LU83379A1 - ELECTRICAL CONNECTION DEVICE, PARTICULARLY FOR OFFICE FURNITURE - Google Patents

Description

1 * * The present invention relates to an electrical connection device intended in particular, but not exclusively, for furniture and partitions used in offices.

5 It is known that current office working conditions require the use of electrical devices such as consoles, calculating machines, typewriters, tape recorders, etc. which it is necessary to connect to the electrical network. In addition, the allocation of offices is subject to change and it is desirable that the connection of the devices used can be done in good conditions.

There is currently a majority of offices in which the electrical connection is made from sockets arranged in the vicinity of the ground or on the ground itself / in which the devices are connected directly. As a result, the supply wires rest directly on the ground, which not only is unsightly but moreover leaves something to be desired in terms of safety.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks and to propose an electrical connection device which avoids the presence of conductive wires on the ground.

According to the present invention, the electrical connection device is 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 pins 30 tiné to ensure the junction of the sector and at least a second set of studs intended to allow the connection of a device.

The connector block according to the invention thus makes it possible on the one hand to make the electrical connection to the network and on the other hand to connect a device directly.

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According to another characteristic of the invention, the connector block has at least four sets of studs connected two by two to different circuits. It is known in fact that, according to European standards, it is necessary to provide on the one hand a circuit intended for lighting and on the other hand a PTO circuit intended for supplying devices consuming more power, the two circuits must be independent for security reasons.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the connection between two panels hinged 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 characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the description which follows of a particular embodiment, given solely by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to FIGS. 20 which represent:

Figure 1, a connector block;

Figure 2, a socket intended to be inserted into the connector of Figure 1;

FIG. 3, a flexible junction intended to ensure the connection between two elements;

Figure 4, 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 line VI-VI

of Figure 2;

FIG. 7, a view of the mounting of connector blocks inside a plinth;

Figure 8, a layout diagram of the electrical connection between two adjacent partitions.

According to the invention, it is necessary to have inside office furniture, or

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3 partitions surrounding said socket outlets making it possible to connect an appliance to the network from an electrical point of view.

These sockets must be close to each other to avoid excessively long connection wires. According to the invention, these connection points are constituted by connectors 1, such as that which is represented in FIG. 1.

The connector block 1 comprises six columns of five insertion points 2. Preferably, the connection points 2 are specialized and this is how the points 20 are connected to the ground, the points 21 being connected to the neutral of a first electrical circuit, the points 22 to the phase of the same electrical circuit. while points 23 are connected to the neutral of a second electrical circuit and points 24 to the phase of said second electrical circuit.

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

As shown in FIG. 1, the structure of the connector block 1 is asymmetrical and in particular 2q has at its upper part polarizing pins 3 while at the lower part and on each column are provided slides 4. The purpose of the pins 3 and slides 4 is to ensure at all times a suitable connection of the circuit and the devices.

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

To this end, the socket 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 the earth, the plugs 51 and 52 constituting the phase and the neutral 35 of a first supply circuit and the plugs 53, 54 the phase and the neutral of a second supply circuit.

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When a connection connected to the network is mounted inside a connector block 1, there is a set of twenty positions to use this connector block either for powering the device or for the 5 electrical junction of it with another connector block. A socket 5 is of course provided at its lower part with a lug 6 intended to penetrate the slides 4 in order to avoid any bad connection.

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

FIG. 3 shows a flexible junction 8 which is used to make the electrical connection between two connector blocks 1 mounted in different elements and which can pivot relative to one another. This flexible junction consists of a bundle of five conductors, which do not appear in the figure, molded inside of a flexible plastic material. The five conductors are connected at each of their two ends to sockets 5 and 9.

They are shaped in their central part according to a U, 10 secured to a cover 11 which acts as a reinforcement for the corner lines 12 and 13 which can be subjected to bending.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a connector block 1 consisting of two molded parts 30 which are identical and can be obtained from a single mold. The molded parts 14 have a set of horizontal grooves 16 inside which are sliding connection plates 15. The connection plates 15 appear in position on the section which constitutes FIG. 5. The plate 15 'intended for placing to the ground of the panel also has four fixing strips. Of course, all the pads formed by a plate 15 are at the same potential. The half-shells 14 also have pawls * i 5 males. 17 and. cavities 18 inside which come s1encliquiquet the pawls 17 to ensure a good joining of the two half ~ shells. A side wall 19 5 is provided on each half-shell 14 projecting from the internal face of each half-shell so as to partially cover the opposite face of the connector, for the sake of isolation and presentation.

We see in Figure 5 different elements previously mentioned. On either side of the central part 10, each plate 15 forms a tongue inside the cavities 2. On these tongues can be plugged the lugs 25, 26 and 27 of a socket 7 which is shown in section in FIG. 6. These lugs form a clamp around the tongues and thus ensure a satisfactory elastic contact making it possible to obtain good electrical contact. Thanks to the keying system, it is impossible to connect a socket such as socket 7 in reverse. The constituent elements of the invention being thus described, FIG. 7 shows a possible use of the connectors according to the invention. On a support plate 29 are mounted two connectors 1, two columns 30 and 31 of which are joined by a junction cable 32 with five conductors, one earth / two neutral and two phases. The conductors 32 are joined together in bundles on sockets 5.

25 Thus, if the left conductor is connected to the network, the right connector 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 still 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 can be secured by screwing through orifices 33 inside a piece of furniture 28, the support 29 being covered laterally by a plinth. If, after installation of the cabinet, there is a need for connection to the mains, it is very easy to remove the plinth and connect a plug to one of the connectors 1.

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FIG. 8 represents a diagram of electrical connection between two elements 34 and 35 constituted for example by movable partitions which can rotate relative to each other thus making it possible to carry out a new arrangement of the defined space by said partitions.

According to the invention, a flexible junction 8 is used such as that which has been described with reference to FIG. 3 which, although flexible, allows a continuous electrical connection. To do this, the socket 5 is connected to a connector 1 while the socket 9 is connected to a connector 1 belonging to the second element. These connectors are themselves connected to the network as described above. Once the mobile junction is in place, current flows from element 34 to element 35 without dis-continuity and it is possible, if necessary, to connect one or more sockets to 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 20 and in this case connection security is ensured by lug 6 cooperation slide 4, or for plugging in a socket such as 7 shown in FIG. 2 connected to a user device.

In the latter case, the socket can be inserted either on the first lighting circuit (top of the connector block) or on the second circuit or "force" circuit, a single socket that can be inserted on a column.

In all cases, it is important that the earth of the device is connected to the earth of the circuit. To avoid any poor connection, the insertion point 20 (FIG. 1) has a cross-shaped section, inside a vertical branch into which a groove 74 provided on the plug 70 intended to ensure the earth security.

Thus, whatever the circuit considered, the ground 35 of the device is always connected to the general ground without any risk of inversion.

Furthermore, the pins 3 prevent the insertion of only two plugs from a socket such as the socket 7.

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It goes without saying that. Modifications can be made to the embodiments which have just been described, in particular by substitution of equivalent technical means, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. Electrical connection device in particular 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 studs intended for ensuring the electrical connection of the distribution sector and at least one second set of studs intended to allow the connection of the devices. 2. Device according to claim 1, charac terized in that the aforementioned connector block has at least four sets of pads connected in pairs to different circuits. 3. Device according to one of claims 1 15 or 2, characterized in that two connector blocks, mounted on two panels hinged one on the other, 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 opening out at their ends on two plug-in sockets on said plugs connectors. 5. Electrical connection device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each connector block consists of two identical half-shells obtained by molding a plastic material, provided with latching means and having grooves inside which are fixed connection plates. 6. Connector according to claim 5, characterized in that it has columns of points of enfi-chage, each point of the same level being brought to the same potential. 7. Connector according to one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that the insertion point connected to the ground has a cross-shaped section. • "9 * 8. Connector according to one, of. Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that a slide is provided at the lower part of each column, said slide cooperating with a lug arranged at the lower part of a socket 5 carrying a number of plugs equal to the number of plug-in 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 plug-in points of a connector molded in a flexible sheath whose central end has the shape of an ü. 10. Electric outlet intended to be plugged into a connector according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that it has three superimposed conductors 15 terminated by lugs capable of being threaded onto the studs formed by the ends connection plates, said socket having, on the side of the plug intended to constitute the connection with the earth, a projection which can penetrate inside one of the 20 vertical branches of the aforementioned earth insertion point.