Configurable cluster system

Abstract

A configurable trunking system for use as either a first type of system or a second type of system comprises a guide rail (2), a bus bar (5), at least two distinguishable decoding members (9, 9 ') attachable to the bus bar (5) to configure the bus bar (5) as either a first type of bus bar or a second type of bus bar, 6.3), an interconnection member (3) configurable as a first type of interconnection member or a second type of interconnection member, and a blocking member (16) attachable to the interconnection member. The bus bar (5) is configured to provide a support structure (7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3) for at least the two power supply lines (6.1, 6.2) and the decoding member (9, 6.3), and the interconnection member (3) is configured to be insertable into the guide rail (2) and the bus bar (5) to establish an electrical contact between the power supply lines (6.1, 6.2) and an electrical component attached to the interconnection member (3). Electrical contacts (11.1, 11.2) are provided on the interconnection member (3) in a first arrangement or a second arrangement to configure the interconnection member (3) as a first type of interconnection member or a second type of interconnection member. The decoding member (3) of the bus bar (5) configured as a first type of bus bar blocks the electrical contacts (11.2) of the second type of interconnection member (3), and the decoding member (6.3) of the bus bar (5) configured as a second type of bus bar blocks the blocking elements (16) of the first type of interconnection member (3) to suppress establishment of electrical contact.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a configurable cluster system for a lighting system, used as a first type system or a second type system, in particular for a DC system and alternatively for an AC system.

[0002] Cluster systems are known in the art in which electrical loads, in particular lighting devices, are supplied with power. The well-known systems are capable of operating exclusively with a specific single energy supply system (e.g., a three-phase current with an AC voltage of 380V, or with a mains power supply of 110V or 230V). However, due to recent developments, it may be desirable to provide systems that can be supplied with DC voltages and currents generated by photovoltaic systems or provided by energy storage systems. Such systems can operate at, for example, 600V to 800V. Therefore, currently, a number of different system components are available on the market, either specifically for DC systems or specifically for AC systems, which are not interchangeable and incompatible. However, this means that complex logistics are required to manufacture, distribute, and even install such a number of different systems.

[0003] It is therefore desirable to provide a single cluster system that has a common basis but can be configured to operate as an AC cluster system or as a DC cluster system.This is achieved by a configurable cluster system as set out in the independent claims.

[0004] The core concept of the present invention is to start with a common basic component of a system, such as a metal rail, into which a busbar for carrying power cables is mounted. By simply adding certain elements or components, the system components (i.e., the cluster (consisting of the rail / busbar combination) and the corresponding interconnecting members) can be configured to adapt to either the first type of system or the second type of system. For ease of understanding of the present invention, the first type of system will be referred to as a DC system, and the second type of system will be referred to as an AC system.

[0005] Therefore, in order to use the cluster system for a DC system, all components need to be configured as DC-type components, and it is necessary to prevent AC components from being mistakenly inserted into the rails and busbars of the DC-type system, and vice versa. According to the present invention, a decoding member can now be attached to the busbar, thereby configuring the busbar as a first-type busbar or a second-type busbar depending on the attached decoding member, and the busbar can then be combined only with interconnection members configured as interconnection members of the same type. The configuration of the interconnection members is performed accordingly using the attachable member.

[0006] Generally speaking, two equivalent approaches are considered according to the invention, both using a decoding member attachable to the busbar and a corresponding attachable component (blocking element or abutment member) attached to the interconnection member for configuring the interconnection member accordingly.

[0007] The first method includes a set of at least two distinguishable decoding components, wherein each of the decoding components configures the busbar to correspond to the first type or the second type when attached to the busbar. The second decoding component can be a wire that acts as a decoding component or a power supply depending on the desired configuration.

[0008] Interconnect members that are intended to be inserted into a busbar (and therefore into a guide rail) to establish an electrical connection between a power supply line arranged in the busbar and an electrical load (e.g., a lighting device attached to and supported by the interconnect member) must be configured to be of the same type. According to the first system of the present invention, this is achieved by using a blocking member that can be attached to the interconnect member. The blocking member enables the interconnect member to be configured as a first-type interconnect member or a second-type interconnect member, for example, by attaching the blocking member to the first-type interconnect member and not attaching the blocking member to the second-type interconnect member.

[0009] The decoding member attached to the busbar is combined with an interconnection member configured as either a first-type interconnection member or a second-type interconnection member to allow only the first-type interconnection member to be installed in the first-type busbar, so that electrical contact can be established between power lines arranged in the first-type busbar via the electrical contacts provided on the first-type interconnection member, thereby providing electrical energy to the lighting device (or any other electrical load) attached to the first-type interconnection member. This is achieved by blocking the electrical contacts of the second-type interconnection member when the busbar is configured as the first-type busbar, and blocking the blocking element of the first-type interconnection member when the busbar is configured as the second-type busbar to inhibit the establishment of electrical connection.

[0010] It is noted that the process of "installing" an interconnection member consists of a combination of operations: first, the interconnection member must be inserted into the guide rail in a straight forward direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction of the guide rail and the busbar. Once the necessary depth in the insertion direction has been achieved, the electrical contacts attached to the interconnection member are brought into contact with the power supply lines held in the busbar by a rotational movement of the interconnection member. Such a process for installing an interconnection member is known in the art and does not distinguish the present invention from known systems. However, since the blocking member is attached to the first type of interconnection member, there must not be any obstacles in the trajectory of the blocking member when the first type of interconnection member is to be installed in the first type of busbar. Similarly, the electrical contacts of the second type of interconnection member can only come into contact with the power supply lines of the second type of busbar if there are no obstacles blocking the movement of the electrical contacts when the rotational movement is performed to install the interconnection member in the busbar / guide rail.

[0011] The present invention uses a specific combination of decoding members and blocking elements to configure busbars and interconnecting members for a first type of system, and uses another decoding member and interconnecting members without blocking elements attached to configure busbars and interconnecting members for a second type of system. The advantage of such a configuration is that multiple components can be used for both systems, and at a later manufacturing stage, the resulting guide rails (including busbars) and interconnecting members can be configured as belonging to the first type or the second type, thereby avoiding any possible incorrect combination of clusters (guide rails that house busbars) and interconnecting members. As a result, the logistics for the manufacturer are significantly simplified, and further, the planner can rely on a single cluster system that only needs to be configured as a first type system or a second type system, without any other differences in characteristics such as, for example, size or appearance.

[0012] As described above, installing the interconnect member in a cluster involves two sequential steps: first, moving the interconnect member inside the tail section housing the busbar until it reaches a specific depth within the cluster; second, the rotational movement of the locking mechanism locks the interconnect member in the rail / busbar and places the electrical contacts in contact with the power lines disposed within the busbar. This first configurable system of the present invention utilizes the rotational movement at the end of the installation process to prevent the interconnect member from being installed in a busbar / rail of another system type. However, according to an alternative solution, the following insertion steps can also be used to prevent the interconnect member from being mistakenly inserted into the wrong system's busbar / rail.

[0013] A configurable cluster system according to a second solution (such as the above-described solution) includes a guide rail and busbar forming a cluster, and an interconnection member that can be configured for use in either a first-type system or a second-type system. The second solution configures the busbar as a first-type busbar using only a single decoding member that can be attached to the busbar. The interconnection member includes a locking mechanism that needs to be operated to perform a rotational movement as the second step of the installation process. The system also includes a first abutment member and a second abutment member that can be attached to the interconnection member. The busbar is configured to provide a support structure for at least two power cords and the decoding member.

[0014] The interconnect member is configured to be mounted in the rail to establish electrical contact between the power cord and an electrical component attached to the interconnect member. The presence of a decoding member in the busbar and a first abutment member attached to the interconnect member inhibits operation of the locking mechanism, the absence of the decoding member and the presence of the second abutment member permits operation of the locking mechanism, and the absence of the decoding member and the absence of the second abutment member inhibits operation of the locking mechanism, wherein the locking operation establishes electrical contact.

[0015] Thus, in contrast to the first solution described above according to the invention, the rotational movement after insertion of the interconnection member is inhibited by the locking mechanism itself. In contrast, in the first solution, the locking mechanism is operable, but inhibits movement of the electrical contact and / or the blocking element to their final position required for establishing electrical contact.

[0016] Advantageous solutions are defined in the dependent claims.

[0017] The busbar support structure includes a plurality of receiving grooves arranged in at least two groups, with the open sides of the grooves in the first group facing the open sides of the grooves in the second group. This allows wiring to be provided on both sides of the busbar, and decoding components can also be inserted on both sides of the busbar depending on the desired type of busbar.

[0018] The first set of grooves may comprise at least three grooves, and the first power line and the second power line are arranged in the grooves preferably sandwiching at least one further groove.

[0019] The second group may comprise at least two grooves, and the decoding member configuring the busbar as a first type of busbar has a U-shaped cross section, the legs of the U-shaped structure being insertable into these grooves of the second group.

[0020] The interconnection member preferably has a rod that extends in the insertion direction and supports at least the first and second electrical contacts, and is further configured to receive an attachable blocking element. Thus, the blocking element can be attached to the rod of the interconnection member. Consequently, an advantage is that both the first and second types of interconnection members can be configured starting from the same initial components. Due to the attachment of the blocking element and also due to the specific arrangement of the electrical contacts, a distinction is made between the first and second types of interconnection members.

[0021] In particular, the interconnection member can support the electrical contact and the blocking element in a first type of configuration such that the electrical contact and the blocking element protrude from the rod toward the same set of grooves, and the electrical contact sandwiches the blocking element. Due to the configuration of the busbar (the power supply line is located in the grooves that sandwich the additional grooves), the blocking element can enter the empty sandwiched groove during a rotational movement, and the electrical contact can come into contact with the power supply line. Therefore, preferably, in contrast to the elastic electrical contact, the blocking element is rigid and thus prevents a rotational movement that would bring the interconnection member into its end position if the blocking element cannot enter the groove due to the decoding element accommodated in the groove. It is particularly advantageous to insert a conductor for the power supply in the groove as a decoding element, which can then also be used for the power supply in the DC busbar.

[0022] It should be noted that it is also possible to have power lines in adjacent grooves and to have additional empty grooves in addition to the two grooves carrying the power lines. In this case, the electrical contacts and the blocking member must be adjusted relative to their positions so that the electrical contacts are attached to the rods of the interconnecting member at positions corresponding to the power lines. However, certain safety requirements may require a certain distance between the grooves carrying the power lines, and therefore it is preferred that the empty grooves be sandwiched by grooves for supporting the power lines.

[0023] The interconnection member supports the electrical contacts in the second type configuration such that one of the electrical contacts protrudes toward the first set of grooves and the other of the electrical contacts protrudes toward the second set of grooves. When the second type interconnection member is rotated, one of the electrical contacts collides with a decoding member attached to the busbar and configuring the busbar as a first type busbar because, in the first type busbar, the power lines are arranged on one side of the busbar and the decoding member is inserted into the grooves on the opposite side of the busbar.

[0024] The interconnection member has a rod that extends in the insertion direction, supports at least a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact, and is configured to receive a first abutment member at a front end of the rod in the insertion direction. Thus, the use of such a first abutment member increases the overall length of the interconnection member. In combination with an attached decoding member that limits the depth available for insertion of the interconnection member, it becomes impossible to insert the interconnection member having the first abutment member deep enough into the busbar that the interconnection member cannot be locked using the locking mechanism.

[0025] The second abutment member can be attached to the flange of the carrier bar at the rear end of the bar relative to the insertion direction. The second abutment member increases the lateral dimension of the flange relative to the insertion direction of the interconnecting member. Thus, in particular, the lateral dimension of the second abutment member increases the transverse extension of the flange so that it no longer protrudes through the opening defined in the guide rail or busbar. In the case where the decoding member is not attached to the busbar, the use of the second abutment member attached to the flange at the rear end of the bar limits the insertion depth, and therefore, the busbar is a busbar according to the second type.

[0026] Preferably, the distance between the guide rail or the guide rail side abutment surface of the busbar and the decoding member when attached to the busbar corresponds to the length from the front end to the rear end of the rod. Therefore, when the decoding member is attached to the busbar, the interconnection member can only be correctly inserted and installed if the first abutment member is not present.

[0027] The rail side abutment surface has an opening that is wider than the lateral dimension of the flange but smaller than the lateral dimension of the second abutment member.Without a decoding member attached to the busbar, this results in a limit to the insertion depth of the interconnection member with the attached second abutment member.

[0028] It should be noted that in this context, the term "rail side" is used only to define elements belonging to the rails or busbars that together form a cluster. As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, a "rail side abutment surface" may also be provided at the busbars that are housed in the rails and typically form a unit into which interconnecting components are inserted to mount, for example, lighting fixtures.

[0029] Preferably, the locking mechanism is spring-biased and can only be operated when the spring is compressed, wherein the compression of the spring is caused by further movement of the operating handle in the insertion direction after the elements of the interconnecting member have abutted the corresponding guide rail-side abutment surfaces. As explained above, such a locking mechanism can be advantageously used in combination with the first abutment member and the second abutment member, because a resistance in the insertion direction is required, which allows the compression of the spring to initiate the rotational movement that brings the electrical contact into contact with the power supply line.

[0030] Advantageous aspects and features of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] Figure 1 shows a first type of cluster and its relationship to a first type of interconnect member and a second type of interconnect member according to a first solution;

[0032] Figure 2 shows a second type of cluster according to the first solution and its relationship to the first type of interconnection member and the second type of interconnection member;

[0033] Figure 3 showing a first type of cluster and its relationship to a first type of interconnect member and a second type of interconnect member according to a second solution; and

[0034] Figure 4 A second type of cluster according to a second solution and its relationship to the first type of interconnect member and the second interconnect member are shown.

[0035] Figure 1 and Figure 2 A cluster system corresponding to the first solution of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 The first type interconnection member or the second type interconnection member is configured as a busbar of the first type busbar, and the reference is made relative to the attempted installation Figure 2The present invention will be explained with reference to a configuration in which the first-type interconnecting member or the second-type interconnecting member is configured as a busbar of the second-type busbar. As described above, the first type corresponds to a DC-type configuration, and the second type corresponds to an AC-type configuration. Hereinafter, to facilitate understanding of the present invention, only the DC-type or AC-type will be mentioned to distinguish between different types of busbars and interconnecting members in their respective configurations.

[0036] Now go to Figure 1 , first the configuration of a cluster of the cluster system 1 will be explained. The cluster system 1 comprises a guide rail 2, which is typically made of steel or aluminum and provides a rigid structure that is, for example, mounted under a ceiling or mounted to a wall and provides sufficient mechanical strength to accommodate the busbar 2 and carry one or more electrical components (such as lighting devices).

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the cluster includes a guide rail 2 that houses a busbar 5, wherein the busbar 5 is configured to support at least a first power cord 6.1 and a second power cord 6.2. The power cords 6.1 and 6.2 are inserted into grooves 7.1 and 7.2, thereby positioning the power cords 6.1 and 6.2 in the guide rail 2. The unit comprising the guide rail 2 and the busbar 5 is prior art and is used in many well-known cluster systems for lighting.

[0038] In order to provide power to electrical loads such as lighting, an interconnection member 3 is installed in the cluster. The cluster comprises an opening 4 through which the interconnection member 3 can be inserted so that electrical contact between the power lines 6.1 and 6.2 and the electrical components can be established.

[0039] It is noted that all the figures attached for explaining the present invention only show cross sections of the elongated structures of the guide rails 2 , busbars 5 and components attached thereto.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment of busbar 5, a plurality of grooves 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 forming the first set of grooves are located near the right side wall of guide rail 2. First groove 7.1 and second groove 7.2 are used to clamp first power cord 6.1 and second power cord 6.2. First groove 7.1 and second groove 7.2 are arranged to sandwich third groove 7.3. In the DC configuration of busbar 5, third groove 7.3 is empty. Power is supplied to the attached lighting fixture via interconnect member 3.

[0041] The interconnection member 3 provides first and second electrical contacts 11.1, 11.2 attached to the rod 10 in a DC type configuration. The rod 10 carrying the first and second electrical contacts 11.1, 11.2 is inserted through the opening 4 into the busbar 5 housed in the rail 2 to establish electrical contact.

[0042] Figure 1The situation shown in the upper left part of FIG. 1 shows the DC type interconnecting member 3 during the process of inserting the DC type interconnecting member into the busbar 5 , as indicated by the thick black arrow.

[0043] The electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 extend toward the first set of grooves 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 so that they protrude from the rod 10 in the same direction. Consequently, the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 lie in the same plane and are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the rod 10 (corresponding to the insertion direction indicated by the black arrow) by a distance corresponding to the distance between the first groove 7.1 and the second groove 7.2 in the same direction. Near the front end of the rod 10 (which is the end pointing in the insertion direction of the interconnection member 3), a protruding member 15 is secured, which can be used to secure the interconnection member 3 in the busbar and, therefore, in the guide rail 2.

[0044] It should be noted that, in addition to the grooves mentioned herein and explained with reference to their meaning for the present invention, the busbar 5 may also include additional grooves or other clamping elements or retaining structures to provide additional functionality to the overall cluster system. For example, a bus system may be included in the system to enable information to be exchanged between different components.

[0045] Near the opposite (left) side wall of the guide rail 2, the busbar 5 includes a second set of grooves 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3. These grooves 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 correspond in size and position to the grooves 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3. The grooves of the first set and the grooves of the second set face each other, with their open sides facing each other.

[0046] In order to establish an electrical connection between the power supply lines 6.1 and 6.2, the DC-type interconnection member 3 is first inserted into the interior of the busbar 5 until the flange 12 contacts the corresponding abutment surface 13 that limits the opening 4 in the transverse direction of the guide rail 2. The abutment surface 13 is provided on the guide rail 2 or the busbar 5. The abutment surface 13 limits the movement of the two types of interconnection members 3 into the interior of the busbar 5 and the guide rail 2, and defines the relative position of the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 relative to the power supply lines 6.1 and 6.2 in the insertion direction. Once the flange 12 contacts the abutment surface 13, the flange 12 and the rod 10 attached to the flange 12 cannot be moved further. However, an operating handle (not shown in the figure) sandwiches a compression spring 14 with the flange 12, which is part of the locking mechanism. It should be noted that the locking mechanism is only referred to by the spring 14 shown in the figure. However, generally speaking, such locking mechanisms are well known in the art and provide the following functionality: after the flange 12 abuts the abutment surface 13, further movement of the operating handle compresses the compression spring 14 and, once compressed, enables the entire interconnection member 3 to rotate.

[0047] exist Figure 1The lower left part of the drawing shows the situation after the locking mechanism has been actuated. It can be seen here that the spring 14 is compressed and the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 and the fixing member 15 are thereby rotated sideways, whereas in the upper part of the drawing these elements are only partially visible due to the perspective of the illustration. Figure 1 In the lower part of the left side of the , it can be seen that the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 contact the power lines 6.1 and 6.2 respectively. Thus, an electrical connection can be established to provide power to the attached lighting device (not shown).

[0048] The components explained so far are well known for cluster systems according to the prior art. However, according to the present invention (first solution), the decoding member 9 is selected from a plurality of decoding members, as will be referred to later. Figure 2 As explained. Figure 1 The illustrated decoding member may be attached to the busbar 5 such that, with the AC type interconnection member 3 inserted into the busbar 5, the rotational movement required to establish contact between the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 and the power lines 6.1 and 6.2 is inhibited.

[0049] The decoding member 9 that configures the busbar 5 as a DC busbar 5 has a U-shape in the crossover operation, the width between the two legs of which corresponds to the distance between the first groove 8.1 and the second groove 8.1 of the second group of grooves. Thus, the U-shaped decoding member 9 blocks all three grooves 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3, preventing any elements from being introduced into these grooves. Thus, in the configuration of the busbar 5 with the decoding member 9, only the grooves of the first group are usable.

[0050] In addition to the first electrical contact 11.1 and the second electrical contact 11.2, the DC type interconnection member 3 is also provided with a blocking member 16. It should be noted that the general structure of the rod 10 or the entire interconnection member 3 enables the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 to be arranged and fixed to the rod 10 in different positions and / or orientations. This feature can be used to additionally attach the blocking member 16 to the rod 10. Figure 1As can be seen in the upper left and lower left parts of the figure, the blocking element 16 is sandwiched between the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2, but its length exceeds the length of the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2. Furthermore, the blocking element 16 is made of a rigid material 16 so that the normal force used to mount the interconnection member 3 to the cluster is applied and the blocking element will maintain its shape and position relative to the rod 10. Therefore, when the interconnection member 3 is rotated so that the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 come into contact with the power lines 6.1 and 6.2, the blocking element 16 is also rotated towards the third groove 7.3. Since the blocking element 16 is longer than the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2, the blocking element 16 needs to enter the interior of the third groove 7.3. In the case where the third groove 7.3 is empty (which is the case for the busbar 5 in a DC type configuration), this results in the following: Figure 1 Note that the decoding member 9 does not inhibit any operation of any of the components involved and that the blocking element 16 can move freely since the third groove 7.3 is empty.

[0051] Again from Figure 1 The cluster starts in the DC type configuration shown, now refer to Figure 1 Here, the interconnection member 3 is shown in its AC type configuration. The first electrical contact 11.1 and the second electrical contact 11.2 protrude from the rod 10 in opposite directions, because in the AC configuration, the power supply lines "phase" and "neutral" are distributed on different sides of the busbar 5. This will be referred to later. Figure 2 Explain in more detail.

[0052] The upper part shows an AC type connecting member 3, wherein the first electrical contact 11.1 and the second electrical contact 11.2 point in opposite directions from the rod 10, so that after the interconnection member 3 is rotated towards its final position, only one electrical contact (in the illustrated case the first electrical contact 11.1) can come into contact with the first power supply line 6.1. Figure 1 This is shown in the lower part on the right. Note that the illustrated position cannot be reached because the second electrical contact 11.2 collides with the decoding member 9 before the interconnection member 3 reaches its final position. To quickly inhibit further rotational movement of the interconnection member 3, the lateral extension of the decoding member 9 in the busbar 5 (corresponding to the height of the U-shape) preferably significantly exceeds the depth of the grooves 8.1 and 8.2, for example, by at least twice this depth. This ensures early contact between the second electrical contact 11.2 and the decoding member 9. The advantage of such early contact is that the first electrical contact 11.1 is at a greater contact distance from the first power line 6.1.

[0053] Relative to Figure 1The explanation given illustrates the case of a DC type configuration of the cluster (or more precisely, the busbars 5 housed in the guide rails 2) when attempting to install a DC type interconnection member 3 or an AC type interconnection member 3. Figure 2 , an attempt to install the DC type interconnection member 3 or the AC type interconnection member 3 into the AC type busbar 5 will be explained.

[0054] First, the difference between the DC busbar 5 and the AC busbar 5 will be explained. In the DC busbar 5 configuration, only the first power line 6.1 and the second power line 6.2 are inserted into the first groove 7.1 and the second groove 7.2, respectively. The third groove 7.3 is left empty so that the blocking element 16 can be inserted into the empty groove 7.3.

[0055] The AC-type configuration of the busbar 5 is primarily defined by the insertion of a decoding member into the empty slot 7.3, thereby inhibiting the introduction of the blocking element 16 into the third slot 7.3. In the illustrated embodiment, this decoding member is formed by the third power conductor 6.3. The illustrated configuration of the AC-type busbar 5 provides for three power conductors 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 held by a first set of slots 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3. These three power conductors 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 are used, for example, to provide three-phase current. Corresponding neutral conductors 18.1, 18.2, and 18.3 are inserted into slots 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 of the second set of slots on the other side of the busbar 5.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown in the lower left part, the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 pointing in opposite directions can make contact with one of the three power lines 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 and the corresponding neutral line 18.1, 18.2 or 80.3. Due to the absence of the decoding element 9, the rotational movement is not inhibited and the AC type interconnection member 3 can be brought into its final position, thereby establishing electrical contact between the power source and the electrical components attached to the interconnection member 3.

[0057] On the other side, as already referenced Figure 1 As explained, the blocking element 16 is already attached to the DC-type interconnection member 3. Since the third slot 7.3 is no longer empty in the AC-type configuration of the busbar 5, it is impossible to move the blocking element 16 into the third slot 7.3. Consequently, the necessary rotational movement of the DC-type interconnection member 3's electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 into contact with the first and second power lines 6.1 and 6.2 is impossible due to the collision of the blocking element 16 with the decoding element (i.e., the third power line 6.3). It should be noted that, in the case where the cluster does not provide three-phase current, any type of material can be used as the decoding element, as long as the decoding element can be inserted into the third slot 3.

[0058] As the explanation given above clearly shows, the present invention provides a simple way, starting from a common basis, to configure an AC-type busbar 5 or a DC-type busbar 5 by attaching different decoding elements 9 or 6.3 in different positions of the busbar 5, and further attaching a blocking element 16 to the interconnection member 3 to configure the interconnection member 3 as a DC-type interconnection member 3. The resulting structure only allows the interconnection member 3 to be installed into busbars 5 of the same type. Thus, the interconnection member 3 is prevented from being incorrectly installed, while the necessary logistics are significantly reduced.

[0059] The shape of the busbars and interconnecting members are the same in both configurations and may be identical components.

[0060] Now refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The explanation also uses the decoding means to configure the busbar 5 as an alternative composition of the DC type busbar 5 .

[0061] As long as the explanations given above are still valid for the components of the cluster or interconnection member 3, they will not be repeated.

[0062] An alternative solution uses a single decoding member 19 that can be attached to the busbar 5 to configure the cluster as a DC type cluster. Figure 3 As can be seen in FIG, the installed or attached decoding member 19 reduces the maximum depth of the interconnection member 3 in the insertion direction. Figure 3 At the upper left side of FIG. 3 , the DC type interconnection member 3 is shown in the situation before being inserted into the DC type busbar 5 .

[0063] DC type interconnection member 13 and reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The difference of the interconnection member explained is that no additional blocking element 16 is attached to the rod 10 of the DC-type interconnection member 3, and the lateral dimension of the flange 12 is reduced. In particular, the lateral dimension (which is the dimension in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and the longitudinal extension of the rod 10) corresponds to the opening width of the opening 4 of the guide rail 2. Therefore, the insertion movement of the DC-type interconnection member 3 is not limited by the abutment of the flange 12 on the abutment surface 13 of the guide rail 2. However, the maximum insertion depth of the DC-type interconnection member 3 is limited by the position of the decoding member 19. As shown in Figure 3 As can be seen in the lower left portion of FIG, the front end of the rod 10 abuts the decoding member 19 at a certain point, thereby limiting further insertion movement of the DC type interconnection member 3.

[0064] As described above, the locking mechanism including the compression spring 14 is required to limit the resistance to the insertion movement of the interconnection member 3, so that the compression spring 14 is compressed by further movement of the operating handle. When the compression spring 14 is compressed, the rotation of the operating handle (not shown) can be transmitted to the flange 12 and thus to the rod 10. Therefore, when the compression spring 14 is compressed due to the resistance provided by the decoding member 19, the entire interconnection member 3 can be rotated to make the electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 contact the first power cord 6.1 and the second power cord 6.2, respectively.

[0065] Preferably, the length of the rod 10 is chosen to correspond to the distance between the abutment surface 13 of the guide rail 2 and the decoding member 19. Figure 3 This causes the flange 12 to close the opening in the guide rail 2 , as shown in the schematic diagram of .

[0066] Therefore, for the second solution, the substantially L-shape of the decoding member 19 limits the maximum available insertion depth.

[0067] Figure 3 The right part of the figure shows the situation when the AC-type interconnection member 3 is inserted and is to be installed in the DC-type guide rail 2 and busbar 5. Similarly, the first electrical contact 11.1 and the second electrical contact 11.2 are arranged to protrude in opposite directions from the rod 10. The first abutment member 20 is attached to the front end of the rod 10, thereby increasing the total length from the flange 12 to the surface of the first abutment member 20 facing the decoding member 19.

[0068] The second abutment member 21 is attached to the flange 12 to increase the lateral dimension of the flange 12 so that the insertion of the AC-type interconnection member 3 is limited by the abutment of the second abutment member 21 on the abutment surface 13 of the guide rail 2. This will be referred to Figure 4 Explain in more detail.

[0069] Figure 3 The lower right side of shows a situation in which the AC interconnection member 3 is inserted into the guide rail 2 accommodating the DC type busbar 5 until the first abutment member 20 abuts the decoding member 19. In this situation, the positions of the first electrical contact 11.1 and the second electrical contact 11.2 in the longitudinal direction corresponding to the insertion direction of the interconnection member 3 do not correspond to the positions of the grooves of the first or second group. Therefore, it is not possible to perform a rotational movement that would bring the first electrical contact 11.1 in the illustrated embodiment into contact with the first power supply line 6.1. In addition, the second electrical contact 11.2 also collides with the side wall between the second groove 8.2 and the third groove 8.3 of the second group of grooves. In the case of the protruding member 15 as shown Figure 3In the illustrated positioning, the protruding member 15 also collides with the sidewalls of the groove 8.1. Consequently, the inserted AC-type interconnecting member 3 cannot be rotated to its final position. As can be seen, the second abutment member 21 cannot come into contact with the abutment surface of the guide rail 2.

[0070] Figure 4 On the left side, the installation of the AC type interconnection member 3 into the AC type busbar 5 is shown. The absence of the decoding member 19 characterizes the busbar 5 as an AC type busbar 5. The absence of the decoding member 19 increases the maximum insertion depth, and therefore, the AC type interconnection member 3 can be inserted until the second abutment member 21 abuts the abutment surface 13 of the guide rail 2. This situation is Figure 4 . As further insertion of the AC-type interconnection member 3 is now inhibited, further movement of the operating handle in the insertion direction compresses the compression spring 14, which ultimately allows the locking mechanism to be operated, thereby rotating the AC-type interconnection member 3. As the insertion depth is now limited by the second abutment member 21, the first and second electrical contacts 11.1, 11.2 are automatically positioned so that the first electrical contact 11.1 contacts the first power line 6.1 and the second electrical contact 11.2 contacts the corresponding neutral line 18.3.

[0071] Alternatively, the first abutment member 20 can be sized so that when the AC-type interconnection member 3 is inserted into the AC-type busbar 5, it contacts the bottom surface of the AC-type busbar 5, thereby enabling the locking mechanism to operate. The resulting total length of the first abutment member 20 and the rod 10 is set so that when the interconnection member 3 is fully inserted into the guide rail 2, the first abutment member 20 contacts the bottom surface of the guide rail. Thus, the locking mechanism can be performed. In this configuration, the second abutment member 21 is not required. However, the second abutment member 21 can also be provided in addition.

[0072] Figure 4 The right side of FIG shows the situation when attempting to install the DC-type interconnection member 3 into the AC-type busbar 5. The DC-type interconnection member 3 according to the second cluster system does not include any attached blocking elements or abutment members. Therefore, the flange 12 has a lateral dimension that enables the flange 12 to penetrate the opening 4. When the DC-type interconnection member 3 is moved in the insertion direction, no resistance is available to block further movement of the rod 10 or the flange 12. Since no resistance is available, the compression spring 14 will not be compressed, and therefore, no rotation operation can be transmitted from the operating handle to the DC-type interconnection member 3, and the following will occur: Figure 4 The electrical contacts 11.1 and 11.2 cannot be rotated toward the power cords 6.1 and 6.2 by the operation of the locking mechanism.

[0073] In summary, the present invention allows the use of a plurality of common components that are then configured to constitute a first cluster system that can be configured as a DC system or an AC system. Alternatively, the same plurality of components can be configured to constitute a second cluster system that can be configured as a DC system or an AC system. The two configurable cluster systems differ in the structure of the components that need to be attached to configure the busbars and interconnecting members as a DC type or an AC type. What the two systems have in common is that a certain type of interconnecting member that can be produced by simply attaching a blocking element (first system) or an adjacent member (second system) can only be inserted into a busbar configured as the same type by attaching a first decoding member or a second decoding member selected from a set of decoding members (first cluster system), or by attaching or not attaching a single decoding element (second cluster system).

Claims

1. A configurable cluster system, the configurable cluster system being used as a first type system or a second type system, The cluster system comprises a guide rail (2), a busbar (5), a set of at least two distinguishable decoding members (9, 6.3) that can be attached to the busbar (5) to configure the busbar (5) as a first type busbar or a second type busbar, an interconnection member (3) that can be configured as a first type interconnection member or a second type interconnection member, and a blocking member (16) that can be attached to the interconnection member, wherein, The busbar (5) is configured to provide a support structure (7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3) for at least two power lines (6.1, 6.2) and the decoding component (9, 6.3), The interconnection member (3) is configured to be insertable into the guide rail (2) and the busbar (5) to establish electrical contact between the power supply line (6.1, 6.2) and the electrical component attached to the interconnection member (3), and electrical contacts (11.1, 11.2) are provided on the interconnection member (3) in a first arrangement or a second arrangement to configure the interconnection member (3) as a first type interconnection member or a second type interconnection member, And wherein the decoding member (3) configuring the busbar (5) as a first type busbar blocks the electrical contact (11.2) of the second type interconnection member (3), and the decoding member (6.3) configuring the busbar (5) as a second type busbar blocks the blocking element (16) of the first type interconnection member (3) to inhibit establishment of the electrical contact.

2. The configurable cluster system according to claim 1, in, The support structure of the busbar includes a plurality of accommodating grooves arranged in at least two groups, wherein open sides of the grooves of a first group face open sides of the grooves of a second group.

3. The configurable cluster system according to claim 2, in, The first group comprises at least three grooves (7.1, 7.2, 7.3), and the first power line (6.1, 6.2) and the second power line are arranged in the grooves (7.1, 7.2) sandwiching at least one further groove (7.34).

4. The configurable cluster system according to claim 2 or 3, in, The second group comprises at least two grooves (8.1, 8.2, 8.3), and the decoding member (9) configuring the busbar (5) as a first type busbar has a U-shaped cross section, the legs of the U-shaped structure being insertable into the grooves (8.1, 8.2, 8.3) of the second group.

5. The configurable cluster system according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The interconnection member (3) has a rod (10) extending in the insertion direction and supporting at least a first electrical contact (11.1) and a second electrical contact (11.2), and is further configured to accommodate the attachable blocking member (16).

6. The configurable cluster system according to claim 5, in, The interconnection member (3) supports the electrical contacts (11.1, 11.2) and the blocking element (16) in a first type of configuration such that the electrical contacts (11.1, 11.2) and the blocking element (16) project from the rod (10) toward the same set of grooves and the electrical contacts (11.1, 11.2) sandwich the blocking element (16).

7. The configurable cluster system according to claim 5 or 6, in, The interconnection member (3) supports the electrical contacts (11.1, 11.2) in a second type of configuration such that one of the electrical contacts (11.1, 11.2) protrudes toward the first set of grooves and the other of the electrical contacts (11.1, 11.2) protrudes toward the second set of grooves.

8. A configurable cluster system, the configurable cluster system being used as a first type system or a second type system, The cluster system comprises a guide rail (2), a busbar (5), a decoding member (19) attachable to the busbar (5) to configure the busbar (5) as a first type busbar, an interconnection member (3) comprising a locking mechanism, and a first abutment member (20) and a second abutment member (21) attachable to the interconnection member (3). in, The busbar (5) is configured to provide a support structure (7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3) for at least two power lines (6.1, 6.2) and the decoding component (19). The interconnection member (3) is configured to be insertable into the guide rail (2) to establish electrical contact between the power cord (6.1, 6.2) and an electrical component attached to the interconnection member (3), and electrical contacts (11, 11.2) are provided on the interconnection member (3) in a first arrangement or a second arrangement to configure the interconnection member (3) as a first type interconnection member or a second type interconnection member, The presence of the decoding member (19) and the first abutting member (20) inhibits operation of the locking mechanism, the absence of the decoding member (19) and the presence of the second abutting member (21) permits operation of the locking mechanism, and the absence of the decoding member (19) and the absence of the second abutting member (21) inhibits operation of the locking mechanism, wherein a locking operation establishes the electrical contact.

9. The configurable cluster system according to claim 8, in, The interconnection member (3) has a rod (10) extending in the insertion direction, supporting at least a first electrical contact (11.1) and a second electrical contact (11.2), and is configured to receive the first abutment member (20) at a front end of the rod in the insertion direction.

10. The configurable cluster system according to claim 7 or 8, in, The second abutment member (21) is attachable to the flange (12) carrying the rod (10) at its rear end relative to the insertion direction and increases the lateral dimension of the flange (12) relative to the insertion direction of the interconnection member (3).

11. The configurable cluster system according to claim 9 or 10, in, The distance between the guide rail side abutment surface (13) and the decoding member (19) corresponds to the length from the front end to the rear end of the rod (10).

12. The configurable cluster system according to claim 11, in, The rail-side abutment surface (13) has an opening (4) that is wider than the lateral dimension of the flange (12) but smaller than the lateral dimension of the second abutment member (21).

13. The configurable cluster system according to claim 8, in, The first abutment member (20) is dimensioned such that the resulting length of the rod (10) and the first abutment member (20) is equal to the distance from the flange (12) to enable an operational locking operation.

14. The configurable cluster system according to any one of claims 8 to 13, in, The locking mechanism is spring biased and can only be operated when a spring (14) is compressed, wherein the compression of the spring (14) is caused by an insertion movement of the interconnection member (3) by an operating handle of the interconnection member (3).

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