Power and data component mounted on a movable carriage and a movable cover with a damper

Abstract

An expandable power and data center ( 300 ) is adapted to be mounted within a slot ( 304 ) of a work surface ( 302 ). The power and data center ( 300 ) includes a stationary housing ( 306 ) and a carriage ( 328 ). The carriage ( 328 ) includes socket areas where power receptacles ( 338 ) and data ports ( 340 ) can be inserted. A top surface ( 330 ) of the carriage ( 328 ) and a top surface ( 350 ) of a frontal cover ( 348 ) form a pressure area ( 360 ). With the carriage in a closed position ( 328 ), a user can exert a downward pressure on the pressure area ( 360 ), causing the carriage ( 328 ) to move to an open position. A damper ( 368 ) restricts the speed at which the carriage ( 328 ) moves between the closed position and an open position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical system for distributing power and/or data, and adapted to be mounted to a work surface, said system comprising:
 a housing adapted to be mounted to said work surface; 
 carrying or carriage means directly or indirectly coupled to said housing and either movable between a closed, retracted position and an open, extended position, or maintained stationary relative to said housing said carrying or carriage means having opposite ends; 
 a cover positioned at least partially over at said carrying or carriage means and movable with said carrying or carriage means between a the closed, retracted cover position and an the open, extended cover position, said cover having respective opposite end portions overlying said opposite ends of said carrying or carriage means; 
 an opposing side wall removably coupled to each of said opposite ends of said carrying or carriage means, said opposing side walls each comprising an outboard-facing side wall pivot; 
 a connecting bracket positioned outboard of each of said opposite ends of said carrying or carriage means, each of said connecting brackets coupled to said housing, said connecting brackets each comprising an inboard-facing bracket pivot configured to engage a respective one of said side wall pivots; 
 at least one of a power and/or data component mounted to said carrying or carriage means, and accessible to a user when said cover is and said carrying or carriage means are in said open, extended cover position; 
 means for releasably maintaining said cover and said carrying or carriage means in said closed, retracted cover position, wherein said means for releasably maintaining said cover and said carrying or carriage means comprises a first latch portion at one of said opposing side walls and a corresponding second latch portion at a corresponding one of said connecting brackets, and wherein said first latch portion engages said second latch portion with said carrying or carriage means in said closed, retracted position; 
 wherein said means for releasably maintaining said cover and said carrying or carriage means is responsive to an initial application of external forces directly or indirectly on said cover for releasing said cover and said carrying or carriage means from said closed, retracted cover position; 
 spring means for automatically moving said cover and said carrying or carriage means from said closed, retracted cover position to said open, extended cover position following said initial application of external forces, wherein said spring means is disposed between and engaged with one of said opposing side walls and a corresponding one of said connecting brackets; and 
 said system further comprises damping damper means coupled to said spring means for automatically moving said cover and said carrying or carriage means, said damper means for damping movement of said cover and said carrying or carriage means from said closed, retracted cover position to said open, extended cover position. 
 
     
     
       2. An The electrical system in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that said damping damper means operates so that the rate of movement of said cover and said carrying or carriage means from said closed, retracted cover position to said open, extended cover position remains substantially constant. 
     
     
       3. An The electrical system in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that said system comprises means for releasably securing said housing to said work surface, said securing means comprises:
 at least one latching mechanism, said latching mechanism comprising:
 a tower; 
 a vertically disposed bushing thread mounted to said tower; 
 a foot connected to or otherwise integral with the a bottom of said tower, said foot having a triangular configuration; 
 a vertical bracket connected to or otherwise integral with said foot; and 
 a lip extending outwardly from a top of said vertical bracket. 
 
 
     
     
       4. An The electrical system in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that said system comprises a plurality of latching mechanisms for releasably securing said housing to said work surface, wherein each of said plurality of latching mechanisms releasably locks said housing to said work surface, in the absence of any requirement of screws or the like. 
     
     
       5. An The electrical system in accordance with  claim 1 , characterized in that said system further comprises a plurality of connecting clips for releasably securing said electrical system to said work surface, in a manner so that said electrical system cannot be inadvertently lifted upwardly out of the a slot within said work surface. 
     
     
       6. An The electrical system in accordance with  claim 5 , characterized in that each of said connecting clips comprises:
 an angled back portion; 
 a reverse angled section integral with a lower portion of said angled back portion; 
 a parallel angled section located on the a bottom portion of said reverse angled portion section, said parallel angled section lying in a place parallel to the a plane of said angled back portion; and 
 a lower integral connection is made between said a lower portion of said parallel angled section and a lower portion of a vertical front plate. 
 
     
     
       7. An electrical system for distributing power or data, and adapted to be mounted to a work surface, said system comprising:
 a housing adapted to be mounted to the work surface;   a carriage coupled to said housing and movable between a closed, retracted position and an open, extended position, said carriage having opposite ends;   a cover at said carriage and movable therewith, said cover having respective opposite end portions overlying said opposite ends of said carriage;   an opposing side wall removably coupled to each of said opposite ends of said carriage, said opposing side walls each comprising an outboard-facing sidewall pivot;   a connecting bracket positioned outboard of each of said opposite ends of said carriage, each of said connecting brackets comprising an inboard-facing bracket pivot configured to engage a respective one of said side wall pivots;   at least one power or data component mounted to said carriage and accessible to a user when said carriage is in said open, extended position;   a latch mechanism comprising a first latch portion at one of said carriage ends and a corresponding second latch portion at a corresponding one of said connecting brackets, wherein said latch mechanism is configured to releasably maintain said cover and said carriage in said closed, retracted position, and wherein said latch mechanism is responsive to an initial application of external forces on said cover for releasing said cover and said carriage from said closed, retracted position;   a biasing member for automatically moving said cover and said carriage from said closed, retracted position to said open, extended position following said initial application of external forces, wherein said biasing member is disposed between and engaged with one of said opposing side walls and a corresponding one of said connecting brackets; and   a damper coupled to said biasing member for damping movement of said cover and said carriage from said closed, retracted position to said open, extended position.   
     
     
       8. The electrical system of claim 7, wherein said damper operates so that the rate of movement of said cover and said carriage from said closed, retracted position to said open, extended position remains substantially constant. 
     
     
       9. The electrical system of claim 7, further comprising at least one latching mechanism for releasably securing said housing to the work surface, said latching mechanism comprising:
 a tower;   a vertically disposed bushing thread mounted to said tower;   a foot connected to or otherwise integral with a bottom of said tower, said foot having a triangular configuration;   a vertical bracket connected to or otherwise integral with said foot; and   a lip extending outwardly from a top of said vertical bracket.   
     
     
       10. The electrical system of claim 7, further comprising at least one latching mechanism for releasably securing said housing to the work surface, wherein said latching mechanism releasably locks said housing to the work surface, in the absence of any requirement of screws. 
     
     
       11. The electrical system of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of connecting clips for releasably securing said electrical system to the work surface, in a manner so that said electrical system cannot be inadvertently lifted upwardly out of a slot within the work surface. 
     
     
       12. The electrical system of claim 11, wherein each of said connecting clips comprises:
 an angled back portion;   a reverse angled section integral with a lower portion of said angled back portion; and   a parallel angled section located on a bottom portion of said reverse angled portion, said parallel angled section lying in a place parallel to a plane of said angled back portion;   
       wherein a lower integral connection is made between a lower portion of said parallel angled section and a lower portion of a vertical front plate.