Power floor method and assembly
First Claim
1. A floor tile assembly comprising:
- a plurality of floor tiles, each tile including;
a substantially rigid supporting substrate member that includes top and bottom surfaces and an edge;
at least a first conductive tile contact supported by the substrate member and extending to an exposed end; and
a covering layer having top and bottom surfaces and a thickness dimension between the top and bottom surfaces, the covering layer forming a separate opening for each of the tile contacts, the openings aligned with the tile contacts so that each tile contact extends through a separate one of the openings, the covering layer having a thickness dimension between the top and bottom surfaces such that the exposed end of each tile contact protrudes past the top surface of the covering layer;
wherein each supporting substrate and associated covering layer are shaped such that the tile can be arranged with other tiles in side by side fashion to provide a substantially contiguous floor structure.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power floor tile assembly and method for providing power to furniture components via a floor structure, the tile assembly including a plurality of floor tiles, each tile including a substantially rigid supporting substrate member that includes top and bottom surfaces and an edge, at least a first conductive tile contact supported by the substrate member and extending to an exposed end and a covering layer having top and bottom surfaces and a thickness dimension between the top and bottom surfaces, the covering layer forming a separate opening for each of the tile contacts, the openings aligned with the tile contacts so that each tile contact extends through a separate one of the openings, the covering layer having a thickness dimension between the top and bottom surfaces such that the exposed end of each tile contact protrudes past the top surface of the covering layer, wherein each supporting substrate and associated covering layer are shaped such that the tile can be arranged with other tiles in side by side fashion to provide a substantially contiguous floor structure.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A floor tile assembly comprising:
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a plurality of floor tiles, each tile including; a substantially rigid supporting substrate member that includes top and bottom surfaces and an edge; at least a first conductive tile contact supported by the substrate member and extending to an exposed end; and a covering layer having top and bottom surfaces and a thickness dimension between the top and bottom surfaces, the covering layer forming a separate opening for each of the tile contacts, the openings aligned with the tile contacts so that each tile contact extends through a separate one of the openings, the covering layer having a thickness dimension between the top and bottom surfaces such that the exposed end of each tile contact protrudes past the top surface of the covering layer; wherein each supporting substrate and associated covering layer are shaped such that the tile can be arranged with other tiles in side by side fashion to provide a substantially contiguous floor structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A furniture power delivery system comprising:
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a floor subassembly including; a covering layer forming a top surface for supporting furniture components; a plurality of electrically conductive floor contacts that extend through the covering layer and that include exposed ends that protrude past the top surface of the covering layer, the floor contacts arranged so that at least one of the floor contacts is adjacent and make contact with one of the moveable contacts irrespective of the location of the furniture component on the floor subassembly; a power supply; a plurality of switching devices normally linking the power supply to an associated floor contact to provide a low signaling current to the associated floor contact; and a controller for controlling the switching devices; and a furniture component to be powered including more than one electrically conductive downwardly facing moveable contact; wherein the floor contacts are dimensioned and arranged and the moveable contacts are dimensioned and arranged such that at least two of the moveable contacts contact at least two of the floor contacts when the furniture component is supported by the floor subassembly irrespective of the location of the furniture component on the floor subassembly. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for providing power to an object to be powered, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first electrical moveable contact and a signal circuit on the object to be powered; providing a floor assembly that includes a plurality of electrical floor contacts and a power source; when the first electrical moveable contact contacts a first of the floor contacts in the first subset, providing a low signal current through the first contact and the first electrical moveable contact to the signal circuit where the signal current is sufficient to drive the signal circuit; upon receiving the signal current, the signal circuit drawing the low signal current according to a pattern; sensing the current draw pattern at the floor contact through which the current is drawn; recognizing the current draw pattern as indicative of an object to be powered; and increasing the current provided to the first of the floor contacts to a powering level sufficient to power the object. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification