Electrical connectors – Comprising coupling part of indeterminate length laterally... – Included in prefabricated building panel
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-19
2004-12-14
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Comprising coupling part of indeterminate length laterally...
Included in prefabricated building panel
C439S211000, C174S0450TD
Reexamination Certificate
active
06830468
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a furniture system with electrification, the furniture system having a plurality of structural elements formed for receiving functional furniture units. Furthermore, the invention relates to a multiple plug which makes the electrification of the furniture system possible.
STATE OF THE ART
Nowadays virtually every workplace—whether in the office, laboratory or home—is provided with a computer. Even telephones are often no longer operated by the current from the telephone line alone, but like every other item of electrical equipment have to be connected to the power supply system. Finally, to satisfy individual requirements for light (that is in offices with a plurality of workplaces), additional desk lamps or floor lamps are often used.
Conventionally, an extension cable with a multipoint connector is laid on the floor and has the various loads connected directly to it. Experience shows that this results in a tangle of cables, which cannot be satisfactory from aspects of safety or esthetics. To avoid such a tangle of cables, cable ducts are also known. These are laid in or on the floor, the wall or the ceiling.
Specifically in the case of modular furniture systems, there have been a wide variety of approaches to a solution. On the one hand, DE-A 196 21 547 A1 (USM) discloses a modular interior furnishing system comprising a plurality of different functional units, such as carcasses, work-surfaces, partition panels, light fittings, etc., each structural element of the interior furnishing system taking the form of a free-standing, vertical, closed rectangular frame. In order that cables can be accommodated in the frame, ducts or grooves are provided in the latter. On the other hand, bus bars have been used for the electrification of modular furniture systems. Such an approach is disclosed, for example, in WO 98/38705.
A further possibility for electrification of an interior space-dividing system with a switching system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,495 A (Johnson et al.). The switching system controls panel-mounted receptacle units. Each panel is provided with a pre-cabled electrical system and has on the lower side a cable duct in which the electrification is accommodated. The panels set up alongside one another are electrically interconnected by means of multiple plugs with a flexible electrical connector. A housing can engage in slots in the frame of the panels and be displaced vertically at set increments.
GB 2 101 175 A (Project Office Furniture Ltd) shows an electrification system for panel screens with cable ducts, in which the electrical supply is accommodated. The continuous cable ducts can be displaced vertically at set increments along the longitudinal struts of the panel screens. Lines are arranged in the cable ducts, and terminals and sockets are arranged at the ends. By means of terminals, the cable ducts are connected to one another with a short cable or a spiral cable. The cable ducts may also be of an open design, in order that, for example, a socket unit can be laterally displaced in the cable duct.
The majority of the known electrification systems are intended for installation in buildings. To be mentioned by way of example are bus bars for lighting and those for setting sockets at freely selectable locations. These arrangements conform to the common safety standards, but are quite large and complicated in their construction. In addition, bus bar systems for special applications are known, but they usually fail to satisfy safety requirements.
Cases of electrification of entire furniture systems are known from display cabinet construction. In these cases, the levels formed by the individual parts of the structural element are covered with glass plates or metal sheets. The electrification takes place, for example, by cables permanently installed in the longitudinal struts and defined taps for light fittings. The longitudinal struts may also have integrated bus bars. These embodiments usually operate on low voltage, in particular in the range from 12 to 24 V, in order that the profile size of the longitudinal struts remains within certain limits, so that an esthetic design of the furniture is still possible. In the case of all these known systems, modular extension, in particular also of the electrification, is possible only to a restricted extent.
If furniture systems are extended, reduced or changed over, the cabling must be laboriously adapted each time to the new situation. If the cabling of a furniture system was laid during construction—for example in the floor, the walls or the ceiling—, additional complex adaptations are necessary.
All the known systems do not satisfy the requirements which have to be met by a modular furniture system of today and the future.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide electrification of a furniture system which prevents a tangle of cables and makes allowance for user-specific requirements, in particular in the case of modular furniture systems, to the extent that the electrification can be adapted by the user himself with minimal effort.
The way in which the object is achieved is defined by the features of claim
1
. According to the invention, the electrification of the furniture system has a multiple plug which can be fastened to a part of the structural element. This multiple plug is fed by a cable of a predetermined length, which is carried by a structural element and serves as an electrical connection between multiple plugs of two neighboring structural elements of the furniture system.
By this system for electrification, a tangle of cables is prevented and the advantages of a modular furniture system are nevertheless retained. The modularity of the furniture system demands that, in spite of the cabling, the structural elements can be changed over, the number of structural elements can be increased or reduced. In particular, this must be possible quickly, easily and while ensuring orderly cable routing. The cable carried by a structural element of the furniture system may be accommodated, for example, in what is known as a cable duct or a recess in the structural element. Some other form of fastening to the structural element is also conceivable. The terminals of the cables are inserted into the multiple plug and consequently form a flexible and user-friendly electrical connection. The fastening of the multiple plug to a part of the structural element allows it to be attached at a height in a flexible range—within the constraints of the cable length available. Furthermore, the neighboring structural elements of the furniture system can be arranged in series against one another as desired.
To ensure the easy operation of, for example, lighting which is fastened to an upper part of the structural element, a switch or a button may also be fastened to a part of the structural element of the furniture system. Previously, the switch or button was often arranged directly on a light fitting. The upper part of the structural element is usually arranged at a height of 1.80 to 2.20 m, which sometimes makes it difficult to operate the light fitting and, for short people in particular, significantly impairs the ease of operating such a modular furniture system. This switch or button may also serve as a main switch of an entire group of items of electrical equipment (for example computers, printers, desk lamps, etc.). Apart from the use of switches or buttons, sensors may also be used.
One advantage is the displaceable fastening of the multiple plug and/or the switch or button. Specifically in the case of the switch or button, the height can consequently be set to the individual height of the user. In particular, the displaceable fastening possibilities of the multiple plugs allow a modular set-up of the structural elements to be ensured even when they are, for example, arranged at different distances from one another.
A slide-like design of the fastening means is preferred. This makes it possible for the multiple plug, for example, to be displaced as desired. The
Cassani Antonio
Gerber Andre
Schaerer Alexander
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Chung-Trans Xuong
Ta Tho D.
USM Holding AG
LandOfFree
Wiring of a modular furniture system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wiring of a modular furniture system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wiring of a modular furniture system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3281203