Movable and pre-wired wall structure

A feed-through connector is disclosed which allows the interconnection of adjoining electrical circuit modules, such as prewired wall panels, in any one of a variety of angular orientations. The feed-through connector is extremely simple in construction which facilitates its fabrication and assembly and minimizes its cost of manufacture. In addition, it can be conveniently incorporated into the vertical support members used in portable wall structures in such a manner as to increase the number of panels which may be assembled to a single support member and to optimize the variety of configurations in which the panels may be disposed. The connector includes a dielectric housing having at least one recess around its periphery and at least one conductive plate mounted within the recess, the recess and plate together forming a connector receptacle. The recess provides access to the conductive plate such that the contact elements of at least two modules can electrically engage the conductive plate. In this manner the modules may be electrically coupled while being physically arranged about the connector at any one of a variety of different angular orientations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to feedthrough electrical 
connectors and, more particularly to prefabricated wall or space dividing 
structures which include such connectors and are prewired to provide 
electrical service to the areas bounded by the structures. 
Wall structures formed from a plurality of prefabricated panels have been 
used extensively in recent years and are gaining in popularity, 
particularly for use in offices where it is desirable to divide a large 
common area into numerous individual working stations. These wall 
structures are gaining wide acceptance because they are relatively 
inexpensive, are easily installed and may be easily rearranged to provide 
different work station configurations. 
One problem associated with certain prefabricated wall structures in use 
today is the difficulty in supplying electrical service to the various 
working areas. If the electrical service is not incorporated in the panels 
and wall structure itself, a great deal of time and expense can be 
incurred in wiring the various working stations either during or after 
assembly of the structures. This, of course, diminishes greatly their 
value and advantage. To meet this problem a variety of prewired wall 
structures have been developed in which the electrical power lines and 
other necessary electrical services are carried through the individual 
prefabricated panels and are electrically coupled by connectors of one 
kind or another at the adjoining lateral edges of the panels. An example 
of one such prior art prewired wall system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,060,294. While these prewired systems exhibit greater utility and are 
more efficacious than earlier wall structures requiring separate wiring, 
they nonetheless suffer from the disadvantage of being structurally 
complex, thereby increasing greatly their cost of manufacture. In 
addition, conventional feed-through connectors used to electrically couple 
adjacent panels in these structures limit the variety of physical 
arrangements in which the panels may be assembled. For example, typically 
only two or possibly three panels can be assembled to an individual 
support member and the angular orientation between the panels is limited 
to some predetermined range by the type of feed-through connector 
employed. Moreover, the prior art feed-through connectors are typically 
mated with the adjoining prewired panels independently of the mechanical 
engagement between the panel and the associated support members. This 
arrangement requires that in addition to the mechanical assembly of the 
wall structure, it is necessary to electrically couple the feed-through 
connectors with their respective panels. Thus, more time is required to 
assemble and disassemble the wall structure and, more importantly, it is 
possible to inadvertently unmate the connectors from the wall panels. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a novel feedthrough connector which 
may be used in association with prewired wall structures to overcome the 
disadvantages associated with prior art structures of this type. More 
specifically, the invention is directed to a feed-through connector which 
allows the interconnection of adjoining electrical circuit modules, such 
as prewired wall panels, in any one of a variety of angular orientations. 
The feed-through connector is extremely simple in construction which 
facilitates its fabrication and assembly and minimizes its cost of 
manufacture. In addition, it can be conveniently incorporated into the 
vertical support members used in portable wall structures in such a manner 
as to increase the number of panels which may be assembled to a single 
support member and to optimize the variety of configurations in which the 
panels may be disposed. 
The invention is also directed to a wall structure employing prewired wall 
panels which are both mechanically and electrically coupled to an 
adjoining support member in a single operation and which can be rotated 
about the support member without mechanically or electrically disengaging 
the panel from the support member. Because of the construction of the 
feed-through connector and its manner of engagement with the prewired wall 
panel, the electrical circuitry of the wall structure cannot be 
interrupted without first disassembling the panel from the support member. 
Thus, inadvertent unmating of the feed-through connector and the prewired 
panels is obviated. 
More specifically, the present invention is directed to a feed-through 
connector for electrically coupling a plurality of electrical circuit 
modules, such as prewired wall panels, wherein the modules have at least 
one projecting contact element. The feed-through connector includes a 
dielectric housing having at least one recess around its periphery and at 
least one conductive plate mounted within the recess, the recess and plate 
together forming a connector receptacle. The recess provides access to the 
conductive plate such that the contact elements of at least two modules 
can electrically engage the conductive plate. In this manner the modules 
may be electrically coupled while being physically arranged about the 
connector at any one of a variety of different angular orientations. 
The invention is also directed to a moveable wall structure comprising at 
least two prefabricated wall panels, an elongated vertical support member, 
means for mechanically securing the wall panels to the support member and 
a feed-through connector for electrically coupling adjacent panels. The 
prefabricated wall panels each carry at least one electrical conductor 
that terminates in an electrical contact element projecting from a lateral 
edge of the panel, and the panel securing means is adapted to mechanically 
affix two or more panels to a single support member in any one of a 
variety of angular orientations with the support member positioned 
adjacent the lateral edges of the panels. The feed-through connector is 
incorporated into the vertical support member and occupies a longitudinal 
portion of the member. The connector includes a dielectric housing having 
a recess around its periphery and at least one conductive plate mounted 
within the recess. When the panels are mechanically secured to the support 
member their respective contact elements project into the peripheral 
recess of the connector and engage the conductive plate thereby 
electrically coupling adjacent panels regardless of their angular 
orientation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1, a wall structure designated generally as 10 is 
illustrated having a plurality of prefabricated and prewired wall panels 
12 affixed to vertical support members 14. The panels 12 carry one or more 
electrical conductors 16 that extend horizontally between opposed lateral 
edges of the panels and terminate in projecting electrical contacts. The 
panels 12 and support members 14 are conventional in most respects and can 
be manufactured in accordance with a number of well known construction 
techniques and from a variety of different materials also well known in 
the art. Preferably, the means employed for mechanically securing the 
panels to the support members allow free rotation of the panels around the 
support members. For example, the panels 12 may include outwardly 
extending flanges or clips 13 which are retained by top and bottom caps 
15. In addition, conventional threaded pads 17 can be used to properly 
level the panels. 
In accordance with the present invention, each of the support members also 
includes a feed-through connector 20 which electrically couples the 
conductors 16 of adjoining panels. FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate in greater 
detail the specific structural features of the feed-through connector 20 
and its relationship with the other components of the wall structure 10. 
The connector 20 includes a dielectric housing having first and second end 
caps 22 and 24, respectively, and a plurality of dielectric inserts 26 
stacked between the end caps. Each of the inserts 26 includes a central 
hub portion 28 and an outer circumferential portion 30. The hub and outer 
portions of the inserts are dimensioned such that the hub portions 28 of 
each insert mate with the hub portions of adjacent inserts while the outer 
circumferential portions 30 are spaced from one another thereby forming 
recesses 32 which extend about the periphery of the connector. The 
connector 20 also includes at least one electrically conductive plate 34 
mounted within each recess 32, the conductive plates 34 each establishing 
a continual electrical path about the perimeter or circumference of the 
connector. Preferably, a pair of conductive plates 34 are mounted in the 
opposing side walls 36 of each recess 32, the conductive plates being 
separated by spacers 38. Each of the end caps and individual inserts 
includes a centeral aperture which together define a central housing 
passageway 40. 
As is most clearly illustrated in FIG. 3, each of the inserts 26 is 
identically configured and includes an inner hub collar 42 on one side and 
an outer hub collar 44 on its other side. The hub collars 42 and 44 of 
each insert coact with the hub collars of adjacent inserts and the stepped 
annular recesses 46 in the end caps to provide means for axially aligning 
the individual components of the connector housing. Once the end caps, 
inserts, conductive plates and spacers have been properly assembled, a 
bolt 48 and nuts 49 or other conventional fastening means may be employed 
to hold the assembly together. 
The feed-through connector 20 when employed as a component in wall 
structure 10, includes means for incorporating the connector into the 
vertical support members 14. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of 
the invention, the end caps 22 and 24 are provided with sleeves 50, each 
of the sleeves having a size and configuration to telescopically engage 
the tubular wall 52 of the support member 14. The end caps 22 and 24 also 
include an annular flange 55 which provides a positive stop to insure that 
the connector 20 is properly located on the support member 14. 
The electrical conductors carried by the wall panels 12 may be constructed 
in any one of a number of different manners well known to those skilled in 
the art. One technique found to be particularly suitable for use in 
prefabricated wall panels is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. These cable 
assemblies are fabricated by terminating suitable electrical contacts to 
the individual conductors at each end of the cable and subsequently insert 
molding a solid dielectric housing over the terminal portion of the 
contacts and a short portion of the cable to completely encapsulate the 
exposed conductors. Thus, the electrical conductor assembly 16 shown in 
FIG. 5 comprises a multiconductor cable 54 having premolded plug 
connectors 56 with projecting contact elements 58 at each end. Similarly, 
FIG. 6 shows another electrical conductor assembly 16 having a splice 
junction 59 which is also encapsulated in a solid dielectric plastic. A 
tap line 60 extends from the junction 59 to provide electrical service at 
any required location on the panel 12. 
As is evident from FIGS. 1 and 3, the plug connectors 56 are mounted 
adjacent the lateral edge 62 of panel 12 with the contact elements 58 
extending therefrom. When the panel 12 is mounted to the support member 14 
the contacts 58 are received into the annular recess 32 of the connector 
20 and electrically engage the conductive plates 34. So long as the panels 
12 are mechanically secured to the support members 14 the contacts 58 
cannot disengage from the connector 20. Moreover, since the annular recess 
32 extends around the entire periphery of the connector 20, the panel 12 
can be mounted in any position through the full 360.degree. of rotation 
around the support member. Similarly, the continuity of the peripheral 
recess 32 and the conductive plates 34 also allows assembly of an 
unlimited number of panels to a single support, the physical size of the 
panels 12 and plugs 58 relative to the support member 14 being the only 
limiting factor. 
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the feed-through 
connector of the present invention is of a simple construction which is 
readily adaptable to low cost mass production techniques. For example, the 
end caps 22 and 24 are identically configured and can be conveniently and 
expeditiously fabricated by injection molding any of a number of well 
known heat resistant and dielectric plastics. Likewise, the inserts 26 are 
identically configured, as are the spacers 38, and these may also be 
injection molded from the same or similar plastics used in fabrication of 
the end caps. Of course the spacers 38 may be manufactured from conductive 
materials as well, but they are most economically and expeditiously made 
through conventional plastic molding techniques. The conductive plates 34 
can be stamped from metal sheet stock, preferably a metal exhibiting a 
high conductivity such as brass. 
Of course, the dimensions of the various feed-through connector components 
must be set to accept the contacts 58 of a given plug connector. 
Preferably, the plug connectors will have uniform dimensions such that 
each of the panels in a given system may be connected to any support 
member 14. 
Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the feed-through 
connector illustrated in the preferred embodiments does not extend beyond 
the lateral surfaces of the support member 14, and therefore does not 
impede or interfere with the mounting or rotation of the panels 12 on the 
support members 14. In order to facilitate insertion on the contacts 58 
into the annular recesses 32, the extremities of the inserts 26 are 
beveled to provide lead-in entryways to the recesses, and the conductive 
plates 34 are mounted in the opposing side walls 36 of the recesses such 
that their external contact engaging surfaces are flush and even with the 
surface of the side walls. The plates 34 also terminate well within recess 
32 to reduce the possibility of inadvertent electrical shock. In order to 
provide further alignment means to assure proper assembly of the connector 
housing components, the inside surfaces 64 of the end caps are configured 
to mate with the outer surfaces of the outer most inserts. 
It should be understood that various changes and modifications of the 
present invention as described herein will be apparent to those skilled in 
the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from 
the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its 
attendant advantages. For example, although the feed-through connector 20 
has been illustrated as being generally cylindrical, the connector could 
easily be constructed to have a different external configuration 
particularly in those instances where the support member with which it is 
mounted has some other cross-section shape. Moreover, although the 
preferred embodiment shows a single feed-through connector associated with 
each support member 14, two or more of the connectors may be used whenever 
the associated wall panels include a plurality of spaced conductors of 
common or different suervice functions. Likewise, the invention is not 
limited to the three line circuitry illustrated, but may be used with one, 
two or multi-line circuits. In fact, one of the distinct advantages of the 
present invention is the fact that regardless of the number of lines in 
the circuit serviced by the connector, the same components are used, the 
specific number of inserts, conductive plates and spacers for the given 
connector depending on the number of receptacle recesses required to 
accommodate the particular circuitry. It is, therefore, intended that all 
such changes and modifications be covered by the following claims.