Abstract:
A modular electrical assembly for use in a prefabricated wall panel of an office partition system includes a housing disposed within the hollow interior of the prefabricated wall panel. At least one electrical receptacle is operatively disposed within the housing. A connector electrically connects to an electrical distribution box disposed within the prefabricated wall panel to thereby electrically connect the connector to a source of electrical current. A switch electrically interconnects the electrical receptacle and the connector the switch selectively controlling the flow of electrical current between the electrical receptacle and the connector. The switch is disposed within a cut-out in the prefabricated wall panel, thereby exposing the switch from within the hollow interior of the wall panel to an exterior thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical box and, more particularly, to an electrical box that is mounted within a prefabricated panel of an office wall partition system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Free-standing, prefabricated office partition systems are increasingly used within the contemporary office. These free-standing office partitioning systems are composed of separate or modular wall panels that are selectively arranged and connected together to define individual office areas, also known as cubicles. The individual wall panels typically include a frame and two planar wall members that attach to and cover the frame. Thus, a hollow space or interior is defined between the two planar wall members. Typical wall panels may further include provisions for the routing of data and/or electrical cables within the hollow interior of a single wall panel, or within a frame member of a wall panel. Further, provisions are also made for the routing of such cables from the interior or frame member of one wall panel to the interior or frame member of another wall panel. 
     An electrical receptacle can be connected to the electrical cables carried within the individual wall panels. Such an electrical receptacle may be hard-wired to the electrical cables carried by the wall panel. The completion of such a hard-wired connection of the electrical receptacle to the electrical cables carried by the wall panel requires a certain degree of training and skill. Furthermore, such a hard-wired installation of an electrical receptacle is time-consuming and labor intensive, even for those with the requisite training and skill. 
     The body of such an electrical receptacle is typically disposed adjacent to or mounted on the office wall panel within a cubicle. The power cord for each light and/or piece of office equipment within the cubicle must be routed to a receptacle in order to be plugged into the electrical receptacle. Thus, an employee must individually power on and off each light and each piece of equipment within his or her cubicle using the power switch, if any, provided on the various lights and pieces of equipment. In the contemporary office or cubicle, this could easily involve powering on and/or off more than five pieces of office equipment and numerous task lights. The need to individually power on and off each individual piece of office equipment and each light consumes a certain amount of time, and thus decreases the productivity of each employee. Further, additional time is consumed and productivity decreased when, for example, an employee discovers that a needed piece of equipment is not or has not been powered on and, after turning it on, he or she has to wait for that piece of equipment to warm up or run a diagnostic check before that piece of equipment can be used to perform the intended task. 
     Yet another source of lost productivity and cost is attributable to the need to individually power on and off each cubicle light and individual piece of office equipment due to the increased likelihood that an employee will overlook, forget, or simply choose not to power off at least one piece of equipment. Thus, an increase in electricity usage and cost may be incurred when, for example, a cubicle light or a piece of equipment is left on during non-business hours., over a weekend, an extended holiday or vacation. 
     The power cables for the multiple task lights and pieces of office equipment found in a contemporary cubicle typically lie along the cubicle floor or on top of the cubicle work surfaces. These power cables, along with the multiple data and computer network cables create an unsighltly entanglement of wires. Furthermore, such an entanglement of wires makes it difficult for installation and repair personnel to trace an individual wire from its source to its destination. 
     What is needed in the art is an electrical assembly that includes a plurality of electrical receptacles and mounts within the wall panel of a prefabricated office/cubicle partition system, and further includes a user-accessible switch that controls the powering on and off of the plurality of electrical receptacles. Moreover, what is needed in the art is an electrical assembly that easily connects to existing power distribution networks within such prefabricated office partition systems, and thereby avoids the need for the hard-wired connection of electrical receptacles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a modular electrical assembly that mounts within an individual wall partition/panel of an office partitioning system and contains a plurality of simplex outlets. The modular electrical assembly connects with a power distribution system within the wall partition/panel system. The modular electrical assembly includes a user-accessible switch that activates and deactivates the electrical receptacles within the assembly. The switch is the only portion of the modular electrical assembly that extends from the office wall panel after installation of the assembly. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that the wiring of lights and other office equipment can be routed entirely within an office wall panel, thereby avoiding a confusing mass of wires on the floor of a cubicle. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that the modular electrical assembly plugs directly into an existing electrical power distribution network within the office partition system, thereby avoiding the need for separately mounting and hard-wiring multiple electrical receptacles. 
     Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the modular electrical assembly includes a switch that activates and deactivates the electrical receptacles, thereby allowing the powering on or oft of every piece of office equipment supplied with power from the receptacles of the modular electrical assembly. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective, partially-sectioned view of an embodiment of the modular electrical assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the modular electrical assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the housing of the modular electrical assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the modular electrical assembly of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the modular electrical assembly of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown one embodiment of a modular electrical assembly  10  of the present invention. Modular electrical assembly  10  is attached to and mounted within office partition panel  12 , and includes receptacle housing  14  and connector section  16 . 
     Partition panel  12  includes frame members  18  with side panels  20  on either side thereof. The side panels  20  are attached to and spaced apart by frame members  18 , thereby defining a hollow interior  22  between side panels  20  that typically ranges from approximately 1.5 to 3 inches in width. The actual height and width of partition panel  12  may of course vary depending upon the specific application. Partition panel  12  further includes at the bottom thereof a raceway  24  for carrying electrical components such as electrical distribution harness  26 , telecommunications cabling, and various other wiring (not shown). Distribution harness  26  connects electrical distribution box  28  to a source of electrical current (not shown). Distribution box  28  is disposed within interior  22  of partition panel  12 . 
     Receptacle housing  14  of modular electrical assembly  10  includes, as best seen in FIGS. 3-5, a front face  30 , sides  32  and  33 , top surface  34 , bottom surface  36 , and back  37 . Front face  30 ) includes a plurality of vertically-aligned rectangular apertures  40  formed therein. Side  32  includes a rectangular aperture  42  formed therein. Integral with bottom surface  36  are two spaced apart tabs  44  extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom. An aperture  46  is included in and defined by bottom surface  36 . Integral with and extending from top surface  34  is an L-shaped bracket  48  having an aperture  50  formed therein. In the embodiment shown, receptacle housing  14  is constructed of stamped or formed sheet metal. However, it is to be understood that receptacle housing  14  can be alternately constructed of, for example. injection-molded plastic or fiberglass. 
     Electrical receptacles  60  are contained within receptacle housing  14 , and are operatively disposed within a respective one of apertures  40 . Electrical conductors (not shown) are connected to each of receptacles  60 . The electrical conductors are routed within receptacle housing  14 , from the receptacles  60  through aperture  46  to connector section  16 . In the embodiment shown, electrical receptacles  60  are simplex-type electrical receptacles. However, it is to be understood that electrical receptacles  60  can be alternatively configured as, for example, a duplex receptacle or a 220V receptacle. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, there are four electrical receptacles  60 . However, it is to be understood that modular electrical assembly  10  can be constructed so as to house virtually any number of electrical receptacles. 
     Switch  66  is attached to modular electrical assembly  10 , and is contained within and operatively exposed by aperture  42 . Switch  66  is held in place within aperture  42  by screws (not shown) extending through each of apertures  68  and tlreadingly engaging corresponding apertures (not shown) integral with and carried by switch  66 . Switch  66  is a rocker type, single-pole single-throw switch. 
     Connector section  16  includes a length of conduit  74  having a first end  76  attached to receptacle housing  14  by a conduit clamp  78 , and a second end  80  attached to connector  82 . Conduit section  74  protectively encloses a plurality of electrical conductors or wires which interconnect electrical receptacles  60  and switch  66  with connector  82 . Conduit  74  may be of any required length and may be constructed of any suitable material that is durable, resistant to cuts and/or punctures, yet has a degree of flexibility to enable routing of the conduit, such as, for example, polyvinyl chloride or flexible metal tubing. 
     Connector  82  connects the electrical conductors from each electrical receptacle  60  and switch  66  to electrical distribution box  28  which, in turn, is connected to a source of electrical current (not shown) by distribution harness  26 . Thus, each of receptacles  60  and switch  66  is connected to a source of electrical current. In the embodiment shown, connector  82  is a male spade-type connector that simply pushes into a mating female connector  84  of electrical distribution box  28 . Connector  82  includes two elastically-deformable arms or snap members  86  which, as connector  82  is inserted into female connector  84 , deform and then snap over corresponding projections (not shown) on female connector  84 , thereby securing connector  82  in position. However, it is to be understood that connector  82  can be any suitable type of connector that is mateable with the particular electrical distribution box or system in use within partition panel  12 . For example, connector  82  may be constructed, or keyed, such that it mates with an electrical distribution system of a specific manufacturer or manufacturers. Furthermore, connector  82  may, for example, be configured such that modular electrical assembly  10  is electrically connected to a specific subset of conductors within the electrical distribution system and thereby a specific electrical circuit. Moreover, it is to be understood that connector  82  can be of the screw-terminal or push-terminal type, thereby allowing for the direct connection, or hard wiring, of modular electrical assembly  10  to conductors supplying electrical current. 
     In use, modular electrical assembly  10  is installed within interior  22  of partition panel  12  by engaging bottom tabs  44  of modular electrical assembly  10  with corresponding channels (not shown), or notches, formed in frame member  18  of partition panel  12 . Tongue  88  of the L-shaped bracket  48  is then engaged with a corresponding notch or channel within frame member  18  of partition panel  12 . A fastener, such as a screw or bolt, is inserted through aperture  50  in bracket  48  and threadingly engages an aperture in frame member  18  of partition panel  12 . Connector  82  of modular electrical assembly  10  is inserted into corresponding connector  84  of electrical distribution box  28 , thereby connecting each of receptacles  60  and switch  66  to a source of electrical current. Individual power cords for office equipment, such as lights, computers, printers, and fax machines are then routed within partition panel  12  and plugged into receptacles  60 . A portion of side panel  20  is removed or punched out such that, when side panel  20  is installed by attachment to frame members  18 , only switch  66  of modular electrical assembly  10  is exposed (FIG.  3 ). Switch  66  is then selectively operated to power on and off each of receptacles  60 . Thus, each piece of office equipment plugged into modular electrical assembly  10  can be powered on or off via switch  66 . 
     In the embodiment shown, switch  66  is a rocker-type switch. However, it is to be understood that switch  66  can be configured as virtually any type of switch, such as, for example, a dimmer, single-pole single-throw, or pushbutton switch. Furthermore, it is to be understood that switch  66  can be configured as a motion sensing or infra-red activated switch. Switch  66 , when configured as a motion or infra red sensing switch may further include timer and/or control circuitry which delay the powering off of electrical receptacles  60  within modular electrical assembly  10 . 
     In the embodiment shown there is a single switch  66  controlling each and every electrical receptacle  60  within modular electrical assembly  10 . However, it is to be understood that multiple switches may be associated with modular electrical assembly  10  to separately control a group of electrical receptacles, or to control each electrical receptacle individually. Moreover, in the embodiment shown, each of electrical receptacles  60  is controlled by switch  66 . However, it is to be understood that one or more of receptacles  60  may be unswitched. For example, the interconnection between switch  66  and one or more of electrical receptacles  60  within receptacle housing  14  can be configured such that switch  66  is not in the circuit of one or more of electrical receptacles  66 . Thus, that particular receptacle or receptacles would be connected via connector  82  directly to electrical distribution box  28  (i.e. unswitched). Thus, switch  66  is bypassed with regard to that particular electrical receptacle. In this embodiment, a particular piece of office equipment which is not desired to be powered off, such as, for example, a fax machine, can be connected to that particular, unswitched electrical receptacle and be unaffected by the operation of switch  66 . 
     While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.