Adapter for electrically connecting a lighting device to an electrical track

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12062872-B2
Application number	US-202017633674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to an adaptor for electrically connecting a lighting apparatus to an electrified track, wherein the electrified track comprises AC main phases L1, L2 and L3 and a neutral wire N, wherein the adaptor has a housing designed to be inserted into a U-shaped profile of the electrified track, wherein the adaptor has contacts for contacting the AC main phases L1, L2 and L3 and the neutral wire N of the electrified track, wherein the adaptor comprises an electronic control unit in the housing, wherein the control unit is configured to select a combination of one of the all connected AC main phases L1, L2, L3 with the neutral wire N for supplying the lighting apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adaptor ( 103 ) for electrically connecting a lighting apparatus ( 101 ) to an electrified track ( 102 ), wherein
the electrified track ( 102 ) comprises AC main phases L 1 , L 2 and L 3 and a neutral wire N, wherein the adaptor ( 103 ) has a housing designed to be inserted into a U-shaped profile of the electrified track ( 102 ), wherein
the adaptor ( 103 ) has contacts for contacting the AC main phases L 1 , L 2 and L 3 and the neutral wire N of the electrified track ( 102 ), wherein
the adaptor ( 103 ) comprises an electronic control unit ( 103 a ) in the housing, wherein
the control unit ( 103 a ) is configured to select a combination of one of the all connected AC main phases L 1 , L 2 , L 3 with the neutral wire N for supplying the lighting apparatus ( 101 ).

2. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 1 , wherein the adaptor ( 103 ) comprises terminals in order to supply the lighting apparatus ( 101 ), such as a LED module.

3. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 103 a ) is configured to contact one of the possible combinations L 1 /N, L 2 /N and L 3 /N.

4. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 1 , wherein the adaptor ( 103 ) is inserted into the electrified track ( 102 ) in two different orientations.

5. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 4 , wherein the two different orientations are rotated by 180 degrees.

6. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 5 , wherein, when inserting the adaptor ( 103 ), all phases L 1 , L 2 and L 3 and the neutral wire N of the electrified track ( 102 ) are contacted.

7. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 1 , wherein the electrified track ( 102 ) has a cross-sectional shape of U.

8. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 7 , wherein the adaptor ( 103 ) comprises LED-driver electronics and is inserted preferably flush with the U-shaped profile of the electrified track ( 102 ).

9. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 103 a ) is configured to selectively contact a combination of one of L 1 , L 2 , L 3 with N electronically inside the adaptor ( 103 ) to output terminals, wherein the output terminals are fed to an AC input of the LED-driver electronics.

10. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 1 , wherein the adaptor ( 103 ) further comprises a selection network for selecting the L 1 , L 2 , L 2 and N wire, wherein the selection network comprises a plurality of controllable electronic switches, such as triacs or high voltage transistors.

11. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 103 a ) is further configured to select L 1 , L 2 , L 2 and N wire based on a rectifying diode network.

12. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 1 , wherein the adaptor ( 103 ) further comprises a housing such that the adaptor ( 103 ) can only be inserted in one predetermined orientation in the electrified track ( 102 ).

13. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 103 a ) is connected with an interface ( 501 ).

14. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 13 , wherein the interface ( 501 ) is a wireless interface such as an NFC interface or a wired interface such as a DALI bus interface.

15. The adaptor ( 103 ) of claim 13 , wherein the interface ( 501 ) comprises mechanical means on the adaptor ( 103 ) itself.

16. A system ( 100 ) comprising an electrified track ( 102 ) comprising AC main phases L 1 , L 2 and L 3 and a neutral wire N, and an adaptor ( 103 ) according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Tridonic Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Maldoner Jakob
• Marte Patrick

Classifications

• H05B47/00

  Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant · CPC title

• H02J9/065

  for lighting purposes · CPC title

• H01R13/66

  Structural association with built-in electrical component (coupling devices having concentrically or coaxially-arranged contacts H01R24/38) · CPC title

• H01R13/665 Primary

  with built-in electronic circuit (H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence) · CPC title

• F21V23/00

  Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices {(characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/508)} · CPC title