ASSEMBLY FOR CONDUCTING ELECTRICAL POWER TO OR FROM ELECTRICALLY ACTIVE CEILING GRID

• US 20150280382A1
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextek Power Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nextek Power Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: ADELSON, Alex M., SAVAGE, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,425,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/142 Their counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/147 Low voltage devices, i.e. safe to touch live conductors

Abstract

An assembly distributes electrical power between an electrically active grid element of a grid framework and an electrical device. The assembly includes a grid connector for making electrical contact with a pair of electrical conductors on the grid element, and an adapter mounted on the grid connector. The adapter includes an industry standard interface electrically connected to the grid connector. The interface is adapted to receive a power connector at one end of a power cable whose opposite end is connected to the electrical device.

Claims

1. An assembly for distributing electrical power between an electrically active grid element of a grid framework and an electrical device, comprising:

a grid connector for making electrical contact with a pair of electrical conductors on the grid element; and

an adapter mounted on the grid connector and including an industry standard interface electrically connected to the grid connector, the interface being adapted to receive a power connector at one end of a power cable whose opposite end is connected to the electrical device.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the framework lies in a generally horizontal framework plane, and wherein the adapter includes a generally planar support that extends generally perpendicular to the framework plane, and wherein the interface is mounted on the support.

3. The assembly of claim 2, and another interface adapted to receive another power connector at one end of another power cable whose opposite end is connected to another electrical device, and wherein the interfaces are mounted in a side-by-side relationship on the generally planar support.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the framework lies in a generally horizontal framework plane, and wherein the adapter includes a bent support having a generally planar, upright support portion that extends generally perpendicular to the framework plane, and a generally planar, upper support portion that extends generally parallel to the framework plane, and wherein the interface is mounted on the upper support portion.

5. The assembly of claim 4, and another interface adapted to receive another power connector at one end of another power cable whose opposite end is connected to another electrical device, and wherein the interfaces are mounted in side-by-side relationship on the upper support portion.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the industry standard interface is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the industry standard interface is a socket.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the industry standard interface conveys electrical power from the electrical device to the pair of electrical conductors on the grid element.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the industry standard interface conveys electrical power from the pair of electrical conductors on the grid element to the electrical device.

10. The assembly of claim 1, and an electrical component mounted on the adapter for modifying the electrical power distributed between the grid element and the electrical device.