Adapter to energize a light rail

• US 5,154,641 A
• Filed: 04/30/1991
• Issued: 10/13/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucifer Lighting Company
• Original Assignee: Lucifer Lighting Company
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Donald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DESMOND, EUGENE
• Application Number:
  US07/693,700
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 439/115, 439/621, 439/622, 439/78, 362/219
• US Class Current: 439/620.26
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/68 with built-in fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/142 Their counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/162 Electrical connections between or with rails or bus-bars rails having primarily a non electrical function H01R4/64

Abstract

A lighting system comprising a light rail (40) and an adapter (10) for energizing the light rail (40). The light rail (40) is comprised of a substantially flat, thermoplastic, elongated track (46) enclosing two conductive strips (45) and (47) from which multiple pairs of oppositely polarized spades (41), (42), (43) and (44) project. Each pair of the multiple paired spades receives an illuminating lamp (not shown), except a pair energized by the adapter. The adapter (10) has a body (12) with a pair of spade receiving slots (22) and (24) dimensioned to receive therein the paired spades (42) and (43) of the rail to energize the same. A removable fuse (37) extends longitudinally across the body (12) of the adapter (10) to protect against circuit overload.

Claims

1. A system for providing light to an area by utilizing a multiple of elongated incandescent light fixtures, the light fixtures with electrical contacts at each end thereof, the system comprising:

a light strip with a surface thereon and having a pair of parallel conductive strips, the conductive strips each having a plurality of paired contact means projecting substantially perpendicular to the surface thereof, the distance between adjacent contact means dimensioned to accept the elongated incandescent light fixtures therebetween;

an insulated electrical cord containing a first electrical wire and a second electrical wire within said electrical cord, said electrical cord with a first end and a second end, said electrical cord capable of carrying electrical energy to said light strip for connecting at the first end to a source of electrical energy;

a tabular, elongated body attached to the second end of said electrical cord, said body with a pair of contact means receiving slots therein, the contact means receiving slots dimensioned to receive the contact means of said light strip;

a transformer for connecting to the first end of said electrical cord for supplying electrical energy to the same; and

means to interconnect the two electrical wires of said insulated electrical cord with the paired contact means of said light strip;

wherein the contact means of said light strip are multiple, adjacent pairs of double-pronged, C-shaped conductors and interconnect means are cylindrical conductors dimensioned to fit within the prongs of the C-shaped conductors.

2. A system for providing light to an area by utilizing a multiple of elongated incandescent light fixtures, the light fixtures with electrical contacts at each end thereof, the system comprising:

a light strip with a surface thereon and having a pair of parallel conductive strips, the conductive strips each having a plurality of contact means projecting substantially perpendicular to the surface thereof, the distance between adjacent contact means dimensioned to accept the elongated incandescent light fixtures therebetween;

an insulated electrical cord containing a first electrical wire and a second electrical wire within said electrical cord, said electrical cord with a first end and a second end, said electrical cord capable of carrying electrical energy to said light strip for connecting at the first end to a source of electrical energy;

a tabular, elongated body attached to the second end of said electrical cord, said body with a pair of contact means receiving slots therein, the contact means receiving slots dimensioned to receive the contact means of said light strip;

means to interconnect the two electrical wires of said insulated electrical cord with the contact means of said light strip; and

a transformer for connecting to the first end of said electrical cord for supplying electrical energy to the same;

wherein the insertion of said body onto contact means of said light strip is capable of energizing the light strip and providing light to the area to be illuminated; and

wherein the interconnect means are tabular conductors aligned parallel with the longitudinal axis of said body and the contact means of said light strip are multiple, adjacent pairs of tabular conductor receiving means.

3. A system for providing light to an area by utilizing a multiple of elongated incandescent light fixtures, the light fixtures with electrical contacts at each end thereof, the system comprising:

a light strip with a surface thereon and having a pair of perpendicularly aligned conductive strips with parallel longitudinal axes, the conductive strips each having a plurality of contact means projecting substantially perpendicular to the surface thereof, the distance between adjacent contact means dimensioned to accept the elongated incandescent light fixtures therebetwen, wherein the contact means of said light strip is comprised of multiple paired spades projecting substantially perpendicular from said conductive strips such that the removed ends of said spades are aligned;

an insulated electrical cord containing a first electrical wire and a second electrical wire within said electrical cord, said electrical cord with a first end and a second end, said electrical cord capable of carrying electrical energy to said light strip for connecting at the first end to a source of electrical energy;

a transformer for providing electrical energy to the first end of said insulated electrical cord; and

a tabular body attached to the second end of said electrical cord;

means to interconnect the electrical wires of said cord with the contact means of said strip, the interconnect means being paired cylindrical shaped rods truncated by a cone at one end thereof, each of said pair projecting partially from said tabular body at opposite ends thereof such that the cone-shaped ends of each of said rods engage one of the paired spades of the contact means of said light strip, the other ends of the interconnect means being connected to the electrical wires of said insulated electrical cord.

4. A system for providing light to an area, the system comprising:

a transformer;

a multiple of elongated, incandescent light fixtures with electrical contacts at either end thereof;

a first and a second substantially flat, insulation enclosed light strip having multiple contact spades projecting perpendicular from the insulation enclosure, the spades spaced apart sufficiently to engage the light fixtures for making electrical contact with the ends thereof;

a first adapter for energizing the first light strip, the adapter comprising a tabular body with spade receiving slots on a common face thereof, the spade receiving slots for engagement with the spades of said first light strip;

wire means attached to the body of said first adapter for bringing electricity from said transformer to the spades of said first light strip when adapter is engaged therewith;

a second adapter for energizing said second light strip, the second adapter having a first and a second body, with conductive means conductively engaging the first body with the second body, each of said first and second body being tabular and having a pair of spade receiving slots on a common face thereof, the first body for engaging with a pair of spades from the first light strip and the second body for engaging a pair of spades form the second light strip, the first light strip being energized through said first adapter, thereby capable of energizing the second light strip.

5. The system as described in claim 4 wherein the transformer is a step-down type, stepping down voltage from a 120-volt primary source to a 24-volt secondary.

6. The system as described in claim 5 wherein the first adapter further comprises a fuse means, said fuse means integral with said body for accepting a fuse therein, and capable of interrupting an electrical circuit when the current overload condition exceeds the rating of said fuse.