Utility portal

Abstract

A utility portal, including—a frame including a base plate and at least one side which extends substantially orthogonally from an outer peripheral edge or edges of the base plate—a cover engageable with the frame; wherein said frame can in use be raised from a first position substantially below a new surface plane to a second position to align with the new surface plane substantially without disturbance to an existing surface adjacent to the frame.

1 . A utility portal frame comprising: 
 a base plate having an aperture to provide a portal entrance and an outer peripheral edge, and    at least one side wall dependent from the base plate, the at least one side wall extending substantially orthogonally relative to the base plate from the outer peripheral edge.    
   
   
       2 . A frame according to  claim 1  adapted in use to allow the frame to be raised from a first position to a second position substantially without disturbance to material surrounding the at least one side wall.  
   
   
       3 . A frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame is adapted to support a cover and the at least one side wall extends substantially upwardly from the base plate to such a height so as to substantially align with an upper surface of the cover when the cover is engaged with the frame.  
   
   
       4 . A frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the base plate has a shape selected from round and oval.  
   
   
       5 . A frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the base plate has a shape selected from polygonal and triangular.  
   
   
       6 . A frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame is made from a substantially rigid or firm material.  
   
   
       7 . A frame according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame is provided in a configuration selected from substantially rectangular, square and triangular.  
   
   
       8 . A utility portal comprising: 
 a frame, which comprises a base plate having an outer peripheral edge, and at least one wall, which at least one wall extends substantially orthogonally from the outer peripheral edge;    a cover engageable with the frame;    wherein the frame is operable to be raised from a first position substantially below a new surface plane to a second position to align with the new surface plane substantially without disturbance to an existing surface adjacent to the frame.    
   
   
       9 . A portal according to  claim 8 , wherein the frame includes an aperture of a size to allow a human to substantially pass through the frame.  
   
   
       10 . A portal according to  claim 8 , wherein the frame is provided in a configuration selected from substantially rounds of oval, rectangular, square and triangular.  
   
   
       11 . A portal according to  claim 8 , wherein the base plate has a shape selected from round and oval.  
   
   
       12 . A method of raising a utility portal frame from a first position to a second position comprising: 
 engaging a jack in a jack point provided in a base plate of a frame secured to a mounting surface at the first position; and    operating the jack to raise the frame from the first position to the second position, wherein at least one wall dependent from the base plate and extending substantially orthogonally relative to the base plate slides upwardly relative to material surrounding the frame without substantially disturbing the surrounding material.    
   
   
       13 - 14 . (canceled)