Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-06
2003-12-16
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S121000, C439S115000, C439S535000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06663435
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related to wiring devices used on branch wiring circuits to deliver electrical power. More particularly, this invention is related to wiring devices, such as power strips, in which multiple branch circuits can be balanced by reconfiguring the wiring device instead of rewiring a circuit protection device or a service entrance panel associated with the wiring device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
FIG. 11
shows a conventional power strip
100
including multiple receptacle outlets
102
that are hardwired to wires in a power cable
104
that connects the power strip
100
to a source of electrical power. The power strip
100
includes receptacle outlets
102
hardwired to a single line conductor. Different versions of the power strip
100
can employ different line conductors connectable to different circuits in an AMPINNERGY power distribution system such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,120, incorporated herein by reference. If a problem, such as an overload condition or power spikes, exists on one of the branch circuits of which a particular line conductor is a part, then additional electrical appliances or electronic components cannot be attached to unused outlets on that branch. Thus, not all receptacle outlets may be available, and when a new appliance is connected to a branch circuit, other appliances may have to be disconnected or an additional power strip, employing a different line conductor may have to be used. In facilities, such as retail display counters, laboratories, classrooms, hospitals or other environments in which repeated or rapid changeovers are necessary, there may not be enough outlets to service all of the devices at that location, even though some branch circuits might be underutilized.
For conventional installations it is necessary to reconfigure the branches at the service entrance or rewire a facility. This operation requires a trained service technician or electrical or wiring consultant who may not be readily available. For instance, in a retail outlet demonstration display area electrical appliances or electronic devices must be connected to existing branch circuits via a wiring device or power strip located in a specific area. When the display area is reconfigured it is often necessary for an electrician to rewire the display area. Often the electrician is not familiar with the layout of the wiring of the facility or that layout is not adequately documented. Even though the branch circuits are identified at the service entrance or circuit protection panel, the physical location of these branch circuits and the outlets or power strips attached thereto may not be easily ascertainable because of previous relocation of display areas. Similar problems can exist in other facilities, such as laboratories or other facilities in which numerous electrical and electronic devices are repeatedly rearranged.
The AMPINNERGY modular power distribution system is one alternative for simplifying installation and rearrangement of electrical power systems. AMPINNERGY is a trademark of Tyco Electronics Corporation. This system is used in modular office systems and in raised floor systems. Electrical power in those systems is distributed through sheathed cables to junction blocks that are mounted in modular wall panel raceways of the type commonly used in cubicle walls. The cable assemblies are available as eight wire systems with four line conductors and five wire systems with three line conductors. The junction blocks can be mounted in raceways in the base of the modular walls by brackets. Connectors on the sheathed cable assemblies are mated to the ends of these junction blocks. Duplex receptacle outlets can be mated with the junction blocks on opposite faces so that equipment can be plugged into the duplex receptacles on both sides of the wall panel. After the duplex receptacle outlets have been mated to the junction boxes, raceway covers are mounted in front of the duplex receptacle modules. These covers have openings to allow access to the duplex receptacle sockets, but the duplex receptacle outlets must be mated to the junction boxes before the covers are installed. Versions of the duplex receptacles can be connected to any one of the line conductors in the cable assemblies so that a duplex receptacle can be connected to a predetermined branch circuit. The individual components of this modular power distribution system include many features, such as multiple wires in cable assemblies and receptacle sites on opposite sides so that the components can be assembled in a wide variety of configurations to meet the need of a specific work space. Modular power distribution systems of this type are also suitable for use in raised access floor systems and on power poles.
An important advantage of the AMPINNERGY modular power distribution system is that the components of the system can be physically moved when space in which they are used is rearranged. Thus when modular wall panels are moved or when access floor outlets are physically rearranged, the cable assemblies can also be physically moved because they are not permanently fixed to the building structure. Although the components of this prior art modular power distribution system can be physically rearranged, the electrical configuration or layout of the branch circuits are not changed as part of this physical reconfiguration. The breaker panel or circuit protection device layout is originally configured by a trained consultant or electrician. The branch circuit configuration defined at the circuit protection device remains the same, even though the physical position of the outlets attached to the modular wall panels or access floor stations may change. To electrically reconfigure modular power distribution systems of this type a trained consultant or electrician would normally reconfigure the branch circuits at the circuit protection device.
Commercially available modular electrical power distribution systems of this type are flexible and facilitate rearrangement of office space, computer facilities, light manufacturing sites and similar commercial and industrial space. However, conventional installations do not address situations in which the types and numbers of electrical appliances or electronic devices that are attached to the branch circuits are frequently changed. For instance in a retail facility, display areas and the demonstration appliances connected in any one area, are changed so frequently that it is not practical to change either the physical arrangement of the major wiring components or the branch circuit layout each time a retail display is modified. When more electrical appliances are attached to a branch circuit available in a retail display, the branch circuit may be overloaded or transients and spikes may be occur that could adversely affect the performance of other electronic components attached to that branch. Thus the branch circuits available in a particular location may limit the configuration of appliances that can be displayed in a given retail display area. Sales or maintenance personnel who typically reconfigure the display area typically do not have proper qualifications to reconfigure the electrical layout to meet new, and perhaps transient, requirements, and it is not practical to employ electricians to continuously make such changes. Similar problems can arise in laboratories, light manufacturing workspaces and in other facilities where frequent changeovers are common.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention provides added flexibility in situations requiring rapid changeover of the branch circuits available at a specific site. With this invention, personnel, other than electricians or trained wiring consultants, can reconfigure branch circuits available at a particular location by simply substituting a receptacle outlet connectable to a different branch circuit. Different versions of receptacle outlets are available so that an installed receptacle outlet connected to an excessively loaded branch circuit can be replaced by a d
Lincoln, III Clifford F.
Sharp, III George E.
Smith Larry H.
Bradley P. Austin
León Edwin A.
Tyco Electronics Corporation
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