Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a raised floor system and, more particularly, to grounding in a raised floor system.
Brief Description of Prior Developments
It is known in raised floor structures, used in a building having numerous computer or telephone or electrical devices, to provide a grounding network. The understructure of a raised floor system includes multiple pedestals and perhaps stringers and seismic supports. Floor panels are located on top of the pedestals. The panels can include, for example, aluminum panels, or steel panels such as hollow, perforated, grated, concrete filled, wood filled and calcium chloride filled.
A grounding network of a raised floor system can comprise ground conductors or cables arranged in a parallel grid or a perpendicular grid. A ground connector is used to connect the cable to the pedestal of the raised floor system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,211 discloses a ground connector where conductors can be clamped directly against a post in two orthogonal orientations. There is a desire for a faster and less expensive way to connect a ground conductor to a pedestal of a raised floor system.
The following summary is merely intended to be exemplary. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a raised floor pedestal is provided including a base configured to sit on a floor and may not extend into soil or rock; and a post extending up from the base. The post includes a metal member having a general tube shape. A top of the post forms a support surface configured to support a portion of a raised floor system thereon. A side of the post includes an integrally formed ground conductor connector piece extending therefrom. The ground conductor connector piece is configured to have an electrical ground conductor connected directly thereto.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a raised floor system is provided comprising a plurality of pedestals, floor panels supported on top of the pedestals, and an electrical ground conductor. Each of the pedestals comprise an electrical ground conductor connector. The connector comprises an integrally formed piece extending from a side of the pedestal. The electrical ground conductor is connected directly to the connectors of the pedestals.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided comprising providing a tube comprised of a metal member; stamping the metal member to form a clip, wherein the clip extends from a side of the tube; and connecting the tube to a base. The base is configured to support the tube in a substantially vertical orientation when the base is located on a floor. The tube and base are configured to support raised floor panels above the floor. The tube is configured to electrically connect to a ground conductor at the clip to support the ground conductor above the floor and electrically connect the tube to the ground conductor.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided comprising placing a pedestal on a floor; connecting a ground conductor directly to the pedestal, wherein the pedestal comprises a post with an integrally formed clip on a side of the post, wherein the ground conductor is directly attached to the clip; and positioning raised floor panels on top of the pedestal.
The foregoing aspects and other features of the invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to
The system 10 generally comprises pedestals 12 and panels 14. The panels 14 are conventional panels of a raised floor system. Referring also to
The base 20 is sized and shaped to sit or rest on a floor, such as a concrete floor of an office building for example. The base 20 has a general square or rectangular planar shape, but could have other shapes. In an alternate embodiment the base could be sized and shaped to connect to another member.
The post 22 extends upward from the base 20. The post 22 has a general tube shape. In the embodiment shown the tube shape is generally square in cross section, but could have alternative cross sectional shapes. An aperture extends into the top end of the post 22 into the central channel of the tube shape. The post 22 has ground conductor connector pieces 24 which will be further described below.
The second section 18 generally comprises a post 26 and a top support 28. The post 26 and top support 28 are conventional in this embodiment. The post 26 is a threaded post with threads on its exterior side. The top support 28 is connected to the top end of the post 26. The top side of the top support 28 is adapted to support the panels 14 thereon.
The second section 18 comprises an adjuster 30. The adjuster 30 is connected to the threads of the post 26. In this embodiment the adjuster 30 is a nut. The bottom side of the nut 30 rests on the top end of the post 22. In alternate embodiments any suitable type of height adjustment system between the first and second sections could be provided.
The bottom end of the post 26 extends into the center channel of the post 22 through the open top end of the post 22. With the nut 30 resting on the top support surface of the post 22, when the nut 30 is turned the post 26 can move up and down relative to the post 22. Thus, the height of the top support 28 relative to the base 20 can be adjusted.
Referring also to
In the embodiment shown, the pieces 24a, 24b are located on the sides 32, 34 which are generally orthogonal to each other. However, in alternate embodiments, the connector pieces 24 could be located on only parallel sides or all four sides for example. In this embodiment the second connector piece 24b is located at a higher location (at least partially) on the height of the post 22 than the first connector piece 24a. However, in alternate embodiments the heights could be the same. The connector pieces 24 are sized and shaped to connect conductors, such as conductors A and B, to the post 22. This connection electrically grounds the posts (and thus the pedestals 14) and mechanically supports the ground conductors A, B at a predetermined height on the post 22.
Referring also to
Referring also to
The invention can be used to attach one or more conductors directly to the pedestal 14 without additional connectors. The conductors merely need to be connected with the piece(s) 24, such as by snapping the conductor(s) behind the clip(s) 24a, 24b. This is much faster and less expensive than having to use an additional connector, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,211 for example. The present invention can also be used in a grounding network comprising ground conductors or cables arranged in a parallel grid and/or a perpendicular grid.
With the invention, a raised floor pedestal 14 can be provided comprising a base 20 configured to sit on a floor; and a post 22 extending up from the base, wherein the post comprises a metal member having a general tube shape, wherein a top of the post forms a support surface configured to support a portion 30 of a raised floor system thereon, wherein a side 32 of the post comprises an integrally formed ground conductor connector piece 24a extending therefrom, and wherein the ground conductor connector piece 24a is configured to have an electrical ground conductor A connected directly thereto.
The connector piece can comprise a clip 24a extending from the side of the post. The clip can have an upwardly extending cantilevered shape. The clip can be a spring clip configured to resiliently deflect when the electrical ground conductor is located between the clip and a portion of the post. The connector piece can comprise an outwardly stamped portion of the metal member. The connector piece can be sized and shaped to have the electrical ground conductor extend therethrough.
The raised floor pedestal can further comprise a threaded member 30 at the top of the post 22, and a movable top section 18 connected to the post 22, wherein the top section 18 comprises a top plate 18 and a threaded post 26 extending down from the top plate, wherein the threaded post 26 is connected to the threaded member 30 and extends into a central channel of the general tube shape 22.
The ground conductor connector piece 24a can form a first ground conductor connector piece and the side 32 of the post is a first side, and the post can comprise a second ground conductor connector piece 24b on a second side 34 of the post generally orthogonal to the first side. The first and second connector pieces 24 can be located, at least partially, at different heights on the post.
A raised floor system 10 can be provided comprising a plurality of pedestals 14, wherein each of the pedestals comprise an electrical ground conductor connector 24, wherein the connector comprises an integrally formed piece extending from a side of the pedestal; floor panels 14 supported on top of the pedestals; and an electrical ground conductor A connected directly to the connectors of the pedestals.
A method can be provided comprising providing a tube comprised of a metal member; stamping the metal member to form a clip, wherein the clip extends from a side of the tube; connecting the tube to a base, wherein the base is configured to support the tube in a substantially vertical orientation when the base is located on a floor, wherein the tube and base are configured to support raised floor panels above the floor, wherein the tube is configured to electrically connect to a ground conductor at the clip to support the ground conductor above the floor and electrically connect the tube to the ground conductor.
A method can be provided comprising placing a pedestal on a floor; connecting a ground conductor directly to the pedestal, wherein the pedestal comprises a post with an integrally formed clip on a side of the post, wherein the ground conductor is directly attached to the clip; and positioning raised floor panels on top of the pedestal.
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. For example, features recited in the various dependent claims could be combined with each other in any suitable combination(s). In addition, features from different embodiments described above could be selectively combined into a new embodiment. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.
This is a divisional patent application of copending application Ser. No. 12/317,319 filed Dec. 22, 2008 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12317319 | Dec 2008 | US |
Child | 14548517 | US |