Fire-Rated Floor Box Assembly With Side Conduit Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of electrical floor boxes in steel floors often compromises the fireproof rating due to the openings created, requiring additional materials like intumescent coatings to maintain fire safety, and involves complex conduit routing that increases installation time and cost.
Innovation Solution
A floor box installation assembly that positions the floor box partially above a pour pan using supports or rails, allowing conduits to connect from the side and eliminating the need for conduits to pass through the pour pan, thus maintaining an unbroken floor surface and reducing the need for intumescent materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conduits are run through the floor deck and pour pan to connect to the floor box, then electrical connections can be made, but the fireproof rating is compromised and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spatial arrangement by positioning the floor box above the pour pan rather than at the bottom, allowing conduits to connect from the side in a different dimensional plane. This eliminates the need for conduits to pass through the floor deck and pour pan, maintaining the unbroken floor surface and fireproof rating while still achieving electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the conduit routing from the traditional path through the floor deck and pour pan. By removing the requirement for conduits to penetrate these structural elements, the invention preserves the integrity of the floor assembly and its fireproof rating while achieving the same electrical connection function through an alternative routing method.
2Device complexity
If the floor box is installed at the bottom of the pour pan, then conduit connections are simplified, but the floor surface becomes broken and fire safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the floor box from the bottom of the pour pan to a location above it, changing the vertical dimension of installation. This dimensional shift allows the floor surface to remain unbroken and maintains fire safety while conduits connect to the side of the floor box, achieving a balance between installation simplicity and safety requirements.
3Reliability
If intumescent materials are used to compensate for fire rating loss, then fire safety is maintained, but installation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of conduit penetration into a benefit by redesigning the installation to eliminate the need for penetration entirely. By positioning the floor box above the pour pan and connecting conduits from the side, the invention transforms what would have been a fire safety problem requiring intumescent materials into a solution that naturally preserves fire rating without additional materials.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor box installation assembly includes a floor box, a pour pan, a first support, and a second support. The floor box has a bottom and a wall extending from the bottom to at least partially define a first interior having a wiring compartment. The wall can include a knockout. The pour pan is configured to be inserted into an opening in a floor deck. The pour pan has a bottom wall, a side wall extending from the bottom wall, and a side flange extending from the side wall. The bottom wall and side wall at least partially defining a second interior. The first support and second support are connected to the pour pan. The first and second supports are configured to support the floor box above the first interior so that a conduit can be connected in communication with the knockout above the pour pan.