Abstract:
An underfloor receptacle box, including a housing having at least one opening including a first opening, a lid detachably attached to the housing substantially closing the first opening; and an insert having at least one angled wall, the insert being removably connected to the housing, the insert having a continuous wireway between said at least one angled wall and said housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to an electrical junction box, and, more particularly, to a receptacle box for an underfloor system.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Even though Edison is widely known for the creation of the first commercially practical incandescent lamp in 1879, he also developed an electrical distribution system for light and power, including generators, motors, light sockets with the Edison base, junction boxes, safety fuses and underground conductors. Since Edison&#39;s pioneering work a plethora of devices for the distribution and use of electricity have been developed. Junction boxes, and more particularly, underfloor distribution boxes are among the devices developed for the distribution of electrical power.  
           [0005]    Underfloor distribution boxes are available for installation in concrete or wood flooring. Boxes for installation in concrete flooring are generally taller in nature, thereby allowing for the electrical interconnection to be under a substantial amount of concrete. This configuration reduces the likelihood of weakened concrete and protects the electrical conductors from drilling, when the installation of equipment on the concrete floor is undertaken. Underfloor boxes for installation in wood flooring typically are more shallow than those for concrete floors, which reflects the need of a wood floor structure.  
           [0006]    Underfloor distribution boxes are made from cast metal, formed sheet metal and from plastic. Removable or hinged flip up portions are the typical manner of access to the electrical power receptacles contained in an underfloor distribution box. Wireways or conduit may be connected to boxes to provide for the distribution of electrical power thereto.  
           [0007]    When the electrical and/or communication needs of an occupant of floor space changes, the reconfiguration of the underfloor boxes often becomes necessary to meet the new power and communication needs. The altering of receptacles requires an electrician to rewire receptacles in the underfloor boxes.  
           [0008]    What is needed in the art is an underfloor box which can be easily reconfigured.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention provides an electrically configured mounting assembly in an underfloor box which can be easily removed and replaced with a mounting assembly of a desired configuration.  
           [0010]    The invention comprises, in one form thereof, an underfloor receptacle box, including a housing having at least one opening including a first opening, a lid detachably attached to the housing substantially closing the first opening; and an insert having at least one angled wall, the insert being removably connected to the housing, the insert having a continuous wireway between said at least one angled wall and said housing.  
           [0011]    An advantage of the present invention is that an underfloor receptacle box can be easily reconfigured.  
           [0012]    Another advantage is the configuration of the electrical/communication receptacles is modularized so that a configuration can be changed by a non-electrician.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an underfloor receptacle box apparatus of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the underfloor receptacle box of FIG. 1; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view of the underfloor receptacle box of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     
    
       [0017]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown an underfloor receptacle box  10  which generally includes housing  12 , lid assembly  14  and mounting assembly  16 . Underfloor receptacle box  10  is mounted in a floor and is coupled with under the floor electrical power, data communication and/or telecommunication sources to provide access to electrical power and/or communications above the floor.  
         [0019]    Now additionally referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, housing  12  includes side walls  18 , a bottom  20 , supports  22 , grommets  24  and an electrical connector  26 . There are four side walls  18  which are connected at their bottom edge to bottom  20  which together form a rectangular-shaped box with an open top. Openings in side walls  18  allow for the mounting of grommets  24  and electrical connector  26 .  
         [0020]    Supports  22  are L-shaped bracket pieces which are positioned below the top edge of two opposite side walls  18  and are attached thereto. Supports  22  provide support to and a place of attachment for mounting assembly  16 . When housing  12  is installed in a floor and mounting assembly  16  is assembled within housing  12 , lid assembly  14  is positioned on top of housing  12  and at least one mechanical fastener is used to couple lid assembly  14  to support  22 .  
         [0021]    Grommets  24  are installed in circular openings in housing  12  to shield wiring passing therethrough from abrasion. Alternatively, grommets  24  may be omitted and electrical conduit may be connected to housing  12  by way of the circular openings.  
         [0022]    Electrical connector  26 , also referred to as a power connector, is connected to housing  12  and passes electrical power and/or signals therethrough. Electrical connector  26  is configured to receive a mating electrical connector on the exterior of housing  12  in order to receive electrical power and/or signals. The portion of electrical connector  26 , that is in the interior of housing  12 , is configured to receive a mating connector that is electrically coupled to a receptacle included in mounting assembly  16 .  
         [0023]    Lid assembly  14  includes bezel  28 , lid  30  and hinge  31 . Lid assembly  14  is removably attached to housing  12  to finish the installation of underfloor receptacle box  10  in a floor. Lid  30  is hingedly connected along one side to bezel  28  by hinge  31 . Lid assembly  14  is substantially at a floor level when installed in a finished floor  15  and it provides support to a load passing thereover.  
         [0024]    Bezel  28  is shaped to be partially inserted into housing  12  and to have a finished edge that sits above the top edges of side walls  18  and to extend therebeyond, thereby providing a finished look to the installed underfloor receptacle box  10 . Mechanical fasteners are used to detachably couple bezel  28  to supports  22 . Bezel  28  includes retaining hooks  32  which are located along a side opposite hinge  31 . Retaining hooks  32  are shaped and positioned to retain and position power and communication conductors for passage from the interior of underfloor receptacle box  10  to an above floor application.  
         [0025]    Lid  30  includes slots  34  and reinforcing ribs  36 . Slots  34 , of a width larger than a power or communication cord, are arranged along an edge of lid  30  opposite hinge  31 . Slots  34  are positioned such that they coact with the positioning of retaining hooks  32  to provide for passage of power and communication conductors from the interior of underfloor receptacle box  10  to an above floor application. Reinforcing ribs  36  are integral with lid  30  and are positioned to provide structural support to lid  30 .  
         [0026]    Mounting assembly  16 , also referred to herein as an insert, includes support edges  38 , first angled mounting wall  40 , second angled mounting wall  42 , bottom mounting wall  44 , communication/data receptacle  46  and electrical receptacle  48 . Support edges  38  are arranged such that when mounting assembly  16  is installed in housing  12 , support edges  38  are substantially parallel to supports  22  and are supported thereon. Support edges  38  and walls  40 ,  42  and  44  may be formed as a single monolithic element.  
         [0027]    First angled mounting wall  40  and second angled mounting wall  42  are each connected along one edge to a support edge  38  and at an opposite edge to bottom mounting wall  44 . The angle at which walls  40  and  42  are arranged allows for the easy engagement of the receptacles mounted thereto by mating plugs. The combination of walls  40  and  42  are configured to align bottom mounting wall  44  such that it is spaced above and substantially parallel with bottom  20  thereby allowing a wireway passage therebetween. The wireway provides a place for coupling conductors to be routed from receptacles  46  and  48  to electrical connector  26  and/or through grommets  24 .  
         [0028]    Communication/data receptacle  46  and electrical receptacle  48  are connected to walls  40  and  42  such that electrical conductors are coupled to receptacles  46  and  48  through openings in walls  40  and  42 . There may be a plurality of receptacles  46  and  48  connected to walls  40  and  42 . Electrical receptacle  48  includes electrical cable/connector  50  which is detachably electrically coupled to electrical connector  26 . Cable/connector  50  can be configured to connect in alternate ways to electrical connector  26  to provide different power configurations to electrical receptacle  48 , such as different voltages and single or three phase power. Communication/data receptacle  46  can alternatively exist as separate data and telecommunication receptacles. Data cable  52  and telephone cable  54  enter housing  12  by way of an opening in grommets  24  and connect to the wireway side of communication/data receptacle  46 .  
         [0029]    The reconfiguration of underfloor receptacle box  10  is accomplished by removing lid assembly  14 , detaching mounting assembly  16  and disconnecting cable/connector  50 , data cable  52  and telephone cable  54 . A pre-configured mounting assembly  16  replaces the removed mounting assembly  16 . The pre-configured mounting assembly  16  is then electrically coupled and installed into housing  12 . Alternatively, the removed mounting assembly  16  can be reconfigured by installing the desired electrical/communication receptacles and electrically coupling them to a cable/connector  50 .  
         [0030]    While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.