Patent Application
20090194312
This invention relates to electrical boxes mounted on a floor, and provides a convertible, reversible cover, permitting the top plate to be either recessed or flush with the floor surface, with a single set of parts.
Electrical boxes fitted into a floor, flush or recessed with the floor surface, are an important architectural feature, permitting electrical connections to be supplied to an area in a room distal from a wall. Suitable electrical connections that are commonly supplied through floor boxes include electric power, telephone, network, cable TV connections, and so forth.
Electrical floor boxes typically provide a plastic or metal box that is installed into the flooring material or structure, that provides a housing for an electrical fixture, such as a plug outlet for 120/240 volt power. The top of the box must be covered by a top plate, to prevent debris from entering the fixture, which could possibly damage the fixture or cause a short circuit. Aesthetically, a top plate or cover on the box is also important to provide a quality appearance and attractive finish. In alternative embodiments, an electrical fixture may be mounted directly on a plate that is fitted into or onto a suitably sized hole cut in the floor, without an enclosed box embedded below the floor surface.
The top portion of an electrical floor box typically includes a floor box flange around the perimeter that conceals the rough opening and fits into or onto the box, if present. Additionally, the top portion includes a floor box cover that is permanently or removably affixed to the floor box flange. For example, the floor box cover may be hinged or affixed with tabs to the flange, so as to be easily removable or adjustable between an open and closed position. When the cover is flipped up or otherwise opened, the electrical fixture is exposed for use. When the cover is closed, the electrical fixture is concealed and protected, so as to be architecturally attractive, and not a tripping hazard. Thus, for example, people can walk over it safely and furniture can be placed on top safely.
As a matter of aesthetic and architectural preference, top plates for electrical floor boxes can be considered as comprising two styles, flush and recessed. In a flush top plate, the entire surface of the top plate is flush with the floor box flange. This permits the top plate, which is exposed to view, to be of a uniform color, material, and finish. In a recessed style top plate, the center portion of the top plate is recessed relative to the flange to permit an insert of flooring material into the top plate, such as carpet, wood, or tile, to provide a more uniform appearance in the finished installation, relative to the surrounding floor material.
In order to accommodate flush and recess style floor box covers, a floor box may supplied to an installer with either a flush or recessed floor plate in the package, or it may be supplied with both types of floor plates. An electrical floor box supplied with only one type of plate requires the installer to order the correct style of part in advance. In the case where both types of floor plates are supplied, costs are higher because of the second plate enclosed, and because one of the floor plates is discarded, which is wasteful.
This invention provides an electrical floor box cover assembly, with a convertible top plate. The inventive convertible top plate can be installed in two possible orientations, resulting in either a flush or recessed finished assembly. Thus, this invention provides a convertible cover plate for a floor mounted electrical box, with a first flat surface and a protrusion on the opposite surface, where the protrusion is sized to fit into an outer cover, and where the convertible cover plate can be installed with the flat surface or the surface bearing the protrusion facing up.
Further, this invention provides a cover assembly for a floor mounted electrical box, with a floor box cover having a center opening, where the floor box cover is affixed to the floor mounted electrical box, and a convertible cover plate with a first flat surface and a second surface having a protrusion, where said cover plate can be affixed to the floor box cover with the protrusion inserted into the center opening of the floor box cover, providing a flush surface in the assembled cover assembly, or where the flat surface of the cover plate is facing up when affixed to the floor box cover, so that the center opening of the floor box cover forms a recess in the assembled cover assembly.
Additionally, the cover assembly may also include a floor box flange, which is permanently affixed to the floor or a floor mounted electrical box, wherein the floor box cover is detachably affixed to the floor box flange, and the cover can be detached.
In an embodiment of this invention, there is provided a cable access port in the floor box cover, through which cables or wires can be threaded from the electrical fixture to the exterior of the floor box cover assembly while the cover is in a closed or attached position.
Still further, the cover assembly may include a gasket interposed between the convertible top plate and the cover, which provides waterproofness, and protects the interior of the fixture from liquids and dust.
This invention provides a floor box cover assembly with a convertible top plate, such that the assembly can be fitted at the work site with either a flush or recess mounted top plate. In the inventive top plate, there is provided a convertible cover plate, made with one surface flat, and the other surface containing a protrusion that fits closely inside an opening of a floor box cover. When the protrusion is fit into the cover in this manner, the entire top surface of the assembled top plate presents a uniform flush surface, with the top of the floor box cover and flange being perfectly aligned.
The inventive convertible top plate can be installed in either a flush or recessed orientation. Installing the top plate with the flat surface up will result in a recessed cover in the assembled top plate. Conversely, installing the top plate with the protruding surface up will result in a flush cover.
The floor box cover assembly includes a top cover subassembly removably affixed to a floor box flange. The flange is affixed to a floor surface. Within the flange is a cavity which is intended to contain an electrical fixture, such as 120/240 volt electric power, telephone, network, cable TV connections, and so forth. In one position, the top cover is closed or firmly attached to the flange, concealing and protecting the electrical fixture in the cavity. In a second position, the top cover is opened or detached from the flange, to expose the electrical fixture for use. Additionally, in some embodiments of this invention, there may be a cable access port in the top cover, to provide an exit for cables or wires while the top cover is closed. With the cable access port, for example, an electrical appliance can be plugged into the fixture in the cavity while the top cover is closed.
An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the attached figures.
A floor box flange 12 perimetrically covers a floor box (not shown), or alternatively, an opening cut in the floor without an enclosed floor box to contain an electrical fixture. The flange 12 conceals the rough opening regardless of whether an enclosed floor box is employed. The interior space of the flange 12 is occupied by an electrical fixture (not shown), such as, for example, an electrical power outlet or a female RJ45 Ethernet jack. The fixture may be mounted within an enclosed floor box, or the fixture may be mounted on hardware affixed to the flange 12 (not shown), with or without a separate enclosed floor box. While the flange in the figures is depicted as rectangular in shape, other shaped flanges are within the scope of this invention. For example, the flange may be circular. The top of flange 12 is raised above the surface of the floor when installed, since the bottom of the lip of the flange must rest on the floor surface.
The floor box flange 12 will be permanently affixed to the floor in some manner, such as with screws (not shown). In embodiments where there is an enclosed electrical floor box below the surface of the floor, the flange will typically be affixed to the electrical box with screws. In an embodiment without an electrical box, the flange may be affixed to an underlayer with screws, or the flange may affixed to the floor with spring clips or similar structure (not shown).
The floor box cover 20 forms a frame around a center opening 26, and is removably affixed to the flange 12. The box cover subassembly 28 is flush with the flange box cover 12 when affixed to the flange, as shown in
The floor box cover must be removable, detachable, or openable to expose the electrical fixture inside for use, for example, to plug a cable into a female electrical outlet. In an embodiment shown in the figures, the floor box cover illustrated in the figures has tabbed edges 44 that fit into slots 46 in the flange box cover 12 and permit the box cover-cover plate assembly to be easily detached from the flange 12 to expose an electrical fixture inside (not shown). The box cover subassembly 28 is secured to the flange with a movable locking member 48. Part 48 has two positions. In the locked position, the cover is attached to the flange, and movable part 48 secures the tabs 44 on box cover 20. To remove the cover, member 48 slides outward slightly to an unlocked position to release the tabs on box cover 20, allowing the box cover to be slipped out of the slots, and detached from the flange.
Other embodiments for affixing the floor box cover to the flange are within the scope of this invention. For example, there may be a hinging arrangement, whereby the box cover can be flipped up. In such an embodiment, there would be a hinge along one edge of the box cover, allowing the cover assembly to rotate around the axis of the hinge. In another embodiment, the box cover may be affixed to the flange with screws or some other means requiring a tool to open or release the cover. In another embodiment, there may be a lanyard connecting the floor box cover to the flange, so that when the floor box cover is detached from the flange, it remains connected by the lanyard can cannot be lost or misplaced.
The convertible cover plate 16 in this invention has two distinct opposed planar surfaces. A first surface 24 (see
The perimeter of convertible cover plate 16 provides space for mounting screws 14 that affix the cover plate 16 to the floor box cover 20.
The depth of the recess 24 can be varied by selection of the thickness of the floor box cover 20 and floor box flange 12. The cover 20 and flange 12 must have the same thickness, so that the complete assembly 10 or 30 presents a uniform height above the floor, except for the recess in 30. Different floor thicknesses require a recess of different thickness. For example, vinyl flooring is typically ⅛″ thick. Wood flooring can vary, and is commonly ¼″ to ½″ thick. In the case of very thick flooring materials, such as ½″ wood planking, it may be necessary to employ a thin longitudinal slice of the floor material that fits into the recess to provide a fully flush surface in the complete assembly. Conversely, in the case of vinyl flooring, it may be necessary for the installer to build up the thickness of the finished floor insert. For example, if the recess is ¼″ deep, and the flooring is ⅛″ vinyl flooring, the installer would have to use a double layer of the ⅛″ flooring to achieve a flush surface in the finished assembly.
In some embodiments of this invention, a cable access port, 50 in
In the embodiment of this invention illustrated in the figures, the parts in a package delivered to the consumer would contain a floor box flange 12, a floor box cover 20, a gasket 18, screws 14, and the convertible cover plate 16. During installation and assembly, all parts would be used, and the convertible cover plate 16 would be installed in either a flush or recess orientation. The convertible cover plate 16, gasket 18, and floor box cover 20 would be screwed together, to provide the cover subassembly 28 with the desired flushed or recess style, depending on the orientation of convertible cover plate 16. The flange would be affixed to the floor. The tabs on the floor box cover 20 would be inserted into the floor box flange, to provide the complete assembly. No unused parts would be in the package.
A further advantage is that the same package can be delivered to either recess or flush mount installations, with the convenience of not needing to order, in advance, one of two possible orientations. A further advantage to this invention is a reduction in finished parts that need to be manufactured, and in a reduction in the number of complete packages that need to be stocked at suppliers. The reduction in SKU's is an advantage. Thus, the inventive product is expected to have lower costs compared to the prior art.
