Patent Application
20240044134
This invention relates to raised floor panels, also called access floor panels. In particular, this invention relates to the interface between (i) access floor panels and (ii) equipment, apparatuses and structure that are supported by the access floor panels, such as, for example, in data centers, cabinets housing or otherwise supporting computers and other IT equipment, framework to support cable trays, air conditioning ductwork and aisle containment systems that may include components such as side wall panels, door assemblies and ceiling assemblies.
Raised or access floor systems are used in many environments, including clean rooms and data centers. Raised or access floor systems are usually comprised of a continuous array of access floor panels, arranged edge-to-edge, and supported above a sub-floor by support members, such as pedestals. The lower ends of the pedestals rest on the subfloor. The access floor panels are placed on the top ends of the pedestals, and, in some applications, attached to those top ends. The array of access floor panels usually extends wall-to-wall in the room or area of the building in which the panels are installed.
A large variety of equipment, structures and apparatuses can be supported by the access floor assemblies in different applications. For example, in data centers, access floor systems may support cabinets for computers and other IT equipment and framework to support cable trays, air conditioning ductwork and hot aisle/cold aisle containment systems that include side panels, door assemblies, end panels, and ceilings.
Sometimes that equipment, that structure and those apparatuses are simply placed on the top surface of the access floor panels of access floor systems, depending on the types of equipment, structure and apparatuses and the parameters of the facilities housing the access floor system, equipment, structures and apparatuses. In other applications, the equipment, structures and apparatuses may also be anchored to the sub-floor through the access floor system. Examples of the latter applications include instances in which the equipment, structure and apparatuses are too heavy to be supported by the access floor system alone or when there are stringent seismic requirements for the facility.
In applications in which the access floor system can adequately support the equipment, structure and apparatuses, it is sometimes desirable to more firmly secure such equipment, structure and apparatuses to the individual access floor panels, for example, to meet certain seismic standards. In addition, it is beneficial for the equipment, structure and apparatuses to be relatively easily movable relative to the access floor systems because configurations of data centers and clean rooms, for example, are sometimes changed due to technological advances or other reasons.
Accordingly, there is a need in the access floor art for means to attach equipment, structures and apparatuses of a facility that includes an access floor system to the access floor panels that, at the least, is secure, sound, easy to connect and disconnect and meets seismic standards.
The access floor panels of this invention address those needs, as well as other needs that are readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
The access floor panels of some embodiments of this invention include a base and a top plate on top of the base in a thickness direction of the access floor panel. The base may include at least one slot having (1) a depth in the thickness direction, (2) a longitudinal axis in a first direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and (3) a slot opening in a top of the base in the thickness direction. The top plate may have at least one top plate elongated opening that is aligned with the slot opening of the base. The base and the top plate may be configured such that a fastener assembly can be received through the slot opening in the base and the top plate elongated opening and received and engaged by the base in the at least one slot to attach a structure to the access floor panel.
In some embodiments of this invention, the base of the access floor panel may include two spaced and parallel slots.
In other embodiments of this invention, each of the slots in the base may be defined by a member with (1) a bottom wall in the thickness direction, (2) a pair of elongated, spaced and parallel side walls that extend from opposite edges of the bottom wall toward the slot opening in the thickness direction and (3) inwardly extending portions at the top of each of the pair of side walls. Innermost edges of the inwardly extending portions may define the slot openings. The inwardly extending portions may also be configured to engage and retain the fastener assembly.
In yet other embodiments of this invention, the inwardly extending portions may be hook-shaped with the curved free end of the hook facing downward in the thickness direction. The free end of the hook may be configured to engage a top surface of a nut of the fastener assembly.
As stated, an access floor panel of one embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the figures, access floor panel 30. Access floor panel 30 includes base 32 and top sheet 34.
In this embodiment of the invention, base 32 includes end support panels 36 and 38, side support panels 40 and 42, intermediate support vanes 44 and 46, intermediate support vanes 48, 50, 52 and 54, fin supports 56, fin supports 70, 72, 74 and 76, corner tubes 58, 60, 62 and 64 and channel members 66 and 68.
As shown in
End support panel 38 has the same configuration.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Intermediate support vanes 50, 52 and 54 have the same configuration.
As shown in
As shown in
Corner tube 58 is illustrated in
As shown in
Channel members 66 and 68 define elongated slots in base 32. Specifically, bottom wall 126 defines the bottom of a slot. Side walls 128 and 130 define the side walls of the slot. The innermost edges of the upper hook portions 132 and 134 define the top opening of the slot. Each of the slots has (1) a depth in the thickness direction of access floor panel 30, from the top surface of bottom wall 126 to the top opening, (2) a longitudinal axis that is parallel to bottom wall 126 and side walls 128 and 130 and (3) the slot opening described above.
The various members of base 32, described above, are assembled as follows.
End support panels 36 and 38 and side support panels 40 and 42 are connected at their respective ends. Specifically, end flanges 94 of side support panels 40 and 42 are received in end notches 86 of end support panels 36 and 38, as shown, for example, in
Turning to intermediate support vanes 44 and 46, end flanges 104 of intermediate support vanes 44 and 46 are received in elongated slots 90 of side support panels and 42, and welded thereto, as shown, for example, in
Turning next to intermediate support vanes 48, 50, 52 and 54, end flanges 112 of intermediate support vanes 48, 50, 52 and 54 are received in elongated slots 80 of end support panels 36 and 38 and welded thereto, as shown, for example, in
Considering next fin supports 70, 72, 74 and 76, flanges 118 of fin supports 72, 74 and 76 are received in elongated slots 92 of side support panels 40 and 42 and welded thereto, as shown, for example,
Turning next to support fins 56, one of each pair of flanges 124 of each support fin 56 is received in a slot 88 of one of side support panels 40 and 42 and the other of each pair of flanges 124 is received in an elongated slot 108 of intermediate support vanes 50 and 52. Support flanges 56 are also received in an elongated slot 108 of one of intermediate support vanes 48 and 54.
When base 32 is assembled, (1) intermediate support vanes 48 and 54 are received in slots 100 of intermediate support vanes 44 and 46, (2) intermediate support vanes and 52 are received in slots 102 of intermediate support vanes 44 and 46, (3) fin supports and 76 are received in slots 108′ of immediate support vane 54, (4) fin supports 72 and 74 are received in slots 108′ of intermediate support vane 48 and (5) fin supports 156 are received in slots 108 of intermediate support vanes 48 and 54. Intermediate support vanes 44, 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 and fin supports 70, 72, 74, 76 and 156 are all welded together at their respective intersections.
While the base of the access floor panel of this embodiment of the invention includes, as support members, end support panels 36 and 38, side support panels 40 and 42, intermediate support vanes 44, 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 and fin supports 70, 72, 74 and 76, the bases of the access floor panels of other embodiments of this invention may include other support members, as long as those support members provide sufficient structural integrity for the base.
Channel members 66 and 68 are received and supported by troughs 106 in intermediate support vanes 48, 50, 52 and 54. Channel members 66 and 68 are welded to (1) intermediate support vanes 48, 50, 52 and 54 at troughs 106 and (2) top sheet 34 around elongated slots 136 (described below).
While, as discussed below, this embodiment of the invention utilizes channel members 66 and 68 as members to which other structure is attached to access floor panel 30, other structural members can be used, as long as the other structure can be attached to the other structural members with sufficient integrity.
Corner tubes 58, 60, 62 and 60 are welded to end support panels 36 and 38, side support panels 40 and 42, and top sheet 34.
While the base of this embodiment of the invention includes cover tubes 58, 62 and 64 to receive fasteners, as explained below, other members can be used as long as the other members can sufficiently receive the fasteners.
Top sheet 34 includes parallel, elongated slots 136 and a fastener hole 138 in each corner, as shown in
Elongated slots 136 align with channel members 66 and 68. Each fastener hole 138 is aligned with one of corner tubes 58, 60, 62 and 64.
In this embodiment of the invention, access floor panel 30 can be connected to pedestals (not shown) at all four corners. Specifically, fasteners (not shown) are inserted through fastener holes 138 in top sheet 34 and corner tubes 58, 60, 62 and 64 and attached to the pedestals.
Other structural members of, for example, a data center, can be attached to access floor panel 30, as shown in
In
More specifically, bolt assembly 144 includes bolt 146, nut 148 and spring 150. Bolt 146 is inserted through one of slots 136 of top sheet 34 and the top slot of channel member 66 defined by the innermost edges of upper hook portions 132 and 134 (discussed above). Nut 148 is screwed onto bolt 146.
Upper hook portions 132 and 134 engage the upper surface of nut 148 and maintain nut 148 within channel member 66. Spring 150 is in compression between bottom wall 126 of channel member 66 and the bottom surface of nut 148, pushing nut 148 upward against upper hook portions 132 and 134.
Any type of apparatus or structure can be attached to access floor panel 30, including, for example, in a data center, framework to support air conditioning ductwork, cable trays and aisle containment systems. Moreover, such apparatus and structure do not have to include the post/plate structure shown in
What is described and illustrated herein are preferred embodiments of the invention and variations thereof. The description and figures are intended to be for illustration only, and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many embodiments and variations are possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.
