WO2011088495A1

WO2011088495A1 - Workstation supply arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2011088495A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/000002
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gregory Brent Welsh
Original assignee: Sebel Furniture Ltd
Priority date: 2010-01-20
Filing date: 2011-01-04
Publication date: 2011-07-28

Abstract

The present invention discloses a double sided electrical outlet (6, 106) for either power or data/communications. The outlet has a two part housing (10) with an inter-engageable connection mechanism (21, 22). Each housing part has an outlet plate (17, 18) and when the housing is formed by interconnection of the two parts, the distance between the two plates is preferably equal to the thickness of a wall divider central board (32). Grooves (34, 44) are cut in the central divider to accommodate cables (14, 15) leading to and from the outlets (6) which are positioned in apertures (36, 37) cut in the board (32). The board (32) is preferably provided with a textile covering on each side and the two outlet plates (17, 18) which compress and secure the textile coverings.

Description

Workstation Supply Arrangement

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to workstations of the type which are installed in commercial premises.

Background Art

In commercial office premises the landlord is responsible for providing an interior carpeted space in which services such as an AC mains supply (typically 240V in Australia) and telecommunications data outlets such as telephone sockets and internet sockets are positioned around the skirting boards which delineate the perimeter of the space to be rented. It is the responsibility of the tenant to provide the internal partitioning and the supply of furniture etc. Where internal walls are to be constructed, then tradesmen are required to erect the partitioning and at the same time an electrical tradesman is required to provide power and data cabling to the partitions so that the skirting boards in the newly created offices can also be provided with power outlets and data/telephone outlets. However, in recent times open plan offices have become increasingly popular and large areas of floor space are provided with "furniture" which consists essentially of desk like level surfaces which extend from, say, shoulder height dividers which provide a low height dividing wall between adjacent works spaces. Hitherto, it has been necessary for the tenant to employ an electrical tradesman to provide power and data/telephone cabling to such workstations and this has added considerably to the cost of installing such workstations.

Genesis of the Invention

The genesis of the present invention is a desire to reduce the install cost of such workstations.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a double- sided electrical outlet for workstation wall dividers, said outlet comprising a housing having at least one cable, a first outlet plate connected with, or forming, one side of said housing, said first outlet plate having at least one outlet electrically connected to said cable, a second outlet plate engageable with said housing to connect with, or form, an opposite side of said housing with said outlet plates being substantially parallel and spaced apart by the thickness of a wall divider, and said second outlet plate having at least one outlet electrically connected to one part of a two part connector, the other part of said connector being in said housing and being electrically connected to said cable, the engagement of said second outlet plate and housing also interconnecting said two part connector.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a workstation electrical supply arrangement comprising a plurality of outlets mounted on at least one wall divider each of which comprises a central board, said outlets being interconnected with at least one cable each of which is located in a groove formed in a corresponding one of said central board(s), and said eable(s) terminating in a plug in connector able to be plugged into a wall or floor mounted outlet.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of above of a single workstation assembly providing four workstations,

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a double-sided outlet in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention,

Fig. 3 is a like exploded perspective view of the double-sided outlet of Fig. 2, but illustrating the opposite side thereof,

Fig. 4 is a schematic truncated perspective view illustrating the interior one of the wall dividers of the workstation of Fig. 1,

Figs. 5 and 6 are views equivalent to those of Figs. 2 and 3 but of a double- sided outlet of a second embodiment of a present invention, and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but of the preferred form of data outlet. Detailed Description

As seen in Fig. 1, a workstation 1 has four wall dividers 2 which are arranged in a cruciform shape. Extending from the wall dividers 2 are desk surfaces 3 which are supported by legs 4. The entire workstation 1 essentially constitutes a large piece of furniture and is normally supplied in a disassembled condition and assembled on site.

The workstation 1 is supplied with conveniently located power outlets 6 and data outlets 7 which are preferably conveniently located immediately above the desk surfaces 3, thereby saving the employees the task of having to bend over, or crawl down towards, outlets located at skirting board level. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention such outlets 6, 7 are preferably double- sided.

It will be appreciated in relation to Fig. 1 that the wall dividers 2 are preferably covered with sound absorbing material which normally has a textile or other fabric as a covering surface.

Turning now to Figs. 2 and 3, the power outlets 6 illustrated in Fig. 1 are preferably of a type illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and take the form of a housing 10 having a first outlet plate 1 1 and a second outlet plate 12. The housing 10 has an inlet supply cable 14 and an outlet supply cable 15 and a pair of outlet sockets 17 is provided in the first outlet plate 11. The sockets 17 are connected to the cables 14, 15 so as to provide an AC mains supply in known fashion. Indeed, the housing 10 with a plain back wall but otherwise as illustrated in Fig. 2 is a known item of commerce.

What is not hitherto known is to provide the second outlet plate 12 with one half 21 of a two part connector, the other half 22 of which is formed in the rear wall of the housing 10 as illustrated in Fig. 3. The second outlet plate 12 has outlet sockets 18 which are connected to the half connector 21. Similarly, the other half connector 22 is connected to the cables 14 and 15 so when the two part connector 21, 22 is completed, as happens when the second outlet plate 12 is pressed into the rear surface of the housing 10, then the outlet sockets 18 are thereby connected to the cables 14, 15. In this connection the one half 21 and either the other half 22 or the housing 10 are provided with complementary shaped snap engageable connectors so that once the second outlet plate 12 is pushed against the housing 10, the two units are

interconnected and are intended to remain so interconnected.

Turning now to Fig. 4, the interior of a portion of one of the wall dividers 2 is illustrated and takes the form of a central board 32 which is normally covered with sound absorbing textile or fabric material so as to create the completed wall divider 2. The central board 32 is provided with two rectangular apertures 36, 37 which are positioned at the height and location of the power outlet 6 and data outlet 7 respectively. The apertures 36, 37 are dimensioned to receive the housing 10.

In addition, the central board 32 is provide with grooves 34 and 35 which are routed into the front surface of the central board 32 as seen in Fig. 4 and which respectively house the inlet supply cable 14 and outlet supply cable 15 respectively. The inlet supply cable 14 is terminated in a conventional three pin mains supply power plug 39.

As indicated by broken lines in Fig. 4, the rear surface of the central board 32 is provided with grooves 44 and 45 which respectively lead towards and away from the aperture 37 intended to receive the data outlet 7. These grooves 45 carry

communications cables such as twisted paired telephone cables or coaxial cables and terminate in a conventional communications plug 49 which is illustrated in Fig. 1.

It will be apparent from Figs. 1 to 4 that at the factory, the central board 32 is cut so as to fabricate the apertures 36, 37 and the grooves 34, 35, 44 and 45. Then the power cables 14, 15 and power outlets 6 and data cables and data outlets 7 are positioned so that the electrical installation is completed at the factory. Preferably the outlet plates I I, 12 are used to assist holding the textile covering of the completed wall divider 2 in its final position.

The completed wall divider 2 has only the power plug 39 and communications plug 49 extending therefrom so the purchaser is able to plug into the landlord supplied power and communication sockets without the need for a skilled, and thus expensive, electrical tradesman to visit the rented premises. The above described factory assembly procedure enables the workstation 1 to be packed in a "flat pack" in knock down form and purchased at a bulky goods store by the purchaser and assembled on site by the purchaser. In this way, the expense of an electrical tradesman is entirely avoided.

Turning now to Figs, 5 and 6, an alternative form of power outlet is illustrated in which the designation numbers are increased by 100 over the designation numbers used in Figs. 2 and 3. The power outlet 106 has a first outlet plate 1 1 1 and second outlet plate 1 12 as before, however, the housing 110 is modified so as to have three sheathed male pins 141 and three complementary sockets 142 which enables the power outlet 106 to be connected to supply cables (not illustrated) by means of connector plugs which mate with the pins 141 and sockets 142, such connectors being known per se. In this way the location and interconnection of the power outlets 106 and data outlets 107 can be assembled in a modular fashion and the required cables cut to length and terminated with the corresponding connectors.

Turning now to Fig. 7, the data outlets 7 illustrated in Fig. 1 are preferably of a type illustrated in Fig. 7 and take the form of a housing 1 10 having a first outlet plate 1 11 and a second outlet plate 1 12. The housing 1 10 has an inlet data cable 1 14 and an outlet data cable 1 15 and a pair of data outlet sockets is provided in the second outlet plate 1 11. The data outlet sockets are connected to the cables 1 14, 1 15 so as to provide a data outlet in known fashion. Indeed, the housing 1 10 with a plain back wall but otherwise as illustrated in Fig. 7 is a known item of commerce. As with the power outlet 6, what is not hitherto known in relation to the data outlets 7 is to provide the second outlet plate 1 12 with one half 121 of a two part connector, the other half 122 of which is formed in the rear wall of the housing 1 10 as illustrated in Fig. 7. The second outlet plate 1 12 has a pair of data sockets 1 17 which are connected to the half connector 121. Similarly, the other half connector 122 is connected to the cables 1 14 and 1 15 so when the two part connector 121 , 122 is completed, as happens when the second outlet plate 1 12 is pressed into the rear surface of the housing 1 10, then the outlet sockets 117 are thereby connected to the cables 114, 1 15. In this connection the one half 121 and either the other half 122 or the housing 1 10 are preferably provided with complementary shaped snap engageable connectors so that oncejthe second outlet plate 112 is pushed against the housing 1 10, the two units are interconnected and are intended to remain so interconnected.

The foregoing describes only two embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the electrical arts, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the outlet sockets 17, 18 can be provided with corresponding on/off switches.

In addition, in order to accommodate central boards 32 of different thicknesses, the housing 10, 1 10 can be provided with snap fasteners having a ratchet mechanism. Thus the outlet plates 11 ,12,1 1 1, 112 can be pushed towards each other until flush with the opposite faces of the central board 32 with the ratchet mechanism being compressed to a degree corresponding to the thickness of the central board 32 within a predetermined range of thicknesses.

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.

Claims

1. A double-sided electrical outlet for workstation wall dividers, said outlet comprising a housing having at least one cable, a first outlet plate connected with, or forming, one side of said housing, said first outlet plate having at least one outlet electrically connected to said cable, a second outlet plate engageable with said housing to connect with, or form, an opposite side of said housing with said outlet plates being substantially parallel and spaced apart by the thickness of a wall divider, and said second outlet plate having at least one outlet electrically connected to one part of a two part connector, the other part of said connector being in said housing and being electrically connected to said cable, the engagement of said second outlet plate and housing also interconnecting said two part connector.

2. The outlet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cable and outlet are for

telecommunications data.

3. The outlet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cable and outlet are for a mains AC supply.

4. The outlet as claimed in claim 3 wherein said outlet plates each include at least one on/off switch.

5. The outlet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said second outlet plate includes snap engagement means engageable with complimentary snap engagement means located on said housing.

6. The outlet as claimed in claim 5 wherein said snap engagement means

includes a ratchet mechanism to accommodate wall dividers of different thicknesses within a range of thicknesses.

7. A workstation electrical supply arrangement comprising a plurality of outlets mounted on at least one wall divider each of which comprises a central board, said outlets being interconnected with at least one cable each of which is located in a groove formed in a corresponding one of said central board(s), and said cable(s) terminating in a plug in connector able to be plugged into a wall or floor mounted outlet.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least one of said outlets comprises a double-sided outlet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein said wall divider has a textile covering on both sides thereof which is compressed between said substantially parallel first and second outlet plates.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the or each said double- sided outlet is located in a correspondingly shaped aperture formed in a corresponding one of said central board(s).

1 1. The arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10 wherein said central board(s) are formed from timber or timber substitute and said grove is formed by routing said central board(s).

12. The arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 1 1 wherein said plug is selected from the class consisting of mains AC supply plugs and

telecommunications data plugs.