Electrical connectors – Uninterrupted support rail or uninterrupted contact
Patent
1997-02-25
1999-04-06
Abrams, Neil
Electrical connectors
Uninterrupted support rail or uninterrupted contact
439122, 439414, H01R 2500
Patent
active
058909184
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a low voltage current supply device which is provided with at least one conductor rail comprising parallelly extending, insulatedly interconnected current conductors capable of being contacted by current collectors to which current consumers are connectable, the conductor rail being designed as a section having at least one longitudinal slot, at least one current conductor being arranged in this longitudinal slot. Such current supply decives are particularly provided for supplying lighting fixtures.
In most instances, the known current supply devices for low voltage comprise one or several conductor rails connected to a transformer which transforms the mains alternating voltage to a low voltage of 12 V, e.g., with which low voltage lighting fixtures, e.g. halogen bulbs, are supplied. The conductor rails of the known devices are not insulated towards the outside, which is not dangerous in terms of possibly touching them because of the low voltage applied. Yet on account of the possiblity of metallic objects contacting both current conductors of a conductor rail and causing short circuits, damage may be caused both in the device itself and in its surroundings. In DE 39 19 201 A, e.g., a conductor rail having this drawback is disclosed, in which two rods forming the conductor rail are interconnected by means of synthetic material pins. The rods are arranged so as to be readily accessible from all sides, the danger of a short circuit thus being very great.
From DE 42 14 005 A1, a low voltage conductor rail designed as a metal tube having a longitudinal slot is known, which internally carries a copper wire enveloped by an insulating strip; a spring-loaded contact pin being contacted therewith. Fixing of the current collector on the metal tube is effected by a rectangular platelet integrally molded on a cylinder which is connected with the tube of the lighting fixture. During mounting, the platelet is inserted in the longitudinal slot of the rail with its narrow side and subsequently is rotated by 90.degree., thus being supported on the undercuts of the longitudinal slot. To fix the platelet in this position, a sleeve which can be slid over the cylinder is provided, which is coupled with the tube of the lighting fixture via a threaded bushing, rotation of the threaded bushing pressing the platelet against the undercuts. With this relatively complicated structure of the current collector, the contact pin is electrically insulatedly guided through a bore in the platelet and in the pin of the cylinder. This also has the disadvantage that the platelet will bend when the threaded bushing is turned too much, and will get into contact with the contact pin by means of the rim of the bore, resulting in a short circuit.
It is an object of the invention to provide a conductor rail of the initially defined type in which the disdadvantages inherent in the known conductor rails are avoided. In particular, simple contacting shall be enabled with a simple structure, and furthermore the danger of short circuits is to be practically excluded.
According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the individual current collectors have a thread as a mechanical holding element, which thread, by being capable of being screwed into the longitudinal slot, engages with the oppositely arranged side walls of this longitudinal slot. By using a current collector holding element capable of being screwed into a section, the entire conductor rail can have a simple structure, and it can be readily produced at relatively little expenditure.
According to a preferred embodiment, a current conductor is arranged at the bottom portion of the longitudinal slot. By this measure, the current conductor is mounted well protected within the conductor rail.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that several, e.g. two, longitudinal slots in which current conductors are arranged, are adjacently provided in the section forming the conductor rail on one side of the section. This results in the advantage tha
REFERENCES:
patent: 3372361 (1968-03-01), Wengen
patent: 3391377 (1968-07-01), Corl et al.
patent: 3663924 (1972-05-01), Gerlat
patent: 4120554 (1978-10-01), Bianchi et al.
patent: 4812134 (1989-03-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5460539 (1995-10-01), Gallone
Abrams Neil
Biggi Brian J.
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