Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention include an in-floor fitting for providing access to an underfloor electric distribution system. The in-floor fitting includes a cover configured to move between open and closed positions and being moved to an open position to allow a cable to pass therethrough. The in-floor fitting includes a receptacle positioned below the cover and configured to operatively connect to a cable comprising at least one of an electrical cable and a communication cable, wherein the cover is substantially flush with a surface of a floor when the cable is operatively connected to the receptacle and the cover is in the closed position.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is related to, and claims priority from, Provisional Application No. 60/532,187, filed Dec. 23, 2003, titled “Recessed In-Floor Fitting,” the complete subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to an in-floor fitting for carrying electrical equipment in the floors of buildings. More particularly, the present invention relates to a recessed in-floor fitting that remains flush with the floor even when receiving a cable plug.  
         [0003]     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.  
         [0004]     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.  
         [0005]     Components of many in-floor fittings upwardly protrude above the surface of the floor when electrical and communications devices within the fittings are operatively connected to an above-floor system (e.g., a personal computer). For example, access doors and egress doors of the access doors may be open and/or ajar due to the fact that cabling and/or wiring is passing through an in-floor fitting. Such protrusions may be aesthetically unpleasant and may also pose tripping hazards.  
         [0006]     Thus, a need exists for a poke-thru assembly that addresses the problems described above.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Certain embodiments of the present invention include an in-floor fitting for providing access to an underfloor electric distribution system. The in-floor fitting includes a cover configured to move between open and closed positions and being moved to an open position to allow a cable to pass therethrough. The in-floor fitting includes a receptacle positioned below the cover and configured to operatively connect to a cable comprising at least one of an electrical cable and a communication cable, wherein the cover is substantially flush with a surface of a floor when the cable is operatively connected to the receptacle and the cover is in the closed position.  
         [0008]     Certain embodiments of the present invention include an in-floor fitting. The in-floor fitting includes an intumescent insert having at least one interior opening and a top plate having a top surface. The top plate is mounted over the intumescent insert and the top plate comprises at least one interior passage and support legs extending upwardly from the top surface. The in-floor fitting further includes a trim ring having an upper surface and being mounted to distal ends of the support legs. The in-floor fitting further includes at least one access door movably secured to the trim ring and that is movable to an open position and a closed position. The at least one access door is configured to be substantially flush with the upper surface of the trim ring when the access door is in a closed position. The at least one access door comprises an egress door configured to open and close relative to the at least one access door. The in-floor fitting further includes at least one of an electrical receptacle and a communication device, wherein a top surface of the at least one of an electrical receptacle and a communication device is substantially flush with the top surface of the top plate and at least a portion of the at least one of an electrical receptacle and a communication device is housed within the at least one interior opening of the intumescent insert.  
         [0009]     Certain embodiments of the present invention include an in-floor fitting. The in-floor fitting includes an intumescent insert, a top plate being mounted to the intumescent insert and comprising support legs extending upwardly therefrom, and a trim ring having an upper surface and being mounted to distal ends of the support legs. The in-floor fitting further includes at least one access door secured to the trim ring and movable to an open and a closed position. The at least one access door is configured to be substantially flush with the upper surface of the trim ring when the access door is in the closed position. The at least one access door defines an opening. The in-floor fitting further includes at least one receptacle, wherein at least a portion of the at least one receptacle is housed within the top plate and the intumescent insert. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates an isometric exploded view of a poke-thru assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates an isometric view of the poke-thru assembly of  FIG. 1  with one access door in an open position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates an isometric view of the poke-thru assembly of  FIG. 1  with the access doors in a closed position.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates an isometric view of the poke-thru assembly of  FIG. 1  with the access doors closed and a cable passing through an egress door opening.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates an isometric view of the poke-thru assembly of  FIG. 1  with both access doors in an open position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an isometric exploded view of a poke-thru assembly  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The assembly  10  includes a bottom plate  12 , an intumescent insert  14 , a top plate  16 , a trim ring  18 , and access doors  20 .  
         [0016]     The bottom plate  12  includes an upper surface  22  and a lower surface  24 . An electrical opening  26  is formed from the upper surface  22  through the lower surface  24  and into a channel  27  defined by a cylindrical electrical conduit  28 . A communication opening  30  is formed from the upper surface  22  through the lower surface  24  and into a channel  32  defined by a cylindrical communication conduit  34 .  
         [0017]     The intumescent insert  14  includes a generally cylindrical main body  36  defined by an outer wall  38  and upper and lower surfaces  40  and  42 . An electrical opening  44  and a communication opening  46  extend from the upper surface  40  to the lower surface  42 .  
         [0018]     The top plate  16  includes a generally circular main body  48  with upwardly extending support legs  50 . The main body  48  includes an electrical receptacle mounting structure  52  that is configured to receive and retain an electrical receptacle  53  (such as a duplex receptacle). Similarly, a communication mounting structure  54  is formed through the main body  48  and is configured to receive and retain a communications device  56  (such as a telephone, data, audio/visual connector, jack or device). The electrical receptacle mounting structure  52  and the communication mounting structure  54  are configured to securely retain the electrical receptacle  53  and the communication device  56 , while at the same time, allowing cabling or wiring connected to each of the electrical receptacle  53  (such as wiring  58 ) and the communication device  56  to pass therethrough.  
         [0019]     The intumescent insert  14  is configured to be sandwiched between the bottom plate  12  and the top plate  16 . When the assembly  10  is fully assembled, electrical wiring (such as wiring  58 ) connected to the electrical receptacle  53  passes through an electrical passage defined by the mounting structure  52 , the electrical opening  44 , the electrical opening  26  and the channel  27 . Similarly, communication/data cables pass through a communication passage defined by the mounting structure  54 , the communication opening  46 , the communication opening  30 , and the channel  32 .  
         [0020]     Each upwardly extending leg  50  includes an upright portion  60  having a first end  62  secured to the main body  48  of the top plate  16  and a second end  63  having a mounting tab  64 . The mounting tab  64  includes a fastener through-hole  66 . The mounting tabs  64  are configured to securely support the trim ring  18 . The trim ring  18  includes fastener through-holes  68  that are configured to align with the fastener through-holes  66  of the mounting tabs  64 . The trim ring  18  may be secured to the mounting tabs  64  through screws, nails, rivets, and the like. Alternatively, the trim ring  18  may include latching members, clasps, barbs, or the like that are configured to securably engage reciprocal structures formed on the mounting tabs  64 .  
         [0021]     The trim ring  18  includes an annular body  70  defining a central passage  72 . The fastener through-holes  68  are positioned proximate an internal edge  74  of the annular body  70 , but may be formed at different areas of the annular body  70 . The trim ring  18  is configured to be securely mounted slightly above, or flush with, a top surface of a floor (not shown). The trim ring  18  also includes hinge-mounting structures  76  configured to retain hinges  78  formed on the access doors  20 . The hinges  78  are pivotally secured within the hinge-mounting structures  76 . Thus, the access doors  20  may be pivoted between open and closed positions by way of the hinges  78  pivoting about the hinge-mounting structures  76  relative to the trim ring  18 . Each access door  20  may be held in a closed position against the trim ring  18  with at least one spring clip  79  mounted thereto. The access doors  20  define a cover for the poke-thru assembly  10  when in the closed position.  
         [0022]     Each access door  20  includes a semi-circular main body  80  having egress door openings  84  formed at an interior edge  85 . An egress door  86  is configured to be movably secured within at least one egress door opening  84  on each access door  20 . That is, the egress doors  86  may slide, pivot, or otherwise move relative to the egress door openings  84 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  illustrates an isometric view of a poke-thru assembly  10  with one access door  20  in an open position. As shown in  FIG. 2 , each access door  20  includes two egress door openings  84  but pivotally retains one egress door  86 . An egress door  86  secured to one of the access doors  20  covers an opening defined by the egress door opening  84  of the access door  20  to which the egress door  86  is secured, and an egress door opening  84  of the access door  20  to which the egress door  86  is not secured. That is, each access door  20  includes an egress door opening  84  for the egress door  86  to which the access door  20  is connected to, and an egress door opening  84  that is a reciprocal opening for the egress door  86  of the other access door  20 .  
         [0024]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the access doors  20  may be spring biased such that pressing down on the access doors  20  may deactivate a spring activated latch mechanism, thereby allowing the access door  20  to be pivoted into an open position in the direction of arrow A. The egress doors  86  may be pivoted into an open position by pushing downwardly thereon so that the egress door  86  is positioned below the surface of the access door  20 . That is, instead of opening upwardly above the surface of the access door  20 , the egress doors  86  are pushed downwardly below the access doors  20 . In order to close the egress doors  86 , the access doors  20  are opened and the egress doors  86  are swung back into a closed position. The access doors  20  have latching members that snapably, latchably, or otherwise removably secure the egress doors  86  into a closed position, but that also allow quick and easy opening of the egress doors  86 .  
         [0025]     Once the access doors  20  are open, electrical and communication cables (not shown) may be guided into the cavity formed between the upper surface of the intumescent insert and the central passage  72 . The cables may be electrically connected to the electrical receptacle  53  (i.e., a plug mating with an electrical outlet of the electrical receptacle) and the communication device  56 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the top surface of the electrical receptacle  53  and the communication device  56  are substantially flush with an upper surface  73  of the intumescent insert  14 . That is, the bulk of the electrical receptacle  53  and the communication device  56  are housed within electrical opening  44  and the communication opening  46  ( FIG. 1 ), respectively, of the intumescent insert  14 .  
         [0026]     The legs  50  support the trim ring  18  and access doors  20  a distance D above the upper surface  73  (and hence the electrical receptacle  53  and the communication device  56 ). The distance D is adequate to allow an entire plug portion of an electrical cable, or large audio/video type connectors, to be housed within the central passage  72 ; below the surface of the trim ring  18  and the surface of the floor.  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  illustrates an isometric view of a poke-thru assembly  10  with the access doors  20  in a closed position. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the access doors  20  and the egress doors  86  are substantially flush with an upper surface of the trim ring  18 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  illustrates an isometric view of a poke-thru assembly  10  with the access doors  20  closed and a cable  90  passing through an egress door opening  84 . The cable  90  is positioned within the central passage  72  when at least one of the access doors  20  is in an open position (as shown in  FIG. 2 ).  FIG. 5  illustrates an isometric view of a poke-thru assembly  10  with both access doors  20  in an open position.  
         [0029]     Referring again to  FIG. 4 , after the cable is positioned within the central passage  72 , an egress door  86  proximate the cable  90  is then depressed into an open position. Once the cable  90  is mated to an appropriate structure (e.g., the electrical receptacle  53  of the communication device  56 ), the access doors  20  are closed around the cable such that the cable  90  is positioned within an egress door opening  84 . The egress door opening  84  (defined by the aligned egress door openings  84  of the two access doors  20 ) is sized to allow the cable to pass therethrough, while at the same time ensuring that the closed access doors  20  are flush with the top surface of the trim ring  18 . Hence, the poke-thru assembly  10  does not include any components that protrude above a top surface of the trim ring  18 , or substantially above the top surface of the floor. Likewise, another cable can be positioned in the poke-thru assembly  10  with the plug received in the central passage  72  and mated to the communications device  56  and the cable extending through an egress door opening  84  such that the access doors  20  are flush with the top surface of the trim ring  18 . Both cables may be positioned within the poke-thru assembly  10  at the same time.  
         [0030]     Alternatively, one of the receptacles of the recessed in-floor fitting may be a receptacle, jack, device, or power receptacle for being connected to an audio/visual connector or plug.  
         [0031]     Alternatively, embodiments of the present invention may be used with a split dome configuration, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,215, entitled “Split Dome Cover Assembly for an In-Floor Fitting,” which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety. Thus, the egress doors may slide into open and close positions. Also, alternatively, embodiments of the present invention may be used with various in-floor fittings, such as afterset fittings, preset fittings, poke-thru fittings, and the like.  
         [0032]     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 embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.