Housing for electrical connectors

Upper and lower molded polymeric housing portions are coupled together to form a closed housing. Each housing portion has an end wall, the end wall of one having openings for a power receptacle and the end wall of the other having either knock-outs to form openings for a power receptacle or knock-outs to form openings for communication connectors. A hook and groove arrangement permits the housing portions to be coupled together and moved between open and closed positions. The housing is especially useful with flat cable in an under-carpet wiring system.

This invention relates to a housing mountable on a floor or other surface 
to contain connection devices particularly for use with a flat cable 
wiring system for providing wiring in locations such as beneath floor 
carpet. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
It is common practice to provide a housing of some sort to receive cables 
emerging through or along a floor and to support electrical devices to 
which those cables are connected. For example, in many offices there are 
cable ducts constructed in the building floors and, when a desk or other 
form of work station is to be positioned adjacent one of those ducts, an 
opening is formed or re-opened into the duct, a cable is pulled through or 
accessed through the opening and a connector such as a conventional 
receptacle is attached to the cable. A housing meeting applicable 
standards established by the National Electrical Code (NEC), Underwriters 
Laboratories (UL) or the like is required to house the electrical devices 
and terminations to prevent accidental contact with electrically energized 
components and to protect the electrical components from mechanical abuse. 
The housing must also provide for ready access to the connecting devices 
housed therein by the user. Further, the housing must present an 
attractive appearance and it is desirable for it to have a low profile so 
that it is unobtrusive and so that it can fit under furniture or other 
work equipment. 
With the advent of flat cables and the development of under-carpet wiring 
systems, different forms of housings have become necessary, as well as 
different forms of connectors. However, those which have appeared have not 
been totally satisfactory or, in some cases are so totally integrated with 
a specific form of connector as to be quite inflexible and not usable with 
other cable systems. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a housing 
which can accommodate flat cable means for connecting the cable conductors 
to other cables or wires. 
A further object is to provide a housing which has access openings for an 
electrical receptacle at one end and has interchangeable top portions to 
permit conversion of the housing between power and communication 
connectors, or no connectors, at the other end. 
Another object is to provide such a housing having exposed portions which 
can be molded from a polymeric material such that the components thereof 
are easily assembled and opened for access. 
Yet another object is to provide a housing in which top and bottom portions 
are each unitarily and integrally formed with end plates having openings 
or knock-outs, the top and bottom portions having unitarily formed 
coupling arrangements so that no fasteners between the coupling portions 
themselves are needed. 
Briefly described, the invention includes an electrical connector housing 
having a lower housing portion with a generally rectangular base frame 
having a central opening, first and second side walls extending upwardly 
from opposite sides of the base frame and terminating at upper edges, and 
a first end wall extending inwardly and upwardly from a third side of said 
base frame. The end wall extends somewhat beyond the upper edges and has 
openings therethrough to provide access to an electrical connector device 
and an attachment hole. A second, upper, housing portion has a generally 
rectangular top plate with third and fourth side walls extending 
downwardly from opposite side edges of the top plate and terminating at 
lower edges. A second end wall extends downwardly and outwardly from a 
third edge of the top plate somewhat beyond said lower edges. The second 
end wall can be blank or it can have weakened zones defining knockouts 
which are selectively removable to form openings for receiving electrical 
connector devices. The upper and lower housing portions can be joined by 
hooks extending beyond the lower edges of the first and second side walls 
and grooves extending longitudinally along the upper edges of the third 
and fourth side walls for receiving the hooks and permitting relative 
sliding motion of the upper and lower housing portions between a closed 
position in which the second end wall is adjacent the fourth side of the 
base frame and the first end wall is adjacent the fourth edge of the top 
plate and an open position in which the first end wall is spaced from the 
top plate to permit access to the interior of the housing. 
Alternatively, the hooks can be provided on the lower housing and the 
grooves can be in the side walls of the upper housing. 
The housing assembly preferably includes a metal frame which serves as a 
mounting structure and has a base plate dimensioned to be received in the 
central opening of the base frame, and side walls extending upwardly from 
the base plate in substantially parallel relationship with the first and 
second side walls. The side walls of the metal frame have mounting tabs 
extending inwardly toward each other at their ends, each mounting tab 
having a mounting hole to accommodate an electrical device or support 
plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show perspective, top plan and side elevations of a 
housing apparatus in accordance with the invention in a partially 
assembled form substantially as it would appear in a use location during 
installation. The upper portion of the housing is omitted from FIGS. 1 and 
2 so that the interior can be seen. The assembly includes a metal frame 
having a base plate 10 which can be attached to the surface on which it is 
being mounted. Most often, this is a concrete or wooden floor on which 
there is or will be carpet. Plate 10 has openings 11 through which screws 
or other fasteners can pass and a central opening 12 to receive a 
transition or connector assembly 14, which is illustrated in a somewhat 
simplified form. Plate 10 also has an opening 15 which can be connected to 
a standard nipple or which can be used as a cable passage, and upstanding 
side walls 16 and 18, the opposite ends of which are bent inwardly so as 
to extend toward each other and define a gap in which a receptacle or 
other electrical device can be mounted. 
In the specific device illustrated, a conventional grounded receptacle 20 
is mounted at one end of the metal frame in the gap between the side walls 
and a support plate 22 is mounted at the other end. Plate 22, in the 
illustration, is a mounting plate to which the upper portion of the 
housing can be attached. It can be replaced by a receptacle or any of a 
variety of devices, as desired. A first, lower housing portion indicated 
generally at 24 surrounds plate 10 and includes upwardly extending side 
walls 26 and 27 and a unitarily formed, inclined end wall 28. As will be 
recognized from FIG. 3, the inwardly bent ends of the side walls 16 and 18 
are inclined at the same angle as wall 28 to make a solid connection and 
wall 28 is inclined to present a pleasing appearance and also to make the 
face of receptacle 20 more easily visible, particularly when the device is 
to be disposed adjacent a desk or the like. End wall 28 is provided with 
apertures to permit the usual bosses 29 on receptacle 20 to extend 
therethrough, the bosses being the portions which surround the openings of 
the receptacle which are spaced and dimensioned to receive mating plug 
blades. End wall 28 is attached to receptacle 20 by a screw 30 and the 
receptacle is, in turn, connected to the inwardly bent portions at the 
ends of the side walls by screws 31. 
As best seen in FIG. 2, connector assembly 14 has vertically extending 
recesses at both ends to receive tongues 32 and 33 which extend toward 
each other from opposite sides of opening 12 in plate 10. The tongues 
loosely position connector 14 within the opening, allowing it some freedom 
to slide vertically. 
Flat cables 34 and 36 extend beneath plate 10, pass through connector 14 
and, in the particular arrangement shown, leave the opposite side. In the 
specific example shown, cable 34 is a three-conductor cable having flat 
conductors therein separated and covered by insulation material which 
bears a color code to identify the conductors. Cable 36 is a 
four-conductor cable similarly having flat conductors and color coding. 
Conductors of like color code are interconnected within connector 14 and 
they are also connected to wires 38, 39, 40 and 41 which are attached to 
the top of the connector. Three of those wires 38, 39 and 40 are attached 
to receptacle 20 which is therefore electrically powered by a branch 
circuit. The unused wire 41 is taped off but can be connected to a 
receptacle installed at the other end of the housing in place of plate 22, 
which receptacle could then be connected to the other branch of the power 
circuit. 
As seen in FIG. 3, the assembly is completed by the insertion of a second, 
upper housing portion 43 which is made to mate with housing portion 24 as 
illustrated. The unitarily formed, inclined end of housing portion 43 is 
provided with punch-outs to form openings for an electrical device such as 
another receptacle. A different cover portion can be substituted, as will 
be described, with openings or punch-outs to receive a communicator 
connector or connectors so that the entire assembly can accommodate both 
power and communication lines. Housing portions 24 and 43 are both 
generally U-shaped and are preferably molded from a suitable polymeric 
material, such as an A.B.S. known as Cycolac, to present a pleasing 
appearance while being sturdy and impact resistant. 
As will be recognized from the above, one function of this apparatus is to 
connect the conductors of a flat cable to conventional wires such as wires 
38-41 which can be referred to as "round" wires which they normally are. 
The round wires can be either the input or output wires, i.e., they can be 
delivering power to the flat cable when used as a duct feed point or can 
be delivering power from the flat cable to a load. 
A second function is to interconnect one multiconductor flat cable with 
another multiconductor flat cable having the same or a different number of 
conductors, and a third function is to provide a convenient connection 
station to terminate either or both of the power and communication cables 
needed at a work station, for example, in an office environment. 
The lower housing portion 24 is shown in detail by itself in FIGS. 4,5,6 
and 7b. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 7b, side walls 26 and 27 include inwardly 
extending portions 26a and 27a at the bottom thereof which form the side 
rails for a generally rectangular base frame having a transverse member 45 
at one end thereof and a somewhat similar transverse member 47 at the 
other end. Member 45 has a downwardly extending leg 48 formed thereon and 
member 47 has a somewhat similarly shaped leg 49. As seen in FIG. 3, when 
housing portion 24 is used in connection with a base plate 10, legs 48 and 
49 constitute spacing members to elevate housing portion 24 for carpet 
clearance. The upper surface of transverse member 45 includes a 
substantially horizontal portion and a downwardly sloping portion 50 which 
cooperates with the upper housing portion in the closed condition, as will 
be described. Walls 26 and 27 each have an outwardly sloping surface 51 at 
the end for a similar purpose. 
Transverse member 47 is unitarily formed with and supports the upwardly 
extending end wall 28 which is inclined at an angle of about 20 degrees 
from the vertical. The front and rear edges of walls 26 and 27 are 
inclined at a similar angle. Sectional and front views of wall 28 are 
shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 from which it will be seen that the wall includes 
two openings 52 and 53 which are shaped to receive the standard 
configuration of bosses 29 protruding from the front of receptacle 20. A 
central support 55 between the openings has reinforcing ribs 56 and a hole 
58 to receive screw 30 which attaches housing portion 24 to receptacle 20. 
Forming wall 28 unitarily with the remainder of the housing portion, i.e., 
as a single component in the same molding operation, has the advantages of 
obtaining an exact color match between the end and sides. There are also 
significant manufacturing and installation advantages because there need 
be no further provision for attaching the parts together. It should be 
noted at this point that the only fastener which interconnects housing 
portion 24 to the remainder of the structure is screw 30. However, the fit 
of openings 52 and 53 around the receptacle bosses firmly positions the 
housing portion so that no other positioning means is necessary. In 
addition, legs 48 and 49 provide support for the housing on either a plate 
10 or on the floor or other surface on which the housing is used. It will 
also be observed that wall 28 extends above side walls 26 and 27 by an 
amount which is substantially equal to the remaining length of wall 28 
above member 47. 
The regions adjacent the upper edges of walls 26 and 27 are provided with 
grooves to cooperate with hooks on the upper housing portion for coupling 
the two housing portions together. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, and to some 
degree in FIG. 7b, a longitudinally extending groove 60 is formed in the 
region adjacent the upper edge of wall 26 on the inner surface thereof, 
the groove extending between a rear wall 61 and a front wall 62. Openings 
64 and 65 extend upwardly and constitute upward extensions of groove 60 to 
permit hooks to be passed down into groove 60. A similar groove 66 is 
formed in wall 27 having openings 68 and 69, seen in FIG. 2. 
An upper housing portion is shown in FIGS. 7a, 8 and 9 this being a housing 
portion 43 designed for use with a second power receptacle. In some 
respects, the upper housing portion is a mirror image of the lower, but 
there are rather significant differences. On such difference is the 
presence of a top plate 70 which forms the "roof" of the housing in the 
assembled condition. Side walls 72 and 73 extend downwardly from top plate 
70, as does an end wall 75. End wall 75 is integrally and unitarily formed 
with the top and side walls for the same reasons described in connection 
with the lower housing portion and is inclined at a 20 degree angle 
relative to the edges of the side walls, in the same fashion as wall 28, 
and the end edges of the side walls are similarly inclined. Wall 75 is 
provided with molded weakened portions to define knock-outs 76 and 77 
which can be left in place if no connector is to be mounted at that end of 
the housing, or which can be easily removed to provide openings similar to 
openings 52 and 53 to receive the bosses of a receptacle. Wall 75 is also 
provided with a hole 79 through which a fastening screw can be passed. If 
a receptacle is mounted at that end of the housing, the screw simply 
enters the normal central hole in the receptacle. If not, the screw enters 
a central hole 84 in plate 22. Wall 75 is also provided with reinforcing 
ribs as with wall 28. 
A major difference in housing portion 43 from housing portion 24 is that 
portion 43 has no grooves but, instead, is provided with two sets of hook 
means which perform the function of cooperating with the grooves in 
housing portion 24 and also provide a resting support. The hook structures 
are formed on the side walls, preferably being unitarily molded therewith, 
and include hook structures 80, 81, 82 and 83, hooks 80 and 81 being 
adjacent wall 72. As seen in FIG. 7a, a portion of the hook structure 
protrudes below the lower edge of wall 72 and has an outward projection 85 
which is dimensioned to be received in groove 60 and is also dimensioned 
in length to enter the appropriate one of grooves 64 or 65. The hook 
structure is provided with a series of reinforcing ribs 87 for stiffness. 
At the upper portion of each hook structure, each rib is formed into a 
downwardly opening hook shape 89 which can rest on the upper edges of 
walls 16 and 18 when the housing is used in conjunction with the inner 
assembly shown in FIG. 1. 
Thus, to assembly the two housing portions, the upper housing portion 43 is 
positioned over the lower housing portion with wall 75 at the end opposite 
wall 28 and is then lowered so that hooks 80, 81 can enter openings 64, 65 
and hooks 82, 83 can enter openings 68, 69, the hooks being dimensioned so 
that when they are fully seated in grooves 60 and 66, the upper and lower 
side wall edges of housing portions 24 and 43, respective1y, are in or 
near an abutting, parallel relationship. At this stage, the housing 
portions are as illustrated in FIG. 3. Housing portion 43 can then be 
moved longitudinally, in a sliding motion, until wall 75 passes inwardly 
of the end edges of side walls 26 and 27 and end wall 28 passes inwardly 
of the adjacent end edges of side walls 72 and 73. This sliding movement 
is terminated when hook 81 reaches wall 62 at the end of groove 60 and 
when hook 83 reaches the similar end of groove 66. 
As the housing portions approach this limit of movement, the lower distal 
edge of wall 75 makes sliding contact with sloping surface 50 of 
transverse member 45, and the upper end of wall 28 makes contact with a 
similar surface in the underside of top plate 70. At the same time, the 
side edges of end wall 75 contact surfaces 51 and the side edges of end 
wall 28 come into contact with similar slopes on the inside surfaces of 
walls 72 and 73. This provides a degree of frictional engagement which 
prevents the parts from easily slipping away from each other and is fully 
effective to keep the components from separating without an intentional 
manual effort. 
As previously indicated, it is possible to provide more than one kind of 
upper housing portion usable with a single lower housing portion if it is 
decided that the overall housing should be used for communication wires 
and connectors in addition to the power lines illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 
2. If one or more communication connectors are to be used, plate 22 is 
removed. An upper housing portion 90 is then employed as illustrated in 
FIGS. 10, 11 and 12. The overall structure of housing portion 90 is 
substantially identical to housing portion 43 in having a top plate 91, 
side walls with hook structures 93, similarly shaped end portions, and an 
end wall 95. However, the knockouts provided in end wall 95 are 
significantly different and different mounting devices are provided for 
the communication connectors. 
It will also be observed that the upper and lower housing portions are 
coupled together without the use of any separate fasteners such as screws, 
bolts or the like. While each housing portion can and frequently will be 
connected to some other mounting arrangement, there is no fastener other 
than the hook and groove arrangement between the portions themselves. 
As seen in FIGS. 10 and 12, the inner surface of top plate 91 is provided 
with four unitarily molded cylindrical projections 97, 98, 99 and 100, 
projection 97 being shown in the cut-away portion of FIG. 10. As will be 
seen, each projection has an internal blind hole 102 to receive a threaded 
fastener, hole 102 being either internally smooth to receive a 
self-tapping screw or being threaded in advance. These projections can be 
connected to a mounting bracket to support the connector devices in their 
operative positions. 
The knock-outs themselves are shaped and dimensioned to receive a variety 
of different kinds of connectors including telephone connectors, data 
couplers and the like. In particular, rectangular knock-outs 104 and 105 
are shaped and dimensioned to receive inline telephone connectors, while 
D-shaped knock-outs 107 and 108 can be used for coaxial cable connectors. 
The larger rectangular knock-out 110 at the bottom is intended to receive 
a 2-for-1 telephone adapter which is a type of adapter in which a single 
incoming cable separates into two multi-conductor cables. Circular 
knock-outs 111 are for mounting screws. 
The metal frame is shown alone in FIGS. 14 and 15 in which it will be seen 
that plate 10 and walls 16 and 18 are cut and bent from a single piece of 
sheet metal. One of the tabs 115 is visible in the cut-away area of FIG. 
15 and includes bent-out alignment ears 117 and 118 between which the 
mounting flange of an outlet is positioned as shown in FIG. 1. The 
opposite end margins of opening 12 are bent upwardly to form inwardly 
curved surfaces 120 and 121 to avoid sharp edges which might damage flat 
cable. Mounting holes 11 are formed in offset pads which form feet on 
which plate 10 is supported, the areas without holes being provided with 
similar pads 123. 
Holes 124 and 125 are provided at opposite sides of opening 12 and are 
spaced apart by 3+9/32 inches, the proper spacing to accommodate a 
receptacle or similar connector device. This allows the housing to be 
mounted directly over a standard wall box and attached to the box using 
the mounting holes provided therein. When so mounted, opening 12 is 
directly in front of the open side of the box so that wires can extend 
from one housing to the other. These holes can also be used to mount a 
barrier to electromagnetically and physically separate the housing into 
power and data cable chambers. 
Side walls 16 and 18 also have cut-out portions 127 to provide an entry 
point for data cables and also to provide areas where grounding clips can 
be attached to plate 10. 
It will be recognized from the foregoing description that the elements of 
the metal frame and the upper and lower housing components cooperate to 
form a housing which encloses electrical terminations and makes them 
normally inaccessible (i.e., concealed) when in normal use, provides 
mechanical protection for the enclosed elements, provides a secure, fixed 
installation which can be attached to the floor, to a junction box or to a 
nipple leading to a duct or the like and contains, mounts and secures the 
power, data or telecommunication cables in such a way that they are 
available for use but protected from dirt and the like. In addition, the 
housing assembly is attractive in appearance and has no external assembly 
fasteners except for those at the ends directly associated with the 
mounting connectors, and it has a low profile to fit under various kinds 
of furniture and equipment. 
The metal frame portion can be made of heavy, sturdy material with less 
concern for appearance because of the fact that, in normal use, it is 
totally concealed. It thus provides the basic security and strength to 
support and hold the electrical components as well as a grounding path. 
Furthermore, it is possible to provide other openings in addition to or 
instead of openings 12 and 15 to accommodate wires or cables of other 
sizes and types or other attachment devices, but this does not require any 
change to the structure of housing portions 24 or 43. 
While certain advantageous embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the 
invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various 
changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the 
scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.