Combination outlet and power distribution unit incorporating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11728604-B2
Application number	US-202217836807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2022
Priority date	Jul 13, 2017
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A combination outlet connector is disclosed. The combination outlet connector includes an outlet core having three T-shaped apertures. The outlet core has a core outer surface to mate with a first connector type, such as a C14 connector, and electrical terminals are positioned in corresponding apertures. A removable adapter sleeve is positionable around the outlet core and has a sleeve outer surface to mate with a second connector type, such as a C20 connector. The adapter sleeve includes a sleeve aperture at least partially congruent with the core outer surface. The electrical terminals are configured to connect with mating terminals of the first and second connector types. A removable adapter shroud can be positioned around the outlet core. The shroud includes a shroud inner surface to receive the first connector type and a shroud flange having a shroud aperture at least partially congruent with the core outer surface.

First claim

We claim:

1. A combination outlet assembly, comprising:
a single piece integrally formed housing including:
a pair of longitudinal side walls;
a pair of end walls extending orthogonally to the pair of longitudinal side walls; and
a bottom wall interconnecting the pair of longitudinal side walls and the pair of end walls;

a first outlet core integrally formed with the housing, the first outlet core extending upwardly from the bottom wall;
a second outlet core integrally formed with the housing, the second outlet core extending upwardly from the bottom wall; and
conductor bus elements extending on an exterior of the housing;
wherein each of the first and second outlet cores respectively has a set of three terminals associated with a respective set of three terminal apertures, the set of three terminals associated with at least one of said first and second outlet cores being T-shaped; and
wherein a first of the conductor bus elements interconnects first terminals of the sets of three terminals of the first and second outlet cores, and a second of the conductor bus elements interconnects second terminals of the sets of three terminals of the first and second outlet cores.

2. The combination outlet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first conductor bus element completes a first circuit path having a first length between the first terminals, and the second conductor bus element completes a second circuit path having a second length between the second terminals.

3. The combination outlet assembly of claim 2 , wherein the at least two conductor bus elements include a first conductor bus element, a second conductor bus element, and a third conductor bus element, and wherein at least a portion of one conductor bus element is nested between portions of other conductor bus elements.

4. The combination outlet assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first outlet core is associated with a first outlet, wherein a respective space that surrounds the first core of the first outlet is shaped to compliment an outer shape and profile of the first outlet core, and wherein a respective space that surrounds the second outlet core is shaped to mismatch the outer shape and profile of the second outlet core.

5. The combination outlet assembly of claim 4 , wherein the respective space surrounding the first outlet is shaped such that the respective space accepts a first housing of a first plug connector type but rejects a second housing of a second plug connector type, the second housing of the second plug connector type being differently shaped from the first housing of the first connector type; and
wherein the respective space surrounding the second outlet core accepts the first housing of the first connector type and the second housing of the second connector type.

6. The combination outlet assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first plug connector type includes three terminal blades extending at a common first angular orientation inside the first housing, and wherein the second plug connector type includes three terminal blades extending at a second angular orientation that is rotated 90° from the first angular orientation.

7. The combination outlet assembly of claim 6 , wherein the shaped sets of three terminal apertures of the second outlet accept each of the three terminal blades of the first plug connector type and also accept each of the three terminal blades of the second plug connector type.

8. The combination outlet assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a deflectable latch portion including a latch opening.

9. The combination outlet assembly of claim 7 , wherein the combination outlet assembly further comprises a separately fabricated component having a latch insert having a latch protrusion.

10. The combination outlet assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first outlet core is associated with a first outlet and said second outlet core is associated with a second outlet, wherein a respective space that surrounds the first core of the first outlet is shaped to compliment an outer shape and profile of the first outlet core, and wherein a respective space that surrounds the second outlet is shaped to mismatch the outer shape and profile of the second outlet core.

11. The combination outlet assembly of claim 10 , wherein the set of three terminal apertures of the first outlet core is shaped differently than set of three terminal apertures of the second outlet core.

12. The combination outlet assembly of claim 1 wherein the set of three terminal apertures of the first outlet core is shaped differently than set of three terminal apertures of the second outlet core.

13. A combination outlet assembly, comprising:
a single piece integrally formed housing including:
a pair of longitudinal side walls;
a pair of end walls extending orthogonally to the pair of longitudinal side walls; and
a bottom wall interconnecting the pair of longitudinal side walls and the pair of end walls;

a first outlet core integrally formed with the housing, the first outlet core extending upwardly from the bottom wall;
a second outlet core integrally formed with the housing, the second outlet core extending upwardly from the bottom wall; and
at least one conductor bus element extending on an exterior of the housing;
wherein each of the first and second outlet cores respectively has a set of three terminals associated with a respective set of three terminal apertures, the set of three terminals associated with at least one of said first and second outlet cores being T-shaped; and
wherein said at least one conductor bus element interconnects first terminals of the sets of three terminals of the first and second outlet cores.

14. The combination outlet assembly of claim 13 wherein the first terminals of the sets of three terminals correspond to ground terminals of the first and second outlet cores.

15. The combination outlet assembly of claim 13 wherein said at least one conductor bus element comprises a plurality of conductor bus elements, there being one of said plurality of conductor bus elements interconnecting ground terminals of the first and second outlet cores, and another of said plurality of conductor bus elements interconnecting other like terminals of the first and second outlet cores.

16. A power distribution unit (PDU), comprising:
a PDU housing;
at least one combination outlet assembly associated with the PDU housing, comprising:
a single piece integrally formed housing mounted to the PDU housing, said single piece integrally formed housing including:
a pair of longitudinal side walls;
a pair of end walls extending orthogonally to the pair of longitudinal side walls; and
a bottom wall interconnecting the pair of longitudinal side walls and the pair of end walls;

a first outlet core integrally formed with the housing, the first outlet core extending upwardly from the bottom wall;
a second outlet core integrally formed with the housing, the second outlet core extending upwardly from the bottom wall; and
at least one conductor bus element extending on an exterior of the housing;
wherein each of the first and second outlet cores respectively has a set of three terminals associated with a respective set of three terminal apertures, the set of three terminals associated with at least one of said first and second outlet cores being T-shaped; and
wherein said at least one conductor bus element interconnects first terminals of the sets of three terminals of the first and second outlet cores; and

a power input for provisioning electrical power to said combination outlet assembly.

17. The power dis

Assignees

• Server Tech Inc

Inventors

• Irons Travis
• Ramsey Mark

Classifications

• H01R33/94 Primary

  Holders formed as intermediate parts for linking a counter-part to a coupling part · CPC title

• H01R13/645

  by exchangeable elements on case or base · CPC title

• H01R25/003 Primary

  the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables · CPC title

• H01R33/72

  Three-pole devices · CPC title

• H01R24/78

  with additional earth or shield contacts · CPC title