Poke-through electrical outlet assembly with closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11309658-B2
Application number	US-201916538531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2019
Priority date	Aug 13, 2018
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

An electrical power and/or electronic data unit is mountable in a floor, and is fitted with an upper bezel that is openable and closable to provide selective access to one or more electrical power or data outlets. A bezel supports one or more shutters that are movable between open and closed positions. Optionally, the shutters are supported on an openable main door that provides additional access to the outlets when the main door is open. The main door can be closed and opened with the shutters in either the open or closed positions. Respective top surfaces of the shutters, the main door, and the bezel may be co-planar when the main door and shutters are closed, and the shutters may be hidden entirely beneath the main door when the main door is closed and the shutters are open.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as folows:

1. An electrical power and/or electronic data unit for mounting in a floor or work surface, said electrical power and/or electronic data unit comprising:
a bezel defining an outlet opening and having a generally planar upper surface;
at least one electrical power outlet or electronic data outlet positioned behind said bezel and accessible through said outlet opening;
a main cover door coupled to said bezel and positionable between an open-door configuration in which said at least one outlet is exposed, and a closed-door configuration in which said main cover door is positioned over said at least one outlet;
said main cover door comprising an upper surface that is substantially co-planar with said upper surface of said bezel when in the closed-door configuration, and said main cover door defining a door opening through which said at least one outlet is selectively accessible when said main cover door is in the closed-door configuration; and
a pair of shutters having hinge portions pivotably coupled to said main cover door at opposite sides of said door opening and pivotably movable between an open-shutter configuration in which said at least one outlet is accessible through said door opening, and a closed-shutter configuration in which said access to said at least one outlet is precluded when said main cover door is in the closed-door configuration, wherein in the open-shutter position and the closed-door configuration, said shutters including said hinge portions are covered by said main cover door.

2. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 1 , wherein said shutter is pivotably coupled to an underside of said main cover door.

3. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 1 , further comprising a latch configured to releasably secure said main cover door in the closed-door configuration.

4. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 1 , wherein said shutters are immobilized in either the open-shutter configuration or the closed-shutter configuration when said main cover door is in said closed-door configuration.

5. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 4 , further comprising a detent at an underside of said main cover door, said detent configured to releasably engage and retain said shutters in the open-shutter configuration when said main cover door is open.

6. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 1 , wherein in the closed-shutter position a top surface of said shutters are co-planar with said upper surface of said main cover door.

7. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 1 , further comprising a sealing surface disposed around a perimeter of each of said shutters, said sealing surfaces configured to engage and establish a contaminant-resistant seal with respective surfaces of said main cover door and with the other of said shutters.

8. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 1 , wherein said bezel defines a wire pass-through for extending electronic data cables and/or electrical power cords from below said electrical power and/or electronic data unit and directly into a work area.

9. An electrical power and/or electronic data unit for mounting in a floor or work surface, said electrical power and/or electronic data unit comprising:
a bezel defining an outlet opening and an upper surface;
at least one electrical power outlet or electronic data outlet positioned behind said bezel and accessible through said outlet opening;
a main cover door coupled to said bezel and positionable between an open-door configuration in which said at least one outlet is exposed, and a closed-door configuration in which said main cover door is positioned over said at least one outlet;
said main cover door comprising an upper surface that is substantially co-planar with said upper surface of said bezel when in the closed-door configuration, and said main cover door defining a door opening through which said at least one outlet is selectively accessible when said main cover door is in the closed-door configuration; and
a pair of shutters coupled to said main cover door and pivotably movable between an open-shutter configuration in which said shutters are positioned entirely between said bezel and said main cover door and said at least one outlet is accessible through said door opening, and a closed-shutter configuration in which said access to said at least one outlet is precluded when said main cover door is in the closed-door configuration;
wherein when said shutters are in the closed-shutter position, a top surface of each said shutter is co-planar with said upper surface of said main cover door and said upper surface of said bezel such that said top surfaces of said shutters cooperate to fill said door opening; and
wherein when said shutters are in the open-shutter position, the entirety of each said shutter, including said top surfaces, are moved out of said door opening and overlaid by said main cover door; and
wherein said shutters are immobilized in either the open-shutter configuration or the closed-shutter configuration as a result of said main cover door being positioned in the closed-door configuration.

10. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 9 , wherein said shutters are pivotably coupled to an underside of said main cover door and hinged at opposite sides of said door opening.

11. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 9 , further comprising a latch configured to releasably secure said main cover door in the closed-door configuration.

12. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 9 , further comprising a detent at an underside of said main cover door, said detent configured to releasably engage and retain said shutters in the open-shutter configuration when said main cover door is open.

13. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 9 , further comprising a sealing surface disposed around a perimeter of each of said shutters, said sealing surfaces configured to engage and establish a contaminant-resistant seal with respective surfaces of said main cover door and with the other of said shutters.

14. The electrical power and/or electronic data unit of claim 13 , further comprising a main door seal disposed along an underside of said main cover door around a perimeter thereof, said main door seal configured to engage and establish a contaminant-resistant seal with a recessed surface of said bezel that surrounds said outlet opening and is adjacent said upper surface of said bezel.

15. An electrical power and/or electronic data unit for mounting in a floor or work surface, said electrical power and/or electronic data unit comprising:
a bezel defining an outlet opening and having a generally planar upper surface;
at least one electrical power outlet or electronic data outlet positioned behind said bezel and having an outlet face located at said outlet opening;
a main cover door coupled to said bezel and positionable between an open configuration in which said at least one outlet is exposed, and a closed configuration in which access to said at least one outlet is restricted;
said main cover door defining a cover opening through which said at least one outlet is selectively accessible when said main cover door is in the closed configuration; and
a shutter having a hinge portion coupled to said main cover door, wherein said shutter is pivotably movable between an open-shutter configuration in which said at least one outlet is

Assignees

• Byrne Norman R
• Lautenbach Aaron G
• Haller Matthew R
• Mitchell Marc A
• Andree Matthew R
• Maher Peter J
• Cramblet Timothy C

Inventors

• Byrne Norman R
• Lautenbach Aaron G
• Haller Matthew R
• Mitchell Marc A
• Andree Matthew R
• Maher Peter J
• Cramblet Timothy C

Classifications

• H01R13/748

  using one or more screws (H01R13/746 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/44

  Means for preventing access to live contacts {(making use of a switch actuated by engagement of counterpart H01R13/7036)} · CPC title

• H01R13/11

  Resilient sockets (carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15) · CPC title

• H02G3/185

  Floor outlets and access cups · CPC title

• H01R24/78

  with additional earth or shield contacts · CPC title