Electrical installation system and method using variably-locatable electrical sockets
View Patent ↗A power-socket variable location system and method provide one or more variably-locatable electrical sockets and data connection points along a wall to enable pins of an electrical plug to be inserted at selectively variable locations along the wall to obtain electrical power. An elongate-electrical-conductor is located along the wall. A conductor-enclosure encases the electrical-conductor to prevents inadvertent contact between a user and the electrically-live conductor inside. One or more power-sockets each have pin-to-conductor-conduction-means that are able to electrically link the elongate-electrical-conductor to pins of an electrical plug inserted into the power-socket. The power-sockets can be selectively attached at any location along the conductor-enclosure such that when the pins of an electrical plug are inserted into the power-sockets, an electrical connection is made between the pins and the power source through the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means and via the elongate-electrical-conductor. One or more data connection points are able to be selectively attached at substantially any location along the conductor-enclosure.
1. A method of providing one or more variably-locatable electrical sockets along a wall to enable pins of an electrical plug to be inserted at selectively variable locations along the wall to obtain electrical power therefrom, the method comprising:
providing elongate-electrical-conductor-means along at least part of a wall;
providing elongate-conductor-enclosure-means along the wall so as to substantially enclose the elongate-electrical-conductor-means therein in its interior;
connecting the elongate-electrical-conductor-means to a power source, such that, in use, the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means prevents inadvertent contact between a user and the electrically-live elongate-electrical-conductor-means therein;
providing a power-socket-means that has pin-to-conductor-conduction-means able to electrically link the elongate-electrical-conductor-means to pins of an electrical plug inserted into the power-socket-means; and
selectively attaching said power-socket-means at substantially any location along the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means such that, when the pins of an electrical plug are inserted into the power-socket-means, an electrical connection is made between the pins and said power source through the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means and via the elongate-electrical-conductor-means, wherein during attachment of the power-socket means to the elongate-conductor-enclosure means, the method includes:
using straight-ahead-alignment-means to cause a leading portion of the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means, at instant of actual entrance, to enter at least substantially straight into the elongate-electrical-conductor-means rather than entering misaligned or entering at an angle that causes damage of the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means, and wherein the straight-ahead-alignment-means includes:
a pivot-support which has a first-support-portion and a second-support-portion such that, during the attachment, the method includes:
pivotally supporting the power-socket-means using the first-support-portion such that the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means moves towards the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means in a false trajectory, and
prior to the instant of actual entrance of the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means into the elongate-electrical-conductor-means, supporting the power-socket-means using the second-support-portion such that the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means enters the elongate-electrical-conductor-means at least substantially straight ahead in a true trajectory to avoid damage to the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means.
2. A method of claim 1 wherein the method also includes selectively attaching one or more data connection points at substantially any location along the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means;
and wherein the method includes using data-cable-confinement-means within the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means to confine any data cables, associated with the one or more data connection points, to part of the interior of the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means so as to avoid interference between the data cables and the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means and the elongate-electrical-conductor-means within the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means.
3. A method of claim 2 wherein, immediately prior to the instant of actual entrance of the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means into the elongate-electrical-conductor-means, the method includes transitioning the support of the power-socket-means from the first-support-portion to the second-support-portion.
4. A method of claim 3 wherein the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means is provided with facia-panel-means that is removable to reveal and provide access to the interior of the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means, and wherein the method includes adjusting the length of the facia-panel-means by breaking the facia-panel-means along scored lines of weakness provided thereon.
5. A power-socket-means adapted to be used in the method of claim 4 .
6. A power-socket-means adapted to be used in the method of claim 4 wherein the power-socket-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. Elongate-conductor-enclosure-means adapted to be used in the method of claim 4 wherein the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. The method of claim 3 wherein the straight-ahead-alignment-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the drawings in FIGS. 4 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
9. A power-socket variable location system adapted to provide one or more variably-locatable electrical sockets along a wall to enable pins of an electrical plug to be inserted at selectively variable locations along the wall to obtain electrical power therefrom, the system comprising:
elongate-electrical-conductor-means adapted to be located, in use, along at least part of a wall and adapted to be connected to a power source;
elongate-conductor-enclosure-means adapted to substantially enclose the elongate-electrical-conductor-means therein in its interior such that, in use, the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means prevents inadvertent contact between a user and the electrically-live elongate-electrical-conductor-means therein;
one or more power-socket-means that each have pin-to-conductor-conduction-means able to electrically link the elongate-electrical-conductor-means to pins of an electrical plug inserted into the power-socket-means;
straight-ahead-alignment-means adapted, during attachment of the power-socket-means to the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means, to enable a leading portion of the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means, at instant of actual entrance, to enter at least substantially straight into the elongate-electrical-conductor-means rather than entering misaligned or entering at an angle that causes damage of the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means, wherein the straight-ahead-alignment-means includes a pivot-support which has a first-support-portion and a second-support-portion such that, during the attachment:
the first-support-portion, in use, is able to pivotally support the power-socket-means such that the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means moves towards the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means in a false trajectory, and
the second-support-portion, in use, is able to support the power-socket-means such that, immediately prior to the instant of actual entrance of the pin-to-conductor-conduction -means into the elongate-electrical-conductor-means, the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means enters the elongate-electrical-conductor-means at least substantially straight ahead in a true trajectory to avoid damage to the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means;
wherein said one or more power-socket-means are able to be selectively attached at substantially any location along the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means such that when the pins of an electrical plug are inserted into the power-socket-means, an electrical connection is able to be made between the pins and said power source through the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means and via the elongate-electrical-conductor-means.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein one or more data connection points are able to be selectively attached at substantially any location along the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means;
and wherein the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means includes therein data-cable-confinement-means adapted to confine any data cables, associated with the one or more data connection points, to part of the interior of the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means sufficient to avoid interference between the data cables and the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means and the elongate-electrical-conductor-means within the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means.
11. A power-socket-means adapted to be used in the system of claim 10 .
12. A power-socket-means adapted to be used in the system of claim 10 wherein the power-socket-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. Elongate-conductor-enclosure-means adapted to be used in the system of claim 10 wherein the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. The system of claim 9 wherein, in use, support of the power-socket-means transitions from the first-support-portion to the second-support-portion immediately prior to the instant of actual entrance of the pin-to-conductor-conduction-means into the elongate-electrical-conductor-means.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means is made of a non-conductive material.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means is provided with facia-panel-means that is removable to reveal and provide access to the interior of the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means, and wherein the facia-panel means is adapted to be adjustable in terms of its length by breaking the facia-panel means along scored lines of weakness provided thereon.
17. A power-socket-means adapted to be used in the system of claim 16 .
18. A power-socket-means adapted to be used in the system of claim 16 wherein the power-socket-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
19. Elongate-conductor-enclosure-means adapted to be used in the system of claim 16 wherein the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
20. A power-socket-means adapted to be used in the system of claim 15 .
21. A power-socket-means adapted to be used in the system of claim 15 wherein the power-socket-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
22. Elongate-conductor-enclosure-means adapted to be used in the system of claim 15 wherein the elongate-conductor-enclosure-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
23. The system of claim 14 wherein the straight-ahead-alignment-means is substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the drawings in FIGS. 4 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.