Metal cellular flooring unit for bottomless electrical cable trench

Claim 2

In a metal cellular flooring unit comprising a corrugated upper metal sheet presenting alternating crests and valleys and webs connecting adjacent ones of said crests and said valleys, and a correlative lower metal sheet secured to said upper metal sheet along contiguous portions thereof and cooperating therewith to define spaced-apart generally parallel enclosed cells; and marginal connecting means along the opposite longitudinal sides of said flooring unit adapting said flooring unit for interconnection with other flooring units; the improvement comprising: said flooring unit having a transverse region intermediate of its ends, said transverse region having a width of up to about 50 inches; said flooring unit having a single crest access opening and at least one web access opening residing within said transverse region; said crest access opening being formed solely in the crest of a first cell and establishing communication between the interior of said first cell and the space above said flooring unit, said crest access opening constituting the only useful access opening in said first cell within said transverse region; and said web access opening being formed solely in one web of a second cell and establishing communication between the interior of said second cell and the space above the valley adjoining said one web.

Claim 3

In a metal cellular flooring unit comprising a corrugated upper metal sheet presenting alternating crests and valleys and webs connecting adjacent ones of said crests and said valleys, and a correlative lower metal sheet secured to said upper metal sheet along contiguous portions thereof and cooperating therewith to define spaced-apart generally parallel enclosed cells; and marginal connecting means along the opposite longitudinal sides of said flooring unit adapting said flooring unit for interconnection with other flooring units; the improvement comprising: said flooring unit having a transverse region intermediate of its ends, said transverse region having a width of up to about 50 inches; said flooring unit having a single crest access opening and at least one web access opening residing within said transverse region; said crest access opening being formed solely in the crest of a first cell and establishing communication between the interior of said first cell and the space above said flooring unit, said crest access opening constituting the only useful access opening in said first cell within said transverse region; and said web access opening being formed solely in one web of a second cell and establishing communication between the interior of said second cell and the space above the valley adjoining said one web.

Claim 4

In a metal cellular flooring unit comprising a corrugated upper metal sheet presenting alternating crests and valleys and webs connecting adjacent ones of said crests and said valleys, and a correlative lower metal sheet secured to said upper metal sheet along contiguous portions thereof and cooperating therewith to define spaced-apart generally parallel enclosed cells; and marginal connecting means along the opposite longitudinal sides of said flooring unit adapting said flooring unit for interconnection with other flooring units; the improvement comprising: said flooring unit having a transverse region intermediate of its ends, said transverse region having a width of up to about 50 inches; said flooring unit having a single crest access opening and at least one web access opening residing within said transverse region; said crest access opening being formed solely in the crest of a first cell and establishing communication between the interior of said first cell and the space above said flooring unit, said crest access opening constituting the only useful access opening in said first cell within said transverse region; and said web access opening being formed solely in one web of a second cell and establishing communication between the interior of said second cell and the space above the valley adjoining said one web.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 1 wherein: the other web of said second cell has a second web access opening establishing communication between the interior of said second cell and the space above the valley adjoining said other web, said second web access opening residing within said transverse region and being formed solely in the other web of said second cell.

Claim 6

The improvement of claim 2 wherein: the first said web access opening and said second web access opening reside on opposite sides of said crest access opening.

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 1 wherein: one web of a third cell has a second web access opening establishing communication between the interior of said third cell and the space above the valley adjoining said one web of said third cell, said second web access opening residing within said transverse region and being formed solely in one web of said third cell.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 4 including: additional web access openings, one for said second cell and one For said third cell, said additional web access openings establishing communication between the interior of the cell and the space above the adjacent valley, said additional web access openings residing within said transverse region and being formed solely in the other webs of said second cell and said third cell.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 5 wherein: the first said web access opening, said second web access opening, and said additional web access openings are staggered on opposite sides of said crest access opening.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 5 wherein: all of the web access openings reside on the same side of said crest access opening.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 1 wherein: the valley which adjoins said one web of said second cell also adjoins a web of said first cell.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 1 wherein: the valley which adjoins said one web of said second cell resides on that side of said second cell remote from said first cell.

Claim 13

The improvement of claim 1 wherein: said web access opening is offset with respect to said crest access opening, longitudinally along said flooring unit.

Claim 14

In an electrical wiring distributing floor structure including a metal subfloor and an overlying layer of concrete; said metal subfloor presenting alternating crests and valleys and including metal cellular units providing generally parallel enclosed cells, each presenting a crest and included webs depending from opposite sides of said crest; a sub-assembly extending transversely across said crests of said metal subfloor and being bottomless, whereby the upper surface portion of said metal sub-floor in the region between said opposite sub-assembly sides cooperates with said sub-assembly to create an underfloor electrical cable trench, said sub-assembly including spaced-apart opposite sides and a cover plate spanning the distance between said opposite sub-assembly sides; and an enclosed raceway extending downwardly from said cover plate between said opposite sub-assembly sides, said enclosed raceway including a bottom wall having longitudinally spaced wall openings exposing said crests; the improvement in said metal cellular flooring units comprising: the crest of a first cell of selected metal cellular units having a crest access opening disposed within one of said wall openings of said enclosed raceway, said crest access opening establishing communication between the interior of said first cell and the interior of said enclosed raceway; and one web of a second cell of said selected metal cellular units having a web access opening establishing communication between the interior of said second cell and the interior of said electrical cable trench other than the interior of said enclosed raceway.

Claim 15

In an electrical wiring distributing floor structure including a metal subfloor and an overlying layer of concrete; said metal subfloor presenting alternating crests and valleys and including metal cellular units providing generally parallel enclosed cells, each presenting a crest and included webs depending from opposite sides of said crest; a sub-assembly extending transversely across said crests of said metal subfloor and being bottomless, whereby the upper surface portion of said metal sub-floor in the region between said opposite sub-assembly sides cooperates with said sub-assembly to create an underfloor electrical cable trench, said sub-assembly including spaced-apart opposite sides and a cover plate spanning the distance between said opposite sub-assembly sides; and an enclosed raceway extending downwardly from said cover plate between said opposite sub-assembly sides, said enclosed raceway including a bottom wall having longitudinally spaced wall openings exposing said crests; the improvement in said metal cellular flooring units comprising: the crest of a first cell of selected metal cellular units having a crest access opening disposed within one of said wall openings of said enclosed raceway, said crest access opening establishing communication between the interior of said first cell and the interior of said enclosed raceway; and one web of a second cell of said selected metal cellular units having a web access opening establishing communication between the interior of said second cell and the interior of said electrical cable trench other than the interior of said enclosed raceway.

Claim 16

The improvement of claim 11 wherein: the crest of said second cell is substantially imperforate in that region thereof residing between said opposite sub-assembly sides.

Claim 17

The improvement of claim 11 wherein: said web access opening is substantially entirely laterally offset from said crest access opening and has an end portion thereof remote from said crest access opening, which underlies one of said opposite sub-assembly sides.

Claim 18

The improvement of claim 11 wherein: one web of a third cell has a second web access opening establishing communication between the interior of said third cell and the interior of said electrical cable trench other than the interior of said enclosed raceway; and the first said web access opening and said second web access opening reside on opposite sides of said crest access opening and have end portions thereof remote from said crest access opening, underlying said opposite sub-assembly sides.

Claim 19

The improvement of claim 11 wherein: said web access opening is substantially entirely laterally offset from said crest access opening.

Claim 20

The improvement of claim 11 wherein: one web of a third cell has a second web access opening establishing communication between The interior of said third cell and the interior of said electrical cable trench other than the interior of said enclosed raceway.

Claim 21

The improvement of claim 16 wherein: the first said web access opening and said second web access opening reside on opposite sides of said crest access opening.

Claim 22

The improvement of claim 16 including: additional web access openings, one in each other web of said second cell and said third cell, establishing communication between the interiors of said second cell and said third cell and the interior of said electrical cable trench other than the interior of said enclosed raceway.

Claim 23

The improvement of claim 18 wherein: the first said web access opening, said second web access opening, and said additional web access openings are staggered on opposite sides of said crest access opening.

Claim 24

The improvement of claim 18 wherein: all of the web access openings reside on the same side of said crest access opening.