Track lighting apparatus

• US 4,919,625 A
• Filed: 04/29/1988
• Issued: 04/24/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Industries, Inc. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Coutre, Leonard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Desmond, Eugene F.
• Application Number:
  US07/187,808
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 439/110, 439/114, 439/115, 439/117, 439/118, 439/119, 439/207, 439/208, 439/210, 439/212, 439/213
• US Class Current: 439/118
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/14 Rails or bus-bars constructed so that the counterparts can be connected thereto at any point along their length supporting elements for lighting devices, displaceable along guiding elements and making electrical contact with conductors running along the guiding elements F21V21/35
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/142 Their counterparts

Abstract

Track lighting apparatus is disclosed which includes a track section, plug box and plug connector designed to incorporate two lighting circuits independently controllable within the same track section. The track section includes a neutral bus and a grounding bus on one lateral side and two independent voltage busses on its other lateral side. The head of the plug box inserted in a bottom slot running the longitudinal length of the track section, may be rotated into position in only one direction, thereby preventing inadvertent connection of neutral and grounding contacts to voltage busses and vice versa. The plug box head has a voltage contact which may be mechanically moved between two positions for alternative connection to either of the voltage busses of the track when the plug head is connected to the track. The plug connectors, one designed for insertion via the right hand end of the track section, the other via the left hand end, are provided to connect two or more track sections together in straight, "L", "T" , or "X" patterns, or to provide electrical feed from the wall or ceiling on which the track is installed or to provide track section termination. The plug connectors include a grounding finger to connect the track structure to the grounding bus and includes an inverse L shaped channel in which a connection member is disposed. The connection member includes a lateral contact, a vertical member and a lateral terminal member.

Claims

1. Track lighting apparatus comprising in combination,

a longitudinal track section having a body with a right end and a left end and having a lateral cross section defined by first and second lateral sides, a top side of top width and a bottom side having a slot of width smaller than said top width, said sides defining a channel within said track which is open from beneath said track via said slot,

a first insulator structure disposed within said channel adjacent said first lateral side, said first insulator structure carrying a neutral bus facing inwardly of said channel at a first lateral distance from said first lateral side and carrying a ground bus facing inwardly of said channel at a second lateral distance from said first lateral side, said ground bus being vertically separated from said neutral bus,

a second insulator structure disposed within said channel adjacent said second lateral side, said second insulator structure carrying vertically separated first and second voltage busses which face inwardly of said channel at substantially identical lateral distances from said second lateral side;

and

a plug box with a contact head having a lateral width smaller than said slot of said track and adapted for insertion into said channel of said track via said slot in said bottom side of said track section,

said contact head carrying a neutral electrical contact on one longitudinal side, a voltage electrical contact on an opposite longitudinal side, and a ground electrical contact on said one longitudinal side on which said neutral electrical contact is carried, said ground electrical contact being vertically separated from said neutral electrical contact by a distance corresponding to the vertical separation between said ground bus and said neutral bus of said track section,

said voltage electrical contact being moveable between a first fixed vertical position and a second fixed vertical position, the distance between said first vertical position and said second vertical position corresponding to the vertical separation of said first and second voltage busses of said track,

whereby on insertion of said contact head of said plug box into said slot with longitudinal alignment of said head with said track, and after ninety degree rotation of said head within said channel such that said neutral contact and said ground contact of said head turns toward said neutral bus and said ground bus and said voltage contact turns toward said first and second voltage busses, electrical contact is established between said neutral contact of said head and said neutral bus of said track, between said ground contact of said head and said ground bus of said track, and between said voltage contact of said head and either of said first or second voltage busses of said track, depending upon whether said voltage contact is in its first fixed vertical position or its second fixed vertical position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising plug connector means for electrically connecting said ground, neutral, and first and second voltage busses of two track sections together while simultaneously electrically connecting said ground busses to the bodies of each track section.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein

said first insulator structure carrying said neutral bus and said ground bus is defined by a first lateral cross section profile means,

said second insulator structure carrying said first and second voltage busses are defined by a second lateral cross section profile means, and

said contact head defined by a head cross sectional profile means defined by a longitudinal cross section through said head,

said head profile means, said first profile means and said second profile means cooperatively dimensioned for allowing said head to rotate 90°

, after insertion of said head into said slot of said track, only in a direction for establishing electrical contact of said neutral contact, said ground contact, and said voltage contact respectively with said neutral bus, said ground bus, and one of said voltage busses.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising

plug connector means having a base carrying a neutral connection terminal and first and second voltage terminals,

said plug connector means having a plug head carrying a neutral contact on one lateral side and first and second voltage contacts on the other lateral side,

means for electrically connecting said first and second voltage terminals to said first and second voltage contacts and said neutral terminal to said neutral contact,

said plug means operably connecting said neutral bus and said first and second voltage busses respectively to said neutral terminal and said first and second voltage terminals when said plug head is inserted into said channel within said track section via one of its ends.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising

a plug connector including a plug base and a plug head integrally formed with said plug base,

said plug connector having at least one electrical connection member extending between said plug head and said plug base, said electrical connection member including a contact disposed on a lateral side of said head and including a connection terminal disposed on a terminal surface of said plug base,

whereby when said plug head is inserted into said channel within said track section via one of its ends, said contact makes electrical connection with one of said busses carried by said track and, via said electrical connection member, electrical connection is established between said connection terminal and said one of said busses.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein

said electrical connection member is a ground member including a ground top plate disposed on a top surface of said plug base and a ground contact operably disposed on a side of said plug connection means to contact said ground bus,

said ground contact further including means for contacting said top side of said track section thereby electrically connecting said track section to said ground contact and said ground plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein

said electrical connection member is a ground connection member including a ground contact and a ground connection terminal,

said plug head has a longitudinal channel open at its distal end and has a longitudinal slot in its lateral side on which said ground contact is disposed, said longitudinal slot communicating with said longitudinal channel, and

said ground connection terminal of said ground connection member is a lateral plate connected to a vertical plate, thereby forming an inverse L shaped member with said ground contact extending laterally outwardly from said vertical plate,

said ground member assembled with said plug head with said vertical plate disposed within said longitudinal channel of said plug head, with said ground contact extending laterally outwardly from said longitudinal slot, and with said ground connection terminal disposed on the top of said plug head and extending to the top of said base, and

further comprising a support plate secured to said top of said base and electrically connected to said ground connection terminal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein

said ground connection terminal includes a grounding finger extending vertically from said lateral plate, said finger adapted to contact said top side of said track section when said plug head is inserted into said channel within said track section via one of its ends.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein

said plug head and said plug base have at least one inverse L shaped longitudinal channel communicating with an inverse L shaped opening in said plug base, said channel in said plug head having a longitudinal slot in its lateral side from which said contact is disposed,

said electrical connection member including a vertical plate with said contact extending laterally outwardly therefrom, thereby forming an inverse L shaped member,

said connection member, after insertion via said inverse L shaped opening in said plug base, having said contact extending laterally outwardly from said longitudinal slot in said plug head.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein

said terminal surface of said plug base is adjacent said L shaped opening in said plug base, and

said connection terminal of said electrical connection member includes a lateral terminal plate carried by said vertical plate, said lateral terminal plate being disposed on said terminal surface of said plug base after insertion of said electrical connection member in said L shaped opening in said plug base.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein

said lateral terminal plate has a front end and a back end and includes a trailing finger which bends upwardly at said back end,

said terminal surface of said plug base is disposed between a forward vertical surface of said base and a rear notch,

whereby upon insertion of said electrical connection member into said channel, said trailing finger is placed within said notch and said front end of said terminal plate abuts said forward vertical surface, thereby securing said member to said base.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein,

said lateral terminal plate has a front end, a forward extension, a back end, a vertical tab and a trailing finger which bends upwardly at said back end,

said terminal surface of said plug base is disposed between a forward vertical surface of said base and a rear notch,

whereby upon insertion of said electrical connection member into said channel, said forward extension partially fits with said channel, said trailing finger is placed within said notch and said tab abuts said forward vertical surface, thereby securing said member to said base while assuring that said terminal plate is held flat against said terminal surface of said plug base.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein

said terminal surface of said plug base includes a well between said forward vertical surface and said rear notch, and

wherein said connection terminal further includes

a threaded hole carried by said lateral terminal plate, and

a treaded screw threadedly disposed in said hole,

whereby an end of said terminal screw enters said well when said screw is moved upwardly through said threaded hole, further securing said member to said base.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein

said terminal surface of said plug base includes a well between said forward vertical surface and said rear notch, and

wherein said connection terminal further includes

a threaded hole carried by said lateral terminal plate, and

a treaded screw threadedly disposed in said hole,

whereby an end of said terminal screw enters said well when said screw is moved upwardly through said threaded hole, further securing said member to said base.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein

said at least one electrical connection member and said at least one inverse L shaped longitudinal channel within said plug head and said plug base define any one of three electrical connection members including neutral, first voltage, and second voltage connection member and respectively any one of three inverse L shaped longitudinal channels including neutral, first voltage, and second voltage inverse L shaped longitudinal channels,

said first voltage and said second voltage inverse L shaped longitudinal channels being disposed vertically one above the other on the same lateral side of said plug head, said neutral inverse L shaped channel being disposed on an opposite lateral side from said voltage channels,

whereby when said plug head is inserted into said channel within said track section via one of its ends, said contacts of said neutral, first voltage, and second voltage connection members make electrical connection with said neutral bus, said first voltage bus and said second voltage bus of said track section and via said connection members to said neutral terminal, said first voltage terminal and to said second voltage terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 having an additional electrical connection member comprising

a ground connection member including a ground contact linked to a ground connection terminal by a vertical plate, said ground connection terminal being laterally connected to the top of said vertical plate thereby forming an inverse L shaped member with said ground contact extending laterally outwardly from said vertical plate at a position below said ground connection terminal,

said plug head having a longitudinal channel open at its distal end and having a longitudinal slot in its lateral side on which said ground contact is disposed, said longitudinal slot communicating with said longitudinal channel,

said ground connection member being assembled with said plug head with said vertical plate disposed within said longitudinal channel of said plug head, with said ground contact extending laterally outwardly from said longitudinal slot and with said ground terminal disposed on top of said base, and further comprising

a support plate secured to said top of said base and electrically connected to said ground connection terminal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein

said ground bus is disposed at a second lateral distance from said first lateral side of said track section, said second lateral distance being different from said first lateral distance of said neutral bus, said difference in lateral distances defining a separation distance, and wherein

said plug head is a right hand plug head adapted to plug only into the right hand end of said track section and defined by said first and second voltage contacts being disposed on the lateral side of said plug which faces said second lateral side of the right hand end of said track section and said neutral and ground contacts are disposed on the lateral side of said plug head which faces said first lateral side of the right hand end of said track section, said neutral and ground contacts being laterally separated by a distance substantially the same as said separation distance.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein

said ground bus is disposed at a second lateral distance from said first lateral side of said track section, said second lateral distance being different from said first lateral distance of said neutral bus, said difference in lateral distances defining a separation distance, and wherein

said plug head is a left hand plug head adapted to plug only into the left hand end of said track section and defined by said first and second voltage contacts being disposed on the lateral side of said plug which faces said second lateral side of the left hand end of said track section, said neutral and ground contacts being laterally separated by a distance substantially the same as said separation distance.

19. The apparatus of claims 16 wherein said support plate secured to said top of said base of said plug connector includes means for rotatingly connecting a second support plate.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for attaching said support plate of said connection plug to a similar support plate of a second connection plug.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising

a single metallic member acting as a support plate for said connection plug at one end and as a support plate for a second connection plug at the other end.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein

said attaching means includes a swivel between said support plate of said connection plug and a similar support plate of a second connection plug by which said second connection plug may be turned to plus or minus ninety degrees with respect to said connection plug.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein

each of said support plates have an end region having a circular hole formed therein, and said swivel includes the metal on one support plate being forced through and around the hole formed in the other support plate.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising

grounding terminal means disposed on one of said support plates for providing a means for electrically connecting a grounding wire to said support plate and for locking the orientation of one support plate with respect to the other.

25. A contact head of a plug box adapted for use with track lighting apparatus comprising,

an insulating structure having vertical, longitudinal and lateral dimensions defining a contact head lateral cross-section profile,

a neutral electrical contact means and a ground electrical contact means carried on one longitudinal side of said structure, and

a voltage electrical contact means carried on an opposite longitudinal side of said structure, said voltage electrical contact means being frictionally secured within said structure, yet movable between a first fixed vertical position and a second fixed vertical position,

said neutral contact means, said ground contact means and said voltage contact means for establishing electrical connection with a neutral bus, a ground bus, and one of two voltage busses carried by a longitudinal track lighting section defined by a track lateral cross-section profile, wherein

said contact head lateral cross-section profile and said track lateral cross section profile are cooperatively dimensioned to prevent said neutral contact means and said voltage contact means of said contact head structure respectively contacting said either of said two voltage busses and said neutral bus of said track lighting section.

26. A low profile track lighting section comprising;

a metallic body having a lateral cross-section defined by first and second lateral sides, a top side of top width and a bottom said having a slot of width smaller than said top width, said sides defining a channel within said track which is open from beneath said track via said slot,

a first insulator structure disposed within said channel adjacent said first lateral side, said first insulator structure carrying ground and neutral busses vertically spaced at first and second distances from said top side of said body,

a second insulator structure disposed within said channel adjacent said second lateral side, said second insulator structure carrying first and second voltage busses which are vertically spaced from said top side of said body substantially the same as said ground and neutral busses in said first insulator structure are spaced from said top side of said body.

27. A plug connector adapted to electrically connect to a longitudinal track lighting section including a metallic track carrying a ground bus insulated from said metallic track, said plug connector comprising,

a structure of insulating material including a plug base and a plug head means integrally formed with said plug base, said plug head means having longitudinal, lateral and vertical dimensions,

said structure having at least one electrical connection member extending between said plug head and said plug base, said electrical connection member including a contact disposed on a lateral side of said head and including a connection terminal disposed on a terminal surface of said plug base,

said electrical connection member being a ground member including

a ground top plate disposed on contiguous top surfaces of said plug base, and said plug head,

a ground contact disposed on a lateral side of said plug head, and

a grounding finger extending vertically from said ground top plate,

said plug head means for electrically connecting said ground bus of said tracking lighting section to said ground top plate and said metallic track structure via said ground contact of said plug head.

28. The plug connector of claim 27 wherein

said plug head means has a longitudinal channel open at its distal end and has a longitudinal slot in its lateral side on which said ground contact is disposed, said longitudinal slot communicating with said longitudinal channel, and

said ground top plate is a lateral plate connected to a vertical plate thereby forming an inverse L shaped member with said ground contact extending laterally outwardly from said vertical plate,

said ground member being assembled with said plug head with said vertical plate disposed within said longitudinal channel of said plug head means, and with said ground contact extending laterally outwardly from said longitudinal slot, and

further comprising a support plate secured to said top of said base and electrically connected to said ground top plate.

29. A plug connector adopted to electrically connect to a longitudinal track lighting section comprising,

a plug connector including a plug base and a plug head integrally formed with said plug base,

said plug connector having at least one electrical connection member extending between said plug head and said plug base, said electrical connection member including a contact disposed on a lateral side of said head and including a connection terminal disposed on a terminal surface of said plug base, wherein

said plug head and said plug base have at least one inverse L shaped longitudinal channel communicating with an inverse L shaped opening in said plug base, said channel in said plug head having a longitudinal slot in its lateral side from which said contact is disposed,

said electrical connection member including a vertical plate with said contact extending laterally outwardly therefrom, thereby forming an inverse L shaped member,

said connection member, after insertion via said inverse L shaped opening in said plug base, having said contact extending laterally outwardly from said longitudinal slot in said plug head.

30. The plug connector of claim 29 wherein

said terminal surface of said plug base is adjacent said L shaped opening in said plug base, and

said connection terminal of said electrical connection member includes a lateral terminal plate carried by said vertical plate, said lateral terminal plate being disposed on said terminal surface of said plug base after insertion of said electrical connection member in said L shaped opening in said plug base.

31. The plug connector of claim 30 wherein

said lateral terminal plate has a front end and a back end and includes a rigid trailing finger which bends upwardly at said back end,

said terminal surface of said plug base is disposed between a forward vertical surface of said base and a rear upwardly disposed notch,

whereby upon insertion of said electrical connection member into said channel, said trailing finger is placed within said notch and said front end of said terminal plate abuts said forward vertical surface, thereby securing said member to said base.

32. The plug connector of claim 31 wherein

said terminal surface of said plug base includes a well between said forward vertical surface and said rear notch, and

wherein said connection terminal further includes

a threaded hole carried by said lateral terminal plate, and

a treaded screw threadedly disposed in said hole,

whereby an end of said terminal screw enters said well when said screw is moved upwardly through said threaded hole, further securing said member to said base.

33. The plug connector of claim 32 wherein

said at least one electrical connection member and said at least one inverse L shaped longitudinal channel within said plug head and said plug base define any one of three electrical connection members including neutral, first voltage, and second voltage connection member and any one of three inverse L shaped longitudinal channels including neutral, first voltage, and second voltage inverse L shaped longitudinal channels,

said first voltage and said second voltage inverse L shaped longitudinal channels being disposed vertically one above the other on the same lateral side of said plug head, said neutral inverse L shaped channel being disposed on an opposite lateral side from said voltage channels.

34. The plug connector of claim 33 having

a ground connection member including a ground contact linked to a ground connection terminal by a vertical plate, said ground connection terminal being laterally connected to the top of said vertical plate thereby forming an inverse L shaped member with said ground contact extending laterally outwardly from said vertical plate at a position below said ground connection terminal,

said plug head having a longitudinal channel open at its distal end and having a longitudinal slot in its lateral side on which said ground contact is disposed, said longitudinal slot communicating with said longitudinal channel,

said ground connection member being assembled with said plug head with said vertical plate disposed within said longitudinal channel of said plug head, with said ground contact extending laterally outwardly from said longitudinal slot and with said ground terminal disposed on top of said base, and further comprising

a support plate secured to said top of said base and electrically connected to said ground connection terminal.

35. The plug connector of 34 wherein

said ground bus is disposed at a second lateral distance from said first lateral side of said track section, said second lateral distance being different from said first lateral distance of said neutral bus, said difference in lateral distances defining a separation distance, and wherein

said plug head is a right hand plug head adapted to plug only into the right hand end of said track section and defined by said first and second voltage contacts being disposed on the lateral side of said plug which faces said second lateral side of the right hand end of said track section.

36. The plug connector of claim 35 wherein

said ground bus is disposed at a second lateral distance from said first lateral side of said track section, said second lateral distance being different from said first lateral distance of said neutral bus, said difference in lateral distances defining a separation distance, and wherein

said plug head is a left hand plug head adapted to plug only into the left hand end of said track section.

37. The plug connector of claim 36 further comprising

means for attaching said support plate of said connection plug to a similar support plate of a second connection plug.

38. The plug connector of claim 36 further comprising

is said single metallic member acting as a support plate for said connection plug at one end and as a support plate for a second connection plug at the other end.

39. The plug connector of claim 37 wherein

said attaching means includes a swivel between said support plate of said connection plug and a similar support plate of a second connection plug by which said second connection plug may be orientated at plus or minus ninety degrees with respect to said connection plug.

40. The plug connector of claim 39 wherein

each of said support plates have an end region having a circular hole formed therein, and said swivel includes the metal on one support plate being forced through and around the hole formed in the other support plate.

41. The plug connector of claim 39 further comprising

grounding terminal means disposed on one of said support plates for providing a means for electrically connecting a grounding wire to said support plate and for locking the orientation of one support plate with respect to the other.