Underfloor assembly and cable distribution system therefor

Claim 1

An underfloor assembly for a building comprising a plurality of elongated, corrugated, metal flooring units and a plurality of elongated, metal, cable distribution ducts arranged side-by-side with said flooring units, said flooring units and said cable distribution ducts being adapted to be supported by the structural beams of the building; and a plurality of spaced-apart elongated cable trenches adapted to carry cables of different types therein and extending over and transversely across said flooring units and said cable distribution ducts; said cable distribution ducts comprising an elongated, longitudinally extending bottom plate, and at least two elongated inverted U-shaped members secured to and longitudinally extending along said bottom plate and defining therewith at least two longitudinally extending closed cell means having top, opposed side and bottom portions for containing and separating cables of different types, one of said inverted U-shaped members being interrupted at intersections of said trenches and said cable distribution ducts such that the top and side portions of a said closed cell are omitted where said closed cell runs under said trench; said trenches comprising an open, longitudinally extending, U-shaped base pan means having a bottom portion and opposed side portions, and cover means removably secured to and closing said open U-shaped base pan means, said bottom portion of said base pan means having apertures therein at said intersections of said trenches and said distribution ducts for permitting direct access from said trench to the distribution duct below.