Abstract:
A telecommunication, data including audio and visual data, and electrical station which can be permanently mounted within an aperture formed in a board room table includes a container having a perimeter flange which supports the station within the table. The container also has separate compartments for electrical plug-ins and data and telecommunication jacks. The upper face of the compartments are tilted toward the user for ease of attaching plugs and jacks. A lid pivots between a closed position flush and coplanar with the table surface and an open position fully rotated below the surface of the table so as to permit unrestricted access by the user to the interior of the station.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/110,833 filed Dec. 3, 1998 and Canadian Application No. 2,263,062 filed Feb. 26, 1999 titled Flush Mounted Flip Top Telecommunication And Electrical Station For Board Room Tables. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of electrical, data and telecommunication service boxes, and in particular service boxes which may be flush mounted within the surface of a board room table. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the need for rapid access to up-to-date information, business executives are utilising personal computers and telecommunication devices in boardrooms for access to and retrieval of information as well as for video conferencing. At the present time personal computers, cellular telephones or the like when brought into a board room for use during a meeting are usually battery powered since there is insufficient telecommunication or electrical connections in most boardrooms to accommodate individual connections for each person in attendance. If connections of this type are available they are usually limited in number and are of the conventional wall mounted type which require extension cords or computer cables of some length so as to typically interfere with passage around the boardroom table. 
     It is desirable, therefore, to have outlets for telecommunications, data and electricity accessible to each person seated around the board room table. Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide electrical, data and telecommunication service stations which are mounted through or under a hole in the table, and which are accessible through an opening in the station which is flush with the upper surface of the table. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The telecommunication, data and electrical station of the present invention includes a rigid container, mountable within an aperture formed through an upper, horizontal work surface of a table, such as a boardroom table. The container may be a rectangular box having surrounding an upper perimeter edge thereof, a container support such as a lip projecting outwardly therefrom. The upper surface of the lip may, in one embodiment, lie in a first plane parallel to an upper surface of the table when the container is mounted in the table through the aperture in the table. The lip may be a circumferential lip extending contiguously around the upper perimeter edge. 
     The container will typically include perimeter walls secured to and depending from the container support, for example in planes at right angles to the first plane, and a bottom wall connected to a lower edge of the perimeter walls spaced from the container support. The bottom wall has a conduit aperture therein to provide insertion access for data, including audio and video, electrical and telecommunication conduit. The container support and the perimeter walls defining an upper access aperture for access into the container. A service outlet support is mounted or mountable into the container for mounting thereon data, electrical and telecommunication service outlets in co-operation with the data, electrical and telecommunication conduit. The service outlet support has an upper mounting face recessed below the first plane when the service outlet support is mounted into the container. 
     Preferably, inside the telecommunication, data, and electrical station the upper mounting face lies in a plane which is canted with respect to the first plane so that the service outlets are generally in a line of sight through the upper access with a user sitting at the table when the station is mounted in the table. Insertion and removal of electrical plugs and telecommunication jacks is thereby facilitated. 
     In the preferred embodiment the telecommunication, data and electrical station further includes a selectively positionable lid which pivots between a closed position closing or covering the upper access aperture and an open position wherein the lid is pivoted completely into the container. In the closed position the lid lies within the upper access aperture flush and coplanar with the first container support. In the open position the lid allows unobstructed access through the upper access aperture to the upper mounting face when the service outlet support is mounted in the container. 
     In the structure of one preferred embodiment the service outlet support has depending therefrom support arms which are spaced inwardly from the perimeter walls, so that the perimeter walls and the support arms define a lid receiving cavity therebetween. The lid may then be pivoted about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation generally parallel to the first plane, so that in the open position the lid is fully retracted into the lid receiving cavity so as to be stored below the first plane. 
     The upper mounting face may have an inwardly facing perimeter portion joined at the medial point thereof by a transverse strip thereby defining a pair of apertures under which conventional electrical and telecommunication service outlets are mounted. Depending from the transverse strip may be a divider wall dividing the container into separate electrical and telecommunication compartments. 
     Advantageously, securing means are provided to secure the station within the aperture formed in the table. In one embodiment the securing means are selectively positionable in vertical relation to the underside of the table and mountable on the perimeter walls. In particular, the securing means may be rigid flanges having threaded apertures for the threaded engagement therethrough of threaded bolts at right angles to the first plane so as to compress the table between an upper end of the bolt and the container support at right angles to the first plane. 
     The lid may in one embodiment have downwardly and outwardly projecting arms for pivotal connection generally at terminal ends of the arms to opposite walls of the perimeter walls. The lid may then be pivoted about its axis of rotation, which is advantageously parallel to and spaced from the first plane, so as to be rotatable between the open and closed positions. Again, in the open position the lid is fully rotated below the first plane into the container. Rotational stops may be mounted to an inside face of each of the opposite perimeter walls, positioned adjacent a rotation path of the lid, for contact with the lid when the lid is in the closed position. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view illustrating the components of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view illustrating the present invention partially assembled. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line  3 — 3  in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line  4 — 4  in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is an isometric view illustrating a mounting clip. 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view illustrating the device of FIG. 1, having a stepped mounting face. 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded isometric view illustrating the device of FIG. 7 partially assembled. 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view along line  8 — 8  in FIG.  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4 , the telecommunication and electrical station of the present invention  10 , is placed within an aperture  12  formed in, or cut through a board room tabletop  14 , desk, or like work surfaces having a generally horizontal planar surface  15 . 
     For ease of manufacture, the station may comprise a rigid rectangular housing  16 , for example formed out of sheet metal, U-shaped in cross section and having integrally formed front, rear and bottom walls, referenced as  18 ,  20  and  22  respectively. Bottom wall  22  may advantageously contain holes or alternatively circular scored areas  24 , of different diameters which can simply be knocked out to provide apertures or insertion points through which ends of electrical and communication, including audio and video, conduits may be inserted for connection to standard electrical and telecommunication receptacles of a type known in the art (not shown). A pair of opposed end walls  26 , each having integrally formed inwardly facing flanges  28 , are provided for separate attachment to the open ends of housing  16  to create a rigid enclosed container. 
     Electrical and telecommunication mounting means such as frame  32 , for example having a generally inverted “U” shape in cross-section or other rigid supporting members for mounting into the container are provided to support the standard receptacles (for power supply and modem connection for example). Advantageously the mounting means cants the receptacles towards the users at an inclined angle for ease of access through aperture  12  when the user is sitting down at the edge of the table (the typical case). In the particular example of frame  32 , integrally formed flanges  34 , at the extremities of front and rear vertical legs  33   a  and  33   b  respectively, permit frame  32  to be securely fastened to the bottom portion of housing  16 , such as by spot welding or the like. Flanges  34  space the vertical legs of mounting frame  32  from the front and rear walls of housing  16 , so as to create fore and aft cavities  35   a  and  35   b  best seen in FIG.  8 . Upper face  38  of mounting frame  32  is recessed below the upper edges of housing  16  and is canted in a direction which would be toward the user when station  10  is mounted into the table top. Upper face  38  contains a plurality of rectangular apertures  40  (illustrated as two, but not intended to be limiting), which electrical and telecommunication standard service outlets or receptacles  41  are mounted to the underside of. With the exception of FIG. 2, the standard receptacles are not illustrated for sake of clarity of illustration. 
     The inclined slope of the upper face of mounting frame  32  permits ease of connection and removal of conduits such as cords and cables from the service outlets  41  in a more horizontal, line of sight path for a user positioned at an acute angle relative to the table top such as would typically be the case with a user sitting facing the table top. 
     A solid divider  42  may be provided to divide mounting frame  32  into separate compartments for electrical and telecommunications. In one preferred embodiment, divider  42  is positioned intermediate between apertures  40  on the inside face of mounting frame  32 . Divider  42  extends downward to contact bottom wall  22  and may be fastened thereto. 
     A lid faceplate  46 , and a rectangular stiffener plate  50 , are secured together such as by spot welding or the like. The rectangular stiffener plate has formed at each end thereof a downwardly projecting hinge arm  52 . The pair of hinge arms are pivotally mounted at their extremities to end walls  26 , so as to allow lid face plate  46  to pivot about a generally horizontal axis  54 , where axis  54  is generally parallel to surface  15  of table  14 . An operating tab  56  is provided on the stiffening plate intermediate arms  52  on the side of the plate which is exposed through aperture  12  when the lid is in its open position, that is, the position allowing access by the user to outlets  41 . 
     The lid face plate  46  and the stiffener plate  50 , which together form the lid, are rotated in a first rotational direction to align the lid flush and parallel to surface  15  of table  14  (the closed position) and are rotated in a second direction counter to the first direction to fully rotate the lid below the upper edges of container  16  (the open position). In the open position the lid is nested within cavities  35   a  and  35   b  defined between frame  32  and container  16 , to allow unobstructed access to outlets  41 . Rotation limiting plates  58 , mounted on the inside face of each of the end walls  26 , act as stops which are engaged by hinge arms  52  when the lid is rotated into its closed position to prevent over-rotation of the lid. The engagement of arms  52  with plates  58  at the point of closure ensures that lid faceplate  46  remains flush and coplanar with surface  15  of table  14 . 
     An upper rectangular supporting flange  60  is secured to the upper perimeter edges of housing  16  by means of attaching angle members  64 . Flange  60  forms a lip which extends around the upper circumference of station  10  and extends generally horizontally cantilevered outwardly therefrom. Supporting flange  60  and lid face  46  may be positioned flush with the upper surface  15  of the table top. Flange  60  may be fitted into a shallow recess or groove machined in upper surface  15  around the perimeter of aperture  12  for an absolutely flush mount. Housing  16  is thereby suspended in the table top with its upper surface flush with the table top surface so as to depend downwardly through aperture  12 . 
     Station  10  may be secured onto the table top by clamping the edges of the table top around the perimeter of aperture  12  between flange  60  and bolts  62   a  projecting upwardly from mounting clips  62 . Projecting tabs  65  better seen in FIG. 5 are insertable into pairs of vertically aligned slots  66  formed through end walls  26 . Threaded bolts  62   a  are journalled upwardly in threaded engagement through threaded holes  62   b  in the clips to engage the underside of table  14 . As bolt  62   a  projects upwardly it presses against the underside of table top  14 . Support flange  60  is thereby drawn down onto the upper surface  15  of table top  14  securing the flange flush and firmly against surface  15 . 
     An alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 6-8. In this embodiment the single tier of service outlets  41  mountable to frame  32  are replaced with a double tier of service outlets mountable to a double tier supporting frame  32 ′. This allows for the mounting of a greater number of electrical, audio and visual data and telecommunication service outlets. Upper face  38 ′ of mounting frame  32 ′ is stepped along a longitudinally extending median bisecting housing  16  to create two tiered mounting faces  38   a  and  38   b , in the same direction, each of which is canted preferably toward a user. Solid divider  42 ′ is positioned intermediate the apertures and divides the mounting frame into separate compartments for electrical and telecommunications wiring. Divider  42 ′ has apertures  70  which permit through passage of wiring. The lid may be split into a pair of clam-shell doors, each pivoting oppositely from the other between a flush closed position and an open position fully oppositely retracted into the housing and below the upper surface of the table. 
     As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.