Power supply for movable office unit

• US 4,043,626 A
• Filed: 06/24/1976
• Issued: 08/23/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Terry L., Kelley, James O., Propst, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lake, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US05/699,253
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 339/20-24, 174/101, 174/66, 52/220, 52/221, 52/239-242
• US Class Current: 439/215
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7425 Details of connection of panels E04B2/7427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7427 with adjustable angular connection of panels
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/825 the connection between the floor and the ceiling being achieved without any restraining forces acting in the plane of the partition
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7488 Details of wiring
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/749 Partitions with screw-type jacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/162 Electrical connections between or with rails or bus-bars rails having primarily a non electrical function H01R4/64

Abstract

A power track system for conveying and distributing electrical energy in a movable office unit having free standing walls. The system includes a plurality of track sections, each of which has a passageway in which an electrical cable is disposed. Connectors, joined to the cable, are secured at each end of the track section so that similar track sections can be connected together. The track sections are positioned on the floor under the free standing walls which secure the track sections in their positions. Outlets are provided at predetermined points along the track sections to enable connection of electrically operated devices to the cable.

Claims

1. Electrical energy distributing apparatus comprising a longitudinally extending track having top and bottom surfaces and adapted for positioning on a supporting surface, a wall member having a lower end and depending leg members connected to and supporting said wall member on said track in a position in which said wall lower end is spaced above said track top surface to form a space, a cover member extending longitudinally of said track for covering said space between said wall lower end and said track top surface, means mounting said cover member on said track for movement between an upright closed position blocking access to said space and an angularly displaced position with respect to said upright position enabling access to said space, and coacting latch means on said cover member and said track operable to releasably maintain said cover member in said closed position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including spaced apart upright sidewalls mounted on and extending longitudinally of said track, and wherein said latch means comprises a projecting latch member integrally formed with said cover member and engageable with one of said side walls in the closed position.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said leg members are positioned on said track at positions between said sidewalls.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including a pair of connector elements, one connector element being mounted at one end of said track and the other connector element being mounted at the other end of said track, an outlet plug mounted on one of said connector elements in a position extending transversely of said track, and electrical transmission means located below said wall member and being connected to said connector elements.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further including an intermediate connector element adapted to be connected to a plurality of said connector elements, said intermediate connector element comprising a plurality of electrically connected sections, each of said sections being adapted to be connected to a connector element, each of said connector sections being angularly related to the other connector sections enabling a plurality of tracks to extend in different directions from said intermediate connector element.