The present invention relates to power and/or data systems that are mountable in floors or work surfaces such as desks, tables, and the like.
Conventional power and data systems provide a variety of interconnections and flexibility. Power and data systems may be inserted into openings formed in floors (including elevated floor systems) and walls, and integrated into furniture, such as tables, desks, and other office furniture. So-called “poke-through” electrical or data units are typically cylindrical or box-like in overall shape, with circular, rectangular, or square surfaces that are exposed in an area where access to electrical power and/or electronic data is desirable. The exposed portion of the electrical or data unit often includes a bezel that is positioned atop or flush with the exposed floor surface, wall surface, or furniture surface to which the unit is mounted. The bezel generally defines an opening through which the unit's electrical power and/or electronic data outlets are made accessible to users in a work area or the like. If a bezel-receiving opening in the exposed surface is not cut or otherwise formed orthogonal (perpendicular) to the plane of the exposed surface, the bezel may not mount straight and flush with the exposed surface, creating an undesirable appearance and possibly a trip hazard or an area where dirt and debris collects. This may be corrected by re-drilling the opening, but re-drilling may result in an oversized bore and the inability to secure the poke-through unit at the bore.
The present invention provides a poke-through electrical power and/or electronic data unit having an upper bezel that is repositionable relative to a lower housing or insert portion during installation. The upper bezel may be tilted or shifted laterally relative to the lower housing during installation by multiple degrees of freedom permitted by a set of fasteners that non-rigidly couple the lower insert to the upper bezel. By providing an adjustable upper bezel, the configuration or shape of the overall unit may be adjusted to accommodate or account for variations in the position of an opening formed in a bezel-mounting surface relative to another opening or bore that is formed in another surface located behind or below the bezel-mounting surface. Therefore, the bezel can be set flush in its mounting location, even if the orientation of the lower housing or of the opening in which the bezel is mounted is not otherwise conducive to properly orienting the bezel.
According to one form of the present invention, an electrical outlet assembly is provided for mounting in a floor or work surface, and includes an upper bezel and a lower insert that are joined by a plurality of coupling fasteners. The upper bezel provides access to an electrical outlet at the floor or work surface, and there are a plurality of fastener receivers positioned below the upper bezel and coupled to it, either directly or indirectly. The coupling fasteners have respective lower portions received in the lower insert and respective upper portions received at the fastener receivers. At least one end of each coupling fastener is somewhat loosely retained or captured in such a way that when the coupling fasteners are fully secured for coupling the lower insert to the fastener receivers, each of the coupling fasteners is permitted to move axially relative to the fastener receiver or the lower insert. As a result, the lower insert is repositionable in its axial direction relative to the upper bezel and the lower insert is tiltable by a limited amount, such as about three degrees, out of alignment with a longitudinal axis of the upper bezel.
In one aspect, the lower insert defines a plurality of recesses that receive the lower portions of the coupling fasteners, and the lower portions of the coupling fasteners are axially movable within the recesses. Optionally, the lower portions of the coupling fasteners have respective enlarged heads that are captured in the recesses.
In another aspect, the lower insert includes a top plate coupled to an upper surface of a block of intumescent material. The recesses are formed along the upper surface of the intumescent block, and the top plate defines a series of openings aligned with respective recesses. The coupling fastener heads are captured in the recesses by the top plate.
In yet another aspect, the electrical outlet assembly further includes a plurality of sloped channel members extending downwardly below the upper bezel, a securing element slidably mounted at each sloped channel member, and a mounting fastener threaded to each securing element. The mounting fasteners extending upwardly from the respective securing elements and through the sloped channel member. The sloped channel members are angled away from vertical (or from the longitudinal axis of the upper bezel and/or the lower insert) so that the securing elements are moved vertically and radially outwardly upon rotation of the mounting fasteners in one direction, and the securing elements are moved vertically (in the opposite direction) and radially inwardly upon rotation of the mounting fasteners in an opposite direction. Optionally, the securing elements each have a plurality of radially outwardly extending teeth for selectively engaging with an inner surface of a bore in which the assembly is mounted.
In still another aspect, the sloped channel members are sloped inwardly in the radial direction from top to bottom, so that upward movement of the securing elements along the sloped channel members causes the securing elements to move radially outwardly.
In a further aspect, the electrical outlet assembly further includes an outlet housing that supports a plurality of electrical outlets for access at the upper bezel. Optionally, the outlet housing includes the fastener receivers and the sloped channel members.
In a still further aspect, a leaf spring is disposed in a channel formed in an outer periphery of the lower insert. An adjustment screw is coupled to opposite ends of the leaf spring and is configured so that rotation of the adjustment screw draws the spring's opposite ends together to bias a midsection of the leaf spring radially outwardly from the outer periphery of the lower insert.
According to another form of the present invention, an electrical outlet assembly is provided for mounting in a floor or work surface, and includes an upper bezel for providing access to an electrical outlet at the floor or work surface, a lower insert coupled below the upper bezel, and a plurality of sloped channel members coupled to the upper bezel and extending downwardly below the upper bezel. A securing element is slidably mounted or guided in each of the sloped channel members, with a mounting fastener threadedly coupled to each of the securing elements and extending upwardly through the sloped channel member. The sloped channel members are shaped so that when the securing elements are moved vertically in one direction along the channel members, the securing elements also move radially outwardly from the longitudinal bezel axis, such as due to rotation of the mounting fasteners in one direction.
Thus, the poke-through electrical outlet assembly can accommodate variations in mounting bores formed or established in substrates such as concrete or wooden subfloors, allowing an installer to set the upper bezel flush in its mounting location, even if the mounting bore is not perfectly orthogonal to the generally planar surface at which the upper bezel is supported.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a poke-through electrical power and/or electronic data unit 10 is configured for mounting in a floor or work surface (
In the illustrated embodiment of
Lower insert 14 is generally cylindrical in shape as shown in
Each coupling fastener 16 is located at a respective location that is spaced radially outwardly from both the longitudinal bezel axis Ab and the longitudinal insert axis Ai, and that is spaced circumferentially apart from the other fasteners. It is envisioned that all of the fastener locations would typically be spaced the same or similar radial distance (radius) from the axes Ab and Ai, but somewhat different spacings (radial and circumferential) are possible for each fastener location, such as to accommodate (provide clearance for) certain arrangements of electrical power or electronic data outlets, or to accommodate other structures in the vicinity. In the illustrated embodiment, and as best shown in
Each coupling fastener 16 includes a threaded shaft that extends upwardly through a top plate 20 of the lower insert 14, and threadedly engages a corresponding female threaded support 18 that is formed in an outer outlet housing 22 that is secured to an underside of the upper bezel 12 (
The recesses 24 at the top of the fire-resistant block 15 are recessed a sufficient distance from the top plate 20 so that the lower insert 14 can “float” up or down relative to the outer outlet housing 22, and can be set at an angle relative to the outer outlet housing 22. For example, in the illustrated embodiment when the coupling fasteners 16 are fully secured for coupling the lower insert 14 to the fastener receivers 18, the fastener heads 16a can move freely up and down within the respective recesses 24, between the top plate 20 and the bottom of each recess 24, such that the longitudinal insert axis Ai may be misaligned with the longitudinal bezel axis Ab by up to about 3 to 4 degrees. As a result, the lower insert 14 is also repositionable in its axial direction (along insert axis Ai) relative to the upper bezel 12 by a limited distance according to the vertical spaces between the fastener heads 16a and the bottom surfaces of the respective recesses 24. In this way, the bore in which the poke-through unit 10 is mounted may be non-orthogonal with the upper floor surface by up to 3 to 4 degrees, while still permitting the bottom surface of the upper bezel 12 to lie flush against the upper floor surface.
It will be appreciated that adjusting the depths of the recesses 24, the dimensions or shapes of the fastener heads 16a would permit different ranges of angular and vertical adjustment of the lower insert 14 relative to the outer outlet housing 22, as desired or needed during installation into a somewhat non-orthogonal bore. It should further be appreciated that the same or similar effect may be achieved by reversing the orientation of the coupling fasteners 16 and configuring the support at the outer outlet housing to provide a recess or cavity in which each fastener head is relatively free to move, while the opposite end of each fastener is more rigidly secured. Moreover, it is envisioned that double-headed studs may be used in place of the more traditional single-headed fasteners shown, with receiving cavities provided for loosely capturing both ends of the double-headed stud.
A set of four threaded mounting fasteners 34 and corresponding toothed securing elements 33 (
The lower insert 14 may be frictionally held in the bore by a pair of adjustable generally C-shaped leaf springs 38 having inboard top and bottom ends 38a mounted on respective adjustment screws 40 and received in respective channels 42 formed in the outer periphery of the fire-resistant block 15 (
The poke-through unit 10 further includes an inner outlet housing 44 (
The poke-through unit 10 may be mounted in a bore, typically formed in a floor such as a wooden or concrete floor, by first inserting the lower insert 14 and the outer outlet housing 22 into the bore. If needed, the adjustment screws 40 may be adjusted to achieve a desired frictional engagement of the leaf springs 38 with the bore's inner surface. As the outer outlet housing 22 is pressed downwardly into the bore, the fastener heads 16a are repositioned within their respective recesses 24 according to any limited non-orthogonal orientation of the bore relative to the floor surface. This allows the upper flanges 51 of the outer outlet housing 22 to lie flush against the floor surface, so that the upper bezel 12 can be secured to the outlet housing 22 and also set flush to the floor surface. As a result, once the necessary bore is formed in the floor and the appropriate wiring has been run to the bore, the installation of the poke-through unit 10 requires only the insertion of the outer outlet housing 22 and lower insert 14 into the bore until the outlet housing's upper flanges 51 are all resting on the floor surface, tightening the outlet housing 22 in the bore by turning the mounting fasteners 34 until the toothed securing elements 33 tightly engage the inner surface of the bore, and then securing the upper bezel 12 to the outlet housing 22.
Referring now to
In the case of the poke-through unit 110 of
Female threaded supports 118 include outboard flange portions 160 that are configured to receive respective metal spring-clips 162 having respective outwardly-extending upper legs 162a. The outwardly-extending upper legs 162a are configured to engage an inwardly-facing surface (such as a cylindrical bore surface) located below or behind the exposed surface where the bezel 112 will be supported. Unlike the toothed securing elements 33 of the poke-through unit 10, the spring-clips 162 are statically mounted and do not move relative to the flange portions 160. Instead, the outwardly-extending upper legs 162a extend radially outwardly further than the diameter of the bore in which the unit 110 is to be inserted, the legs 162a flexing radially inwardly during insertion and then resisting any pullout forces due to the tips of the upper legs 162a engaging the bore surface. Once the bottom surface of the upper bezel 112 is fully pressed against the floor surface surrounding the bore, it is automatically secured in position by the spring-clips 162. Although this securing arrangement of spring-clips 162 and flange portions 160 has some advantages, such as lower cost and fewer installation steps, removal of the installed poke-through unit 110 may destroy at least the spring-clips 162 and also risks damage to the upper bezel 112. By comparison, the earlier-described poke-through unit 10 with toothed securing elements 33 can be secured at the bore and removed from the bore repeatedly without damage.
In other respects that correspond to the insertion and securing of the poke-through unit 110 in a bore, the poke-through unit 110 is substantially similar to the unit 10 described above, including the use of leaf springs 138 with adjustment screws 140, and recesses 124 in the fire-resistant block 115 that permit “floating” movement of the threaded fastener heads 116a to accommodate a slightly non-orthogonal bore formed in a floor where the unit 110 is to be mounted. As seen in
Thus, it will be appreciated that the coupling fasteners 16, 116 with respective heads 16a, 116a movably positioned within respective recesses 24, 124 will permit at least limited lateral and angular shifting of the upper bezel 12, 112 relative to the lower insert 14, 14. Such movements are permitted by pivoting of the lower insert 14, 114 relative to the threaded shafts 16, 116. This adjustability, particularly when combined with adjustable leaf springs 38, 138 that frictionally engage the mounting bore and can accommodate at least minor variations in bore diameter and orientation, permits the poke-through units 10, 110 to be easily installed in floors or other solid surfaces, with the upper bezels 12, 112 mounted flush against the floor surface even when the mounting bores are not perfectly formed.
Changes and modifications in the specifically-described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.
The present application in a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/014,119, filed Sep. 8, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,050,228, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/536,471, filed Aug. 9, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,770,875, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/717,604, filed Aug. 10, 2018, U.S. provisional application, Ser. No. 62/718,377, filed Aug. 13, 2018, and U.S. provisional application, Ser. No. 62/720,482, filed Aug. 21, 2018, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17014119 | Sep 2020 | US |
Child | 17362047 | US | |
Parent | 16536471 | Aug 2019 | US |
Child | 17014119 | US |