Patent ID: 7993150

Claim:
A modular power distribution assembly comprising: an electrically conductive support rail extending between opposite ends of said power distribution assembly, said support rail having opposite ends and a peripheral rail edge, wherein at least one end of said support rail includes a grounding member which is disposed outwardly of said peripheral rail edge in an initial position, said grounding member being displaceable from said initial position to an engagement position oriented transverse to the support rail, said grounding member further including a connector flange projecting sidewardly from said grounding member when in said engagement position; at least one power block assembly disposed along the length of said support rail which comprises a housing defined by an exterior housing body that defines an interior housing chamber, a plurality of terminal ports formed through said housing wall to permit plugging engagement of an electrical component to said block assembly, a plurality of electrical terminals within said housing chamber which are accessible respectively through said access ports and which define one or more electrical circuits comprising hot, neutral and ground terminals, said housing body further including an access window disposed separate from said access ports, which said access window aligns with a terminal edge of said ground terminal; a plurality of elongate electrical conductors having terminal ends which extend into said housing body and said interior chamber thereof and are each electrically connected to a respective one of said terminals, said conductors extending along said support rail and being supported thereby, at least a portion of said conductors being associated with said hot and neutral terminals and being electrically insulated from said support rail; and said grounding member when in said initial position being spaced from said housing body, and said grounding member, when in said engagement position, extending along at least a portion of said housing body and having said connector flange thereof projecting sidewardly through said access window into said housing body, said connector flange being in fixed contacting engagement with said grounding terminal within said interior chamber to define a grounded connection between said support rail and said ground terminal and said conductor connected thereto.