MULTI-SERVICE FLOOR OUTLET

PRISE MULTISERVICE POUR ENCASTREMENT DANS LE PLANCHER

English Abstract

A flush-mounted, multi-service floor outlet, gives economic
supply of flush-fitting power and electronic jacks, such as
Category 5 data jacks, within existing office towers having
poured concrete floors, as original equipment, or by restro-fit
or in relocating such services, while maintaining
effective fire separation between the repective floors of
the building. A unitary, longitudinally compartmented
cylindrical metal housing is located in penetrating relation
through an existing concrete floor, and the power, voice and
data connections are routed through the ceiling space of the
underlying room, the conduits for which are threaded into a
base portion of the housing. The outlet housing provides
a nominal fit within a standard sized hole drilled through
the concrete floor to render the installation substantially
fireproof. A top flange, and removable bottom flange such as
a nut complete the fireproofing and secure the housing in
place. The compartment partitions are withdrawable to
facilitate installation and servicing. The substantially
planar top face of the outlet fits effectively flush with
the usual carpet floor covering.

French Abstract

La présente invention a pour objet une prise multiservice pour encastrement dans le plancher; outre son aspect pratique, celle-ci permet une économie de connecteurs électroniques, tels des jacks pour installations électroniques de catégorie 5, et peut être encastrée dans les planchers en béton d'édifices à bureaux existants à titre d'installation d'origine ou dans un contexte de modernisation ou de relocalisation, tout en assurant le maintien d'une séparation coupe-feu entre les planchers respectifs du bâtiment. Un boîtier unitaire cylindrique en métal à cloisonnement longitudinal est introduit à l'intérieur du plancher de béton existant; les conducteurs d'électricité, les lignes téléphoniques et de transmission de données sont acheminées à l'intérieur du faux-plafond aménagé à l'étage inférieur, les extrémités filetées de ces conduits étant vissées dans la base du boîtier. La prise en question est logée à l'intérieur d'un boîtier dont les dimensions nominales correspondent à un trou de diamètre standard percé dans le plancher en béton, ce qui permet de réaliser une installation essentiellement à l'épreuve du feu. Une bride supérieure ainsi qu'une bride inférieure associée à un écrou complètent et assurent la réalisation d'une installation à l'épreuve du feu. Les cloisons aménagées à l'intérieur du boîtier, amovibles, facilitent la mise en place et l'entretien de l'installation. La surface supérieure essentiellement plane de la prise en question contribue à assurer une finition en affleurement avec les revêtements de tapis usuels.

Claims

CLAIMS
1. A fire-resistant multi-service cutlet for mounting in a
bore of predetermined standard size drilled through an
existing concrete floor, to minimize structural damage to the
floor, comprising a totally enclosed cylindrical housing
having a shallow cover portion in substantial closing
relation with the top of the cylindrical housing; said
cylindrical housing having an outer diametrical dimension
nominally less than said predetermined standard drilled
bore; locating means for securing said housing in said floor;
at least two accesses in a lower portion of the cylindrical
housing, to receive an electrical conduit and a further
service conduit in attached relation thereto; an electrical
outlet and at least one further service outlet secured in
substantially flush-mounted relation with said cover portion,
said housing fitting in secured, substantially sealing
relation within said bore to maintain a fire separation and
maintaining said outlets substantially level with said floor.
2. The service outlet as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
electrical outlet is a power outlet.
3. The service outlet as set forth in claim 1, said lower
portion having a plurality of said accesses; said cover
portion having a plurality of said electrical outlets; and
partition means within said housing to provide at least one

isolated path between a first one of said lower accesses and
a first one of said electrical outlet.
4. The service outlet as set forth in claim 3, said
partition means being withdrawable from said housing, in use
to facilitate the installation of electrical wiring between
said first access and said first electrical outlet.
5. The service outlet as set forth in claim 4, said
partition means comprising a plurality of separable partition
portions, in use to provide a plurality of individual paths
between said lower accesses and respective ones of said
electrical outlets.
6. The service outlet as set forth in claim 3, said first
electrical outlet being a power outlet.
7. The service outlet as set forth in claim 5, having said
electrical outlet and a plurality of voice/data outlets in
mutually isolated relation.
8. The service outlet as set forth in claim 1, said housing
locating means including radially extending abuttment means
removably attached to a lower end portion of said housing, in
use to extend in overlapping, substantially sealing relation
with an adjacent concrete surface portion of said floor.

9. The service outlet as set forth in claim 1, said housing
locating means including a rotatable nut threadedly attached
to a lower end portion of said housing, and rotatable
thereabouts, in use to engage an adjacent concrete surface
constituting a portion of said floor.
10. The service outlet as set forth in claim 8, including
flange means extending radially outwardly from said housing,
in use to engage the surface of said floor adjacent said
housing.
11. The service outlet as set forth in claim 3, said
partition means being electrically non-conductive.
12. A fire-resistant multi-service outlet for mounting in a
bore of predetermined standard size drilled through an
existing concrete floor, to minimize structural damage to the
floor, comprising a totally enclosed cylindrical housing
having a shallow cover portion in substantial closing
relation with the top of the cylindrical housing; said
cylindrical housing having an outer diametrical dimension
nominally less than said predetermined standard drilled
bore; locating means for securing said housing in said floor,
including a top flange portion in overlying relation with
said floor, and lower locating means removably secured to
said housing, and extending in underlying relation with said
11

floor, in substantial sealing relation with said bore;
at least two accesses in a lower portion of the cylindrical
housing, to receive an electrical conduit and a further
service conduit in attached relation thereto; an electrical
outlet and at least one further service outlet secured in
substantially flush-mounted relation with said cover portion,
said housing fitting in removably secured, substantially
sealing relation within said bore to provide a fire
separation and to locate said outlets substantially level
with said floor.
12

Description

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CA 02215441 1997-09-15
MULTI-SERVIC'E FLOOR ~TLET
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a f'oor outlet for lnstallation
through a concrete floor, to provide electrical power and
voice/data Jack access.
BACXGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Modern office space ls frequentiy located wlthin hlgh rise
buildinqs having existing concrete floors.
The floor plan for an office is rarely immutakle, so that the
10 location of services such as electrlcal power, voice and data
connectlons requires a hlgh degree of flexibility. Flre codes
frequently requlre that floor-to-floor lnterconnection shall be
closely restricted, while electrical wirlng codes usually
regulre the provision of isclated electrical services.
Many bullding owners and/or tenants require enclosed electrical
and communlcations wlring ln celling spaces below. One prlor
art approach to meet the problems imposed by these strlct~res
h~s been the use of s~uare, recessable flush outlet housinqs.
A major drawback wlth this approach is the need to saw cut an
~0 oversized s~uare hole into the concrete floor, and to chisel
out to an approprlate depth a recess for housing the outle~.
It is then usually necessary to secure the outlet housing ln
the floor, and to patch, by cementing or grouting
the outlet base ln place. Th~s can lmperll the lntegrity of the
floor, and is usually unacceptable to the structural engineer

CA 022l544l l997-09-l5
who is responslble for the buildln~.
In an exl~tlng offlce, adoptlon of thi procedur~ often ~auses
unintended, highly undesireable local damage to t~e area
carpeting.
Furthermore, the method is labour-intenslve, structurally
damaging, and ~lakes difflcult the succeedlng step of lnEtallin~
the a6soclated condult.
Another prlor art approach is to lnstal a throu~h-the-~lo~
outlet, such as the "Walkertap" ~trademark), referred to
commercially as the " 1503 Eerles flush poke-through" havlng a
cyllndrical pot that is lnstalled through the floor. This
service outlet, whlch is nominally "flush", has a domed top
plate above which proJects the molded housings of the two
voice/data jack outlets.
These voice jack outlets are serviced by plgtail connections
that hang down within open recesses below the top plate, and
the connections pass outwardly through apertures in the wall of
the cylindrical pot, thereby providing a pair of vulnerable
paths that requlre to be packed with flre-proof material, in
20 attempting to meet local fire regulations. These pig-tail
connection~ are serviced wlthin the underlying ceiling space,
and in the absence of an enclosure and provision for protection
such as a conduit, are vulnerable to unautherized access.
The electrlcal service occupies the pot, and connects by way
of an intermediate conduit with a Junction box accessible only

CA 02215441 1997-09-15
ln the underlying celllny ~pace.
Typlcally, this hlgh-cost lnstallation provides a slightly
domed outlet cover having a pair of flush power outlets and a
pair o~ elevated volce/data jacks, which constitute a trippng
hazard ln open and multi-use areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unitary, flush mounted,
totally enclosed houslng for through-floor multi-service
installation.
10 The subject servlce housing has a substantially planar top
flange secured to a cylindrical housing for insertion ln close-
fittlng relation within a cylindrical bore of predetermined
standard size.
The housing includes provision for connection of a plurality of
service conduits in threaded relation with the lower end of the
housing.
The housing includes interior isolating partition means, to
enable physical and electrical isolation of an electrical power
service therein.
20 In a preferred embodiment lnterlor partltion means are
removable, to facilitate manual access to the interior of the
housing. A plurality of interior partitions may be provlded
which are removable, for enhanced manual access. The partition
means may be of flberglaEs or other electrical lnsulating
material. Where internal clearances are adequate

CA 02215441 1997-09-15
and no possibility of Ehort-clrcultln~ or un~e&iLed ~psclt~n~e
effectE exiEts, and where safety co~es are not violated, the
use of metal part1tions is contemplated.
The subJect service housing ~ay have housing securing means, in
use to secure the housing in lnstalled relation within an
aperture.
The hou~in~ ~eLu~lng me~n~ m~y c~mpEi~e a top flan~e, and a
locknut threadedly attached to the lower exterlor por-tlon of
the houslng, to engage the floor lower surface. The locknut
lO also serves to complete the fla~eprocfing of the installatlon.
An alternative securing means that is contemplated may comprise
a grubscrew or capscrew, the polnt of which extendE outwardly
from wlthln the houslng, ln use to engage the interior of the
bore within which the housing is inserted to hold the housing
secured therein.
The su~ect service may include removable cap means, to provide
access from above to the inte.ior vf the housing. The
removable cap means may comprise an outer cover, in securing
relation with a plurality of plug-accessed electrical
20 connection units.
The removable cap mean~ may include a flange portion of the
pot, by means of which the pot is supported in its position by
the surrounding floor.
Th~ rem~vable cap mean~ are preferably ~ecured by way of screws
that are recessed in flush relation with the respective cover

CA 02215441 1997-09-15
top surface, and engage threaded aperture~ of the hou~in~.
The housing may lnclude threaded recesses in a lower portion of
the housing, to receive condult connectors in screwed se~ured
relation therein. The conduit connectors, in turn, receive
electrical conduit in connecting relation therewith. The
houslng may lnclude a unit~ry bottom portlon having a pluraIlty
of threaded recesses for the aforesaid conduit connectors.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWIN5S
Certaln embodiments of the lnvention are descrlbed by way of
10 lllustratlonr without llmitatlon of the invention thereto,
other than as set forth in the accompanying claims, reference
belng made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a front-and-top perspective view of a housing
according to the present invention, complete with a plurality
of power and voice/data receptacles;
Figure 2 is a slde view of the subject housing, in
diametrical section;
Figure 3 is an exploded view, in perspective, showing the
~ajor components of the Figure 1 embodiment in exploded
20 relation; and,
Flgure 4 is an enIarged vlew of a component portion of
Figure ~.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTI~N~
Referring to Figure 1, the multl-service floor outlet 1~
according to the present lnvention comprises a cylindrical

CA 02215441 1997-09-15
~rrel portlo~ 2 o~ flreproof materlal, pre~erably alumlnum
for weight and handllng considerations.
A flanged cap portlon 14 ~ecures a duplex power outlet 16 and
four Category 5 voice/data ~acks 18.
The outer portion 20 of the bottom of barrel portion 12 is
threaded.
Referrin~ to Flgures 2 and 3, a removable nut 22 ls mounted
upon the threaded portion 20.
A bottom closure plate 24 is shown, preferably secured by
10 welding to the barrel portion 12. The plate 24 is illustrated
as having four threaded apertures 25 therein, to receive
eLectrical condult elbows (not shown~, ~ecured in screwed
relation therein.
Removable partltion means 27 havln~ oppose~ plate portions
provide segregated wirlng paths, pr1marily for the conductors
for the duplex power outlet 16.
The slender flanged cap portion 14 may be installed so as to
slt upon the concrete floor, the top of the outlet 10 being
then substantially flush with the surface of the surrounding
20 carpet (not shown).
The cap portlon 14 lnolude~ a clrcu}ar plate 26 having off-set
rectangular recesses to locate volce/data jacks 1~.
An overlying plate 28 serves to locate the duplex power outlet
16.
The plate 28 has two pairs of Elots 27~, by which partltionE 27

CA 02215441 1997-12-18
may be inserted in positioned, secured relation.
The cap portion 14 includes a fir-st flan~e plate .~C3~ which
enci~cles the power outlet 16 and jach:s lZ and is secured by
screws ~9 to the upper rim of barr-el portion 1~.
~ second flange portion of cap portion 14, plate 3b, serves as
a closure plate and is secu~ed by screws to the ~irst flange
plate .Y~. The plate ~ has ~ecesses 4~, 44 in which the dual
head portions of the power outlet 16, and the foLIr ~ack:s 18 are
accommodated in flush r~l~tic~.
lD In use the outlet 10 is installed ~ithin a core-drilled
~hrough-hole, in close-fitting relation therein, being secured
and effectively sealed in place by way of the flanges of cap
portion 14, and the nut ~2.
The partition means 27 may be removed durin~ installation to
facilitate the introduction of the respective wiring Snot
shown).
It will be understood that certain changes and modifications of
the p~esently disclosed embodiments may be made without
departing from the am~it of the present invention, as ~et forth
~Oin the accompanying claims.
COMME~CI~L UTILIZ~TION
There is a widespead mar~et, both in North ~merica and
elsewhere, in high-rise concre~e buildinys, t~ safely
accommodate the wiring needs of modern telecommunicati~ns and
electronics~ along with poweF supp lies, while maintaining
required st~ndards against flame penetration.

Representative Drawing