Patent Publication Number: US-2004040235-A1

Title: Baseboard with wire-containing channel

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The field of the invention is baseboards and the invention relates more particularly to baseboards of the type which include an elongated channel for running wires behind the baseboard With the ever-increasing use of electronic devices, and especially computers and computer accessories, there is a growing need to provide a method where wires going between various wall outlets or various computer or electronic accessories can be run along behind a baseboard. This eliminates the unsightly and inconvenient presence of wires lying on top of the floor in front of a baseboard.  
       [0002] Various baseboard assemblies have been devised for this general purpose. U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,406 shows a baseboard with an inwardly facing channel to conceal and protect cables or wires installed within the channel. Openings are provided at the top of the baseboard to provide a place for gaining access to the wires and cables.  
       [0003] U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,380 shows another structure of baseboard which has an inwardly facing channel covered by a molding top over an upper portion of the channel. Means are provided in the bottom of the baseboard for running conduit out of the bottom of the channel.  
       [0004] A resin baseboard is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,681. The resin baseboard is extruded and a channel is molded in the inner piece. A cover is configured to snap over the channel to cover it.  
       [0005] While these baseboard assemblies provide some wire covering and routing features, they are deficient in the ability to be modified to add additional accessories or change the location of previously added accessories.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a baseboard assembly having the flexibility of adding or subtracting conductors and receptacles at any desired location. The present invention is for a baseboard assembly attached at the base of a wall adjacent the floor. The assembly has a wire channel and board support member attached to the wall. This member has a wall-contacting face affixed to the wall. A wire-containable channel is formed in an outwardly facing surface of this member. The member has a top edge which includes tongue and groove. A baseboard is held over the wire channel and board support member. The baseboard has a lowermost edge positioned in front of the bottom edge of the wire channel and board support member. The baseboard has an outer face extending upwardly to an uppermost end. The baseboard back surface extends downwardly from the top end and is positioned adjacent the wall. The back surface terminates in a tongue and groove assembly, which fits the tongue and groove of the wire channel and board support member. The baseboard also has a wire-containable channel covering face which extends over the wire-containable channel downwardly to the lowermost edge of the baseboard. The baseboard assembly has one or more baseboard inserts having vertical walls which fit in a pair of vertical cutouts formed in the baseboard. Preferably, the wire-containable channel has one or more wire holding clips held to the top and bottom edges of the wire-containable channel to assist in supporting the wire in the channel during assembly. Preferably, the wire-holding clip snaps into upper and lower grooves above and below the channel. The generally rectangular baseboard insert can be relatively large and include the support of a complete junction box with a plurality of electrical outlets. The junction box can be provided with a cover supported by the insert. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0007]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the baseboard assembly of the present invention.  
     [0008]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1.  
     [0009]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of wire channel and board support member of the baseboard assembly of FIG. 1.  
     [0010]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a wire-holding clip for insertion into the wire channel and board support member of FIG. 3.  
     [0011]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 1.  
     [0012]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a baseboard insert holding a junction box and junction box cover insertable into the baseboard assembly of FIG. 1.  
     [0013]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of FIG. 6. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0014] The baseboard assembly of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 and indicated generally by reference character  10 . Baseboard assembly  10  is basically made up of two pieces. The first is a wire channel and board support member  11 , shown best in FIG. 3, which is attached to a wall  12  by one or more screws  13 , nails, or by an adhesive or any other appropriate means. Wire channel and board support member  11  has a wall-contacting face  14  which contacts wall  12 . A bottom edge  15  is positioned above floor  16  and may have a notch as shown in FIG. 3. A lower face  16  extends above bottom edge  15  and extends upwardly to a channel bottom edge  17 . This forms the bottom edge of wire-containable channel  18  which extends upwardly to a channel top edge  19 . Channel  18  has a back face  20 , which is generally smooth, although it may support a plurality of wire holding hooks (not shown).  
     [0015] Channel top edge  19  extends to an upper face  21  which forms part of the outwardly facing surface of the wire channel and board support member. Upper face  21  ends in a top edge  22  which forms part of a baseboard holding tongue  23 . A baseboard supporting groove  24  extends downwardly until it intersects with wall contacting face.  
     [0016] A baseboard  25  may be easily held to the wire channel and board support member  11  by simply being slid downwardly along the wall until its tongue and groove assembly fits into the tongue and groove assembly of the wire channel and board support member. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, baseboard  25  has a lowermost edge  26 , which extends approximately to floor  16 . A wire-containing channel covering face  27  touches lower face  16  and extends over the wire-containable channel  18 . It extends upwardly and also contacts upper face  21 . The baseboard has a top edge containing groove  28  and a downwardly extending tongue  29 . Tongue  29  extends rearwardly to back surface  30  which contacts wall  12 . The baseboard has an uppermost end  31 .  
     [0017] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a wire holding clip  32  is preferably formed in a curved configuration and made from a flexibly non-conductive material, such as PVC. It is preferably bendable and fits into an upper and lower groove  33  and  34 , respectively. As many wire holding clips  32  may be used as is needed to hold wires such as wires  35  shown in FIG. 3 in the wire-containable channel  13 . This assists in the later insertion of the baseboard.  
     [0018] Since the baseboard is readily lifted out of the wire channel and board support member, it may be easily removed and one or more sections cut out thereof. Thus, either during the initial installation or later on for modification, the baseboard may be lifted up and a measured pair of vertical cuts made therein. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, if it is desired to add an electrical outlet, an insulated conductor  36  may be passed into wire-containable channel  18  through a cutout  37 , such as that shown in insert  38  and run along the channel  18  until an opening formed between the vertical baseboard left edge  38  and the vertical baseboard right edge  39  formed by the above-mentioned cutting process. Then the insert, which likewise has a vertical left edge  40  and vertical right edge  41 , together with a supported electrical outlet, may be inserted in the space provided as shown in the right portion of FIG. 1. An insert  43  containing a coaxial cable outlet  45  may be inserted where desired, as may a spacing insert  44 , which may be cut to any desired length to fill a space between various electronic outlets. A telephone jack containing insert  46  holds a telephone jack  47 , which is shown in cross-sectional view in FIG. 5. The conductors of a telephone cable  48  may be soldered to the appropriate pins  49  on the back of telephone jack  47 . Alternatively, the telephone jack  47  may be passed through a cutout, such as cutout  37 , shown in FIG. 1.  
     [0019] In many instances, particularly behind a high fidelity sound system, or computer; it is desired to have a plurality of electrical outlets This can neatly be accomplished as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 by providing a relatively large insert, such as junction box insert  50  shown in FIG. 6. Junction box insert  50  has a junction box  51  held against the outer face of insert  50 . The conductor from the junction box  51  may be passed into the wire-containable channel  18  in numerous ways. The conductor  53  may go through opening  52  into channel  18 . Also, conductor  53  may be passed upwardly through a cutout  54  in the wire channel and board support member  11 .  
     [0020] Junction box  51  may be covered by a fixture covering box  56  which may be permanently or removably affixed to junction box insert  50 . Box  56  has a top  571  sides  58  and  59 , and a front cover  60 . Front cover  60  may be a sliding door as shown in  56 , or may be hinged or otherwise snapped over the front opening of the fixture covering box  56 . A relatively large cutout  61  permits a plurality of wires to pass from junction box  51  out of the fixture covering box  56 .  
     [0021] The result of the construction of the baseboard assembly of the present invention with its outwardly facing wire-containable channel provides surprising flexibility, ease of installation, and ease of modification. Typically, the wire channel and board support member would be extruded from a polymer and the baseboard could either be made from wood or also extruded from a polymer. It is important that the baseboard be capable of being cut so that inserts may be inserted where desired.  
     [0022] The present embodiments of this invention are thus to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.