US4579403A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical junction assembly with adjustable connectors
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1984-02-10
•
Granted: 1986-04-01
•
Expires: 2004-02-10
Abstract
Abstract One embodiment of an electrical junction assembly (10) for providing expansion and retraction of an electrical outlet or connector (20) comprises a main housing (12) having a conduit box (16), with a flexible conduit (18) interconnecting the connector (20) and box (16). Incoming wires (23, 24) are received within an insulated connector receptacle (28) and thereat spliced to conductive wires (22) received within the conduit (18) and terminating at the connector (20). The conductive wires (22) are coiled within the main housing (12) so as to allow slack for purposes of expansion and retraction of the connector (20) and conduit (18). In another embodiment, electrical cable (54) is coiled around an elliptically configured center support (62) within an expansion box (50), and allows expansion through opposing conduit portions (52) with automatic retraction when external forces are removed from the conduit portions (52).
Inventors
- 👤 Norman R. Byrne
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 08:53
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R35/00; H01R35/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
284 words
An electrical junction assembly adapted for use in interconnecting electrical apparatus with electrical power consumption or supply apparatus, and adjusting the distance between the interconnections, the electrical junction assembly comprising: a main housing having an internal spatial area, and at least one flexible conduit having one end connected to a side portion of the main housing and extending outwardly therefrom, the flexible conduit being adjustable in axial length between a retracted position and a fully extended position and constructed so as to provide a length adjustment of between one inch and four inches for each eight inches of conduit; conductive wire means extending inwardly into the main housing at a first location of the housing and extending outwardly from the main housing at a second location of the housing, wherein the conductive wire means is received within the at least one flexible conduit at the second location and a conductive and continuous wire electrical path is maintained between the wire means at the first and second locations; the conductive wire means comprises a section of wires maintained in a coiled or looped configuration within the spatial area, with the length of the coiled or looped section sufficient to provide slack for full extension and full retraction of the conductive wire section relative to the second location in the form of linear movement of the wire means in correspondence to extension and retraction of the adjustable axial length of the at least one flexible conduit; and an electrical element connected to an opposing end of the conduit and further connected to the conductive wire means so that the wire section will both extend and retract in correspondence to extension and retraction, respectively, of the conduit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
284 words
An electrical junction assembly adapted for use in interconnecting electrical apparatus with electrical power consumption or supply apparatus, and adjusting the distance between the interconnections, the electrical junction assembly comprising: a main housing having an internal spatial area, and at least one flexible conduit having one end connected to a side portion of the main housing and extending outwardly therefrom, the flexible conduit being adjustable in axial length between a retracted position and a fully extended position and constructed so as to provide a length adjustment of between one inch and four inches for each eight inches of conduit; conductive wire means extending inwardly into the main housing at a first location of the housing and extending outwardly from the main housing at a second location of the housing, wherein the conductive wire means is received within the at least one flexible conduit at the second location and a conductive and continuous wire electrical path is maintained between the wire means at the first and second locations; the conductive wire means comprises a section of wires maintained in a coiled or looped configuration within the spatial area, with the length of the coiled or looped section sufficient to provide slack for full extension and full retraction of the conductive wire section relative to the second location in the form of linear movement of the wire means in correspondence to extension and retraction of the adjustable axial length of the at least one flexible conduit; and an electrical element connected to an opposing end of the conduit and further connected to the conductive wire means so that the wire section will both extend and retract in correspondence to extension and retraction, respectively, of the conduit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conductive wire means remains stationary at the first location during extension and retraction of the conductive wire means relative to the second location.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conductive wire means comprises a first set of wires extending inwardly into the main housing at the first location, and a second set of wires extending outwardly from the main housing and received within the flexible conduit at the second location, and wherein the first and second set of wires are spliced together within the internal spatial area.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 3 and further comprising insulated receptacle means mounted within the main housing for providing insulation between splices of the first and second sets of wires.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
256 words
An electrical junction assembly adapted for use in interconnecting electrical apparatus with electrical power consumption or supply apparatus, the electrical junction assembly comprising: a main housing having an internal spatial area; at least one flexible conduit connected to a side portion of the main housing and extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the flexible conduit is adjustable in axial length; conductive wire means comprising a first set of wires extending inwardly into the main housing at a first location of the housing, and a second set of wires extending outwardly from the main housing and received within the flexible conduit at a second location, and wherein the first and second set of wires are spliced together within the internal spatial area so as to provide a conductive electrical path between the first and second locations; insulated receptacle means mounted within the main housing for providing insulation between splices of the first and second sets of wires, wherein the insulated receptacle means comprises a receptacle constructed of molded plastic and having a base portion with upwardly-extending members forming slots therebetween, and wherein spliced portions of the first and second sets of wires are physically located within the slots; and the conductive wire means is located within the internal spatial area and coiled or looped thereat so as to provide slack for extension and retraction of the conductive wire means relative to the second location in the form of linear movement of the wire means in correspondence to extension and retraction of the adjustable axial length of the flexible conduit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
256 words
An electrical junction assembly adapted for use in interconnecting electrical apparatus with electrical power consumption or supply apparatus, the electrical junction assembly comprising: a main housing having an internal spatial area; at least one flexible conduit connected to a side portion of the main housing and extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the flexible conduit is adjustable in axial length; conductive wire means comprising a first set of wires extending inwardly into the main housing at a first location of the housing, and a second set of wires extending outwardly from the main housing and received within the flexible conduit at a second location, and wherein the first and second set of wires are spliced together within the internal spatial area so as to provide a conductive electrical path between the first and second locations; insulated receptacle means mounted within the main housing for providing insulation between splices of the first and second sets of wires, wherein the insulated receptacle means comprises a receptacle constructed of molded plastic and having a base portion with upwardly-extending members forming slots therebetween, and wherein spliced portions of the first and second sets of wires are physically located within the slots; and the conductive wire means is located within the internal spatial area and coiled or looped thereat so as to provide slack for extension and retraction of the conductive wire means relative to the second location in the form of linear movement of the wire means in correspondence to extension and retraction of the adjustable axial length of the flexible conduit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein the conductive wire means further comprises a third set of wires extending inwardly into the main housing and spliced together with the first and second sets of wires within the slots.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 5 and further comprising: an insulative cover having a planar area conforming to the planar area of the rectangular receptacle and mounted to the top thereof; and a second insulative cover mounted to the top of the main housing and covering the internal spatial area thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
250 words
An electrical junction assembly adapted for use in interconnecting electrical apparatus with electrical power consumption or supply apparatus, the electrical junction assembly comprising: a main housing having an internal spatial area; at least one flexible conduit connected to a side portion of the main housing and extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the flexible conduit is adjustable in axial length; conductive wire means extending inwardly into the main housing at a first location of the housing and extending outwardly from the main housing at a second location of the housing, wherein the conductive wire means is received within the at least one flexible conduit at the second location and a conductive electrical path is maintained between the wire means at the first and second locations, and with the conductive wire means being located within the internal spatial area and coiled or looped thereat so as to provide slack for extension and retraction of the conductive wire means relative to the second location in the form of linear movement of the wire means in correspondence to extension and retraction of the adjustable axial length of the flexible conduit; and a cable support assembly mounted to the main housing within the internal spatial area, with the support assembly comprising a central rigid portion secured to the main housing and a pair of side portions each extending outwardly from the central portion and having a curved planar configuration, wherein the conductive wire means are coiled or looped around outer lateral surfaces of the side portions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
250 words
An electrical junction assembly adapted for use in interconnecting electrical apparatus with electrical power consumption or supply apparatus, the electrical junction assembly comprising: a main housing having an internal spatial area; at least one flexible conduit connected to a side portion of the main housing and extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the flexible conduit is adjustable in axial length; conductive wire means extending inwardly into the main housing at a first location of the housing and extending outwardly from the main housing at a second location of the housing, wherein the conductive wire means is received within the at least one flexible conduit at the second location and a conductive electrical path is maintained between the wire means at the first and second locations, and with the conductive wire means being located within the internal spatial area and coiled or looped thereat so as to provide slack for extension and retraction of the conductive wire means relative to the second location in the form of linear movement of the wire means in correspondence to extension and retraction of the adjustable axial length of the flexible conduit; and a cable support assembly mounted to the main housing within the internal spatial area, with the support assembly comprising a central rigid portion secured to the main housing and a pair of side portions each extending outwardly from the central portion and having a curved planar configuration, wherein the conductive wire means are coiled or looped around outer lateral surfaces of the side portions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein the side portions of the central support assembly are resilient so as to provide automatic retraction of the conductive wire means after external forces causing expansion of the conductive wire means outside of the main housing are released.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 8 and further comprising a second flexible conduit connected to an opposing side portion of the main housing, wherein the conductive wire means is received with the second flexible conduit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein the conductive wire means comprises a conductive cable multiply looped around the central support assembly.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein the main housing comprises upper and lower sections releasably connected together so as to form an enclosed housing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
An electrical junction assembly in accordance with claim 8 and further comprising at least one electrical receptacle mounted to the main housing and interconnected with the conductive wire means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2411018A
Cited
US4211464A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-03-31 | 1989-09-30 | 1990-04-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-03-31 | 1993-09-30 | 1994-04-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-03-31 | 1997-09-30 | 1998-04-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |