System and method for distribution of electrical power

• US 7,527,521 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Retail Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boston Retail Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Rubin, Richard J, Ellis, Lawrence A
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon; Edwin A.
• Application Number:
  US12/045,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20080212264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 439/215, 439/108, 439/505, 439/502, 439/517, 439/34, 439/404, 439/211, 439/188, 439/589, 439/213, 439/709, 439/786, 361659-662, 361/601, 361/641, 361/652, 361664-665, 361/668, 361/627
• US Class Current: 439/505
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/168 the connecting locations being situated away from the rail or bus-bar
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/02 for simultaneous co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92
• 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: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks

Abstract

An electrical power distribution system that includes a circuit splitting mechanism configured to receive electrical power and to output a plurality of separate electrical circuits having a modular connector that has a plurality of contacts, each contact connected to one circuit of the plurality of separate electrical circuits. Each contact of the modular connector is selected to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage. Each connector is connected to a plurality of wires that extend through a housing that routes and connects the wires to one or more additional connectors positioned at a distal location, typically via a distribution housing having the additional connectors mounted on the housing, for connecting/routing the power from the separate circuits to one or more mechanisms positioned at a distal location that use the electrical power.

Claims

1. An electrical power distribution system comprising:

a first housing having an outside surface, configured to receive electrical power from a source;

a circuit splitting mechanism disposed within the first housing, configured to receive the electrical power and output a plurality of separate electrical circuits;

a first housing connector having a first shape, mounted on or to the outside surface of the first housing, having a first plurality of contacts mounted in a first contact arrangement, each contact being connected to one circuit of the plurality of separate electrical circuits and each contact selected to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage;

an elongated housing of a first length, having a first end and a second end, housing a plurality of electrically conductive wires, each wire having first and second wire ends and each wire selected to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage; and

a first modular connector, having a second shape, mounted at the first end of the elongated housing, having a second plurality of electrical contacts mounted in a second contact arrangement, each contact of the second plurality of contacts electrically connected to the first wire end of one of the plurality of wires and each contact selected to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage,

wherein the first shape, the second shape, the first contact arrangement and the second contact arrangement are adapted to enable each contact of the first plurality of contacts to be readily manually engaged with, and disengaged from, a corresponding contact of the second plurality of contacts;

wherein the wires extend through the length of the elongated housing, the second ends of the wires being interconnected to one or more second electrical connectors mounted on a remotely mounted housing, each of the one or more second connectors being electrically interconnectable to a corresponding third electrical connector that is complementary to the second connector, the third electrical connector being electrically interconnectable to a mechanism for utilization of electrical power from one of the plurality of electrical circuits.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the electrical power from the source comprises a master live component, a master neutral component, and a master ground component, and

wherein the circuit splitting mechanism is adapted to provide each separate electrical circuit with a live component, a neutral component, and a ground component.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

each separate electrical circuit comprises a corresponding set of three wires of the plurality of wires.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the received electrical power is AC, and wherein:

the elongated housing, and the plurality of wires therein, are adapted to carry a plurality of parallel AC circuits.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the circuit splitting mechanism is a circuit-breaker box and each AC circuit is separately controlled to not exceed a predetermined current value.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the second ends of the wires interconnect to at least two second electrical connectors, the plurality of circuits being distributed between the at least two second electrical connectors.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the second ends of the wires interconnect directly to the one or more second electrical connectors.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the second ends of the wires connect to the one or more second electrical connectors through a modular connector mounted on the remotely mounted housing.

9. An electrical power distribution system, comprising:

a circuit breaker configured to receive main AC power and output a plurality of separate electrical circuits therefrom;

a first housing connector, having a first shape, and a first plurality of contacts mounted in a first contact arrangement, each contact being connected to one circuit of the plurality of separate electrical circuits and each contact selected to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage;

a bundle of wires, each wire having first and second ends, and having a gauge sufficient to carry at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage;

a flexible tubular housing, having first and second ends, enclosing the bundle of wires along substantially the entire length of the bundle; and

a first modular connector, having a second shape, mounted at the first end of the tubular housing, having a second plurality of electrical contacts mounted in a second contact arrangement, each contact of the second plurality of contacts electrically connected to the first wire end of one of the plurality of wires and each contact selected to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage,

wherein the first shape, the second shape, the first contact arrangement and the second contact arrangement are adapted to enable each contact of the first plurality of contacts to be readily manually engaged with, and disengaged from, a corresponding contact of the second plurality of contacts, and

wherein the second ends of the wires are separated into separate selected circuits, the separate selected circuits being interconnected to at least two separate second electrical connectors mounted on a remotely mounted housing, each of the at least two separate second connectors being electrically interconnectable to at least two corresponding third electrical connectors that are complementary to their corresponding second connectors, the third electrical connectors being separately electrically interconnectable to at least two separate mechanisms that use electrical power from a corresponding separate selected circuit.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a distal modular connector, having a third shape, mounted at the second end of the tubular housing, and having a third plurality of electrical contacts mounted in a third contact arrangement, each contact of the third plurality of contacts being electrically connected to the second end of one wire of the plurality of wires.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a complementary modular connector mounted on the remotely mounted housing, the complementary modular connector having a fourth shape, and a fourth plurality of contacts mounted in a fourth contact arrangement, each contact selected to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage,

wherein the third shape, the fourth shape, the third contact arrangement and the fourth contact arrangement are adapted to enable each contact of the third plurality of contacts to be readily manually mated with, and disengaged from, a corresponding contact of the fourth plurality of contacts, and,

wherein the fourth plurality of contacts are electrically interconnected to the one or more second electrical connectors mounted on the remotely mounted housing.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the second ends of the wires interconnect directly to the one or more second electrical connectors.

13. A method of distributing electrical power, the method comprising:

receiving main AC power at a circuit breaker and outputting a plurality of separate electrical circuits therefrom;

providing a first housing connector, having a first shape, and a first plurality of contacts mounted in a first contact arrangement, and connecting each contact to one circuit of the plurality of separate electrical circuits and selecting each contact to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage;

bundling a plurality of wires into a bundle, each wire being of substantially a same length and each having first and second ends, and of a gauge sufficient to carry at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage;

enclosing the bundle of wires along substantially the entire length of the bundle within a flexible tubular housing having first and second ends; and

mounting a first modular connector, having a second shape, at the first end of the tubular housing, the first modular connector having a second plurality of electrical contacts mounted in a second contact arrangement, and electrically connecting each contact of the second plurality of contacts to the first wire end of one of the plurality of wires in the bundle and selecting each contact to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage,

wherein the first shape, the second shape, the first contact arrangement and the second contact arrangement are adapted to enable each contact of the first plurality of contacts to be readily manually engaged with, and disengaged from, a corresponding contact of the second plurality of contacts;

electrically connecting the second ends of the wires to one or more second electrical connectors mounted on a remotely mounted housing and mating the one or more second connectors to complementary third connectors that are electrically interconnectable to a mechanism that utilizes power from a selected one of the plurality of electrical circuits.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

mounting a second modular connector, having a third shape, at the second end of the tubular housing, the second modular connector having a third plurality of electrical contacts mounted in a third contact arrangement, and electrically connecting each contact of the third plurality of contacts to the second wire end of one wire of the plurality of wires.