Modular electrical distribution system for a building

• US 7,697,268 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Ross, Wilson, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Datskovskiy; Michael V
• Application Number:
  US12/228,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20090052122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 361600-605, 361621-627, 361640-647, 174/53, 174 57- 60, 174/66, 174/84.R, 174/484, 174/491, 174/84.C, 174/480, 174/481, 439/120, 439/106, 439/115, 439119-121, 439/215, 439/216, 439/535, 439/552, 439/653, 439/357, 439/470, 439/488, 439/655, 439/533, 439/687, 307/11, 307/82, 307/126, 307/147, 307/23, 307/39, 307/154, 307/157, 370/463, 370/465, 370/485, D13/171, D13/137.1, D13/151, D13/160, D13/177
• US Class Current: 361/643
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/16 Rails or bus-bars provided with a plurality of discrete connecting locations for counterparts
• 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 3/38 the cables or lines being installed in preestablished conduits or ducts

Abstract

A universal power distribution system is provided for routing electrical circuits within a building structure to comprehensively provide electrical power to the building in ceiling configurations, wall-mounted configurations, raised floor configurations and in office furniture configurations. The system components for all of these configurations have common plug connectors that are engagable with each other so as to be readily usable in a wide variety of applications. The system is readily adaptable to form virtually any conventional circuit configuration found within conventional hard-wired systems yet is formed simply through the routing of the cables through the building cavities and interconnection is accomplished merely by plugging components together rather than through labor-intensive manual wiring.

Claims

1. A building power distribution system defined by a plurality of system components which are selectively connectable to define a comprehensive power supply system within partitions of a building, said system components comprising;

a plurality of distribution cables having a first connector end and a second connector end with respective connector plugs thereon wherein said first connector end can mate with said second connector end but said first connector end cannot mate with a first connector end and a second connector end cannot mate with a second connector end of another identical first cable;

one or more junction boxes configured to have said connector plugs connect thereto, said junction boxes having interior spaces in which component connections are made;

an outlet receptacle having a receptacle plug connector for providing power to said receptacle;

a switch device having a switch connector end with a connector plug that can plug-connect to said first connector end of any said cable, but said connector plug of said switch device can not mate or plug-connect to said second connector end of said cable wherein said switch device effects controlled switching of power supplied to said switch device;

said system being configured such that;

one or more said junction boxes mounted to a respective building partition;

a first one of said cables has said second connector end fixedly attached to a respective one of said junction boxes so that contact points of said second connector end are accessed from within the interior space of said respective junction box, and said receptacle being plug-connected to said second connector of said first cable so that power is supplied from said first cable to said receptacle and said outlets are accessible from said respective junction box;

a second one of said cables has said first and second connector ends, wherein said second cable has said first connector end fixedly attached to a respective one of said junction boxes, such that the contact points of said first connector end of said second cable are accessed from within the interior space of said junction box; and

said switch device having said connector end plug-connected to said first connector end of said second cable within said junction box to receive power therefrom, said switch device being accessible from said junction box.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said second cable has identical connector ends as said first cable except said second cable has been attached to said junction box in a reverse orientation.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein said second connector end of said first cable has a multi-plug configuration of at least two of said connector plugs in side-by-side relation which are accessible from within the interior space of said junction box.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein one of the connector plugs of said second connector end is plug-connected to said receptacle and the other connector plug is plug-connected to the first connector end of a third one of said cables.

5. A system as in claim 4, wherein said third cable has identical connector ends as said first cable with said third cable has been attached in the same orientation.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said cables carry a plurality of electrical circuits therethrough and comprises line, neutral and ground conductors, and the system components further comprise a remote switch box including a first connector end input port configured to receive power from only one of said circuits when plug-connected to the second connector end of one of said cables and including at least one second connector end output port for providing switched power to a downstream light fixture or other device where each said output port has one or more switched output lines and one unswitched output line.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein said second connector end of said cables has a multi-plug configuration of at least two of said connector plugs in side-by-side relation which are accessible from within the interior space of said junction box, and wherein an upstream one of said cables is connected to the input port of the remote switch box to define a connected upstream power input cable, said switch box including provision for one other of the multi-plug connector plugs of the upstream power input cable to be exposed for connection to said first connector end of another one of said cables for bypassing power downstream of the switch box.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein the remote switch box includes provisions for one of the multi-plug connector plugs of the upstream power input cable to be connected to said input port and the other of the multi-plug connector plugs of the upstream power input cable to be covered by the switch box structure to prevent the other multi-plug connector plug from being exposed.

9. A system as in claim 6, wherein said switch box includes a first connector end switch port for connection of a said cable having a said switch device through which the switched lines pass.

10. A system as in claim 6, wherein said second cable is connected to said switch port.

11. A system as in claim 10, wherein said switch device comprises a standard switch and a switch pigtail device having a pigtail connector end with said connector plug that can plug-connect to said first connector end of any said cable, and further having wires with free ends for attachment to said standard switch, said switch pigtail device having said connector end plug-connected to said first connector end of said second cable within said respective junction box and having said wires attached to said standard switch.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein said remote switch box includes an integral switch device such as a relay(s) through which the switched line(s) passes and can be respectively interrupted by selective activation of the relay(s).

13. A system as in claim 12, wherein said remote switch box includes low voltage wires attached to the relay switch device on which a signal passes that causes the relay(s) to connect or interrupt the path of the switched line(s).

14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said remote switch box includes a wireless receiver that can receive signals that with cause the relay(s) to respectively connect or interrupt the path of the switched line(s).

15. A system as in claim 10, wherein said remote switch box includes additional ones of said first connector end switch ports for connection of additional ones of said cables for connection to a switch device or switches through which the switched lines pass wherein the additional switch ports are daisy chain connected within said switch box so that each switched line must pass through each attached switch device.

16. A system as in claim 6, wherein the remote switch box includes a said cable connected to one of the second connector end output ports to provide unswitched power to emergency or always-on lighting.

17. A system as in claim 10, wherein the remote switch box includes one said input port that is labeled for power-in, at least one said output port that is labeled for switched power-out and at least one said switch port that is labeled for connection to a manual switch.

18. A system as in claim 1, wherein said switch device comprises a standard switch and a switch pigtail device having a pigtail connector end with said connector plug that can plug-connect to said first connector end of any said cable, and further having wires with free ends for attachment to said standard switch, said switch pigtail device having said connector end plug-connected to said first connector end of said second cable within said respective junction box and having said wires attached to said standard switch.

19. A system as in claim 1, wherein said cables carry one or more electrical circuits therethrough and comprise line, neutral and ground conductors, and the system components further comprise a remote switch box including a first connector end input port configured to receive power from only one of said circuits when plug-connected to the second connector end of one of said cables and including at least one second connector end output port for providing switched power to a downstream light fixture or other device where each said output port has one or more switched output lines, said switch box includes at least two first connector end switch ports for connection of respective ones of said cables each having a said switch device through which the switched lines pass to define a three-way switch configuration.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein said cables carry one or more electrical circuits therethrough and comprise line, neutral and ground conductors, and the system components further comprise a remote switch box including a first connector end input port configured to receive power from only one of said circuits when plug-connected to the second connector end of one of said cables and including at least one second connector end output port for providing switched power to a downstream light fixture or other device where each said output port has one or more switched output lines, said switch box includes at least three first connector end switch ports for connection of respective ones of said cables each having a said switch device through which the switched lines pass, said switch box including a jumper cap for one of said switch ports, and being internally wired such that plug-connection of two said cables and said jumper cap to said switch ports defines a three-way switch configuration and plug-connection of three said cables to said switch ports without use of said jumper cap defines a four-way switch configuration.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second cables are connected to one said junction box such that said switch device and said receptacle are located side-by-side therein.