Frame member and assembly for carrying electrical signals and the like
First Claim
1. A frame assembly that provides mechanical support and carries electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of a machine, comprising:
- a plurality of pultrusions, each including an insulating body and reinforcing fibers within said insulating body, each said pultrusion having grooves in surface portions along an elongated dimension;
conductors on said surface portions of each said pultrusion, said conductors providing electrical conduction paths connectable to circuitry of said machine; and
at least one connector block, said connector block being attached to at least two of said pultrusions and having conductors that contact said conductors on the surface of said at least two pultrusions when said connector block is attached to said at least two pultrusions, wherein said connector block interconnects selected conductors of said at least two pultrusions when said connector block is attached to said at least two pultrusions.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A frame assembly for affording mechanical support and for carrying electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of a machine. The frame assembly includes members comprising pultrusions having an insulating body and reinforcing fibers within the insulating body, and has grooves in surface portions along an elongated dimension with conductors in the grooves. The conductors provide electrical conduction paths that are connectable to circuitry of the machine. The pultrusion may be a thermal setting polymer, for example, selected from the group consisting essentially of polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxies, and may be reinforced with fiberglass. The frame member can also have a hollow interior portion within which conductors are arranged to conduct AC power to the circuitry of the machine, and the conductors on the exterior surface of the frame member can be arranged to conduct IIOC bus signals. When a plurality of the frame members are connected together to form a frame assembly, corresponding conductors of each are interconnected to facilitate supplying and directing the electrical signals to the machine. The connections can be made to and among the electrical conductors carried by the pultrusions by blocks that are attachable to the pultrusions.
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Citations
76 Claims
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1. A frame assembly that provides mechanical support and carries electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of a machine, comprising:
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a plurality of pultrusions, each including an insulating body and reinforcing fibers within said insulating body, each said pultrusion having grooves in surface portions along an elongated dimension; conductors on said surface portions of each said pultrusion, said conductors providing electrical conduction paths connectable to circuitry of said machine; and at least one connector block, said connector block being attached to at least two of said pultrusions and having conductors that contact said conductors on the surface of said at least two pultrusions when said connector block is attached to said at least two pultrusions, wherein said connector block interconnects selected conductors of said at least two pultrusions when said connector block is attached to said at least two pultrusions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A frame assembly that provides mechanical support and carries electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of a machine, comprising:
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a plurality of pultrusions, each of said pultrusions being adapted for interconnection to another of said pultrusions, each of said pultrusions including; an insulating body and reinforcing fibers within said insulating body, said pultrusion having a plurality of grooves in surface portions along an elongated dimension; a plurality of conductors in said grooves, said plurality of conductors providing electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of said machine, at least one of said conductors of one of said plurality of pultrusions being connectable to at least one of the conductors of another of said pultrusions; and at least one contact block having two ends, one of the two ends abutting at least one of the plurality of conductors on one of the plurality of pultrusions, the other of the two ends abutting at least one of the plurality of conductors on another of the plurality of pultrusions; wherein the two ends of the contact block are in electrical communication such that at least one of the conductors on one of the pultrusions is in electrical communication with at least one of the conductors on another of the pultrusions. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A frame assembly that provides mechanical support and electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of a reprographic copy machine, comprising:
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a plurality of pultrusions, each including an insulating body and reinforcing fibers within said insulating body, each said pultrusion having grooves in surface portions along an elongated dimension of said pultrusion, and conductors in said grooves, said conductors providing electrical conduction paths connectable to circuitry of said machine; and at least one interconnect block that mechanically interconnects at least two of said pultrusions and that has at least one conductor that electrically connects selected conductors of said mechanically interconnected pultrusions. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A frame assembly that provides mechanical support and carries electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of a machine, comprising:
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a pultrusion including an insulating body and reinforcing fibers within said insulating body, said pultrusion having grooves in surface portions along an elongated dimension; conductors on a surface of said pultrusion, said conductors providing electrical conduction paths connectable to circuitry of said machine; and at least one connector block, said connector block being attachable to said pultrusion and having conductor contacting portions for contacting said conductors when said connector block is attached to said pultrusion, wherein said connector block includes insert-molded connections, said insert-molded connections being selectively connected to said pultrusion, thereby creating nets having differing electrical functions, wherein said connector block includes at least one conductor establishing electrical communication between two ends of the connector block. - View Dependent Claims (74)
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75. A frame assembly that provides mechanical support and carries electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of a machine, comprising:
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a plurality of pultrusions, each of said pultrusions being adapted for interconnection to another of said pultrusions, each of said pultrusions including; an insulating body and reinforcing fibers within said insulating body, said pultrusion having a plurality of grooves in surface portions along an elongated dimension; and a plurality of conductors in said grooves, said plurality of conductors providing electrical conduction paths for connection to circuitry of said machine, at least one of said conductors of one of said plurality of pultrusions being connectable to at least one of the conductors of another of said pultrusions; and at least one contact block including at least one conductor and insert-molded connections, said insert-molded connections being selectively connected to said pultrusions, thereby creating nets having differing electrical functions. - View Dependent Claims (76)
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Specification