Versatile, electrified space dividing wall panel system

• US 4,278,834 A
• Filed: 12/06/1978
• Issued: 07/14/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knoll Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boundy, Bruce K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldberg, Elliot A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TONE, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US05/967,181
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 174/48, 174/49, 174/53, 339/20, 339/23, 339/22 R, 339/184 M, 160/135, 160/127, 52/221, 52/173, 52/238, 52/239, 52/241, 52/242
• US Class Current: 174/497
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/288 in modular walls, e.g. wall panels

Abstract

A versatile, electrified space dividing wall panels system including wall panels having baseboard raceways adjacent their bottom edges and electrically connected terminal blocks at each end of the baseboard raceway which include longitudinally and outwardly directed male electrical terminals adapted to receive female connectors from a source of electrical power or transfer electrical power to an adjacent wall panel. Each of said terminal blocks are adapted to receive plug-in convenience outlets in each side thereof through the raceway side walls.

Claims

1. An electrified space dividing wall panel system comprising:

a plurality of space dividing wall panels having an elongated open ended covered channel extending along and secured to the bottom edge thereof, said elongated open-ended covered channel extending along and secured to the bottom edge of each panel including hinged side walls providing access to the interior of said channel, said side walls each including at least two spaced apertures therethrough;

cylindrical support posts having annular slots therein for supporting said space dividing wall panels;

a pair of spaced terminal blocks each disposed within said elongated covered channel adjacent an opposite end thereof in each of said space dividing wall panels, each of said terminal blocks including two sets of four vertically aligned male electrical connecting terminals extending outwardly longitudinally of said channel adjacent said open ends, one of said male electrical connecting terminals in each of said sets of four vertically aligned male electrical connecting terminals, including a raised portion defining a different shape than the others in said set of four vertically aligned male electrical connecting terminals;

means electrically connecting each terminal block to the other terminal block in each of said plurality of panels; and

a plurality of flexible cables having four female electrical receptacles at each end thereof, said female electrical receptacles adapted to electrically connect to one of said sets of four vertically aligned male terminals on a terminal block on one of said panels while the four female electrical receptacles at the other end of said flexible cable are connected to one of said sets of four vertically aligned male terminals on another of said panels while said flexible cable spans said cylindrical post, one of said female electrical receptacles in each of said sets of four female electrical receptacles is of a shape compatible with said one male electrical connecting terminal of a different shape and different from the remaining three female electrical receptacles in said set of four female electrical receptacles.

2. An electrified space dividing wall panel system according to claim 1 wherein said terminal blocks include recesses in the side walls thereof communicating with the apertures in said covered channel, said recesses including three unconventionally spaced female electrical receptacle slots adapted to receive similarly unconventionally spaced male electrical blade connectors from a electrical convenience outlet having conventional female connecting slots therein.

3. The electrified spaced dividing wall panel system according to claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of space dividing wall panels includes a vertical power distribution channel secured to one end thereof and terminating at its lower end adjacent said open-ended covered channel extending along and secured to the bottom edge of said panel, and means extending upwardly from the upper end of said vertical power distribution channel adapted to interconnect said electrified space dividing wall panel to a source of electric power.

4. An electrified space dividing wall panel system comprising:

a plurality of space dividing wall panels having an elongated open-ended covered channel extending along and secured to the bottom edge thereof and hook shaped connectors along at least one vertical edge thereof;

cylindrical support posts having annular slots therein constructed and arranged to receive said hooked shaped connectors for interconnecting and supporting said space dividing wall panels;

a pair of spaced terminal blocks each disposed within said elongated covered channel adjacent on opposite ends thereof in each of said spaced dividing wall panels, each of said terminal blocks including two sets of four vertically aligned male electrical connecting terminals extending outwardly longitudinally of said channel adjacent the open ends thereof;

wire means electrically connecting each terminal block to the other terminal block in each of said plurality of panels; and

a plurality of flexible cables having four female electrical receptacles at each end thereof, said four female electrical receptables at one end of a flexible cable adapted to electrically connect to one of said sets of four male terminals on a terminal block on one of said panels when the other four female electrical receptacles at the other end of a flexible cable are connected to one of said set of four male terminals on another of said panels while said flexible cable spans said cylindrical post; and

at least one of said support posts having a channel therethrough and an electrical cord having a socket at one end thereof extending through said support post, said electrical cord having a flexible cable at the other end thereof, said flexible cable including four female electrical receptacles on the end thereof, with three of said female electrical receptacles being adapted to electrically connect with one of said sets of four male electrical connecting terminals extending outwardly from said terminal block.