Power rail system

A power rail system including a rail assembly, which includes a sidewall, a first interior compartment at least partially enclosed by the sidewall, the first interior compartment extending longitudinally along the first rail assembly, an opening in communication with the first interior compartment, the opening positioned along the sidewall, and a second interior compartment at least partially enclosed by the sidewall, the second interior compartment extending longitudinally along the first rail assembly and configured to receive the connector member therein. The power rail system can further include an electrical outlet assembly positionable within the first interior compartment. Further, various accessories, such as privacy screens, can be supported by the rail assembly. Still further, multiple rail assemblies can be connected together to customize the size and/or configuration of the power rail system.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure is related to a power rail system for use with desks and other office equipment. The power rail system is configured to provide access to electrical outlets within a working environment in a flexible, organized, and freely positionable manner, allowing users to freely configure their working environment floorplan as desired, without being restricted based upon the locations of the buildings' electrical outlets, through placement of the power rail systems.

SUMMARY

In one general aspect, a power rail system comprising a rail assembly and an electrical outlet assembly. The rail assembly is configured to be connected to a second rail assembly by a connector member. The first assembly comprises a sidewall; a first interior compartment at least partially enclosed by the sidewall, the first interior compartment extending longitudinally along the first rail assembly; an opening in communication with the first interior compartment, the opening positioned along the sidewall; and a second interior compartment at least partially enclosed by the sidewall, the second interior compartment extending longitudinally along the first rail assembly and configured to receive the connector member therein. The electrical outlet assembly is configured to be disposed at least partially within the first interior compartment, the electrical outlet assembly comprising an electrical outlet configured to be received through the opening such that a face of the electrical outlet is uncovered by the first rail assembly.

DESCRIPTION

Certain aspects will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these aspects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting example aspects and that the scope of the various aspects is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one aspect may be combined with the features of other aspects. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, the terms and expressions employed herein have been chosen for the purpose of describing the illustrative aspects for the convenience of the reader and are not to limit the scope thereof.

The present disclosure generally discloses a power rail system that can include a rail assembly (which can also be referred to as a “boom”), which can include one or more legs to support the rail assembly in a free-standing manner, and an electrical outlet assembly at least partially enclosed by the rail assembly. The power rail system is designed to allow the electrical outlet assembly to be freely positioned within a workspace in an organized and efficient manner, thereby allowing individuals to customize their workspace floorplan as they desire by allowing power to be brought to anywhere within the workspace. Further, the rail assemblies can be removably connected to corresponding rail assemblies to customize the size and/or configuration of the power rail system. For example,FIGS. 1 and 2are a perspective view and an exploded view of a power rail system, respectively, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In the depicted example, the power rail system includes two rail assemblies that can be removably connected together; however, this is simply for illustrative purposes, and the power rail system can include any number of rail assemblies.

The example power rail system illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2comprises a first power rail assembly or section101aand a second power rail assembly or section101bremovably joined together, as is described below. The power system further includes a power outlet assembly800that is at least partially enclosed by the respective rail section101a,101b. Each rail assembly101a,101bcan further include one or more legs600that are attachable thereto. The number of legs600in use by the power rail system can be selected by the user and can depend in part upon the number of rail assemblies101a,101bthat are connected together. For example, when a single rail assembly101a,101bis being utilized, it can be recommended to attach two legs600thereto. Conversely, when two rail assemblies101a,101bare connected together, as shown inFIG. 1, it can be recommended to attach only a single leg to each of the rail assemblies101a,101bbecause that provides enough stability for the power rail system.

Each power rail assembly101a,101bof the power rail system can further include a connector to which various accessories, such as a privacy screen500can be attached. For example, the power rail assemblies101a,101bcan include a privacy screen connector502that is configured to be attached to the power rail assemblies101a,101band is further configured to receive and secure a privacy screen500therein. The privacy screen connector502can include a U-shaped member that is configured to receive the privacy screen500therein, as shown inFIGS. 10 and 11, for example.

The rail assemblies101a,101bcan include a variety of additional components, such as a cover400(FIGS. 7 and 8), a snap cover406for portions of the rail assemblies101a,101bunoccupied by a power outlet assembly800, or an end cap700, all of which are described further below.

As illustrated inFIG. 3, a power rail assembly101may comprise a member200that has, in the illustrated example, a generally C-shaped, open-faced profile. The member200can include an upright wall102and a pair of lateral or internal walls103extending perpendicularly therefrom. According to various aspects of the present disclosure, the cross-sectional profile of the member200may be formed by extruding a material through a die that corresponds to the C-shaped cross-sectional profile shown inFIG. 3. According to one aspect, the member200can be fabricated from a metal (e.g., aluminum), a polymer, a composite material, or another extrudable material. The power rail assembly101can further include one or more slots208positioned on the member200. The slot208can be sized and configured for attachment of various additional components thereto, which is described in further detail below. The depicted aspect includes two slots208positioned at opposing ends of the member200; however, this is simply an example, and other numbers and positions of the slot(s)208are possible. In the depicted aspect, the slots208are positioned adjacently to the opposing surfaces of the lateral walls103. The power rail assembly101can further include one or more channels202that are configured to receive a connector member300(FIG. 5) therethrough for connecting the power rail assembly101to another power rail assembly (as shown inFIG. 1), which is described in further detail below. The channels202can define interior compartments that are sized and shaped to receive a connector member300therein. The depicted aspect includes four channels202arranged in opposing pairs, where each pair is positioned adjacently to a corresponding slot208; however, this is simply an example, and other numbers and positions of the channel(s)202are possible.

In various aspects, the power rail assembly101can include various features for allowing components of the power rail system to be secured thereto. For example, the power rail assembly101can include a threaded slot204in communication with the interior portion(s) of the member200and/or a slot208, which can be seen further inFIG. 19. The depicted aspect includes two threaded slots204positioned oppositely with respect to each other. In particular, each of the threaded slots204is positioned longitudinally along each of the adjoining surfaces between the slots208and the lateral walls103of the member200. The threaded slots204can include threading that is configured to engage with corresponding threading of a fastener. The threaded slots204can be utilized to secure components of the power rail system within the interior1103of the member200and/or to the slot208via a fastener, which is described in further detail below. The interior1103can define an interior compartment that is at least partially enclosed by the walls102,103of the member200. The interior1103can be configured to receive various components therein, such as electrical outlet assemblies800(FIGS. 15-18). The power rail assembly101can further include a channel slot206in communication with a channel202. The depicted aspect includes two channel slots206positioned longitudinally along the outer surfaces of the channels202that are oriented adjacently to the open portion of the C-shaped member200. Further, the channel slots206are oriented perpendicularly with respect to the threaded slot(s)204. The channel slots206can be utilized to permit a tool therethrough for securing fasteners, which is described in further detail below.

In various aspects, the power rail assembly101may be symmetrical in a top-to-bottom direction (e.g., about a plane extending horizontally through axis1-1perpendicular to the upright wall102). For example, the member200, channels202, slots208, threaded slots204, and channel slots206can be symmetrical about the plane extending through axis1-1. As another example, the upper and lower internal walls103of the member200can further be symmetrical about the plane extending through axis1-1. As illustrated inFIG. 3, the internal walls103may comprise a curved profile104. According to one aspect, such a curved profile104may assist in maintaining longitudinally extending elements (e.g., wires or cables) in place within the power rail assembly101. For example, the curved profile104may urge the wires or cables located within the interior1103of the member200towards the internal corners between the upright wall102and the internal walls103. Accordingly, the curved profile104may urge wires or cables away from components mounted to the threaded slots204extending longitudinally along the internal walls103. In other aspects, various features of the power rail assembly101may be symmetrical in a side-to-side or lateral direction (e.g., about a plane extending vertically through axis2-2parallel to the upright wall102). Such features may include the channels202, lobes of the longitudinal slots208, threads of the threaded slots204, the curved profile104of the internal walls103, and so on.

As illustrated inFIG. 4, a first power rail assembly101ais attachable to a second power rail assembly101band, in this example, is attachable to up to two other power rail assemblies (e.g., at each of its ends). The power rail assemblies101a,101bcan be provided in different lengths, thereby allowing users to customize the size and/or configuration of the power rail system by selecting and attaching together power rail assemblies101a,101bof desired lengths. Referring now toFIG. 5, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, attachment between multiple power rail assemblies101a,101bmay be enabled via one or more channels202(e.g., positioned proximal to the front-faced opening of the C-shaped, open-faced member200) and a number (e.g., one or more) of connector members300. The connector members300and the channels202can have complementary shapes such that the connector members300can be received and retain therein. Although the connector members300and the channels202are depicted as having a rectangular profile, other shapes, including circular, triangular, and hexagonal profiles, are contemplated by the present disclosure. According to various aspects of the present disclosure, each connector member300may be configured to slidably fit within each respective channel202. Further, according to such aspects, each connector member300can be configured to be secured to each of the power rail assemblies101a,101bwhen positioned within the respective channels202of each of the power rail assemblies101a,101b. In one aspect, the connector member300can include two or more threaded apertures304.

Accordingly, the connector member300can be positioned within the channel202of the first power rail assembly101asuch that a fastener secured to one of the threaded apertures304secures the connector member300in place within that channel202. Correspondingly, the connector member300can likewise be positioned within the channel202of the second power rail assembly101bsuch that a fastener secured to the other threaded aperture304secures the connector member300in place within the channel202. Because the connector member300is secured to each of the power rail assemblies101a,101b, the power rail assemblies101a,101bare thereby secured to each other. This process can then be repeated for multiple connector members300, as desired by the user, to reinforce the connection between the power rail assemblies101a,101b. The internally threaded apertures304may extend through a thickness303of each connector member300. In one implementation, the fasteners can be screwed into the threaded apertures304prior to insertion of each connector member300into its respective channel202. In this implementation, each fastener may be screwed into the threaded apertures304to a depth that permits each connector member300to slide longitudinally within each respective channel202without interfering with an internal surface of each channel202. Referring now toFIG. 6, once the connector member300is appropriately positioned (e.g., a first portion of each connector member300is positioned within a channel202of the first power rail assembly101aand a second portion of the connector member300in positioned within a corresponding channel202of the second power rail assembly101b), each fastener engaged with a respective threaded aperture304may be tightened to interferingly secure each connector member300to each of the power rail assemblies101a,101b. Referring back toFIG. 3, as the fastener is tightened, the end of the fastener bears against an internal surface105of the channel202, which in turn causes the connector member to be frictionally engaged or wedged against the opposite internal surface106of the channel202to secure the connector member300within the channel202and, thus, to that particular power rail assembly101a,101b.

Referring back toFIG. 6, the channel slots206may be dimensioned or configured such that a tool306(e.g., an Allen wrench) can be inserted therethrough to tighten the fasteners engaged with the threaded apertures304of the connector members300. Once at least one connector member300is secured to both of the adjacent power rail assemblies101a,101b, the power rail assemblies101a,101bare effectively secured to one another via the connector member300.

In the example shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, two channels202(i.e., the channels202positioned proximal to the front-faced opening of the member200) and two connector members300have been utilized to secure the adjoining power rail assemblies101a,101btogether. According to alternative aspects of the present disclosure, one or more of the two remaining illustrated channels202(i.e., the channels202positioned distal to the front-faced opening of the member200) and up to two further connector members300may be utilized to further secure the adjoining power rail assemblies101a,101btogether. According to one aspect, each of the distally positioned channels202may comprise a longitudinal channel slot206(not shown), as with each of the proximally positioned channel slots206to exhibit similar functionality using the additional connector members300. According to another aspect, each of the distally positioned channels202may not comprise a longitudinal channel slot206and the two additional connector members300may simply float within the distally positioned channels202. In such aspects, the additional connector members300in the distally positioned channels202can further secure the power rail assemblies101a,101btogether and prevent separation at the seam110where the adjoining edges of the power rail assemblies101a,101bmeet. Absent the additional connector members300, separation could occur at the seam110during physical movement or manipulation of attached power rail assemblies101a,101b, for example.

Referring now toFIG. 7, the power rail assembly101a,101bcan further comprise a cover400. According to various aspects of the present disclosure, the cover400may be formed by extruding a material through a die that corresponds to its cross-sectional profile. According to one aspect, the cover400can be fabricated from a metal (e.g., aluminum), a polymer, a composite material, or another extrudable material. The cover400can comprise snap features402configured to engage with the walls301of the member200defining the opening501(which also define, in part, the channel slot206) and interferingly and/or fittingly attach the cover400to the member200, as is also shown inFIG. 19. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, each snap feature402comprises a hook-like feature configured to hook over a corresponding wall301of the member200. Referring now toFIG. 8, in one aspect, the snap features402can extend along the length of the cover400to more securely attach the cover400to a power rail assembly101(i.e., by providing a long interacting surface area). According to alternative aspects, a plurality of fasteners (not shown) may be utilized in lieu of or in addition to the snap features402to attach (or further attach) the cover400to the member200. The cover400is configured to cover or enclose the contents of the power rail assembly101, which can include power outlets, power lines/components, data lines/components, voice lines/components, and so on.

Each cover400may be symmetrical top to bottom (e.g., about a plane extending horizontally through axis1-1perpendicular to the upright wall102), similarly as described above with respect to the power rail assembly101inFIG. 3. For example, each snap feature402may comprise a hook-like feature symmetrical about the plane extending through axis1-1. Furthermore, according to various aspects, cutouts or openings404may be defined in the face of the cover400. According to such aspects, the openings404may be located and sized to accommodate various power or electrical components (e.g., power outlets, data jacks, or voice jacks) installed within or mounted to the power rail assembly101, which are described in greater with respect toFIGS. 15-18.

In various aspects, the power rail system can further include a variety of accessories that are attachable to the longitudinal slots208described above. For example,FIG. 9illustrates a privacy screen500that can be attached the longitudinal slot208of one or more power rail assemblies101a,101b. In some implementations, the longitudinal slots208of power rail assemblies101a,101bcan be configured to be continuous when the power rail assemblies101a,101bare connected together, such that the privacy screen500can be positioned across the seam110between the adjoining power rail assemblies101a,101b. According to one aspect, the privacy screen500can be indirectly attached to the longitudinal slots208, i.e., by an intervening component. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 9, the privacy screen500can be removably connectable to a privacy screen connector502, which may in turn be removably connectable to the channel slots208of one or more power rail assemblies101a,101b. Referring now toFIG. 10, the privacy screen connector502can include a protrusion503configured to fit into the longitudinal slot(s)208. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the protrusion503of the privacy screen connector502can be configured to slidably fit into the longitudinal slot208. According to another aspect, the protrusion503of the privacy screen connector502can be configured to snuggly or interferingly fit into the longitudinal slot208. According to various aspects of the present disclosure, the privacy screen connector502may be formed by extruding a material through a die that corresponds to its cross-sectional profile. According to one aspect, the privacy screen connector502can be fabricated from a metal (e.g., aluminum), a polymer, a composite material, or another extrudable material.

The privacy screen connector502can further include sidewalls504,505that are formed or configured to compressively hold the privacy screen500in place in an upright position. According to one aspect, a distance between the sidewalls504,505proximal to the protrusion503(e.g., a first distance) may be larger than a distance between the sidewalls504,505distal from the protrusion503(e.g., a second distance). In such an aspect, the privacy screen500may exhibit a thickness substantially equal to the first distance such that the sidewalls504,505progressively compress and/or clamp the privacy screen500between the first distance and the second distance as the privacy screen500is inserted into or held by the privacy screen connector502.

Referring now toFIG. 11, attachment points506(e.g., fastener apertures) may be defined in the protrusion503for fixedly attaching the privacy screen connector502to one or more respective power rail assemblies101. The attachment points506may be positioned anywhere along the length of the privacy screen connector502. The attachment points506may be clustered together (as shown inFIG. 11) or not clustered together. As shown inFIG. 12, the privacy screen connector502can be secured to the power rail assembly101by positioning fasteners508through the attachment points506of the privacy screen connector502into corresponding threaded apertures of a mounting bracket510such that the fasteners508may be tightened or loosened external to the longitudinal slot208. The mounting bracket510can be configured or sized to slide within the longitudinal slot208to allow the privacy screen connector502to be positioned anywhere along the power rail assembly101(or power assemblies101when multiple are connected together). According to various aspects, the threaded apertures of the mounting bracket510can be located to mirror the positions (e.g. grouped/non-grouped) of the attachment points506. In an alternative aspect, the apertures defined in the mounting bracket510may be non-threaded and the fasteners508may instead be configured to engage with threaded nuts, as opposed to the mounting bracket510itself. In yet another aspect, the mounting bracket510may be omitted and the fasteners508may extend through the attachment points506of the privacy screen connector502and engage with threaded nuts (not shown) positioned within the longitudinal slot208. According to such an aspect, the threaded nuts may be sized to fit within the longitudinal slot208such that they do not rotate (i.e., interfere with the sidewalls1001,1002of the longitudinal slot208) such that the fasteners508may be tightened or loosened external to the longitudinal slot208.

Referring now toFIG. 13, the power rail assembly101can further include one or more mounting holes209defined though the longitudinal slot208and/or the exterior of the power rail assembly101. The mounting holes209can be utilized in cooperation with mounting brackets510for attaching accessories, such as a privacy screen500, to the power rail assembly101. The mounting holes209could also provide access to threaded nuts (which could be loosely attached to the privacy screen connector502via fasteners508, for example) that have been inserted into the longitudinal slot208before tightening the fasteners508to secure the privacy screen connector502to a power rail assembly101. Such mounting holes209may be positioned anywhere along the length of the power rail assembly101.

In one aspect, the mounting hole209can extend through an exterior wall1101(which corresponds to an outer wall of the power rail assembly101that at least partially encloses the channel(s)202and/or longitudinal slot208thereunder, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 13) and a lateral wall103(as shown inFIGS. 3 and 13) of the power rail assembly101into the interior1103thereof. This enables access to the interior1103for wire routing, for example. In an alternative aspect, the mounting holes209can only extend through the exterior wall1101and not through the lateral wall103into the interior1103of the power rail assembly101. This aspect may be beneficial in implementations where it is desirable to keep the interior1103enclosed (e.g., to keep items from falling into interior1103). In yet another aspect, a subset of the mounting holes209may extend through both the exterior wall1101and the lateral wall103and a separate subset of the mounting holes209extend through only the exterior wall1101. In yet another aspect, the mounting holes209can be omitted and the mounting bracket510and/or the threaded nuts may be configured to slide into an end1104of the longitudinal slot208to position the privacy screen connector502along the length of the longitudinal slot208of the power rail assembly101. Once positioned, the fasteners508may be tightened to secure the privacy screen connector502in place, and the privacy screen500may thereafter be inserted into the privacy screen connector502, as shown inFIG. 9, for example.

Similarly to how a privacy screen500can be connected to the power rail assembly101as shown inFIG. 13, a similar mechanism can be utilized to attach other accessories, such as legs, to the power rail assembly101. For example,FIG. 14illustrates a leg600(see alsoFIGS. 1 and 2) attached to a longitudinal slot208. The longitudinal slot208to which the leg600is attached can be oriented oppositely with respect to the longitudinal slot208to which the privacy screen500is attached in the example shown inFIG. 13. As shown inFIG. 14, the leg600can be secured to the power rail assembly101by positioning fasteners508through the apertures of the leg flange602into corresponding threaded apertures of a mounting bracket510such that the fasteners508may be tightened or loosened external to the longitudinal slot208. The mounting bracket510can be configured or sized to slide within the longitudinal slot208to allow the leg600to be positioned anywhere along the power rail assembly101(or power assemblies101when multiple are connected together). According to various aspects, the threaded apertures of the mounting bracket510can be located to mirror the positions of the apertures of the leg flange602. According to various aspects, the apertures defined in the leg flange602can be located such that the same mounting bracket510can be used in more than one application (e.g., to attach either a privacy screen connector502for a privacy screen500or a leg600). According to another aspect, the apertures defined in mounting bracket510may non-threaded and the fasteners508may extend through the apertures of the leg flange602, through non-threaded holes of the mounting bracket510and into threaded nuts (not shown). In an alternative aspect, the mounting bracket510may be omitted and the fasteners508may extend through apertures of the leg flange602and into threaded nuts. According to such an aspect, the threaded nuts may be sized to fit within the longitudinal slot208such that they do not rotate (i.e., interfere with the sidewalls1001,1002of the longitudinal slot208) such that the fasteners508may be tightened or loosened external to the longitudinal slot208.

Further, as illustrated inFIG. 14, the mounting holes209may be defined through the longitudinal slot208to permit mounting brackets510and/or threaded nuts (which could be loosely attached to the leg flange602of a leg600via fasteners508through the apertures in the leg flange602, for example) to slide into the longitudinal slot208, prior to tightening the fasteners508to secure the leg600to a power rail assembly101. Such mounting holes209may be positioned anywhere along the length of the power rail assembly101.

According to one aspect, the mounting holes209can extend through the exterior wall1101and the lateral wall103of the power rail assembly101into an interior1103thereof. This enables access to the interior1103for wire routing or provides entry or exit for components located within the interior1103(e.g., power lines/components, data lines/components, and/or voice lines/components), for example. According to another aspect, the mounting holes209can only extend through the exterior wall1101and not through the lateral wall103into the interior1103of the power rail assembly101. This aspect may be beneficial in implementations where it is desirable to keep the interior1103enclosed (e.g., to keep items from falling into interior1103). In yet another aspect, a subset of the mounting holes209may extend through both the exterior wall1101and the lateral wall103and a separate subset of the mounting holes209extend through only the exterior wall1101. In yet another alternative aspect, the mounting holes209can be omitted and the mounting bracket510and/or the threaded nuts may be configured to slide into an end1104of the longitudinal slot208to position the leg600along the length of the longitudinal slot208of the power rail assembly101. Once positioned, the fasteners508may be tightened to secure the leg600and/or leg flange602in place, as shown inFIG. 14, for example.

Referring now toFIG. 15, the power rail assembly101can further include one or more electrical outlet assemblies800disposed or attachable within the interior1103thereof. As shown inFIG. 17, the electrical outlet assemblies800can be mounted to the member200such that the face of the power outlet801extends through the openings404defined in the cover400.

Referring now toFIG. 16, in one aspect, the electrical outlet assembly800can be attached to the member200and held fixedly in place within the interior1103thereof via a bracket802and fasteners804(e.g., bolts). In one aspect, the fasteners804can be configured to thread directly into the threaded slot204of the power rail assembly101. In one aspect, the threaded slot204can extend along the length of the member200, thereby allowing the electrical outlet assemblies800to be affixed at any desired positon within the interior1103of the member200. Such a longitudinally threaded slot204enables selective and/or flexible mounting of internal components (e.g., power outlet assemblies, data jack assemblies, or voice jack assemblies). Furthermore, the power rail assembly101can, in some aspects, include opposing threaded slots204extending longitudinally along the top and bottom portions of the member200. Accordingly, the electrical outlet assemblies800and/or other accessories can be mounted along the top and/or bottom longitudinal threaded slots204, as desired by the users.

The electrical outlet assemblies800can include power outlets801that are oriented, sized, and shaped to correspond to the openings404(FIG. 8) in the cover400(FIG. 8) such that the faces of the power outlets801extending through the openings404when the cover400is secured to the member200. The electrical outlet assemblies800can include further power outlets801that are oriented, sized, and shaped to corresponding to cutouts or openings112defined in the upright wall102of a member200, as shown inFIG. 17. Such openings112may be in addition to or as an alternative to the openings404defined in the cover400. Accordingly, each electrical outlet assembly800can, in some aspects, be configured to provide an accessible power outlet801on both sides of a power rail assembly101.

The power rail system can further include opening covers406that are configured to engage with the cover openings404and/or the member openings112. The opening covers406can be utilized to conceal any openings112,404that are unused (e.g., not occupied by a power outlet801). In one aspect, each opening cover406can include snap features408positioned to engage with the perimeter of the openings112,404to removably attach the opening cover406to the upright wall102of the member200or the cover400, as illustrated inFIG. 18.

The power rail system can further include end caps700that are configured to engage with the open ends of a power rail assembly101(with or without a cover400attached thereto). According to various aspects, the end cap700can be constructed from silicone or similar flexible materials. As shown inFIG. 19, according to various aspects, the end cap700can be symmetrical about axis3-3and axis4-4. The end cap700can further include protrusions702positioned, sized, oriented, and/or otherwise configured to engage with (e.g., interferingly fit into) the channels202of the power rail assembly101to removably attach the end cap700thereto. In one aspect, the longitudinal slot208may further comprise a lobed profile210. Such a lobed profile210is configured to enable the attachment of various compatible third-party accessories to each longitudinal slot208.

In sum, the power rail system can be assembled in a highly flexible and customizable manner. For example, the longitudinal slot208, the threaded slot204, and other such attachment components of the power rail assembly101enable flexible placement of legs600, privacy screens500, electrical outlet assemblies800, and other components/accessories. Further, two or more power rail assemblies101may be joined together to customize the length or configuration of the power rail system. Still further, any number of legs600may be attached to the power rail assembly101at various positions along the length of the power rail assembly101. Still further, the number and placement of the electrical outlet assemblies800within the power rail assembly101are fully customizable according to the number and configuration of power outlets801required for the particular application of the power rail system.

Various aspects of the subject matter described herein are set out in the following numbered examples:

Example 1. A power rail system comprising: a first rail assembly configured to be connected to a second rail assembly by a connector member, the first rail assembly comprising: a sidewall; a first interior compartment at least partially enclosed by the sidewall, the first interior compartment extending longitudinally along the first rail assembly; an opening in communication with the first interior compartment, the opening positioned along the sidewall; and a second interior compartment at least partially enclosed by the sidewall, the second interior compartment extending longitudinally along the first rail assembly and configured to receive the connector member therein; an electrical outlet assembly configured to be disposed at least partially within the first interior compartment, the electrical outlet assembly comprising an electrical outlet configured to be received through the opening such that a face of the electrical outlet is uncovered by the first rail assembly.

Example 2. The power rail system of Example 1, further comprising the second rail assembly and the connector member, the second rail assembly comprising: a second sidewall; a third interior compartment at least partially enclosed by the sidewall, the third interior compartment extending longitudinally along the second rail assembly; a second opening in communication with the third interior compartment, the second opening positioned along the second sidewall; and a fourth interior compartment at least partially enclosed by the second sidewall, the second interior compartment extending longitudinally along the second rail assembly; wherein the connector member is positioned with both the second interior compartment and the fourth interior compartment to removably secure the first rail assembly and the second rail assembly together.

Example 3. The power rail system of Example 2, wherein the connector member is secured within each of the second interior compartment and the fourth interior compartment via fasteners.

Example 4. The power rail system of Example 2 or 3, wherein the first rail assembly comprises a first length and the second rail assembly comprises a second length.

Example 5. The power rail system of any one of Examples 1-4, further comprising a leg configured to be removably connected to the first rail assembly.

Example 6. The power rail system of Example 5, further comprising: a slot extending longitudinally along the first rail assembly; wherein the leg is attachable to the slot via a mounting bracket.

Example 7. The power rail system of any one of Examples 1-6, further comprising a privacy screen configured to be removably connected to the first rail assembly.

Example 8. The power rail system of Example 7, further comprising: a slot extending longitudinally along the first rail assembly; a privacy screen connector configured to removably receive the privacy screen; wherein the privacy screen connector is attachable to the slot via a mounting bracket.

Example 9. The power rail system of any one of Examples 1-8, further comprising: a threaded slot extending longitudinally along the first rail assembly; wherein the electrical outlet assembly is connectable at either a first location or a second location of the threaded slot to secure the electrical outlet assembly within the first interior compartment.

Example 10. The power rail system of any one of Examples 1-9, wherein: the electrical outlet comprises a first electrical outlet; the electrical outlet assembly further comprises a second electrical outlet; and the second electrical outlet is oriented oppositely with respect to the first electrical outlet.

Example 11. The power rail system of Example 10, wherein the opening comprises a first opening and the face comprises a first face, the power rail system further comprising: a cover configured to be removably connected to the first rail assembly, the cover comprising a second opening configured to receive the second electrical outlet therethrough such that a second face of the second electrical outlet is uncovered by the cover.

While various details have been set forth in the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the various aspects of the techniques may be practiced without these specific details. One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein described components (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussion accompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptual clarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated. Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and the accompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their more general classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended to be representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specific components (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be taken as limiting.

It is worthy to note that any reference to “one aspect,” “an aspect,” “one form,” or “a form” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the aspect is included in at least one aspect. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one aspect,” “in an aspect,” “in one form,” or “in a form” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same aspect. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more aspects.

It should further be appreciated that, for convenience and clarity, spatial terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “lateral,” “proximal,” “distal,” and so on may be used herein with respect to the drawings. However, these terms are not intended to limit the use of the structures described herein to any particular orientation, and thus, these terms are not intended to be limiting and/or absolute.