Abstract:
A poke-thru fitting includes a plurality of stacked modules, each of the plurality of stacked modules being configured to retain at least a power receptacle and a communication receptacle, wherein an axial cross-sectional envelope of the fitting remains constant despite the number of the plurality of stacked modules.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of United States application Ser. No. 11/095,382, entitled “Recessed Poke-Thru Fitting,” filed Mar. 30, 2005, which relates to and claims priority benefits from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/557,654 entitled “Recessed Poke-Thru Fitting,” filed Mar. 30, 2004, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In-floor fittings such as poke-thru fittings, afterset fittings, and preset fittings are installed in concrete floors to provide electrical receptacles and communication/data receptacles (or jacks) at desired locations in buildings. Poke-thru fittings are designed to be installed in an opening in a floor, such as a concrete slab or steel deck, in a building structure such as an office building to provide electrical receptacles and/or communication/data receptacles at desired locations in buildings. As explained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,643, source power and signal cables, loosely positioned in a plenum, which is between the ceiling of the floor below and the floor above (that is, the floor in which the opening is in), may be pulled from the plenum and connected with or passed through the poke-thru fitting for activation of services for and on the floor above. More specifically, high voltage source power cables are connected with power receptacles that may be mounted within the poke-thru fitting or surface mounted on the floor above the fitting. Lower voltage communication/data signal cables have traditionally been passed through the poke-thru fitting to provide above floor connections between these cables and equipment positioned on the floor above. More recently, poke-thru fittings have been developed that also provide for mounting the communication/data receptacle within the fitting.  
         [0003]     Standards promulgated by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) require poke-thru fittings to enable the fire rating of the floor to be substantially the same with or without the floor opening and fitting therein. As a result, poke-thru fittings typically incorporate fire-retarding material, generally intumescent material, to retard the transmission of heat and flame from a fire in the plenum, for example. The intumescent material is activated upon exposure to a fire&#39;s heat and flames, rising through the floor opening from a fire below the floor. The intumescent material absorbs the heat and expands to fill open spaces in the floor.  
         [0004]     One typical style of a poke-thru fitting includes intumescent material that penetrates the concrete floor and a monument-style service head. The service head includes power and communication devices and is positioned above the floor. Penetration through the floor by the service head is minimized due to the fact that only wire and cabling are passed through the intumescent. The minimized floor penetration also reduces the labor cost of drilling into the concrete floor. That is, because a smaller hole is used, less drilling is required than if a larger hole were needed. Additionally, because a smaller hole is used, less intumescent material is needed.  
         [0005]     In order to increase functionality of the poke-thru fitting, larger service heads are used. That is, in order to house additional power and communication devices within a service head, the service head typically needs to be larger to accommodate the additional components. However, larger service heads are more obtrusive than smaller service head. Further, while a larger service head allows for increased functionality, larger service heads may also be less aesthetically acceptable due to the fact that they take up more space than smaller service heads.  
         [0006]     A second type of poke-thru fitting was developed to address the objectionable aesthetics of the monument-style poke-thru fitting. The second type of poke-thru fitting includes power and communication devices turned face-up with the floor, and are mounted flush with the floor surface. In order to obtain a low profile, the sides and back of the device are below the surface of the floor. The width of the poke-thru fitting (i.e., the diameter), however, must be large enough to accommodate the components contained within the fitting. As the diameter of the fitting increases, additional intumescent material is needed. Further, the number of devices housed within such a poke-thru fitting is limited.  
         [0007]     Thus, a need exists for a poke-thru fitting that overcomes the drawbacks and deficiencies noted above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an improved poke-thru fitting configured to be positioned within a floor. The poke-thru fitting includes a plurality of stacked modules, each of the plurality of stacked modules being configured to retain at least a power receptacle and a communication receptacle, wherein an axial cross-sectional envelope of the fitting remains constant despite the number of the plurality of stacked modules. The system may also include an upper cable-receiving portion secured to a first one of the plurality of stacked modules, and a collar configured to be secured within the floor, wherein the upper cable-receiving portion is configured to be slidably retained by the collar.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an isometric view of a poke-thru fitting according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates an isometric view of a poke-thru fitting in a fully secured position within a floor according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of a poke-thru fitting in a fully secured position within a floor according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of a poke-thru fitting in which a main body of the poke-thru fitting is slid upwardly from a collar according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0013]     The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the present invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings, certain embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the attached drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates an isometric view of a poke-thru fitting  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The poke-thru fitting  10  includes a main body  12  and a collar  14 . Prior to the main body  12  being inserted into hole  15  or other type of cavity formed in a floor  16 , the collar  14  is positioned within the hole  15 . The collar  14  is configured to be secured over and/or within the hole  15 . The collar  15  includes a central opening  18  sized to allow the main body  12  to slide therethrough in the directions denoted by line A.  
         [0015]     The main body  12  includes a series of receptacle modules  20  stacked over one another. The modules  20  may be bolted, bonded, or otherwise secured to one another. Optionally, the modules  20  may include latches, clasps and the like, and reciprocal structures that allow the modules to be snapably, latchably, or otherwise removably secure to one another. For example, a top portion  22  of a module  20  may be permanently or removably secured to a bottom portion  24  of another module  20 .  
         [0016]     Each module  20  includes an interior cavity  26  configured to receive and retain a receptacle  28 , such as a power or communication receptacle. A cylindrically or semi-cylindrically shaped cable-receiving portion  30  is permanently or removably secured to a module  20 . Additional modules  20  may be permanently or removably secured beneath the top module  20 . The cable-receiving portion includes a lid  32  having a cable passage  34  that allows a cable  35  to pass therethrough. The diameter D of the lid  32  is larger than the diameter of the collar  14 . Thus, when the main body  12  is slid into the collar, downward movement of the main body  12  ceases as the lid  32  engages the collar  14 . The collar  14  includes a lower inner ring  36  and an upper outer ring  38 . The diameter of the outer ring  38  may exceed the diameter D of the lid  32 , while the diameter of the inner ring  36  may be smaller than the diameter D of the lid  32 . Further, the inner ring  36  may be recessed downwardly from the outer ring  38  so that when the main body  12  is secured within the collar  14 , the lid  10  is flush with the top surface of the collar  14 , which may be flush with the surface of the floor  16 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates an isometric view of the poke-thru fitting  10  in a fully secured position within the floor  16 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the lid  32  and collar  14  are flush with the surface of the floor  16 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of the poke-thru fitting  10  in a fully secured position within the floor  16 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the top outer ring  38  of the collar  14  rests above the surface of the floor  16 , while the lower inner ring  36  is positioned under, and/or flush with, the surface of the floor  16 . A bottom surface  40  of the top outer ring  38  abuts the upper surface of the floor  16 . The profile of the cable-receiving portion  30  tapers at a lower portion  42  to allow access to the upper module  20 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the cable receiving portion  30  also includes a cable channel  44  that allows cables to pass therethrough.  
         [0019]     As explained above, the module  20  is permanently or removably secured to the cable-receiving portion  30 . Further, a top portion  22  of the module  20 ′ is permanently or removably secured to a bottom portion  24  of the module  20 . Similarly, a top portion  22  of the module  20 ″ is permanently or removably secured to a bottom portion  24  of the module  20 ′.  
         [0020]     The modules  20 ,  20 ′ and  20 ″ are shaped so that the receptacles  28 , when retained within the cavities  26  (shown, for example, in  FIG. 1 ), are angled with respect to the surface of the floor  16 . Further, the modules  20 ,  20 ′ and  20 ″ include sloped surfaces  48  that are configured to provide access to a receptacle  28  of a module, such as module  20 ′, that may be positioned below another module, such as module  20 .  
         [0021]     In order to add more modules  20  to the fitting  10 , the main body  12  is removed from the floor  16 . An additional module may be secured underneath the module  20 ″. Further, any of the modules  20 ,  20 ′,  20 ″ may be removed and a new module may be substituted in place thereof. Further, because the main body  12  is easily removed from the floor  16 , the receptacles  28  retained within the interior cavities  26  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), may be removed and replaced.  
         [0022]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , for example, the receptacles (or power and communication devices)  28  are positioned below the surface of the floor  16  when the main body  16  is secured by the collar  14 . The modules  20 ,  20 ′ and  20 ″, and therefore, the receptacles  28 , are stacked in a modular tiered arrangement, and as such, power and communication capacity may be increased without increasing the axial cross-sectional envelope (or diameter) of the fitting  10 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of the poke-thru fitting  10  in which the main body  12  is slid upwardly from the collar  14 . In this position, electrical plugs may be removed and or positioned within different receptacles  28 . Once the desired changes are made, the main body  12  may be slid downwardly to a secured position.  
         [0024]     Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide a poke-thru fitting capable of supporting a large number of receptacles. Further, embodiments of the present invention provide a modular poke-thru fitting capable of supporting a varying number of receptacle modules. Further, embodiments of the present invention eliminate the need for empty space in a fitting due to the modularity of the poke-thru fitting  10 . Thus, less fire-stopping material is used within the poke-thru fitting  10 . Further, embodiments of the present invention provide a fitting in which all cabling may be bundled within a single passage, which may be sealed with a single water-resistant seal, thereby reducing the complexity of previous designs that used multiple seals.  
         [0025]     While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.