초록 ▼

Plug-in connectors primarily intended for connecting lighting fixtures into system circuitry, the connectors include selector mechanisms which allow selection of a hot conductor or conductors necessary for energization of the fixtures. The connectors of the invention allow selection of a specific ci

Plug-in connectors primarily intended for connecting lighting fixtures into system circuitry, the connectors include selector mechanisms which allow selection of a hot conductor or conductors necessary for energization of the fixtures. The connectors of the invention allow selection of a specific circuit at the job site rather than pre-wiring of a fixture to a specific circuit during factory assembly, a given fixture then being rapidly installed by plugging of the connector into a tapping port in electrical cable extending between fixtures in an installation. The selection mechanism of the invention acts primarily to change the wiring configuration of the associated fixture with the hot leg or legs of the fixture being movable to adapt to a desired specific circuit. The invention further encompasses use of the apparatus of the invention in a method for rapidly wiring fixtures into system circuitry, thereby resulting in labor and job cost savings. While the invention is particularly useful for connecting HID fixtures into system circuitry, the connectors of the invention can also be used in systems employing incandescent and fluorescent lighting as well as other appropriate electrical loads.

대표청구항 ▼

An electrical circuit selection connector having a selection port capable of mating connection with a tapping port formed in an electrical cable-bearing connector disposed in an electrical system, the tapping port of the cable-bearing connector allowing electrical connection to any one circuit forme

An electrical circuit selection connector having a selection port capable of mating connection with a tapping port formed in an electrical cable-bearing connector disposed in an electrical system, the tapping port of the cable-bearing connector allowing electrical connection to any one circuit formed by any one electrically conductive cable of a plurality of cables carried by said cable-bearing connector, the circuit selection connector having more than one electrical conductor including a hot leg conductor wired to a lighting fixture or other electrical load in a predetermined manner such as for a given voltage to be imposed across said fixture for operation of the fixture, the tapping port of the cable-bearing electrical connector having positionally fixed contacts at least certain of which contacts electrically connect one each with one each of the cables and which mate selectively with the hot leg conductor of the selection connector, contacts of the selection port terminating the electrical conductors, the contact of the selection port terminating the hot leg conductor being displaceable positionally within the selection port by manual manipulation from exteriorly of the selection connector to locations of the selection port allowing alignment with and electrical connection to certain of the contacts of the tapping port which connect one each with one each of the cables, such selectable connection acting to place the fixture in a desired circuit formed by one of said cables carried by the cable-bearing electrical connector so as to operate the fixture at a desired voltage, the selection connector comprising selector means for positionally displacing the contact of the selection port terminating the hot leg conductor, the hot leg conductor terminating contact being slidable by manipulation of the selector means from exteriorly of the selection connector so that said contact is positioned to mate with a selected one of the contacts of the tapping port which connect one each with one each of the cables, a first portion of the selector means extending externally of the circuit selection connector for manual manipulation of the selector means from exteriorly of the selection connector and a second portion of the selector means being disposed interiorly of the circuit selection connector for engagement with the hot leg conductor terminating contact, the first and second portions of the selector means being joined to each other to allow positional displacement of the hot leg conductor terminating contact on manual manipulation of the first portion of the selector means, movement of the hot leg conductor terminating contact to a desired location of the selection port being thus facilitated at an installation site without resort to entry into the fixture to alter fixture wiring or entry into the selection connector, thereby to facilitate placement of the fixture in the appropriate electrical condition to cause said fixture to be part of a predetermined circuit formed with one of said cables in the cable-bearing electrical connector to which the circuit selection connector is electrically connected through the respective contacts of the selection port and of the tapping port.