Electrical energy supply system for work stations in a space divider system

• US 4,382,648 A
• Filed: 01/11/1979
• Issued: 05/10/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Inventors: Randolph, Travis M., Propst, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US06/002,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 339/4, 339/22 R, 339/22 B, 339/23, 339/24, 339/28, 339/29 R, 339/18 R, 339/18 P, 174/48, 174/49, 52/220, 52/221, 52/239
• US Class Current: 439/209
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7425 Details of connection of panels E04B2/7427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7488 Details of wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/28 Contacts for sliding cooperation with identically-shaped contact, e.g. for hermaphroditic coupling devices H01R24/84 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/02 Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/288 in modular walls, e.g. wall panels

Abstract

An electrical energy supply system for space divider systems in which a plurality of upright wall panels are arranged end-to-end so as to form at least one work station, and in which the panels are mounted on downwardly extending leg supports. The energy supply system is an under-the-wall system in which the components of the system are located below the wall panels and in the spaces occupied by the leg supports. The system consists of a plurality of connected sections, each section corresponding to a wall panel forming the work station, thereby facilitating assembly of the energy supply sections with the wall panels. Each energy supply section has the ability to deliver electrical energy to a point in the work station and each section is connectable to one or more sections corresponding to one or more wall panels in the work station or an adjacent work station to enable an efficient distribution of energy to desired points in the space divider system.

Claims

1. In a space divider system which includes a plurality of upright wall panels arranged end-to-end so as to form at least one work station and wherein said panels have upright ends and lower edges and are mounted on downwardly extending leg supports located adjacent said panel ends so as to form a space below each of the panel lower edges, an electrical energy supply system for said work station comprising a plurality of connected sections each corresponding to a wall panel forming said station, each section comprising a pair of connector assemblies located in said space and each comprising a connector body and a plurality of terminal units in said body, said body being mounted on one of said leg supports so as to extend substantially to the adjacent end of the corresponding panel, electrical conductors disposed in said space and extending between and connecting the terminal units in the connector bodies at each end of the panel, the terminal units on one panel being constructed to interfit with the terminal units on another panel in said station to enable the transfer of electrical energy from the energy supply section for one panel to the energy supply section for another panel, and at least one receptacle outlet interfitted with the terminal units in one of said connector assemblies and mounted on the connector body in said one assembly.

2. The energy supply system set forth in claim 1 further including tracks corresponding in length to substantially the lengths of said wall panels and arranged in a supporting relation with said leg supports, and cover members movably mounted on opposite sides of said tracks and movable to upwardly extending positions engaging said panels to enclose said space.

3. The energy supply system set forth in claim 2 wherein said receptacle outlet extends generally horizontally away from the connector body on which it is mounted, said receptacle outlet projecting through the cover member for the corresponding wall panel and having the outer face thereof substantially flush with the outer surface of said cover member.

4. The energy supply system set forth in claim 1 wherein said receptacle outlet comprises a body member having a face provided with socket contacts, interfitting prong contacts and socket contacts on said body member and said connector body connecting the terminal units in the connector body with the socket contacts on the receptacle body member.

5. The energy supply system set forth in claim 4 wherein said electrical conductors are at least three in number, two of said conductors being of one polarity and the remaining one of said conductors being of the opposite polarity, the terminal units connected to said two conductors of the same polarity being positioned adjacent each other and the terminal unit for the third conductor being spaced from the other two, a circuit selector member mountable on said receptacle body member in a pair of relatively inverted positions, said selector member in one of said positions, connecting one of the socket contacts on said body member with the terminal unit for one of the two conductors that are of the same polarity, and in the other position connecting the terminal unit for the other one of said two conductors that are of the same polarity with said one socket contact thereby making two electric circuits available at said receptacle outlet with the selector member being operable to enable selection of one or the other of said circuits.

6. The energy supply system according to claim 1 wherein said connector assemblies are identical, each of said connector bodies having a pair of ends, means at one of said ends adapting said body for connection to a conduit for housing said electrical conductors, said terminal units being mounted on the opposite end of said body and having male and female portions arranged so that they are symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane so that when a pair of said bodies are relatively inverted, the male portions on one body will telescope into the female portions on the other body to provide for the electrical connection of the terminals in said bodies.

7. The energy supply system set forth in claim 6 wherein at least a pair of said receptacle outlets are provided for a pair of connected connector assemblies, said pair of receptacle outlets extending horizontally in opposite directions to provide electric socket outlets on both sides of the panels on which said connector assemblies are mounted.

8. The energy supply system set forth in claim 1 further including a coupler unit comprising a body, electrical conductors housed in said body, and terminal units mounted on opposite ends of said body and connected to opposite ends of said conductors, said terminal units having male and female portions constructed to interfit with the male and female portions of the terminal units on said connector bodies, the male and female portions at each end of said coupler body being disposed in a non-aligned relation with the male and female portions at the other end of said body to thereby enable adjacent end-to-end panels to be angularly arranged relative to each other by interposing a coupler unit between the connector assemblies at adjacent ends of adjacent panels.

9. The energy supply system set forth in claim 8 wherein said coupler body is formed of a generally rigid material configured so that the male and female portions at one end of said body are substantially perpendicular to the male and female portions at the opposite end of said body thereby enabling the arrangement of adjacent wall panels at relatively perpendicular locations.

10. The energy supply system set forth in claim 8 wherein said coupler body is formed of a flexible material.

11. The energy supply system set forth in claim 1 wherein said panels are of predetermined widths, having pairs of vertically disposed opposite faces and wherein said leg supports are substantially centered between the faces on each panel, and wherein each of said connector bodies is shaped so that it has a pair of end portions which are substantially centered between the panel faces and a center portion which is offset horizontally with respect to said end portions and frictionally engaged with one side of a leg support.

12. The energy supply system set forth in claim 11 wherein said leg supports have vertically extending external threads and said connector bodies have grooved sections frictionally engaged with the threads on one of the sides of said leg supports.

13. The energy supply system set forth in claim 12 wherein said grooved sections on said connector bodies are formed on the center portions thereof, and further including retainer straps connected to and extended between the end portions of said connector bodies and engaged with the sides of said leg supports opposite the sides of the leg supports engaged with said center portions so as to maintain said center portions in frictional engagement with said leg supports.

14. The energy supply system set forth in claim 11 further including clamp means mounted on each of said connector bodies and frictionally engaged with the opposite sides of the leg supports engaged by said connector bodies.

15. The energy supply system set forth in claim 11 wherein the connector bodies in each section of said supply system have the center portions thereof offset horizontally in the same direction so that a section can be moved into position below a wall panel by moving the section horizontally in one direction at a position below the panel.

16. An under-the-wall system for distributing electrical energy in a work station which includes at least a pair of wall panels arranged end-to-end and each having a lower edge and support means extending downwardly from said lower edge, conduit means disposed beneath said lower edges and having electrical conductors therein, connector assemblies disposed beneath said edges and adjacent the juncture of adjacent wall panels, said connector assemblies being identical and each comprising a hollow body secured at one end to said conduit means and having said conductors housed therein, a terminal unit mounted on the opposite end of each said body and connected to said conductors therein, said terminal units being interfittable with like terminal units on the connector body for the adjacent wall panel, means mounting said connected conduit means and connector assemblies for each wall panel on the panel at a position below the lower edge thereof, each of said connector bodies having a pair of ends, means at one of said ends adapting said body for connection to a conduit for housing said electrical conductors, said terminal units being mounted on the opposite end and said body and having male and female portions arranged so that they are symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane so that when a pair of said bodies are relatively inverted, the male portions on one body will telescope into the female portions on the other body to provide for the electrical connection of the terminals in said bodies.

17. The energy supply system set forth in claim 16 further including a receptacle outlet mounted on at least one of said connector bodies, said receptacle outlet comprising a body member having a face provided with socket contacts, interfitting prong contacts and socket contacts on said body member and said connector body connecting the terminal units in the connector body with the socket contacts on the receptacle body member.