CA1190290A - Electrical collector rail with connectable adapter - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:

Electrical current rail which may function as collector rail for power distribution, houses phase conduc-tors and zero conductor with which an adaptor is intended to come into contact via plugs, which are connected to a respective phase conductor plug and zero-conductor plug intended to provide electrical connection with said adapter.
The phase conductors are provided in the interior space behind the front of the rail and are accessible only in a direction from the inside of the rear side of the rail. The front is divided by an opening for reception of an insertion part of the adapter provided with a contact beam, which is both pivotable and movable backwards and forwards into con-tact with said phase conductors and out of contact with the same by means, e.g. screw, accessible on the front of the adapter.

Description

EL~CTRICAL CO~CTOR RAIL WITH CO~NEGTAB~
ADAPT~R

L ~
This invention concerns a rail for supplying rooms with electrical current and telephone connections and also other possible connections and an adapter connectable thereto.
BACKGROUN~ ART
It is alread~ known and still very usual in7 for example, dwelling-house~ o~fices and administrati~n buildings to provide an electrical power system as a draw-in system or an exposed wiring as a so-called visible mounting. Such a system is in~lexible because it uses fixed output points, which are predetermined be~ore the relevant building is constructed. Changes at a later da-te are very o~ten impossible or extremely di~ficult to achieve, they ~,r~

~D301182 - 2 -cost a considerable amoun-t in -terms of money and time and the result is o~ten not aesthetically pleasing.

The disadvantages of these kinds o~
installations led to provision of so-called wiring channels or contac-t rails. Wiring channels are normally ~ocat~q ~ b~ on walls and run horizontally along the walls a-t a height generally level with a top o~ a desk~ Electrical cables in 10 such channels are connectable, ~or example~ to plugs, the location of which can be determined at a later date. Once determined9 however, this location is fixed because to change a plug's location new wiring o~ cables would be re~uired. Contact 15 rails, on the other hand, have the advantage tha-t sheathed cables are replaced by blank conductors conducting along their entire length~ Accordingly, a connection can be made a-t any place along such contact rails without change of the phases or change 20 in the plugs and current comsuming elements such as light emitting armatures etc. can be directly connected theretoO

This much needed flexibility of connections at such contact rails was however, made at the C05t of safety, because the connectors carrying current are easily accessible and children in particular may risk serious injury by touching them inadvertently or otherwise. Normally, therefore, there are strict provisions relating to minimum height of such installations (2.3 metres) and/or for the use of low voltage or low current supply.
These requirements which are, of course, fully justified for safety reasons also severely limit the use of known contact rails.
A typical contact rail is of U-shape with an opening directed downwardly and laterally to the middle of a room and electrical conductors embedded at the inner side of a limb of the U-profile. In this case there is no direct danger of electric shock, as the electric conductors are embedded ~D301182 _ 4 _ relatively deeply within electrically isolating material. However, -there is still a risk that children may atternpt -to plug-in i-tems and receive a shock as the space adjacent the voltage carrying 5 conductors can be directly touched -through -the opening of the contact rail.

It is an object o~ the present invention to provide a new rail for the supply of elec-trical current and telephone and the like connections 10 which is designed to be so safe that risk o~
electric shock or plug-in are reduced to an absolu-te minimum~ so that such a curren-t rail may be safely used as an output rail ~or high current supply and can be mounted at any height~
15 A further object of the present invention is to enable dif~erent phase selections and to do this in a simple safe and reliable manner, ~urther~cre an inventive rail although having technical advantages should have a good design, should be 20 relatively cheap to manufacture and should be mounted so as to be changed in a simple quick and

2~G3 safe way, for example in order to be extended and to be mounted around corners and through recesses.
According to the present invention there is provided an electrical collector rail with a connectable adapter comprising-a rail which is substantially C shaped in cross-section and has a rear wall, two side walls and a front wall wherein an opening is located; a number of conductors situated, at least partially, behind said front wall; an adapter having an insertion part for insertion into said opening; a contact beam attached to said adapter adjacent said insextion part; plugs mounted on said contact beam; and screw means extending through said adapter, accessible at a side of the adapter remote from the rail and operable to pivot said contact beam within said rail and move said beam forwards until said plugs contact said conductors and backwards until said plugs are out of contact with said conductors.
According to a preferred embodiment there is provided an adapter for an electrical current rail serving as collector rail for power distribution and/or telephone connections and/or other possible connectionsl which rail houses phase conductors of which at least part is provided behind a front of said rail, which rail is approximately C-shaped in cross-section and retains said adapter at optional location in a longitudinally throughgoing opening in said front, said adapter being provided with an extendable contact beam, which is flush with an insert part of said adapter, when the latter is inserted into or removed out of said rail, and which beam is extendable within said rail by means of a pivot movement and can be moved forward within said rail to come into contact with said phase conductors behind said front or can be moved backwards out of engagement with said phase conductors, characterized in that said beam is provided at one end of a rotating sleeve, the other end of which - 5a -sleeve is accessible at the fxont of the adapter, that the rotating sleeve is provided with a preferably through-going bore for retaining a screw, a tool ox the like, the head of which is accessible at the front, and that said rotating sleeve and said screw, said tool or the like are intended to perform said pivoting and displacing movements of said contact beam.

A current rail according to the invention can be used in an advan-Lageous rnanner as an al-terna-tive to and to replace conventional wiring channels or as a complement to such ones and TV
5 or telephone cables etc. may also be located within the rail. The current rail according to the invention can, of course, be designed and developed in such a way that a separa-te space for wiring ~V and telephone cables etc. is provided. The inventive rail may be considered to be so safe that it can be directly offered as a standard with a three-phase-group and two-phase-groups. Alternatively three one-phase-groups can be provided. One can chose between direct connection of all conceivable electrical apparatus and elements and connection by means of an outlet socket, whereby all of these kinds of connections are by way of an adapter according ~o the invention. The device of the invention ~3 also considered to be splash-proof and drip-tight.
Connections and/or extension may be rnade to the rail of the inven-tion without switching of~ the 2~

vol-tage in the previously installed rail. The ground wire is located asymme-trically and, preferably, o-ther parts of -the adapter are asymmetric so that the adapter cannot be connected to the wrong conductor.

Each adapter pre~erably has its own built-in automa-tically acting ~use, which can also be used as a switcho ~y automatically ~using each of the adapters a mistake originating in one of the ~10 apparatus connected to -the current rail does not influence the ~emaining connected appara-tus.
Each adapter preferably has a built-in phase selector so that an undesired connection of more than one phase to a one-phase-connector is 15 impossible. Adapters of any kind can, of c~urse, be mounted and dismounted along the entire len~th of the inventive current rail without the need to switch o~f the rai~ voltage so -that any other attached apparatus does not have to be disturbed~
20 Finally, it should be pointed out that a preferable style of a connection device according to the z~

invention has the advantage -that -tensile stress does no-t debase the contact function or has any tendency thereto as it is the case with conventional systems. In other words9 there i~ a guarant~ed safety and reliability of contact at press load or a load along an inclined line of application.

BRIE~ DE~SCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The inven-tion will be described further, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing~, in which:

~ig. 1 is a pers~ective view of an embodiment of the current rail and adapter of the present invention, including an angle piece;

~ ig. 2 is a cross-section through one embodiment of the current rail of the present 15 invention and one embodiment of an adapter of the present invention, shown in end view, connected thereto;

~ ig. 3 is a perspective exploded view of a ED301182 _ 9 _ jointing device ~or connec-ting conductors of current rail extensions;

Fig. 4 is a perspec-tive view of an adapter from the rear;

~ig. 5 is a similar perspective view o~ the adapter shown in Fig. 4 after power connections have been made;

Fig. 6 is a perspec-tive exploded vieY~ of the adapter ~hown in Fig. 5 but from the front;

Fig. 7 is a view of the adapter shown in Figo 4, from below;

Fig. 8 is a plan view o~ the adapter shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a cross-section through another 15 embodiment o~ the current rail with additional contact3 ~or communication or control connections;

2~3~

~ig. 10 is a perspective view from the rear of another embodiment of the adapter which is adapted for use in connection with the current rail shown in Fig. 9;

Fig~ 11 is a view7 par-tially in cross-section, of a third current rail mounted by means of a bar and having side facings; and Fig 12 is a view, partially in cross-section, of a fourth current rail with side facings and another 10 bar having a hook configuration~

Fig. 1 illustrates the main components of the device o~ the invention, namely an electrical collector or current rail 1, adapter 2 for connec-tion of electrical apparatus and other devices, -two 15 jointing devices 122 ea.ch with a lid 136 and an angle piece 120 with a concer-tina-like covering 121 and a cover pla-te 119 also used as an end part of the current railO

- The current rail 1 (Fig. 2) comprises a hollow 2~

C-shaped body 3 of rectangular cross-section, one longitudinal side of which is designed as a rear wall 4 with adjacent side walls 5 and 69 which in -turn lead to fron-t walls 7 and o. The 5 latter extend in the direc-tion of the rear ~all 4 and form walls 9 and 10 limiting an opening 11.
The free edges of the opening walls 9 and 10 end in hook profiles 12, 13 respectively, which are directed towards the side walls 5, 6 and face hook 10 profiles 14, 15 on the inner sides of the side walls.

~ he rail encloses a space 16 (~ig. 2).
h~.ounting profiles 17, 20 extend from the outer side of the rear wall 4 spaced apart froM each 15 other and may b~ utilized for wall moun~ing of the current rail. ~'urther moun~ting profiles 18, ~3 for mounting the current rail on the ceiling are provided between -the aforesaid profiles 17, 20.
These ~airs of mounting profiles 17, 20 and 181 19 20 have flanges directed away from each other and provide for the mounting of the rail on a bracket or other fixation means, One inner Ino~lting profile 18 has a groove 21 openin~ into the space 16. Hook.profiles 22, 23 are located at the transition from the groove 21 to the ~pace 16 and are used to lock an earth wire 24, which is designed as a U-shaped ter~inal strip having inwardly curved limbs providing a safe, elastic contact pressure therebetween.

The regions between -the hhok profiles 12 and 13, the opening walls 9 and 10, the fron-t walls 7 and 8, 10 the side walls 5 and 6 and -the hook p~ofiles 14 and 15 respectively accommodate respective insulating strips 25 and 26 made from suitable plastics ma-terial with given elastic properties. ~ach insulat~g strip consists of a base 27, 28 contacting the 15 respective front wall 7, 8 and having lips 29~ 30 and 319 32 respectively arranged in pairs and directed towards the cen-tral space 16 to define generally rectangular channels 33 and 34 respectively for housing conductors 35 and 36 respectively or an 20 earth wire 37. These conductors 35, 36 have the same shape as the earth wire 24. Each insulating strip 25, 26 has outwardly projecting shoulders ~D301182 - 13 -143, 144 and 145, 146 respectively in order to snap in behind ~the hook pro~iles 12, 14 and 13, 15 respec-tively. These lie ~djacent each other in pairs wi-th curved elastic free ends forming 5 wedge-shaped input openings from the central space 16 which is normally not in connection with -the channels and the conductors 35~ 36~ 37. Thus, these conductors 35, 36~ 37 are completely protected against contact and are splash-proof and drip-proofO
When elec-tric contacts (discussed below) are pushed with a given force into the openings of the insulating strips ~he closing power of the respec-tive lips o~
the insulating s-trips can be overcome and the contacts are able to enter and make contact with the oonductorSO

When the adapter 2 is inserted into the current rail 1 in a manner tb be discussed bel~w~ the contact lips and the conductors are de~ormed by the inserted cont~cts.

The adapter 2, shown in ~ig. 1, is designed as a power outlet into which a power plug for the ~D301182 - 14 -connection of any electric ap~aratus can be inser-ted. The adapter 2 can of course, also be used for direct connection of electric app~ratus since the power outlet is de~igned as a suitable and known adapter for an elec-tric cable or the like. The adapter 2 will be described in detail in connection with Figs. 4~ 5 and 6 of the drawings~

The front 39 (Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6) of -the adapter 2 is designed as a generally closed, flat rectangular tray-shaped body, which is open from the rear side.
In the ~resent case the adapter 2 is designed a~
a power outlet and the fron-t side therefore had a deepened power outlet insert 40 of known type.
At one side of the front 39 there is a recess 41 (Fig. 6) for inserting a switch e.g. toggle switch 42 e~nbodying a fuse. The switch 42 and the fuse can be ~ormed as one unit and may be inserted into the reces~ 41 from -the front side of the ada~ter 2 in the direction of an arrow 42~ (Figo 6) and may there be snapped in. To accornplish this known hook profiles (not shown in -the drawings) 9~

ED3011~2 - 15 -are ~rovided at a sui-table place behind -the front o~ the adaptor~ The switch 42 with -the incorporated fuse is provided with laterally extending ~lat connectors 43, 44.

~ehind the front 39 are located a lower housing part 45 and an upper housing part 45.
These two parts 45~ 46 are designed so as to be almost sy~metric so that only one item has to be made. The two parts are halves 47, 48 of the 10 housing and include insertlon parts 49, 50 formed like ledges as regions o~ the adapter Z of reduced thic~ness which correspond exactly to the opening 11 of the rail (~'ig, 1). The lower part 45 may have upwardly ~acing lateral grooves 51, 52 into 15 which the ~ree edges o~ -the upper part 46 can be inserted. ~oth par-ts 47~ 48 o~ the hou~ing may have suitable guides or sleeves, 53 and 54 respectively in their corners ~or reception o~ screws 55 which may be screwed into screwed holders inside the 20 adapter 2 behind the front 39. In this way the ~ront 39 holds together the housing parts. The ~o~

~D301182 - 16 -latter are al90 held toge~her by transversel.y orientated screws 5'7 located in guides 57 in the insertion parts 49, 50. Between the fron-t 39 and the other housing parts there is a gDoove 58 running around the housing mainly for aesthetic reasons. ~t the rear or free end of each of the insertion parts 49 and 50 respectively there is a rear ~ecess 59 and 60 respectively open from above and below reopectively each of which recesses 10 59, 60 is la.terally limited and partly closed by a stop 61 and 62 respectively aligned with the respective bottom of -the respective insertion parts 49, 50.

.

The ~ower Dutlet insert 40, the front 39 and 15 the other housing parts of the adapter 2 may be made from plastics material in one single piece9 for exampLe by using a moulding procedure. It would also be conceivable to make both housing parts together as one single unit~

.

Extending centrally through the power outlet insert 40 of the adapter 2 is a rotating sleeve 63 ~D301182 - 17 made fronl plastics material or metal and having an axial bore 64, a hat 65 having a ~lange 66 directed ~rontwardly and locking grooves 70, at least one of which can be seen- in the drawing (~ig. 6) located at some distance from the head 65. A front locking ring 72 and a rear locking ring 71 may be inserted, into the locking grooves 70. The bottom o~ the power outlet inse~-t 40 is located between the front locking ring 72 and 10 the head of the rotating sleeve 63 and, behind the locking ring 72 a ~urther ground contact 100 ; i B mounted.

The rear end of the rotating sleeve 63 is slotted to ~orm fork legs 737 7~ with respective 15 irlwardly dlrected claws 76) 77 and a ~ork opening 75. ~he rear end of the rotating sleeve carries a transversely orientated contact beam 78 made ~rom electrically insulating material, pre~erably a pl,-istics material. The contact beam 78 has a 20 shape of a parallel epiped having a central bore 79 eY.tending throughout the oontact beam and openings 80, 81 in the neighbourhood of the bore 79 for reception of the fork legs 73, 74. The openings 80, 81 are adapted to the prol'ile of the end of the rotating sleeve 63, including the 5 claws 76, 77 30 that these parts can be inserted in-to the contact beam 78 and a cover pla-ts 82 can be retained at the rear side of the contact beam by means of the claws 76, 77. The cover plate 82 thus holds all the parts in their correct 10 position.

The contact beam 78 incorporates a U-shape contact bridge 84 intended for use as an earth conductor and having legs 85, ~6 and a bridge 87.
The legs of the contact bridge 84 can be inserted 15 from the rear side of the con-tact beam into same, the upper leg ~5 being pushed into a suitable slot 88 and the lower leg 86 being pushed into an opening 89, which is larger than the upper slot-8~, and into which fur-ther contact legs can be located for 20 use as electrical conductors. At the other side of the contact beam 78 there is a lower phase scale 92~

ED301182 ~ 19 -and a lowe:r phase selector opening for the ~urpose of easy seection of the phase, as will be described below.

Similarl~, above the bore 79 and the 5 openings 80, 81 the contact beam 78 has an upper slot 91 for reception of a phase contact, and the~e above a larger o~ening 92 with anupper phase scale 93 for the purpose of phase selection~ The slot 91 is designed to receive, as phase con-tact,.
lOone leg of an angle-shaped contact metal sheet 94, the other leg 96 of which has la~teral bordered flanges intended to receive a leg 99 of an angled phase selector 97 bhe other leg 98 of which extends . into -the opening 92. The phase selector 97 has 15 notches in the legs 98, which notches can be seen from the drawings, and ~hereby the legs 99 may be widened.

The rotating sleeve 63 also carries a ground contact 100 comprising an earthing contact 101 20 and a bore 102. The ear~hing contact 101 is J-shaped and extends forwardly into the power outl~t 2~

inser-t 40. In -the illustra-ted example the earth~ g contact 101 is lying in a vertical plane. -Lts lower leg leads to a contact conductor 103 directed towards -the rear side of the adapter 2.
The free ends of -the contact conductor 103 ~o~
e~rth contacts 104, 105 which ~re intended to extend out from the rear free end o~ the inserti~
p~rts 49, 50 and to make contact with the earth conductor 24 (Fig. 2).

Although the insertion parts 49, 50 a~e substantially identical the earth contact 104 extending out from at least one of the said parts in combination with the asymmetrical mounted groove 21 (Fig. 2) and the earth contac-t 24 15 ensures that the adapter 2 can only be inserted into the current rail 1 in one particular orientation5 which is preselec-ted by the phase selection~ Thus, wrong or dangerous connections are completely excluded. In the wrong orientation it is impossible 20 to misadjust the ada-~ter and the contact beam is in an unactiva-ted position.

~D301182 - 21 -pin sleeve socke-ts lo~ 107 extend from the power ou-tlet insert 40 to the rear side of the adapter for coi~bination with pin sleeves 108, 109 in-to which the pins of a power plug may be inserted.
~he pin sleeve 108, shown in the drawing at the left side, is connected to a holding part 110 extending to the rear side, and the pin sleeve 109~
shown in -the drawing a~t the right side, is combined with a holding part 111 extending to the rear side.
~he holding part 110 is adapted to receive the upper leg 85 of the contact bridge 84 whereas the 10 holding part 111 is adapted to receive the lower contact plate 43 of the fuse. ~he upper contact plate 44 of the fuse will be inserted into a holding part 113, the latter being part of an angle~shaped connecting part 112, the other holding part 114 15 of which is directed to the rear side of the adapter 2 and is adapted to receive the con-tact plate 95 extending through the slot 91 /lhen the phase legs 85, 95 are inserted in-to the holding par~ts 110, 114 they are fixed in -the 20 adapter 2 the insertion parts 49, 50 of which are E~301182 - 22 -provided at the base with locking legs 115, 116 (~ig. 6) which extend towards each o-ther like claws,so that the bores are locked against unintend-ed lateral shifting, Each of the insertion parts 49, 50, of course, has an opening 117 in the region o~ its recess 59, 6~which opening 117 is provided for the said holders or the said legs9 and also has a cut~out 118 for the rotating sleeve 63.

The configuration o~ the adapter 2 when mounted can be seen from the remaining figures of the drawings. When the contact beam 78 is pushed outward it can be turned into the insertion ~arts 49, 50 (Fig. 4, 7, 8) so as to rest against hhe l5 stops 61, 62 and thus be prevented from further clockwise turning looking from the front towards the adapter as in Fig. 1. In thls position -the contact beam 78 is also located in some distance from the bottom of the recess 59, 60, which space 20 is intended -to receive the legs 85, 86~ 95 and 98, as fla-t contacts extending away from the contact beam 78.

hD301182 - 23 -When the ada~ter 2 is to be electrically connected to the current rail 1 -the insertion part 49, 50 is pushed through the op~ing 11, the walls 9, 10 o~ ~hich are a close ~it around the insertion ~arts 49, 50 and thereby guide same effectively, into the current rail 1 until the Ylat contacts 104, 105 (~'ig. 4) are inserted into the ear-th connector 24 (Fig. 2). The insertion parts 49, 50, may a-t the same -time9 rest against the rear wall 4 10 of the current rail, which rear wall 4 acts as a stop.
In this condition the housing halves or parts 47, 48 may rest <ag~inst the ~ront walls 7, 8 of the current rail.

The phase selection should be made prior 15 to insertion oY the adapter 2 by moving the leg 98 to the desired position on the scale 93. ~ater, the rotational sleeve 63 is turned by means oY a suitable tool which meshes or engages grooves 67 in the rotation sleeve 63. Said sleeve 63 must 20 be turned through one quarter of a revolution in counterclockwise direc-tion (viewed Yrom the front oY the adapter) so that the contact beaM 78 aligns oerperldicul3r to the insertion part 49, 507 its opoosite surfaces resting against the stops 61, 62. In -this position, which is not shown in any of the figures of the drawings, there is still 5 a space be-tween the contact beam 78 and the respec-tive bottom of the recess 59, 60i and ~xcept the flat contact 104, 105, no contact legs or flat contacts are in electrical con-tact with any of the conduc-tors connected with the phase. After this, 1~ a suitable rotating tool, for example a screwdriver is brought into the widening 68 and engaged with the screw 69 to turn it clockwise through a predetermined angle. By me~ns of the threaded engagement of the screw 69 in the sleeve 63~ the 15 contact beam 78 is drawn towards -the bottom of the recesses 59, 60 until it rests against the bot-tom or is in close proxi~ ty thereto so tha-t the legs 85, 86, flat contacts 95 and legs 98 are inserted into the predetermined contact openings and phase 20 conductors as shown in ~ig. 2. By this action the con-tact beam is eventually drawn into one of the cuts (~lig. 5) in connection with the recesses 59,60, ~301182 - 25 -so -that it can no lol1ger be oivo-ted in i-ts con-tact posi-tion, because the lateral surfaces of the cut abut the longitudinal sidewalls of the contact beam 78. As can be seen from Fig~ 5 of the dra~ings, the contact beam 78 slides on the fork legs 73, 74 from its initial pivoted oosition to its con-tac-t posi-tion when the screw 69 is turned. It is now possible to connect suitable electrical apparatus via the power ou-tle-t, the switch 42 incorporating 10 the fuse can be operated and said electrical : a~paratus can be switched on.

In principal it is possible to move the adapter 2 along the current rail in its activated Position.
~owever, such movement is not desirable because a minimurn con-tact pressure between the interengaged ~arts is necessary to guarantee a good electric contact and frequent movement would tend to reduce said pressure, The ad~pter 2 can be removed or disconnected froM -the rail by the converse sequence of o-oerati~n3, ~301182 - 26 ~

the screw 69 firstly being turned co~-terclocXwise so that the contac-t bealQ 78 be-tween -the fork legs 73, 74 is ~ushed -towards -the rear of the ada~ter 2 and finally rests at the claws 76, 77~ After 5 that the rotation sleeve 63 is -turned coun-terclock-wise by a quarter ro-tation so that the contact beal~ returns to the position shown in -~ig. 4, whence the adapter 2 can easily be dra~n out from the current rail 1.

The drawings mainly show a phase selection between the free upper phases (upper left hand side of Fig 6). However, a two-phase-syste~ll can also be accomplished. To this end, lower leg 86 of the earth con-tact bridge 84 ~ay be pushed -through 15 a slot 149. A contact sheet 94' has its flat contact 95' extending through a slot 91~ and its holding leg 96' bent down and having a bore 150 through which the rotating sleeve extends. At then end of the holding leg 96~ are bordered flanges holding a phase selector 97~ at a level of the lower opening 89' for -the phase s~lection. An earth contact sheet 84' and the contac-t 9~ should be divided from each other by means of an insula-ting strip 151 which also has a bo~e for the rotating sleeve 63. Thus, phase selection does not raise any ~roblem and can be ea~ily accomplished.
Of course, it is also conceiv~ble that jus-t one single contac-t metal sheet CQU~l be used for all phases. However, this is more for reasons o~
sagety than for technical reasons and also depends 10 on legal provisions.

sections or lengths of the current rail 1 may be easily joined together, as will be described in relation to Fig. 3 of the drawings, e.g. when an extension of the current rail is re~uired.
15 Figo 3 shows a jointing device 122 having a rear tension blook 123 and a frontal tension block 125. These two blocks 1229 125 rest against each other (which is not dangerous) and fill spaces 16 of adjacent current rail sections or segmen-ts.
20 To mount said blocks 123, 125 they are moved laterally into -the space 16 such that an earth ~9~2~

~D301182 - 28 -ledge 124 in a similar ~nanne-r to ~the flat contac-ts 1~4, 105 is inserted into the earth conductor 24 of the adjacent current rail. The earth ledge 124 i9 located at the rear side of the rear tension 5 block 123 and lower and uPper conduc-tor ledges 126, 127~ 128 are provi~ed along the fron-t side of the front tension blook 125, these ledges being adapted to come into contact with the phase and earth contacts in the current rails. ~ur-thermore 10 on the front surfàce of the fron-t tension block 125 there is a guiding ledge 129, the height of which is selected to fit into the opening 11 in the current rail and which has bores 130, 131 through which threads for tightening screws 132, 15 133 extend. Such tightening screws may be rota-ted with their free ends. ~owever, they are suPported by the rear tension block 123 and cannot be entirel~ re~loved. The thread of the screws co-o~erates with the threaded bores 130, 131, so 20 ~s to draw the tension blocks tightly together for insertion into the s~aces 16 and also to later ~ush them apart to fir~lly fit into said spaces 16.

~301182 - 29 -In this way current rail segments can be conneeted toge-ther or disconnected in a quick and easy manner. The earth ledges 124 and 127 and the conduc-tor ledges 126, 128 are made from electrical con(lueting material, whereas the tension blocks 1237 125 are made from electrical insula-ting material.

'~he resultant join-t between the two curren-t rail segmen~ts is proteeted by means of a U-sha-ped 10 cover plate 136 eonsisting of a bridge 137 and legs 138, 139, ~the ends of the legs being bent, as can be seen fro~ ~`ig. 37 so that -there is a snap-in effeet and a safe eonneetion can be aehieved. An additional holdlng means for -the 15 cover plate 136 is provided by a threaded bore 134 in the guiding ledg~e 129 into which bore a screrl 135 ~ay be inse -ted. The cover ~late 136 has a recess 141 for the screw head. The bridge 137 of the cover pla-te 136 can be s-tiffened by use 20 of a rib 140, whieh rib aids guidance when the joln-ting ~eviee is inserted into the current raills o~ening 11. A slot 1~2 between the two tension ~-~301182 - 30 -blocks 123, 125 Perl~its ventilation between adjacent parts. In another embodiment it would be ~ossible to ~rovide sponge rubber between the tension blocks in order to take up any changes in length of the adjacent current rails.

The rail is connected to the ~ower supply by means of suitable end pieces, where5 for exam~le~
the phases of the electric cabLe may be connected to the respective conductors of the current rail.

Within the angle piece 120 (~'ig. 1) there are suitable cables or wires, which can be bent or lengthened so as to acco~modate changes in the distance be-tween the adjacent jointing devices.
The angle piece 120 is pro-tected by a concertina 15 like covering 120 and may be bent up to 180.

~ he above-mentioned phase selection can be accomPlished manually by moving the res~ective legs directly, or indirectly by ~eans of mechanis~ns including, for exarnole, a control knob, a lever or ~1)3011~32 - 31 -the like.

In a further elllbodiment o~ the inven-tion the contact beam 78 is ~rovided with notches 152, 153 which rnay rest agains-t stops 61, 62 of the 5 insertion parts 49, 50 to give a res-t position when the contac-t beam 78 is no-t activated (~igo 4).

The profile of the current rail need not be sy~lrnetric. It may, f or example, have an o-oening 119 which is limited on one side by a ~hort wall.
10 h~loreover9 the mechanisms for moving the con-tac-t bearn f orwards and backwards and pivoting salLe may be different to those described above. Also the adapter itsel-f may be an electric appara~hus f'or a lam~ .

The flat contacts 104, 1!J5 (Figs. 4, 5) extend through cont~ct slots 1619 provided at the rear oL` the insertion ~arts 49, 5. As the insertion parts 49, 50 can be made from 13las-tics ma-terial as subs~tarltially iti~ntical parts in the ernbodirllent 20 shov/n in ~'igs. 2, 4 and 5 just the contact slots 12~

/3011~2 - 32 -161 of one o~ the insertion ~axts 49 is ~rovided wi-th flat contac-l-s 104, 105, whilst the other contact siots 161 at the o-ther insertion part 50 are blank9 i.e. no flat contact extends -there-5 through.

Although in the above described e~lbodiment of the i~ap-ter 2 only power su~ly by means of the current rail has been described, it is also ~ossible to ~rovide a su~ply in connection with TV, tele~hone 10 and control wires or cables by using tne current rail.
Such an em'~odiment will be described below in connection with ~`igs. 9 and 10 of the urawings.

This current rail 1~ also has a hollow C-sha~ed body 3 (~'ig. 9) of rectangular cross-section 15 with one of the longi-tudinal sides forming a rear wall 4 leading to shor-ter side walls 5, 6, ~nd in turn to fron-t walls 7, 8. The latter are bent to-,ards the rear wall 4 and form opening walls 9, 10 .defining an opening 11. If necessary, said oPening 20 11 rnay be closed by a cover Pla-te 136' 7 the free ~301182 ~ 33 ~

ends of which may be snapped in-to the opening 11.

In -this embodilnent electric conductors 35, 36, 37 with their electric insulating holding parts are provided as described above in connection with 5 Fig. 2. In contrast 5 however, on the current rail~s rear wall 4 (~`ig~ 9) modified rnounting profiles 17', 207 are provided for mounting a current rail on a wall. Between said ~rofiles 17, 20 further molmting profiles 18', 19' are ~rovided 10 for mounting the current rail to a ceiling. In this embodirnent said mounting profiles each have opPosing Pairs of flanges by means of which the current rail 1'l~ may be fixed~ The inner mountîng profile 18' is hollow ha~ g a groove 21 opening 15 into the space 16 within the C-shaped body 3 of the current rail. The earth conduc-tor 24 is retained vtithin the groove 21 by hook profiles 22, 23.
Adiacent the groove 21 in the rear wall 4 ofthe current rail (Fig. 9) is a sornewhat broader groove 20 21' also provided witn hook profiles 22', 23' at the -transition thereof to the space 16. Said hook 32~

~D301182 - 34 -profiles 22', 23~ re-tain the insula-ting s-trip 24' - in the groove 21'. The insulating strip 24~
is IJ-shaped in section .laving legs which resiliently rest at the side walls of the groove 21'. Thus, the insulating strip 24' can be snap-ped into the groove 21~ to be mounted therewith the free ends of its legs behind the hook profiles 22', 23~
to prevent the insulating strip 24 falling out from the groove 21'.

At the inner sida of the insulating strip's 24l legs electric conductors 1~, 2' are provided~
serving for electrical connection with f'lat contacts or contact pins inserted into the groove 21~ Said conduc-tors 1~, 2' are -pr-oferably used 15 for telepnone, TV and/or control circuit purposes.
In the presen-t ernbodiment both of the conductors 1~, 2' are staggered to each other in view of the depth of the groove. The elastical properties of the insulating strip 24l can thus be used inthe 20 bes-t way, and a good electrical con^tact can be achieved.

E~301182 - 35 -An adapter 2ll, as shown in Fig. 10, may be used wlth the current rall shown in P'ig. 9.
This adapter 2" is si~ilar in design to that shown in ~igs. 4 to 8. However7 in the embodiment of ~ig. 10 larger contact ~in slots 162 at the rear surfaces of the insertion parts 49, 50 are provided -to receive larger flat contacts 104', 105~. In the embodiment shown in ~'ig. 10 flat contacts 104, 105 are located in contact pin slots 10 161 for use with the earth connector 24 (~ig. 9).
Additionally flat contacts 104'~ 105' are located above the lower flat contacts 104, 105 and extend through contact pin slots 161 for use in contacting the electrical conductors 1' and 2' The latter 15 contacts belong to a TV, -telephone and/or control circuit. The grooves 21 and 21' are located asy~e*rically at the rear wall 4 (Fig. 9) of the current rail. Thus, the adapter 2" (~ig. 10) can only be inser-ted into the current rai] in one 20 predetermined orientation, and not in a position turned by 180.

Also, in this e~ibodiment, the two insertion 2~

parts 49', 50' are preferably made as identical parts, so ~that only one mould is required to for~l both of the in~e~tion parts.

A f`use 1' is r(lounted at the rear of the housing half or part 47l formed by the two insertion parts 49', 50' and serves to fuse apparatus which is connected to the adapter 2~ and adap-ted to use - low voltage.

The adapter 2 " (Fig. 10) may also be used 10 for the connection of elec-trical ap~aratus and components requiring a power supply as well as for TV, telephone and/or con-trol circuit connections.
It is also possible -to use the ada~ter 2~' directly as part of a communication facility~ for exa.nple 15 as a visible signal, a dlsplay for let-ters or figures or an acoustical signal device. AlternativelY, the adap-ter 2'' may be used as a ramp or a socket having outlets belonging to a co~nunication system and/or control system. The adapter 2'' could9 20 however, also be a lamp having an additional outlet being part of a communication system and/or a E~3Q1182 - 37 -control sys-tem. Instead of ou-tlets for inserting plugs for the said communication system or control system, wireless transmitters or receivers, for example infrared or supersonic s~nsors or antennas could be incorporated into the adapter 2''~

~ hus, by using the rail according to the invention apparatus and devices can be electrically connected together from one room -to the other without any switching action via central stations.

Instead of the use of the illustrated flat contacts 104~ 104', 105, 105', flat contac-ts which form part of printed circuit boards can be used, The conductors 1'9 2' for the communication and/or a control circuit use according to the embodiment of Fig. 9 can also be used for telephone installations of any kind, optical and wireless paging systems, clock-installations, other installations for time information, check-clocks, control ap~aratus to control attendance, break signalling systems, gate closure apparatus, ~D301182 - 38 -inform,ation systems, for example with displays saying ,'~engaged~wait", fire alarm systeMs, ~ail signal sensors or control apParatUS for a light system or ~or an air~condition control ~y~tem.

The current rail 1 "' can be mounted on a ceiling structure9 for example a sub-ceiling hanging under another ceiling by means of a bar 1680 I~ another embodiment the sub-ceiling can ac~tually be borne by the current rail. For the 10 aforesaid systam a sliding ~ut 169 engaging a profile of the current rail 1~ is directly ~ixed to the ba.r 168 as shown in Fig~ 12. The end of the bar 168 ~Fig. 12) which is directed towards the ceiling may be designed like a hook. In the embodim~t 15 shown in Fig. 11 a sliding nut 169 engaging the claw-shaped ends of profiles 164, 165, which in turn engage mounting profiles of-the current rail 1ll' is directly attached to a bar 163. In addition to the pro~iles 164, 165 ~which also can be - 20 made as one single part, and whi.ch may ~orm a ca~e or wiring channel) further profiles 166, 167 may be provided engaging respective profiles at -the current rail 1~", which profiles 166, 167 may carry a sub-ceiling 170 or panels there~or. Moreover, penetration of material to the rear of the current rail 1~ may be avoided by using profiles 166, 167 and 1649 165 to obtain a flush closure with the sub-ceiling 170. The bar 163 (Fig. 11) or the bar 168 (~ig. 12~ may also be used for wall mounting of the current rail.

~he current rail 1 " ' may also be mounted on a ceiling by means of a hook (Fig. 12) and9 with this ~ind o~ mounting, the pro~iles 166, 167 ma~
also be hooked to the current rail.

Instead of the rotating sleeve 63 and the screw 15 69 for bringing the flat contacts (legs 857 86~
989 95 etc.) into contact with -the fixed contacts (conductors 35, 36, earth contact 37) in the current rail 1, 1~' another mechanical system may be used, for example a snap~in system actuated by a special 20 tool which is introduced into the power outlet insert 40 from -the fron-t side of the adap-ter.

The free ends of the phase conductors may be embedded in the lips of the insulating strip or may be connected with same in another manner~ and 5 they may have considerable resiliRnce9 so that -the space around the conductors ~ill be clo~ed auto-matically even if the material of the insulating strip loses its resilience, for e~ample after a gi~en time or un~er cer~ain working conditions. The 10 conductors are ~referably made from copper or from a copper~alloy.

With the jointing device 122 (~ig. ~) a communication ledge 124' can be provided on the rear tension block 123, if current rails 1~' 15 according to the embodiment shown in ~ig. 9 have conductors 1~1 2' for co~munication and/or control system purposes~

Claims (14)

CLAIMS:

1. An electrical collector rail with a connectable adapter comprising a rail which is substantially C-shaped in cross-section and has a rear wall, two side walls and a front wall wherein an opening is located;

a number of conductors situated, at least partially, behind said front wall;

an adapter having an insertion part for insertion into said opening;

a contact beam attached to said adapter adjacent said insertion part;

plugs mounted of said contact beam; and screw means extending through said adapter, accessible at a side of the adapter remote from the rail and operable to pivot said contact beam within said rail and move said beam forwards until said plugs contact said conductors and backwards until said plugs are out of contact with said conductors.

2. Apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein an opening wall extends backwards from said opening towards the rear wall of said rail and terminates in a hook-shaped profile turned towards the respective side wall of said rail and wherein said side wall has an inner surface carrying a corresponding hook-shaped profile, said conductors being retained behind front wall by said hook-shaped profiles.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including a plastics insulating strip having outwardly projecting shoulders which snap in behind said hook shaped profiles and having a base abutting the inside of the front wall of said rail and lips arranged in pairs extending from the base towards said rear walls a channel being formed between each of lips for housing said conductors which consist of U-shaped clamping strips having inwardly curved limbs for reception therebetween of said plugs.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including mounting profiles permitting wall mounting of said rail extending from the rear wall of said rail, mounting profiles permitting ceiling mounting of the rail extending from the rear wall of said rail at locations between said wall-mounting profiles, one of said ceiling mounting profiles having a groove opening into the interior of said rail via hook shaped profiles, and an earth conductor in thereform of a U-shaped clamping strip disposed in said groove.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including a groove in said rear wall which opens into the interior of said rail, a U-shaped insulating strip located in said groove and having limbs with free ends of which abut sidewalls of said groove in a springlike manner, and electrical conductors disposed on said limbs and intended to be brought into contact with contact plugs for communication or control purpose inserted into said grooves.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further including a groove in said rear wall which opens into the interior of said rail by way of hook-shaped profiles, a U-shaped insulating strip retained in said groove by said profile and having limbs with free ends abutting sidewalls of said groove, and electrical conductors disposed on said limbs and intended to be brought into contact with contact plugs for communication or control purposes inserted into said grooves.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 and further including a jointing device comprising a rear tension block and a frontal tension block, which are intended when abutting each other to fill the interior of adjacent collector rail ends, which may be slid together over the jointing device, an earth ledge disposed along the rear side of said rear tension block for insertion into and connection of earth conductors of said adjacent rail ends, conductor ledges disposed along the front side of said frontal tension block for insertion into and connection of conductors of said rails, a guiding ledge also disposed along the front of said frontal tension block for insertion into said rail opening, tension screws each extending through said guide ledge, having a threaded part located in one of said tension blocks and being turnable, but not displacably, located in the other tension block, so that turning said screws in one direction will bring said blocks away from each other and turning in the other direction will bring them closer together, a communication conductor ledge disposed along the rear side of said rear tension block for insertion into and connection of communication conductors of said rails, and a cover plate surroundings the rail.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 further including an angle piece comprising an outer concertina-like covering having ends adapted for connection to respective jointing devices and conductors extending through said covering.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein profiles are provided along said rear wall to carry holding means including a sliding nut into which a bar may be threaded for wall or ceiling mounting of said rail, to carry elements, such as a cable or wire receiver, and to hold a sub-ceiling.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said adapter comprises a front part, lower and upper rear parts which are congfuent, and which, when assembled, provide said insertion part, further plugs mounted on said insertion part for insertion into said earth conductor and between said communication or control contacts, said conductors and said contacts being arranged asymmetrically in relation to said opening so that said further plugs cannot be connected to any conductors when the adapter is turned the wrong way, a power outlet insert, and a fuse with a toggle switch.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein a central recess opens upwards and downwards and towards the free end of said insertion part, a cavity connected to the bottom of said recess houses said contact beam in its contact position, and stop means are formed adjacent said recess to limit and control the pivoting of said contact beam both in extended and retained position.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said screw means for pivoting said contact beam and for moving said contact beam backwards and forwards comprises a shaft in the form of a sleeve having one forked and the other end accessible at the front of the adapter and provided with turning means, and a screw extending through said sleeve and having a head accessible at the front of the adapter and a threaded part, said contact beam having a pair of openings corresponding in shape to the forked ends of the sleeve whereby said beam is slideably but non-pivotably mounted on said sleeve end and a threaded bore receiving said threaded part of said screw so that rotation of said sleeve only causes pivoting of said beam while rotation of said screw only causes movement of said contact beam forwards and backwards in relation to the conductors behind the front wall of the rail.

13. Apapratus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said contact beam is made of electrically insulating material, has the shape of a parallel epiped and has a first opening in the shape of a transverse slot for housing a stationary plug, and a second opening in the shape of a recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the beam to house an additional plug which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the beam and forms a phase selector.

14. Adapter for an electrical current rail serving as collector rail for power distribution and/or telephone connections and/or other possible connections, which rail houses phase conductors of which at least part is provided behind a front of said rail, which rail is approximately C-shaped in cross-section and retains said adapter at optional location in a longitudinally throughgoing opening in said front, said adapter being provided with an extendable contact beam, which is flush with an insert part of said adapter, when the latter is inserted into or removed out of said rail, and which beam is extendable within said rail by means of a pivot movement and can be moved forward within said rail to come into contact with said phase conductors behind said front or can be moved backwards out of engagement with said phase conductors, characterized in that said beam is provided at one end of a rotating sleeve, the other end of which sleeve is accessible at the front of the adapter, that the rotating sleeve is provided with a preferably throughgoing bore for retaining a screw, a tool or the like, the head of which is accessible at the front and that said rotating sleeve and said screw said tool or the like are intended to perform said pivoting and displacing movements of said contact beam.