Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – Wire distribution
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-17
2001-10-09
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
Wire distribution
C361S827000, C261S026000, C261S029000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301126
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are many types of electrical devices operating on line power whose housing must be opened at times for servicing and replacing parts. There is always a concern that these devices will be opened without first removing the power by unplugging the power cord or tripping the circuit breaker. Television sets for example having removable back covers incorporate plugs in the back covers. The plug in the cover is designed to mate with a plug in the chassis when the cover is assembled to the set. In this way, power automatically disconnects when the cover is removed. In such a device, power is supplied to the back cover by the power cord but no electrical component is present in the back cover which uses this power.
There are other devices though whose housings are formed of two halves, where it is a design convenience to supply line power directly to the half which has a component operated by line power. As one example, some humidifiers designed for permanent attachment in ductwork have in a removable housing cover, a fan which operates on line power. A base with which the cover mates is permanently installed in the duct. A transformer in the cover steps down line voltage to 24 v. to operate a solenoid valve in the base for regulating water flow to the humidifier, and for connection to the humidistat. The humidistat completes the 24 v. circuit, powering the solenoid and operating a relay which controls fan power. It is necessary to regularly replace a pad onto which the water is dispensed while the humidifier is operating. Replacing this pad requires the humidifier housing to be opened. This operation is safer if the fan is disabled while the housing is open.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,260, which issued to Schuman on Oct. 12, 1993, describes a humidifier including an internal connector plug having first and second halves which are integrated into the humidifier's cover and base respectively. When the cover is mated to the base, the two connector plug halves are mated automatically to form the electrical connections which allow operation of the humidifier. I hereby incorporate by reference the '260 patent into this application.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
I have developed a variation on the Schuman design which uses externally accessible plug halves and housing halves which do not allow the plug halves to be mated until the housing halves have been properly mated. Such an electrical equipment housing has conventional first and second housing halves. The second housing half is conformed to mate with the first housing half to define an enclosed space. An electrical device is mounted on one of the housing halves so as to be within the enclosed space when the housing halves are mated. A power terminal mounted on one of the housing halves and exterior to the enclosed space when the housing halves are mated, allows connection of the electrical device to a power source. The power terminal may be no more than a power cord for plugging into a conventional receptacle. The device and the power terminal will be defined in the following description on occasion as first and second electrical components.
The housing includes a power supply assembly for conditioning supply of power from the power terminal to the component on proper mating of the housing halves. This assembly comprises an interconnection plug comprising first and second plug halves. These plug halves each carry a number of individual conductors which are intended to electrically connect when the plug halves are mated with each other. A flexible first power cable is electrically and mechanically connected at a first end to the first plug half and at a second end, mechanically to the exterior of the first housing half. The first plug half dangles freely on the flexible power cable from the exterior of the first housing half. A second power cable is mechanically and electrically attached to the second plug half. The second plug half is mechanically attached to the second housing half and accessible from the exterior of the second housing half. The first power cable length and the attachment of the first power cable to the first housing half and the attachment of the second plug half to second housing half allows mating of the plug halves when the housing halves are properly mated. The first and second power cables and the first and second plug halves cooperatively form electrical connection between the first and second electrical components when the first and second plug halves are mated.
In one form of this invention, the second plug half is mounted in the second housing half and accessible from the exterior of the housing. The first housing half includes a surface carrying an aperture in alignment with the second plug half when the housing halves are mated, and wherein the plug halves are mated with the first plug half passing through the aperture.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4912747 (1990-03-01), Sakama et al.
patent: 5108663 (1992-04-01), Chiu
patent: 5212624 (1993-05-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 5252260 (1993-10-01), Schuman
patent: 0187221A3 (1998-01-01), None
Duong Hung Van
Honeywell International , Inc.
Picard Leo P.
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