Modular electrical system

• US 6,563,049 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lindy Lawrence May
• Original Assignee: Lindy Lawrence May
• Inventors: May, Lindy Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Estrada, Angel R.
• Application Number:
  US09/729,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 174/49, 174/48, 174/51, 174/65.R, 174/50, 174/59, 220/3.2, 220/3.3, 220/3.94, 220/241, 439/436, 439/418, 439/425, 361/42
• US Class Current: 174/59
• 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 3/08 Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes

Abstract

An electrical system comprised of modular components which quickly assemble to create common lighting and general utility electrical circuits. All wiring is completed in the electrical box prior to installing the electrical devices such as switches and receptacles, thereby eliminating the need for extra length wires in the electrical boxes and the timely, cumbersome wiring practices associated with conventional residential electrical circuits. The electrical devices plug into the prewired electrical box, thereby providing quick and easy removal and replacement of the device in the event of failure. The common residential lighting and general utility circuits are automatically configured by simply selecting the proper electrical components. A dedicated earth ground is automatically carried to each electrical component with no effort on the part of the installer, thereby providing safer electrical circuits. The cables have a specific exterior profile to insure proper connection with the electrical boxes, thereby assuring proper configuration of the electrical circuits. The electrical system also eliminates the need for wire nuts. The modular electrical components include the following: a wallbox (1), a receptacle module (2), a ganging module (3), a 2-way-switch module (4), a 3-way-switch module (5), a 4-way-switch module (6), a dimmer switch module (7), a fan-control switch module (8), a timer switch module (9), a GICI-receptacle module (10), a 240-volt receptacle module (11), a junction box (12), a light box (13), a 2-wire jumper (14), a 4-wire jumper, (15), a wallbox jumper (16), a 3-conductor cable (17), a 4-conductor cable (18), and a 5-conductor cable (19).

Claims

1. A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit comprising:

an electrical cable for supplying electrical power to said GFCI electrical circuit, said electrical cable including two or more current carrying wire conductors;

a GFCI receptacle module for supplying GFCI electrical power to electrical appliances, said GFCI receptacle adapted to receive a standard electrical plug of said electrical appliances; and

a wallbox adapted to receive said GFCI receptacle module, said wallbox including a wiring module having a plurality of electrical conductors for electrically connecting said GFCI receptacle module disposed in said wallbox to said wire conductors of said electrical cable, said wiring module having a plurality of first terminal members connectable to said wire conductors of said electrical cable, and a plurality of second terminal members,

said GFCI receptacle module including a plurality of electrical conductors extending outwardly therefrom;

said plurality of electrical conductors releasably connecting to said plurality of second terminal members of said wiring module as said GFCI receptacle module is inserted into said wallbox, said conductors being maintained in electrical communication with said wire conductors of said electrical cable by said wiring module when said GFCI receptacle module is disposed in said wallbox;

said GFCI receptacle module further including a GFCI device for detecting a ground fault condition and interrupting electrical power supplied through said GFCI receptacle module when the ground fault condition is detected.

2. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electrical conductors extending outwardly from said GFCI receptacle module include at least one positive conductor and one neutral conductor, said positive conductor being maintained in electrical communication with a positive current carrying wire conductor of said cable by said wiring module, said neutral conductor being maintained in electrical communication with a neutral current carrying wire conductor of said cable by said wiring module.

3. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 2 wherein said electrical cable further includes a ground wire conductor and said electrical conductors extending outwardly from said GFCI receptacle module further include at least one ground conductor;

said ground conductor being maintained in electrical communication with said ground wire conductor of said cable by said wiring module.

4. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 3 wherein said electrical conductors extending outwardly from said GFCI receptacle module are blade conductors.

5. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 3 further including one or more electrical cables for supplying GFCI electrical power to additional circuits, said electrical cables including a GFCI-positive current carrying wire conductor, a GFCI-neutral current carrying wire conductor, and a ground wire conductor;

and said electrical conductors extending outwardly from said GFCI receptacle module further including at least one GFCI-positive conductor, one GFCI-neutral conductor, and a second ground conductor;

said GFCI-positive conductor being maintained in electrical communication with said GFCI-positive current carrying wire conductor of said cables by said wiring module, said GFCI-neutral conductor being maintained in electrical communication with said GFCI-neutral current carrying wire conductor of said cables by said wiring module, and said second ground conductor being maintained in electrical communication with said ground wire conductor of said cables by said wiring module.

6. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 5 wherein said electrical conductors extending outwardly from said GFCI receptacle module are blade conductors.

7. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 5 wherein said wallbox includes one or more cable ports to receive said electrical cable for supplying electrical power to said GFCI electrical circuit and one or more cable ports to receive one of said cables for supplying GFCI electrical power to said additional circuits.

8. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 7 wherein said cables have a predefined exterior profile and said cable ports associated with said wallbox have dimensions corresponding to the exterior profile of said cables, said cable ports being shaped to allow for insertion of said cables into said cable ports in only one orientation, thereby restricting connection of each wire conductor of each cable inserted into each cable port to a preselected one of said electrical conductors of said GFCI receptacle module.

9. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 5 wherein said additional circuits supplied with GFCI electrical power include one or more 120 volt receptacle modules, said 120 volt receptacle modules thereby providing GFCI electrical power to electrical appliances.

10. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 3 further including a second wallbox, said second wallbox being located adjacent to the wallbox containing said GFCI receptacle module;

and further including a wallbox jumper for supplying GFCI electrical power to said second wallbox, said wallbox jumper including a GFCI-positive current carrying wire conductor, a GFCI-neutral current carrying wire conductor, and a ground wire conductor; and

said electrical conductors extending outwardly from said GFCI receptacle module further including at least one GFCI-positive conductor, one GFCI-neutral conductor, and a second ground conductor;

said GFCI-positive conductor being maintained in electrical communication with said GFCI-positive current carrying wire conductor of said wallbox jumper by said wiring module, said GFCI-neutral conductor being maintained in electrical communication with said GFCI-neutral current carrying wire conductor of said wallbox jumper by said wiring module, and said second ground conductor being maintained in electrical communication with said ground wire conductor of said wallbox jumper by said wiring module.

11. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) electrical circuit as set forth in claim 10 wherein said second wallbox supplied with GFCI electrical power includes a 120 volt receptacle disposed therein, said 120 volt receptacle thereby providing GFCI electrical power to electrical appliances.

12. A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) receptacle outlet comprising:

a GFCI receptacle module for supplying power to electrical appliances and a wallbox adapted to receive said GFCI receptacle module ;

said wallbox including a wiring module having a plurality of terminal members;

said GFCI receptacle module being adapted with electrical conductors extending outwardly thereform;

said electrical conductors providing an electrical interface with said wallbox and releasably connecting to said plurality of terminal members of said wiring module as said GFCI receptacle module is inserted into said wallbox;

said GFCI receptacle module including a GFCI device for detecting a ground fault condition and interrupting power supplied through said GFCI receptacle module when the ground fault condition is detected.

13. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) receptacle outlet as set forth in claim 12 wherein said electrical conductors extending outwardly from said GFCI receptacle module include at least one positive conductor, one neutral conductor, and one ground conductor.

14. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) receptacle outlet as set forth in claim 13 wherein said electrical conductors extending outwardly from said GFCI receptacle module further include at least one GFCI-positive conductor, one GFCI-neutral conductor, and a second ground conductor.

15. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) receptacle outlet as set forth in claim 14 wherein said electrical conductors extending outwardly from said GFCI receptacle module are blade conductors.

16. A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) receptacle module for supplying power to an electrical appliance, comprising;

a housing including a mechanical interface adapted to receive a standard electrical plug of said electrical appliance;

a GFCI device for detecting a ground fault condition and interrupting power supply through said GFCI receptacle module when the ground fault condition is detected; and

a plurality of blade type electrical conductors extending outwardly from said housing.