Modular electrical system utilizing four wire circuitry

1. An electrical system adapted for use in a raceway, the electrical system comprising:

a female end connector comprising a ground wire, a neutral wire, and two hot wires;

a male end connector comprising a ground wire, a neutral wire, and two hot wires;

a series of female terminals, each directly coupled to a terminating end of one of said electrical wires of said female end connector;

a series of male terminals, each directly coupled to a terminating end of one of said electrical wires of said male end connector;

a first receptacle housing comprising a bus bar cavity and four bus bars arranged within said bus bar cavity, wherein an end of each of said bus bars comprises a male terminal, and wherein an opposite end of each of said bus bars comprises a female terminal;

wherein said first receptacle housing is positioned between said female end connector and said male end connector, and wherein said male terminals of said bus bars are directly coupled to respective ones of said female terminals of said female end connector and said female terminals of said bus bars are directly coupled to respective ones of said male terminals of said male end connector; and

a plurality of receptacle terminals, arranged within said first receptacle housing, and electrically coupled to respective ones of said bus bars and adapted to selectively apply electrical power to power-consuming devices.

2. The electrical system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of receptacle terminals are each directly coupled to said respective ones of said bus bars.

3. The electrical system of claim 1 , wherein said first receptacle housing comprises a pair of receptacle housing halves that are configured to form opposing halves of said first receptacle housing, and wherein one of said receptacle housing halves defines a receptacle face configured to provide access to said plurality of receptacle terminals.

4. The electrical system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of receptacle terminals comprises a first set of terminals and a second set of terminals, wherein said first set of terminals comprises a hot terminal electrically coupled to a first hot bus bar of said bus bars, and wherein said second set of terminals comprises a hot terminal electrically connected to one of the first hot bus bar and a second hot bus bar of said bus bars.

5. The electrical system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of receptacle terminals comprises a first set of terminals including a hot terminal electrically coupled to a first hot bus bar of said bus bars, wherein said hot terminal comprises a first terminal portion configured to receive a hot electrical contact of a first power plug, and wherein said hot terminal comprises a second terminal portion configured to receive a hot electrical contact of a second power plug.

6. The electrical system of claim 5 , wherein said first set of terminals comprises a neutral terminal electrically coupled to a neutral bus bar of said bus bars, wherein said neutral terminal comprises a first terminal portion that is configured to receive a neutral electrical contact of the first power plug, and a second terminal portion that is configured to receive a neutral electrical contact of the second power plug.

7. The electrical system of claim 5 , wherein said first set of terminals comprises a ground terminal electrically coupled to a ground bus bar of said bus bars, wherein said ground terminal comprises a first terminal portion that is configured to receive a ground electrical contact of the first power plug, and a second terminal portion that is configured to receive a ground electrical contact of the second power plug.

8. The electrical system of claim 1 , wherein said ground wire, neutral wire, and hot wires of said female end connector comprise a first cable, wherein said ground wire, neutral wire, and hot wires of said male end connector comprise a second cable, wherein each of said first and second cables comprises a respective opposite end connector that is opposite one of said male end connector and said female end connector, and wherein each opposite end connector is one of a second male end connector and a second female end connector.

9. The electrical system of claim 8 further comprising a source of incoming electrical power electrically coupled to one of said first and second cables, wherein said source of incoming electrical power comprises two hot conductors coupled to said two hot wires of one of said first and second cables, a neutral conductor coupled to said neutral wire of the one of said first and second cables, and a ground conductor coupled to said ground wire of the one of said first and second cables.

10. The electrical system of claim 8 further comprising a second receptacle housing, wherein one of said first and second cables is configured to extend from said first receptacle housing to said second receptacle housing, and wherein one of said opposite end connectors is coupled to said second receptacle housing.

11. The electrical system of claim 10 further comprising a raceway configured to extend within a first wall of a first room and within a second wall of a second room such that said electrical system provides electrical power to said first and second rooms, and wherein said first and second receptacle housings are arranged in said raceway such that said first receptacle housing is arranged in the first wall of the first room, and wherein said second receptacle housing is arranged in the second wall of the second room.

12. The electrical system of claim 1 , wherein said male end connector and said female end connector are each configured to couple to said first receptacle housing, wherein each of said male end connector, said female end connector, and said first receptacle housing comprise corresponding connector keys configured to prevent reverse polarity coupling, and wherein an arrangement of said corresponding connector keys is defined by a desired circuit selection between multiple hot bus bars of said bus bars.

13. The electrical system of claim 12 , wherein said male end connector comprises a connector tab configured to insert into a tab slot of said first receptacle housing to secure said male end connector to said first receptacle housing, and wherein said first receptacle housing comprises a connector tab configured to insert into a tab slot of said female end connector to secure said female end connector to said first receptacle housing.

14. The electrical system of claim 1 , wherein said male terminals of said bus bars are directly coupled to said female terminals of said female end connector, and wherein said female terminals of said bus bars are directly coupled to said male terminals of said male end connector.

15. An electrical system adapted for use in a raceway, the electrical system comprising:

a first cable comprising four electrical wires including a ground wire, a neutral wire, and two hot wires, wherein said first cable terminates with a female end connector;

a second cable comprising four electrical wires including a ground wire, a neutral wire, and two hot wires, wherein said second cable terminates with a male end connector;

a first receptacle housing comprising a bus bar cavity and four bus bars arranged within said bus bar cavity, wherein a first end of each of said bus bars comprises a male terminal, and wherein an opposite second end of each of said bus bars comprises a female terminal; and

a plurality of receptacle terminals arranged within said first receptacle housing and directly coupled to respective ones of said bus bars, said plurality of receptacle terminals configured to receive corresponding electrical contacts of a power plug within said first receptacle housing, so as to selectively apply electrical power to a power consuming device electrically coupled to the power plug;

wherein said female end connector comprises a plurality of female terminals, each directly coupled to a corresponding terminating end of one of said four electrical wires of said first cable;

wherein said male end connector comprises a plurality of male terminals, each directly coupled to a corresponding terminating end of one of said four electrical wires of said second cable; and

wherein said first receptacle housing is positioned between said female end connector and said male end connector, wherein said first ends of said bus bars are directly coupled to respective ones of said plurality of female terminals of said female end connector, and wherein said second ends of said bus bars are directly coupled to respective ones of said plurality of male terminals of said male end connector.

16. The electrical system of claim 15 , wherein said first receptacle housing comprises a pair of receptacle housing halves configured to form opposing halves of said first receptacle housing, and wherein at least one of said receptacle housing halves defines a receptacle face configured to provide access to said plurality of receptacle terminals.

17. The electrical system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of said pair of receptacle halves comprises slots configured to support said bus bars within said bus bar cavity.

18. The electrical system of claim 15 , wherein said plurality of receptacle terminals comprises a hot terminal coupled to a first hot bus bar of said bus bars, wherein said hot terminal comprises a first terminal portion that is configured to receive a hot electrical contact of a first power plug via an aperture in said receptacle housing, and wherein said hot terminal comprises a second terminal portion that is configured to receive a hot electrical contact of a second power plug.

19. The electrical system of claim 15 , wherein each of said first and second cables comprises an opposite end connector that is opposite one of said male end connector and said female end connector, and wherein each opposite end connector is one of a second male end connector and a second female end connector, and said electrical system further comprising a source of incoming electrical power electrically coupled to one of said first and second cables, wherein said source of incoming electrical power comprises two hot conductors coupled to said two hot wires of one of said first and second cables, a neutral conductor coupled to said neutral wire of the one of said first and second cables, and a ground conductor coupled to said ground wire of the one of said first and second cables.

20. The electrical system of claim 19 further comprising:

a second receptacle housing, wherein one of said first and second cables is configured to extend from said first receptacle housing to said second receptacle housing, wherein one of said first and second opposite end connectors is coupled to said second receptacle housing; and

a raceway configured to extend within a first wall of a first room and within a second wall of a second room, such that said electrical system provides electrical power to said first and second rooms;

wherein said first and second receptacle housings are arranged in said raceway such that said first receptacle housing is arranged in the first wall of the first room, and wherein said second receptacle housing is arranged in the second wall of the second room.