US 4,165,443 A · Power distribution system

Abstract

Electrical distribution means is disclosed including mounting boxes for modular switch and receptacle units with a bus plate array in the boxes for receiving the stripped ends of cable conductors and spring contacts for engaging modular switch and receptacle units so that the conductors and units are automatically connected in the proper manner; another aspect of the invention involves the use of modular receptacle and switch unit mounting boxes having upper and lower slots of different widths for snugly receiving the upper and lower ends of the modular units of mating widths to permit insertion of the modular units only in a proper manner; other mounting boxes accept three-way or four-way switches and include appropriate bus plate arrays for providing three and four-way fixture controlled distribution systems which are automatically effected by plugging in cables keyed to the mounting boxes by color coded designators.

Claims45

Dependent claims

A multi-function box capable of being mounted in a wall for receiving electrical power from a power cable and distributing the power to a power distribution cable;

a modular electric switch unit having first and second external terminals removably mounted in said multifunction box, said multi-function box including a distribution bus plate compartment and a function unit compartment in which said modular switch unit is mounted, a plurality of bus plates mounted in said bus plate compartment, automatic conductor retaining and clamping means on said bus plates, a plurality of power-input openings in said box dimensioned and positioned for receiving the stripped conductor ends of the conductors of a power cable and guiding said conductors into contact with said automatic conductor retaining and clamping means on respective ones of said bus plates as the conductor ends of a power cable are inserted through said power-input openings, each of said automatic conductor retaining and clamping means including automatically operable means permitting ready insertion of a conductor end but resisting any withdrawal of said conductor end, power distribution output openings in said box dimensioned and positioned for receiving the stripped ends of the conductors of a power distribution cable and guiding said stripped conductor ends of said power distribution cable in contact with other automatic conductor receiving and clamping means on selected ones of said bus plates, and means for providing a selectively operable electrical flow path through said modular switch unit to said power distribution cable, said last-mentioned means comprising a first bus plate having a contact element engaging said first terminal of said modular electric switch unit, a second bus plate having a contact element engaging said second external terminal, said first bus plate having automatic conductor retaining and clamping means engageable with one conductor of a power cable, said second bus plate having an automatic conductor retaining and clamping means engageable with one conductor of a distribution cable and a third bus plate having automatic conductor retaining and clamping means engageable with a second conductor of a power cable and a second conductor of a distribution cable.

A power distribution box for an electric power distribution system, said box comprising modular unit mounting means in said power distribution box for removably receiving a modular electric unit in only one position of orientation relative to the box, a modular electric unit mounted in said modular unit mounting means, a power cable receiving opening in one wall of said power distribution box including individual conductor guide openings for guiding the bare conductor ends of a multiconductor power cable upon insertion of said bare conductor ends through said guide openings into the interior of said power distribution box, a distribution cable receiving opening in one wall of said box including individual conductor guide openings for guiding the bare conductor ends of a multi-conductor distribution cable upon insertion of said latter bare conductor ends through the last-mentioned openings into the interior of said box, designator means adjacent each of said cable receiving openings for indicating the proper position of insertion of each of said cables to provide positioning correlation of individual conductors of said multi-conductor cables with other system components, and circuit establishing means on the interior of said power distribution box for automatically establishing a conductive circuit from a power cable to a distribution cable and to said modular electric unit mounted in said box in response to the proper insertion of said cables thru said cable receiving openings.

An octal box means, a first cable receiving opening in a wall of said octal box including individual conductor guide openings for guiding the bare conductor ends of a multi-conductor distribution cable upon insertion of such bare conductor ends through said conductor guide openings into the interior of the octal box means, designator means adjacent said cable receiving opening in said octal box for indicating the proper position of insertion of such a distribution cable to provide positioning correlation of individual cable conductors of said distribution cable with other system components, a sandwich array of octal box bus plates on the interior of said octal box, said octal box bus plates including distribution cable conductor contact and retaining means consisting of a plurality of cantilever spring blades each having a sharp outer end edge and an adjacent fixed flange and between which flange and sharp outer end edge a cable conductor receiving space is defined, each of said cantilever spring blades being canted at an angle so that when a conductor is inserted into the adjacent conductor receiving space, said cantilever spring blade engages the side of said conductor so that outward movement of a conductor tends to urge said edge into the conductor to resist extraction of said conductor from the octal box, said octal box bus plates additionally including spring contact members for electric contact with a plug-type connector having a plurality of external contacts inserted into said octal box for engagement with the spring contacts of said octal box bus plates and a second power distribution cable receiving opening provided in said octal box for enabling the insertion of bare conductor ends of a further power distribution cable into the interior of said octal box, said octal box bus plates including further cantilever spring blades and associated fixed flange portions adjacent said second power distribution cable receiving opening for receiving and holding the bare conductor ends of a further power distribution cable upon the insertion thereof in said second power distribution cable receiving opening to provide en electrical circuit between power distribution cables inserted in said first and second cable receiving openings.

An electrical circuit component comprising a multi-function box, modular function unit means, guide means in said box in which modular function unit means is positioned for sliding movement to a desired position in said box and retaining means for locking said modular function unit means in any desired position in said guide means to permit flush mounting of said modular function unit means with a wall in which the box is mounted, said guide means comprising first and second inwardly facing guide slots provided in opposite sides of said multi-function box, each of said inwardly facing guide slots having first and second opposed side walls, wherein said retaining means includes first and second expandable members respectively positioned in said first and second inwardly facing guide slots and being operable to be forcefully expanded against the side walls of their associated slot and external actuator means on the front of the modular function unit means for actuating said expandable members when the modular function unit means is in a desired position of adjustment.

A multi-function electric box for use with an electric receptacle and octal box unit or with an electric switch unit having external contacts, said box including:

(a) A plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said box so as to be electrically insulated from each other,
(b) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements including a first group of said contact elements disposed for electric contact with the external contacts of a compatible electric switch unit when such a switch unit is mounted on the box,
(c) first opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stripped conductor ends of a first electric power cable with said opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stripped conductor ends make electric contact with a group of said electric conductor elements,
(d) second opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stripped conductor ends of the conductors of a second electric power cable with said second opening means being so positioned that upon insertion of said stripped conductor ends of said second electric power cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the stripped conductor ends of the first power cable,
(e) third opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stripped conductor ends of the conductors of a third electric power cable with said third opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion the stripped ends of the conductors of said third power cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the contacts of said second power cable, and
(f) fourth opening means in a wall of the box for receiving the stripped ends of the conductors of a power distribution cable of a distribution circuit with said fourth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stripped ends of the conductors of said power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the power cables so that upon mounting a compatible switch unit on the box said switch unit would provide control of the distribution circuit of said power distribution cable.

3 more elements

A multi-function electric box for use with an electric receptacle unit having three external terminals, said box including:

(a) a plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said box so as to be electrically insulated from each other,
(b) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements including a first group of said contact elements being disposed for electric contact with the terminals of a compatible electric receptacle unit when such a unit is mounted on the box,
(c) first opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of electric power cable with said opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends make electric contact with a group of said electric conductor elements,
(d) second opening means in a wall of the box for receiving the stuffed stripped ends of the conductors of a first power distribution cable with said second opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped ends of said first power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the power cable,
(e) third opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stuffed stripped ends of the conductors of a second power distribution cable with said third opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said second power distribution cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first power distribution cable, and
(f) fourth opening means in a wall of the box for receiving the stuffed stripped ends of the conductors of a third power distribution cable with said fourth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped ends of the conductors of said third power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the electric power cable or the first and second power distribution cables such than upon mounting a compatible receptacle unit on the box said receptacle unit would be controlled by the circuit of said first, second or third power distribution cables.

3 more elements

A multi-function electric octal box for use with an electric ficture having external terminals or as a 4-way junction box unit, said box including:

(a) a plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said octal box so as to be electrically insulated from each other and each including means for automatic locking connection to an electrical conductor of a power cable to preclude withdrawal of the cable
(b) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements including a first group of said contact elements disposed for electric contact with external terminals of a compatible electric fixture unit when such unit is mounted on the box,
(c) first opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of electric power cable with said opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends automatically make electric contact with a group of said electric conductor elements,
(d) second opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a first power distribution cable with said second opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said first power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first mentioned electric power cable,
(e) third opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a second power distribution cable with said third opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said second power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first electric power and first power distribution cables, and
(f) fourth opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a third power distribution cable with said fourth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said third power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first electric power cable and the first, second and third power distribution cables.

3 more elements

A multi-function electric octal box for use with an electric fixture unit having external terminals, said box including:

(a) a plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said box so as to be electrically insulated from each other,
(b) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements including one group of said contact elements being disposed for electric contact with the terminals of a compatible electric fixture unit when such a unit is mounted on the box,
(c) first opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a first electric power cable with said opening means being so positioned at upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said first electric power cable make electric contact with a group of said electric conductor elements,
(d) second opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a first power distribution cable with said second opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said first power distribution cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first electric power cable,
(e) third opening means in a wall of the octal box for receiving the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a second power distribution cable with said third opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said second power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the first electric power cable such that upon mounting a compatible fixture unit on the box said fixture unit would be controlled by the circuit on the fourth and fifth power distribution cables described subsequently in (g) and (h),
(f) fourth opening means in a wall of the octal box for receiving the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a third power distribution cable with said fourth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said third power distribution cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the second power distribution cable,
(g) fifth opening means in a wall of the octal box for receiving the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a fourth power distribution cable with said fifth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said fourth power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the electric power cable and the first, second and third power distribution cables such that upon mounting a compatible fixture unit on the octal box said octal box unit would be controlled by the said fourth power distribution cable from a 3-way switch, and
(h) sixth opening means in a wall of the octal box for receiving the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a fifth power distribution cable with said sixth opening means being so positioned that upon insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said fifth power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the electric power cable and the first, second, third, and fourth power distribution cables such that upon mounting a compatible fixture unit on the octal box said octal box unit would be controlled by the said power distribution cable from a second 3-way switch.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Power distribution system

Life of this patent

Power distribution system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims45