Abstract:
A modular in-wall medical services unit for medical care facilities. A housing is supported inside the wall. The housing is divided longitudinally into front and rear chambers. The service outlet cabinet and gas conduits are mounted in the front chamber. The rear chamber is divided into multiple raceways for the electrical wires. The top of the housing is above the ceiling, and a junction box is mounted on the front of the housing near the top so that it extends beyond the wallboard and above the ceiling. This allows the wallboard to be installed around the cabinet and the junction box before or after gas and electrical connections are completed. Because there are no external wiring conduits, the unit is easier to ship. Additionally, the narrow footprint allows the unit to be placed adjacent another structure in the wall or in a corner, increasing the placement choices in the room.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to devices for providing medical gas and electrical services to hospitals and other medical care facilities. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Construction costs for hospitals and other medical care facilities depend in part on the cost of required medical equipment as well as the efficiency of installation of such equipment during the construction phase. One major item installed in most patient care areas is a wall panel for providing medical gases and electrical and data services at the bedside. Modular units have greatly simplified installation. 
   The present invention provides an advance in modular medical services units for in-wall applications. In this unit, electrical raceways are provided behind the main cabinet, and these raceways extend up above the ceiling preferably to a junction box in the ceiling space. The internal raceways eliminate the need for external wiring conduits and provide a consolidated unit for shipping. The narrower footprint allows the assembled unit to be installed in smaller places, next to other wall fixtures, and in corners. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an elevational, fragmented view of hospital room showing the modular medical services unit of the present invention installed in the wall near a bed. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the unit with the cover panel removed and with a section of wallboard surrounding the cabinet opening. 
       FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the unit shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the unit shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  is cross-sectional view of the unit take along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 6  is cross-sectional view of the unit take along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 7  is cross-sectional view of the unit take along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 8  is a fragmented perspective view of the unit with the front of the housing removed and a part of the cover panel cut away to show the gas conduits and compartments inside. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Turning now to the drawings in general and to  FIG. 1  in particular, there is shown therein a modular in-wall medical services unit constructed in accordance with the present invention and designated generally by the reference numeral  10 . As used herein, “medical service” or “service” refers to any one of a variety of gas, electrical or communication services. For example, medical gas services include oxygen, compressed air, and vacuum (suction). Electrical services include electrical power lines and data lines for telephone, video, computer, or communication signals. As used herein, “wires” include power lines and data cables. 
   The unit  10  is illustrated installed in the wall  12  of a room  14  in a structure  16 . In a multi-floor structure, such as most hospitals, the room  14  generally is defined horizontally the floor  20  beneath and a deck  22  above. A ceiling  24  is usually mounted a distance of about 2-3 feet below the deck  22  defining what is referred to herein as a ceiling space  26  ( FIG. 1 ). The wall  12 , which at least partially defines the room  14 , vertically comprises a wall space  30  ( FIGS. 5-7 ) defined on the inside of the room by wallboard  32 . 
   Usually, the unit  10  will be installed at the side of a patient bed  36 . While a conventional hospital room  14  is depicted, the unit  10  may be installed in a variety of structures such as clinics, emergency rooms, nursing home rooms, and virtually any sort of treatment facility. Moreover, it will be understood, that in a single-story structure such as small clinic, the deck  22  may be replaced by a roof structure of some sort. 
   With reference now also to  FIGS. 2-7 , the unit  10  is adapted for installation in the wall space  30  defining the room  14 . To that end, the unit  10  comprises an elongate housing  40 . Typically, the housing  40  will be generally tubular, that is, comprising an enclosure formed by sidewalls. The housing  40  may be formed in any suitable manner as by assembly of multiple panels, or by extrusions, or by a combination of these techniques. 
   The housing  40  preferably is narrow enough to fit between studs in a typical building structure. The length of the housing  40  may vary, but it should be long enough to support the medical service outlets (described below) at desired locations in the room  14  and to have its upper end  42  extend above the ceiling  24  into the ceiling space  26 . 
   The housing  40  is supportable inside the wall space  30 . For this purpose, a frame  46  may be included. Preferably, the frame  46  may comprise a pair of C-shaped or U-shaped rails  48  and  50 , one on each side of the housing  40 . As seen best in  FIG. 1 , the rails have bottom ends  52  and  54  adapted to rest on the floor  20  of the room  14 . 
   A cabinet  60  is included in the unit  10  for containing the outlets for the various medical services that are selected to be included in the unit. Typically, the number, type and arrangement of the outlets are specified by the customer and will vary depending on the setting or the type of facility, and the cabinet  60  will vary accordingly. To simplify the disclosure, all the outlets will be designated herein collectively by the reference numeral  62 . The cabinet  60  may be a separately formed enclosure or, more conveniently it may be formed by placing partitions, designated generally at  64 , inside the housing  40 , as best seen in  FIG. 8 . Of course, though the size and position of the cabinet  60  may vary, it will be positioned so that when the unit  10  is installed, it will be below the ceiling  24  and support the outlets  62  at a convenient height for the medical personnel. It will also be apparent that the unit  10  could include more than one cabinet. For example, the unit could include two or more cabinets spaced vertically in the housing  40 . 
   A shown in  FIGS. 1 and 8 , the cabinet  60  preferably will be enclosed on the front with a cover panel  68  that forms the interface between the room  14  and the inside of the cabinet  60 . The housing  40  will be structured so that it can be installed with the cover panel  68  about flush with the wallboard  32 . Alternately, the housing  40  may be installed so that the cover panel  68  is slightly forward of the wallboard  32  or slightly recessed behind the wallboard. A decorative trim and flange assembly  70  will usually be included to provide an interface between the upper outer edge of the cabinet  60  and the raw edge of the surrounding wallboard  32  when the unit  10  is installed. 
   As indicated previously, the outlets  62  most often will include an assortment of outlets for medical gases (oxygen, air, vacuum) and electrical services (power and data). In the present invention, the outlets  62  most preferably include at least one and most preferably a plurality of electrical service outlets, one of which is shown in detail in  FIG. 8  as a power outlet. 
   Referring still to  FIGS. 2-8 , the preferred structure for the housing  40  will be described. As indicated previously and as best seen in  FIGS. 5-6 , the housing  40  is generally tubular. More preferably, the housing  40  defines or is separated into a front chamber  80  and a rear chamber  82  both extending longitudinally in the housing. In the embodiment illustrated herein, the front and rear chambers  80  and  82  are formed by a partition or dividing panel  84  which divides the housing lengthwise across its widest dimension. In this way, the front chamber  80  is positioned to be adjacent the back  86  of the wallboard  32  when the unit  10  is installed. The rear chamber  82  is behind the front chamber  80  and is divided into a plurality of longitudinal raceways  88 , such as the three raceways  88   a ,  88   b , and  88   c.    
   The unit  10  preferably includes a service conduit for each medical service outlet. For example, as seen best in  FIG. 8 , conduits such the pipes  90 ,  92  and  94  are included for the various gas outlets  62  (not seen in  FIG. 8 ). These pipes  90 ,  92  and  94  run from the outlets  62  ( FIG. 1 ) upwards in the front chamber  80  through the cabinet  60  and up through the upper end  42  of the housing  40 . 
   Electrical service outlets are served by conduits, such as the electrical power wires  96  ( FIG. 8 ). However, it will now be appreciated that the raceways  88   a ,  88   b , and  88   c  in the rear chamber  82  replace the external electrical conduits that otherwise would carry such wiring. The dividing panel  84  is formed with a plurality of conduit openings designated generally at  100  ( FIGS. 2 &amp; 3 ) extending between each of the raceways  88  and the front chamber  80  inside the cabinet  60 . Preferably, one opening  100  is positioned near each of the electrical service outlets  62 , and including at least one conduit opening for each of the raceways  88   a ,  88   b , and  88   c.    
   It is advantageous to provide multiple punch outs  102  ( FIGS. 2 &amp; 3 ) in the panel  84  spaced along each of the raceways  88   a ,  88   b , and  88   c . Then, when assembling a unit  10  according to particular specifications, openings  100  can be created at the desired locations by simply removing the punch outs. 
   Like the gas conduits  90 ,  92 , and  94 , the electrical wires  96  extend up through the one of the raceways, such as the raceway  88   a  ( FIG. 8 ). The wire  96  has a first end  106  that is connected to the electrical outlet  62 . The intermediate portion  108  extends from the outlet  62  through a conduit opening (not seen in  FIG. 8 ) and up through the raceway  88   a  above the cabinet until it terminates in a second end  110  at the upper end  42  of the housing  40 . In this way, all the electrical service conduits, including power wires, data cables, and the like, are contained or isolated in the raceways  88  in the rear chamber  82 . 
   With continued reference to  FIGS. 1-5  and  7 - 8 , the unit  10  in its preferred embodiment includes a junction box  120  mounted on the upper end  42  of the housing  40  so as to be above the ceiling  24  of the room  14  when the unit is installed in the wall  12 . Even more preferably, the junction box  120  is positioned on the front of the housing  40  so that it extends forward of the wallboard  32  into the ceiling space  26 . In this way, the wiring  96  will be accessible before and after the wallboard  32  is installed. 
   As best seen in  FIG. 8 , the junction box  120  usually will include a plurality of cells, such as the cells  122   a ,  122   b , and  122   c , there being one cell for each of the raceways  88   a ,  88   b , and  88   c , and being continuous therewith. Thus, when the junction box  120  is included, the second end  110  of the wire  96  will extend out into the cell  122   a.    
   Having described the structure of the unit  10 , the installation will be briefly summarized. After unpacking the unit  10 , it is placed in the wall space  30  between two studs (not shown), and the vertical rails  48  and  50  of the frame  46  are secured to the studs. Next, the wallboard  32  is installed around the cover panel  68  and around the junction box  120  all the way up to deck  22  above the ceiling  24 . This leaves the service conduits—the pipes  90 ,  92 , and  94  and the wires  96 —accessible in the ceiling space  26 . 
   Now it will be appreciated that the modular medical services unit of the present invention provides several advantages. These main structural components can be manufactured and kept in inventory. Upon receipt of an order, the unit can be assembled quickly to the customer&#39;s specifications. The length is selected so that the upper end of the housing and the junction box will be above the ceiling. Thus, there is no need for the installation of the wallboard to be delayed until the electrical work or piping can be completed. The electrical conduits are all contained inside the housing in the rear raceways, eliminating the external electrical conduits. 
   The contents of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/100,768, entitled “Modular In-Wall Medical Services Unit,” filed Mar. 19, 2002, are incorporated herein by reference. In the event there is any inconsistency between the disclosure of the prior pending application and the disclosure herein, the disclosure herein shall control. 
   The embodiments shown and described above are exemplary. Many details are often found in the art and, therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. It is not claimed that all of the details, parts, elements, or steps described and shown were invented herein. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present inventions have been described in the drawings and accompanying text, the description is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the inventions to the full extent indicated by the broad meaning of the terms of the attached claims. The description and drawings of the specific embodiments herein do not point out what an infringement of this patent would be, but rather provide an example of how to use and make the invention. The limits of the invention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by and defined in the following claims.