EP0174733A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wall system with multicircuit electrical system
Assignee: Haworth Inc
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Filing: 1985-08-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-08-08
Abstract
Abstract In an electrical system for a wall system (10) formed from a plurality of serially connected wall panels, each panel (11) has at least one electrical terminal (16) mounted thereon, and the terminals (16. 17) are joined by electrical cables (21) or flexible electrical connectors (36). The electrical system is a seven-conductor system employing three live and three neutral conductors for defining three separate electrical circuits each having a separate neutral. A portable power-tap unit (51) can be plugged into a terminal (17) for selective engagement with any one of the three circuits. The power-tap unit (51) has a connector portion (66) which plugs into the terminal (17) and is defined solely by three contacts (67. 68, 69). Two of the three contacts, namely the live and neutral contacts (67. 69), are mounted on a carrier (81) which is slidably supported on the power-tap housing (56) so as to be slidably displaced between three selected positions so that the power-tap (51) can be selectively joined to any one of the three circuits, the terminal (17) having seven contacts (47) from which the live and neutral contacts (67, 69) of the power-tap unit (51) select one of three pairs of live and neutral contacts according to their selected position.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold Robert Wilson
- 👤 David E. Nestell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 08:27
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G3/00; H02G3/28; H02G3/286; H02G3/288; H01; H01R; H01R29/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
509 words
-1. In an upright wall panel (11) having an electrical terminal (17) fixedly mounted thereon and disposed between a pair of substantially parallel vertical planes as defined by the opposite side surfaces of the panel (11), said panel also having an electrical cable means (21) associated therewith and disposed between said parallel planes and connected to said terminal (17), said terminal having a first connector portion (46) associated therewith, and a small portable electrical power-tap unit (51) releasably joined to said first connector portion (46), said power-tap unit (51) having an inlet portion (66) for electrical connection to said terminal (17) and an outlet portion (57) defining a single electrical circuit adapted for supply of electrical energy to a circuit or device disposed externally of the panel (11), the outlet portion (57) comprising a receptacle having first, second and third prong-receiving openings (58, 59, 61), the improvement comprising: said cable means (21) and said terminal (17) defining a seven-conductor system including at least three live conductors (47-1, 47-2, 47-3), three neutral conductors (47-5, 47-6, 47-7) and one ground conductor (47-4) for defining three different electrical circuits each having a separate neutral, said first connector portion having seven electrical conductor parts (19) which are respectively electrically joined to said seven conductors; said power-tap unit (51) including a housing (56) having first, second and third conductive members (62, 63, 64) mounted therein and individually defining one of the prong-receiving openings of said receptacle; said inlet portion (57) of said unit (51) being defined by a second conductor portion (66) which creates a plug-type engagement with said first connector portion (46) to physically and electrically couple said unit (51) to said terminal (17); said second connector portion (66) including only three electrical contracts (67, 68, 69) disposed for engagement with selected ones of the conductor parts of said first connector portion (46) to permit said unit to be electrically connected to only a single circuit as associated with said terminal (17), a first contact (67) being selectively engageable with any one, but only one at any one time, of said three live conductor parts (47-1, 47-2, 47-3), a second said contact (69) being engageable with any one, but only one at any one time, of said three neutral conductor parts (47-5, 47-6, 47-7), and said third contact (65) being engageable solely with said ground conductor part (47-4); means (81) associated with said second connector portion (66) for permitting simultaneous slidable shifting of said first and second contacts (67, 69) between first, second and third positions relative to said unit housing (56) to permit said first and second contacts (67, 69) to be electrically joined to any selected one, but to only one at any one time, of the three circuits defined by said terminal (17); and electrically conductive means (74, 76; 78, 79) joined between said first and second conductive members (62, 63) and said first and second contacts (67, 69), respectively, for permitting relative movement therebetween to accommodate the movement of said first and second contacts (67, 69) between said positions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
81 words
A wall panel according to claim 1, wherein said first, second and third contacts (67, 69, 68) project rearwardly of said unit (51) towards said terminal (17), said third contact (68) being disposed between said first and second contacts (67, 69), and said shifting means (81) including an insulative carrier (82) slidably mounted on said unit housing (56) for slidable displacement between said first, second and third positions, said carrier (82) having said first and second contacts (67, 69) mounted thereon.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
129 words
A wall panel according to claim 2, wherein said unit housing (56) includes a tubelike protective shroud (71) which projects outwardly and rearwardly thereof in surrounding relationship to said third contact (68), said housing (56) having a hollow interior and being provided with a pair of vertically elongated aligned slots (91, 92) opening through a rear wall thereof and disposed vertically on opposite sides of said protective shroud (71), said carrier (82) being slidably supported on said housing (56) within said hollow interior and having a pair of rearwardly projecting shroudlike portions (87, 88) which individually slidably project outwardly through and are vertically slidably guided by said slots (91, 92), each of said shroudlike portions (87, 88) having one of said first and second contacts (67, 69) mounted therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
89 words
A wall panel according to claim 3, wherein each of said first and second contacts (67, 69) is fixedly associated with first and second conductive elements (73, 77), respectively, as mounted on and being vertically slidably displaceable with said carrier (82), and said electrically conductive means including first and second contact portions (74, 78) fixedly associated with the first and second conductive elements (73, 77) respectively, and disposed in slidable but electrical engagement with elongated platelike parts (76, 79) of said first and second conductive members (62, 63), respectively.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
A wall panel according to claim 3, wherein said first, second and third contacts (67, 69, 68) all comprise elongated pronglike elements which project in a rearward direction of said housing for engagement with selected ones of the conductor parts (47) mounted on the terminal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
A wall panel according to claim 3, wherein the shroud (71) surrounding the third contact (68) projects rearwardly through a distance greater than the shroudlike portions (87, 88) surrounding the first and second contacts (67, 69) to function as a pilot for properly positioning and aligning the unit (51) when it is plugged into the terminal (17).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
369 words
A small portable electrical power-tap unit adapted to be releasably coupled both physically and electrically to an electrical terminal (17) by means of a pluglike connection, the terminal (17) having multiple conductors (19) associated therewith defining a plurality of separate electrical circuits each having a separate neutral, said power-tap unit (51) comprising: a blocklike housing (56) of electrically insulative material defining a hollow interior therein; first second and third conductive members (62, 63, 64) mounted within said hollow interior in electrically spaced relationship and having conductor parts which define the three individual pronglike receptacles associated with a three-hole electrical socket (57), said housing (56) having three openings (58, 59, 61) formed in one wall thereof in alignment with said conductor parts for defining said three-hole socket (57) for permitting supply of electrical energy to a circuit or device disposed externally of the unit (51); a pluglike connector portion (66) associated with a further wall of said housing (56) for permitting said unit (51) to be physically and electrically coupled to said terminal (17) by means of a pluglike connection (66); said connector portion (66) including first, second and third contacts (67, 69, 68) which are adapted to create releasable electrical engagement with said terminal (17), said first and second contacts (67, 69) being movably supported on said housing (56) within the hollow interior thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom, said third contact (68) being fixedly supported within said housing (56) and projecting outwardly therefrom; carrier means (81) of an electrically insulative material slidably supported on said housing and having said first and second contacts (67, 69) stationarily mounted thereon for permitting said first and second contacts (67, 69) to be synchronously moved relative to said third contact (68) between at least first and second positions which permit the power-tap unit (51) to be coupled to the terminal (17) for connection to different electrical circuits; and electrically conductive means (74, 76; 78, 79) connecting said first and second contacts (67, 69) to said first and second conductive members (62, 63) respectively, for permitting relative movement therebetween as said contacts (67, 69) move between said first and second positions, said third contact (68) being electrically connected to said third conductive member (64).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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