Patent Grant
7798824
This invention is directed generally to electrical track lighting systems, and, more particularly, to an adapter for coupling an electrical fixture or a power feed to a line voltage track.
Track lighting systems are accepted electrical systems both in commercial and residential applications. Well recognized advantages of track lighting include ease of placement and positioning of lights. For example, the position of the lights can be easily changed to accommodate changes in display of merchandise in commercial applications and rearrangement of furniture in residential applications.
Light fixtures or power feeds are generally mounted to a track via an adapter. Typically, the light fixture or the power feed is mounted to one end of the adapter and the track is mounted to another end of the adapter. Electrical contacts mounted to the housing of the adapter are positioned in engagement with conductors of the track to provide an electrical path from/to an electrical source (e.g., to provide electrical current from a power source to a light via the track conductors). However, current adapters are plagued by many problems.
For example, one problem associated with some adapters is that they are difficult to install on a track. This type of adapter generally requires the use of tools (e.g., screwdrivers, pliers, etc.) and/or requires the assembly of several separate components. To install the adapter, a service person may be required to simultaneously hold several components of the adapter and at least one tool. For example, the service person may have to perform several tasks generally simultaneously: hold a bottom housing portion with one hand; hold a top housing portion with another hand; position the bottom housing portion and the top housing portion correctly around the track; use a screwdriver to secure in place the top housing portion to the bottom housing portion via a locking screw; and maintain balance on a ladder. Likely, the service person may require several attempts before successfully installing the adapter to the track. Dropping components or losing balance on the ladder are common scenarios that can result in a frustrating and time-consuming experience when installing the adapter.
In another example, other problems associated with some adapters is that they lack reliable and consistent electrical contacts. Furthermore, the electrical contacts may present a risk of electrocution and difficulty during installation.
The electrical contacts of this type of adapters are mounted in a fixed position relative to the housing of the adapter. Because the electrical contacts are fixed contacts, they have an inherently small tolerance for error. If an error is made during manufacturing, the fixed contact may fail to properly engage the track conductor. Furthermore, changing the position of the adapter can improperly bend or otherwise damage the fixed contact. As such, the fixed contact may fail over time to properly engage the track conductor, by intermittently or completely failing to conduct electricity.
Moreover, because the electrical contact is fixed in place, it will generally be positioned in physical contact with the track conductor as soon as the adapter is mounted to the track. In other words, there is generally no gap between the electrical contact and the conductor when the adapter has been mounted to the track. As such, if electrical power is not disconnected when the adapter is mounted to the track, the service person may be electrocuted. Although installation protocol generally requires the service person to disconnect live electrical contact during installation, this is not always the case. In practice, for various reasons, the service person may forget, ignore, or inadvertently fail to disconnect live power.
The installation of the adapter may also require greater than necessary accuracy when positioning the adapter in place on the track. Specifically, the service person must take great care to position the adapter on the track such that the electrical contact is in its exact engaged position. The lack of a physical tolerance, such as a gap between the electrical contact and the track conductor, can create an unnecessarily difficult installation experience.
What is needed, therefore, is an adapter that addresses the above-stated and other problems.
In an implementation of the present invention, an adapter for an electrical line voltage track system includes a housing having a first end adapted for mounting to one of an electrical source and an electrical fixture, and a second end adapted for mounting to a line voltage track. The housing includes a housing cover coupled to a housing body, the housing cover being movable relative to the housing body between a closed position and an open position. A supporting sleeve is movably coupled to the housing, and a plurality of electrical contacts, including a fixed contact and a movable contact, are also coupled to the housing. The movable contact is movable, relative to the housing, between an engaged position and a disengaged position. In the engaged position, the movable contact causes electrical contact with the line voltage track. In the disengaged position, electrical contact is removed.
In an alternative implementation of the present invention, an adapter for an electrical line voltage track system includes a housing, a sleeve, and a movable contact. The housing has a cover pivotable between a closed position and an open position, and forms a closed track hole when the cover is in the closed position and an open track hole for receiving a line voltage track when the cover is in the open position. The sleeve is coupled to the housing and is movable in an axial direction relative to the housing when in an unsecured position. The sleeve is fixed relative to the housing in a secured position. The movable contact, which is movable relative to both the housing and the sleeve, is mounted to the sleeve for insertion in a track cavity, and is biased by a contact spring in the axial direction. The movable contact has an electrically engaged position and an electrically disengaged position, the electrically engaged position being achieved in the secured position of the sleeve.
In another alternative implementation of the present invention, a line voltage track system includes a line voltage track and an electrical adapter. The line voltage track has a live track cavity and a neutral track cavity. A live conductor is included in the live track cavity and a neutral contact is included in the neutral track cavity. The electrical adapter is adapted for mounting an electrical fixture to the line voltage track, and includes a housing, a sleeve, and a movable contact. The housing has a track hole for receiving the line voltage track, and an end adapted for mounting to the electrical fixture. The sleeve is movably coupled to the housing for securing the electrical adapter to the line voltage track. The movable contact electrically couples the electrical fixture to the live conductor, and is biased by a spring against the live conductor of the line voltage track when the movable contact is in an electrically engaged position. The electrically engaged position is achieved by axial displacement of the sleeve towards the line voltage track relative to the sleeve.
Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.
The invention may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to those particular embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to include all alternatives, modifications and equivalent arrangements as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Referring to
A plurality of light fixtures 108a-108d having corresponding fixture supports 109a-109d are mounted to the track 102 via corresponding fixture adapters 110a-110d. The fixture adapters 110a-110d are generally similar, if not identical, but may vary in size and shape. A more detailed description of the fixture adapters 110a-110d (with reference to a single adapter 110) is provided below in more detail.
A feed adapter 112 is also mounted to the track 102, physically coupling the track 102 to the ceiling 106 and electrically coupling the track 102 to an electrical source. The feed adapter 112 is generally similar to the adapters 110a-110d, but some of its features are modified to account for a reversal of arrangement in its electrical contacts. Changes between the feed adapter 112 and the adapters 110a-110d are described below in more detail.
Referring to
Internally, the housing 120 encloses a plurality of electrical contacts, including a live contact 128, a neutral contact 130, and a ground contact 132. The live contact 128 is mounted in a retaining compartment 134, which includes a first retaining section 134a and a second retaining section 134b. The first and second retaining sections 134a, 134b are mounted to each other via a plurality of mounting screws 135.
The live contact 128 is biased by a contact spring 136, which is positioned inside a spring cavity 137 of the retaining compartment 134. Specifically, a lower end 128a of the live contact 128 is in contact with the contact spring 136, while an upper end 128b of the live contact 128 protrudes externally from the retaining compartment 134. In this embodiment, the lower end 128a of the live contact 128 is generally perpendicular to the upper end 128b.
The retaining compartment 134 includes a first guide pin 138a and a second guide pin 138b, which are biased away from each other via a guide pin spring 140. When assembled, each of the guide pins 138a, 138b, protrudes through a respective guide hole 142 and through a respective housing slit 144 to contact an internal wall of a sleeve 145.
The adapter 110 also includes a retaining housing 146 having a first contact retaining housing 146a and a second contact retaining housing 146b. The retaining housing 146 is mounted to the housing body 120 via a plurality of mounting screws 148. The neutral contact 130 and the ground contact 132 are both fixedly mounted in the retaining housing 146.
The live contact 128 is attached to a live lead wire 150, which is internally inserted through the sleeve 145. The neutral contact 130 is attached to a neutral lead wire 152, which is also internally inserted through the sleeve 145. A neutral coupler 154 connects the neutral contact 130 to the neutral lead wire 152.
First and second sleeve springs, collectively 156, are positioned in a housing body cavity 158. A top end 156a of each spring is positioned in contact with the housing body 121, and a bottom end 156b of each spring is positioned in contact with a spring surface 160 of the retaining compartment 134. The sleeve springs 156 exert a biasing force on the retaining compartment 134 to move the retaining compartment 134 axially in a direction away from the housing 120. In turn, the retaining compartment 134 contacts and forces the sleeve 145 to move axially in a direction away from the housing 120.
The adapter 110 further includes a connector 162 which has a top threaded end 164 and a bottom threaded end 166. The top threaded end 164 is adapted to couple with a housing matching thread of the housing body 121. The housing matching thread of the housing body 121 (not shown) is generally located internally near a lower end 168 of the housing body 121. The bottom threaded end 166 of the connector 162 is adapted to couple with a sleeve matching thread of the sleeve 145. The sleeve matching thread of the sleeve 145 is generally located internally near a lower end 170 of the sleeve 145. In this embodiment, the top threaded end 164 has a finer thread than the bottom threaded end 166. The adapter 110 further includes an internal threaded area 172 (shown in
In general, the connector 162 is fixed to the housing body 121 during assembly. Although the connector 162 can be removed from the housing body 121 (e.g., by unscrewing the connector 162), the connector 162 typically remains fixed to the housing body 121 throughout installation of the adapter 110 and thereafter. In contrast, the sleeve 145 is coupled to the connector 162 during installation of the adapter 110 and may be removed when the adapter 110 requires, for example, further service or a change in position.
Referring to
The configuration of the track 102 is also generally referred as a top mounting track configuration. Although the described embodiments pertain to the top mounting track configuration, the adapter of the present invention may be configured for other track configurations (e.g., a side mounting track configuration).
When the housing cover 122 is in the closed position, the adapter 110 has two general positions including a disengaged position (shown in
To position the live contact 128 in the engaged position, and thereby allow electrical contact between the adapter 110 and the track 102, the sleeve 145 is moved upwards (in an axial direction towards the housing 120). Generally simultaneously, the sleeve 145 is also rotated to threadedly engage the sleeve 145 to the connector 162 in a locked position. The movement of the sleeve 145 relative to the housing 120 raises the live contact 128 towards the live conductor 200, eventually removing the gap 210 when the live contact 128 makes contact with the live conductor 200.
The sleeve biasing force caused by the sleeve springs 156 helps reduce some aspects of normal wear-and-tear associated with the sleeve-to-housing coupling by providing an additional pressure when coupling the sleeve 145 to the housing 120. The sleeve biasing force also helps to generally immediately remove contact between the live contact 128 and the live conductor 200 when removing or changing the position of the adapter 110.
The contact biasing force caused by the contact spring 136 helps reduce some aspects of normal wear-and-tear associated with the contact-to-conductor engagement by providing an additional pressure when engaging the live contact 128 to the live conductor 200. As such, electrical contact may persist even if bending or other physical damage may occur to the live contact 128 or the live conductor 200.
Referring to
The adapter 110a is, then, placed on the track 102 in a partially mounted position (as shown in
The adapter 110a is placed in a fully mounted position (shown in
In alternative embodiments, the feed adapter 112 (
While particular embodiments, aspects, and applications of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction and compositions disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variations may be apparent from the foregoing descriptions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100055947 A1 | Mar 2010 | US |
