CN108140984A - Low-voltage bus bar system - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical busbar has a support frame and at least one pair of conductive elements. The at least one pair of conductive elements extends linearly along the length of the support frame, and at least a portion of each of the at least one pair of conductive elements is exposed on the surface of the support frame. A connector is releasably connected to the electrical busbar adjacent to the surface of the support frame. The connector has at least one pair of conductive contacts for engaging with the conductive elements at any desired location along the length of the support frame.

Description

Low voltage busbar system

Related application information

This application claims the benefit of and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application No. 14/030,768 filed September 18, 2013, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application No. 14/030,768, filed September 18, 2013 Also claiming the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/725,795, filed November 13, 2012, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/768,907, filed February 25, 2013, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/768,907, filed October 3, 2012 No. 61/744,777 and US Provisional Application No. 61/744,779, filed October 3, 2012, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Background technique

Power plants in the United States provide electricity for residential, commercial and industrial use almost exclusively through high-voltage alternating current (AC). However, devices in homes, businesses and factories are increasingly using low-voltage direct current (DC) power. For example, almost all products that utilize rechargeable batteries (eg, laptop computers, mobile phones, smart phones, personal audio equipment, etc.) require low voltage DC for power management and/or charging of the device.

To convert the AC voltage leaving a typical electrical outlet to the DC voltage needed to power these devices, a transformer "brick" is often required. However, systems using such transformer "modules" have disadvantages. For example, the required transformer "modules" waste space and often clutter the area centered around the AC outlet and/or the AC outlet is often not in a convenient location for charging these electronic devices.

Furthermore, although there are many known busbar systems for LED lighting utilizing low voltage DC, these systems are not optimized to deliver power to a variety of devices, including electronic devices that rely on connectors such as USB.

Contents of the invention

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The present disclosure addresses at least some of the above-mentioned problems with distributing DC power or signals. To this end, an improved system is described that is capable of distributing electrical power (eg low voltage DC power or communication signals) into a given space (eg home, office, vehicle, etc.) by using busbars and corresponding connectors. In the described embodiment, the bus bar includes at least one electrical conductor coupled to a carrier that can be secured to a desired surface in a given space (eg, home, work, etc.). In this regard, the bus bars may be secured to the surface by any means including, for example, adhesives, nylon zippers, magnets, mechanical undercuts, screws, and the like. In some described embodiments the carrier may take the form of a strip or roll, while in other described embodiments the carrier may take the form of other conventional blocks of building materials such as moldings, railings, flooring and many more. Regardless of the form of the carrier, preferably the connectors are sized and arranged to couple to the busbar and as required will include electrical components and features such as USB ports for distributing low voltage DC power from the busbar to terminals intended to receive power device of. By way of non-limiting example, the connector may be permanently connected to (or integrally formed with) the bus bar or may be releasably and easily connected to the bus bar via the use of magnetism, via the use of a mechanical structure, or the like. It is also conceivable that it may be desirable to provide a connector that can move (eg, slide) relative to the busbar to allow placement of the connector at a desired location within a given space when it is connected to the busbar.

While the foregoing provides a general description of the busbar system of the present invention, a better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the busbar system of the present invention will be gained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, which set forth an illustrative embodiments and which illustrate the various ways in which the principles of the invention claimed hereinafter may be employed.

Description of drawings

For a better understanding of the busbar system described below, reference may be made to the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an example circuit diagram of an example conductive busbar system in which a splitter is used to control power to multiple busbars;

Figure 2 shows an example electrical diagram of an example conductive bus system, where the connectors include switches and sensors for controlling power to the bus;

Figure 3 shows an exemplary busbar system where the power supply is embedded in the busbar carrier;

Figures 4A and 4B illustrate an exemplary busbar system where the power supply is located in the input connector of the busbar;

Figures 5A and 5B illustrate an exemplary busbar system where power is connected directly to both the busbar and building power;

6A-6C illustrate a power supply within an electrical junction box housing within a wall cavity and exemplary busbars for use therewith;

7A-7D illustrate a wall mountable input connector and an exemplary busbar for use therewith adapted to receive power from a remote power source such as that shown in FIG. 12;

8A and 8B illustrate an exemplary bus consisting of two sets of electrical bus pairs or signal bus pairs mounted to an exemplary carrier that can be powered individually through separate channels of power such as that shown in FIG. 12;

Figures 9A and 9B illustrate exemplary busbars consisting of two sets of electrical busbar pairs or signal busbar pairs mounted within a carrier and providing a flush interface that can be powered by a splitter input connector as shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 10 shows an exemplary busbar system consisting of an electrical busbar pair and an integrated communication busbar or a second electrical busbar pair mounted to a rail-mounted carrier;

Figure 11 shows various exemplary conductive bus bars having a non-conductive and non-magnetically conductive extruded carrier, a ferromagnetic material for forming a magnetic-mechanical connection with the connector, and a conductive material for making an electrical connection with the connector. section;

Figure 12 illustrates an example centralized multiple power supply for use with the example busbar system disclosed herein;

Figure 13 illustrates an exemplary conductive busbar system in which at least one connector includes a mechanism for preventing overcurrent and/or overvoltage and an optional sensor or sensor switch;

Figures 14A-14D illustrate a busbar system that uses magnetic force to ensure proper orientation between the connector and the busbar;

Figure 15 illustrates an exemplary space for housing a power supply within a housing in a wall cavity;

16A-16B illustrate another exemplary bus bar;

Figures 17A and 17B illustrate exemplary connectors connected to the bus bars of Figures 16A and 16B;

Figures 18A, 18B, 19A and 19B show further examples of busbars with carriers in the form of building elements;

Figure 20 shows an exemplary connector connected to a busbar having a carrier in the form of a building element;

Figure 21 shows an example of the power supply provided to the bus bars of Figures 6B, 6C, 7C and 7D;

Figures 22A and 22B illustrate an exemplary use case for a busbar system in a domestic environment;

Figures 23A and 23B illustrate exemplary busbars suitable for easy shortening;

24A, 24B, 25A and 25B show yet another exemplary busbar with integrated LED lighting and its corresponding electrical diagram;

Figure 26 shows an exemplary use case for a busbar system in a deck environment;

Figures 27 and 28 illustrate exemplary use cases for a busbar system in a kitchen environment;

29A and 29B illustrate exemplary busbars included in a circular carrier with a ferromagnetic core;

Figures 30A and 30B illustrate a busbar that can be coiled in an elastic state;

Figures 31A and 30B show a busbar with a carrier in the form of a floor;

32A and 32B illustrate busbars with flush mating surfaces and conductors with exemplary shapes for retaining the conductors within the carrier;

33A-33C illustrate busbars with flush mating surfaces and busbar carriers with exemplary shapes for retaining the busbar carrier in another carrier having an exemplary form of a floor;

Figures 34A and 34B illustrate a busbar with a flush mating surface and a busbar carrier with an exemplary shape for retaining the busbar carrier within the other surface;

Figures 35A and 35B illustrate bus bars with flush mating surfaces and bus bar carriers with deflectable undercuts for retaining the bus bar carriers to the mounting surface;

Figures 36A and 36B show bus bars with flush mating surfaces and bus bar carriers with undercuts for holding the bus bar carriers under carpet or the like; and

Figures 37A-37C illustrate bus bars using thin steel strips as bus bar carriers.

Detailed ways

The following description of exemplary methods and apparatus is not intended to limit the scope of the description to the precise forms or forms detailed therein. Rather, the following description is intended to be illustrative so that others may follow its teachings.

A conductive bus bar system is described for allowing power and/or signals to be conducted and accessed at any point along a remote distance. As will be apparent from the following description, the busbar system described allows low voltage DC power and/or signals to be routed in a manner that eliminates clutter (e.g., eliminates the need to run directly from plugs to non-removable and intermittently positioned electrical outlets) The need for wires or cables) is introduced into the space, while allowing the space to be tailored to individual needs as needed. It will also become apparent that the conductive busbars and/or electrical busbars described below may use any suitable conductive elements such as bars, rods, wires, etc. to conduct any suitable signals, including power, communications, and the like. In other words, the described conductive buses are not limited to any particular conductive medium.

Generally, the described busbar system includes a power source (or signal source) that provides a low voltage DC (or other suitable signal) to the conductive busbar (or multiple conductive busbars). In some examples, a power source or power supply may have multiple modes of operation including, for example, a low power usage standby mode and a full power usage mode. More efficient energy use can be achieved by having a power source (or power supply) that can switch between two or more modes of operation. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a power source or power supply may have other modes of operation than those disclosed herein.

As shown in FIG. 1, one way to control the flow of power (e.g., switch on/off, increase/decrease, etc.) to an electrical bus (e.g., bus 430 or bus 432) is through the use of a device 434 capable of providing a control signal, Such as smartphones, tablets, sensors, etc. As desired/programmed for any given purpose, the control device 434 may supply a power supply 436, power and/or cause a mechanism such as a switch 438 to be opened and/or closed, for example, to one or more electrical couplings to it. Other devices that power the electrical bus (such as bus 430, 432) provide one or more control signals. Although not required, multiple electrical bus bars may be provided by using multiple conductive elements with the same carrier as shown in Figures 8-10. In some examples, the exemplary switch 438 may be located in a wire distributor. In one example, control device 434 may communicate directly with switch 438 , which in some examples may be oriented between power supply 436 and bus bars 430 , 432 . Each electrical bus 430, 432 may be connected to one or more devices 440A-E, 442A-E that draw a load from each bus 430, 432 when energized. Furthermore, the control device may utilize any type of sensing including, for example, proximity sensing, motion sensing, and the like. By way of example only, when utilizing proximity sensing, the control device may be used to detect when the control device is determined to be removed from a given location (e.g., when the control device is embodied in a mobile device) and/or when it is determined that the user is out of range of the control device. Power to one or more electrical buses 430, 432 is cut off at a threshold distance of (eg, when the control device is implemented as an object sensing device). Similarly, when using motion sensing, when the control device is not sensed to be stationary for a period of time and/or when the control device fails to sense motion of a given Power to one or more electrical buses 430, 432 is shut off. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that this type of sensing can also be used to turn on power in a similar manner. When sensors are used, it will be appreciated that the sensor 434 may be built into the power supply 436, or may be located remotely from the power supply 436 as desired for any given purpose. Additionally, the control device may communicate with power supply 436 and/or switch 438 via wire or wirelessly via any suitable communication protocol.

This disclosure contemplates a wide variety of configurations of remote sensors or wireless control devices beyond the example shown in FIG. 1 . One such additional exemplary configuration is shown, for example, in FIG. 2 . Accordingly, an example switch 438 and an example sensor 434 are included within a connector 444 that provides power from a power source 436 to an electrical bus 446 . When energized, the bus 446 may in turn provide load to a plurality of devices 448A-E. In other examples, the power supply may include sensors and/or switches.

Turning to FIGS. 3-7 , there is illustrated an exemplary bus bar system for reducing spurs from a desired single power supply 436 , such as one that receives 120V AC as an input and provides 24V DC as an output. FIG. 3 shows a power supply 436 integrated directly into the busbar carrier 400 . 4A and 4B show the power supply 436 located within the input connector 427 to be coupled to the bus bar. Figures 5A and 5B show a power supply 436 that plugs directly into an AC wall outlet 501 while having contacts for simultaneous connection to a bus bar. Figures 6A, 6B and 6C show the power supply 436 housed in an electrical junction box housing 437 within the wall so that the power supply 436 does not take up living space at all. In this regard, the power supply may include contacts 439 arranged to extend from the power supply 436 to connect to electrical conductors 451 provided to the busbar, for example via an opening 453 provided to the backside of the busbar as shown in FIG. join. In this regard, the opening 453 can be extended as needed for any particular purpose, or the opening can run the entire length of the busbar so as not to limit where the busbar needs to be coupled to the input connector. Although not shown, it is also contemplated that a cover having openings through which contacts 439 extend would be attached to junction box 437 . Figures 7A, 7B and 7D also show an input electrical connector 457 to be positioned in a mounting surface 455 such as a wall to provide input power to the busbar from a remotely located power supply, and by not utilizing any room facing The busbar surfaces provide uninterrupted access to the busbars to deliver power to the busbars. Specifically, FIG. 7A shows the input electrical connector 457 before being installed in the mounting surface 455, FIG. 7B shows the input electrical connector 457 installed in the mounting surface 455, and FIG. Busbars on electrical connector 457 (shown in FIG. 7D ). To retain the input electrical connector 457 mounted within the mounting surface 455, resilient locking tabs 461 or similar structures adapted to engage corresponding structures provided to the mounting surface may be provided to the input electrical connector housing as shown.

Turning to FIGS. 8-10, an exemplary bus bar 1280 is shown having a main power bus bar 1282, such as provided by conductive elements 1282A and 1282B provided to the carrier, and power bus bars 1282, such as provided by conductive elements 1284A and 1284B provided to the carrier frame. Second bus 1284 for power or communication. Although not intended to be limiting, the conductive elements may be constructed of a copper alloy material. Communication bus 1284 may include communication, networking, PSTN, VOIP, Internet, Ethernet, telephony, serial, USB, or any other type of communication bus known in the art. Control device 1286 may be attached to communication bus 1284 at first region 1288 of bus 1280 . Peripherals 1290 are to be attached directly to electrical bus 1282 and communication bus 1284 at second region 1292 of bus system 1280 , for example by using output connectors or where peripherals include integrated output connectors. For example, electrical bus 1282 and communication bus 1284 allow control device 1286 (eg, a computer) to communicate with peripheral device 1290 (eg, a computer monitor) even if peripheral device 1290 is located remotely from control device 1286 . The second bus can also be used to provide additional power instead of communication. If the various loads connected to the bus require two or more voltage levels, if equipment requires dedicated power supplies, or if more power density is required to provide sufficient power to equipment connected to a given length of the bus, this would be especially useful. As shown specifically in FIGS. 8A and 8B and FIGS. 9A and 9B , the carrier may also be provided with one or more regions of ferromagnetic material 1283 for communication with the connectors provided to the connector (whether input or output). One or more magnets cooperate, as described further below.

While there are many benefits for busbars having a specific cross-section, there are likewise many benefits associated with busbars formed from specific materials. For example, FIG. 11 shows four exemplary bus bars 1400 , 1402 , 1404 , 1406 including ferromagnetic wires 1408 and flexible non-conductive carriers. In some examples, ferromagnetic wire 1408 allows a device to be magnetically attached to one of bus bars 1400 , 1402 , 1404 , 1406 . Thus, in such examples, devices can be electrically and mechanically coupled to the bus bars 1400, 1402, 1404, 1406 in one step. Furthermore, by using a flexible, non-conductive carrier, the busbars can be supplied in roll form as shown in Figures 30A and 30B, which will preferably straighten when unconstrained. It will be appreciated that the roll form allows for convenient packaging and shipping of long lengths of busbar prior to use. One or more conductive busbar elements 1401 and/or ferromagnetic wires 1408 may be provided with a spring temper to substantially straighten the busbars when unpacked for ease of use on walls, tables and other rectilinear surfaces. Furthermore, to accommodate connecting busbars to surfaces of varying lengths, it is contemplated that the busbars (including the carrier and conductor/ferromagnetic elements) could be provided with nicks, perforations, weak points or the like 4200, thereby allowing the busbars to be easily shortened ( by mechanical breaking or cutting) to the desired length, as shown in Figure 23A and Figure 23B.

As a further example, FIGS. 16A and 16B show a bus bar 3500 having conductive elements 3502 each mounted within a carrier element 3504 . In this illustrated embodiment, the carrier element 3504 is formed from an insulating material, such as plastic. The carrier element 3504 is in turn mounted to another carrier element 3506 formed of ferromagnetic material, thereby allowing one or more connectors to be magnetically attached thereto as described above and further shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B . In this regard, FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate a connector 3600 having a magnet 3602, electrical contacts 3604, and a USB port 3606 sized and arranged so that when the connector 3600 is magnetically coupled to a busbar System 3500 engages conductive element 3502 and USB port 3606 is used to allow DC power from conductive element 3502 to be delivered to a device coupled to USB port 3604 using a USB cable. To prevent improper mating between the connector 3600 and the busbar system 3500 , an optional protrusion 3608 is also provided to the connector 3600 . It will be appreciated that other types of ports may be provided for connector 3600 as desired for a given purpose. It will also be appreciated that the shape and arrangement of components shown may be modified to meet desired objectives. For example, the bus bars may take a tubular shape as shown in Figures 29A and 29B.

Additionally, FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary multi-channel power supply 1500 . In some examples, a single power supply 1500 replaces and/or otherwise supplements multiple transformer "bricks" that provide low-voltage DC power to many products that use rechargeable batteries (eg, laptop computers, mobile phones, smartphones, etc.) )". These transformer "bricks" that convert the AC voltage leaving the electrical outlet to the DC voltage needed to power these devices often waste energy in the conversion process. The example power supply 1500 reduces the amount of wasted energy. The example power supply 1500 has multiple output channels to provide power to one or more of the example conductive busbar systems disclosed herein as well as directly to other loads such as LED lighting.

For example, the example power supply 1500 may reduce power consumption by communicating with one or more control devices 1502 (eg, sensors and/or smart devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, etc.). Exemplary power supply 1500 communicates with one or more control devices 1502 wirelessly or via any other suitable communication protocol. Specifically, in one example, one or more control devices 1502 have light-sensing capabilities that communicate information about the intensity of sensed light to power supply 1500 to reduce or even shut off light during sunny days. Electricity for lighting, etc. In other examples, one or more control devices 1502 may have motion sensing capabilities and/or other suitable sensing capabilities that communicate the absence of persons in the near-side environment to the power supply 1500 for use when no resident presence is sensed. The electrical bus is de-energized. Similarly, the control device 1502 may send a control signal when the control device senses itself to be outside or within range of the system. In other examples, control device 1502 may have other sensing capabilities for communicating information to power source 1500 as needed for any given purpose.

Exemplary power supply 1500 receives power through one or more inputs 1508 . One or more inputs 1508 may receive AC power, DC power, or both, as desired. For example only, one or more inputs 1508 receive 120 volt AC power, 230 volt AC power, and/or 380 volt DC power.

To prevent accidental power loss, exemplary power supply 1500 may include battery backup 1506 . In the example shown, battery backup 1506 provides 24 volts DC and is integrated into power supply 1500 . Alternatively, battery backup 1506 may be a peripheral device not integrated into power supply 1500 .

To accommodate various power requirements, power supply 1500 includes uncontrolled output 1514 and controlled output 1516 . Uncontrolled output 1514 can be used to power devices that are never turned off (or are expected to be controlled locally), while controlled output 1516 is more suitable for powering devices with less consistent energy usage requirements. Uncontrolled output 1514 and controlled output 1516 can output power as desired.

While the power supply 1500 may have features to limit or shut off power for safety or other reasons, as shown in FIG. Mechanism 1554 for voltage and/or overcurrent conditions. The mechanism 1554 can be in addition to the functionality of the power supply 1500 or in place of the functionality of the power supply 1500 . The mechanism 1554 for preventing overcurrent and/or overvoltage may function like a fuse in some examples, but those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that there are various ways of performing this function. Mechanism 1554 prevents a number of situations, such as preventing damage or injury to equipment and/or individuals if someone connects an improper power source. In some examples, connector 1550 includes a sensor switch 1556 for allowing control of power to the bus. In some examples, sensor switch 1556 may be associated with a sensor that serves as a further control (e.g., in addition to power source 1500, distributor 438, mechanism 1554, etc.) regarding power delivered to bus 1558, which supports Devices 1560A-E. However, in other examples, the connector 1552 does not include a sensor switch, in addition to the mechanism 1554 for preventing overvoltage and overcurrent. In this manner, power source 1500, distributor 438, and/or mechanism 1554 operate to control power supplied to bus 1562, which supports devices 1564A-E requiring loads.

FIG. 15 shows an office space environment 2100 incorporating a power source 2102 . In this example, the power supply 2102 is housed within a chamber enclosure 2104 in an office wall 2106 . In this regard, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the illustrated chamber housing 2104 will preferably be in the form of a junction box. In this example where the wall is a piece of furniture, the chamber housing 2104 has ducts 2108 that allow convection of air through the office furniture power supply 2102 . In other examples, the power supply, in addition to providing power to power the device, may also charge a battery backup to allow continued use of the device in the event of a brief power outage. In further cases, as shown in Figure 6, it may be necessary to place the power supply in a junction box enclosure that can be placed within the structure, such as in a wall to hide the power supply from view and comply with local electrical regulations. building codes.

As mentioned above, the carrier for the conductive elements of the busbar may take any desired form. Accordingly, as a further example, FIGS. 18A and 18B show a busbar 3700 in which the carrier is in the form of a piece of building material 3702 . Although shown as a particular form of 1/4 round molding, it should be understood that other building materials could be used for the same purpose, such as tongue and groove flooring as shown in Figures 31A and 31B. In the illustrated embodiment, piece of building material 3702 is provided with a channel in which electrical conductor 3704 is disposed. The exemplary building material shown is also provided with a strip of ferromagnetic material 3706 for magnetic coupling to a connector with magnets 3900 and a complementary shape and arrangement of power distribution elements (this is shown in FIG. 20 ). Although shown as a continuous strip of ferromagnetic material 3706 (thus allowing connector 3900 to be placed anywhere on bus bar system 3700), it is understood that the ferromagnetic material may be distributed and arranged as desired to serve any desired purpose. Additionally, an optional insulating element 3800 may be provided to the system as shown in Figures 19A and 19B, for example where the carrier is made of a non-insulating material.

As mentioned above, the connector 3900 may be provided with ports and/or wires/cables for allowing the connector 3900 to be coupled to devices requiring power and/or signals from the busbar system, as shown in Figures 22A and 22B. Additionally, as shown in Figure 21, power may be supplied to the busbars from a power source disposed on the same side of the carrier as the conductive elements, or from a power source on the opposite side for any purpose as desired. Where busbar systems need to pass through corners, as shown in Figures 22A and 22B, jumper elements of conventional known and complementary shapes may be provided to facilitate electrical engagement between conductor elements of adjacent busbars.

It may also be useful to run power from a floor or tabletop in the center of the room. In such cases, as shown in Figures 31-37, it is desirable to have busbars mounted flush with the surface, such as the floor, to prevent ridges from posing a tripping hazard and to prevent depressions where dirt could collect. Flush bus bars may also be advantageous in wall applications, table tops, and the like. Additionally, the carrier 3201 may be provided with a shape, such as a trapezoidal shape, which provides an undercut to hold the carrier in place in a correspondingly shaped receptacle 3203 provided to a piece of building material 3205, table or other form of Carrier/mounting surface, as shown in Figures 33A-C and 34A-B. Similarly, the conductive element 1401 may be provided with a shape having an undercut to retain the busbars in the carrier, as also shown in Figures 34-35. Additionally, Figures 35A and 35B show a carrier with deflectable undercuts 3601, which would be useful if the installer does not have access to the ends of the slots in the mounting surface. Flush systems may also be used in other flooring applications. For example, FIGS. 36A and 36B show a carrier configuration with an undercut positioned below the bottom surface of the carpet 3701 , with the portion of the carrier carrying the conductive elements still flush with the top surface of the carpet 3701 .

Another form of bus bar is shown in Figures 14A-D. In the bus bar shown, the bus bar carrier 1401 includes a narrow linear ferromagnetic strip 1403 and the connector 1405 (whether input or output) includes one or more magnets 1407 arranged to provide a single linear magnetic field. In this way, the magnetic relationship between the magnet 1407 and the ferromagnetic strip 1403 will ensure that the connector 1405 is mounted to the busbar carrier 1401 in only one of two positions, i.e., the magnetic field will cause misaligned connectors 1405 to Self-calibrating into alignment for proper connection, as shown in Figures 14C and 14D. Since either of these locations is intended to provide electrical contact between the connector contacts and the electrical busbar, a good connection is ensured by simply placing the magnetic connector close enough to the busbar system to allow the magnetic field to pull them together . If desired, the connector and busbar may be provided with complementary keying features to ensure that the connector can only be connected to the busbar in one of two positions.

Figures 37A-C show another version of the flush busbar system where the conductive elements 3801 and the ferromagnetic strips 3803 are thin strips mounted to steel strips. A thin steel strip would allow the ferromagnetic strip 3803 to fit on the underside of the strip and still provide sufficient magnetic attraction for connected equipment. In the example shown in Figure 37C, one of the conductive elements also provides the function of a ferromagnetic strip.

Turning now to FIGS. 24A-B and 25A-B , another exemplary busbar system with integrated LED lighting is shown, providing lighting and additional access to power through the integrated busbar. In Figures 24A-B, the LEDs are connected directly to the busbar conductors, while in Figure 25-B, the busbar conductors are connected to the integrated LED circuit.

Finally, Figure 26 illustrates an exemplary system installed in a deck environment, and Figures 27 and 28 illustrate an exemplary system installed in a kitchen. It should be understood, however, that the exemplary environment described here is not intended to be limiting, and that the subject systems and methods may be used in any location where low voltage power distribution is desired.

It will also be appreciated that the conductive elements may be covered with a removable substrate, such as a film, to protect the conductive elements should the carrier need to be coated.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and substitutions to these details can be developed in light of the general teachings of the disclosure. For example, those skilled in the art would appreciate that one or more features and components of each described embodiment may be incorporated into other described embodiments to perform the same function as desired for a given purpose. It will thus be appreciated that the described features are not limited to any particular embodiment, but can be used freely across embodiment(s) where applicable. Additionally, it will be understood that the size, shape, arrangement and/or number of components shown and described may be varied as necessary to meet a given need. The embodiments described and illustrated are therefore not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is to be given the full scope of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.

Claims (19)

1. An apparatus for connection to an electrical bus comprising a carrier, at least one pair of electrically conductive elements arranged linearly along the carrier and a linearly arranged ferromagnetic element carried by the carrier, said apparatus comprising: A housing adapted to be releasably coupled to an electrical bus bar, the housing having at least one pair of conductive contacts arranged to electrically engage at least one pair of conductive elements, and at least one magnet held by Arranged to generate a single linear magnetic field to magnetically cooperate with the ferromagnetic element. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a pair of conductive contacts is arranged to receive electrical signals from at least one pair of conductive elements. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an output interface electrically coupled to at least one pair of conductive elements. 4. The device of claim 1, wherein a pair of conductive contacts is arranged to provide electrical signals to at least one pair of conductive elements. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus includes a low voltage direct current power supply electrically coupled to at least one pair of conductive elements. 6. An electrical bus comprising: a carrier having a planar operating surface; and at least one pair of conductive elements carried by the carrier, wherein each of the at least one pair of conductive elements extends linearly along the length of the carrier, and wherein at least a portion of the conductive elements are exposed on the planar operating surface of the carrier and in contact with The flat operating surface of the carrier is flush. 7. The electrical busbar of claim 6, further comprising a ferromagnetic element carried by the carrier, wherein the ferromagnetic element extends linearly along the length of the carrier. 8. The electrical busbar of claim 7, wherein the ferromagnetic element is disposed intermediate at least one pair of conductive elements. 9. The electrical busbar of claim 7, wherein the ferromagnetic element is integrally disposed within the carrier. 10. The electrical busbar of claim 6, wherein opposite side surfaces of the carrier frame are provided with undercuts for coupling the carrier frame to a mounting surface. 11. The electrical busbar of claim 6, wherein opposing side surfaces of each of the at least one pair of conductive elements are provided with undercuts for coupling each of the at least one pair of conductive elements to the carrier. 12. The electrical busbar of claim 6, wherein one or more of the at least one pair of conductive elements is provided with a spring return such that the carrier will substantially straighten when released from the coiled configuration. 13. An electrical busbar as claimed in claim 7, wherein one or more of the at least one pair of conductive elements and the ferromagnetic material are provided with spring tempering such that when released from the coiled configuration the carrier will substantially straighten . 14. The electrical busbar of claim 6, wherein the carrier frame and the at least one pair of conductive elements are provided with a plurality of points of weakness to allow the length of the electrical busbar to be shortened. 15. The electrical bus of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of LEDs carried by the carrier and electrically coupled to at least one pair of conductive elements, wherein the at least one pair of conductive elements provides power to the plurality of LEDs. 16. The electrical bus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of LEDs are incorporated into an integrated LED circuit. 17. The electrical busbar of claim 6, comprising two or more pairs of conductive elements for providing multiple power paths and/or communication signal paths to one or more devices. 18. An electrical busbar system comprising: An electrical bus bar comprising a carrier frame and at least one pair of conductive elements, wherein each of the at least one pair of conductive elements extends linearly along the length of the carrier frame, and wherein at least a portion of each of the at least one pair of conductive elements is exposed to the carrier at the first surface of the frame; A power supply for supplying a low voltage DC power signal to at least one pair of conductive elements, wherein the power supply is adapted to be mounted within the electrical junction box housing. 19. The electrical busbar system of claim 18, wherein the power source has at least one pair of conductive contacts, and wherein the second surface of the carrier has at least one pair of openings whereby when the electrical busbar is mounted on the junction box housing at least A pair of conductive contacts will engage at least one pair of conductive elements.