Patent Publication Number: US-9835320-B2

Title: Power supply system for shelf track lighting device

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This present application claims benefit of the Chinese Application, CN201511029419.0, filed on Dec. 31, 2015. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present application relates to lighting equipments, and more particularly to a power supply system for shelf track lighting device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Light emitting diode (LED) is growing in popularity due to decreasing costs and long life compared to incandescent lighting and fluorescent lighting. Recently, a number of LED lighting apparatuses have been designed to replace the halogen apparatus, as well as other traditional incandescent or fluorescence lighting apparatuses. In some places such as exhibition halls, jewelry stores, museums, supermarkets, and some home lighting, such as large villas, will use a lot of strip LED lamps. As the LED lamps require a specific power supply, and cannot use directly the 220-volt mains power supply. Therefore, these strip LED lamp need to electrically connect an additional and specific drive power for supplying power therefor. 
     In actual application of shelf, if these extra and specific powers are directly connected to each strip LED lamp, it is not only trouble for the installation of LED strip lights trouble, and not beautiful. 
     Therefore, it is necessary to provide a power supply system for shelf track light device which is used to supply power for the strip LED light lamp. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout two views. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded schematic view of a power supply system for shelf track lighting device according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded schematic view of another aspect of the power supply system for shelf track lighting device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross section view of the power supply system for shelf track lighting device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of an elastic chip of the power supply system for shelf track lighting device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present application is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this application are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 - FIG. 3 , a power supply system  100  for shelf track lighting device according to an embodiment are shown. The power supply system  100  for shelf track light device includes a track  10 , and a jointer  20  slidably disposed on the track  10 . It is of course understood that the power supply system  100  also includes other functional modules, such as a mounting assembly for mounting the track  10 , a plug-in assembly for electrically connecting a strip LED lamp with the power supply system  100 , and the like. It is well known for a person skilled in the art and no need to describe in detail. 
     The track  10  includes a U-shaped slot  101 , two grooves  102  respectively arranged on the two side walls of the U-shaped slot  101 , and two conductive posts  103  respectively received in the two grooves  102 . The U-shaped slot  101  may be made of an insulating material such as plastic, resin or the like to avoid electrical leakage of the U-shaped slot  101  from the conductive post  103 , thereby resulting in a safety hazard. The length of the U-shaped groove  101  may be determined in accordance with actual application, such as the height or length of a shelf. The grooves  102  are respectively formed in the two inner side walls of the U-shaped groove  101  for accommodating the two conductive posts  103 . The depth of the groove  102  should be greater than the diameter of the conductive post  103  to leave a space to engaging the jointer  20 . The conductive post  103  is made of a conductive material, which is fixed in the groove  102  by means of bonding, riveting, or the like. In the present embodiment, the conductive post  103  is made of copper, and its length may be equal to the length of the U-shaped slot  101 . 
     The jointer  20  includes a bottom cover  201 , an upper cover  202  fastened onto the bottom cover  201 , a circuit board  203  mounted on the bottom cover  201 , and two elastic chips  204  sandwiched between the circuit board  203  and the upper cover  202 . It can be understood that since the circuit board  203  is mounted on the bottom cover  201 , the elastic chips  204  is also sandwiched between the bottom cover  201  and the upper cover  202 . 
     The bottom cover  201  is made of an insulating material such as plastic to avoid electric leakage and is formed into a frame shape to receive the circuit board  203 . The bottom cover  201  includes two positioning pegs  2011  spaced from each other and a screw fixing post  2012  arranged between the two positioning pegs  2011 . The two elastic chips  201  are respectively clamped between the two positioning pegs  2011  and the screw fixing post  2012 . In addition, the bottom cover  201  further includes two positioning holes  2013 . The two positioning holes  2013  are configured for positioning the upper cover  202  during mounting the upper cover  202  so as to same installation time. 
     The upper cover  202  is also made of an insulating material and includes a body  2021 , two positioning pins  2022  disposed on the one side of the body  2021 , a T-shaped supporting cover  2023  disposed on the another side of the body  2021 , and two through holes  2024  provided on both sides of the T-shaped supporting cover  2023 . The two positioning pins  2022  are arranged on opposite side of the T-shaped supporting cover  2023  with respect to the body  2021  and configured for engagement with the positioning holes  2013  respectively. When the upper cover  202  is engaged with the bottom cover  201 , the two positioning pins  2022  are inserted into the two positioning holes  2013  respectively, thereby positioning the upper cover  202  and bottom cover  201  relative to each other. A screw hole  2025  for engaging with the screw fixing post  2012  is formed in the connecting post of the T-shaped supporting cover  2023  and the body  2021  so as that the upper cover  202  and the bottom cover  201  can be fixed together by screws (not shown). The two through holes  2024  are configured to insert the two elastic chips  204  respectively, and one end of each of the two elastic chips  204  held out of the through hole  2024  so as to electrically connected to the conductive post  103 . 
     The circuit board  203  is housed in a frame of the bottom cover  201  and is provided with circuits and electronic devices for realizing functions such as electric conduction, or the like. In the present embodiment, the circuit board  203  includes two contact pads  2031  electrically connected to the two elastic chips  204  respectively so as to realize the function of electrical connection. It will be appreciated that the circuit board  203  is electrically connected to a plug-in assembly to electrically connect with the strip LED lamp. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  together, the two elastic chips  204  are sandwiched between the positioning pegs  2011  and the screw fixing post  2012  and abuts between the circuit board  203  and the T-shaped supporting cover  2023  of the upper cover  202 . In addition, one end of each of the two elastic chips  204  held out of the through holes  2024  of the upper cover  202  in order to electrically connect with the conductive post  103 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , each of the two elastic chips  204  is of an S-shaped configuration and includes an arm  2041 , a supporting end  2042 , an arc-shaped bend portion  2043  and three right-angle-shaped bend portions  2044 . The arc-shaped bend portion  2043  is arranged between the arm  2041  and one of the right-angle-shaped bend portions  2044 . The arm  2041  abuts against the T-shaped supporting cover  2023  and a free end of the arm  2041  protrudes out of the T-shaped supporting cover  2023  in order to electrically connect to the conductive post  103 . The supporting end  2042  contact against the contact pad  2031  of the circuit board  203  and further includes a protrusion  2045  on the side of the contact pad  2031  so as to ensure reliable electrical connection between the supporting end and the contact pad  2031  and avoid virtual connection. In the normal state of the elastic chip  204 , the maximum distance between the two arms  2041  of the two elastic chips  204  is greater than the minimum distance of the two conductive posts  103 . And, in compressed state of the elastic chip  204 , a maximum distance of the two arms  2041  is equal to a minimum distance of the two conductive posts  103 . 
     In application, a user inserts the T-shaped supporting cover  2023  of the jointer  20  into the U-shaped slot  101  of the track  10  and then rotates the T-shaped supporting cover  2023  of the jointer at 90 degrees so as that the arm  2041  of the elastic chip  204  abuts against the conductive post  103 . As a result, the jointer  20  is clamped into the track  10  and also can slide along the U-shaped slot  101  of the track  10  to engage with the strip LED lamp in different positions of the track  10 . During the course of the rotation of the jointer  20 , a portion of the arm  2041 , which protrudes out of the T-shaped supporting cover  2023 , is pressed by the conductive post  103 , and a pressure is transmitted to the arm  2041  and the right-angle-shaped bend portion  2044 . In result, the right-angle-shaped bend portion  2044  will be elastically deformed. Since the right-angle-shaped bend portion  2044  has a right angle, the pressure cannot be transmitted into other parts and the three right-angle-shaped bend portions  2044  will deform in the direction of the bottom cover  201 . As a result, the arm is retracted into the T-shaped supporting cover  2023  while it is pushed against the conductive post  103  under the resilient deformation force of the three right-angle-shaped bend portions  2044 . Therefore, the purpose of tightly connecting the elastic chip  204  to the conductive post  13  is achieved, and further, power can be supplied to the strip LED lamp. 
     While the disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of exemplary embodiment, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.