against the interior of the cylindrical side wall of the box. The ring wall of the activation ring includes a plurality of retaining clips extending therefrom which provides for the non-movable positioning of the activation ring within the outlet box. This is provided by the retaining clips extending for biting engagement with the interior cylindrical side wall of the outlet box.
Also, in a preferred embodiment, the service divider includes a pair of spaced apart divider walls extending upwardly from the arch-shaped base. The pair of divider walls define a central compartment therebetween for accommodating power wires and a pair of lateral compartments between the divider walls and the cylindrical side wall for accommodating data/communication wires. The activation ring would therefore include a pair of spaced apart depending divider walls for positioning in side-by-side registration the upstanding divider walls of the service divider.
In the preferred embodiment, the service divider includes a pair of hermaphroditic attachably coupled divider members. Each divider member includes an arch-shaped component and an upstanding divider wall. The arch-shaped component of one of the pairs is attachable to the arch-shaped component of the other pair to form the divider.
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Carlton
Drane Mark
Whitehead James H.
Hoffmann & Baron , LLP
Patel Dhiru R
Reichard Dean A
Thomas & Betts International Inc.
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