WO2004054045A1

WO2004054045A1 - Electrical connector rail

Info

Publication number: WO2004054045A1
Application number: PCT/AU2003/001659
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Ellis; Paul Charlwood
Original assignee: Jme Marketing Services Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2002-12-12
Filing date: 2003-12-11
Publication date: 2004-06-24
Also published as: AU2002953306A0

Abstract

An electrical connector rail (1) comprising, an elongate housing member (3) having an open front face (5), a plurality of modular socket elements (55) arranged serially so that each modular socket element has a socketed forward face accessible through the open front face (5), support means (11, 13, 15, 17) for holding the modular socket elements within the elongate housing, and cavity means (23, 25, 27, 29, 31) extending within the elongate housing member for at least a part of the length thereof, the cavity means being arranged to hold wiring (54) extending along the elongate housing member.

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR RAIL

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a desk mounted combined tool bar and electrical connection rail. In a preferred non-limiting aspect, the invention relates to a connector rail which may be used to provide power from a number of sockets as well as socket connectors for other purposes such as telephone connections, computer connections, etc.

Background of the Invention

Contemporary office design is responding to workplace demands that an individual's task area is highly productive, aesthetically pleasing and cost efficient. As office lease costs escalate, Facilities Managers and their professional advisers are constantly seeking to maximize footprint use by reducing desk sizes and compensating for this by the creative use of vertical storage techniques. Tool bars, bracketed either to the work surface or suspended from privacy screens, provide such storage. Privacy screens are increasingly supported by brackets attached to the desk surface. LCD flat screen monitors are replacing conventional CRT monitors as costs decrease, providing vastly improved desktop real estate usage, enhanced all the more by suspension from a vertically mounted articulated arm. The increasing availability and use of portable computers and peripheral electronic devices requires convenient docking methods for access to power and data sources, but brings with it a burgeoning problem of cable management. The increasing diversity of such individual solutions gives rise to the need to have as many of these functions combined within the one unit.

Disclosure of the Invention

The invention provides in one aspect an electrical connector rail comprising, an elongate housing member having an open front face, a plurality of modular socket elements arranged serially so that each modular socket element has a socketed forward face accessible through the open front face, support means for holding the modular socket elements within the elongate housing, and cavity means extending within the elongate housing member for at least a part of the length thereof, the cavity means being arranged to hold wiring extending along the elongate housing member.

Suitably electrical and data cables are segregated by means of a physical barrier. The modular socket elements may each include one or more sockets. They may include a plurality of power sockets.

The elongate housing member may be formed of any material suitable for holding the components comprising the electrical connector rail. It may comprise metal or plastic. It may comprise an extruded member of substantially constant cross section along most of its length. It may comprise an aluminium extrusion.

Where the elongate housing member comprises an extrusion with open ends, it may also comprise end caps which fit over the open ends to close them off. The housing member may comprise one or more electric loudspeakers and/or headphone jacks. USB docking panels, telephone sockets, internet connections, video input and output sockets, audio input and output sockets, and computer connect sockets may also be included.

The elongate housing member may be mounted on legs. The legs and elongate housing member may be provided with co-operating means for attaching one to the other. For example, the legs may be provided with projections which fit within one or more slots in the elongate housing member or the end caps.

The legs may be hollow. Thus the legs may be used to effectively provide a duct for wiring extending from the legs into the elongate housing. The legs may also be provided with means for attaching the legs to a support such as a desk. These attachment means may comprise a clamping member connected to each of the legs.

The legs may also be provided with the means of attaching and suspending a privacy screen. They may be hollow. They may include a segregating fin to allow the conduit and separation of power and data cabling.

The modular socket elements may take one or more forms. For example, they may comprise power supply elements. These power supply elements may be joinable end to end. Power supply elements of this type are commercially available. Banks of two or more modular power supply socket elements may be separated by one or more spacers. At least one of the modular socket elements may comprise a sealed unit power pack with couplings either end for the attachment, and if necessary the detachment/attachment of electrical cables.

The power supply modular elements may be supported within the elongate housing member. They may be supported by one or more internal abutments forming the elongate housing member.

Hook means may also be provided in association with the modular socket elements and/or the interior of the elongate housing member to securely attach the modular socket elements within the elongate housing member.

The elongate housing member may be provided with one or more external slots. Such external slots may be used to attach capping. They also may be used to attach the legs and/or any other items which can be hung from the slots.

A plurality of socket covers may be provided to close off the open front face. The socket covers may include access holes for allowing penetration of electrical connector elements into the modular socket elements. Alternatively or additionally, one or more socket covers or mounting covers may be used to mount modular socket elements. In such a configuration, it is anticipated that the modular socket elements may comprise telephone connections or computer connections mounted on the covers.

The arrangement of the elongate housing member on the legs may be such that the elongate housing member is reversible. With such an arrangement, it is anticipated that the legs may be connectable to the end caps rather than to the extrusion comprising the elongate housing member.

In another aspect the invention comprises an extrusion for the elongate housing member as herein described.

Preferred aspects of the invention will now be described with reference to the ' accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of an electrical connector rail according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows an assembled electrical connector rail according to the invention;

Figure 3 shows the assembled connector rail of Figure 2 with the legs reversed;

Figure 4 shows an electrical connector rail according to the invention of Figure 3 from the rear;

Figure 5 shows the electrical connector rail according to Figure 2 from the rear;

Figure 6 shows a cross-section X-X through the connector rail of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 shows the section Y-Y of the electrical connector rail of Figure 2. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

The various elements identified by numerals in the drawings are listed in the following integer list.

Integer List

1 Electrical connector rail

3 Elongate housing member

5 Open front face

6 Forward lip

7 Rear face

9 Slot

11 Hook

13 Hook

15 Internal abutment

17 Internal abutment

19 Upper slot

21 Lower slot

23, 25, 27, 29, 31 Internal cavities

33 Top capping

35 Bottom capping

37 End cap

38 Slot

39 Leg

41 Forward leg section

42 Projection

43 Rear leg section

45 Screw

46 Screw hole

47 Mounting recess

49 Clamping member 51 Wire

53 Wire

54 Wire

55 Modular socket 57 Spacer bar

59 Socket

61 Socket cover

63 Mount cover

65 Computer socket 67 Cover plate

Referring to Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings there is shown an electrical connector rail generally designated 1 comprising as one of its components an elongate housing member 3.

The elongate housing member may be formed of any material with sufficient strength to withstand the forces typically encountered in applications of this sort. For example, it must be strong enough to take the force required to insert and withdraw electrical plugs from the sockets which are held by the connector rail.

For this .purpose therefore, it is preferred that the electrical connector rail be formed of a material which can be extruded according to a substantially constant cross- section. Aluminium or reinforced plastic may each be suitable materials.

The elongate housing member 3 is formed with an open front face 5 defined between two forward lips 6.

The rear face 7 of the housing member closes off the rear of the housing member. It may be. formed with a slot 9 extending along the length of the member. The slot 9 may be used to hang or attach various items to the elongate housing member. The interior of the elongate housing member includes hooks 11 and 13 which serve to locate and hold the modular sockets 55.

Internal abutments 15 and 17 also serve to hold or mount the sockets 55 within the elongate housing member.

The elongate housing member is also formed with upper and lower slots 19 and 21 respectively extending along the top and bottom thereof. These slots are arranged to hold the top and bottom capping members 33 and 35 which are shaped so that the T-shaped portions of these capping members are held within the slots after the capping members have been slid into position.

Internal cavities 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31 are defined in the elongate housing member between the elongate housing member and the modular sockets 55. These slots can be used to allow wiring to extend within the elongate housing member so that they can connect with any sockets or other electrical members within the cavity.

End caps 37 are provided to close off each of the open ends of the elongate housing member.

The end caps each include a slot 38 to receive and retain the projections 42 formed as part of the legs 39. In an alternative arrangement, the projections 42 may fit into the slot 9 formed on the elongate housing member. Thus the construction may be such as to provide for flexibility of the positioning of the legs either along the elongate housing member or the end caps.

Each of the legs is formed of a forward leg section 41 and a rear leg section 43. Between these two sections 41 and 43 a hollow interior for allowing threading of wiring therethrough is formed when the forward and rear sections are joined together to form a completed leg. Screws 45 which thread into the screw holes 46 are used to join the forward and rear sections together. The two leg sections when joined together form a mounting recess 47 which is adapted to fit over the edge of the top of a desk or table to allow the legs to be secured thereto. A clamping member 49 fitted between the two leg sections may be used to provide an adjustable clamp for different table or desk thicknesses.

Wires 51 and 53 for power, telephone and computer signals may be threaded through the hollow legs to communicate with the interior of the elongate housing member.

Thus the wires 51 may be connected at either end to one of the modular sockets 55 for power supply. As many modular sockets 55 as are required by a user may be joined end to end in the manner illustrated in Figure 1. The join between adjoining modular sockets can be used to wire in the sockets to each other.

A spacer bar 57 may be provided between banks of sockets on either side of the elongate housing member to assist with holding them rigidly in place. The spacer bar itself may also provide a locating or holding means for other sockets or elements held within the elongate housing member.

Socket covers 61 are fitted over the top of each of the modular sockets 55 with the edges of the socket covers completely overlying the open face 5. The socket covers may be shaped so that they snugly fit into corresponding recesses provided at the front face of the elongate housing member.

Sockets for other purposes such as the telephone sockets 59 connected by the wire 54 extending through internal cavity 25 may be mounted directly on the mounting covers 63 which also cover the open front face of the elongate housing member. Similarly, computer connections 65 may be mounted on mounting covers 63 as well.

Any remaining space not taken up by sockets or other connections may be covered by the cover plate 67 fitted over the remaining region of the open front face. Because of the modular nature of the different components forming the electrical connector rail, it is possible to build up an arrangement of different types of sockets to one's own personal specification. In addition, the construction is such that the mounting of the elongate housing member on the legs 39 can be reversed so that the connection of plugs to various sockets can be put out of view. This is illustrated more clearly by the alternative arrangements shown in Figures 2 and 3.

It will be also understood that where the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", are used in this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features but is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other feature or features.

It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector rail comprising, an elongate housing member having an open front face, a plurality of modular socket elements arranged serially so that each modular socket element has a socketed forward face accessible through the open front face, support means for holding the modular socket elements within the elongate housing, and cavity means extending within the elongate housing member for at least a part of the length thereof, the cavity means being arranged to hold wiring extending along the elongate housing member.

2. An electrical connector rail according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of the modular socket elements comprise power supply sockets.

3. An electrical connector rail according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the wiring comprises electrical and data cables segregated by a physical barrier.

4. An electrical connector rail according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elongate housing member comprises an open ended extruded member of substantially constant cross section, and the open ends of the extruded member are closed off by caps.

5. An electrical connector rail according to any one of the preceding claims comprising one or more legs fitted for supporting the elongate housing member.

6. An electrical connector rail according to claim 5 wherein the legs are fitted at opposite ends of the elongate housing member.

7. An electrical connector rail according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein at least one of the legs is hollow so as to provide a duct for wiring extending through the leg into the elongate housing.

8. An electrical connector rail according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elongate housing member comprises can open front face defined between two forward lips.

9. An electrical connector rail according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elongate housing member comprises a rear face formed with a slot extending along the length of the rear face.

10. An electrical connector rail according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein each leg comprises a forward leg section and rear leg section which fit together to provide a hollow interior for allowing wiring to be threaded therethrough and a mounting recess adapted to fit over the edge of the top of a desk or table to facilitate mounting of the legs thereon.

11. An electrical connector rail according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the modular socket elements comprise a mixture of at least two different types of modular socket elements chosen from power supply sockets, USB docking, audio input sockets, audio output sockets, internet connections, telephone sockets, video input sockets, video output sockets, and computer related sockets.

12. An electrical connector rail according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.