Raceway system for modular wall panels
First Claim
1. In a wall panel of substantially rectangular configuration comprising a rigid frame having a parallel pair of vertical frame members at the opposite side edges of said panel, a horizontally disposed bottom frame member, and a raceway for electrical power wires connected to the bottom of the bottom frame member, the improvement comprising:
- a raceway frame for said raceway secured to and extending along said bottom frame member;
a horizontally elongate substantially rectangular raceway cover of a horizontal length substantially equivalent to the overall width of said panel and of an area to substantially fully enclose a side of said raceway;
detachably engageable means, comprising cooperating portions on a lower horizontal edge of said cover and on a lower portion of said raceway frame, for detachably securing said lower edge of said cover to said raceway frame in a manner to prevent displacement of said cover away from said raceway frame when an upper horizontal edge of said cover is locked to said raceway frame; and
lock means from locking a portion of said upper edge of said cover to said raceway frame in a manner to prevent displacement of said upper edge of said cover away from said raceway frame otherwise then by actuation of said lock means by an auxiliary tool.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modular room divider panel includes a raceway along its lower edge which contains and shields one or more multi-wire power harnesses that are protected from unauthorized access by lockable raceway cover plates. The harness comprises a pair of connector blocks, each formed with a pair outwardly endwise facing electrical connector receptacles connected to opposite ends of a bundled plurality of individual and individually insulated conductor wires. A medial web of the raceway frame has a central aperture through which an intermediate portion of the bundled conductor wires pass between opposite sides of the web and a pair of slots at opposite ends of the central aperture which seat the connector blocks such that the pair of receptacles of a connector blocks are disposed on opposite sides of the web. To accommodate a second harness, the medial web may be formed with another pair of openings spaced such that the pair of harnesses are mounted in overlapping or staggered relationship. The opposite side pair of raceway covers and corresponding parts of the raceway frame incorporate spring loaded locks which are actuatable only by means of an auxiliary tool which is insertible through an opening in the raceway cover.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a wall panel of substantially rectangular configuration comprising a rigid frame having a parallel pair of vertical frame members at the opposite side edges of said panel, a horizontally disposed bottom frame member, and a raceway for electrical power wires connected to the bottom of the bottom frame member, the improvement comprising:
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a raceway frame for said raceway secured to and extending along said bottom frame member; a horizontally elongate substantially rectangular raceway cover of a horizontal length substantially equivalent to the overall width of said panel and of an area to substantially fully enclose a side of said raceway; detachably engageable means, comprising cooperating portions on a lower horizontal edge of said cover and on a lower portion of said raceway frame, for detachably securing said lower edge of said cover to said raceway frame in a manner to prevent displacement of said cover away from said raceway frame when an upper horizontal edge of said cover is locked to said raceway frame; and lock means from locking a portion of said upper edge of said cover to said raceway frame in a manner to prevent displacement of said upper edge of said cover away from said raceway frame otherwise then by actuation of said lock means by an auxiliary tool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A wall panel comprising:
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a substantially rectangular panel frame having a bottom frame member; an elongate raceway frame mounted against the underside of said bottom frame member to extend horizontally therealong, said raceway frame having a substantially coextensive longitudinally extending medial web, said raceway frame having, symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of said web, upper and lower portions in parallelism to said web and spaced laterally sidewardly away from said web; a pair of substantially identical horizontally elongate substantially rectangular raceway covers of a horizontal length substantially equivalent to the overall width of said panel and of an area to substantially fully enclose a side of said raceway frame; detachably engageable means, comprising cooperating portions of a lower horizontal edge of each of said covers and of said lower portion of said raceway frame on a corresponding side of said web, for detachably securing said lower edge of said cover to said raceway frame in a manner to prevent displacement of said cover away from said raceway frame when an upper horizontal edge of said cover is locked to said raceway frame on a corresponding side of said web; and lock means for locking a portion of said upper edge of each of said covers to a corresponding side of said raceway frame in a manner to prevent displacement of said upper edge of said cover away from said raceway frame otherwise then by actuation of said lock means by an auxiliary tool. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. Wall panel having an electrical power raceway system along its lower edge enclosing at least one multi-wire power harness, said panel comprising:
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an elongate raceway frame secured to the lower edge of said panel, said raceway frame having a substantially coextensive medial web extending longitudinally thereof, said web being formed between its opposite ends with an aperture therethrough affording a passage from one side to the other side of said web for conductor wires of an electrical power harness, said web also being formed with a pair of notches therethrough positioned beyond opposite ends of said aperture; a multi-wire power harness comprising a pair of connector blocks at opposite ends of a bundled plurality of individual, individually insulated conductor wires, each of said connector blocks being formed with a pair of electrical connector receptacles accessible through an endwise outwardly facing end thereof; each said connector block and each said notch of said web having coacting means for seating a corresponding connector block in a manner that each of said pair of receptacles is positioned on opposite sides of said web, at least some of said bundled conductor wires extending through said aperture to pass from one side to the other side of said web to be connected at opposite ends to an inwardly facing end of said connector; and a pair of substantially rectangular covers connected to opposite sides of said raceway frame to substantially fully enclose the opposite sides of said raceway frame, at least one of said covers being formed with a window therethrough located in a position for accessing one of said receptacles of one of said connector blocks of said harness through said window. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A wall panel having an electrical power raceway system along its lower edge, said panel comprising:
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an elongate raceway frame secured to the lower edge of said panel, said raceway frame having a substantially coextensive medial web extending longitudinally thereof, said web being formed between its opposite ends with an aperture therethrough affording a passage from one side to the other side of said web for conductor wires of an electrical power harness; said web having a pair of first notches therethrough positioned beyond opposite ends of said aperture, said web also having a pair of second notches therethrough positioned beyond opposite ends of said aperture such that one of said first notches and one of said second notches is at an opposite end of said aperture from the others of said first and second notches; first and second multi-wire powerharnesses each comprising a pair of connector blocks at opposite ends of a bundled plurality of individual, individually insulated conductor wires, each of said connector blocks being formed with a pair of electrical connector receptacles accessible through an endwise outwardly facing end thereof, each said connector block and each said notch of said web having coacting means for seating a connector block within a notch in a manner that each of said pair of receptacles is positioned on opposite sides of said web, at least some of said bundled conductor wires of each said harness extending through said aperture to pass from one side to the other side of said web to be connected at opposite ends of said at least some conductor wires to an inwardly facing end of the corresponding ones of said connector blocks; one of said pair of connector blocks of said first harness being seated in one of said first notches beyond one end of said aperture while the other of said pair of connector blocks of said first harness is seated in one of said pair of second notches beyond the opposite end of said aperture; one of said connector blocks of said second power harness being seated in the remaining one of said pair of first notches beyond one end of said aperture while the other of said pair of connector blocks of said second harness is seated within one of said pair of second notches beyond the opposite end of said aperture; whereby said first and second power harnesses are mounted on said raceway frame in overlapping staggered relationship with each of said power harnesses having a connector block positioned intermediate the pair of connector blocks of the other of said power harnesses. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification