Electrical connectors – Uninterrupted support rail or uninterrupted contact
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-24
2001-05-08
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Uninterrupted support rail or uninterrupted contact
C439S115000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227884
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a carrying device for an electrically conducting conductor rail, for supplying electrical power to lamps etc., where the conductor rail comprises metal sections and an insulation member therebetween.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a conductor rail to be used with such a carrying device, as well as to a coupling device for connecting such conductor rails.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
From CH 559 978 A, a carrying device for a conductor rail is known. For the synthetic material rail disclosed there and provided with conductors inserted in slits of this synthetic material rail, a device for attachment to a wall or to a ceiling is shown which consists of a bow which is fixed by aid of a screw. The bow is C-shaped in cross-section, and the legs of the bow at their free ends are inwardly angled to form latching projections. These angled ends engage in channels of the synthetic material rail. The bow is made of metal, and it is in electrical contact with a grounding strip. Accordingly, if the latching connection with the conductor rail is a tight one, subsequent removal of the bow from the conductor rail is relatively difficult. If the angled ends were less bent, i.e. if they were not as much designed like barbs, fixation, in turn, of the conductor rail in the bow would not be reliable.
From DE 39 19 201 A, furthermore a conductor rail consisting of two square metal sections is known, the metal sections being interconnected by means of insulators provided as plastic bolts arranged in spaced relationship in blind holes. On the plastic bolts, a carrying device not explained in detail is provided for attachment to a ceiling of a room.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a carrying device for conductor rails which can quickly and easily be mounted in a stable manner and dismounted without requiring a tool, i.e. also if the conductor rail is under current, whithout the risk of short circuiting.
A further object of the invention is to provide a conductor rail for cooperation with such a carrying device, which allows for such a quick, simple attachment and detachment of the carrying device without the risk of short circuiting, and which, moreover, enables a connection in the form of a coupling device to at least one further conductor rail also in a quick and simple manner without requiring the aid of a tool.
Thus, an object of the invention is also the provision of such a coupling device for a quick, stable mechanical and electrical interconnection of conductor rails.
Accordingly, the invention, in a first aspect, provides a carrying device for a conductor rail for supplying electrical power to lighting fixtures, said carrying device comprising an insulating bow-shaped retainer having resilient arms with inner latching projections for latching engagement with said conductor rail, and further having end-side latching projections, a carrying element capable of being fastened to said retainer, and a safety cover, said cover being capable of being snapped onto said end-side latching projections on said resilient arms of said retainer. On account of this design, the carrying device can be mounted and secured in a simple manner, quickly and stable by means of the snap connection between the retainer and the metal section, so that an undesired detachment will reliably be avoided; nevertheless, the retainer can be taken off the conductor rail without any problems, likewise without requiring any tools. Mounting and dismounting, respectively, of the carrying device is also possible if the conductor rail is under current, i.e. live, since the possibility of a short circuit is excluded by the insulating configuration of the retainer, in particular by being made as a shaped body of insulating material.
A suitable, structurally simple snap connection between the retainer and the metal section can be attained if an undercut portion is provided in the cover for the outside latching projections at the ends of the resilient arms to snap thereinto.
To ensure the snap connection, it is also advantageous if the contour of the cavity of the retainer in the region of the upper part of the conductor rail is adapted to the convex exterior thereof. In this manner, also the other metal section can be fixed in its position in a stable manner.
To stabilize the retainer legs, it is also suitable if the resilient arms project from a collar of the retainer onwards.
To enable an economical production of the retainer, on the one hand, preferably as a shaped body by injection moulding, and to provide for a simple way of fastening the carrying device to a ceiling, on the other hand, it is furthermore advantageous if the retainer is generally rotationally symmetrically designed and tapers in the direction of its rotational axis towards its one end, the retainer having a cylindrical projection with a central bore for passing the carrying element therethrough at the end of that tapered portion.
In this case, it is furthermore advantageous if the end of the cylindrical projection has an, e.g. outwardly conical, thickened portion, onto which the rim of a central bore of a cover cap can be snapped which surrounds the tapered portion of the retainer. In combination with the cap-shaped safety cover in the region of the arms of the retainer, an optically pleasing, symmetrical design of the carrying device can be attained in this manner.
For determining the individual components of the carrying device relative to each other, it is furthermore advantageous if the collar forms an abutment for the safety cover and the cover cap.
To attain a compact, stable arrangement of carrying device and conductor rail which gives an optically pleasing general impression, it is furthermore suitable if for a tight accommodation of the conductor rail, the safety cover and/or the cover cap is/are adapted with mutually aligned cavities adapted to the convex contour of the conductor rail.
To release the snap connection between the cover and the retainer in the region of the resilient arms of the retainer, it is advantageous for the cover to be provided with bores in the region of the outer latching projections of the resilient arms of the retainer, whereby the latching projections can be bent back by introducing pins of an auxiliary tool into these holes to thus release the snap connection.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a conductor rail to be used with a carrying device according to the invention is provided which comprises two metal sections as conductors which are interconnected via an insulation; at least one of the metal sections at its outer longitudinal sides is provided with longitudinal grooves for latching engagement with the retainer. The longitudinal grooves provide for the desired simple coupling with the retainer of the carrying device of the invention and with the safety cover by latching engagement. Preferably, the two metal sections are provided with longitudinal grooves so that the retainer can be latched with each one of the two metal sections. In this respect, a symmetrical design of the conductor rail is advantageous, and to this end, it is further suitable if the cross-section of the metal sections forming the conductor rail are each generally semi-oval, and the metal sections are interconnected at their facing base portions via an insulating strip acting as an insulation.
To supply current from a current supply source as well as to electrically and mechanically couple two or more conductor rails, it is furthermore suitable if each one of the metal sections comprises a slit departing from its base portion, which slit enters into a bore in which contact pins can be plucked in for the transmission of current.
Furthermore, it is advantageous if the metal sections are flattened at their narrow sides, i.e. longitudinal rims, facing away from each other. By this plane design, the conductor rail has a mechancially stable construction which is favorable for contacting purposes.
Since the present conductor rails are produced in certain length
Bradley Paula
Harvey James
Ladas & Parry
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