STRUCTURED CABLING FOR INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

Abstract

The present invention relates to an innovative wiring architecture for the so-called “intelligent buildings”. This innovative wiring architecture can be implemented in all existing buildings, without requiring the creation of spaces to house cable ducts or other invasive interventions from the construction point of view. It also guarantees data and power distribution both in Ac and DC mode, substantially everywhere, thus supporting the installation and flexible positioning of the “smart objects”; and all this is achieved. while also guaranteeing safety requirements higher than or equal to those required by current regulations on the subject. This wiring architecture provides for the laying of one or more “conductor rings” (comprising a plurality of parallel conductor cables) suitably interconnected in a reconfigurable way; and associated with a data transmission line; so as they are able to power, in parallel, a plurality of electrical devices, which can be positioned at any point.

Claims

1. A network for the distribution of electrical power in a building, which includes at least one conductive ring; and wherein said conductive ring: comprises a plurality of parallel conductive cables; and is accessible to provide power to a plurality of electrical devices connected in parallel, wherein said electrical devices are allowed to be positioned at any point of the conductive ring; and wherein the parallel conductive cables are comprised in at least one ribbon cable (120), which is made up, at least in part, of a plurality of conductive tapes (122) placed side by side, in the shape of a flat thin ribbon; and wherein said at least one conductive ring: is associated to a data transmission line, suitable for supporting data exchanges with said electrical devices, comprises at least one contact electrodes board (140); and wherein the contact electrodes board (140) has at least three groups of contact electrodes on its perimeter, wherein at least two of the groups of contact electrodes comprise at least a number of electrodes equal to the number of parallel conductive cables comprised in the conductive ring; and wherein said two groups of contact electrodes are designed to connect each, with the ends of the parallel conductive cables, so as to close the conductive ring; and wherein the contact electrodes board (140) is flat and thin, being formed also by a support (141) with electrical insulating properties on which there are tracks of conductive material (142) on both sides of the contact electrodes board (140), so as any couple of the tracks of conductive material (142) that are on opposite sides of the contact electrodes board (140) is not in direct electrical contact; and wherein on the contact electrodes board (140), there are configuration holes for internal contacts (143) arranged to insert contact plugs which pass across the contact electrodes board (140), in areas of the latter where two conductive material tracks (142) pass, one on each side of the contact electrodes board (140); and wherein the contact plugs are suitable for making an electrical contact with one of the two crossed track or with both, and in this last case the contact plugs perform an indirect electrical contact between two conductive material tracks (142) that are on opposite sides of the contact electrodes board (140).

2. The network for the distribution of electrical power in a building according to claim 1, wherein said at least one conductive ring is associated with at least one contact extraction box suitable for being installed and uninstalled without interrupting the electrical continuity of the at least one conductive ring.

3. The network for the distribution of electrical power in a building according to claim 1, wherein said data transmission line, is realized using data transmission over the conductors of the power supply network.

4. The network for the distribution of electrical power in a building according to claim 1, wherein said data transmission line, is also realized with cables dedicated to data transmission, flanked by the conductive tapes (122), which are comprised in said at least one ribbon cable (120).

5. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] This invention also has further advantages, which will become more evident from the following description, which refers to an example of practical embodiment, which illustrates further details, from the attached claims which form an integral part of the present description, and from the attached figures in which:

[0069] FIG. 1a schematically shows two orthogonal views of a “ribbon cable” according to the prior art, comprising two electrical conductors;

[0070] FIG. 1b shows, schematically, a section of another “ribbon cable”, of a type suitable for application in the present invention, comprising four electrical conductors and cables dedicated to data transmission;

[0071] FIG. 2 shows an example of installation of the invention;

[0072] FIG. 3 shows a “contact electrodes board” according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0073] As anticipated, the preferred implementation of the present invention benefits greatly from the use of a known, although not very widespread, technology for manufacturing cables: these are the so-called “ribbon cables”. These cables appear as flat and thin ribbons, which can be laid between two sheets of plasterboard, or under a panel which in turn is made to adhere to an underlying wall of any type, or even on the surface of masonry walls, and then covered with thin layers of plaster, or special smoothing compound, or other materials for finishing the walls.

[0074] Before describing the invention, it is therefore useful to briefly describe how these so-called “ribbon cables”, of new conception, are made.

[0075] Said “ribbon cable” includes inside a certain number of tapes of conductive material (typically copper). These conductive tapes can be arranged side by side without being in electrical contact with each other, and covered on the two faces by an insulating sheath which, in addition to insulating the conductors, keeps them spaced apart and parallel.

[0076] Depending on the needs or uses, “ribbon cables” can be made comprising a variable number of conductive tapes; so that there are “ribbon cables” comprising two, three or any number of conductors (or even fiber optic cables for data, video, etc.). Typically, the insulating sheaths are made adhesive on their external surface in order to facilitate their laying along the desired line paths. These “ribbon cables” do not require ducts, they are attached (thanks to the adhesive face) to the wall, or to the panel, and then covered, typically with an additional finishing panel placed on the wall itself.

[0077] It is observed that it is possible to obtain such “ribbon cables” with thicknesses lower than a millimeter, typically from 0.25 to 0.35 mm; in any case, in fact, these are almost negligible thicknesses when compared to the measures that define the typical accuracies of the construction sector.

[0078] In the case of plasterboard walls, the typical installation methodology envisages positioning these “ribbon cables” between two coupled sheets of plasterboard; in fact, to give consistency to the wall, double slabs are frequently used, and the so-called “ribbon cables” adapt perfectly to be interposed between the two coupled panels.

[0079] In general, it is clear that whenever an internal wall of an environment is finished externally with a panel (or a slab) of any material, which is made to adhere to an underlying wall surface, it is very convenient to lay under this surface finishing panel. a “ribbon cable”, thus creating particularly efficient electrical wiring, and practically free of significant bulk.

[0080] It should be noted that these wiring do not require ducts or pipes of any kind, and therefore, they are extremely safe, especially from the point of view of the propagation of fires and of the fumes they generate. In other words, the use of this type of wiring has many advantages in terms of fire safety, and allows the creation of fire and/or smoke protection walls without weak parts (such as the pipes prepared for the wiring of the traditional systems). In this regard, it is noted that the “ribbon cable” technology has been tested for resistance to heat (i.e., fire), and has excellent performance: resistance in continuity over two hours at 850° C., and 73 minutes in destructive test at the reached temperature of 983° C.

[0081] In addition, the absence of pipes inside the walls generally improves all the insulation properties of the walls, both from the sound point of view and from the thermal point of view.

[0082] FIG. 1a presents, for purely descriptive purposes, two orthogonal views of a piece of “ribbon cable” in its simplest version, and not yet sufficient to fully implement the present invention.

[0083] The number 120 indicates the “ribbon cable” as a whole. In the top view (left view) you can appreciate the presence of two conductive tapes indicated with the number 122. The “ribbon cable” 120 represented in FIG. 1a is extremely simple as it contains only two conductive tapes 122, which are sufficient for a first description of this type of cables. A “ribbon cable” 120, like the one in the figure, with two conductors, is suitable for carrying a difference in potential both in AC and DC; “ribbon cables” with three conductors allow to carry also the neutral; it is then possible to create “ribbon cables” with four conductors to carry three-phase power supplies, or, at the same time, a line in AC and a line in DC regime. In general, it is possible to propose “ribbon cables” with a further greater number of conductors, in order to accommodate any power supply architecture envisaged in the design phase (for example by distributing both AC and DC, perhaps at different voltages).

[0084] The conductive tapes 122 are kept parallel, spaced apart and insulated by a protective sheath, indicated with the number 121.

[0085] In the sectional view (on the right side of FIG. 1a) it can be appreciated how the two conductive tapes 122 are flat and thin, and how they are contained inside the protective sheath 121. The number 129 indicates the thickness of the “tape” 120. Said thickness 129 represents the most interesting dimensional datum of these types of cables. In fact, it is possible to make “ribbon cables” 120 with excellent conductive properties, and excellent insulation, while maintaining thicknesses of the order of one millimeter, and even lower. It is precisely this dimension, so subtle, that allows the creation of non-invasive electrical systems, very suitable for supporting future scenarios, characterized by the need to power a very large number of points inside buildings.

[0086] FIG. 1b shows a piece of “ribbon cable” of different conformation. Even in FIG. 1b the “ribbon cable” as a whole is indicated with the number 120, just as the sheath is always indicated with the number 121 and the conductive tapes with the number 122. Compared to the type shown in FIG. 1a it has a greater number of conductors, in this example four, and four further wires, for example optical fibers, indicated with the number 123 and suitable for the transport of communication signals, in general these are lines for data transmission.

[0087] Although wider, as it includes more internal conductors, the “ribbon cable” presented in FIG. 1b, substantially maintains the same thickness as the simple cable shown in FIG. 1.

[0088] In addition to the obvious advantage of not requiring the excavation of grooves on the walls to lay the conduits, and the excellent performance in terms of safety, an electrical power distribution system made with “ribbon cables” has another indisputable advantage which consists in the easy extractability of power contacts. In fact, the cable is practically on the surface, and it is therefore easy to reach it to make electrical couplings.

[0089] A very significant example, regarding the ease of extraction of electrical contacts from a “ribbon cable”, applicable to walls covered with plasterboard panels, or other materials suitable for making cladding (or finishing) panels, is illustrated in IT102019000020717 (“Wall mounted box for electrical systems and installation method thereof”—D. De Fecondo—November 2019). The “contact extraction boxes” indicated in IT102019000020717, are particularly suitable for use in the wiring according to the present invention as they are suitable for being installed and positioned with great flexibility on walls where a “ribbon cable” is laid. From a design point of view, in a more general sense, these “contact extraction boxes” are used in the context of new-concept electrical systems with “bus” architecture in which one or more power supply lines that carry voltage are arranged throughout the building (in principle both DC and AC), turning almost everywhere, and the loads are connected to these live lines at any point without interrupting them at the contact points, making available outside the wall, and therefore accessible to a load, an interface for electrical power supply.

[0090] These “contact extraction boxes” indicated in IT102019000020717 are characterized by the fact that, when installed, they are partially recessed in the wall, above the section of said power line where the contacts to be presented externally are to be extracted, and are recessed only for the thickness corresponding to that of the surface finishing panel, they are also equipped with at least one electrode positioned in such a way that when said “contact extraction boxes” are installed, this electrode is pressed on said “ribbon cable”, so as to make electrical contact with a conductor of the power supply line.

[0091] FIG. 2 represents a corner of a room, indicated with the number 200, which shows a piece of a network for the distribution of electrical power in a building according to the invention. The numbers whose first three digits make up the number 120 show some pieces of a “ribbon cable” laid on the walls of the room 200. The number 1201 indicates a piece of an upper ring, made up of two parallel “conductive tapes”, and which must be imagined covering the entire perimeter of the room 200 near the ceiling. The number 1202 indicates a piece of a lower ring, which must be imagined to cover the entire perimeter of room 200, but being at a lower height. Said lower ring 1202 is composed of four parallel “conductive tapes”. The wiring example shown in FIG. 2 allows to illustrate a possible form of implementation of the present invention. The lower ring 1202, consisting of four conductors, can distribute, using a pair of conductors, AC power supply and, using the other pair of conductors, DC power supply

[0092] The numbers whose first three digits make up the number 140 indicate two “contact electrodes boards”. The number 1402 indicates a “contact electrodes bord” included in the lower ring 1202. In said “contact electrodes board” 1402, in addition to the “contact electrode groups” needed to close the lower conducting ring 1202, there are two other “groups of contact electrodes” which allow the electrical connection with two further cables. An upward wiring consisting of two “conductive tapes”, and indicated with the number 1204, and a downward wiring, also composed of two “conductive tapes”, and indicated with the number 1203.

[0093] By appropriately configuring the internal contacts to the “contact electrodes board” 1402, it is possible to connect the wiring upwards 1204 so that it carries continuous power to the upper ring 1201. And, once again thanks to the internal configurability of the “contact electrodes board” 1402, it is possible to connect the wiring 1203, oriented downwards, so that it carries AC power to the “contact extraction box” indicated with the number 1302.

[0094] Continuing to follow the configuration exemplified in FIG. 2, we see that the wiring 1204 connects the “contact electrodes board” 1402 (included in the lower “conductor ring” 1202) with the “contact electrodes board” 1401 (included in the upper “conductive ring” 1201). By appropriately configuring the internal contacts of the “contact electrodes board” 1401, it is possible to make sure that the upper “conducting ring” 1201 distributes a DC power along the perimeter of the room 200 at a height close to the ceiling. Thanks to this distribution of DC power, it is therefore possible to extract electric contacts, at any point of the perimeter, using a “contact extraction box” like the one indicated in the example of FIG. 2 with the number 1301. Said “contact extraction box” 1301 can be used to power a LED light point, or an environmental sensor, or, more generally, a “smart object”.

[0095] The example of FIG. 2, while limiting itself to showing a wiring present in a corner of a generic room 200, shows how it is possible to make a wiring for the distribution of the electrical power supply, by laying a plurality of “conductor rings” made with “ribbon cables”, on which are positioned some “contact electrodes boards” and cables that connect different “conductor rings”. In general, in correspondence with said “contact electrodes boards”, may depart wirings which, beside connecting other “conductive rings”, can reach points where power is needed outside said “conductive rings”.

[0096] The great flexibility of this type of wiring is given by the fact that the contacts to power a load can be extracted at any point of the “conductive rings” by means of appropriate “contact extraction boxes” which can be positioned at any point of said “conductive rings”. Furthermore, if the power supply is necessary in a position that is not just above a “conductive ring”, thanks to the exceptional ease of installation of the “ribbon cables” it is very simple to lie a short wiring that branch off from the nearest “contact electrodes board”, as in the case exemplified in FIG. 2, in which the wiring 1203 branches off from the “contact electrode board” 1402. For the sake of completeness, it is noted that a branch wiring can also originate from a “contact extraction box”, positioned for the purpose, in the event that the closest “contact electrodes board” requires a branch wiring that is too long.

[0097] The representation of FIG. 2 is obviously very simplified, compared to real cases, and it is proposed for the sole purpose of exemplifying the efficiency and flexibility of the electrical wiring carried out according to the teachings of the present invention. Not shown in the figure, but essential to effectively support future scenarios concerning the development of “intelligent buildings”, it is the possibility of reaching all possible electrical loads, and also the “contact electrode cards”, with appropriate data signals.

[0098] The need for data distribution, in particular for transmitting commands to “smart objects” (or to “contact electrodes boards”), derives from the fact that the wiring according to the invention does not provide for the insertion of switches on the power supply lines, which must always be live in all their points in order to guarantee, always and everywhere, the power supply when necessary. Consequently, the switching on and off or, more generally, the adjustment/configuration of the “smart objects” must be determined by means of commands that act directly on the load. Then, this apparent limitation, i.e., the impossibility of using line interruptions, is in fact easily overcome, since it is possible, and extremely easy, to deliver appropriate commands to all loads in many ways, of which at least three are reported here below. [0099] 1) Radio signals can be used. There are already various standards, designed and conceived precisely to support IoT (Internet of Things) scenarios, based on simple, reliable and also economic technologies. [0100] 2) Since these are control signals, they require an extremely low bit-rate, therefore no particular performance requirements are required for data transmission: consequently, it is possible to use the conductors of the electrical network (which is the main object of the present invention) also for the transmission of such data. In general, in fact, there is a vast offer of data transmission techniques on electrical power supply wirings and a vast literature on the subject. The so-called PLC (Power Line Communication) technologies are absolutely mature and reliable technologies, so much so that this mode of transmission does not constitute a technical problem at all, except for the fact that there is a too wide quantity of standards, so that eventual problems of compatibility could generate some difficulties in the selection of the various devices used in an “intelligent building”. [0101] 3) There are “ribbon cables” that include, alongside the conductor cables, also cables dedicated to data, therefore, everything that is powered is also reached by a data connection on a dedicated cable. This solution appears to be the most interesting, and general, in perspective, because, in addition to being the safest, it can guarantee very high bit-rates capable of managing increasingly advanced applications (even unimaginable to date).

[0102] As understandable from what has already been illustrated above, the “contact electrodes boards” constitute an element of particular importance in the construction of systems according to the teachings of the present invention.

[0103] FIG. 3 shows a form of implementation of said “contact electrodes board” in which you can appreciate the thin size, the consequent ease of installation and the great versatility of use.

[0104] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, said “contact electrodes board” is indicated as a whole with the number 140 and has a support of insulating material, indicated with the number 141, on which conductive tracks are placed on both faces. Typically, the tracks laid on the two faces of said support of insulating material are then covered with a thin layer of insulating protection. In FIG. 3 we do not see the tracks that are in the face not in sight which must be imagined substantially similar to those visible in the figure.

[0105] These conductive tracks, one of which is indicated in FIG. 3 with the number 142, have a conformation that predisposes them to be connected by contact with a “conductive tape” of a “ribbon cable”, when said “contact electrodes board” 140 is laid on the wall at the end of a “ribbon cable”. On said “contact electrodes board” 140 there are also “configuration holes of the internal contacts”, indicated with the number 143, which pass through said “contact electrodes board” and are positioned in points of the board such as to also cross two conductive tracks placed each on a different face of said “contact electrodes board”. Said “configuration holes of the internal contacts” are arranged in such a way that special pins suitable for making an electrical contact with one of the two crossed tracks, or with both, can be inserted. By then connecting these pins together it is possible to make particular contacts between different tracks 142.

[0106] Said “configuration holes of the internal contacts” can also be used to connect electronic components to the tracks; these components can be suitably programmed to dynamically configure such “contact electrodes boards” 140, thus obtaining a network whose architecture is extremely flexible and configurable even remotely, without the need for physical intervention on the positioning of these plugs: one of these electronic components is indicated, in FIG. 3, with the number 144. It should be noted that the “contact electrodes board” 140 in the embodiment presented in FIG. 3 is only an example of an implementation form, which has the advantage of being thin, and therefore consistent with the principle of non-invasive installation of the wiring according to the present invention. Therefore, we do not focus on the topology of the tracks 142, nor on the positioning of the “configuration holes of the internal contacts” 143, as there are countless variants, suitable for coupling with the great variety of “ribbon cables” that can be installed to create a system according to the present invention.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

[0107] Definitely, the structured cabling architecture of intelligent buildings according to the teachings of the present invention, compared to the traditional solutions proposed by the known art, appears to be very effective in supporting the evolutionary scenarios that are foreseeable for the living environments of the future, increasingly attentive to the comfort, air quality, safety, energy efficiency and, in general, to the “intelligent” management of the building.

[0108] In general, then, the present invention lends itself to numerous variations while maintaining the claimed prerogatives. In fact, it can be developed on a different scale and to wire environments with different intended uses.

[0109] Furthermore, the invention itself can be partially realized as well as the reciprocal position of the various described elements can be modified; moreover, each element can be developed in different materials, shapes or sizes and many of the described details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements.

[0110] In particular, the use of specific cables does not constitute an essential part of the present invention, even if, to date, the use of the so-called “ribbon cables” appears as the solution that best fits the implementation of the wiring according to the invention. However, it is a non-secondary advantage of the invention that it can also be implemented gradually, in environments where traditional wiring is already present, which can continue to be used; giving rise to hybrid wiring, which, however, still implement the essential concepts that characterize the invention.

[0111] Furthermore, if in the future the materials sector were to make available new technologies of conductive materials, more advantageous than those mentioned in the preferred implementations, in order to implement the present invention more efficiently, further improvements could be made without changing the inventiveness and the principles that inspired the invention itself.

[0112] Other possible variants for the present invention could be linked to the evolution of electronic technologies in general (which are evolving towards an ever greater miniaturization and towards an ever lower power requirement), so that the structured cabling architecture of intelligent buildings according to teachings of the present invention could, for example, include the integration of sensors adapted to regulate the operation of the various subsystems that compose it according to increasingly optimized sequences. Moreover, components of varying complexity could be integrated and capable of performing other functions, additional to the mere distribution of the power supply.

[0113] Therefore, especially in the context of such evolutionary scenarios, the invention lends itself to incorporating and supporting further development and improvement efforts, capable of improving the performance of the system described. Therefore, many further developments can be made by the man skilled in the art without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as it results from this description and the attached claims which form an integral part of this description; or, if said developments are not included in the present description, they may be the subject-matter for further patent applications associated with the present invention, or dependent on it.