Prepared by: Vortex Engineering

Date: 9.March.2012

Floor Box™

The problem with current floor boxesAn Overview.

Floor boxes are a practical and commonly used mechanism to provide convenient below floor access to General Purpose Outlets (GPO's) as well as voice/data connections for telephone, computer network access and other connections (e.g. POWER, DATA, OPTIC FIBRE, USB, HDMI, VGA, RCA, TV etc.)

Besides usability and aesthetic issues, current floor box designs pose a major safety and liability risk where the incorrect use doesn’t allow the end user to safely plug-in or access electrical cables without the potential for electrocution. Even the correct usage of a current floor box can pose a hazard where cables or leads may be sheared or damaged when exiting from the front flap.

Recognised by Australian National University as a hazard alert back in 2008:http://hr.anu.edu.au/staff-health-and-wellbeing/ohs/hazard-alerts/2008

Recognized by Safe Work SA as an OHS hazard: http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/HazardAlertElectricityFlo.pdf 

The problem with current floor boxesGuillotine points resulting in cut electrical cable.

When an electrical cable is allowed to exit from the side of a current floor box and the lid is closed shut, the lid acts as a guillotine and can damage the cables by either shearing or cutting the cable exposing the copper wires. 

Even the correct usage of a current floor box can pose a safety hazard where cables or leads may be sheared or damaged when exiting from the front flap.

The problem with current floor boxesElectrocution Risk.

If exposed wires come into contact with parts of the floor box, which are metallic, it has the potential to make the entire box “live”. If the end user attempts to connect or remove cables, touching either the exposed copper wires or any internal metallic surface, may pose an electrocution hazard.

Hazard reports have shown that on many occasions, the Residual Current Device (RCD) has failed to activate and users received an electric shock when they made contact with the exposed “live” electrical wire.

The RCD may not activate even though live electrical wires are exposed.

The problem with current floor boxesAesthetics and tripping hazard.

Cables protruding from undesignated exit points are aesthetically displeasing and look unprofessional.

Floor box lid does not close flush when cables are protruding from sides and undesignated exit points. It is a tripping hazard.

™ Floor Box Solution

Vortex patented novel lid design, in one swoop, eliminates all the risks associated with current floor boxes.

Patented design overcomes the current floor box problems by eliminating the possibility of electrical cables ever protruding from the side by forcing them to exit from the front of the floor box where intended.

™ Floor Box Solution

This design forces the correct usage and placement of the protruding cables no matter where the end user places them when closing the floor box lid.

The sliding closing action of the OrugaTM lid forces all leads to exit from the front of the floor box.

Sliding closing action ensures that cables cannot protrude from the sides of the floor box.

™Solution to the guillotine effect of floor box lids.

Floor box flap is bevelled at an angle to the frame (frame also bevelled at same angle to flap) which ensures that leads will never be sheared by the flap, even when a user steps on the flap!

™Solution to electrocution risk.

Floor box lid forces correct usage in an intuitive way. This makes it impossible for cables to be sheared thus completely eliminating the risk of electrocution.

Floor box lid is made entirely out of ABS plastic which also eliminates the possibility of the box ever becoming “live” if it ever comes into contact with exposed copper wires. This is a great advantage over metal floor box lids.

™Solution to aesthetics and tripping hazard.

The beveled flap and frame also provide the advantage that when the floor box closes, even with cables protruding from the flap, the Oruga floor box lid, including the flap, is flush with the ground, more so than any other floor box on the market thus eliminating any tripping hazard.

Forced orderly exit of cables from the flap of the lid makes for a professional looking corporate environment.

SMALL - caters for 2 x Wall Plates (up to 12 data connections)

MEDIUM - (shown) caters for 4 x Wall Plates (up to 24 data connections)

LARGE - caters for 6 x Wall Plates (up to 36 data connections)

™Sizes and fitting.

The versatility of the lid design also enables it to be retro-fitted to currently installed floor boxes.

Custom sizes can be specified and manufactured on request.

It can be fitted yourself, or we also offer a fitting service to install the ORUGA Floor Box.

ORUGA is available in 3 sizes (Small, Medium and Large) however, custom sizes can also be made to order. The medium size box is our most popular option and suitable to the needs of 95% of our customers.

™Summary and additional features.

Oruga lid is able to be retro‐fitted to any current floor box thus transforming a hazardous floor box into a safe and hazard free floor box.

The ORUGA makes it impossible for cables to be sheared thus completely eliminating the risk of electrocution.

Patented Steel Box design allows more working space inside the box for plugs & connections which in turn allows for a smaller lid footprint and more aesthetically pleasing look.

Any type of connection that can be installed on a standard wall plate may be used (e.g. POWER, DATA, OPTIC FIBRE, USB, HDMI, VGA, RCA, TV etc.)

The box design easily caters for 6 connections of Cat6A or Cat7 per wall plate without affecting the cable bend radius with ample room (100mm) to work with behind the wall plates.

By far, the safest, most functional and user friendly floor box in the world!

™ Floor Box Solution

For more information about the ORUGA TM Floor Box, email Vortex Engineering on

info@vortexeng.com.au