Patent Publication Number: US-8979311-B2

Title: Power supply system for adjustable shelving

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/612,776 filed on Mar. 19, 2012. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to lighting for shelving. More specifically, embodiments relate to power supply and power distribution systems for lighting in adjustable shelving. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Shelves used, for example, to display goods in retail stores sometimes include lamps arranged to provide light to enhance the appearance of goods displayed on the shelves. The lamps are conventionally powered from the store&#39;s electric power supply by jumper cables connecting to a wiring harness that in turn connects to the lamps by further jumper cables. 
     In many retail stores, shelving is repositioned frequently. When a shelf is moved, each lamp has to be disconnected from the jumper cable and the jumper cable disconnected from the harness before the shelf can be moved. Once in its new position, the harness must be repositioned and the jumper cables reconnected. 
     SUMMARY 
     An improved system for providing power to lights on retail shelves is disclosed. The system includes a vertically extending, elongate power bus mounted on a shelving system adjacent one edge of the shelves. For example, adjacent the rear edge of the shelf. The bus includes two parallel conductors extending vertically along the bus. The bus is provided with one or more electrical connectors for connecting the bus to a source of electric power, for example, at its top and bottom. The system further includes a shelf connector mounted on an edge of the shelf and comprising on one side an outwardly extending pair of connector pins adapted to make electric connection with the bus when the shelf is mounted on the shelf support at any vertical position along the length of the bus. On the other side of the shelf connector is an electrical output, such as a barrel connector, adapted to connect to a jumper cable that, in turn, is connected to lamps on the shelf. The barrel connector may, alternatively, be formed integrally with a jumper cable. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure provide versatility in positioning and repositioning shelving with lighting features in an efficient manner. For example, some embodiments include a conductive bus that may be engaged and disengaged repetitively in multiple locations along the bus by an electrical connector with conductive prongs. The conductive bus may be located on an apparatus between shelf supports and oriented in combination with the electrical connector attached to a shelf such that when the shelf is attached to the supports, the electrical connector engages the conductive bus. In some embodiments, multiple shelves having separate electrical connectors may be attached to the supports and the electrical connectors of each shelf may be engaged with the conductive bus. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with references to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a partial view of a shelf showing the bus and shelf connector; 
         FIG. 2  shows the bus and the shelf of  FIG. 1  mounted on a shelf support upright by a bracket and slot arrangement; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of an embodiment of the bus; 
         FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of a connector at the lower end of the bus; 
         FIG. 5  is a view of one side of a shelf connector showing an embodiment of the bracket used to mount the connector on the edge of the shelf; 
         FIG. 6  is a view of the other side of the shelf connector and bracket; 
         FIG. 7  shows an embodiment of a dual connector attached to an embodiment of the bus; and 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of another embodiment of the shelf connector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  depict an embodiment of a shelving system that includes a plurality of spaced apart, vertical supports  11  (one of which is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The supports  11  include vertically spaced slots  13  for receiving hooks  15  of brackets  17  provided on a shelf  19  at its outer sides. The vertical position of the shelf  19  can be changed by engaging the hooks  15  in different slots  13 . As will be appreciated, the design of the support and shelf brackets may vary and remain within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. A back wall  21  of the system extends between adjacent supports  11 . 
     In this embodiment, a bus  23  is mounted on the wall  21  and extends vertically parallel to the supports  11 . The bus  23 , as seen in  FIG. 3 , comprises an extension with two longitudinally extending channels  25 . The extension may be designed from insulating materials such as plastic or rubber. A conductor  27  is housed in each channel  25 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , each conductor  27  is a strip of conductive, resilient material, such as copper or aluminum, which in this embodiment is in the form of a U-shape, with open ends  29  curled inwardly to define an opening  31 . The conductor  27  could, it will be appreciated, be of other shapes, such as flat. It will be appreciated that each conductor  27  maintains a different power line such that a connection across both conductors  27  creates an electrical circuit. In some embodiments, the conductor  27  may comprise a conductive wire affixed to one side of each channels  25 , whereby a prong entering the channel  25  would create sufficient electrical connection with the conductor  27  for operation. It will be appreciated that a variety of conductor and bus designs may be used as the bus  23  and remain within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. 
     In some embodiments, the bus  23  may be attached to existing components, such as a back wall  21  of an existing shelving system. The bus  23  may be attached to the wall  21  by any attachment means, such as adhesives, tapes (including double-sided tapes), screws, bolts, magnets, and/or other attachment mechanisms. In some embodiments, the bus  23  may be built into a component of the shelving system. For example, the bus may be built into the back wall  21  of the shelving system. In some embodiments, the bus  23  may be dual-sided such that connectors  37  may engage bus  23  from a front side of the shelving system or the back side of the shelving system. In such embodiments, the bus  23  may be centrally located between the supports  11 , whereby the connector  37  will engage bus  23  whether the shelf is attached to the front or back side of the shelving system. 
     As seen in  FIG. 4 , the bus  23  is provided with a connector  33 . For example, connector  33  may be located on at least one end of the bus  23 . In this embodiment, the connector  33  has on one side two prongs  35  adapted to make electrical contact with the conductors  27  of the bus  23 . On the other side, the connector  33  has a barrel connector  34  which can be connected by a jumper cable to a power supply. In some embodiments, power for the bus  23  may be provided by direct connection between a power source and conductors  27 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show a shelf connector  37  and associated mounting bracket  39  by which the connector  37  is mounted on the rear edge of the shelf  19  in register with the bus  23 . It will be appreciated that in some embodiments the mounting bracket  39  may not be required. For example, in some embodiments the shelf connector  37  may be integrated into the design of shelf  19 . The connector  37  comprises two rearwardly extending conductive prongs  41  adapted to make electrical contact with the conductors  27  of the bus  23 . On its other side, the connector  37  has a barrel connector  43  adapted to connect to a jumper cable (not shown) that, in turn, is connected to lamps or other lighting devices (not shown) mounted on the shelf  19 . In an alternative embodiment, the jumper cable is integral with the barrel connector. It will be appreciated that the electric supply system disclosed with regard to lighting herein may be used to supply power to additional or alternative devices, such as displays, fans, security equipment, and sensors. 
     As will be appreciated, from  FIG. 3 , the open ends  29  of the conductors  27  provide a resilient receptacle for the conductive prongs  41  and allow electrical connection between the shelf connector  37  and the bus  23  regardless of the vertical positioning of the shelf  19 . In some embodiments, conductive prongs  41  may be associated with a spring to allow resiliency to engage conductors  27  of bus  23 . Such resiliency allows versatility in spacing between the rear of shelf  19  and bus  23  on different shelving systems. For example, a spring may compress when the distance between the bus  23  and the shelf  19  is small, but provide sufficient extension and support to create an electrical connection between the bus  23  and conductive prongs  41  when the distance is larger. 
     The arrangement considerably simplifies the repositioning of the shelf  19 . Removal of the shelf  19  automatically disconnects the shelf connector  37  from the bus  23 . When the shelf  19  is reconnected to the supports  11 , the connector  37  is automatically inserted into the opening  31  of the conductors  27  re-establishing electrical connection. 
       FIG. 7  depicts a dual connector  47  having two vertically aligned sets of conductive prongs  49  and a pair of vertically aligned barrel connectors  51 . The conductive prongs  49  are shown engaged with the channels  25  of the bus  23 . The dual connector  47  may be used to provide a power supply to lights or other apparatus associated with the shelving system. The dual connector  47  may be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to shelf connector  37 . For example, a shelf  19  having a shelf connector  37  may be connected above the dual connector  47 , whereby shelf connector  37  is used to power a Light Emitting Diode (LED) strip on the shelf  19 , while one barrel connection  51  is used to power a spotlight for a featured item, and the second barrel connection  51  is used to power a video display. In some embodiments, one barrel connector  51  may be used to provide power from a power source to the bus  23  while the second barrel connector  51  is used to provide power from the bus  23  to another system. 
     It will be appreciated that the design and lighting fixtures powered by the system may vary and remain within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. For some embodiments, lighting for the shelves may be integrated into the shelves. For example, an LED strip may be built under the front edge of shelf  19  such that the area underneath shelf  19  would be illuminated. For another example, shelf  19  may include a transparent or semi-transparent top with built in LEDs to illuminate the top of shelf  19 . 
     Pre-existing lighting fixtures may be wired to shelf connectors using jumpers with complementary connections to barrel connector  43 . It will be appreciated that in some embodiments the shelf lighting may be integrated into the shelf  19  and wired directly to an integrated shelf connector  37  without using a barrel connector  43 . 
     It will be appreciated that the type of connectors used may be varied in many ways and remain within the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, complementary male and female connectors depicted in the examples herein may be inverted between complementary pieces, such as the bus  23  having conductive rails extending outward and shelf connectors  37  having cavities to accept the conductive rails and establish an electrical connection. For another example, the barrel connector  43  may be replaced with a dual pronged plug. 
       FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of a shelf connector  37  which includes a shelf reception area  61  defined by a vertical frame  59  proximate to conductive prongs  41  and the additional body of shelf connector  37  connected to jumper cable  53 . In some embodiments, the vertical frame  59  may include a lip directed towards the additional body of shelf connector  37  which may in some circumstances engage or otherwise improve the connection between the shelf connector  37  and shelf  19 . The shelf connector  37  may be placed on the rear edge of the shelf  19  in register with the bus  23 , wherein the shelf reception area  61  may receive a downward lip or other portion of shelf  19 . In this embodiment, the shelf connector  37  includes magnets  57  to attach the shelf connector to the shelf  19 . In some embodiments, the body of the shelf connector  37  in conjunction with the vertical frame  59  may create a pressure connection or other interlocking connection with shelf  19  when a portion of shelf  19  is within the shelf reception area  61 . The connector  37  also comprises two rearwardly extending conductive prongs  41  adapted to make electrical contact with the conductors  27  of the bus  23 . In some embodiments, the conductive prongs  41  may be resiliently compressible. For example, conductive prongs  41  may be associated with a spring to allow resiliency to engage conductors  27  of bus  23 . On its other side, the connector  37  has a jumper cable  53  having an electrical connector  55  which may be connected to lamps or other lighting devices (not shown) mounted on the shelf  19 . It will be appreciated that the electric supply system disclosed with regard to lighting herein may be used to supply power to additional or alternative devices, such as displays, fans, security equipment, and sensors. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the system or method described.