Cut-in Floor Box Assembly for Flush Receptacle Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for providing electrical service in the floor of a room are often cumbersome and time-consuming to install, resulting in unsightly and hazardous electrical cords due to the lack of convenient floor receptacles.
Innovation Solution
A cut-in floor box assembly that includes a bracket assembly for rapid attachment to the floor, an electrical box for flush mounting of a duplex receptacle, a support plate, a gasket, and a cover plate with removable outlet covers, allowing for quick and easy installation with minimal floor preparation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional wall-mounted electrical outlets are used, then electrical service can be provided to devices, but electrical cords must be routed across the floor creating tripping hazards and unsightly appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions electrical outlets from the vertical dimension (wall mounting) to the horizontal dimension (floor mounting). The recessed floor box creates a receptacle within the floor surface, allowing electrical cords to be accessed directly at floor level rather than requiring cords to stretch from wall outlets across the floor surface.
2Ease of operation
If existing floor-mounted electrical devices are installed, then electrical service can be provided in the floor, but installation time and effort are substantially increased
Solution Approach 1:
The floor box assembly is divided into separate modular components: a recessed box portion that is pre-installed in the floor, and a surface-mounted cover assembly that can be independently installed or removed. This segmentation allows the complex floor penetration work to be done once during construction, while the receptacle itself can be quickly swapped or accessed without extensive demolition.
Solution Approach 2:
The recessed box is prepared in advance during floor construction, creating a pre-formed cavity ready to receive the electrical receptacle. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need to create the recess later, significantly reducing installation time when the electrical component needs to be installed.
3Reliability
If electrical cords are routed across the floor to wall outlets, then electrical service is provided, but the cords create safety hazards and aesthetic problems
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical receptacle is extracted from the wall plane and repositioned to the floor plane. This extraction allows the electrical connection point to be located directly at the intended device position, eliminating the need for cords to traverse across the floor and reducing tripping hazards.
Data Source
AI summary
A cut-in floor box assembly including a bracket assembly, an electrical box, a support plate, and a cover plate for rapidly installing a duplex receptacle flush with a floor. Floor preparation requires simple drilling of the floor and subfloor with hole saws. Two concentric cuts are made in the floor, a hole of a first diameter through the floor and a second, smaller diameter hole through the subfloor. A peripheral wall on the bracket assembly fits within the hole in the subfloor. A floor mounting arrangement on the bracket assembly enables clamping the bracket to the subfloor. A component attachment arrangement on the electrical box is adapted to accept recessed attachment of a duplex receptacle enabling flush mounting of the duplex receptacle with respect to the floor surface. Two removable outlet covers on the cover plate provide convenient access to the receptacles for plug-in of electrical cords.