Electrical hub for furniture assemblies

• US 10,236,643 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lovesac Company
• Original Assignee: Lovesac Company
• Inventors: Nelson, Shawn, Underwood, David, Kuchler, Brian, Cowan, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III, William H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Hiram E
• Application Number:
  US15/270,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/066 with power or communication connection interface
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/003 Lighting, radio, telephone or the like connected to the bedstead
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/72 Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/73 Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle

Abstract

An electrical furniture assembly has: (i) a furniture assembly comprising: (A) a base, (B) a transverse member, and (C) a coupler for coupling the base to the transverse member; and (ii) an electrical hub configured to selectively reside within the furniture assembly. The electrical hub features: (A) an electrical outlet assembly; (B) a securement panel; and (C) a spring-biased installation clip. The electrical hub is selectively secured at least partially within a transverse member of a furniture assembly and may be plugged into an external power source to supply power to various electronic devices conveniently used by a user sitting on the furniture assembly.

Claims

1. An electrical hub configured to selectively reside within a furniture assembly, the electrical hub comprising:

an electrical outlet assembly having a housing and at least one electrical outlet at a rear portion of the housing;

a securement panel extending from a front portion of the housing, the securement panel being spaced away from the at least one electrical outlet of the electrical outlet assembly, such that the at least one outlet of the electrical outlet assembly is offset from the securement panel;

the housing comprising a linkage housing portion that defines a convenient, recessed area located between the front and rear portions of the housing within which to receive portions of cords of one or more electrical devices,

the hub being configured to be selectively mounted within a furniture assembly in order to provide a source of electrical power for the one or more electrical devices, the electrical hub further comprising;

an installation clip, mounted to the electrical outlet assembly, a free end of the installation clip being moveable with respect to the electrical outlet assembly, the installation clip having a compressed position and an extended position,

the installation clip being configured to be selectively moved by a user from the extended position to the compressed position in order to selectively mount the electrical hub within the furniture assembly, wherein the housing is open at a front and bottom thereof for accessing the recessed area, such that the recessed area is configured to enable the user to move the installation clip between the extended position and the compressed position.

2. An electrical hub as recited in claim 1, wherein the installation clip is cantilevered from the electrical outlet assembly such that the installation clip is spring-loaded in the compressed position, wherein the installation clip is moveable from the extended position to the spring-loaded, compressed position by applying a force against the clip, such that when the force is removed from the clip, the clip resiliently returns to the extended position.

3. An electrical hub as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing of the electrical outlet assembly comprises a covering housing portion, and comprises one or more electrical outlets, and an electrical cord extending away from the housing so as to be connectable to a source of electrical power.

4. An electrical hub as recited in claim 3, wherein the linkage housing has a central panel, a left side panel, and a right side panel, each panel of the housing being substantially perpendicular to the securement panel, wherein the installation clip is mounted on the covering housing portion of the electrical outlet assembly.

6. An electrical hub as recited in claim 1, wherein the installation clip is a resiliently mounted clip that has a finger opening therein, at least a portion of the installation clip being movable towards the recessed area by inserting a finger within the finger opening and pulling the free end of the installation clip towards the recessed area into a spring-loaded, compressed position, such that

the user can pull the free end of the installation clip towards the recessed area into the spring-loaded compressed position and then insert the hub into the furniture assembly, then allow the clip to return to the extended position by releasing the clip, thereby engaging the furniture assembly with the clip, and such that the user can thereafter pull the free end of the installation clip towards the recessed area, into the spring-loaded compressed position, thereby disengaging the clip from the furniture assembly.

7. An electrical hub as recited in claim 1 wherein the securement panel has one or more tabs extending from a lower portion thereof, the tabs being configured to be sandwiched between two different portions of a furniture assembly when the electrical hub is mounted within the furniture assembly.

8. An electrical hub as recited in claim 1 wherein the electrical outlet assembly comprises an electrical cord and at least one protective cord elbow mounted on the electrical cord.

9. The electrical hub of claim 1, wherein the securement panel is a U-shaped, generally planar panel, and wherein the securement panel includes a central panel member extending upwardly from the housing that forms a center portion of the U, a left panel member extending outwardly from the housing that forms a left side of the U, and a right panel member extending outwardly from the housing that forms a right side of the U, the central panel member, left panel member, and right panel member all being in a same plane at the front portion of the housing, so that the U-shape of the securement panel is oriented with the open end of the U oriented downwards.

10. The electrical hub of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a covering housing portion housing the at least one electrical outlet and wherein the linkage housing portion has a central panel, a left side panel, and a right side panel that extend between the covering housing portion and the securement panel, each panel of the linkage housing portion being substantially perpendicular to at least one of the securement panel or the at least one electrical outlet.

11. The electrical hub of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical outlet of the electrical outlet assembly is fixed in position relative to the housing.

5. An electrical hub configured to selectively reside within a furniture assembly, the electrical hub comprising:

an electrical outlet assembly having at least one electrical outlet in a first plane, the electrical outlet assembly having a covering housing;

a securement panel in a second plane, the second plane being parallel to the first plane, the securement panel having a front face and a rear face;

a linkage housing that links the covering housing of the electrical outlet assembly to the securement panel, the linkage housing defining a convenient, recessed area located behind the second plane, such that the second plane is spaced away from the first plane and such that the at least one electrical outlet of the electrical outlet assembly is recessed relative to the securement panel; and

an installation clip mounted in a cantilevered relationship to the electrical outlet assembly, the installation clip having a spring-loaded, compressed position and an extended position, wherein the installation clip is moveable from the extended position to the spring-loaded compressed position by applying a force against the clip, such that when the force is removed from the clip, the clip resiliently returns to the extended position a free end of the installation clip configured to be selectively moved by a user from the extended position to the spring-loaded, compressed position in order to enable the electrical hub to be mounted within the furniture assembly,

wherein the linkage housing is open at a front thereof for accessing the recessed area, such that the recessed area is configured to enable the user to move the installation clip between the extended position and the spring-loaded, compressed position.

20. The electrical hub of claim 5, wherein the linkage housing is open at a bottom thereof for accessing the recessed area, such that the recessed area is configured to enable the user to move the installation clip between the extended position and the spring-loaded, compressed position.

21. The electrical hub of claim 5, wherein the electrical hub further comprises one or more tabs extending downwardly from the securement panel, the tabs configured to be sandwiched between two different portions of a furniture assembly when the electrical hub is mounted within the furniture assembly.

22. The electrical hub of claim 5, wherein the rear face of the securement panel of the electrical hub is configured to be placed adjacent and generally flush with a surface of the furniture assembly.

23. The electrical hub of claim 5, wherein the electrical outlet assembly comprises an electrical cord with one or more cord outlets disposed along the length of the electrical cord, wherein the one or more cord outlets disposed along the length of the electrical cord comprise one or more of interior outlets, floor resting outlets, or tether outlets.

24. The electrical hub of claim 5, wherein the at least one electrical outlet of the electrical outlet assembly is fixed in position relative to the linkage housing.

12. An electronic furniture assembly configured to be coupled to one or more electrical devices, comprising:

a furniture assembly comprising;

(A) a base having a seating surface; and

(B) a transverse member providing at least one of;

(i) an armrest surface or (ii) a backrest surface; and

(ii) an electrical hub configured to be selectively positioned within the furniture assembly, the electrical hub comprising;

an electrical outlet assembly having a housing and at least one electrical outlet at a rear portion of the housing; and

a securement panel at a front portion of the housing, extending from the housing, the securement panel being spaced away from the at least one electrical outlet such that a recessed area is located between the securement panel and the at least one electrical outlet,

wherein the housing is open at a front and bottom thereof for accessing the recessed area, and

wherein at least a portion of the electrical hub is selectively mounted within a cavity of the furniture assembly,

the electrical hub further comprising an installation clip mounted to the electrical outlet assembly, such that the clip is accessible through the recessed area.

13. An electronic furniture assembly as recited in claim 12,

wherein the installation clip is mounted in a cantilevered relationship to the electrical outlet assembly, the installation clip having a spring-loaded, compressed position and an extended position, wherein the installation clip is moveable from the extended position to the spring-loaded, compressed position by applying a force against the clip, such that when the force is removed from the clip, the clip resiliently returns to the extended position,

a free end of the installation clip configured to be selectively moved by a user from the extended position to the spring-loaded, compressed position in order to enable a user to mount the electrical hub within the furniture assembly,

the installation clip being configured to be selectively moved by a user from the extended position to the spring-loaded, compressed position in order to enable a user to remove the electrical hub from the furniture assembly.

14. An electronic furniture assembly as recited in claim 12, further comprising a coupler for selectively coupling the base to the transverse member, wherein the hub is selectively mounted adjacent the coupler within the furniture assembly.

15. An electronic furniture assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the hub and at least a portion of the coupler are selectively mounted within a cavity of the transverse member.

16. An electronic furniture assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein the electrical outlet assembly of the hub is mounted adjacent the coupler within the cavity of the transverse member and wherein an electrical cord of the hub extends out of a bottom portion of the transverse member.

17. An electronic furniture assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein the electrical hub is a generally cube-shaped member configured to be selectively inserted within a generally rectangular cavity of the furniture assembly.

18. An electronic furniture assembly as recited in claim 12, further comprising an induction charger mounted within the furniture assembly, the induction charger being configured to be electrically coupled to the electrical hub.

19. The electronic furniture assembly of claim 12, further comprising an installation clip cantilevered from the electrical outlet assembly such that the installation clip is spring-loaded in a compressed position, wherein the installation clip is moveable from the extended position to the spring-loaded, compressed position by applying a force against the clip, such that when the force is removed from the clip, the clip resiliently returns to the extended position.

25. An electrical hub configured to selectively reside within a furniture assembly, the hub being configured to be selectively mounted within a furniture assembly in order to provide a source of electrical power for one or more electrical devices, the electrical hub comprising:

an electrical outlet assembly having a housing and one or more electrical outlets at a rear portion of the housing, the housing comprising a covering housing portion which houses the one or more electrical outlets and a linkage housing portion that defines a cavity located between the one or more electrical outlets and a plane that is parallel to and spaced away from the one or more electrical outlets, the cavity configured to receive portions of one or more electrical devices therein; and

an installation clip cantilevered from the electrical outlet assembly, a free end of the installation clip being moveable with respect to the electrical outlet assembly, the installation clip being configured to be selectively moved by a user from an extended position to a compressed, spring-loaded position by applying a force against the clip, such that when the force is removed from the clip, the clip resiliently returns to the extended position, the cavity configured to enable the user to access the installation clip in order to move the installation clip between the extended position and the compressed spring-loaded position.

26. The electrical hub of claim 25, wherein the housing is open at a front thereof for accessing the cavity, such that the cavity is configured to enable the user to move the installation clip between the extended position and the spring-loaded compressed position.

27. The electrical hub of claim 26, wherein the housing is open at a bottom thereof for accessing the cavity, such that the cavity is configured to enable the user to move the installation clip between the extended position and the spring-loaded compressed position.

28. An electrical hub configured to selectively reside within a furniture assembly, the hub being configured to be selectively mounted within a furniture assembly in order to provide a source of electrical power for one or more electrical devices, the electrical hub comprising:

an electrical outlet assembly having a housing and having one or more electrical outlets in a first plane at a rear portion of the housing, the housing comprising a covering housing portion which houses the one or more electrical outlets and a linkage housing portion that defines a cavity located between the first plane and a second plane that is parallel to and spaced away from the first plane, the cavity configured to receive portions of one or more electrical devices therein; and

an installation clip cantilevered from the electrical outlet assembly, a free end of the installation clip being moveable with respect to the electrical outlet assembly, the installation clip being configured to be selectively moved by a user from an extended position to a compressed, spring-loaded position by applying a force against the clip, such that when the force is removed from the clip, the clip resiliently returns to the extended position, the cavity configured to enable the user to access the installation clip in order to move the installation clip between the extended position and the compressed spring-loaded position.

29. The electrical hub of claim 28, wherein the housing is open at a front thereof for accessing the cavity, such that the cavity is configured to enable the user to move the installation clip between the extended position and the spring-loaded compressed position.

30. The electrical hub of claim 29, wherein the housing is open at a bottom thereof for accessing the cavity, such that the cavity is configured to enable the user to move the installation clip between the extended position and the spring-loaded compressed position.

31. The electrical hub of claim 28, further comprising a securement panel extending in the second plane from the linkage housing portion.