Electrical floor access module system

• US 7,183,504 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2002
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Norman R. Byrne
• Original Assignee: Norman R. Byrne
• Inventors: Byrne, Norman R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield; Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/466,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20040080903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 522/208, 522/63, 174/58, 174/59, 174/482, 174/486, 174/490, 220/3.3
• US Class Current: 174/486
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/38 the cables or lines being installed in preestablished conduits or ducts
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/385 in modular floors, e.g. access floors

Abstract

An electrical floor access system (100) is provided so as to be accessible to the electrical equipment of an office system (50). The electrical system (100) includes a number of access floor modules (102) jpositioned beneath an access floor (30). The electrical system (100) also includes junciton block cables (104) and junction blocks (108) which can be connected the junction block cables (104). The junciton blocks (108) serve to provide electrical interconnection and mounting for electrical receptacles and similar devices for interconnection with electrical equipment. The access floor modules (102) are substantially interchangeable with each other, and the junction block cables (104) are substantially interchangeable with each other so as to provide an electrical system as a modular system adapted to be sized and configured in a manner which does not require any substantial number of different types and/or sizes of cables and other electrical equipment.

Claims

1. An electrical system adapted to be positioned under an access floor for supplying electrical power from at least one interconnected power source to selectively interconnected electrical devices, said electrical system comprising:

a plurality of substantially identical electrical access floor modules selectively spaced under said access floor for providing conveniently located electrical power locations for energizing said electrical devices;

a plurality of substantially identical junction block cables for electrically interconnecting said access floor modules to said power source and to each other;

releasable connection means associated with said access floor modules and said junction block cables for releasably and mechanically connecting each access floor module to at least one of said junction block cables;

a plurality of electrical receptacle blocks, each receptacle block comprising at least one electrical receptacle connectable to one or more of said electrical devices for supplying electrical power thereto, with each of said receptacle blocks further being electrically connectable to said junction block cables; and

said access floor modules are substantially interchangeable with each other, and said junction block cables are substantially interchangeable with each other so as to provide said electrical system as a modular system which is adapted to be sized and configured in a manner which does not require any substantial number of different types and/or sizes of cables and other electrical equipment.

2. An electrical system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that:

each of said electrical receptacle blocks comprises a first predetermined terminal connection arrangement; and

each of said junction block cables comprises a junction block connectable to at least one of said access floor modules through said releasable connection means, and having a second predetermined terminal connection arrangement for electrically and releasably engaging said first terminal connection arrangement.

3. An electrical system in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that

each of said junction blocks comprises an external third terminal connection arrangement;

and

each of said junction block cables further comprises an electrical conduit section and a terminating connector electrically connected to said second terminal connection arrangement of said junction block of said junction block cable through said conduit section, said terminating connector being electrically and releasably engagable with a third terminal connection arrangement of another of said junction block cables.

4. An electrical system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said system further comprises a plurality of extension cables, each of said extension cables being electrically connectable to said junction block cables.

5. An electrical system in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that at least one of said extension cables includes a terminating connector electrically and releasably engagable with a third terminal connection arrangement of a junction block cable.

6. An electrical system in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that at least one of said extension cables includes a double terminating connector at one end of said extension cable, for electrical interconnection with two of said junction block cables.

7. An electrical system in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that said electrical system comprises a power input cable connectable to said power source, and further connectable to one of said terminating connectors of one of said junction block cables.

8. An electrical system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said electrical receptacle blocks includes duplex electrical receptacles.

9. An electrical system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said electrical receptacle blocks includes communication ports.

10. An electrical system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said electrical system further comprises:

voice/data or other communication ports; and

means associated with at least one of said access floor modules for mechanically and releasably connecting at least one of said communication ports to said one access floor module.

11. An electrical system in accordance with claim 10, characterized in that said system further comprises conventional communications element mounting brackets mechanically connectable to at least one of said access floor modules.

12. An electrical system in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that at least of said junction blocks is double sided so as to mechanically and electrically connect at least one of said electrical receptacle blocks to either side of said junction block.

13. An electrical system in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that said electrical conduit section of at least one of said junction block cables is adjustable in length.

14. An electrical system in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that said system may be sized and configured so that multiple junction blocks associated with multiple junction block cables may be mechanically and releasably interconnected to a single access floor module, with said multiple junction blocks being electrically interconnected to each other.

15. An electrical system in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that said third terminal connection arrangement of at least one of said junction blocks includes a connector block pair connectable to a terminating connector of each of two other junction block cables.

16. An electrical system in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that at least one of said junction blocks comprises a recessed area for releasably engaging at least one of said electrical receptacle blocks.

17. An electrical system in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that each of said junction blocks associated with one of said junction block cables is permanently connected to the associated one of said electrical conduit sections of said one of said junction block cables.

18. An electrical system in accordance with claim 17, characterized in that each of said terminating connectors associated with a particular one of said junction block cables is permanently connected to an associated electrical conduit section of said corresponding junction block cable.

19. An electrical system in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that each of said floor access modules comprises a floor component formed in a rectangular, boxed-like structure having an open top portion.

20. An electrical system adapted to be positioned under an access floor for supplying electrical power from at least one interconnected common power source to selectively interconnected electrical devices, said electrical system comprising:

a plurality of electrical access floor modules selectively spaced under said access floor for providing conveniently located electrical power locations for energizing said electrical devices;

a plurality of junction block cables for electrically interconnecting said access floor modules to said common power source;

a plurality of electrical receptacle blocks, each receptacle block comprising at least one electrical receptacle electrically connectable to one or more of said electrical devices for supplying electrical power thereto, and comprising a first predetermined terminal connection arrangement;

each of said junction block cables comprising a junction block connectable to an access floor module and having a second predetermined terminal connection arrangement for electrically and releasably engaging said first predetermined terminal connection arrangement, and an external third terminal connection arrangement;

each of said junction block cables further comprising an electrical conduit section and a terminating connector electrically connected to said second terminal connection arrangement of said junction block of said junction block cable through said conduit section, said terminating connector being electrically and releasably engagable with a third terminal connection arrangement of another of said junction block cables; and

said electrical floor access modules are substantially interchangeable with each other, and said junction block cables are substantially interchangeable with each other, so as to provide said electrical system as a modular system which is adapted to be sized and configured in a manner which does not require any substantial number of different types and/or sizes of cables and other electrical equipment.