Currently, computer base stations, such as PC towers, and peripherals, such as monitors, scanners and printers, each require a separate power lead for providing electrical connection to electrical power sources, typically wall sockets.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an electrical connection unit and a power lead assembly which avoids the need for associated electrical apparatus, such as computer base stations and peripherals, to be separately electrically connected to electrical power sources, which power sources are often remote from the electrical apparatus. In this way, a proliferation of loose trailing cables is avoided, thereby inter alia obviating the problems associated with the tangling of cables and the trip hazard presented by loose cables.

In one aspect the present invention provides an electrical connection unit, comprising a housing including first and second electrical connectors for providing electrical connection to respective ones of first and second other counterpart electrical connectors, each of the first and second electrical connectors including a plurality of electrical contact terminals, with respective ones of the electrical contact terminals of each of the first and second electrical connectors being commonly electrically connected to respective conductors of a cable.

Preferably, the first and second electrical connectors are disposed to respective ones of a front and rear of the housing.

In one embodiment the first electrical connector comprises a plug.

In one embodiment the second electrical connector comprises a socket.

Preferably, the housing includes a cable guide through which the cable is introduced thereinto.

Preferably, the housing comprises a single integral unit.

Preferably, the electrical connection unit further comprises a plurality of electrical contact elements, each of the electrical contact elements defining an electrical contact terminal of the first electrical connector and an electrical contact terminal of the second electrical connector.

In one embodiment the housing includes a third electrical connector for providing electrical connection to a further counterpart electrical connector, the third electrical connector including a plurality of electrical contact terminals, with the electrical contact terminals of the third electrical connector being commonly electrically connected to respective ones of the electrical contact terminals of each of the first and second electrical connectors.

Preferably, the third electrical connector is disposed to a rear of the housing.

Preferably, the third electrical connector comprises a socket.

In another aspect the present invention provides a power lead assembly for providing electrical power connection between electrical apparatus, comprising : the above-described electrical connection unit, as a first electrical connection unit for connection to a first electrical apparatus by the first electrical connector thereof, with the second electrical connector thereof providing for connection to an electrical power source ; a second electrical connection unit including an electrical connector for connection to a second electrical apparatus by the electrical connector. thereof ; and a cable including a plurality of conductors electrically connecting the first and second electrical connection units, with each of the conductors being commonly electrically connected to the respective ones of the electrical contact terminals of the first and second electrical connectors of the first electrical connection unit.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described hereinbelow by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 illustrates a power lead assembly for electrically connecting first and second electrical apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention ; Figure 2 illustrates a side view of a first electrical connection unit of the power lead assembly of Figure 1 ; Figure 3 illustrates a front view of the electrical connection unit of Figure 2 ; Figure 4 illustrates a rear view of the electrical connection unit of Figure 2 ; Figure 5 illustrates one end view of the electrical connection unit of Figure 2 ; Figure 6 illustrates the other end view of the electrical connection unit of Figure 2 ; Figure 7 illustrates a part-sectional longitudinal view through the electrical connection unit of Figure 2, illustrated with the cable removed for ease of illustration ; Figure 8 illustrates a side view of a modified electrical connection unit as a modification of the electrical connection unit of Figure 2 ; Figure 9 illustrates a front view of the modified electrical connection unit of Figure 8 ; Figure 10 illustrates a rear view of the modified electrical connection unit of Figure 8 ; and

Figure 11 illustrates a part-sectional longitudinal view through the modified electrical connection unit of Figure 8, illustrated with the cable removed for ease of illustration.

The power lead assembly 1 comprises a first electrical connection unit 2, in this embodiment a single integral unit, which includes first and second electrical connectors 3, 4 which are commonly electrically connected and provide for electrical connection to respective ones of a first electrical apparatus 5, in this embodiment a computer base station, such as a PC tower, and an electrical power source 6, in this embodiment a wall socket, through a conventional power lead 7, a second electrical connection unit 8 which includes an electrical connector 9 which provides for connection to a second electrical apparatus 10, in this embodiment a peripheral, such as a monitor, scanner or printer, here a monitor, and a cable 1l which includes a plurality of conductors electrically connecting the first and second electrical connection units 2, 8.

The first and second electrical connectors 3, 4 of the first electrical connection unit 2 are disposed to respective ones of the front and rear thereof.

The first electrical connector 3, in this embodiment a female"IECn plug, of the first electrical connection unit 2 is adapted to connect to a counterpart electrical connector 12, in this embodiment a male"IEC"socket, of the first electrical apparatus 5.

The second electrical connector 4, in this embodiment a male"IEC"socket, of the first electrical connection unit 2 is adapted to connect to a counterpart electrical connector 13, in this embodiment a female"IEC"plug, of an electrical connection unit 14 of the conventional power lead 7, which conventional power lead 7 is connected to the electrical power source 6.

The first electrical connection unit 2 comprises a housing 15 which comprises a first, front housing part 16 which includes a projection 17 which is disposed to the front of the housing 15 and defines the body of the first electrical

connector 3 thereof, and a second, rear housing part 18 which includes a recess 19 which is disposed to the rear of the housing 15 and defines the body of the second electrical connector 4 thereof. In this embodiment the housing parts 16, 18 are formed of fibre-reinforced nylon and welded together to form the housing 15.

The projection 17 includes a plurality of, in this embodiment three, apertures 20a, 20b, 20c which each receive a respective electrical contact terminal 26, as will be described in more detail hereinbelow, which electrical contact terminals 26 provide the contact terminals of the first electrical connector 3 of the first electrical connection unit 2.

The recess 19 includes a plurality of, in this embodiment three, apertures 21a, 21b, 21c from which extend respective electrical contact terminals 27, as will be described in more detail hereinbelow, which electrical contact terminals 27 provide the contact terminals of the second electrical connector 4 of the first electrical connection unit 2.

The housing 15 further comprises a cable guide 22 through which the cable 11 is introduced and clamped in the housing 15.

The first electrical connection unit 2 further comprises a plurality of, in this embodiment three, electrical contact elements 24a, 24b, 24c which are disposed within the housing 15 and are each electrically connected to a respective conductor of the cable t1. The electrical contact elements 24a, 24b, 24c each comprise a tag 25 to which a respective conductor of the cable 11 is connected, a first electrical contact terminal 26, in this embodiment a female terminal, which is for engagement with a counterpart electrical contact terminal and is disposed in a respective one of the apertures 20a, 20b, 20c in the projection 17, and a second electrical contact terminal 27, in this embodiment a male terminal, which is for engagement with a counterpart electrical contact terminal and extends from a respective one of the apertures 21a, 21b, 21c in the recess 19.

In use, the first electrical connector 3 of the first electrical connection unit 2 is connected to the electrical connector 12 of the first electrical apparatus 5, the electrical connector 9 of the second electrical connection unit 8 is connected to an electrical connector 28 of the second electrical apparatus 10, and the electrical connector 13 of the electrical connection unit 14 of the conventional power lead 7 is connected to the second electrical connector 4 of the first electrical connection unit 2. Moreover, with this configuration, a plurality of electrical connection units 2 can be piggy-backed, or daisy-chained, one to another where power is to be obtained from only one electrical power source 6, such as an electrical socket, and a plurality of second electrical apparatus 10 are to be powered therefrom.

Finally, it will be understood that the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiment and can be modified in many different ways without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

For example, in this embodiment the first electrical connection unit 2 comprises three electrical contact elements 24a, 24b, 24c, but could comprise any number, for example, two, four or greater.

In one modification, as illustrated in Figures 8 to 11, the first electrical connection unit 2 includes a third electrical connector 29 which is commonly electrically connected to the first and second electrical connectors 3, 4 thereof and provides for electrical connection to a counterpart electrical connector and thereby electrical connection to other electrical apparatus.

The third electrical connector 29, in this embodiment a female 2. 5 amp "Figure-of-Eight"socket, of the first electrical connection unit 2 is disposed to the rear thereof and adapted to connect to a counterpart electrical connector, in this embodiment a male 2. 5 amp"Figure-of-Eight"plug for electrical connection to other electrical apparatus.

The first, front housing part 16 includes a second projection 31 which is disposed to the front of the housing 15 and defines the body of the third electrical connector 29 thereof.

The second projection 31 includes a plurality of, in this embodiment two, apertures 33a, 33b which each receive a respective electrical contact terminal 36, as will be described in more detail hereinbelow, which electrical contact terminals 36 provide the contact terminals of the third electrical connector 29 of the first electrical connection unit 2.

The first electrical connection unit 2 further comprises a plurality of, in this embodiment two, further electrical contact elements 34a, 34b which are disposed within the housing 15 and are each electrically connected to a respective conductor of the cable 11. The further electrical contact elements 34a, 34b each comprise a tag 35 to which a respective conductor of the cable 11 is connected, and an electrical contact terminal 36, in this embodiment a female terminal, which is for engagement with a counterpart electrical contact terminal and is disposed in a respective one of the apertures 33a, 33b in the second projection 31.