NZ711742A - Power Rail Ensemble - Google Patents

Abstract

power rail (1) is disclosed with conventional 240VAC outlet modules (6, 7) and an conventional telephone or data outlet module (8). There is an additional module (10) which has two faceplates, one (16) used for Qi inductive charging and the other (15) having USB charging outlets. The faceplate (16) includes a Qi charging plate which makes electrical connection with a pair of Qi contacts (31, 32). The arrangement enables a user to either utilize inductive Qi charging, or use conventional USB charging. 16) includes a Qi charging plate which makes electrical connection with a pair of Qi contacts (31, 32). The arrangement enables a user to either utilize inductive Qi charging, or use conventional USB charging.

Description

POWER RAIL ENSEMBLE Field of the Invention The present invention relates to power rails and, in particular, to power rail suitable for desktops.

Background Art Traditionally power and communication outlets were provided in skirting boards within and office, and over, this was particularly inconvenient where changes need to be made to electrical equipment used on a desktop. In order to overcome this disadvantage, a power rail including power outlets and data outlets and which sat on a desktop was devised.

Genesis of the Invention The genesis of the present invention is a desire to further enhance the convenience of such a desktop power rail by the introduction of a Qi recharging facility.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a power rail ensemble comprising a multi-module power rail having at least one AC power outlet module and a re-charging module, said modules being arranged in side-by-side fashion to form the power rail, said re-charging module having a body, a pair of Qi charging contacts, and two faceplates each engageable with the re-charging module; a first one of said faceplates having at least one conventional re-charging outlet and no Qi charging outlet, and a second one of said faceplates having at least one conventional re-charging outlet and a generally planar Qi charging inductive coil, wherein with said second faceplate engaged with said re-charging module, said Qi charging inductive coil is positioned above the power rail and is connected across said pair of QI charging contacts, and with said first faceplate engaged with said re- charging module instead, said Qi charging contacts are not connected, are covered by the first faceplate, and are obscured from view. 5254H-AU & NZ In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of recharging an electrical device by the Qi method whilst utilising the above described power rail.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the power rail of the preferred embodiment in its Qi charging mode, Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the power rail of the preferred embodiment in its non- Qi charging mode, and Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the power rail of the preferred embodiment with both faceplates removed.

Detailed Description As seen in Figs. 1-3, the power rail 1 of the preferred embodiment takes the form of a body 2 having two endplates 3, 4. Between the endplates 3, 4 are located two 240V AC general purpose outlet modules 6, 7 and a dual telephone or data outlet module 8.

As is well known, the general purpose outlets 6, 7 enable a PC or other small computer, for example, to be powered from the mains supply whilst the telephone or data outlets 12, 13 of the module 8 enable the computer to be connected to the Internet, for example.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment an additional module 10 is provided which can take either one of two forms as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively. In the situation as illustrated in Fig. 2, the additional module 10 has a faceplate 15 with only two USB outlets 17, 18 respectively. Thus in the condition illustrated in Fig. 2, the USB outlets 17, 18 can be used to recharge a mobile phone, for example, having a USB recharging socket.

However, many mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers are increasingly being provided with a Qi charging facility which utilises an inductive coupling between the mobile device and a dedicated Qi charging dock. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the additional module 10 of 5254H-AU & NZ the power rail 1 has a second, and alternative, faceplate 16 which includes a cantilevered Qi charging plate 20 positioned above the power rail 1. The charging plate 20 includes an embedded inductive coil. As a consequence, those mobile devices which are provided with a Qi charging facility can merely be placed on the charging plate 20 in order to be recharged.

In Fig. 3, the power rail 1 is illustrated with the additional module 10 having both faceplates 15, 16 removed so as to illustrate both the interiors 27, 28 of the USB outlets 17, 18 and the pair of contacts 31, 32 which deliver the time varying Qi charging current to the inductive coil embedded within the Qi charging plate 20.

The above described arrangement has a number of advantages. Firstly, for those purchasers who do have a Qi enabled mobile device, the power rail 1 can be used in the configuration indicated in Fig. 1 with the faceplate 16 on the additional module 10. This means that the desktop is not cluttered with another device in the form of a separate Qi charging dock. Under these circumstances, the faceplate 15 can simply be discarded.

Secondly, for those purchasers who do not have a Qi enabled mobile device, the power rail 1 can be used in the configuration as indicated in Fig. 2 with the faceplate on the additional module 10. In this configuration, the Qi contacts 31, 32 are obscured from view and the latent Qi charging capacity of the power rail 1 is not apparent.

Thirdly, for those purchasers of the power rail 1 who subsequently purchase a Qi enabled mobile device, the faceplate 16 supplied with the power rail 1 when purchased, can be removed from storage in a drawer of the office desk and substituted for the faceplate 15. The faceplate 15 can then be discarded, if desired.

Fourthly, although a power rail ensemble including two different faceplates is purchased by the purchaser, in use the purchaser does not have to switch repeatedly between different ensemble configurations. 5254H-AU & NZ The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the electronic arts, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The term “comprising” (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of “including” or “having” and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”. 5254H-AU & NZ

Claims (5)

CLAIMS 1. The following claims define some aspects of the present invention.

1. A power rail ensemble comprising a multi-module power rail having at least one AC power outlet module and a re-charging module, said modules being arranged in side-by-side fashion to form the power rail, said re-charging module having a body, a pair of Qi charging contacts, and two faceplates each engageable with the re-charging module; a first one of said faceplates having at least one conventional re-charging outlet and no Qi charging outlet, and a second one of said faceplates having at least one conventional re-charging outlet and a generally planar Qi charging inductive coil, wherein with said second faceplate engaged with said re-charging module, said Qi charging inductive coil is positioned above the power rail and is connected across said pair of QI charging contacts, and with said first faceplate engaged with said re-charging module instead, said Qi charging contacts are not connected, are covered by the first faceplate, and are obscured from view.

2. The power rail ensemble as claimed in claim 1 wherein said Qi charging inductive coil is embedded within a cantilevered plate positioned above said power rail.

3. The power rail ensemble as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said conventional recharging outlet comprises a USB outlet.

4. The power rail ensemble as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 and including at least one telephone or data outlet module.

5. A method of recharging an electrical device by the Qi method whilst utilising the power rail as claimed in any one of claims 1-4. Dated this 31st day of August 2015 Assembly Electronics Pty Ltd FRASER OLD & SOHN Patent Attorneys for the Applicant 5254H-AU & NZ