Abstract:
A power, communications and data grommet mounted in an aperture in a work surface comprising, a housing adapted to fit into the aperture, the housing comprising a cap removably connected to a liner, the liner comprising an upper liner and a lower liner, the upper liner flaring outwardly to prevent the grommet from falling through the aperture, and a substantially cylindrical lower liner having a threaded outer surface, and a lock ring having inner threads to be threadably attached to the lower liner.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/656,923, filed Jun. 7, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a power, communications and data grommet to supply electric, phone, video and data lines into a work surface, such as a conference table, boardroom table or office desk. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There is a need for an aesthetically pleasing method of supplying electric, phone, video and data devices into work surfaces, desks, counters, conference tables, boardroom tables and any other surfaces where power, data, or cord pass-through features are desirable. Present solutions to this problem generally involve a metal box, with or without a lid, making it difficult for a designer to integrate it into furniture in a pleasing manner. Designers have solved this problem by recessing the box beneath a table but this creates a problem of how to open the door, and how to avoid damaging the adjacent surface of the table while doing so. 
     Other designers offer interfaces that raise and lower the device, but these are all dependent on expensive electric devices to raise and lower the interface, resulting in a very expensive unit prone to failures of opening and closing. 
     SUMMARY 
     The power, communication and data grommet of this invention comprises a grommet adapted to be placed in an aperture in the desk or other work surface. An aperture is manufactured or drilled through the top of the work surface. A housing, which is adapted to fit into the aperture, comprises, on the top, a cap with a cap insert. The cap connects to a liner which comprises two parts, an upper liner which flares outward and stops the liner from falling through the aperture and a substantially cylindrical lower liner which slides into the aperture in the work surface. The cylindrical lower liner has an outside screw threaded surface. 
     Optionally, a cord wrap can be fitted around the lower liner and a circular lock ring threadably connects to the threads of the lower liner, holding the parts in place. Also optionally, a cable lock anchor can be placed above or below the lock ring, threaded to the lower liner. The lock anchor protrudes up the liner, allowing users to pass a wire or cable through, which is then attached to their computer, or other electronic device, or other device, to lock it so that it cannot be stolen. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the top of the grommet of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an alternate cap insert; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another alternate cap insert; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the top portion of the liner; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the full liner; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the full liner; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the liner; 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the liner; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view of one embodiment of the grommet; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of another embodiment of the grommet; 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded view of a platform top; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the platform of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is another perspective view of the cap of  FIG. 11  with a device placed on the platform; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view from below of the platform; 
         FIG. 15  is an exploded view of this embodiment; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the upper liner; 
         FIG. 17  is an exploded view of the lower liner; 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the liner with a cable lock anchor; and 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-section taken on lines  19 - 19  of  FIG. 18 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
     Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a perspective view of the cap  10  of the grommet of the present invention. In the center of the cap  10  is a plain solid cap insert  12  which fits into a hole in the top of cap  10 . A series of wires  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  are shown protruding from a raised edge or cut-out  22  in cap  10 . There is optionally one or more similar raised edges in cap  10 . The raised edges may be the same height or different heights. Wire  14  has a connector running to a computer, not shown. Wire  16  has a bus connector, wire  18  has a pole connector and wire  20  has a data connector. None of these wires are part of the grommet of the present invention. These wires pass through the center of the grommet as will be shown in later figures and are present to be used for connectors to various electronic or other devices. These wires are not a part of the invention and are present to explain how the grommet is used. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2  there is shown cap  10  with raised edge  22  and an alternate cap insert  24 , with holes  26  for an electrical plug. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3  there is shown cap  10  with raised edge  22  and with a different cap insert  28  which has a data port  30 , but may include any number of available and useful types of data and power connectors. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , there is shown the upper liner  34  of the full liner  32 , shown in  FIG. 5 . Wires  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  are present as shown in  FIG. 1 . Upper liner  34  of liner  32  comprises a central aperture  36  and a series of cut-outs  38 ,  40  and  42  with like cutouts  44 ,  46  and  48  on the opposite side of upper liner  34 . All of the cut-outs  38  through  48  allow wires to pass through the open cut-out spaces and also allow cap  10  to become removably connected to the top of upper liner  34 . 
     Also shown in  FIG. 4  are a series of knobs  50 ,  52  and  54 , with the same type of knobs  56 ,  58  and  60 , on the opposite side, on the top of upper liner  34 . Knobs  50  through  60  connect with bottom flanges or knobs  74  ( FIG. 9 ) inside of cap  10 , to connect cap  10  to upper liner  34  of liner  32 .  FIG. 6  shows lower liner  62  of liner  32  which has screw threads  64  around substantially the entire outer surface of lower liner  62 . Upper liner  34  and lower liner  62  are manufactured as one piece. 
     The aperture through the work surface has a diameter, slightly larger than the diameter of lower liner  62 . Upper liner  34  has a slightly larger base diameter  66  than the aperture and also angles outwardly from lower liner  62 . Because of the larger base diameter  66  and the outward angle of upper liner  34 , liner  32  will drop down into the aperture in the work surface but will stop moving down at the place where the upper liner  34  no longer fits into the aperture in the work surface, which is at the diameter  66  which has a slightly larger diameter than the aperture in the work surface 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of upper liner  34  of liner  32 .  FIG. 8  is a bottom view of liner  32 . Cut-outs  38 ,  40 ,  42  and  44 ,  46  and  48  allow cables or wires to pass through to be connected to a variety of devices, as stated above. They also help to separate and create a space between the cables and wires. They can also (if desired) organize the cables or wires in the same location, when a device is connected and reconnected. Knobs  50  through  60  connect with flanges  74  at the bottom inside of cap  10  ( FIG. 9 ) to connect cap  10  to upper liner  34  of liner  32 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9  there is shown a lock ring  76  with inner threads which threadably connect lock ring  76  onto lower liner  62 . Lock ring  76  allows for a tool free installation of liner  32  and holds it firmly to the desk or table when it is moved upward to press against the bottom of the desk or a work surface. An optional cable lock anchor  78  with top ring  80  screws onto lower liner  62  of liner  32 . Top ring  80  provides a safety ring through which a wire or cable can pass, which is attached to an electrical device, such as a laptop computer or other device, to protect it from theft. Top ring  80  is fixedly attached to locking ring  82 , which has inner threads  83  so that it is removably attached to lower liner  62  by threads  64  and  83 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , there is shown the same cap  10 , liner  32  and lock ring  76 . In this embodiment there is an electrical cable  84  (see also  FIG. 2 ) with a wire  86  which passes down through the grommet to plug into a source of electricity. An optional wire manager or cord wrap  88  can be slipped over, or screwed onto lower liner  62 , so that it fits around lower liner  62  and is held there by lock ring  76 . Excess cable or wire can be wound on wire manager  88 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 11 ,  12  and  13 , there is shown another embodiment of the invention in which there is an elevated platform  90 . Platform  90  has three parts, a pad  92  a ring  94  and a base platform  96 . Ring  94  can be made of a metal or plastic and both pad  92  and ring  94  are bonded to base platform  96 . Base platform  96  has a locking flange  98  which connects elevated platform  90  to cap  10  by flanges  74  in cap  10 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . Base platform  96  can also be formed as one piece with cap  10 . 
     Pad  92  has a thick rubber or neoprene elevated platform to provide usable space while the grommet underneath organizes cables. Elevated platform  92  may be used as a pad on which to place things, such as a cell phone  97 , or other digital device, with a cord  99  connected thereto. Platform  90  neatly covers the connector ends until they are pulled out to plug into a laptop or smart phone or other digital device. Alternatively, platform  92  can be a wireless charging station for digital devices, which are well known. 
     Another embodiment of the grommet of this invention is shown in  FIGS. 15 -19 .  FIG. 15  is an exploded view of a grommet assembly  100  of this invention comprising a cap  102  having an electrical outlet  104 . A two part housing receptacle  106  and  108  holds a simplex receptacle  109 . Housing receptacle  106 / 108  is fitted and held together by coupling slot  110  and coupling tab  112 . In addition, there are two screw tabs  114  and  116  and two screws  118  and  120  which are to connect housing  106  with cap  102 . 
     A liner  122  comprises an upper liner  124  and a lower liner  126 , lower liner  126  having an area of screw threads  128  going around the circumference of lower liner  126 . Upper liner  124  has a series of knobs, the same as knobs  50 - 60  in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Upper liner  124  also has a series of cut-outs, the same as the cut-outs  38 - 48  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Upper liner  124  also has a pair of liner couplings one of which  130  is shown, the matching coupling on the other side is not visible in this figure. 
     Lower liner  126  is manufactured in two parts, shown in  FIG. 17  and discussed below. There are two vertical notches in the side of lower liner  126 . One notch  132  is shown. The matching notch on the other side of lower liner  126  is not visible. The two notches are adapted to receive and hold two guide tabs  134  and  135  which guide placement of an optional wire manager or cord wrap  136  into place and be held there. Cord wrap  136  slides up over lower liner  126  and is adapted to wrap excess cable or wires, such as electrical wire  138 , if needed. 
     In addition, lower liner  126  has two liner couplings  140 , the other not visible, to be explained in detail below. Finally, lock ring  142 , with inner threads  148 , threadably attaches to lower liner  126 , providing tool-less installation. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 16  there is a perspective view of upper liner  124  and  FIG. 17  is an exploded view of the lower liner  126  with threads  128  on the outer surface. Upper liner  124  has tabs  144  and  146  which attach to lower liner slots  145  and  147  in coupling clips  130  and  131 , to hold upper liner  124  and lower liner  126  together. Lower liner  126  comprises a female part on the left and a male part on the right, which connect together by coupling tabs  140  and  160  locking into coupling slots  148  and  150 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 18 , which is a perspective view and  FIG. 19  which is a cross-section taken on lines  19 - 19  of  FIG. 18 , there is shown the attachment of an optional cable lock anchor  162  inside of lower liner  126 . Cable lock anchor  162  has two legs  164  and  166 . Near the bottom of each leg  164  and  166  is an anchor clip  168  and  170 . Anchor clips  168  and  170  slide into and lock into anchor slots  172  and  174  in the lower part of liner  126 . The cable lock anchor provides a safety ring through which a cable or wire can pass and be attached to any item, such as a laptop computer or other device, to protect it from theft. 
     While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.