Electrical system for use with ganged furniture

• US 5,967,820 A
• Filed: 04/07/1998
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ditto Sales Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ditto Sales Incorporated
• Inventors: Siegal, Burton L., Gutgsell, David R., Schwinghammer, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gilman, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/056,442
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 439/215, 439/209, 439/210, 439/211, 439/212, 439/213, 439/214, 439/110, 439/111, 439/112, 439/113, 439/114, 439/115, 439/116, 439/117, 439/118, 439/119, 439/120, 439/147
• US Class Current: 439/214
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0079 Conference or video conference table
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 37/00 Tables adapted for other particular purposes glass cutting tables C03B33/03
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/642 by position or shape of contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/162 Electrical connections between or with rails or bus-bars rails having primarily a non electrical function H01R4/64
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/00 Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0437 Channels
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0487 with a non-circular cross-section H02G3/0468, H02G3/0475 take precedence

Abstract

An electrical system for use with interconnected or ganged furniture includes electrical receptacles for each article of furniture and a plurality of electrical cables for connecting the receptacles. The receptacles and cables have specifically coded terminal groups and connector terminal groups that prevent interconnection of more than a specific allotted number of receptacles. An initial receptacle includes a substantially permanent power cord for plugging into a conventional wall socket. A last receptacle has only an input terminal group and a blank output. Intermediate receptacles are provided so that the total electrical system is limited to twelve sockets among the first, last and intermediate receptacles. In one embodiment, five terminal groups are provided. The receptacles are configured so that the input and output terminal groups for the receptacle are different. In this embodiment, only three electrical cable configurations are required, two having different mating terminal groups the mating ends and one having the same terminal groups at its ends.

Claims

1. An electrical system for use with ganged furniture to provide electrical power to a number of devices associated with the ganged furniture, comprising:

a plurality of electrical receptacles, at least one mounted within an article of furniture, each of said plurality of electrical receptacles having at least one electrical socket for making an electrical connection with a device, said plurality of receptacles including;

an initial receptacle mounted within a first article of furniture and having a power cord substantially permanently electrically connected at one end thereof with said initial receptacle, said power cord having means at its opposite end for making an electrical connection to a power source separate from the electrical system, said initial receptacle having an initial terminal group for making removable electrical connection to a subsequent one of said plurality of electrical receptacles, wherein said power cord is in electrical communication with said at least one electrical socket of said initial receptacle and with said initial terminal group;

a last receptacle having a last terminal group for making removable electrical connection only to a previous one of said plurality of electrical receptacles, said last terminal group being in electrical communication with said at least one electrical socket of said last receptacle; and

at least one intermediate receptacle having a first terminal group for making removable electrical connection with a sequentially previous one of said plurality of electrical receptacles and a second terminal group for making removable electrical connection with a sequentially subsequent one of said plurality of electrical receptacles, said first and second terminal groups being electrically connected within said intermediate receptacle and said first terminal group being electrically connected to said at least one electrical socket,

wherein said first terminal group and said second terminal group are not interchangeable with either of said initial terminal group or said last terminal group; and

a plurality of electrical cables, one each for making electrical connection between successive pairs of said plurality of electrical receptacles, at least one of said electrical cables having a first connector end configured for mating connection only with said initial terminal group and an opposite second connector end configured for mating connection only with either of said first or second terminal groups.

2. The electrical system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of electrical receptacles includes:

one intermediate receptacle sequentially subsequent initial receptacle; and

another intermediate receptacle sequentially prior to said last receptacle, and

wherein said first terminal group of said one intermediate receptacle is the same as said second terminal group of said another intermediate receptacle, and said second terminal group of said one intermediate receptacle is the same as said first terminal group of said another intermediate receptacle.

3. The electrical system according to claim 2, wherein:

said initial terminal group and said last terminal group are interchangeable;

said plurality of electrical receptacles includes a further intermediate receptacle disposed between said one intermediate and said another intermediate receptacle, said further intermediate receptacle having opposite terminal groups that are identical and that are not interchangeable with any of said initial, last, first or second terminal groups; and

said plurality of electrical cables include;

two cables having one connector end configured for mating connection only with said initial terminal group and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with said first terminal group; and

two cables having one connector end configured for mating connection only with said second terminal group and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with said identical terminal groups of said further intermediate receptacle.

4. The electrical system according to claim 2, wherein:

said initial terminal group and said last terminal group are interchangeable;

said plurality of electrical receptacles includes two further intermediate receptacles disposed between said one intermediate and said another intermediate receptacle, said two further intermediate receptacles having opposite terminal groups that are mirror images of each other and that are not interchangeable with each other or with any of said initial, last, first or second terminal groups; and

said plurality of electrical cables include;

two cables having one connector end configured for mating connection only with said initial terminal group and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with said first terminal group; and

two cables having one connector end configured for mating connection only with said second terminal group and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with one of said opposite terminal groups of said further intermediate receptacle; and

one cable having identical opposite connector ends configured for mating connection only with the other of said opposite terminal groups of said further intermediate receptacle.

5. An electrical system for use with ganged articles of furniture to provide electrical power to a number of devices associated with the ganged furniture, comprising:

an initial electrical receptacle mounted within a first article of furniture and having a power cord substantially permanently electrically connected therewith, said power cord having a plug end for making electrical connection to a source of electrical power separate form said electrical system, said initial electrical receptacle having at least one socket and an initial terminal group in electrical connection with said power cord within said initial receptacle;

a last electrical receptacle mounted within a last article of furniture and having only a last terminal group for electrical connection outside of said last electrical receptacle, said last receptacle further including at least one socket in electrical connection with said last terminal group within said last receptacle;

at least one intermediate electrical receptacle mounted within at least one intermediate article of furniture and having a first terminal group, a second terminal group in electrical communication with said first terminal group within said intermediate electrical receptacle, and at least one socket in electrical connection with said first terminal group within said intermediate receptacle,

wherein neither of said initial terminal group nor last terminal group is interchangeable with either of said first terminal group or said second terminal group; and

a plurality of electrical cables numbering one more than the number of intermediate receptacles, including;

an initial electrical cable having one connector end configured for mating only with said initial terminal group and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with either said first or second terminal group;

a final electrical cable having one connector end configured for mating only with either said first or second terminal group and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with said final terminal group; and

an intermediate electrical cable having one connector end configured for mating only with either said first or second terminal group and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with either said first or second terminal group.

6. An electrical system for use with a plurality of ganged articles of furniture to provide electrical power to a number of devices associated with the ganged furniture, comprising:

no more than twelve electrical sockets mounted within no more than six electrical receptacles, in which each receptacle has no more than two sockets;

each of said electrical receptacles having means for supporting the receptacle in one of the ganged articles of furniture;

a first one of said electrical receptacles having a power cord substantially permanently electrically connected to the no more than two sockets in said first one of said receptacles and a first terminal group electrically connected to said power cord;

a last one of said electrical receptacles having only one last terminal group electrically connected to the no more than two sockets in said last one of said electrical receptacles;

no more than four intermediate electrical receptacles, each having an input terminal group and an output terminal group, said input terminal group being electrically connected to the no more than two sockets in said intermediate receptacle and electrically connected to said output terminal group;

a first electrical cable having one end configured for making electrical connection with only said first terminal group and an opposite end configured for making electrical connection with only said input terminal group of a next adjacent one of said intermediate electrical receptacles;

a last electrical cable having one end configured for making electrical connection with only said last terminal group and an opposite end configured for making electrical connection with only said output terminal group of a prior adjacent one of said intermediate electrical receptacles;

no more than three intermediate electrical cables, each having one end configured for making electrical connection with only said input terminal group or said output terminal group, and an opposite end configured for making electrical connection with only said input terminal group or said output terminal group;

wherein neither of said first terminal group and last terminal group is interchangeable with either of said input terminal group and output terminal group.

7. A kit for providing electrical power to a plurality of ganged articles of furniture configured to restrict the number of available electrical sockets to twelve or less, the kit comprising:

at least three electrical receptacles each having means for mounting on one of the articles of furniture, each including no more than two electrical sockets and no more than two electrical connection members, said electrical sockets being electrically connected to one of said connection members,

wherein the electrical connection members for each of said receptacles are selected from the group including a power cord having a plug end for making electrical connection to a source of electrical power, a first terminal group, and at least two non-interchangeable intermediate terminal groups; and

a plurality of electrical cables including at least one cable having one connector end configured for mating with said first terminal group and an opposite connector end configured for mating with one of said intermediate terminal groups,

wherein the kit includes either (a) no more than one cable having both connector ends configured for mating with the same one of said connection members selected from said group and no electrical receptacle having two of the same connection members selected from said group, or (b) no more than one receptacle having two of the same connection members selected from said group and no cable having both connector ends configured for mating with the same connection member selected from said group.

8. The kit according to claim 7, including:

an initial electrical receptacle including said power cord and said first terminal group A;

a last electrical receptacle including only said first terminal group A;

two intermediate receptacles each including two electrical connection members, one having a terminal group B and the other having a terminal group C;

two electrical cables having one connector end configured for mating with only said first terminal group A and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with said terminal group B; and

only one electrical cable having opposite connector ends both configured for mating only with said terminal group C.

9. The kit according to claim 7, including:

an initial electrical receptacle including said power cord and said first terminal group A;

a last electrical receptacle including only said first terminal group A;

two intermediate receptacles each including two electrical connection members, one having a terminal group B and the other having a terminal group C;

two additional intermediate receptacles each including two electrical connection members, one having a terminal group D and the other having a terminal group E;

two electrical cables having one connector end configured for mating with only said first terminal group A and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with said terminal group B;

two electrical cables having one connector end configured for mating with only said terminal group C and an opposite connector end configured for mating only with said terminal group D; and

only one electrical cable having opposite connector ends both configured for mating only with said terminal group E.