Abstract:
The present invention relates to a connector arrangement ( 30 ) for connecting a connector device ( 40 ) to a conductor ( 15   a - 16   e ) in a carrying structure ( 12 ), which connection arrangement ( 30 ) comprises a neck portion ( 31 ) and a body ( 32 ) transversally extending from said neck portion, said body comprising at least one connection surface ( 33   a - 33   e ) for connection of said conductor and connection of the same to said connector device. Said body comprises a first and a second portion and that said first portion has a dimension different than the dimension of said second portion, and that each portion comprises a substantially U and/or V shaped recess ( 34   a   , 34   b ) in the longitudinal direction of said body.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an arrangement provided as a conductor rail, and connector device of the type which is connected to the rail. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The cost for installing cables in new buildings and new cables in old buildings is usually high. Moreover, in new installations a lot of work is done to drill holes and installation, if there is room. 
     The modern community with increasing number of computerization, multimedia, smart houses, etc., call for more cables in both new and old buildings. 
     There are a number of different solutions. These are usually circumstantial because installation and post-installation demand a lot of work. Moreover, these are difficult to produce which means higher cost. 
     WO 98/53533 relates to a protection device for a connector which can be inserted into a rail and which is provided with a locking device, which when locked allows electrical connection. This design is complicated and difficult to manufacture. 
     DE 2636591 describes an arrangement (end section) to connect electrical current to a conductor rail. The arrangement is inserted into the rail through an opening in one end. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,032 relates to connector system for connecting connectors to cables in a rail. Connection is not achieved by means of the connector part according to the present invention. 
     DE 1765561 describes a connector in which the connection is obtained by means of connectors connected to channels at the edge of the rail&#39;s opening. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a simple system for installation of conductors which substitutes ordinary cables and also in a simple way connects plug sockets and devices. Other advantages with the invention are that it allows installation of conductors for different purposes and thereby connection of different connector types individually or on a same component. Moreover, the installation of the conductors will become independent of the standards, e.g. in different countries, as only the design of the connector parts must be varied. Furthermore, the invention provides additional security, because access to the conductive parts of the rail is made difficult. A rail according to the present invention may be made and adapted to different environments both with respect to functionality and aesthetical viewpoint. 
     For these reasons a connector arrangement is provided for connecting a connector device to a conductor in a carrying structure. The connector arrangement comprises a neck portion and a body transversally extending from the neck portion. The body comprises at least one connection surface for connection of the conductor and connection of the same to the connector device. The body comprises a first and a second portion and that the first portion has a dimension different than the dimension of the second portion. Each portion comprises a substantially U and/or V shaped recess in the longitudinal direction of the body. The carrying structure comprises a channel corresponding to the shape of the connector arrangement. Preferably, the connector arrangement is substantially T-shaped. According to one embodiment, the body is provided with at least one connection surface. Preferably, the connector arrangement is provided to be inserted in the structure in a first position and turn to a second position for locking and connection. 
     The invention also relates to an oblong structure comprising a space for receiving a connector arrangement, the structure comprises a channel in the longitudinal direction of the structure provided with an opening and at least one conductor in the longitudinal direction of the space. The channel comprises a first space and a second space arranged to receive and lock the connector arrangement in a connection position. The first and second spaces have different dimensions and that walls of the channel are provided with substantially U and/or V shaped tongues. Preferably, the channel is substantially T-shaped. The structure may comprise a covering, which covers the channel and has a flexible surface. The structure may comprise one or several of a surge protection, timer, and residual current device. 
     The invention also relates to a connector device comprising a connector arrangement as described above. 
     The invention also relates to a joint unit for connecting at least two structures, as mentioned above, in one direction. 
     The invention also relates to a method of securely connecting a plug socket to a rail, which socket is provided with a substantially T-shaped connector arrangement in one extension direction of the socket, the rail comprising a channel provided with a substantially U-shaped and/or V-shaped tongues for reception of the connector arrangement and at least one conductor. The method comprises insertion of the connector arrangement in a first position in the channel and turning the connector arrangement to a second position for connection to the conductor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following, the invention is described with reference to a number of embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a view in perspective of a rail according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross section along lines II-II in  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of a connector unit according to the invention, 
         FIG. 4  shows a plug socket according to the invention, 
         FIG. 5  shows a joint unit according to the invention in perspective, 
         FIG. 6  shows a corner part according to the invention in perspective, 
         FIG. 7  shows an end part according to the invention in perspective, 
         FIG. 8  shows schematically coupling steps according to the invention, 
         FIG. 9  shows a second embodiment of a socket according to the invention, 
         FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b  illustrate schematically a cut through a rail according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a rail  10  according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, for connecting a plug socket, e.g. according to  FIG. 4 . The rail  10  comprises an outer covering  11  and an internal rail  12 . 
     The external covering  12 , which is made of a suitable material, such as plastic, in suitable oblong sections comprises, beside the receiving space  14 , a second space  15 , e.g. for receiving other cables or the like. 
     The receiving space  14 , which is substantially T-shaped, is arranged to receive a connector unit, which will be described thoroughly further below. The receiving space is a channel which extends substantially along the entire rail&#39;s length and comprises one or several connector parts  16   a - 16   e  arranged parallel in the longitudinal plane of the rail and an insertion part  13  perpendicular to the connector part but having an open end towards one side of the rail. 
     The connector parts  16   a - 16   e  are arranged as resilient foils inserted in corresponding channels  17   a - 17   e  in the inner rail  12 . The connector parts  16   a - 16   c  are resiliently arranged mainly towards the center axis of the inner rail. 
     The receiver space, which is substantially T-shaped, has different dimensions, according to the drawing, an upper wider and a lower smaller channel (in the plane of the drawing) and comprises further tongues  18   a  and  18   b  in each gable section of the space having variable sizes. 
     Moreover, the inner rail comprises the space  19  for reception of the outer covering  11 . The outer covering  11 , mainly being provided for decorative reasons, can be made of a suitable material, such as plastic, aluminum or the like, and is snapped in the mentioned receiving spaces  19  by means of snapping parts  111  on the backside of the covering  11 . This allows using several different types of fronts for the rail depending on, e.g. environment, within which the rail is used. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of a connector unit  30  according to the invention. The connector unit  30  comprises a neck  31 , which on one side is provided with a transverse beam  32 . The beam, which is connected to the neck  31  substantially at its middle section, is arranged with variable dimensions at each side of the neck, formed as two substantially U-shaped and/or V-shaped ends  34   a  and  34   b , respectively. The beam is provided with contact surfaces  33   a - 33   d  near each end on the surface. Obviously, the contact surfaces may also be provided on the inside of the U-shaped ends. A contact surface  33  is also arranged on the neck  31 . The contact surfaces  33   a - 33   e  are coupled out of the neck through conductors  35  through the neck  31 . The connector part may be arranged as spring by means of a resilient part, which extends from the beam&#39;s lower part. Preferably, the neck and the beam are made in one piece from a non-conductive material, such as plastic. 
     The U-shaped and/or V-shaped ends  34   a ,  34   b  are formed to fit into the above-mentioned receiver space&#39;s tongues  18   a ,  18   b  in the rail. 
     The connector part  30  may be connected to the backside of a conventional or especially made socket  40 ,  FIG. 4 , to couple and lock the socket to the rail according to the invention. Electrical connectors, e.g. in form of wires  41  are connected between the connector part&#39;s contact surfaces  33   a - 33   e , the holes  42  and ground connections  43 , respectively, according to the illustrated embodiment. The connector part may either be provided with conductive surfaces from the connection surfaces to the neck where the wires are connected or the wires or conductive surfaces may be arranged on the inside of the connector part, as mentioned earlier. 
     The varying size of the beam allows the connector part to turn and be positioned only in one way within the receiving space and accordingly contact right conductors. 
     The rail may be manufactured in long pieces and cut to the desired lengths. By means of a joint unit  50 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , the rails can be joined wherever needed. The joint unit  50 , which according to this example is substantially cross shaped, comprises insertion part  51  and a central portion  52 . The insertion part is arranged to fit the form of the receiving space in the rail and has a cross section substantially similar to the T-shape of the connector part  30 . In same way as the connector part  30 , the joint unit is provided with connections surfaces  53   a - 53   d  for contacting the joined rails. 
     A corner part  60 , illustrated in  FIG. 6 , may be used to connect the rails at the corners. The corner parts are made in same way as the joint unit, which was described above. The corner part may be angled in different directions and degrees. The embodiment illustrated in the drawing is partly covered with an outer covering. 
     Besides the corner part, other parts such as T-shape or cross connections may also occur for dividing conductors in different directions. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an end piece  70 . The end piece is intended for termination of the rail and isolation of the conductors where the rail ends. 
     The notch  13  in the outer covering  11  can cover the opening of the channel  12  and may be a weakening in the covering material. The inner rail may be provided with different screw bores for installation in different spaces or environments. When installing, the inner rail can is fastened first and after which the covering is snapped on. The rail can be manufactured in different lengths, which can be cut to desired lengths. Fitting units can be produced for connecting at the ends such that two rails can be connected, e.g. by means of drilled holes on a wall or when changing direction. 
       FIG. 8  shows connection procedure for connecting a plug socket, e.g. the one according to  FIG. 4 , to the rail. In a first position, illustrated by hatched lines, the socket is positioned horizontally on the rail and pushed into the notch and the substantially T-shaped channel in the inner rail. Then the socket is turned counter clockwise or clock wise, in about 90 degrees. Spring-load may be used to press the T-shaped connector part from the back plane and rest on an opposite surface in the substantially T-shaped channel and thereby locking the plug socket in place. Naturally, this procedure depends on the positioning of the connector part with respect to the socket. 
     The conductors in the rail may be of different types, electric cables (two or three phase), signal wires, e.g. telephone wires, or different types of data signals, for connection to a computer network, such as ADSL, XDSKL. Of course, a combination of electrical conductors and other conductors may occur. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a second embodiment of the socket  90 , comprising several types of electrical plugs  91  and  92 , telephone socket  93 , Ethernet connection  94 , USB connection  95  and Firewall connection  96 . Of course, optical fibres with optical connectors may also be used. 
       FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b  show two different embodiments of the inner rail  12 . According to  FIG. 10   a , the tongues  18   a  and  18   b  are shaped substantially square. According to  FIG. 10   b , the tongues are missing and connection surfaces  16   a - 16   d  are provided on the bottom surface of the rail. 
     Moreover, other apparatuses such as surge protection, timer, residual current device, etc., may also be installed in the rail, e.g. by using a module. 
     The invention is not limited to the illustrated and described embodiments. The invention may be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the attached claims depending on the needs.