Electronic price display system with vertical rail
First Claim
1. A wiring system comprising:
- a gondola;
a horizontal bus disposed along the length of the gondola, said bus having a plurality of wires;
a plurality of vertical rails, each vertical rail of an insulating material, each vertical rail being of substantially constant cross section along its extent, each vertical rail having a front face and a back, each vertical rail having first and second edges along its extent and a ridge along each edge, each vertical rail having a channel in the front face and a plurality of exposed conductors within the channel corresponding in number with the wires of the horizontal bus, the first and second edges further comprising first keying means rendering the first and second edges nonsymmetrical with respect to reflection in the plane lying therebetween;
connection means connecting the conductors of each vertical rail with corresponding wires of the horizontal bus; and
a multiplicity of snap-on connectors with a plurality of the snap-on connectors mated to each vertical rail, each connector having first and second members engaged with the ridges of the first and second edges of its vertical rail, each connector further comprising springy contacts corresponding in number with the plurality of exposed conductors and disposed in tensioned mechanical contact therewith, each connector having a cable with wires corresponding in number with the springy contacts and electrically bonded therewith, each connector shaped between its first and second members so as to define second keying means mating with the first keying means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vertical stringer or rail system is provided for use with an electronic price display system in a store, warehouse or other application. A vertical rail is made of an insulating material and is of substantially constant cross section along its extent, with ridges along each edge. A channel in the front face of the rail carries a plurality of exposed conductors, and the channel and edges are keyed. Snap-on connectors fit to the rail, and due to the keying it is impossible to snap the connector on backwards. The snap-on connectors each have a flat cable running to a shelf rail at the front of a shelf, and electronic price display labels lie within the shelf rail. U-shaped snap-on cable clamps provide clamping of the flat cable to the vertical rail nearby to the snap-on connectors, and the cable clamps are captive to the flat cable so they are not easily misplaced. Because the snap-on connectors and clamps may be snapped on at a multitude of locations they can easily accommodate shelves at varying heights. Shelf moves are easily accommodated regardless of starting and ending shelf positions.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A wiring system comprising:
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a gondola; a horizontal bus disposed along the length of the gondola, said bus having a plurality of wires; a plurality of vertical rails, each vertical rail of an insulating material, each vertical rail being of substantially constant cross section along its extent, each vertical rail having a front face and a back, each vertical rail having first and second edges along its extent and a ridge along each edge, each vertical rail having a channel in the front face and a plurality of exposed conductors within the channel corresponding in number with the wires of the horizontal bus, the first and second edges further comprising first keying means rendering the first and second edges nonsymmetrical with respect to reflection in the plane lying therebetween; connection means connecting the conductors of each vertical rail with corresponding wires of the horizontal bus; and a multiplicity of snap-on connectors with a plurality of the snap-on connectors mated to each vertical rail, each connector having first and second members engaged with the ridges of the first and second edges of its vertical rail, each connector further comprising springy contacts corresponding in number with the plurality of exposed conductors and disposed in tensioned mechanical contact therewith, each connector having a cable with wires corresponding in number with the springy contacts and electrically bonded therewith, each connector shaped between its first and second members so as to define second keying means mating with the first keying means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A wiring system comprising:
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a vertical rail of an insulating material, said rail being of substantially constant cross section along its extent, said rail having a front face and a back said rail having first and second edges along its extent and a ridge along each edge, said rail having a channel in the front face and a plurality of exposed conductors within the channel, the first and second edges further comprising first keying means rendering the first and second edges nonsymmetrical with respect to reflection in the plane lying therebetween; and a plurality of snap-on connectors mated to the rail, each connector having first and second members engaged with the ridges of the first and second edges, each connector further comprising springy contacts corresponding in number with the plurality of exposed conductors and disposed in tensioned mechanical contact therewith, each connector having a cable with wires corresponding in number with the springy contacts and electrically bonded therewith, each connector shaped between its first and second members so as to define second keying means mating with the first keying means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification