An LED lighting system and an electrical connection device thereof

Abstract

An electrical connection device (1000) for connecting a plug (4) with a plurality of wires (100) comprises a housing (200), wherein wire cores (101) are exposed at predetermined locations inside the housing, and a plug-in port (39) is provided comprising a plurality of plug-in interfaces (31). The housing (200) positions the wires (100) distributed and spaced apart from each other in a width direction, and two sets of channels inside the housing (200) dispose the wires (100) in a staggered configuration alternately at different height levels L1, L2. In a front side region (201) of the housing (200), the plug-in interfaces (31) are aligned with wire cores (101) of the set of upper-layer wires (110) for electrical connection, and in an opposite rear side region (202), the plug-in interfaces (31) are aligned with the wire cores (101) of the set of lower-layer wires (120) for electrical connection.

Description

[0001] An LED lighting system and an electrical connection device thereof

[0002] This present application claims priority of Chinese patent application no. CN 202411036247.9 filed on July. 31, 2024, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] Field of Invention

[0004] The present invention relates to the field of lighting fixtures, in particular to the technical field of wiring for lighting fixtures, and particularly to an electrical connection device and an LED lighting system comprising the same.

[0005] Background of Invention

[0006] In a rail-mounted lighting system, several lamps are arranged along the direction of the rail. Typically, a power supply bus or signal bus of a power system is provided extending along the length direction, and is to be connected with the lamps at different points through plugs for controlling the brightness and / or switching of lamps individually. In this way, the wires are usually fixed and accommodated in channels by means of electrical connection devices, for example channels provided in the rail of the lighting system or a supply channel for lamp arrangement, and the lamps can also be mechanically fixed to the electrical connection device.

[0007] Existing electrical connection devices mostly adopt a structure in which each wire is arranged separately in the same plane. For systems with a large number of wires, this structure occupies a large space. Moreover, when the guide rail is made of metal, insulating measures are required between each wire and each connector to ensure electrical safety, which further increases the size.

[0008] Accordingly, those skilled in the art are dedicated to developing an electrical connection device that is simple to assemble and can facilitate safe electrical connection when arranging a large number of wires.

[0009] Summary of Invention

[0010] In view of the above, the present invention aims to solve the problem that existing electrical connection devices have poor effects in balancing insulation and space dimensions when arranging a large number of wires.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connection device for connecting a plug with a plurality of wires, said electrical connection device comprising a housing adapted for the plurality of wires to extend along a length direction through the housing, wherein the wires have wire cores that are exposed after removal of an outer insulation sheath at predetermined locations, and a plug-in port is provided on an outer side of the housing, comprising a plurality of plug-in interfaces, said plug-in port being configured for the plug to be inserted and electrically connected to the wire cores via the plurality of plug-in interfaces. According to the present invention the housing comprises an upper cover and a bottom cover, wherein the housing is configured for positioning the plurality of wires distributed and spaced apart from each other in a width direction, perpendicular to the length direction, such that the wire cores are positioned at predetermined locations, two sets of channels are provided inside the housing for guiding the plurality of wires through the housing in the length direction, each for accommodating a respective wire of the plurality of wires, said two sets of channels being disposed at different height levels so that the plurality of wires are divided by the channels into a set of upper-layer wires in a first plane and a set of lower-layer wires in a second plane, respectively, each of the plug-in interfaces is aligned with a corresponding wire core at a corresponding predetermined location, in a front side region of the housing, the plug-in interfaces are aligned with the wire cores of the set of upper-layer wires to electrically connect with the corresponding wire cores of the set of upper-layer wires, and in a rear side region of the housing opposite to the front side region, the plug-in interfaces are aligned with the wire cores of the set of lower-layer wires to electrically connect with the corresponding wire cores of the set of lower-layer wires.

[0012] According to a further embodiment, the plug-in port may be provided on a bottom surface of the bottom cover, wherein the plurality of plug-in interfaces may extend perpendicular to the bottom surface of the bottom cover toward the corresponding predetermined locations.

[0013] According to a further embodiment, a first wire-fixing wall may be provided in the front side region of the housing, for fixing the wires entering the housing by clamping outer sheaths of the wires, wherein the first wire-fixing wall is disposed on a side of the upper cover or the bottom cover and extends in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction and width direction, and the first wire-fixing wall is provided with a first set of grooves and a second set of grooves at different height levels to fix the set of upper-layer wires and the set of lower-layer wires, respectively.

[0014] According to a further embodiment, the upper cover may comprise at the bottom side a second wire-fixing wall, for fixing the wires at said predetermined locations by clamping the cores of the wires, wherein the second wire-fixing wall may be spaced apart from the first wire-fixing wall in the length direction and is provided with a third set of grooves and a fourth set of grooves provided at different height levels corresponding to the set of upper-layer wires and to the set of lower-layer wires, respectively, and openings of the third set of grooves and of the fourth set of grooves may be matched with an outer diameter of the wire cores.

[0015] According to a further embodiment, the housing may further comprise a spacer at the rear side region of the housing, interposed between the upper cover and the bottom cover, wherein a first bending zone may be formed between the spacer and the upper cover, so that the wires of the set of upper-layer wires passing through the first bending zone are positioned in a third plane spaced apart from the second plane, and a second bending zone may be formed between the spacer and the bottom cover so that the wires of the set of lower-layer wires passing through the second bending zone are positioned in a fourth plane spaced apart from the first plane.

[0016] According to a further embodiment, a plurality of wire grooves may be formed on an upper side of the spacer spaced apart from each other in the width direction, each of the wire grooves being configured for accommodating a corresponding wire of the set of upper-layer wires, wherein in the rear side region of the housing, the upper cover may be provided at the bottom side with an upper inclined surface transitioning between the first plane and the third plane, the first bending zone may be formed between the upper inclined surface and the wire grooves, an upright step may be formed in the wire grooves adjacent to the upper inclined surface, and the upright step and the upper cover may be configured to cooperatively restrict the set of upper-layer wires to the third plane.

[0017] According to a further embodiment, the bottom cover may be configured to support the lower- layer wires and comprises an upright step formed in the rear side region, the spacer may be provided at the bottom side with a lower inclined surface transitioning between the second plane and the fourth plane, the spacer may be configured to be mounted on the bottom cover along the upright step, and the second bending zone may be formed between the lower inclined surface and the upright step, wherein the spacer and the upright step are configured to cooperatively restrict the set of lower-layer wires to the fourth plane.

[0018] According to a further embodiment, in the rear side region of the housing, a fifth set of grooves may be formed cooperatively by the upper cover and the spacer, and a sixth set of grooves is formed cooperatively by the spacer and the bottom cover, wherein the fifth set of grooves and the sixth set of grooves are configured to fix the set of upper-layer wires and the set of lower- layer wires, respectively, by clamping outer sheaths of the wires.

[0019] According to a further embodiment, a grounding plate may be fixedly mounted on the top of the upper cover, one end of the grounding plate extending outside the upper cover and another end opposite to said one end passing through the upper cover and extending inside the housing, for connecting to the wire core of one of the plurality of wires inside the housing.

[0020] According to a further unitary aspect of the present invention there is provide a combination of an electrical connection device as outlined above and a plug, wherein the plug is configured to be inserted into the plug-in port of the housing, for electrically connecting to the wire cores of the plurality of wires, wherein the plug comprises a plurality of terminal blocks extending toward the bottom cover of the electrical connection device, metal spring sheets are mounted inside the terminal blocks, for conductively contacting the wire cores of the wires, and the terminal blocks are disposed corresponding to the plurality of plug-in interfaces in a one-to-one correspondence, so that, when the plug is inserted into the plug-in port of the housing, each terminal block is inserted into a corresponding one of the plurality of plug-in interfaces and each of the metal spring sheets connects with a corresponding wire core of the plurality of wires.

[0021] According to a further embodiment, an extending end of a respective terminal block may be recessed inward to form a clamping opening adapted to the wire cores of the wires, wherein the metal spring sheet comprises a pair of locking plates extending to the clamping opening, and the wire cores are configured to be embedded in the clamping opening and clamped and contacted by the pair of locking plates, when the plug is inserted into the plug-in port of the housing. According to a further embodiment, an external interface may be formed on each terminal block, configured to connect the metal spring sheet inside the terminal block, and the external interface may be adapted for connecting to a rigid or flexible electrical conductor or connector, so that other electrical devices can be electrically connected via the wires and plug.

[0022] According to a further unitary aspect of the present invention there is provide an LED lighting system, comprising a support rail accommodating a plurality wires and extending along a length direction, and at least one lamp, said LED lighting system further comprising at least one combination of an electrical connection device and a plug as outlined above, wherein the electrical connection device is disposed inside the support rail and the plurality of wires extend through the housing of the at least one electrical connection device along the length direction, wherein a mounting mechanism for fixing the housing on or in the support rail is extendedly arranged outside the housing, and the plug is inserted into the plug-in port of the at least one electrical connection device, whereby the plug provides an electrical connection between said at least one lamp and the plurality of wires.

[0023] According to a further embodiment, the mounting mechanism may comprise at least one locking protrusion adapted to the support rail in profile and clamped to an inner side of the support rail, for fixing the housing on the support rail.

[0024] According to a further embodiment, a male plug and a female plug may be respectively fixed at two opposite ends of the support rail, wherein two ends of the wires extending along the length direction are connected to the male plug and the female plug, respectively, so that the LED lighting system can be interconnected with another LED lighting system.

[0025] Technical effects of the present invention

[0026] The LED lighting system and its electrical connection device of the present invention have a simple component structure. By arranging wires in a staggered manner as upper-layer wires and lower-layer wires, in alternating sequence, the width of wire arrangement is reduced and the size of the device is minimized when there are many wires. And the plug is provided with terminal blocks of different strokes in the front side region and the rear side region, so that each terminal block can be sufficiently spaced apart and so that each wire is not disturbed or misconnected by adjacent terminal blocks, ensuring good insulation between connection points during electrical connection by the plug and facilitating safe electrical connection.

[0027] Overview on drawings

[0028] Hereinafter, the invention will be disclosed with reference to the drawings and exemplary embodiments, from which further features, technical effects, and problems to be solved will become apparent. In the drawings:

[0029] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connection device according to the present invention;

[0030] Fig. 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-section of the electrical connection device according to the present invention; Fig. 3 is a perspective bottom view of the upper cover of the electrical connection device according to the present invention;

[0031] Fig. 4 is a perspective bottom view of the electrical connection device according to the present invention assembled with wires;

[0032] Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the electrical connection device according to the present invention connected to a plug;

[0033] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a combination of an electrical connection device and a plug according to the present invention;

[0034] Fig. 7 is a perspective front view of a terminal block for an electrical connection device according to the present invention;

[0035] Fig. 8 is a longitudinal cross-section of the electrical connection device according to the present invention connected to a support rail; and

[0036] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an LED lighting system according to the present invention.

[0037] Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals designated identical or substantially equivalent elements or groups of elements.

[0038] Detailed description of preferred embodiments

[0039] Specific embodiments according to the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description of the embodiments according to the present invention is not intended to delimit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, an electrical connection device 1000 provided by the present invention comprises a housing 200 through which a plurality of wires 100 extend along a length direction. At least two of the plurality of wires 100 have wire cores 101 that are exposed after removal of an outer insulation sheath and that are fixed to an inner side of the housing 200. Removal of the outer insulation sheath may be accomplished using a special insulation stripper, but may also be accomplished e.g. by laser ablation. The outer insulation sheath is removed at predetermined locations, as outlined below in more detail.

[0041] A plug-in port 39 is provided on an outer side of the housing 200 for a plug 4 to be inserted for conductively connecting with the wire cores 101, thereby providing electrical connection for an externally connected device, which may also be used for signal connection. More specifically, the plug-in port 39 may be provided on the bottom side of housing 200.

[0042] The housing 200 has a split structure, comprising an upper cover 1 and a bottom cover 3 connected in sequence from top to bottom, and may additionally comprise also a spacer 2 interposed between the upper cover 1 and the bottom cover 3. To provide a proper insulation between the wires 100, the plurality of wires 100 are spaced apart in a width direction of housing 200. To further reduce the width of the separation arrangement, the plurality of wires 100 are divided, by means of the configuration of the housing 200, into a set of upper-layer wires 110 and a set of lower-layer wires 120 arranged at different height levels. Preferably, the wires 100 extend parallel to each other along the length direction of housing 200. The present invention provides independent connection channels for each wire 100, which are spaced apart from each other in the width direction, to ensure reliability when electrically connected by the plug 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 200 comprises a front side region 201 and a rear side region 202, when viewed along the length direction. The wires 100 set of the set of upper-layer wires 110 and of the set of lower-layer wires 120, which are disposed on different levels LI, L2, provide separate positions for the plug 4 for electrical connection at different levels in the front side region 201 and the rear side region 202, respectively.

[0043] In a specific embodiment, in the front side region 201 of the housing 200, two sets of channels are formed between the upper cover 1 and the bottom cover 3 at different height levels, so that the wires 100 on the side of the front side region 201 of housing are disposed as a set of upperlayer wires 110 and a set of lower-layer wires 120 at a first plane LI and a second plane L2, respectively, and at different levels.

[0044] In the rear side region 202 of the housing 200, a spacer 2 may be interposed disposed between the set of upper-layer wires 110 and the set pf lower-layer wires 120.

[0045] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plug-in port 39 comprises a plurality of plug-in interfaces 31, which are disposed in alignment with the predetermined positions of the wire cores 101. The plug-in interfaces 31 are formed corresponding to the shape of terminal blocks of a plug, as outlined above, so that the terminal blocks can be connected to the corresponding wire cores via the plurality of plug-in interfaces 31, when the plug is inserted (and coupled) with the plugin port 39 of the housing, as outlined below in more detail.

[0046] To further increase the distance between the set of upper-layer wires 110 and the set of lower- layer wires 120, a first bending zone 210 may be formed between the spacer 2 and the upper cover 1, by which the upper-layer wires 110 pass and are guided to a third plane L3 away from the second plane L2, as shown in Fig. 2. Moreover, in such an embodiment a second bending zone 220 may be formed between the spacer 2 and the bottom cover 3, by which the lower- layer wires 120 pass and are then guided, into an opposite direction as compared to the upperlayer wires 110, toward a fourth plane L4 away from the first plane LI .

[0047] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plug-in port 39 is preferably formed on a bottom surface of the bottom cover 3. The plug-in port 39 is configured to selectively establish an electric connection to the set of the upper-layer wires 110 and the set of lower-layer wires 120 in the front side region 201 and the rear side region 202, respectively, via the plug-in interfaces 31, when a plug 4 is inserted from the bottom side into the plug-in port 39. The outer edge of the plug-in interface 31 is provided with guiding inclined surfaces to facilitate positioning and orientation of the plug 4.

[0048] As shown in FIGs. 4 and 5, in the afore-mentioned alternative embodiment, the wires 100 are arranged in two layers in the front side region 201, namely the first plane LI and the second plane L2, and in two layers in the rear side region 202, namely the third plane L3 and the fourth plane L4. In the front side region 201, the plug-in port 39 provides for an electrical connection with the wire cores 101 of the upper-layer wires 110 via the plug-in interfaces 31 in the front side region 201 in a one-to-one correspondence, and in the rear side region 202, the plug-in port 39 provides for an electrical connection with the wire cores 101 of the lower-layer wires 120 in a one-to-one correspondence via the plug-in interfaces 31 in in the rear side region 202. When the plug 4 is coupled with the plug-in port 39 of the bottom cover 3 , the plug 4 will establish an electric connection with the corresponding wire cores 101 on different planes by insertion of terminal blocks of the plug 4 into the corresponding plug-in interfaces 31. The insertion strokes of the plug 4 into the bottom cover 3 is different in the front side region 201 and the rear side region 202, so that the contacted portions of the plug 4 are spaced apart.

[0049] When assembling the above-mentioned electrical connection device, the bottom cover 3 is installed first, followed by arranging the lower-layer wires 120 and removing the outer insulation sheath at predetermined locations, in correspondence to the plurality of plug-in interfaces 31. Subsequently, the spacer 2 may be installed in the rear side region 202. Finally, the upper-layer wires 110 are arranged and the outer insulation sheath are removed at predetermined locations, and then the upper cover 1 is installed and connected to the bottom cover 3. Alternatively, the components can also be assembled in the reverse order. The structure according to the present invention simplifies the installation steps.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 2, in the front side region 201 of the housing 200, a first wire-fixing wall 11 is provided where the wires 100 enter the housing 200 for fixing the wires 100 by clamping outer sheaths of the wires 100. The first wire-fixing wall 11 is disposed on a side surface of the upper cover 1 or bottom cover 3 and extends in a height direction. The first wire-fixing wall 11 is provided with a first set of grooves 111 and a second set of grooves 112 at different height levels, to fix the set of upper-layer wires 110 and the set of lower-layer wires 120, respectively. In the structure shown in FIG. 3, the first wire-fixing wall 11 is disposed on a side surface of the upper cover 1. The first set of grooves 111 on the first wire-fixing wall 11 is disposed at a higher height level, and a constriction is formed in a middle portion of each groove of the first set of grooves 111, so that the outer sheath of the upper-layer wires 110 are embedded at the bottom of the first set of grooves 111.

[0051] The openings of the grooves of the second set of grooves 112 are substantially semicircular. A plurality of supporting grooves 32 are formed on an outer side wall of the bottom cover 3 in one-to-one correspondence with the lower-layer wires 120. The supporting grooves 32 are also substantially semicircular holes and cooperate with the second set of grooves 112 to adapt to an outer diameter of the lower-layer wires 120 to clamp the outer sheaths of the lower-layer wires 120. Protruding abutment blocks 33 are alternately provided between the supporting grooves 32 along the outer side wall of the bottom cover 3. The abutment blocks 33 extend into the grooves of the first set of grooves 111 to fill the openings thereof and abut against the upperlayer wires 110.

[0052] As shown in FIGs. 2 and 3, a second wire-fixing wall 12 is disposed on a bottom side of the upper cover 1 spaced apart from the first wire-fixing wall 11 in the length direction, which further fixes the wires 100 by clamping the cores 101 of the wires 100. The second wire-fixing wall 12 is provided with a third set of grooves 121 and a fourth set of grooves 122 disposed at different height levels corresponding to the upper-layer wires 110 and the lower-layer wires 120, respectively. The openings of the third set of grooves 121 and fourth set of grooves 122 are matched with the outer diameter of the cores 101. After the upper cover 1 is assembled with the bottom cover 3, the second wire-fixing wall 12 abuts and support against the bottom cover 3.

[0053] As outlined above, in the rear side region 202 of the housing 200 a spacer 2 may be interposed between the upper cover 1 and the bottom cover 3. In such an embodiment, the top side of the spacer 2 is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart wire routing grooves 21 to support and guide the upper-layer wires 110. And strip-shaped walls 22 are vertically provided on both sides of the wire grooves 21 for abutting against the bottom side of the upper cover 1. The bottom side of the upper cover 1 is provided with a plurality of upper inclined surfaces 13, which are inclined upward from the front side region 201 to the rear side region 202. A first bending zone 210 is formed between the upper inclined surfaces 13 and the wire grooves 21, so that after the spacer 2 is cooperatively connected to the upper cover 1, the upper-layer wires 110 are bent and routed between the first plane LI and the third plane L3 along the upper inclined surfaces 13. An upright step 23 is protrudingly formed in the wire grooves 21 and is adjacent to the upper inclined surface 13 after being attached with the upper cover 1. The upright step 23 and the upper cover 1 cooperatively restrict and position the upper-layer wires 110 to the third plane L3. Preferably, a plurality of upper inclined surfaces 13 is provided corresponding to the wire grooves 21 respectively. When the spacer 2 is coupled with the upper cover 1, each upper inclined surface 13 is embedded between two adjacent strip-shaped walls 22, so as to achieve a guiding effect by alignment of the upper inclined surfaces 13 and the wire grooves 21, while keeping the upper-layer wire 110 spaced apart from each other.

[0054] The lower-layer wires 120 pass along the upper side of the bottom cover 3. The bottom cover 3 comprises an upright step 34 formed in the rear side region 202 in an opposite direction as compared to upright step 23, and the spacer 2 is mounted on the bottom cover 3 along the upright step 34. A lower inclined surface 24 is provided on the bottom side of the spacer 2, which is inclined downward from the front side region 201 to the rear side region 202. When the spacer 2 is cooperatively connected to the bottom cover 3, the lower inclined surface 24 provides a guiding or routing effect for the lower-level wires 120 between the second plane L2 and the fourth plane L4. A second bending zone 220 is formed between the lower inclined surface 24 and the upright step 34. The lower-layer wires 120 are bent along the lower inclined surface 24 within the second bending zone 220 under the cooperative force between the spacer 2 and the bottom cover 3, and then continue to extend axially along the fourth plane L4 from a lower end of the lower inclined surface 24. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, also a plurality of lower inclined surfaces 24 may be provided corresponding to the lower-layer wires 120 in a one-to- one relationship. A plurality of support blocks 25 are provided on the bottom side of the spacer 2 to abut against the bottom cover 3. Channels are formed in or between the support blocks 25 connecting the lower inclined surface 24 through which the cores 101 of the lower-layer wires 120 pass.

[0055] In the rear side region 202 of the housing 200, where the wires 100 enter the housing 200, a fifth set of grooves 14 is formed cooperatively by the upper cover 1 and the spacer 2, and a sixth set of grooves 35 is formed cooperatively by the spacer 2 and the bottom cover 3. The fifth set of grooves 14 and the sixth set of grooves 35 fix the upper-layer wires 110 and the lower-layer wires 120 respectively by clamping outer sheaths of the wires 100. In the same way as the first wire-fixing wall 11, the fifth set of grooves 14 and the sixth set of grooves 35 fix the wires 100 by means of a combination of grooves and protruding blocks, or by a combination of semicircular arc surfaces. Furthermore, a third wire-fixing wall 26 is provided extending from the bottom side of the spacer 2 to abut against the bottom cover 3 inside the housing 200. A seventh set of grooves 261 is formed on the third wire-fixing wall 26 spaced apart from the sixth set of grooves 35. The seventh set of grooves 261 and the sixth set of grooves 35 cooperatively clamp and fix the lower-layer wires 120.

[0056] The upper cover 1, the spacer 2, and the bottom cover 3 are assembled to form the housing 200 of the electrical connection device 1000 according to the present invention. Each component is assembled and connected by means of force-fit and / or positive-fit. In a specific embodiment of the connection of each component, as shown in FIG. 6, at least one locking plate 36 is provided on outer wall of the bottom cover 3 extending toward the upper cover 1, and the upper cover 1 is provided with at least one corresponding locking interface 15 matching the corresponding locking plate 36. The bottom cover 3 and the upper cover 1 are fixedly connected by the locking plates 36 being snapped into the locking interfaces 15, and as a result the spacer 2 will be fixedly accommodated inside the housing 200. The upper cover 1 and the spacer 2 can be connected by a snap structure 27 to fix the spacer 2 on the bottom side of the upper cover 1. After the housing 200 is assembled, each wire 100 passes through a corresponding groove of the sets of grooves directionally, and meanwhile the outer sheaths of the wires 100 are clamped and fixed at both sides of the housing 20, at positions where the wires 100 enter the housing 200, so as to maintain the positional stability of the wire cores 101 of the wires 100 inside the housing 200 and prevent damage caused by pulling during installation and use.

[0057] The plug 4 is inserted from the bottom side of the housing 200 to achieve electrical connection by contacting the wire cores 101 of the wires 100. The plug 4 is positioned and connected to the bottom cover 3 in a well-defined positional relationship. The plug 4 comprises terminal blocks 41 extending toward the bottom cover 3 in the height direction. As shown in FIGs. 6 and 7, the terminal blocks 41 are set in one-to-one correspondence with the plug-in interfaces 31 of the housing 200 and the wire cores 101 of the wires 100. When the plug 4 is coupled with the plug-in port 39, the terminal blocks 41 are inserted into the corresponding plug-in interfaces 31 of the bottom cover 3. Metal spring sheets 44 for contacting the wire cores 101 of the wires 100 are mounted inside the terminal blocks 41. An upper end of the terminal block 41 is recessed inward to form a clamping opening 412 adapted to the wire cores 101 of the wires 100. The metal spring sheet 44 comprises a pair of locking plates 441, which are biased against each other and extend into the clamping opening 412. After insertion of such a terminal block 41 via the plug-in interface 31, the corresponding wire core 101 at the predetermined position can be embedded in the clamping opening 412 and clamped and contacted by the pair of locking plates 441. Through the above structure of the terminal block 41, each of the wire cores 101 of the wires 100 can be clamped by a corresponding terminal block 41, so that the wire cores 101 are spaced apart from each other and a good insulation effect can be achieved.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 7, the plug 4 comprises a base 45, the terminal blocks 41 being fixedly mounted on the base 45 and extending perpendicular to the base 45, and at least one positioning post 46 is also provided. The respective positioning post 46 extends from the base 45 toward the bottom cover 3 and is inserted into a corresponding locking groove 37 provided on the bottom cover 3 for assembly, so that the plug 4 can be fixed on the bottom cover 3. Preferably, the positioning posts 46 can be asymmetrically arranged in the length direction. As shown in FIG. 6, three positioning posts 46 may be provided, more specifically, one positioning post 46 may be disposed at one end of the base 45 along the length direction, and the other two positioning posts 46 may be disposed at two ends of the base 45 in the width direction, so as to prevent the plug 4 from being installed reversely. In addition, an anti -reverse block 411 is protrudingly provided on an outer wall of the terminal block 41, and a receiving opening adapted to the anti-reverse block 411 is correspondingly provided on the plug-in interface 31 of the bottom cover 3 to avoid reverse mis-insertion. An external interface 42 is further formed on a front side of each terminal block 41, which is exposed to a side surface of the plug 4. The external interface 42 is aligned and electrically connected with the metal spring sheet 44 inside the terminal block 41, and is configured to be suitable for connecting to a rigid or flexible electrical conductor or connector, so that other electrical devices can be electrically connected to the wires 100 via the external interface 42. Preferably, a bottom end of the terminal block 41 extends radially outward to form a limiting step 43. When the terminal block 41 is plugged with the plug-in interface 31, the limiting step 43 abuts outside a bottom end face of the bottom cover 3, and a side wall of the limiting step 43 is exposed. The external interface 42 can be provided on an outer side wall of the limiting step 43 to facilitate external connection.

[0059] In the electrical connection device 1000 according to the present invention, the wires 100 are arranged in a staggered manner as a set of upper-layer wires 110 and a set of lower-layer wires 120, so that the width of the wire arrangement can be reduced and the size of the electrical connection device can be minimized when a large number of wires 100 are included. From a planar projection perspective, since the distance between the wires 100 in the width direction is small, the present invention adopts a scheme in which the plug 4 is provided with terminal blocks 41 of different strokes in the front side region 201 and the rear side region 202 to connect the upper-layer wires 110 and the lower-layer wires 120 respectively. Thus, in the width direction the terminal blocks 41 can be sufficiently spaced apart. On the other hand, in the length direction, the terminal blocks 41 in the front side region 201 are connected to the corresponding upper-layer wires 110, and the terminal blocks 41 in the rear side region 202 are connected to the corresponding lower-layer wires 120. Moreover, because in the width direction each wire 100 is located on different height levels as comparted to its directly adjacent wire 100, each wire 100 is not interfered or misconnected by directly adjacent terminal blocks 41, thus ensuring a good insulation between the connections during electrical connection by the plug 4.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 8, a grounding plate 5 may be fixedly mounted on the top of the upper cover 1. One of the wires 100 is dedicatedly provided for connecting the grounding plate 5, and at least two other wires 100 are additionally provided for electrical connection. One end of the grounding plate 5 extends outside the upper cover 1 for grounding, and the other end passes through the upper cover 1 and extends inside the housing 200 to be connected to the core 101 of the grounding wire 100 inside the housing 200. In an embodiment shown in FIG. 6, a mounting hole 51 may be formed in the grounding plate 5, and a positioning buckle 16 may be provided on the top of the upper cover 1 to pass through the mounting hole 51 to fix the grounding plate 5. The grounding plate 5 is bent and extends into the housing 200 to contact the core 101 of the wire 100.

[0061] According to another unitary aspect according to the present invention, there is provided an LED lighting system comprising at least one electrical connection device 1000 as outlined above. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the LED lighting system comprises a support rail 300 that accommodates a plurality of wires 100 and extends along a length direction. The wires 100 extend through the housing 200 of a respective electrical connection device along the length direction. A mounting mechanism is provided extending outside the housing 200 for fixing the housing 200 on or within the support rail 300. The housing 200 is provided with a plug-in port 39 for inserting the plug 4. A clamping connector 47 for fixing a lamp (not shown in the figures) is provided on the bottom side of the plug 4, and the external interface 42 on the plug 4 provides electrical connection between the lamp and the wires 100. The support rail 300 can be made of metal, and the outer end of the grounding plate 5 may be connected to the support rail 300 to ensure sufficient grounding.

[0062] The support rail 300 can be processed to form inward notches 301 on both sides. The mounting structure outside the housing 200 may be in the form of at least one locking protrusion 17 provided on both sides of the upper cover 1 and adapted to the profile of the support rail 300. The locking protrusion 17 is clamped along the inner wall of the notch 301, so that the entire housing 200 can be fixed on the support rail 300.

[0063] Optionally, a male plug 6 and a female plug 7 are respectively fixed at both ends of the support rail 300 which are adapted to be connected by positive-fitting. The two ends of the wires 100 extending along the length direction are respectively connected to the male plug 6 and the female plug 7, so that the LED lighting system can achieve cascading along the length direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the male plug 6 is fixed to one end of the support rail 300 by a male connection piece 61, and the female plug 7 is fixed to the other (opposite) end of the support rail 300 by a female connection piece 71. The male connection piece 61 is provided with a snap- in interface 62 and two connection side plates 63 extending outward in the width direction. The connection side plates 63 are provided with axially extending snap-in grooves 631. The female connection piece 71 is correspondingly provided with a snap-in plate 72 adapted to the snap-in interface 62 and two elastic snap-in arms 73 extending outward in the width direction. During docking, the elastic snap-in arms 73 are snapped into the corresponding snap-in grooves 631 to realize the guiding and positioning function during cascading of the LED lighting system. When the male plug 6 and the female plug 7 are connected, the male connection piece 61 and the female connection piece 71 are also interconnected simultaneously to increase the stability of the connection.

[0064] The above are only preferred embodiments according to the present invention, and are not intended to limit the protection scope according to the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, or improvements within the spirit of the present invention are included within the scope of the claims of the present invention. List of reference numerals

[0065] 1 upper cover

[0066] 11 first wire-holding wall

[0067] 111 first group of grooves

[0068] 112 second group of grooves

[0069] 12 second wire-holding wall

[0070] 121 third group of grooves

[0071] 122 fourth group of grooves

[0072] 13 upper inclined surface

[0073] 14 fifth group of grooves

[0074] 15 locking interface

[0075] 16 positioning clip

[0076] 17 locking protrusion

[0077] 1000 electrical connection device

[0078] 2 spacer

[0079] 21 wire routing groove

[0080] 22 strip-shaped wall

[0081] 23 upright step

[0082] 24 lower inclined surface

[0083] 25 support block

[0084] 26 third wire holding wall

[0085] 261 seventh group of grooves

[0086] 27 locking structure

[0087] 3 bottom cover

[0088] 31 plug-in interface

[0089] 32 receiving slot

[0090] 33 abutment block

[0091] 34 recessed step

[0092] 35 sixth group of grooves

[0093] 36 locking plate

[0094] 37 locking slot

[0095] 39 plug-in port

[0096] 4 plug

[0097] 41 terminal post

[0098] 411 anti-reverse block

[0099] 412 wire clamping opening

[0100] 42 external interface

[0101] 43 locking step 44 metal spring plate

[0102] 441 clamping plate

[0103] 45 base

[0104] 46 positioning pin

[0105] 47 locking connector

[0106] 5 grounding plate

[0107] 51 installation hole

[0108] 6 male plug

[0109] 61 Male plug connection plate

[0110] 62 snap-in interface

[0111] 63 connection side plate

[0112] 631 snap-in groove

[0113] 7 female plug

[0114] 71 female plug connection plate

[0115] 72 snap-in plate

[0116] 73 elastic snap-in arm

[0117] 100 wire

[0118] 101 wire core

[0119] 110 upper wire

[0120] 120 lower wire

[0121] 200 housing

[0122] 201 front side region

[0123] 202 rear side region

[0124] 210 first bending zone

[0125] 220 second bending zone

[0126] 300 support guide rail

[0127] 301 notch

[0128] LI first plane

[0129] L2 second plane

[0130] L3 third plane

[0131] L4 fourth plane

Claims

CLAIMS1. An electrical connection device (1000) for connecting a plug (4) with a plurality of wires (100), said electrical connection device comprising a housing (200) adapted for the plurality of wires (100) to extend along a length direction through the housing, wherein the wires (100) have wire cores (101) that are exposed after removal of an outer insulation sheath at predetermined locations, and a plug-in port (39) is provided on an outer side of the housing (200), comprising a plurality of plug-in interfaces (31), said plug-in port (39) being configured for the plug (4) to be inserted and electrically connected to the wire cores (101) via the plurality of plug-in interfaces (31), characterized in that the housing (200) comprises an upper cover (1) and a bottom cover (3), wherein the housing (200) is configured for positioning the plurality of wires (100) distributed and spaced apart from each other in a width direction, perpendicular to the length direction, such that the wire cores (101) are positioned at predetermined locations, two sets of channels are provided inside the housing (200) for guiding the plurality of wires (100) through the housing (200) in the length direction, each for accommodating a respective wire of the plurality of wires (100), said two sets of channels being disposed at different height levels (LI, L2) so that the plurality of wires (100) are divided by the channels into a set of upper-layer wires (110) in a first plane and a set of lower-layer wires (120) in a second plane, respectively, each of the plug-in interfaces (31) is aligned with a corresponding wire core (101) at a corresponding predetermined location, in a front side region (201) of the housing (200), the plug-in interfaces (31) are aligned with the wire cores (101) of the set of upper-layer wires (110) to electrically connect with the corresponding wire cores (101) of the set of upper-layer wires (110), and in a rear side region (202) of the housing (200) opposite to the front side region (201), the plug-in interfaces (31) are aligned with the wire cores (101) of the set of lower-layer wires (120) to electrically connect with the corresponding wire cores (101) of the set of lower-layer wires (120).

2. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug-in port (39) is provided on a bottom surface of the bottom cover (3), and the plurality of plug-in interfaces (31) extends perpendicular to the bottom surface of the bottom cover (3) toward the corresponding predetermined locations.

3. The electrical connection device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein a first wire-fixing wall (11) is provided in the front side region (201) of the housing (200), for fixing the wires (100) entering the housing (200) by clamping outer sheaths of the wires (100), the first wire-fixing wall (11) is disposed on a side of the upper cover (1) or the bottom cover (3) and extends in a height direction perpendicular to the length direction and width direction, andthe first wire-fixing wall (11) is provided with a first set of grooves (111) and a second set of grooves (112) at different height levels to fix the set of upper-layer wires (110) and the set of lower-layer wires (120), respectively.

4. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper cover (1) comprises at the bottom side a second wire-fixing wall (12), for fixing the wires (100) at said predetermined locations by clamping the cores (101) of the wires (100), the second wire-fixing wall (12) is spaced apart from the first wire-fixing wall (11) in the length direction and is provided with a third set of grooves (121) and a fourth set of grooves (122) provided at different height levels corresponding to the set of upper-layer wires (110) and to the set of lower-layer wires (120), respectively, and openings of the third set of grooves (121) and of the fourth set of grooves (122) are matched with an outer diameter of the wire cores (101).

5. The electrical connection device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, said housing further comprising a spacer (2) at the rear side region (202) of the housing (200), interposed between the upper cover (1) and the bottom cover (3), wherein a first bending zone (210) is formed between the spacer (2) and the upper cover (1), so that the wires of the set of upper-layer wires (110) passing through the first bending zone (210) are positioned in a third plane (L3) spaced apart from the second plane (L2), a second bending zone (220) is formed between the spacer (2) and the bottom cover (3) so that the wires of the set of lower-layer wires (120) passing through the second bending zone (220) are positioned in a fourth plane (L4) spaced apart from the first plane (LI).

6. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a plurality of wire grooves (21) is formed on an upper side of the spacer (2) spaced apart from each other in the width direction, each of the wire grooves (21) being configured for accommodating a corresponding wire of the set of upper-layer wires (110), in the rear side region (202) of the housing, the upper cover (1) is provided at the bottom side with an upper inclined surface (13) transitioning between the first plane (LI) and the third plane (L3), the first bending zone (210) is formed between the upper inclined surface (13) and the wire grooves (21), an upright step (23) is formed in the wire grooves (21) adjacent to the upper inclined surface (13), and the upright step (23) and the upper cover (1) are configured to cooperatively restrict the set of upper-layer wires (110) to the third plane (L3).

7. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the bottom cover (3) is configured to support the lower-layer wires (120) and comprises an upright step (34) formed in the rear side region (202), the spacer (2) is provided at the bottom side with a lower inclined surface (24) transitioning between the second plane (L2) and the fourth plane (L4),the spacer (2) is configured to be mounted on the bottom cover (3) along the upright step (34), and the second bending zone (220) is formed between the lower inclined surface (24) and the upright step (34), wherein the spacer (2) and the upright step (34) are configured to cooperatively restrict the set of lower-layer wires (120) to the fourth plane (L4).

8. The electrical connection device as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7, wherein, in the rear side region (202) of the housing (200), a fifth set of grooves (14) is formed cooperatively by the upper cover (1) and the spacer (2), and a sixth set of grooves (35) is formed cooperatively by the spacer (2) and the bottom cover (3), wherein the fifth set of grooves (14) and the sixth set of grooves (35) are configured to fix the set of upper-layer wires (110) and the set of lower-layer wires (120), respectively, by clamping outer sheaths of the wires (100).

9. The electrical connection device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein a grounding plate (5) is fixedly mounted on the top of the upper cover (1), one end of the grounding plate (5) extending outside the upper cover (1) and another end opposite to said one end passing through the upper cover (1) and extending inside the housing (200), for connecting to the wire core (101) of one of the plurality of wires (100) inside the housing (200).

10. A combination of an electrical connection device (1000) as claimed in any of the preceding claims and a plug (4), said plug (4) being configured to be inserted into the plug-in port (39) of the housing (200), for electrically connecting to the wire cores (101) of the plurality of wires (100), wherein the plug (4) comprises a plurality of terminal blocks (41) extending toward the bottom cover (3) of the electrical connection device, metal spring sheets (44) are mounted inside the terminal blocks (41), for conductively contacting the wire cores (101) of the wires (100), and the terminal blocks (41) are disposed corresponding to the plurality of plug-in interfaces (31) in a one-to-one correspondence, so that, when the plug (4) is inserted into the plug-in port (39) of the housing (200), each terminal block (41) is inserted into a corresponding one of the plurality of plug-in interfaces (31) and each of the metal spring sheets (44) connects with a corresponding wire core (101) of the plurality of wires (100).

11. The combination of an electrical connection device and a plug (4) as claimed in claim 10, wherein an extending end of a respective terminal block (41) is recessed inward to form a clamping opening (412) adapted to the wire cores (101) of the wires (100), the metal spring sheet (44) comprises a pair of locking plates (441) extending to the clamping opening (412), and the wire cores (101) are configured to be embedded in the clamping opening (412) and clamped and contacted by the pair of locking plates (441), when the plug (4) is inserted into the plug-in port (39) of the housing (200).

12. The combination of an electrical connection device and a plug (4) as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein an external interface (42) is formed on each terminal block (41), configured to connect the metal spring sheet (44) inside the terminal block (41), and the external interface (42) is adapted for connecting to a rigid or flexible electrical conductor or connector, so that other electrical devices can be electrically connected via the wires (100) and plug (4).

13. An LED lighting system, comprising a support rail (300) accommodating a plurality wires (100) and extending along a length direction, and at least one lamp, characterized by at least one combination of an electrical connection device and a plug (4) as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the electrical connection device (1000) is disposed inside the support rail (300) and the plurality of wires (100) extend through the housing (200) of the at least one electrical connection device (1000) along the length direction, wherein a mounting mechanism for fixing the housing (200) on or in the support rail (300) is extendedly arranged outside the housing (200), and the plug (4) is inserted into the plug-in port (39) of the at least one electrical connection device (1000), whereby the plug (4) provides an electrical connection between said at least one lamp and the plurality of wires (100).

14. The LED lighting system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mounting mechanism comprises at least one locking protrusion (17) adapted to the support rail (300) in profile and clamped to an inner side of the support rail (300), for fixing the housing (200) on the support rail (300).

15. The LED lighting system as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein a male plug (6) and a female plug (7) are respectively fixed at two opposite ends of the support rail (300), and two ends of the wires (100) extending along the length direction are connected to the male plug (6) and the female plug (7), respectively, so that the LED lighting system can be interconnected with another LED lighting system.

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