Low voltage power receptacle for modular electrical systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9257823-B2
Application number	US-201414291791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2014
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A low voltage power receptacle assembly is provided for use in a modular electrical system. The receptacle assembly includes a housing that defines an internal cavity for receiving a circuit board assembly that transforms a line voltage input to a lower voltage output. The housing may define a plurality of contact-receiving portions in spaced arrangement, and has at least two electrical contacts disposed in respective contact-receiving portions. A low voltage power receptacle is in communication with the circuit assembly and provides user-access to the low voltage output. Optionally, the size of the housing may be varied to suit a particular application, and a spacer may be used inside the cavity to ensure proper positioning of the low voltage power receptacle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A low voltage power receptacle assembly in combination with a modular electrical system, comprising:
a housing defining a cavity and a plurality of contact-receiving portions in spaced arrangement;
at least two electrical contacts disposed in respective ones of said contact-receiving portions of said housing;
a low voltage power receptacle;
a circuit board assembly positioned in said cavity of said housing, wherein said circuit board assembly is in electrical communication with said at least two electrical contacts and with said low voltage power receptacle, and wherein said circuit board assembly is operable to transform a line voltage received at said electrical contacts to a lower voltage output at said low voltage power receptacle;
a power supply line having at least two hot conductors, a neutral conductor, and a ground conductor, said power supply line having an upstream end portion configured to be electrically coupled to an AC power supply and a downstream end portion configured to be electrically coupled to said low voltage power receptacle assembly; and
a junction block assembly configured to electrically and mechanically couple to said low voltage power receptacle assembly, and to supply AC power thereto;
wherein only one of said hot conductors is in electrical communication with said circuit board assembly of said low voltage power receptacle assembly.

2. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said housing comprises a pair of coupler portions at opposite ends thereof, said coupler portions defining said contact-receiving portions and each coupler portion supporting at least two of said electrical contacts, wherein each of said coupler portions is configured to engage a corresponding coupler of a junction block assembly.

3. The receptacle assembly of claim 2 , wherein said housing comprises at least six of said contact-receiving portions at each coupler portion, and wherein said electrical contacts are positionable in selected ones of said contact-receiving portions to thereby alter an electrical circuit to which said circuit board assembly is connected.

4. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said housing comprises a two-piece housing having a front housing piece and a rear housing piece, said front housing piece defining an opening configured to permit access to said low voltage power receptacle by an electrical connector.

5. The receptacle assembly of claim 4 , wherein said front housing piece comprises one chosen from a first front housing piece and a second front housing piece, said first front housing piece having a greater depth and said second front housing piece having a lesser depth that is less than the depth of said first front housing piece, and wherein said rear housing piece is configured for coupling interchangeably to either of said first and second front housing pieces, whereby when said rear housing piece is coupled to said first front housing piece said cavity is larger than when said rear housing piece is coupled to said second front housing piece.

6. The receptacle assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a circuit board cradle positioned between said rear housing piece and said circuit board assembly, wherein said circuit board cradle is configured for use when said rear housing piece is coupled to said first front housing piece.

7. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said contact-receiving portions of said housing comprise channels or slots formed in said housing.

8. The receptacle assembly of claim 7 , wherein said housing comprises a two-piece housing having a front housing piece and a rear housing piece, said front housing piece defining a first portion of each channel or slot and said rear housing piece defining a second portion of each channel or slot.

9. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said circuit board assembly comprises an electrical power transformer.

10. The receptacle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said circuit board assembly further comprises said low voltage power receptacle, and wherein said circuit board assembly is in electrical communication with said at least two electrical contacts via an electrical wire associated with each of said electrical contacts.

11. A low voltage power receptacle assembly in combination with a modular electrical system, comprising:
a housing including a rear housing piece and a front housing piece chosen from a first front housing piece having a greater depth and said second front housing piece having a lesser depth that is less than the depth of said first front housing piece, said housing defining a plurality of contact-receiving portions in spaced arrangement, and said rear housing piece cooperating with said front housing piece to define a cavity, wherein said cavity is relatively larger when said front housing piece comprises said first front housing piece and said cavity is relatively smaller when said front housing piece comprises said second front housing piece;
at least two electrical contacts disposed in respective ones of said contact-receiving portions of said housing;
a low voltage power receptacle;
a circuit board assembly positioned in said cavity of said housing, wherein said circuit board assembly is in electrical communication with said at least two electrical contacts and with said low voltage power receptacle, and wherein said circuit board assembly is operable to transform a line voltage received at said electrical contacts to a lower voltage output at said low voltage power receptacle;
a spacer positionable between said rear housing piece and said low voltage power receptacle when said rear housing piece is coupled to said first front housing piece;
a power supply line having at least two hot conductors, a neutral conductor, and a ground conductor, said power supply line having an upstream end portion configured to be electrically coupled to an AC power supply and a downstream end portion configured to be electrically coupled to said low voltage power receptacle assembly; and
a junction block assembly configured to electrically and mechanically couple to said low voltage power receptacle assembly, and to supply AC power thereto;
wherein only one of said hot conductors is in electrical communication with said circuit board assembly of said low voltage power receptacle assembly.

12. The receptacle assembly of claim 11 , wherein said housing comprises a pair of coupler portions at opposite ends thereof, said coupler portions defining said contact-receiving portions and each coupler portion supporting at least two of said electrical contacts, wherein each of said coupler portions is configured to engage a corresponding coupler of a junction block assembly.

13. The receptacle assembly of claim 12 , wherein said spacer comprises a circuit board cradle positioned between said rear housing piece and said circuit board assembly when said rear housing piece is coupled to said first front housing piece.

14. The receptacle assembly of claim 11 , wherein said front housing piece comprises one chosen from said first front housing piece, said second front housing piece, and a third front housing piece having a moderate depth that is less than the depth of said first front housing piece and greater than the depth of said second front housing piece.

15. The receptacle assembly of claim 11 , wherein said circuit board assembly further comprises said low voltage power receptacle, and wherein said circuit board assembly is in electrical communication with said at least two electrical contacts via an electrical wire associated with each of said electrical contacts.

Assignees

• Byrne Norman R
• Pate Randell E
• Burdi Roger D
• Young Patrick E

Inventors

• Byrne Norman R
• Pate Randell E
• Burdi Roger D
• Young Patrick E

Classifications

• H02G3/105 Primary

  in association with a plinth, channel, raceway or similar · CPC title

• H01R25/164

  Connecting locations formed by flush mounted apparatus · CPC title

• H01R25/142

  Their counterparts · CPC title

• H01R25/162

  Electrical connections between or with rails or bus-bars (rails having primarily a non electrical function H01R4/64) · CPC title

• H02G3/386

  in walls · CPC title