FR2483136A1 - ELECTRICAL CONNECTION DEVICE, IN PARTICULAR FOR OFFICE FURNITURE - Google Patents

Abstract

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION DEVICE, ESPECIALLY FOR OFFICE FURNITURE AND PARTITIONS. ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION, A CONNECTOR BLOCK 1 ALLOWS ON THE ONE HAND THE JUNCTION TO THE ELECTRICAL NETWORK AND TO TRANSMIT THE VOLTAGES RECEIVED TO A TERMINAL BLOCK 1. THIS CONNECTOR ALSO SHOWS A SET OF FREE POSITIONS ALLOWING THE CONNECTION OUTLETS DESTINED EITHER FOR LIGHTING OR FOR SUPPLYING DIFFERENT MACHINES. FLEXIBILITY OF ACCESS TO THE ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK AND DISAPPEARANCE OF POWER WIRES TRAFFIC ON THE GROUND.

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connection device

intended in particular but not

  furniture and partition walls used exclusively

in the offices.

  We know that the current conditions of office work require the use of electrical devices such as consoles, calculators, typewriters, tape recorders, etc ... that it is necessary to connect to the electrical network. In addition, the assignment of offices is

  likely to change and it is desirable that the connection

  equipment used can be done in good conditions. There is currently a majority of offices in which the electrical connection is made from outlets located in the vicinity of the ground or on the ground itself, in which they are directly connected.

  devices. As a result, the power leads re-

  pose directly on the ground, this quinon only is unsightly but moreover leaves something to be desired on the

of security.

  The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks and to propose a device for

  electrical connection which avoids the presence of wires con-

ductors on the floor.

  According to the present invention, the device

  electrical connection is characterized in that

  takes at least one connector block from which at least one bundle of electrical conductors extends, said

  connector comprising at least one set of studs

  to join the sector and at least one

  second set of studs to enable connection

a device.

  The connector block according to the invention thus makes it possible, on the one hand, to make the electrical junction

  network and, on the other hand, the direct connection of a

  mera. According to another characteristic of the invention, the connector block has at least four sets of pads connected in pairs to different circuits. It is known that according to European standards it is necessary to provide on the one hand a circuit for lighting, and on the other hand a power take off circuit for powering appliances consuming more power, two circuits to be independent

For safety reasons.

  According to yet another characteristic of

  vention, the connection between two panels articulated one on the other, is obtained by a flexible junction connected between two connectors. Thus, it is possible to rotate two adjacent panels relative to each other

  while maintaining the electrical connection.

  Other features and advantages of the

  will appear in the course of the description which v ^;

  to follow a particular mode of realization, given

  As a nonlimiting example, with reference to the figures which represent FIG. 1, a connector block;

  Figure 2, a socket intended to come

  in the connector of Figure 1; Figure 3, a flexible junction for ensuring the connection between two elements; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the connector of Figure 1; Figure 5, a section along the line V-V of Figure 1; Figure 6, a sectional view along the line VIVI of Figure 2;

  FIG. 7, a view of the assembly of connected blocks

  inside a plinth;

  Figure 8, a layout diagram of the con-

  electrical connection between two adjacent partitions.

  According to the invention, it is necessary to have inside the office furniture, or partitions surrounding said furniture taken to allow

  connect from an electrical point of view, a device to the network.

  These outlets must be close to one another to avoid long connection wires. According to the invention, these connection points are constituted by connec-

  1, such as that shown in FIG.

  The connector block 1 comprises six columns of five plug-in points 2. Preferably, the plug-in points 2 are specialized and this is how the points 20 are connected to the earth, the points 21 being connected to the neutral of FIG. a first electrical circuit, the points 22 to the phase of the same electrical circuit while the points 23 are connected to the neutral of a second electrical circuit and the

  points 24 at the phase of said second electrical circuit.

  For example, the circuit 20, 21, 22 constitutes the lighting circuit while the circuit 20, 23, 24 constitutes the

circuit force.

  As it appears in FIG. 1, the structure of the connector block 1 is asymmetrical and in particular has at its upper part polarizing lugs 3 while at the bottom and on each column are provided slides 4. The purpose of the lugs 3 and

  slides 4 is to ensure at all times a bran-

  suitably suitable circuit and appliances.

  The connection of a connector block 1 to the network is obtained from a set of conductors connected in a bundle to a socket such as the socket 5 which is shown in Figure 3. This socket 5 constitutes the male part of an assembly whose female part

  is constituted by one of the columns of the connector 1.

  For this purpose, the plug 5 comprises five plugs 50 to 54 which provide the electrical connection under the conditions defined above, that is to say that the plug 50 is intended to bring on the connector block earth, the pins 51 and 52 constituting the phase and the neutral of a first power circuit and the plugs 53, 54

  the phase and the neutral of a second power supply circuit.

  When a nrise connected to the network, is mounted in the

  Inside a connector block 1, there is a set of twenty positions to use this connector block either for the power supply of the device, or for the electrical connection of the latter with another connector block. A socket 5 is of course provided at its lower part with a lug 6 intended to penetrate into

  the slides 4 to avoid any bad connection.

  On a connector block connected to the network, it is possible to connect several sockets 7, such as the one shown in FIG. 2, which comprises three plugs 70, 71 and 72 for connection to the ground, the phase and the neutral of one of the two circuits

  available on the connector of any device.

  In Figure 3 there is shown a flexible junction 8 which is used to make the electrical connection between two connector blocks 1 mounted in different elements and pivotable relative to each other. This flexible junction is constituted by a bundle of five conductors, which do not appear in the figure, molded inside a flexible plastic material. The five drivers are connected to

  each of their two ends has catches 5 and 9.

  They are shaped in their central part according to a U, 10 secured to a cover 11 which plays the role of reinforcement

  for the corner lines 12 and 13 which may be

put to inflections.

  FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a connector block 1 consisting of two molded parts 14 which are identical and can be obtained from a single mold. The molded parts 14 exhibit a

  set of horizontal grooves 16 inside the-

  The connection plates 15 are shown in the section which constitutes FIG. 5. The plate 15 'intended for the grounding of the ring has, in addition, four fixing rods. Of course,

  all the studs formed by a Vlaque 15 are at the same poten-

  tial. The half-shells 14 also have male pawls 17 and. cavities 18 within which are snapped the pawls 17 to ensure good solicitation of the two half-shafts. On each half-shell 14 is provided a side wall 19 projecting from the inner face of each

  half-shell to cover part of the oppo-

  connector, for the sake of isolation and presentation.

  Figure 5 shows different elements previously mentioned. On both sides of the game

  central plate, each plate 15 forms a tongue in the

  2. On these tabs can come lugs 25, 26 and 27 of a socket 7 which is shown in section in Figure 6. These pods form

  clip around the tabs and thus ensure

  satisfactory elastic tact to obtain a good electrical contact. Thanks to the keying system, it is impossible to plug upside down a socket such as the socket 7. The elements of the invention being thus described, Figure 7 shows a possible use of connectors according to the invention. On a support plate 29 are mounted two connectors 1, two columns and 31 are joined by a junction cable 32 to five conductors including one earth, two neutral and two phases. The

  Conductors 32 are gathered in bundles on sockets 5.

  Thus, if the driver on the left is connected to the network, the connector on the right will be automatically connected to the network. According to the invention, even if a column is used to connect the left connector to the network, there are nevertheless eight positions available for connecting sockets such as those shown in FIG. 2, the junction with the subsequent elements being ensured by the conductors 32. The support 29 may be

  secured by screwing through orifices 33 to the inside.

  of a piece of furniture 28, the support 29 being covered later

  by a skirting board. If, after installation of the furniture, there is a need to connect to the mains, it is very easy to remove the baseboard and connect a

taken on one of the connectors 1.

2 4 8 313 6

  Figure 8 shows an electrical link diagram

  The invention concerns a pair of elements 34 and 35 formed for example by movable partitions which can rotate relative to one another, thus making it possible to achieve a new arrangement of the space defined by said partitions. According to the invention, a flexible junction 8 such as that described with reference to FIG. 3 is used, although flexible allows a continuous electrical connection. To do this, the plug 5 is connected to a connector 1 while the plug 9 is connected to a connector 1 belonging to the second element. These connectors are themselves connected to the network as previously described. Once the mobile junction is in place,

  the current flows from element 34 to element 35 without

  continuity and it is possible if necessary to connect

  one or more outlets on the connector blocks 1.

  As described above, a column of plug-in positions can be used either for plugging in a network junction socket such as 5 and in this case the branching safety is ensured.

  by the ergot 6 slide 4, that is to say

  showing a catch such as 7 shown in FIG.

connected to a user device.

  In the latter case, the plug can be plugged either on the first lighting circuit, (top of the connector block), or on the second circuit or circuit "force,

  a single plug that can be plugged into a column.

  In any case, it is important that the earth of the device is connected to the circuit ground. In order to avoid any bad connection, the insertion point 20 (FIG. 1) has a cross section inside a vertical branch into which a cut 74 on

  plug 70 intended to ensure earth security.

  Thus, whatever the considered circuit, the earth of the apparatus is always connected to the general ground without

no risk of inversion.

  Moreover, the lugs 3 prevent plugging

  only two plugs of a plug such as socket 7.

  There are of course only changes. can be made to the embodiments that have just been described, in particular by substitution of equivalent technical means, without departing from the scope of the present invention. REYZNDICATIONS 1. Electrical connection device especially for office furniture, characterized in that it comprises at least one connector block from which extends at least one bundle of electrical conductors, said connector comprising at least one set of pads intended to ensure the electrical connection of the distribution sector and at least a second set of studs intended to allow

the connection of the devices.

  2. Device according to claim 1, characterized

  characterized in that the aforementioned connector block has at least four sets of pins connected two by two to

different circuits.

  3. Device according to one of claims 1

  or 2, characterized in that two connector blocks mounted on two panels hinged to one another are connected

by a flexible junction.

  4. Electrical connection device according to

  one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that

  two connector blocks mounted on the same panel are electrically connected by a bundle of five conductors

  blooming at their ends on two plug-in sockets

on said connectors.

  5. Electrical connection device according to

  any one of the preceding claims, characterized

  characterized in that each connector block consists of two identical half-cups obtained by molding a plastic material, provided with latching means and having grooves inside which are

  immobilized connection plates.

  6. The connector of claim 5, wherein

  it has columns of points of

  chage, each point of the same level being brought to the same potential.

  Connector according to one of claims 5

  to 6, characterized in that the connected plug-in point

  to the earth has a section in the shape of a cross.

  8. Connector according to one. den claims 5 to 7,

  characterized in that a slideway is provided at the bottom of each column, said slide cooperating with a lug disposed at the bottom of a socket having a number of pins equal to the number of insertion points. 9. An electrical connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that the aforementioned flexible junction comprises a number of conductors equal to the number of points of insertion of a connector molded in a flexible sheath whose central end has the shape of a U.

  10. Electrical outlet intended to be

  in a connector according to one of claims 5 to

  8, characterized in that it has three superimposed conductors terminated by lugs capable of being threaded onto the studs formed by the ends of the connecting plates, said socket having on the side of the plug intended to form the connection with the ground, a protrusion can penetrate inside one of the

  vertical branches of the aforementioned ground plug-in point.