Abstract:
What is disclosed is a conduit for the installation of telephone or television cables in the interior of a building. The conduit is adapted to be installed at the corner where a wall meets a ceiling. The conduit comprises a cable receiver, a cover therefore and a moulding to be installed over the cover.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is directed to the field of conduits used for installation of wires or cables inside of buildings. Such wires or cables can be used for providing telephone, internet, fibre optics, speakers or television service to a customer in a building without having to wall fish wires. In particular, the present invention is directed to the field of conduits mounted on the exterior surface of interior walls in the buildings. 
         [0002]    In general, the utility company provides a main line for service into the building. In an apartment or office complex, the service lines to the individual units must be run separately into the individual units. Consequently, the lines are run through various parts of the buildings. Generally, the cables run through the interior hallways in conduits located in the corner where the side walls meet the ceilings. The conduit covers must be easily removable to service, upgrade and to splice the cables when each customer calls for service. 
         [0003]    The presently available conduits for use in these types of buildings generally are mounted at the corner where the walls intersect the ceiling. The available conduits generally are fabricated from plastic with a triangular cross-section. Thus, the currently available conduits provide a plain and inexpensive looking appearance. This inexpensive looking appearance creates a problem in up-scale residences and office buildings because it detracts from the ambiance of the building. In such up-scale buildings, the occupants expect high quality appearing mouldings at the corners of walls and ceilings. However, placing a conventional corner moulding over the available conduits cannot be easily implemented. 
         [0004]    A primary object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problem. The present invention, as explained in detail below, solves this problem by providing a novel corner conduit and moulding combination for installing wires and cables therein. The interchangeable architectural face piece also allows for ease of installation for the typical homeowner. Pre-finished mouldings can be installed without nails or putty eliminating the need to nail through the pre-finished face plate. The product is also UL® rated and may be used as a path for electrical wiring. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A corner wall cable conduit comprising a longitudinally extending cable receiver adapted to be fastened to a wall where the wall intersects a ceiling comprising a first side panel, a second side panel, a central panel and a plurality of projections oriented generally perpendicular to the first side panel and the second side panel; a longitudinally extending conduit cover adapted to be connected to the cable receiver such that a hollow space is formed between the conduit cover and the cable receiver for the installation of cables or wires comprising means adapted to be received in the plurality of projections so as to secure the conduit cover to the cable receiver; a front connector attached to the conduit cover; and a moulding adapted to be received in the front connector. The present invention provides an interchangeable architectural face plate which allows ease of access to the conduit path. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a front exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a side cut-away exploded view of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a side cut-away assembled view of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of a part of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of a part of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of a part of the present invention as installed. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is an assembled view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is an exploded side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a side cut-away assembled view of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a bottom perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The present invention will now be described in terms of the presently preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many obvious modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
         [0018]    The corner conduit  10  is shown in the drawings. The corner conduit  10  comprises a generally hollow longitudinally extending cable receiver  12 , a longitudinally extending conduit cover  14  and a moulding  16 . The moulding  16  comprises a front ornamental surface design  17 . The ornamental surface design  17  shown in the appended drawings is merely one example of the ornamental surface features of the moulding  16  that could be used as an interchangeable face plate on the cable receiver  12 . The corner conduit  10  will be UL® rated and may be used as a path for electrical wiring. 
         [0019]    The cable receiver  12  is illustrated in cross-section in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The cable receiver  12  comprises two side panels  18  and  20 , generally oriented perpendicular to each other, with an integral back panel  22 . The cable receiver  12  is adapted to be installed in a corner where a side wall meets a ceiling with the side panel  20  adjacent to the ceiling and the side panel  18  adjacent to the side wall. The cable receiver  12  is generally attached to the wall and ceiling by means of conventional fastening techniques, such as screws, well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The cable receiver  12  further comprises projections  24  and  25 . The projections  24  and  25  are generally oriented perpendicular to the side panel  18  and  20  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0020]    The conduit cover  14  will now be described in detail. The conduit cover  14  is adapted to snap into the cable receiver  12  as shown in the assembled view of  FIG. 3 . The conduit cover  14  comprises a central panel  26 , a first connecting unit  28  and a second connecting unit  30 . It is anticipated that the conduit cover  14  and moulding  16  may be manufactured as an integral extruded plastic part but that is not required to be within the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
         [0021]    The central panel  26  is flat with a first rectangular projection  27 . The first connecting unit  28  extends from the central panel  26  on one side opposite to the second connecting unit  30 . The first connecting unit  28  comprises a rectangular mating unit  29  which is adapted to be received in projections  24  and  25  on the side panel  20 . 
         [0022]    The second connecting unit  30  comprises a straight projection  31  with a second projection  32  extending therefrom at an angle “a.” In addition, the straight projection  31  comprises a plurality of serrated longitudinal grooves  34 . 
         [0023]    The rectangular projection  27  on central panel  26  is adapted to be received into a mating opening  36  on moulding  16  placed on the surfaces  40  and  42 . The moulding  16  snaps in place over the central panel  26  and is joined thereto by double sided tape  38 . The double sided tape  38  allows the moulding  16  to be fitted to the conduit cover without the use of nails or putty or other traditional fastening means. The final assembly of the conduit receiver  12 , conduit cover  14  and moulding  16  is placed on the surfaces  40  and  42  as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 7  illustrates the installation of the present invention in a corner where two side walls meet the ceiling. In the case of such a corner, an additional moulding  44  is required. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the corner conduit  10  is installed along the wall and ceiling joint in both directions. The corner moulding  40  is adapted to fit over the corner conduits  10  by installation on the rectangular projection on the central panel  26 . 
         [0025]    The installation and use of the corner conduit  10  will now be described in detail. The cable receiver  12  will first be installed at the corner between a wall and ceiling by conventional fastening techniques. The cables or wires will then be installed in the opening  19  formed by side panels  18  and  20 . The conduit cover  14  will be snapped into place over the cable receiver  12 . The conduit cover  14  will be installed by placing rectangular mating unit  29  into the projections  24  and  25  on side panel  20  and then the opposite end of the conduit cover will be snapped onto projection  25  on side panel  18  until the serrated grooves  34  connect to the corner conduit  12 . At that point, the moulding  16  will be snapped onto the front connector  16  and connected thereby the double sided type as described above. The installation is complete and appears as a normal moulding in the corner between the wall and ceiling. 
         [0026]      FIG. 7  illustrates the installation of the corner piece  40 . The corner piece  40  comprises two grooves  46  in the same shape as mating opening  36  on the moulding  16 . The grooves  46  allow the corner piece  40  to be installed with double sided tape over the corner conduit  10  in the same manner as the moulding  16  allowing for a transition at wall corners. 
         [0027]    Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many obvious modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.