Electricity: conductors and insulators – Overhead – Towers – poles or posts
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-29
2002-10-01
Dinkins, Anthony (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Overhead
Towers, poles or posts
C174S068300, C174S135000, C174S0450TD
Reexamination Certificate
active
06459038
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to a fitting for a wiring cable duct system. More specifically, the invention relates to a two-piece up-spout fitting that hingedly mates to a cable wiring duct section to allow easy access to a cable channel.
2. Description of Related Art
Typical duct or raceway systems consist of a U-shaped base member and a cover that may be hinged, snap latched, or otherwise engageable with the base. Such systems often include various straight duct sections and special fittings that adapt the system to numerous configurations. These fittings can be right angle fittings, T-fittings or other shaped fittings designed to route cabling in various directions.
In many applications, such wiring duct and raceways systems are provided above telecommunications racks, within suspended ceilings and the like. However, such wiring duct and raceway systems are also useable in underfloor applications, particularly when used in rooms equipped with suspended floor tiling systems.
When used in suspended ceilings and above rack applications, various conventional angle fittings and T-fittings can adequately route cabling within the duct system from a horizontal configuration vertically downward, such as to allow interconnection of the cabling with a telecommunications rack. While such fittings could be used in an inverted orientation to work in underfloor applications or when the duct system is deployed below communications racks, there is a need for a better fitting, useful as an up-spout to allow cabling to extend from horizontal runs of duct sections vertically upward towards a telecommunications rack.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved wiring or cable duct system that is capable of directing cabling from horizontal runs of duct sections vertically upward at nearly any position along the horizontal run.
It is another object of the invention to provide a two-piece up-spout fitting that allows access to cable wiring within the duct system without the need to remove the fitting entirely from the duct section and without requiring disconnection of the cabling routed through the wiring duct system.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a two-piece up-spout fitting in which individual fitting halves can be separately hinged on side walls of a wiring duct section in place of a cover to allow ready access to either or both sides of the wiring duct section.
It is another object of the invention to form the individual fitting halves with a complementary opening profile that allows pivoting of the individual fitting halves without interference with each other or with cables that may be provided within the outlet aperture of the fitting.
It is another object of the invention to provide a symmetrical two-piece up-spout fitting in which each piece can interchangeably fit either side of the duct section.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an up-spout fitting with an outlet aperture that allows mating components to be installed onto the up-spout fitting in multiple orientations.
Various ones of the above and other objects of the invention are achieved by an up-spout fitting useable with a duct section of a cable wiring system having a base of a predetermined width and side walls defining a cable receiving channel with the side walls having a hinge arrangement The up-spout fitting includes at least a pair of up-spout fitting halves. Each fitting half comprises: a base element having a complementary hinge arrangement on at least one side thereof; and side walls projecting upward from the base element and defining an outlet aperture that is open on at least one side of the fitting half and open on both a bottom and a top of the fitting half. The pair of fitting halves are mountable onto the duct section with respective outlet apertures facing each other to form a common outlet aperture substantially closed on the sides while remaining open on both the top and bottom to allow cable passage therethrough.
Various ones of the above and other objects of the invention are also achieved by a method of mounting an up-spout fitting to a duct section of a cable wiring duct system, the duct section including a base wall and side walls that define a cable receiving channel therein, the side walls having a hinge arrangement thereon. The method includes: mounting fitting halves of the up-spout fitting onto duct section side walls of at least one duct section of the cable wiring duct system; selectively opening individual ones of the two fitting halves by pivoting the individual ones about the hinge arrangement without interference with the other fitting half or cables located within the up-spout fitting to gain access to the cable receiving channel from either longitudinal side of the duct section; and returning the individual ones of the fitting halves to a closed position that covers the cable receiving channel.
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Bernard William A.
Waszak Dennis J.
Clancy Christopher S.
Dinkins Anthony
Estrada Angel R.
McCann Robert A.
Panduit Corp.
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