Abstract:
An outlet box assembly for termination of electrical and communication wires which generally includes a box having a floor and a sidewall extending upwardly from the floor, a cover attached to the box and a divider attached to the cover between the box floor and the cover. The box defines an interior therein and the cover at least partially encloses the interior. The divider divides the box interior into first and second wiring compartments adapted to respectively contain electrical and communication wires therein.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/598,995, filed on Aug. 5, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to an electrical outlet box which houses power and communication wires for termination. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrical floor box assembly having a divider for effectively isolating power wires from communication wires within the floor box.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     It is well known to use electrical outlet boxes to terminate electrical wires and cables. Such outlet boxes permit the insertion of electrical wires into the box, which are terminated to electrical fixtures, such as switches and receptacles in an electrical outlet box. It has also become necessary to terminate communications wires for such purposes as data, voice and signal transmission and networking computers. While terminations are not required to be housed in an electrical box, as are electrical terminations, aesthetics and convenient usage has dictated the need to place the communication terminations in close proximity to the electrical terminations.  
         [0004]     In office spaces and other commercial environments it is often desired to have access to electrical outlets or other electrical connections at locations located a distance from standard wall outlets. In order to safely accommodate such situations, floor boxes are typically used. These boxes may be located in the floor near or at the location, such as under a work cubicle or near a piece of machinery, where the connection is needed.  
         [0005]     Such floor boxes are typically designed to be supported within a poured concrete floor. One of the problems in positioning a floor box is that the installer must assure that the floor box is both flush and level with the top of the poured floor in which it is set. In the prior art, it is known to provide floor boxes which are set in poured concrete floors and then sawed off to accommodate the depth of the poured floor. Other floor boxes may include a flange which sits on top of the floor surface and include an opening to permit access to the electrical connections. A cover is typically removably positionable over the opening to prevent inadvertent contact with the connectors and to restrict debris from contaminating the connectors.  
         [0006]     The art has developed various boxes and housing which provide for both the accommodation of electrical terminations as well as communication terminations. Examples of outlet boxes which house electrical terminations and also support communication terminations are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,354,953; 5,646,371; 5,783,774 and 5,598,998. As seen in these patents, the electrical termination is separated from the communications terminations by a solid wall. Typically, this wall is formed by the outside wall of the box which houses the electrical terminations where the electrical terminations are held inboard of the outlet box and the communications terminations are supported outboard of the outlet box. Thus, such prior art floor boxes generally require complicated assemblies to be placed within the floor box so as to maintain adequate physical separation between the different services within the box.  
         [0007]     Common practices and the need to use standard uniform components to cover the outlet box and provide for the ability to readily interconnect to the terminated wires requires that the distance between the electrical termination and the communications termination be fixed. Also, relevant electrical codes dictate the minimum distance that the receptacle need be spaced from the side walls of the outlet box. In the electrical outlet boxes, the art has seen the need to increase the total interior capacity of the box so as to accommodate larger numbers of wires and terminations. With respect to dual voltage boxes, it has become difficult to simultaneously increase the usable interior space of the electrical outlet box while maintaining proper spacing between the electrical termination and the communications termination. Attempts to adjust the receptacle within the outlet box may result in the receptacle being positioned either too close to one of the side walls or outside the required distance from the communications termination.  
         [0008]     It is therefore desirable to provide a floor box for use within the poured concrete floor which effectively partitions data/communication wires from power wires and which is easy to assemble and more versatile to use.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical floor box assembly.  
         [0010]     It is also an object of the present invention to provide an in-floor outlet box which accommodates and separates the power wires and data/communication wires.  
         [0011]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a service divider which is selectively positionable within the outlet box for separating the power wires and data/communication wires therein.  
         [0012]     The present invention is an outlet box assembly for termination of electrical and communication wires. The outlet box assembly generally includes a box including a floor and a sidewall extending upwardly from the floor, a cover attached to the box and a divider attached to the cover between the box floor and the cover. The box defines an interior therein and the cover at least partially encloses the interior. The divider divides the box interior into first and second wiring compartments adapted to respectively contain electrical and communication wires therein.  
         [0013]     In a preferred embodiment, the divider is removably attachable to the cover while the cover is attached to the box. Also, the box sidewall preferably forms an inner corner partially separating the first wiring compartment from the second wiring compartment and the divider abuts against the corner to divide the first and second wiring compartments. In this regard, the divider may include a groove formed in a lateral edge thereof for receiving the inner corner of the box and an aperture formed in an upper edge thereof for securing the divider to the cover.  
         [0014]     The box floor and sidewall preferably form a box interior having a generally rectangular central space and four generally rectangular compartments extending diametrically outward from the central space. The outlet box assembly may further include a panel disposed between the box floor and the cover for enclosing at least one of the wiring compartments. In this case, the divider preferably includes an abutment surface for abutting the panel thereagainst.  
         [0015]     The divider may be provided a plurality of score lines disposed thereon for facilitating adjustment of the height of the divider to match a height of the box sidewall. These score lines preferably take the form of creases to facilitate breaking off a portion of the divider.  
         [0016]     The present invention further involves a method for separating electrical wires from communication wires contained together in an outlet box assembly. The method generally includes the steps of forming a box including a floor and a sidewall extending upwardly from the floor, attaching a cover to the box to at least partially enclose the box interior, inserting a divider between the box floor and the cover after attachment of the cover to the box, providing electrical wires in the first wiring compartment and providing communication wires in the second wiring compartment. The divider is attached to the cover for dividing the box interior into first and second wiring compartments, wherein the electrical wires are separated from the communication wires by the divider.  
         [0017]     As a result of the present invention, an in-floor electrical/communication outlet box assembly which accommodates and separates power wires and data/communication wires is provided. The box assembly includes an outlet floor box positionable within a floor, a box cover and at least one divider for separating power wires and data/communication wires contained within the outlet floor box. The outlet floor box includes a floor and a perimetrical side wall defining a cross-shaped box interior forming diametrically opposed wiring compartments. The divider is installed at a corner of the side wall between two adjacent wiring compartments to form a barrier between the compartments. The divider includes an aperture at a top edge thereof for securing the divider to the box cover from above with a screw. The box includes a plurality of access ports for providing separate entry of power and data/communication wires into the interior of the box.  
         [0018]     The preferred embodiments of the floor box with voltage divider as well as other objects, features and advantages of this invention, will be apparent from the following detailed description, which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a fully assembled electrical floor box assembly formed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the floor box alone.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3A  is a top view of the divider of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3B  is a side view of the divider of the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the divider being installed in the floor box with the box cover attached to the floor box.  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of the floor box assembly of the present invention with the divider in place.  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a top perspective view of the floor box assembly of the present invention with the electrical and communication panels installed.  
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is a top perspective, partial cut-away view of the floor box assembly of the present invention showing electrical wires being routed between adjacent wiring compartments. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , the electrical floor box assembly  10 , formed in accordance with the present invention, is shown in its fully assembled condition. A floor box assembly is described herein, however, the invention is not limited to only floor boxes. For example, the present invention may be adapted for mounting to any other structures, such as ceilings and walls.  
         [0028]     The dual voltage electrical outlet box assembly  10  provides for the accommodation of both electrical fixtures  12 , such as switches or receptacles, and communication fixtures  14 , such as data plugs, coaxial connectors, fiber optic connectors and the like, which provide for termination of voice, data or signal wires. An electrical conduit  16  is connected to the box  10  for feeding electrical lines to the electrical fixtures  12  and a communication conduit  18  is connected to the box for feeding communication lines to the communication fixtures  14 .  
         [0029]     The electrical floor box assembly  10  generally includes a floor box  20 , a box cover  22  attached to the floor box, a hinged lid  24  attached to the cover, one or more electrical panels  26  attached to the cover and one or more communication panels  28  attached to the cover. The electrical fixtures  12  are mounted to the electrical panels  26  and the communication fixtures  14  are mounted to the communication panels  28 . The hinged lid  24  can be pivoted and secured to the box cover  22  to protect the interior of the box  10 .  
         [0030]     Turning to  FIG. 2 , the floor box  20  may be formed of a wide variety of materials as is well known in the art. For example, the floor box  20  may be formed of a suitable integrally molded plastic, such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), and may be formed in a wide variety of known plastic forming techniques. In the particular example shown herein, the box assembly  20  is made from sheet metal bent and spot-welded in the configuration shown. The floor box  20  includes a floor  30  and a continuous perimetrical side wall  32  extending perpendicularly upward from the floor. The side wall  32  forms a cross shape defined by four inner corners  34  and eight outer corners  36  of the side wall. Thus, the floor  30  and the side wall  32  form a box interior having a generally rectangular central space  38  and four generally rectangular compartments  40  extending diametrically outward from the central space. As will be discussed in further detail below, the compartments  40  will form wiring compartments for containing the wiring of either an electrical fixture  12  or a communication fixture  14 .  
         [0031]     The side wall  32  further preferably includes opposed inwardly directed mounting elements  42 , each having a central screw threaded aperture  44  therethrough. The mounting elements  42  extend from the upper edge of the side wall, opposite the floor, and permit the attachment of the box cover  22  with screws  45  in a conventional manner. Also, as is well known in the art, the side wall  32  of the floor box  20  may include one or more access openings  46  which permit entry of electrical wires and cables (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) into the box interior. Additionally, the floor  30  of the box  20  may extend outwardly beyond the side wall  32  to form mounting flanges  48  which allow the box to be secured to a building floor joist or the like in a conventional fashion by use of a fastener such as a nail or screw.  
         [0032]     The floor box  20  is positioned onto an understructure of a floor which is to be constructed and concrete is poured thereabout in a conventional fashion. Once the floor is set, power and data/communication wires may now be run into the interior of the floor box  20  the access openings  46 . As noted above, the present invention provides selectivity in that power and data/communication wires can be run through the access openings  46  provided adjacent any of the interior compartments  40 . However, as also noted above, it is desirable to electrically isolate an interior compartment having high voltage wiring (power) from an interior compartment having low voltage wiring (data/communications).  
         [0033]     To achieve this goal, a divider  50  is provided which can be installed in the interior of the floor box  20  to separate adjacent wiring compartments  40 . Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the divider  50  is preferably an extrusion made from aluminum or a durable plastic material. The extruded divider  50  is generally rectangular in shape having a height substantially equal to the height of the perimetrical side wall  32  of the floor box  20 . The extruded divider  50  further includes a groove  52  defining an inside corner formed in one lateral edge thereof and an outside corner  54  formed in the opposite lateral edge thereof. As will be explained in further detail below, upon installation, the inside corner  52  of the extruded divider  50  receives an inner corner  34  of the floor box side wall  32  and the outside corner  54  provides abutment surfaces for an electrical panel  26  and/or a communication panel  28 . The extruded divider  50  further preferably includes a threaded aperture  56  formed in an upper longitudinal edge thereof. The threaded aperture  56  is used to secure the divider  50  in place to the box cover  22  with a screw  58 . In the event that the aperture  56  is not threaded, a self-tapping screw  58  may be utilized.  
         [0034]     Thus, once electrical wires are pulled into an electrical wiring compartment  40   a,  for example, and communication wires are pulled into an adjacent communication wiring compartment  40   b , the floor box cover is attached to the floor box  20  with screws  45  and the divider  50  may be inserted into the interior of the floor box between the two adjacent compartments to separate the compartments, as shown in  FIG. 4 . The divider  50  is inserted into the box  20  so that the inside corner  52  of the divider rests against the inner corner  34  of the box side wall  32  between the adjacent wiring compartments  40   a  and  40   b.  The divider screw  58  is then inserted through an aperture  60  formed in the box cover  22  and fastened to the divider  50  to secure the divider in place, as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0035]     Prior to inserting the divider  50  into the floor box  20 , the divider may be cut to an appropriate height. This is typically done by initially inserting the divider  50  into the floor box  20  and then marking the appropriate height. The divider  50  is then removed and cut at the marked location. In this regard, the divider  50  may be supplied having a standard height with a plurality of score lines  62  matching the various standard heights of floor boxes. The score lines  62  are positioned so that the lower end of the divider  50  may be cut to an appropriate height so as to be properly accommodated in a standard floor box  20  whose height has been selected based upon the type of floor poured. The score lines  62  are spaced apart a sufficiently small distance to provide the installer with appropriate height adjustment. It is contemplated that the score lines  62  may be in the form of creases to form snap-off locations to allow the installer to snap-off the lower end of the divider  50  at the appropriate height.  
         [0036]     Once the one or more dividers  50  have been installed, the electrical (high voltage-power) panel  26  and/or the communication (low voltage-data) panel  28  can be installed. Typically, the electrical fixture  12  and/or the communication fixture  14  will first be mounted to a respective panel  26  and/or  28  and the necessary wire connections from the respective conduits  16  and  18  can be made. The panels  26  and  28  with their associated fixture can then be attached to the box assembly. Preferably, the panels  26  and  28  include right-angle flanges  64  which can be secured to an upper surface of the box cover  22  with screws, as shown in  FIG. 6 . Furthermore, as mentioned above, the outside corner  54  of the divider  50  provides abutment faces for the plates  26  and  28  to facilitate installation.  
         [0037]     As noted above, the present invention allows for the selection of which wiring compartments will be designated high voltage compartments and which compartments will be low-voltage compartments, wherein the divider is used to electrically insulate one type of compartment from the other. If, however, it is desired to have two similar compartments adjacent to each other, the divider can be simply removed from between the adjacent compartments. For example,  FIG. 7  shows an electrical wiring conduit  16  being fed to an electrical wiring compartment  40   a , whereas a communication conduit  18  is connected through a communication wiring compartment  40   b . The electrical wiring conduit  16  contains a first set of electrical wires  66   a  being fed to a first electrical fixture  12  mounted to a first electrical panel  26  of a first electrical wiring compartment  40   a.  The electrical wiring conduit  16  further contains a second set of electrical wires  66   c  being fed to a second electrical fixture (not shown in  FIG. 7 ) mounted to a second electrical panel  26   c  of a second electrical wiring compartment  40   c  of the box. As can be seen in the cut-away portion of the box shown in  FIG. 7 , a divider is therefore missing from the inner corner  34  of the box  20  between the first and second electrical wiring compartments  40   a  and  40   c  to permit the second set of electrical wires  66   c  to be fed from the electrical conduit  16  to the second electrical wiring compartment.  
         [0038]     As a result of the present invention, a simple, easy to assemble and install electrical floor box is provided that can effectively isolate high voltage wiring compartments from low voltage compartments. Moreover, same type wiring between adjacent wiring compartments can be achieved by simply removing the divider between adjacent compartments. This arrangement eliminates the need for wiring tunnels that lie on the bottom floor of the box and feed wires between the compartments beneath the central space of the box. Additionally, the design of the divider allows it to be easily slid into and out of place from inside an already assembled floor box. Thus, electrical and/or communication face plates can be easily changed after the box has been installed.  
         [0039]     Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various other changes and modifications may be affected herein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, and that it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.