Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – With electrical device
Patent
1993-12-17
1996-11-05
Kincaid, Kristine L.
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
With electrical device
220 37, H02G 308
Patent
active
055719937
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
This application is the national phase entry under 35 USC 371 of International Application No. PCT/GB92/01101, filed Jun. 18, 1992.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical outlet boxes for raised floors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Outlet boxes for raised floors commonly comprise a metal box with suitable means to mount the box to a floor panel. The box has an open bottom into which several metal containers are fixed. Electrical sockets and/or switches are mounted in turn in the containers. The box is arranged to accept in its top a lid assembly which includes a main lid in which are cable outlet lids and a peripheral flange which extends around the assembly. After mounting the box to the floor panel carpet is laid over the floor panel and around the box, the lid assembly is located over the box so that the peripheral flange seats on top of the carpet. Outlet boxes constructed with this arrangement in mind are shown in EP 0343754 A1, GB 2194975A and GB 1583946.
In order to allow for different thicknesses of carpet and floor panel material it is known to adjust the box height relative the floor panel and the lid assembly relative the outlet box. In GB 2194975 the fixture to and adjustment relative to the floor panel is by means of an angular section bracket screwed at each end to opposed vertical sides of the box with adjustment enabled by providing three holes at each end of a vertical web of the bracket. In order to adjust the height of the bracket relative the box, the two screws are removed and reinserted in upper or lower pairs of holes. The carpet is then laid and the lid assembly is inserted in the box and is screwed down so that a flange around the assembly seats on top of the carpet. This is time consuming and furthermore as the carpet compresses during use the screws work loose. A further disadvantage is that during fitting the box which has no bottom tends to distort so that screw receiving brackets in the box misalign with the screws in the lid assembly causing further fitting difficulties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly an electrical outlet box for raised floors according to the invention comprises a metal box with a lid assembly, means for adjusting the height of the lid assembly relative to the box, the box being adapted to have mounted in the bottom thereof electrical sockets and/or switches, the box having means for adjustably securing the box to a floor panel characterised in that the means for adjusting the height of the lid assembly relative to the box comprises a pawl and ratchet arrangement between at least one side of the box and the lid assembly with a handle to enable releasable engagement between pawl and ratchet means of the arrangement.
The advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is that the pawl and ratchet height adjustment arrangement enables the lid assembly to be quickly adjusted for height and furthermore the lid assembly can be quickly removed to take the box out and further as the carpet compresses during use the lid assembly is simply pushed further down into the box. The lid assembly which is generally rigid can easily be securley fitted into the box which is somewhat flexible.
Preferably the pawl and ratchet arrangment comprises at least one and preferably four ratchet means on the box sides. Preferably two ratchet means are on one side whilst two are on the other box side. Preferably there are two pawls on each side mounted to a single pawl bar with a handle to pull the pawls out of engagement with corresponding ratchet means.
In a preferred embodiment the pawl bar is provided with a spring towards each end so that any lack of parallelism between the lid assembly and box may be taken up by the springs. Preferably the or each pawl is a ratchet with teeth facing opposite directions to teeth of the ratchet means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompaning drawin
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Jones Michael A.
McCarty Derek G.
Penfield Alan C.
Pond Alan R.
Caradon MK Electric Limited
Cornelison Michael
Kincaid Kristine L.
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