Patent Application
20220268409
The present invention relates to an adapter for electrically connecting a lighting device to an electrical track having mains phases. Further, the present invention relates to a lighting system comprising an electrical track having mains phases and at least one such adapter.
EP3217090A1 proposes a lighting system comprising an electrical track having three mains phases and an adapter for electrically connecting a lighting device to the electrical track, such that the lighting device may receive electrical power from the mains. The adapter supports the lighting device, for example a spotlight. The electrical track may hold several adapters, hence several lighting devices, which are for example arranged in a row. In order to enable an operator to adjust the number and locations of the adapters on the electrical track, the adapter includes a mechanism configured for extracting contacts automatically when the adapter is fitted in the electrical track, such that the contacts are electrically connected to the three mains phases.
However, the known adapter presents some drawbacks and limitations. First, it has a relatively complex structure and it requires numerous components, thus increasing the cost and footprint of the lighting system. Also, the automatic connection of the contacts to the three mains phases limits the flexibility in the electrical connection possibilities.
In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks and limitations, the present invention aims to improve the existing implementations of lighting systems and adapters. An objective is to enable to connect the adapter to a selected one of the mains phases, while offering both a simpler structure for electrically connecting the adapter to the electrical track and a more flexible arrangement of the adapters in the electrical track.
The objective is achieved by the embodiments defined in the independent claims. Advantageous implementations are further defined in the dependent claims.
An embodiment of the invention provides an adapter, for electrically connecting a lighting device to an electrical track having mains phases, the adapter comprising at least:
Thus, an operator may select to connect or disconnect the spring-loaded connector to the mains phase when the adapter is assembled with the electrical track. Also, the spring-loaded connector may provide for a simple, direct connection to a conductor, for example a wire, providing the mains phase in the electrical track.
Throughout the present application, the term “connect” and its derivatives relate to an electrical connection.
In various implementations, the adapter may comprise at least:
Thus, an operator may select which mains phase, among two, the adapter will be connected to when assembled with the electrical track. Also, the first and second spring-loaded connectors may provide for a simple, direct connection to conductors providing the mains phase in the electrical track.
In various implementations, the adapter may further comprise a third spring-loaded connector linked to the housing,
Thus, an operator may select which mains phase the adapter will be connected to when assembled with the electrical track. Also, the spring-loaded connectors may provide for a simple, direct connection to conductors providing the mains phase in the electrical track.
In some implementations, the or each spring-loaded connector, i.e. the first, the second and/or the third spring-loaded connector(s), may extend at least partially out of said respective openings.
In some implementations, the or each spring-loaded connector, i.e. the first, the second and/or the third spring-loaded connector(s), may be elastically movable between a retracted position and an extended position, the spring-loaded connector being i) in its retracted position when it is covered by the cover and ii) in its extended position when extending through or, as the case may be, out of a respective opening. In the extended position, the respective spring-loaded connector may contact one of the mains phases.
In various implementations, the at least two openings may include at least a first opening and a second opening and, preferably, a third opening, the first and the second and, when present, the third openings being arranged on the cover such that:
In various implementations, at least one of the first, the second and, when present, the third spring-loaded connectors may be linked to a first lateral region of the housing, the remaining spring-loaded connectors being linked to a second lateral region of the housing located opposite the first lateral region of the housing, the cover being configured to partially cover the first and second lateral regions of the housing.
Thus, the arrangement of the spring-loaded connectors respectively on the opposite first and second lateral regions of the housing make it possible to design a small, compact housing.
In various implementations, the cover may be displaceable relative to the housing so as to be placed selectively in a disconnection position, in which the cover covers the at least one spring-loaded connector, including, when respectively present, the first, the second and the third spring-loaded connectors.
Thus, such a disconnection position enables the operator to safely assemble the adapter with the electrical track before selecting a connection position for allowing the power from a mains phase to be supplied to the lighting device.
In various implementations, the cover may be displaceable relative to the housing in translation between said at least two positions, preferably between the first and the second connection positions, more preferably between the first, the second and the third connection positions.
Thus, the displacement of the cover may be operated easily and the design of the adapter may be simple.
In some implementations, the translation may be rectilinear. Alternatively, the translation may be curvilinear.
In some implementations, the cover may be displaceable relative to the housing over a distance ranging from 30 mm to 200 mm. This distance may be adjusted as a function of the size and position of the electrical track, in particular of the wires conducting the mains phase therein.
n various implementations, the housing may have a guide portion configured to guide the displacement of the cover when the cover is linked to the housing, the guide portion being preferably formed by an outer surface of the housing. When the cover is displaceable in translation with respect to the housing, the guide portion may thus define a sliding linkage.
In some implementations, the cover may have only two openings and only two connection positions may be reached in translation, one spring-loaded connector (e.g. the third one) being arranged i) on an opposite side of the housing with respect to the other spring-loaded connectors (e.g. the first and second ones) and ii) symmetrically with respect to the other spring-loaded connectors. In such implementations, the cover may be displaced by removing it from the housing, rotating it 180 degrees and remounting it on the housing so as to reach the third connection position through the same opening as for one of the other spring-loaded connectors (e.g. the first or the second one).
Thus, the connection positions and the disconnection position can be reached partly via a rotation of the cover relative to the housing and partly via another displacement, for example a translation, of the cover relative to the housing.
In some implementations, at least two of the openings may be linked by a linking hole such that said at least two openings and the linking hole form a single large opening, which may receive the first, second and third spring-loaded connectors in at least two different locations respectively defining the at least two openings.
In various implementations, the adapter may further comprise an additional spring-loaded connector and an additional opening, the additional spring-loaded connector being linked to the housing, wherein the additional spring-loaded connector may extend at least partially through the additional opening at least when the at least one spring-loaded connector partially extends through the at least one opening; preferably wherein the additional spring-loaded connector may extend at least partially through the additional opening at least when any one of the first, the second and, when present, the third spring-loaded connectors partially extends through a respective opening.
Thus, the additional spring-loaded connector may connect the adapter to a neutral or ground conductor line within the electrical track.
In some embodiments, the additional opening may be formed by a slot extending along all of the at least two openings, preferably along the first, second and third openings.
In some embodiments, the first, the second, the third and/or the additional spring-loaded connector(s) may be soldered directly on a printed circuit board (PCB) of the control circuit, for example of an AC/DC driver, that is housed in the housing.
In various implementations, the housing may be elongated along a longitudinal direction, the housing preferably having a substantially tubular or prismatic shape extending along the longitudinal direction.
Thus, such an elongated housing may be inserted in an elongated electrical rack.
In some implementations, the elongated housing may substantially have a rectangular cross-section, for example a square cross-section, across the longitudinal direction.
In some implementations, the housing and the cover may be designed such that an outer face of the housing is flush with an outer face of the cover.
In various implementations, the adapter may further include a support part configured to support at least one lighting device, the support part being preferably integral with the housing, most preferably one-piece with the housing.
Thus, the support part enable to attach a lighting device to the adapter, for example to the housing.
In some implementations, the at least one lighting device may include a lamp or a LED light source.
In some implementations, the support part may be arranged in an end region of the housing that is located opposite the cover with respect to the housing.
In various implementations, the housing may include a control circuit for controlling power supply to the lighting device.
In some implementations, the control circuit may include a printed circuit board (PCB).
In some implementations, the housing may be hollow so as to house functional components of the housing like the control circuit as the case may be.
In various implementations, the cover may be removably linked to the housing, the housing preferably having a guide portion configured to guide the displacement of the cover when the cover is linked to the housing.
Thus, the cover may be removed from the housing, for example for mounting it in an opposite arrangement when the cover substantially has symmetrical shape. The cover may be placed selectively in one of the connection positions or, as the case may be, in the disconnection position when the cover is linked to the housing, but not when the cover is removed from the housing.
In some implementations, the cover substantially may have the shape of a U. The three wings of the U may be arranged in contact with complementary surfaces of the housing.
In various implementations, the cover may substantially have a symmetrical shape.
Thus, the cover may be arranged on the housing in two different configurations, namely a first configuration and a second configuration opposite the first configuration.
In various implementations, the cover may substantially have an asymmetrical shape, the cover preferably having a flange projecting away from the housing when the cover partially covers the housing.
Thus, the cover may increase the safety of a lighting system, since the flange may prevent an operator from assembling the cover in a wrong way into the electrical track.
A further embodiment of the present invention provides a lighting system comprising an electrical track having mains phases and at least one adapter according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one adapter has an engaging element configured to engage the electrical track so as to attach the at least one adapter to the electrical track; and wherein the electrical track may define a chamber for receiving the at least one adapter, the at least one adapter being at least partially, preferably completely, inserted into the chamber.
Thus, the lighting system has a simple design that allows safe and flexible assembly of the adapter and the electrical track, notably enabling an operator to select which mains phase the adapter will be connected to when assembled with the electrical track. Further, the lighting system may have a compact design.
n some implementations, the engaging element may effect a snap-fit attachment of the adapter with the electrical track.
In some implementations, the electrical track and the cover may be designed such that an outer face of the electrical track may be flush with an outer face of the cover when the adapter is inserted in the chamber.
In various implementations, the at least one adapter may be of the above-described type with the cover having an asymmetrical shape, and the electrical track may have a shape complementary to the asymmetrical shape of the cover, the electrical track preferably having a recess region that has a shape complementary to the flange of the cover.
Thus, the cover may be fitted in the electrical track in only in one defined orientation.
In some implementations, the electrical track may be made of an electrically insulating material and it may separately hold several electrical conductors, preferably electrically conducting lines, which are independently connected to the respective mains phases.
It has to be noted that all devices, elements, components, members, units and means described in the present application could be implemented in any technically applicable combination of the implementation forms. All steps which are performed by the various entities described in the present application as well as the functionalities described to be performed by the various entities are intended to mean that the respective entity is adapted to or configured to perform the respective steps and functionalities. Even if, in the following description of specific implementations and embodiments, a specific functionality or step to be performed by external entities is not reflected in the description of a specific detailed element of that entity which performs that specific step or functionality, it should be clear for a skilled person that these methods and functionalities can be implemented in any technically applicable combination of the implementation forms.
The above-described embodiments and implementations of the present invention will be further explained in the following description of specific implementations in relation to the appended drawings, in which:
The adapter 1 comprises a housing 2 and a cover 4 configured to partially cover the housing 2 when the cover 4 is arranged on the housing 2.
As visible in
The adapter 1 may further include a support part 3, which is configured to support the not shown lighting device. The support part 3 may be integral, preferably one-piece, with the housing 2. The support part 3 may be arranged in an end region of the housing 2 that is located opposite the cover 4 with respect to the housing 2. The housing 2 may include a not shown control circuit, for example an AC/DC driver, for controlling power supply to the lighting device. The housing 2 may be hollow so as to house the control circuit.
The cover 4 may substantially have the shape of a U. The three wings of the U may be arranged in contact with complementary planar surfaces of the housing 2 as visible in
The adapter 1 further comprises a first spring-loaded connector 6.1, a second spring-loaded connector 6.2, and a third spring-loaded connector 6.3. Only the location of the third spring-loaded connector 6.3 is schematically illustrated in
The first, the second, the third and/or the additional spring-loaded connectors 6.1 to 6.4 may be soldered directly on a not shown printed circuit board (PCB) of the control circuit, for example of an AC/DC driver, that is housed in the housing 2.
The first and the additional spring-loaded connectors 6.1 and 6.4 may be linked to a first lateral region of the housing 2 (on the right side of
As illustrated in
The first to third and the additional spring-loaded connectors 6.1 to 6.4 may be elastically movable between a retracted position (not shown) and an extended position (shown in FIGs.1 to 3 and 6). Each one of the first to third and the additional spring-loaded connectors 6.1 to 6.4 may be i) in its retracted position when it is covered by the cover 2, and ii) in its extended position when it extends through and, in the illustrated implementation, out of a respective one of the first to third and the additional openings 8.1 to 8.4. In the extended position, the respective spring-loaded connector 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 or 6.4 may contact one of the three mains phases L1, L2, L3 or the neutral wire N. For example, the first to third and the additional spring-loaded connectors 6.1 to 6.4 may include a spring or equivalent elastically deformable element and it may be made of or include stainless Steel, spring brass, phosphor bronze or beryllium copper.
The cover 4 is displaceable relative to the housing 2 so as to be placed selectively in one of the first, second, third connection positions (
In the example of
The housing 2 may have a guide portion 2.4, which is configured to guide the displacement of the cover 4 when the cover 4 is linked to the housing 2 as in the configurations of
The cover 4 may be removably linked to the housing 2. In other words, the housing 2 and the cover 4 may be detached from one another as visible in both
The cover 4 may substantially have a symmetrical shape as visible in
In service, an operator may manually displace the cover 4 in order to place it into the selected position, namely either the first, second or third connection position of
The cover 4 of
The cover 4 of
In the examples of
As visible on
The adapter 1 of
In particular, the cover 4 of
Besides, there are similarities between the implementations of
Besides, the adapter 1 may have a not shown engaging element that is configured to engage the electrical track 102 so as to attach the adapter 1 to the electrical track 102. The engaging element may for example effect a snap-fit attachment of the adapter 1 to the electrical track 102.
The electrical track 102 may be made of an electrically insulating material. The electrical track 102 may separately hold three mains phases represented herein by electrically conducting wires or lines L1, L2 and L3, which are independently connected to the respective mains phases and which are symbolized in
Besides, the electrical track 102 may define a chamber 104 for receiving the adapter 1. The adapter 1 may be completely inserted into the chamber 104 as visible in
In the example of
The electrical track 102 and the cover 4 may be designed such that an outer face 102.1 of the electrical track 102 is flush with an outer face 4.1 of the cover 4 when the adapter 1 is inserted in the chamber 104.
In service, before inserting the housing 2 into the electrical track 102, the cover 4 has to be placed in the disconnection position (“OFF”), in which the cover 4 covers and blocks all spring-loaded connectors 6.1 to 6.4 from contacting any conductor in the electrified track 102. After insertion of the adapter 1 in the electrical track 102, the cover 4 may be displaced in one of the first to third connection positions.
In this configuration, the oppositely-oriented flange 10 prevents the modified adapter from being inserted in the electrical track. In other words, the rotated cover 4 ensures that the right mains phase remains selected when the modified adapter 1 will be reinserted in the electrical track.
Each adapter 1 of
In a lighting system including at least two adapters 1, the distance between two successive lighting devices 12, for example two luminaire heads, is defined by the length of an adapter 1. This distance may be minimal in the configuration of
In a non-illustrated implementation, an adapter for electrically connecting a lighting device to an electrical track having mains phases may comprise:
The cover may be displaceable relative to the housing so as to be placed selectively in at least one of:
In another non-illustrated implementation, an adapter for electrically connecting a lighting device to an electrical track having mains phases may comprise two spring-loaded connectors, i.e.:
The cover may have two openings, for example respectively similar to the first opening 8.1 and to the second opening 8.2. The cover may be displaceable relative to the housing so as to be placed selectively at least in one of:
The cover may further be displaceable relative to the housing so as to be placed in a disconnection position, similar to the position of
In a variant to the preceding non-illustrated implementation, the adapter may further comprise an additional spring-loaded connector, for example similar to the additional spring-loaded connector 6.4, and the cover may have an additional opening, for example similar to the additional opening 8.4.
In yet another non-illustrated implementation, an adapter for electrically connecting a lighting device to an electrical track having mains phases may be similar to the adapter 1 illustrated in
Preferably, the additional spring-loaded connector is arranged in a median, top position of the housing, and the electrical track is symmetrical, such that the additional spring-loaded connector may still contact a correspondingly arranged neutral wire after a rotation of 180 degrees of the housing with respect to the electrical track.
The present invention has been described in conjunction with various implementations, embodiments and aspects as non-limiting examples. However, other variations can be understood and effected by persons skilled in the art practicing the claimed invention, from the studies of this disclosure, the drawings and the claims. In the claims as well as in the description the word “comprising” or “including” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may fulfill the functions of several entities or items recited in the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19194583.1 | Aug 2019 | EP | regional |
The present application is the U.S. national stage application of international application PCT/EP2020/072083 filed Aug. 6, 2020, which international application was published on Mar. 11, 2021 as International Publication WO 2021/043526 A1. The international application claims priority to European Patent Application 19194583.1 filed Aug. 30, 2019.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2020/072083 | 8/6/2020 | WO |
