GB1588540A

GB1588540A - Electrical supply device

Info

Publication number: GB1588540A
Application number: GB47773/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: LITA
Current assignee: LITA
Priority date: 1976-11-19
Filing date: 1977-11-16
Publication date: 1981-04-23
Also published as: NL7712610A; IT1087248B; LU78536A1; FI65874C; SE413572B; DE2751652A1; DK511977A; FI65874B; NO773965L; DE2751652C2; FI773449A; NO147894C; ES464260A1; NO147894B; SE7712895L

Description

(54) ELECTRICAL SUPPLY DEVICE (71) We, LITA a French Body Corporate, of 5, ruc de l'Allée Verte--41600 La motte-Beuvron France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement : The present invention relates to an electrical supply device. The supply device is particularly for use with a lighting assembly and includes a conductor rail on which a sliding adapter providing a connection between the conductors of the rail and a light ing apparatus, may readily be positioned at any location along the length thereof and securely yet releasably locked at a selected location on the rail with a relatively simple manipulation.

Electrical supply devices including a con ductor rail are generally made up by joining together a number of modules comprising essentially a metallic channel in which are inserted conductor wires partly embedded in an insulating sheath, and to which voltage can be applied. The user apparatus for example, lighting apparatus, can be connected anywhere along the rail, the electrical con nections being then provided by a sliding adapter. This adapter includes, on the one hand, means for forming a mechanical connection to the rail and, on the other hand, electrical connecting means in the form of contacts capable of being connected to the conductor wires. The fitting of accessories and of adaptors must be easy to achieve.

It should not be, for the user, to ponder for a longtime before deciding which way round the various part have to be fitted together.

For this purpose the majority of rails, fittings and adaptors are provided with fool-proofing devices which facilitate the assembly operation.

One object of the present invention is to provide a conductor rail in which it is the form of the rail which assists with the fool proofing functions.

Accordingly the present invention consists in an electrical supply device comprising a conductor rail and an adaptor slidable along the rail to provide a connection between conductors located inside the rail and, when connected thereto, a user apparatus and wherein said rail comprises a channel housing conductors carried by insulators and having a pair of opposed slide ways situated in two different and parallel planes, and wherein said adaptor includes a flat part having at least one guide indended to be located in one of said slide ways, and a head carrying contacts, having its axis perpendicular to a surface of said flat part, said head having a guide means such that the head may be introduced into the rail when the adaptor is oriented in a first position with respect to the rail after which the adaptor may be rotated into a second position in which the guide means engages in a slide way and the contacts of the head engage the appropriate conductors in the rail, the arrangement of the slide ways and the guide means on the head being such that the adaptor can only be pivoted in one direction when inserted in the rail, said housing further comprising means for locking said adaptor to said rail in a selected position.

The invention will be better inderstood from the following explanation and from the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a rail, shown in part (a) which is particularly adapted to receive an adapter such as is shown in part (b) of the Figure, Fig. 2 shows the adapter in one of the phases of its engagement in the rail, Fig. 3 shows a part of the adapter as it is, when the mechanical and electrical connections have been made.

In all the Figures similar components bear the same reference numerals.

Fig. 1 shows, schematically, the rail 1 which is particularly adapted to co-operate with an adapter. This rail 1 is formed by a channel 2 made, for example of anodised aluminium, by extrusion, and through which extend insulators 3 made of polyvinylchloride. Conductors are inserted in the insulators 3. They are three in number in the embodiment being described. Conductor 4 represents the neutral of the supply and conductors 5 and 6 represent the first and second phases respectively of the supply. At a point 7, the rail includes a tinned copper conductor which is provided as an earth connection in conformity with existing regulations. An attachment recess 8 enables the rail to be fitted to the surface intended to receive it, which may be a floor, a ceiling, a partition, etc. At least two locating flanges 9 and 10 are provided and define slideways 99 and 100 intended to receive guides provided on the adapter. The outline of these two flanges is suited to each particular application but they both have one characteristic, namely that of being asymmetrical.

This asymmetry is more clearly demonstrated in Fig. 1 (a) by reference h which clearly shows that the two flanges 9 and 10 do not lie in the same plane. This arrangement has a dual advantage. On the one hand it avoids the need for a fool-proofing device to be provided as in the case of the majority of rail systems presently known. This asymmetrical configuration does, in fact, perform the - function in question by itself. On the other hand such an arrangement assists in the co-operation - between the rail and the adapter as will be explained below.

Part (b) of Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an adapter 20 in the position which it has to occupy in relation to the rail, just before it is inserted in the rail and during the first phase of engagement. It has in fact to be inserted at an angle of 90" to the longitudinal axis of the rail. The arrow X represents the movement of the adapter towards the rail.

The adapter 20 incorporates a number of means which cooperate with one another to obviate any risk of mistakes or of an electrical connection being made accidentally. The adapter comprises, essentially a housing having a relatively flat part 21 and, above it, a contact carrying head 22 whose axis is perpendicular to the plane of the upper surface of the flat part. In the embodiment being described, this head contains three contacts, namely a first contact 23 intended to be connected to the neutral, a second which is able to occupy two positions: a high position (when it carries the reference 24) and a low position (when it carries the reference 25) intended respectively to be connected to the first and second phases and a third contact 26 which is intended to be connected to earth. A pre elector system incorporated in the contact carrying head enables the phase which is to be used to be selected before the adapter is inserted in the rail. This may, for example, be a stud which enables the contact to be made to occupy either a high position or low position when inserted in rail 1.

The adaptor 20 incorporates a system of guides intended to be engaged in the slide ways in the rail and a locating and attachment member. It is thus provided with a guide 30 on the head 22 which guide is capable of engaging in one of the sideways in the rail and thus provide guidance and mechanical connection between the adaptor and the rail.

The flat part of the adaptor 20 also includes a locating and attachment member which has a lug 32 and a handle 33 which are connected together by a shaft 31. This attachment member is able to occupy two positions, as illustrated in a vertical plane, namely a so-called high position and a so-called low position the purposes of which will be more clearly described further on in the description. It will be appreciated that the high and low positions are only "high" and "low" with respect to the orientation of the rail shown in the drawings. If in use the rails were inverted, the high position would in fact bt the lower of the two. In Fig. 1 it is shown in the low position. A fuse (not shown in the Figure) may be provided in the housing and preferably in its flat part, being accessible from the outside by means of a small flap 34.

A grooved rebate 35 is formed for practically the entire length AB of the flat part of the adaptor 20. It enables the whole of this length of the addaptor to slide in one of the slideways of the rail. The guide system of the adaptor, consisting of the grooved rebate 35, lug 32 of the attachment member, and the guide 30, co-operates with the slideways of the rail, which lie in two different planes, to ensure that the adaptor is well supported mechanically when it is engaged in the rail. The electrical connections are formed in the conventional fashion between the various contacts, and possibly the fuse, to supply an output supply-lead 401 intended for connection to the user apparatus, which is not shown in the Figure.

As stated above, the adaptor, at the time when it is being engaged in the rail, has to be presented at an angle of 90" to the axis of the rail. When the contact carrying head 22 is inside the rail, the adaptor is pivoted through 90" and it then assumes the position shown in Fig. 2. The outline of the contact carrying head is such that it has two rounded edges and two sharp edges so as to be a solid U-shape in cross-section. One of the sharp edges, referenced 41, can be seen in the Figure as also can one of the rounded edges 40.

By orienting the adaptor so that the narrowest dimension of the head 22 is presented to the gap in the rail 1 the head can be ininserted in the rail by moving the head at an angle of 90" to the longitudinal axis of the rail. Because of the guide- 30, the head 22 can be pivoted in the rail in one only predetermined direction as the guide 30 would have no slot to engage in because of the asymmetric nature of the rail 1. Once guide 30 is engaged in slot 100, the adaptor 20 may be slid along the rail. This is a considerable advantage, in that any danger of accidental or incorrect connection is avoided.

Contact 26 (the earth) is the first to connect with its conductor 7, as required by existing regulations. Contact 23 is next connected, with no possibility of error, to the conductor 4 representing the neutral of the supply.

At this stage in the engagement process, guide 30 comes into position in slideway 100.

The locating and attachment member is in the low position (Fig. 2), and the longitudinal axis x, y of the upper surface of lug 32 lies along the longitudinal axis of the rail.

This being the case the adaptor is able to slide along slideways 99. Once the adaptor has reached its required place the locating and attachment member is turned by its handle 33 so that the lug 32 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 4. The adaptor described herein may be made of a material which can be ultrasonically welded. This being the case a completely closed housing can be formed.

The locating and fixing member may be associated with a switch which makes the device described above even more versatile in use.

There are many possible applications for the rail and adapter combination according to the invention, in particular in the lighting field where it can be used for inexpensive installations which are easy to fit.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS 1. An electrical supply device comprising a conductor rail and an adaptor slidable along the rail to provide a connection between conductors located inside the rail and, when connected thereto, a user apparatus and wherein said rail comprises a channel housing conductors carried by insulators and having a pair of opposed slide ways situated in two different and parallel planes, and wherein said adaptor includes a flat part having at least one guide intended to be located in one of said slide ways, and a head carrying contacts, having its axis perpendicular to a surface of said flat part, said head having a guide means such that the head may be introduced into the rail when the adaptor is oriented in a first position with respect to the rail after which the adaptor may be rotated into a second position in which the guide means engages in a slide way and the contacts of the head engage the appropriate conductors in the rail, the arrangement of the slide ways and the guide means on the head being such that the adaptor can only be pivoted in one direction when inserted in the rail, said housing further comprising means for locking said adaptor to said rail in a selected position.

2. An electrical supply device according to claim 1, wherein the disposition of said conductors is asymmetrical.

3. An electrical supply device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the adaptor has a groove extending substantially the entire length of the adaptor and providing said one guide.

4. An electrical supply device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said means for locking said adaptor to said rail comprises a lug and an actuating handle which are connected together by a shaft, said means being capable of occupying two positions one of which is termed high and the other low.

5. An electrical supply device according to claim 4 wherein when said means for locking said adaptor is in said low position, the axis of the lug lies along the longitudinal axis of the rail whereby the adaptor may slide along said slide ways.

6. An electrical supply device according to claim 5, wherein when said means for locking adaptor to said rail is moved to said high position the axis of the lug becomes at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rail, thus causing the lug to engage in the same slide way as said guide means on said head.

7. An electrical supply device according to claim 1, wherein said head has two rounded edges and two sharp edges opposed to one another to aid in allowing said rotation of the head in the right direction.

8. An electrical supply device according to claim 1, wherein said rail carries conductors for a two-phase network and said head comprises at least on earth contact, a contact for connection with the neutral of a two phase network, and a supply contact which can occupy either of two positions, the first corresponding to one of the phases and the second to the other phase of said network.

9. An electrical supply device according to claim 8, wherein the contact of said head corresponding to neutral is the first to come into contact with the corresponding conductor of said rail.

10. An electrical supply device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. may be slid along the rail. This is a considerable advantage, in that any danger of accidental or incorrect connection is avoided. Contact 26 (the earth) is the first to connect with its conductor 7, as required by existing regulations. Contact 23 is next connected, with no possibility of error, to the conductor 4 representing the neutral of the supply. At this stage in the engagement process, guide 30 comes into position in slideway 100. The locating and attachment member is in the low position (Fig. 2), and the longitudinal axis x, y of the upper surface of lug 32 lies along the longitudinal axis of the rail. This being the case the adaptor is able to slide along slideways 99. Once the adaptor has reached its required place the locating and attachment member is turned by its handle 33 so that the lug 32 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 4. The adaptor described herein may be made of a material which can be ultrasonically welded. This being the case a completely closed housing can be formed. The locating and fixing member may be associated with a switch which makes the device described above even more versatile in use. There are many possible applications for the rail and adapter combination according to the invention, in particular in the lighting field where it can be used for inexpensive installations which are easy to fit. WHAT WE CLAIM IS

1. An electrical supply device comprising a conductor rail and an adaptor slidable along the rail to provide a connection between conductors located inside the rail and, when connected thereto, a user apparatus and wherein said rail comprises a channel housing conductors carried by insulators and having a pair of opposed slide ways situated in two different and parallel planes, and wherein said adaptor includes a flat part having at least one guide intended to be located in one of said slide ways, and a head carrying contacts, having its axis perpendicular to a surface of said flat part, said head having a guide means such that the head may be introduced into the rail when the adaptor is oriented in a first position with respect to the rail after which the adaptor may be rotated into a second position in which the guide means engages in a slide way and the contacts of the head engage the appropriate conductors in the rail, the arrangement of the slide ways and the guide means on the head being such that the adaptor can only be pivoted in one direction when inserted in the rail, said housing further comprising means for locking said adaptor to said rail in a selected position.