Modular utility system

• US 7,893,567 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Communications Integrators, Inc. (Atkore, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Communications Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Mowry, Jeff, Turner, Thomas, Deros, Yani, Ibarra, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTLAND WALLIS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/059,881
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 307/147, 307/42
• US Class Current: 307/147
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0431 Wall trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/388 in modular walls, e.g. wall panels

Abstract

A modular office wiring system comprising a power distribution module, at least one data hub, at least one ten-conductor high-voltage cable, a cable carrier, connectors, at least one power core, at least one high-voltage power module, and at least one low-voltage data module. The system may additionally include one or more splitters that provide branch power lines, with additional power cores positioned on the branch lines and additional high-voltage power modules and low-voltage data modules connected to the additional power cores. In addition, a method is provided for installing and uninstalling the modules to each other.

Claims

1. A modular utility system for providing high-voltage power and low-voltage telecommunications connectivity to equipment of at least one work station, said system comprising:

a whip cable having up to 10 conductors and operative to carry a pre-determined assignment of phase, neutral, and ground circuits in said conductors;

a power core module in electrical contact with said whip cable and operative to maintain said pre-determined assignment of phase, neutral, and ground circuits; and

at least one high-voltage power module in mated physical and electrical contact with said power core module and operative to distribute high-voltage power to the workstation equipment with said pre-determined assignment of phase, neutral, and ground circuits;

wherein;

a) said power core and each of said high-voltage power modules comprises a male connector on one side and a female connector on an opposing side;

b) at least one of the following conditions occurs;

said male connector of said power core is mated with said female connector of an adjacent high-voltage power module or an adjacent data module;

said female connector of said power core is mated with said male connector of said adjacent high-voltage power module or an adjacent data module;

said male connector of said high-voltage power module core is mated with said female connector of said adjacent power core or high-voltage power module or with an adjacent data module;

or

said female connector of said power module is mated with said male connector of said adjacent power core or power module or an adjacent data module;

c) said male and female connectors each include mated key features correlated with said pre-determined assignment of phase, neutral, and ground circuits;

d) said key features are operative to align and mate adjacent modules, each module having a front, two sides, and a male connect bezel on one side and a female connect bezel on the other side;

e) said key features comprise a male mating surface at the exterior of each of said male connect bezels and openings through said male mating surface into which electrical contacts extend from the interior of said module, with a distinctively shaped key protruding outward from said male mating surface;

f) said key features also comprise a female mating surface at the exterior of each of said female connect bezels and openings through said female mating surface into which electrical contacts extend from the interior of said module, with a keyhole in said female mating surface having a shape complementary to said distinctively shaped key; and

g) said key of said first module is insert-able into said keyhole of said second module to mate said modules with said electrical contacts of said modules providing electrical continuity of said pre-determined power configuration between said modules.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of high-voltage power modules connected serially to said power core.

3. The modular utility system of claim 1, further comprising at least one low-voltage data module in mated physical contact with one of said high-voltage power modules or said power core.

4. The keying system of claim 1, wherein said male connect bezels are positioned on the left sides of each of said modules, and said female connect bezels are positioned on the right sides of each of said modules, as viewed from the front of said module.

5. The keying system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined power configuration is selected from 4D, 3+2, and 3+3.

6. The keying system of claim 1, wherein:

said first module is a power core;

said second module is a high-voltage power module;

said system further comprises additional high-voltage power modules, with each high-voltage power module including male and female mating surfaces substantially identical to said male and female mating surfaces of said power core; and

said key of each module is insert-able into said keyhole of another of said modules to mate said modules to provide electrical continuity between all of said modules in said pre-determined power configuration.

7. The modular utility system of claim 1, wherein said whip cable comprises:

a 1×

10 array of conductors within a ribbon cable sheath, wherein said sheath includes indicia for identifying each of said conductors.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second whip cable terminating in a female connector, said second whip cable having up to 10 conductors and operative to carry a pre-determined assignment of phase neutral, and ground circuits in said conductors;

wherein said first whip cable terminates in a male connector for providing physical and electrical contact between said whip cable and said female connector on said second whip cable, said male connector comprising;

a male connector housing; and

a connector chassis retaining up to ten contacts, with each contact in electrical communication with an end of one wire of the first whip cable;

wherein;

said chassis is secured about an end of the whip cable and within said male connector housing; and

two of said contacts extend farther away from the first whip cable than the rest of said contacts for providing first make/last break connections and disconnections for a safety/equipment ground line and an isolated ground line.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one female connector for providing physical and electrical contact with a male connector on a whip cable, said female connector comprising:

a female connector housing; and

a connector chassis retaining up to ten contacts, with each contact in electrical communication with an end of a conductor and two of said contacts extending farther away from the cable end than the rest of said contacts;

wherein;

said chassis is secured within said female connector housing; and

two of said contacts extend farther away from the first whip cable than the rest of said contacts for providing first make/last break connections and disconnections for a safety/equipment ground line and an isolated ground line.

10. The modular utility system of claim 1, further comprising:

a flexible cable carrier at least partially enclosing said whip cable, said cable carrier also including means for retaining additional low-voltage cables selected from telephone cables, data transmission cables, fiber optics cables, coaxial cables, and combinations thereof, said cable carrier comprising;

an elongated, hollow section of an elastomeric material having a slot there-through extending the length of said section, wherein said section is shaped to substantially surround and enclose the whip, telephone, data, fiber optics, and coaxial cables; and

means for joining said section to another section or to a device connected to said whip cable.

11. The modular utility system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one high-voltage power splitter for splitting a first high-voltage line into second and third high-voltage lines, each high voltage line having up to 10 conductors, said splitter comprising;

a splitter base;

a splitter housing joined to said splitter base with a space there-between, said housing also including an opening through which said third high voltage line passes;

two opposing connecting extensions retained between said splitter base and said splitter housing, said connecting extensions mate-able with connectors on whip cables of said first and second high voltage lines;

up to ten internal conductors extending between said connecting extensions and within said space between said splitter housing and said splitter base;

one contact engaging electrically each internal conductor within said space;

means for engaging each conductor of said third line within said space and in electrical continuity with a corresponding one of said internal conductors; and

means for mechanically supporting said third 10-conductor line adjacent said splitter.

12. The modular utility system of claim 1, wherein said power core comprises:

a front core housing;

a rear core housing secured to said front core housing and defining a space there-between;

a male connect bezel retained between said front and rear core housings on one side of said power core;

a female connect bezel retained between said front and rear core housing on a second side of said power core opposing said male connect bezel;

a core chassis retained in the space between said front and rear core housing;

a core cover secured to said rear core housing and forming a space there-between;

a high-voltage whip cable having an end positioned between said core cover and said rear core housing;

up to 10 bus bars retained by said chassis and providing electrical continuity between said male and female connect bezels within the space defined between said front and rear core housings; and

up to 10 angle contacts, one extending from each of said bus bars through an opening in said rear core housing and engaging one conductor of said whip cable within the space defined between said rear core housing and said core cover, with each angle contact providing electrical continuity between one of said bus bars and one of said conductors of said whip cable.

13. The modular utility system of claim 1, wherein said high-voltage power module comprises:

a front module housing;

a rear module housing attached to said front module housing and enclosing a space there-between;

a male connect bezel retained between said front and rear module housings on one side of said power module;

a female connect bezel retained between said front and rear module housings on a second side of said power module opposing said male connect bezel;

a power module chassis retained between said front and rear module housings;

10 current carriers retained by said chassis and providing electrical continuity between said male and female connect bezels within the space defined between said front and rear module housings, with each current carrier designated to carry a type of current selected from phase, neutral, or ground circuits;

at least one power receptacle retained within an opening in said front module housing, said power receptacle including openings for two power prongs and a ground prong of an electrical plug;

ground straps electrically connecting said ground current carriers to a ground contact in each power receptacle; and

power straps electrically connecting said phase and neutral current carriers to said at least one power receptacle in accordance with a pre-determined power line configuration.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one high-voltage power splitter, each splitter providing high-voltage power to a side branch whip cable having up to ten conductors.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power distribution module having at least one input for a multi-conductor trunk cable cable and at least one output connector adapted for use with said whip cable.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising mated connectors for providing electrical continuity between said whip cable and said power core.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cable carrier at least partially enclosing said whip cable, said cable carrier also including means for retaining additional low-voltage cables selected from telephone cables, data transmission cables, fiber optics cables, coaxial cables, and combinations thereof.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said cable carrier comprises flexibly linked sections.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said whip cable comprises an array of up to ten conductors arranged side by side within a ribbon cable sheath; and

said sheath includes indicia for identifying each of said conductors.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bracket for mounting said power core, power modules, and data modules to a work surface.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said power cores, power modules, and data modules comprises a shuttle having latches engage-able with an internal chassis, and said chassis retains electrical components.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said power modules and said data modules comprises means for retaining high-voltage power cords and low-voltage cables selected from telephone cables, data cables, fiber optics cables, coaxial cables, and combinations thereof.

23. A method for installing and de-installing the modular system of claim 1, wherein each module comprises a chassis, a mounting blade, and a shuttle, with the mounting blade fixed to the shuttle and the shuttle latchable to the chassis, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a mounting bracket and means for mounting each mounting blade to said bracket with said modules in a side-by-side arrangement;

(b) providing first and second modules, each module having a shuttle/blade subassembly detached from said module;

(c) mounting said first module shuttle/blade subassembly to said mounting bracket;

(d) mounting said first module onto said first module shuttle/blade subassembly and latching said first module'"'"'s shuttle to said first module'"'"'s chassis;

(e) mounting said second module shuttle/blade subassembly to said mounting bracket adjacent said first shuttle/blade assembly;

(f) mounting said second module onto said second module shuttle/blade subassembly with said second module'"'"'s chassis positioned laterally away from said first module; and

(g) sliding said second module toward said first module until said second module is positioned in physical contact with said first module with said male key of said male mating surface of one of said modules engaged with said keyhole of said female mating surface of the other of said modules and said second module'"'"'s shuttle latches to said second module'"'"'s chassis.

24. The system of claim 3, comprising multiple low-voltage data modules, wherein each low-voltage data module is in mated physical contact with a different one of said high-voltage power modules.

25. The system of claim 14, comprising a power core on each side branch, wherein each power core is in electrical contact with one of said side branch whip cables.

26. The system of claim 3, wherein:

at least one high-voltage power module is in mated physical and electrical contact with each of said power cores; and

at least one low-voltage data module is in physical contact with each power core or a high-voltage power module in contact with each power core.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising a tool for uninstalling said power modules and data modules, said tool having tines engage-able with said latches of said shuttles and operable to release said latches of said shuttle from said chassis.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said first module is a power core and said second module is a high voltage power module.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein steps e-g are repeated to mount a third module to one of said first and second modules.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said third module is selected from high voltage power modules and low voltage data modules.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein:

steps e-g are repeated to mount up to three modules on each side of a power core to form a linear array of connected modules, said array comprising no more than two low voltage data modules with each low voltage data module at an end of said array.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein:

said method comprises the additional steps of

(h) providing a de-installation tool said tool comprising a handle and a pair of tines extending from said handle, each tine terminating in a tip engage-able with each shuttle of each module; and

(i) inserting said tines into openings in the last of said modules to disengage said shuttle latches from said chassis of said last module; and

steps c-g are reversed.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein:

said tool further comprises a handle; and

said tines extend from said handle, each tine terminating in a tapered tip engage-able with said shuttle latches on one of the modules.

34. The system of claim 7, wherein said ten conductors of said whip cable are individually insulated within said ribbon cable sheath.

35. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said sheath includes two opposing sides;

said conductors are disposed side by side within said sheath; and

said indicia comprise different shapes for each of said two sides.

36. The system of claim 7, wherein said sheath includes openings for attachment of connectors to said cable.

37. The system of claim 8, wherein said first whip cable is a ribbon cable.

38. The system of claim 8, wherein said second whip cable comprises up to ten individual wires within a flexible conduit.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising mated shell portions including flanges engaged with said flexible conduit, said female connector housing, and said connector chassis.

40. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for locking said male connector to said female connector.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said means for locking is operable with one hand.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein said means for locking comprises at least one lever with a tip engage-able with an opening in the female connector.

43. The system of claim 9, wherein said conductors extend from a device selected from whip cables, splitters, power cores, and combinations thereof.

44. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for locking said female connector to a male connector.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein said means for locking includes at least one opening engage-able with a lever tip of the male connector.

46. The system of claim 10, wherein said cable carrier comprises a plurality of flexibly linked sections.

47. The modular utility system of claim 10, wherein each of said cable carrier sections has first and second ends, and said means for joining comprises opposing pivot pins adjacent said first end of said section and opposing holes for receiving pivot pins adjacent said second end.

48. The cable carrier of claim 10, wherein said section further comprises inwardly projecting ribs for retaining said cables within said section.

49. The system of claim 11, wherein said first, second, and third high-voltage lines are whip cables within a tubular conduit.

50. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of said high-voltage lines is connected to a ribbon cable of said power core.

51. The system of claim 11, wherein said internal conductors are wires.

52. The system of claim 11, wherein said contacts are retained by devices selected from spacers integral with said base, spacers integral with said housing, and combinations thereof.

53. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for engaging comprise contacts engaging each of said internal conductors with a separate spade, wherein each spade is in electrical continuity with one contact and one conductor in said third line.

54. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for supporting comprises a bracket in mechanical contact with said housing and said third branch line.

55. The modular utility system of claim 12, wherein said whip cable is a ribbon cable.

56. The modular utility system of claim 12, further comprising means for mounting said power core adjacent a work surface.

57. The modular utility system of claim 12, wherein said means for mounting comprises a blade insert-able into a mounting bracket adjacent said work surface.

58. The modular utility system of claim 12, further comprising means for indicating when electrical power is supplied to said power core.

59. The modular utility system of claim 12, wherein said means for indicating comprises a light source selected from electrically powered light sources and inductively powered light sources.

60. The modular utility system of claim 13, wherein said current carriers are bus bars.

61. The modular utility system of claim 13, wherein said power receptacle is selected from 110V power receptacles and 220 V power receptacles.

62. The modular utility system of claim 13, further comprising an indicator for the power configuration of the current carriers.

63. The modular utility system of claim 62, wherein said indicator is a ring retained within the opening in said front module housing between said front module housing and said at least one power receptacle.

64. The modular utility system of claim 13, further comprising means for mounting said high-voltage power module adjacent a work surface and in electrical contact with a power core of the utility system.

65. The modular utility system of claim 64, wherein said means for mounting comprises a blade insertable into a mounting bracket adjacent said work surface, a shuttle adapted for lateral motion relative to said work surface, or a combination thereof.

66. The modular utility system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one low-voltage data module in mated physical contact with one of said high-voltage power modules or said power core, said low-voltage data module comprising;

a front module housing;

a rear module housing attached to said front module housing and partially enclosing a space there-between;

a data module chassis retained between said front and rear module housings and including projections that are physically align-able with an adjacent power core or high-voltage power module; and

at least one communications receptacle in electrical communication with a low-voltage line selected from telephone lines and data lines, said receptacle retained by said chassis between said front and rear module housings and extending into an opening in said front module housing to enable connection of a telecommunications line extending between said communications receptacle and telecommunications equipment.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein said telecommunications receptacles of said low-voltage data module are selected from telephone cable receptacles, network cable receptacles, fiber optics cable receptacles, and coaxial cable receptacles.

68. The system of claim 66, wherein said low-voltage data module further comprises indicia for identifying the type of low-voltage circuit associated with each receptacle.

69. The system of claim 66, wherein said low-voltage data module further comprises means for mounting said low-voltage data module adjacent a work surface and in physical contact with a device selected from said high-voltage power module and said power core.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein said means for mounting is selected from a blade insert-able into a mounting bracket adjacent said work surface, a shuttle adapted for lateral motion relative to said work surface, and combinations thereof.