System and method for distribution of electrical power

• US 7,762,836 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Retail Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boston Retail Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Rubin, Richard J, Ellis, Lawrence A
• Primary Examiner(s): LEON MUNOZ, EDWIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/407,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20090181565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 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 comprising:

• • a first housing having an outside surface, configured to receive electrical power from a source;
  • a current limiting and splitting mechanism disposed within the first housing, configured to receive the electrical power and output a plurality of separate current limited 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 current limited electrical circuits and each contact selected to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage.

Claims

1. An electrical power distribution system comprising:

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

a current limiting and splitting mechanism disposed within the first housing, configured to receive the electrical power and output a plurality of separate current limited 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 current limited electrical circuits and each contact selected to conduct at least one of an elevated current and an elevated voltage.

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 current limiting and 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 first plurality of contacts comprise 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 further comprising:

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,

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.