Power harness having multiple upstream USB ports

• US 6,923,684 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sauder Woodworking Company
• Original Assignee: O'Sullivan Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Strayer, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US10/683,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20050079769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 439/652, 439/653, 439/131
• US Class Current: 439/652
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0082 Cable inlet in worktop or desk, e.g. grommet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle

Abstract

A power harness including an electrical cord extending from a housing for delivering electrical power to at least-one externally accessible downstream power port at least partially contained in the housing. The power harness also includes a plurality of externally accessible USB ports each at least partially contained in the housing, the plurality of USB ports including first and second upstream USB ports and a plurality of downstream USB ports. The power harness also includes circuitry interconnecting associated ones of the upstream and downstream USB ports such that accessed ones of the plurality downstream USB ports communicate with: (1) an accessed one of the first and second upstream USB ports when only one of the first and second upstream USB ports is accessed; and (2) a predetermined one of the first and second upstream USB ports when both of the first and second upstream USB ports are accessed.

Claims

1. A power harness, comprising:

an electrical cord extending from a housing for delivering electrical power to at least one externally accessible downstream power port at least partially contained in the housing; and

a plurality of externally accessible universal serial bus (USB) ports each at least partially contained in the housing, the plurality of USB ports including first and second upstream USB ports and a plurality of downstream USB ports;

wherein the plurality of downstream USB ports are each configured to communicate with;

an accessed one of the first and second upstream USB ports when only one of the first and second upstream USB ports is accessed; and

a predetermined one of the first and second upstream USB ports when both of the first and second upstream USB ports are accessed.

2. The power harness of claim 1 further comprising externally accessible upstream and downstream telephone ports at least partially contained in the housing, wherein the interconnecting circuitry further interconnects associated ones of the upstream and downstream telephone ports.

3. The power harness of claim 2 wherein the upstream and downstream telephone ports include RJ-12, modular type receptacles.

4. The power harness of claim 1 further comprising externally accessible upstream and downstream networking ports at least partially contained in the housing, wherein the interconnecting circuitry further interconnects associated ones of the upstream and downstream networking ports.

5. The power harness of claim 4 wherein the upstream and downstream networking ports include RJ-45, modular type receptacles.

6. The power harness of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a profile configured to be received by an aperture in an article of furniture panel.

7. The power harness of claim 6 wherein the electrical cord and a first one of the first and second upstream USB ports extend away from a first side of the panel and the at least one downstream power port and a second one of the first and second downstream USB ports extend away from a second side of the panel.

8. The power harness of claim 7 wherein the second one of the first and second downstream USB ports extending away from the second side of the panel is the predetermined one of the first and second downstream USB ports.

9. The power harness of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a base having a substantially flat undersurface for resting on underlying surface of an article of furniture panel.

10. The power harness of claim 9 further comprising ballast located between a center of gravity of the housing and the undersurface of the base.

11. The power harness of claim 1 wherein the electrical power is 110 volt, AC power.

12. The power harness of claim 1 wherein the at least one downstream power port includes a plurality of downstream power ports each configured to receive electrical power in parallel from the electrical cord and each at least partially contained in the housing.

13. The power harness of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises discrete first and second members.

14. The power harness of claim 13 wherein the first housing member at least partially contains the at least one downstream power port and the predetermined one of the first and second upstream USB ports.

15. The power harness of claim 14 wherein the first housing member includes an outer surface having a substantially planar portion and a substantially spherical portion, wherein the substantially planar portion at least partially contains the at least one downstream power port and the substantially spherical portion at least partially contains the predetermined one of the first and second upstream USB ports.

16. The power harness of claim 14 wherein the predetermined one of the first and second upstream USB ports is the first upstream USB port and wherein the second housing member at least partially contains the second upstream USB port and the electrical cord extends through the second housing member.

17. The power harness of claim 13 wherein the first housing member includes a stop and the second housing member includes at least one mechanically biasable member, the stop and the biasable member configured to cooperatively engage a panel having an aperture configured to receive the second housing.

18. The power harness of claim 17 wherein the second housing members includes at least two mechanically biasable members such that the stop and the biasable member are configured to cooperatively engage panels having varying thickness.

19. The power harness of claim 1 further comprising an externally accessible power switch at least partially contained in the housing and coupling the electrical cord and the at least one downstream power port.

20. An article of furniture, comprising:

a panel having an aperture through first and second opposing sides; and

a power harness extending through the aperture, including;

an electrical cord extending from a housing for delivering electrical power to at least one externally accessible downstream power port at least partially contained in the housing;

a plurality of externally accessible universal serial bus (USB) ports each at least partially contained in the housing, the plurality of USB ports including first and second upstream USB ports and a plurality of downstream USB ports; and

circuitry interconnecting associated ones of the upstream and downstream USB ports such that accessed ones of the plurality downstream USB ports communicate with;

an accessed one of the first and second upstream USB ports when only one of the first and second upstream USB ports is accessed; and

a predetermined one of the first and second upstream USB ports when both of the first and second upstream USB ports are accessed.

21. A method of manufacturing an article of furniture, comprising:

providing a panel having an aperture through first and second opposing sides;

providing a power harness, the power harness including;

an electrical cord extending from a housing for delivering electrical power to at least one externally accessible downstream power port at least partially contained in the housing;

a plurality of externally accessible universal serial bus (USB) ports each at least partially contained in the housing, the plurality of USB ports including first and second upstream USB ports and a plurality of downstream USB ports; and

circuitry interconnecting associated ones of the upstream and downstream USB ports such that accessed ones of the plurality downstream USB ports communicate with;

an accessed one of the first and second upstream USB ports when only one of the first and second upstream USB ports is accessed; and

a predetermined one of the first and second upstream USB ports when both of the first and second upstream USB ports are accessed; and

assembling the power harness in the aperture.

22. An article of furniture, comprising:

a harness including;

a stop;

a first mechanically biasable member configured to cooperate with the stop to engage a corresponding first thickness of a first panel;

a second mechanically biasable member configured to cooperate with the stop to engage a corresponding second thickness of a second panel, wherein the second thickness is substantially greater than the first thickness; and

a plurality of externally accessible universal serial bus (USB) ports each at least partially contained in the harness, the plurality of USB ports including a plurality of upstream USB ports and a plurality of downstream USB ports, wherein each of the plurality of downstream USB ports is configured to communicate with;

a predetermined one of the plurality of upstream USB ports when the predetermined one and another one of the plurality of upstream USB ports are simultaneously accessed; and

an accessed one of the plurality of upstream USB ports when the predetermined one and another one of the plurality of upstream USB ports are not simultaneously accessed; and

at least one of the first and second ports.

23. The particle of furniture of claim 22 further comprising an electrical cord extending from the harness and electrically connected to at least one externally accessible downstream power port at least partially contained in the harness.

24. The article of furniture of claim 22 further comprising externally accessible upstream and downstream telephone ports at least partially contained in the harness, wherein the upstream and downstream telephone ports are interconnected.

25. The article of furniture of claim 22 further comprising externally accessible upstream and downstream networking ports at least partially contained in the harness, wherein the upstream and downstream networking ports are interconnected.

26. The article of furniture of claim 22 wherein, when the harness is engaged to one of the first and second panels by the corresponding one of the first and second mechanically biasable members, at least one of the plurality of upstream USB ports extends away from a first side of the engaged one of the first and second panels and at least one of the plurality of downstream USB ports extends away from a second side of the engaged one of the first and second panels.

27. The article of furniture of claim 22 wherein the first mechanically biasable member is one of a plurality of first mechanically biasable members each being substantially similar, and the second mechanically biasable member is one of a plurality of second mechanically biasable members each being substantially similar.