Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a system for a presentation, sales or exhibition stand and/or for store fitting, the system comprising a current-carrying wall member and a current collector for an electrical device, which is configured to be mounted on the wall member; wherein the wall member comprises a carrier plate having a front side and a back side; wherein the wall member comprises first electrical conductor tracks of a first polarity and second electrical conductor tracks of a second polarity, wherein the first and second electrical conductor tracks are arranged alternately at least in sections; wherein the first electrical conductor tracks and the second electrical conductor tracks are arranged on the front side of the carrier plate; wherein the current collector comprises a plurality of at least two contact needles, wherein the current collector is adapted to be attached to the wall member such that at least one of the contact needles contacts one of the first electrical conductor tracks and at least one other of the contact needles contacts one of the second electrical conductor tracks; and wherein the wall member comprises a first electrical terminal contact and a second electrical terminal contact, wherein the first electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the first electrical conductor tracks, wherein the second electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the second electrical conductor tracks, and wherein the first electrical terminal contact and the second electrical terminal contact are arranged on the back side of the carrier plate. The present disclosure further relates to a corresponding wall member and a corresponding method.
Claims
1. A system, configured for a presentation, sales or exhibition stand and/or for store fitting, the system comprising: a current-carrying wall member; and a current collector for an electrical device, which is configured to be mounted on the wall member; wherein the wall member comprises a carrier plate having a front side and a back side; wherein the wall member comprises first electrical conductor tracks of a first polarity and second electrical conductor tracks of a second polarity, wherein the first and second electrical conductor tracks are arranged alternately at least in sections; wherein the first electrical conductor tracks and the second electrical conductor tracks are arranged on the front side of the carrier plate; wherein the current collector comprises a plurality of at least two contact needles, wherein the current collector is adapted to be attached to the wall member such that at least one of the contact needles contacts one of the first electrical conductor tracks and at least one other of the contact needles contacts one of the second electrical conductor tracks; and wherein the wall member comprises a first electrical terminal contact and a second electrical terminal contact, wherein the first electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the first electrical conductor tracks, wherein the second electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the second electrical conductor tracks, and wherein the first electrical terminal contact and the second electrical terminal contact are arranged on the back side of the carrier plate.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein an extension of the first electrical conductor tracks is guided around an edge of the carrier plate from the front side to the back side of the carrier plate and is electrically conductively coupled to the first connection contact; and wherein an extension of the second electrical conductor tracks is guided around an edge of the carrier plate from the front side to the back side of the carrier plate and is electrically conductively coupled to the second connection contact.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical conductor tracks and the second electrical conductor tracks form an engaging comb structure; wherein the first electrical conductor tracks form a first comb and the second electrical conductor tracks form a second comb, wherein for at least one of the two combs the prongs of the comb structure are arranged on the front side of the carrier plate and a web of the comb structure connecting the prongs is arranged on the back side of the carrier plate.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical conductive tracks on the front side and the electrical terminal contacts on the back side comprise a common electrically conductive layer; and wherein the electrically conductive layer is guided around an edge of the carrier plate from the front side of the carrier plate to the back side of the carrier plate.
5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the electrical conductive tracks on the front side and the electrical terminal contacts on the back side comprise a common electrically conductive foil which is applied to the carrier plate.
6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second electrical terminal contacts are arranged rotationally symmetrically on the back side of the carrier plate.
7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the first and second electrical terminal contacts are arranged at diagonally opposite corners on the back side of the carrier plate.
8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrical terminal contacts are arranged mirror-symmetrically on the back side of the carrier plate.
9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wall member further comprises a third electrical terminal contact and a fourth electrical terminal contact, wherein the third electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the first electrical conductor tracks, wherein the fourth electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the second electrical conductor tracks, and wherein the third electrical terminal contact and the fourth electrical terminal contact are arranged on the back side of the carrier plate.
10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wall member is square.
11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical terminal contact is arranged in a first edge region on the back side of the carrier plate and the second electrical terminal contact is arranged in a second opposite edge region on the back side of the carrier plate.
12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical terminal contact extends along a first edge of the back side of the carrier plate; and wherein the second electrical terminal contact extends along a second, opposite edge of the back side of the carrier plate.
13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrical terminal contacts on the back side are coupled by electrical connections through the carrier plate to the respective corresponding electrical conductor track on the front side.
14. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a cover covering the front side of the carrier plate.
15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wall member and the current collector are adapted such that the current collector is magnetically attachable to the wall member.
16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of at least one of at least two, at least four, and/or at least nine of the wall members, and wherein the system further comprises an electrode arrangement for supplying power to the wall elements via the first and second connection contacts on the back side.
17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the electrode arrangement comprises a first group and a second group of electrodes, said first group of electrodes being adapted and arranged to connect said first electrical terminal contacts of said respective wall elements to a first polarity; said second group of electrodes being adapted and arranged to connect said second electrical terminal contacts of the respective wall elements to a second polarity.
18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the electrodes of the first group and the electrodes of the second group are arranged in different rows and/or columns.
19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the electrodes of the first group and the electrodes of the second group are arranged in particular arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the electrode arrangement is further adapted such that the wall elements are magnetically attachable to the electrode arrangement, in particular wherein the electrode arrangement comprises electrically conducting magnets.
21. The system according to claim 16, wherein the electrode arrangement is further adapted such that the wall elements are magnetically attachable to the electrode arrangement, and wherein the electrode arrangement comprises electrically conducting magnets.
22. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a wall member without front side conductor tracks.
23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the wall member without front side conductor tracks has a backside electrical insulation.
24. Wall member in a system according to claim 1, the system being in particular a system for a presentation, sales or exhibition stand and/or for store fitting, the system comprising a current-carrying wall member and a current collector for an electrical device, which is configured to be mounted on the wall member; wherein the wall member comprises a carrier plate having a front side and a back side; wherein the wall member comprises first electrical conductor tracks of a first polarity and second electrical conductor tracks of a second polarity, wherein the first and second electrical conductor tracks are arranged alternately at least in sections; wherein the first electrical conductor tracks and the second electrical conductor tracks are arranged on the front side of the carrier plate; wherein the current collector comprises a plurality of at least two contact needles, wherein the wall member is adapted such that that the current collector is attachable to the wall member such that at least one of the contact needles contacts one of the first electrical conductor tracks and at least one other of the contact needles contacts one of the second electrical conductor tracks; and wherein the wall member comprises a first electrical terminal contact and a second electrical terminal contact, wherein the first electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the first electrical conductor tracks, wherein the second electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the second electrical conductor tracks, and wherein the first electrical terminal contact and the second electrical terminal contact are arranged on the back side of the carrier plate.
25. (canceled)
26. A method to manufacture a wall member for a system that includes a current-carrying wall member; and a current collector for an electrical device, which is configured to be mounted on the wall member; wherein the wall member comprises a carrier plate having a front side and a back side; wherein the wall member comprises first electrical conductor tracks of a first polarity and second electrical conductor tracks of a second polarity, wherein the first and second electrical conductor tracks are arranged alternately at least in sections; wherein the first electrical conductor tracks and the second electrical conductor tracks are arranged on the front side of the carrier plate, wherein the current collector comprises a plurality of at least two contact needles, wherein the current collector is adapted to be attached to the wall member such that at least one of the contact needles contacts one of the first electrical conductor tracks and at least one other of the contact needles contacts one of the second electrical conductor tracks; and wherein the wall member comprises a first electrical terminal contact and a second electrical terminal contact, wherein the first electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the first electrical conductor tracks, wherein the second electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the second electrical conductor tracks, and wherein the first electrical terminal contact and the second electrical terminal contact are arranged on the back side of the carrier plate, the method comprising: providing the carrier plate, wherein the carrier plate has the front side and the back side; applying first electrical conductor tracks of the first polarity and second electrical conductor tracks of the second polarity; applying the first electrical terminal contact and the second electrical terminal contact on the back side of the carrier plate.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0084] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail in the following description.
[0085] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary presentation stand with a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with several wall members;
[0086] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a wall member without cover;
[0087] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a wall member with cover;
[0088] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a current collector attached to a wall member;
[0089] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the current collector of FIG. 4;
[0090] FIGS. 6A-E show a schematic illustration of a first exemplary wall member;
[0091] FIGS. 7A-E show a schematic illustration of a second exemplary wall member;
[0092] FIGS. 8A-E show a schematic illustration of a third exemplary wall member;
[0093] FIGS. 9A-E show a schematic illustration of a fourth exemplary wall member;
[0094] FIG. 10 shows a schematic illustration of a front view of a plurality of wall members;
[0095] FIG. 11 shows a schematic illustration of a first rear view of a plurality of wall members;
[0096] FIG. 12 shows a schematic illustration of a second rear view of a plurality of wall members;
[0097] FIG. 13 shows a further schematic illustration of backside contacting of a plurality of wall members;
[0098] FIG. 14 shows a schematic illustration of a plurality of mounting elements;
[0099] FIG. 15 shows a current-carrying wall member;
[0100] FIG. 16 shows a flow-chart of a method;
[0101] FIG. 17 shows a first exemplary illustration of an arrangement of contact needles on a current collector;
[0102] FIG. 18 shows a second exemplary illustration of an arrangement of contact needles on a current collector;
[0103] FIG. 19 shows a third exemplary illustration of an arrangement of contact needles on a current collector;
[0104] FIG. 20 shows a fourth exemplary illustration of an arrangement of contact needles on a current collector;
[0105] FIG. 21 shows an illustration of arrangements of contact needles on a current-carrying member in different positions and rotations FIG. 22 shows a further illustration of different arrangements of contact needles on a current-carrying wall member in different positions and rotations FIG. 23 shows an arrangement of three contact needles in combination with a rectifier;
[0106] FIG. 24 shows an arrangement of four contact needles in combination with a rectifier;
[0107] FIGS. 25A-C show a top view as well as first and second side views of a current collector for an electrical device;
[0108] FIG. 26 shows a perspective view of an exemplary current collector;
[0109] FIG. 27 shows a perspective view of an exemplary current collector with a magnetic holder;
[0110] FIG. 28 shows a flowchart of a method
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0111] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary presentation stand 100 or a shop window construction with a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The presentation stand 100 comprises a plurality of wall members 10. Each side may be composed of a plurality of individual wall members. Various objects 5 can be attached to the wall members 10. For this purpose, various fasteners known from store fitting or trade fair construction can be used. In a preferred embodiment, the objects can be magnetically attached to the wall members 10. An advantage of this solution is that the objects 5 can be positioned freely on the wall members 10. It shall also be understood that corresponding floor or ceiling elements can be provided, which are also referred to as wall members in the context of the present disclosure for the sake of simplicity. The objects may be electrical devices 5, such as a light source, lighting equipment, a screen, a motor, a loudspeaker, a mannequin or the like. For the power supply, current collectors are provided which are electrically connected to the electrical consumers 5 or can be configured as part of the objects or electrical devices.
[0112] With the proposed wall member 10 and the associated current collector 20, presentation, sales or exhibition stands 100, especially in modern showrooms, can be easily modified and, in particular, easily adapted to local conditions, thus providing a high degree of flexibility with regard to the design freedom of the presentation, sales or exhibition stand 100. Such wall members 10 can also be used in store fitting. Furthermore, the system can advantageously also be used in museums or in the smart home sector.
[0113] Compared to conventional exhibition stands, there is no need for complex wiring of electrical devices, which not only simplifies assembly and disassembly considerably, but also allows the electrical consumers to be positioned almost freely and variably. For the construction of the presentation, sales or exhibition stand 100, several wall members 10 are typically assembled. With the proposed current-carrying wall members with back side contacting, the assembly can be further simplified.
[0114] A peculiarity of the proposed system can be that the current collectors 10 or the electrical consumers 5 can not only be flexibly positioned on the wall members 1 with regard to their horizontal and vertical position, but that rotation can also be enabled. For this purpose, the proposed system comprises at least one current-carrying wall member 10 and a current collector 20 for an electrical device 5. An embodiment of a current-carrying wall member 10 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Exemplary embodiments of current collectors are shown in FIG. 4 ff.
[0115] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of a wall member 10 without cover. The wall member 10 comprises first electrical conductor tracks 11 of a first polarity and second electrical conductor tracks 12 of a second polarity. The first and second electrical conductors 11, 12 are arranged alternately at least in sections. The first electrical conductors 11 can form a first comb-like structure. The second electrical conductors 12 can form a second, corresponding comb-like structure, whereby the first comb-like structure and the second comb-like structure are formed such that the comb-like structures engage in one another. An insulation gap is provided between the first and second electrical conductors 11, 12. The insulation gap ensures that no short circuit occurs. Preferably, the width of the insulation gap should be as small as possible, for example less than 2 mm, in particular less than 1.5 mm, in particular less than 1.0 mm, in particular less than 0.5 mm, in particular less than 0.2 mm. The width of the isolation gap can be smaller than 1/10, especially smaller than 1/20 of a conductor track width. This can reduce the probability of one of the contact needles falling into the isolation gap. However, the insulation gap can be larger than a width of a tip of a contact needle of a current collector to avoid a short circuit between the conductive electrical tracks of the first polarity 11 and the conductive electrical tracks of the second polarity 12. The conductor tracks 11 of the first polarity are adapted to be connected to a first output of a voltage source, e.g. a positive pole 13. The conductor tracks 12 of the second polarity are adapted to be connected to a second output of a voltage source, for example a negative pole 14. Instead of a DC voltage, the conductor tracks 11, 12 can also be supplied with an AC voltage or a combination of DC and AC voltage. An area of the current-carrying wall member can be covered by at least 70%, in particular by at least 85%, in particular by at least 90% or 95% with the first and second conductor tracks. The conductor tracks 11, 12 can be part of a carrier element 15 of the wall member 10 or alternatively be applied on the carrier element 15. Advantageous embodiments of wall members with back side terminal contacts are shown in FIG. 6 ff.
[0116] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a wall member 10, which comprises an optional cover 18. For example, the cover 18 can cover the electrical conductor tracks 11, 12 applied to the carrier plate 15. Alternatively, the conductor tracks 11, 12 can be part of the cover. In this case, the conductor tracks may have the same or similar geometry as the conductor tracks described above and shown in FIG. 2. To attach the cover 18 to the wall member 10, a piping rail 17 (or a piping profile) can be provided at the edge, into which e.g. a piping strip on the cover side can be inserted. The piping rail can be made of silicone or aluminum, for example.
[0117] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a system comprising a wall member 10 and a current collector 20 attached to the wall member 10. FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the current collector 20 from FIG. 4 on the wall member 10. The wall member 10 comprises a carrier plate 15 and optionally a cover 18 covering it. The wall member 10 also comprises first electrical conductor tracks 11 of a first polarity and second electrical conductor tracks 12 of a second polarity, the first and second electrical conductor tracks 11, 12 being arranged alternately at least in sections.
[0118] The wall member 10 comprises a carrier plate having a front side and a back side. The first electrical conductor tracks 11 and the second electrical conductor tracks 12 are arranged on the front side of the carrier plate 15. The wall member 10 comprises a first electrical terminal contact 13 and a second electrical terminal contact 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the first electrical terminal contact 13 is electrically conductively coupled to the first electrical conductor tracks 11. The second electrical terminal contact 14 is electrically conductively coupled to the second electrical conductor tracks 12. The first electrical terminal contact 13 and the second electrical terminal contact 14 are arranged on the back side of the carrier plate 15. For example, planar or areal terminal contacts 13, 14 can be provided. The terminal contacts 13, 14 can be brought into contact with corresponding connection elements or electrodes, for example on a wall or on a presentation stand, as shown for example in FIGS. 11 to 13, in order to supply electrical power to the wall member. A front side of the wall member may refer to that side of the wall member 10 on which the current collector 20 is attachable. A back side of the wall member may be understood as the side opposite to the front side.
[0119] In the example shown in FIG. 4, the first and second electrical terminal contacts 13, 14 on the back side are connected by electrical connections through the carrier plate 15 to the respective corresponding electrical conductor track 11, 12 on the front side.
[0120] The current collector 20 comprises a plurality of at least two, in particular at least three contact needles 21a, 21b, 21c. The current collector 20 is adapted to be mounted on the wall member 10 such that at least one of the contact needles 21a contacts one of the first electrical conductor tracks 11 and at least one other of the contact needles 21b contacts one of the second electrical conductor tracks 12. Here, a first contact needle 21a, a second contact needle 21b, and a third contact needle 21c of the plurality of contact needles can be arranged such that they are arranged on a circle, as explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 17 ff. below.
[0121] To attach or mount the current collector 20 to the wall member 10, the wall member 10 and the current collector 20 can be adapted such that the current collector can be magnetically attached to the wall member. For example, the current collector 20 may comprise one or more magnets 32 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The electrical conductor tracks 11, 12 and/or the carrier plate may comprise a magnetic material so that the current collector can adhere to it.
[0122] The contact needles 21a-c of the current collector can be connected to a rectifier 22. The rectifier can be part of the current collector or part of an electrical device 5 that can be connected to the current collector. The rectifier 22 is adapted to provide an output voltage of defined polarity based on an input voltage applied to at least two of the contact needles 21a-c. Output pins 24a, 24b can be provided for this purpose, to which an electrical device 5 can be connected. The rectifier may comprise at least two, in particular at least three inputs 23a-c and two outputs 24a,b, each of the at least three inputs 23a-c being connected or connectable to a respective contact needle 21a-c. Exemplary embodiments of such rectifiers in the form of bridge rectifiers are shown in FIGS. 23 and 24. Optionally, the rectifier 22, the current collector 20 and the electrical device 5 can form a unit 6. Optionally, the current collector 20 and the rectifier 22 can be part of the electrical device 5.
[0123] It shall be understood that the current collector or contact needles can optionally comprise a contact spring 26 for the contact needles, as shown in FIG. 5, so as to provide a defined contact pressure.
[0124] FIGS. 6 to 8 show schematic illustrations of exemplary wall members. Herein denote: A a front view, B a rear view, C a first side view and D a second side view. In an optional embodiment, an electrically conductive layer 70, for example an electrically conductive foil may be provided, as shown in view E, which may be applied to the carrier plate.
[0125] As shown in FIG. 6A, the wall member 10 comprises first electrical conductor tracks 11 of a first polarity and second electrical conductor tracks 12 of a second polarity on the front side of the carrier plate 15. The first and second electrical conductor tracks 11, 12 are alternately arranged at least in sections. A current collector 20 placed on the wall member 10 may be arranged to establish an electrical connection to the first and second electrical conductor tracks 11, 12.
[0126] In the embodiment example shown in FIG. 6, an extension 61 of the first electrical conductor tracks 11 around an edge 63 of the carrier plate may be guided from the front side to a back side of the carrier plate 15. Accordingly, an extension 62 of the second electrical conductor tracks 12 may be guided around a (second) edge 64 of the carrier plate from the front side to a back side of the carrier plate 15. This is exemplarily shown in FIG. 6A to D.
[0127] FIG. 6C shows a side view of how the extension 61 is wraps around the edge of the carrier plate from the front side to the back side. The rear view is shown in FIG. 6B. The extension 61 of the first electrical conductor tracks 11 is electrically conductively connected to the first back side terminal contact 13. The extension 62 of the second electrical conductor tracks 12 is electrically conductively connected to the second back side terminal contact 14. Optionally, the extensions 61, 62 may serve as back side terminal contacts. However, the terminal contacts 13, 14 may comprise further elements. For example, the first and/or second backside terminal contacts 13,14 may comprise a magnet for magnetically attaching the wall member to a support structure, such as an electrode assembly or a wall. A magnet or other attachment means may be provided as a separate element. Advantageously, current conducting magnets, such as conductively coated neodymium magnets may be used.
[0128] FIG. 6E shows an illustration of an electrically conductive layer 70 in an exemplary embodiment as an electrically conductive film. The electrical conductor tracks 11, 12 and the extensions 61, 62 may be implemented as a conductive foil. The extensions may thus be guided around the edges of the carrier plate in a simple manner. Hereby, parts of the electrically conductive layer 70 may serve as terminal contacts 13, 14. It shall be understood that an insulating layer 65 may be provided between the electrical conductor tracks 11, 12 and the carrier plate 15. This may prevent the conductive paths 11, 12 from being short-circuited by the carrier plate 15. For example, if the carrier plate 15 is made of a conductive material such as steel.
[0129] Exemplary wall members are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, respectively, in rows one, columns one and two with a front view and a rear view.
[0130] In embodiment, the extensions 61, 62 or terminal contacts 13, 14 may be arranged such that during manufacturing the extensions or terminal contacts may be arranged interleaved with each other. An advantage of this embodiment is that material is saved.
[0131] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of another exemplary wall member 10. In order to avoid repetitions, in the following potential differences over the previously described embodiment will be highlighted.
[0132] As shown in FIG. 7A, the first electrical traces 11 and the second electrical conductor tracks 12 may form an engaging or interleaved comb structure. The first electrical conductor tracks 11 form a first comb and the second electrical conductor tracks 12 form a second comb. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6A, for both combs, the prongs or tines of the comb structure are arranged on the front side of the carrier plate 15. In FIG. 6A, a web connecting the prongs is also arranged on the front side of the carrier plate 15. In contrast thereto, according to FIG. 7, for at least one of the two combs, a web 66 of the comb structure connecting the tines may be arranged on the back side of the carrier plate 15. Thereby, a better utilization of the area of the front side can be achieved. Also in the edge regions of the wall member 10, the probability that at least one of the contact needles of the current collector 20 contacts one of the first electrical conductor tracks 11 and at least another one of the contact needles contacts one of the second electrical conductor tracks 12 can thus be increased. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7E, folded edges are shown as a dashed line 73 along which the foil can be wrapped around the edges 63, 64 of the carrier plate 15.
[0133] In FIGS. 6 and 7, generally the same or similar carrier plate 15 may be used. Different embodiments may be realized by covering the carrier plates 15 with a different film 70, as shown in FIG. 6E and FIG. 7E. It shall be understood that such a film may have a layered structure comprising multiple layers. At least one conductive layer may be provided to form the first electrical conductor tracks 11 and the second electrical conductor tracks 12. Further, at least one insulating layer may be provided to provide electrical insulation with respect to the carrier plate 15. Further, one or more cover layers may optionally be provided. This may, for example, also be a cover as described above.
[0134] As already described for FIG. 6, the first and second electrical terminal contacts 13,14 may be formed directly by extensions 61,62 of the electrical conductor tracks 11,12.
[0135] In the backside view of the wall member 10 shown in FIG. 7B, the first and second electrical terminal contacts 13, 14 are arranged rotationally symmetrically on the back side of the carrier plate 15. This allows the wall members 10 to be mounted with more flexible orientation, as exemplarily shown in FIG. 10. In the context of the present disclosure, a rotationally symmetrical arrangement may refer to an arrangement wherein, when the carrier plate is rotated about its center point about an axis orthogonal to the front side of the carrier plate, at least a partial area of the second electrical terminal contact comes to rest at a position which corresponds to at least a partial area of the former position of the first electrical terminal contact 13. A partial overlap during rotation may thus be sufficient.
[0136] Optionally, the wall member 10 further comprises a third electrical terminal contact 13′ and a fourth electrical terminal contact 14′, wherein the third electrical terminal contact 13′ is electrically conductively coupled to the first electrical conductor tracks 11 and wherein the fourth electrical terminal contact 14′ is electrically conductively coupled to the second electrical conductor tracks 12. The third electrical terminal contact 13′ and the fourth electrical terminal contact 14′ are arranged on the back side of the carrier plate. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the carrier plate 15 is square. The four terminal contacts are arranged rotationally symmetrically on the back side of the carrier plate 15, in the present example in pairs at diagonally opposite corners on the back side of the carrier plate. This allows the plate to be mounted rotated by 90° on a wall or on a support structure, as shown in FIG. 10. Exemplary wall members are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 in row three columns one and two respectively, with a front view and a rear view.
[0137] By arranging the contact elements 13,14 in the edge areas on the left and right side of the back surface of the carrier plate 15, a material usage can be reduced. In particular, a central area of the rear surface of the carrier plate 15 can remain free.
[0138] FIG. 8 shows a further embodiment of a wall member 10. In this embodiment, the first electrical terminal contact 13 is arranged in a first edge region on the back side of the carrier plate 15 and the second electrical terminal contact 14 is arranged in a second opposite edge region on the back side of the carrier plate 15. Hereby, the connection contact may simultaneously provide the function of the web 66 of the comb structures connecting the respective conductive tracks 11 to each other. Optionally, the conductor tracks may be wrapped around to the back side of the carrier plate 15 and connected to each other by the extensions 61 of connection terminals formed as bars. Exemplary wall members are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 in row two columns three and four respectively, with a front view and a rear view.
[0139] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the system comprises a combination of wall members with front-side conductor tracks and wall members without front-side conductor tracks. Thus, simpler, less expensive elements can be used in areas where no power supply is required.
[0140] FIG. 9 therefore shows an exemplary embodiment of a wall member without conductive tracks on the front side. However, the wall member 10 may have an insulating layer 65, in particular in one or more regions 68 in which electrical contact is usually made.
[0141] FIG. 9E shows an insulation layer in the form of a flat film. Optionally, however, smaller foil areas may also be provided, for example as indicated in FIG. 9 E by reference sign 68. A part of the carrier plate 15 can remain free. This can save material.
[0142] FIGS. 10 and 11 show a schematic representation of a front view and a rear view, respectively, of a wall equipped with an arrangement of a plurality of wall members. For example, this may be the rear of a shop window or exhibition stand as shown in FIG. 1. Instead of large wall members, the system may comprise a plurality of wall members 10. An advantage arises in particular if the system has a combination of wall members with front-side conductor tracks and wall members without front-side conductor tracks. In this way, the manufacturing effort can be reduced and costs can be saved.
[0143] Advantageously, the wall members can be attached to the wall via a detachable connection, in particular magnetically. This allows the wall members to be easily exchanged and reorganized. For example, areas which were previously equipped with a wall member without front-side conductor tracks can now be provided with a wall member with front-side conductor tracks. Furthermore, the number of wall members with or without front-side conductor tracks can be increased or reduced. This allows an exact adaptation to the customer's requirements and the available budget. A subsequent upgrade is thus possible.
[0144] As shown in the rear view in FIG. 11, the system may comprise an electrode arrangement for supplying power to the wall members via the first and second rear connection terminals 13, 14. The electrode arrangement comprises a first group of electrodes 81 and a second group of electrodes 82. For example, a positive pole may be provided via the electrodes 81 and a negative pole may be provided via the electrodes 82. The first group of electrodes 81 is adapted and arranged to connect the first electrical terminal contacts 13 of the respective wall members with a first polarity. The second group of electrodes 82 is adapted and arranged to connect the second electrical terminal contacts 14 of the respective wall members 15 to a second polarity. The proposed arrangement allows the wall members to be flexibly arranged and, in particular, to be rotated in 180° or 90° steps.
[0145] An advantage of the proposed solution may in particular be that even designers and decorators without in-depth knowledge of electrical engineering can replace and reposition wall members. Even though turning wall members may lead to a change in the polarity of the first and second electrical conductor tracks. However, this is generally not critical. In the case of current collectors, it is also not known in advance which of the needles will be in contact with conductive paths of the first and second polarities. For example, a rectifier may thus be provided, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24.
[0146] In FIG. 11, the electrodes of the first group 81 and the electrodes of the second group 82 are arranged in a checkerboard pattern in different rows and different columns. The electrode arrangement may include receiving elements or mounting elements 88, which may be located between the electrodes of the first group and the second group and are not current carrying. For example, a power supply may be provided via the checkerboard-like electrode arrangement of respective diagonally opposite corners of the wall members 10. For the further corners of the wall members 10, it is sufficient if these are merely mounted on one or more mounts or mounting elements 88 or even directly mounted on a wall or a mounting stand.
[0147] Optionally, the wall members 10 with the first and second conductor tracks as well as the backside terminal contacts contacting the same can be arranged in such a way that the wall member 10 may be shortened to a predetermined length. For this purpose, the first electrical terminal contact 13 and the second electrical terminal contact 14 may be arranged, at least in sections, on the same side or on the same edge on the back side of the carrier plate 15. Examples of wall members 10 which can be shortened in this way are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. As shown in FIG. 11 row 4 columns 3 and 4, a length of the corresponding wall members 10 can thus be flexibly adapted to desired application scenarios.
[0148] FIG. 12 shows a schematic illustration of a second rear view of a plurality of wall members 10. The electrode arrangement herein comprises current-carrying longitudinal electrodes 85, 86. These may at the same time serve as mounting elements for the wall members 10. An advantage of this embodiment is easy assembly. It shall be understood that the possible rotation states of the wall members may be limited by the electrode arrangement. For example, in case of the wall members shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, a short circuit must be avoided. This problem does not arise with the checkerboard arrangement of electrodes 81, 82 shown in FIG. 11. However, flexible rotation of the wall member shown in FIG. 6 or of the wall members shown in FIG. 10 line 1 columns 1 and 2 is possible in conjunction with the electrode arrangement shown in FIG. 12.
[0149] FIG. 13 shows a further embodiment of a backside contact arrangement for a plurality of wall members. Here, a plurality of electrodes may be attached to the wall, wherein the electrode arrangement comprises a first group of electrodes 91 connected to a first polarity, for example a positive pole, and a second group of electrodes connected to a negative pole.
[0150] An exemplary connection of multiple electrodes is shown in FIG. 14. An electrode 90 of the electrode arrangement may comprise a fastening means 96, for example in the form of a screw, which may be fastened in a wall 140, for example by means of a dowel. The electrode 90 may further comprise a retaining element, for example a magnet 95, by means of which the wall member 10 may be attached to the electrode. With this type of attachment, a synergistic effect may result if a load is also magnetically attached to the wall member. Furthermore, the electrode 90 may comprise a connector 97 to which a supply line may be connected. In particular, the connection 97 can be designed in such a way that a continuation to or contacting of further electrodes is possible.
[0151] In order to improve mechanical stability, non-contacted electrodes or elements may be provided, as indicated by reference numeral 93 in FIG. 13.
[0152] FIG. 15 shows a further example of a rear view of a current-carrying wall member with a first back side terminal contact 13 and a second back side terminal contact 14. An insulating layer 65 may be provided at least partially on the back side. It may have recesses for the first and second terminal contacts 13,14.
[0153] FIG. 16 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 300 for manufacturing a wall member.
[0154] In a first step S301, a (ferromagnetic) carrier plate is provided, the carrier plate having a front side and a back side.
[0155] In a subsequent step S302, first electrical conductor tracks of a first polarity and second electrical conductor tracks of a second polarity are applied, the first and second electrical conductor tracks being alternately arranged at least in sections; wherein the first electrical conductor tracks and the second electrical conductor tracks are applied to the front side of the carrier plate.
[0156] In a step S303, a first electrical terminal contact and a second electrical terminal contact are applied to the back side of the carrier plate, wherein the first electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the first electrical conductor tracks, and wherein the second electrical terminal contact is electrically conductively coupled to the second electrical conductor tracks.
[0157] For example, for steps S302 and S303, an electrically conductive film as shown in FIGS. 6E to 8E may first be applied to the front surface of the carrier plate, according to step S302, and then folded around the edges of the carrier plate to be applied to the back surface, according to step S303.
[0158] Embodiments of the current collector and, in particular, various arrangements of the contact needles are described below.
[0159] FIGS. 17 to 20 show exemplary illustrations of arrangements of contact needles 21a-f on a current collector 20. The current collectors 20 comprise a plurality of at least three contact needles 21a-21f respectively, where a first contact needle 21a, a second contact needle 21b, and a third contact needle 21c of the plurality of contact needles 21a-21f are arranged such that they lie on a circle 41. The circle 41 is shown in dotted auxiliary lines, as this is only serves to describe the type of arrangement.
[0160] In the example shown in FIG. 17, the current collector 20 comprises three contact needles 21a-c, wherein the first, the second and the third contact needle 21a-21c of the current collector 20 are arranged such that they form a triangle 42, in particular an acute-angled triangle, in particular an isosceles triangle, and in particular an equilateral triangle.
[0161] FIG. 21 shows an illustration of the current collector shown in FIG. 17 or respectively its contact needle arrangement in different positions and rotations A to F. In the background, the first electrical conductor tracks 11 and second electrical conductor tracks 12 of the wall member 10 are shown. The current collector 20 (more precisely its contact needle arrangement) is adapted to be attached to the wall member such that at least one of the contact needles 21a contacts one of the first electrical conductors 11 and at least one other of the contact needles 21b, 21c contacts one of the second electrical conductors 12. As can be seen from FIG. 21, even in a plurality of different rotation states, at least one of the contact needles can always be in contact with one of the first electrical conductor tracks 11, here the positive pole, and at least one of the contact needles can be in contact with one of the second electrical conductor tracks 12, here the negative pole. This applies even if, as shown in position C, one of the contact needles 21c lies in an insulation gap 19 between the tracks 11, 12.
[0162] Hereby, a diameter of the circle 41 (see FIG. 17), on which the first contact needle, the second contact needle and the third contact needle are arranged, can be smaller than or equal to the sum of a width 51 of one of the first conductor tracks 11 and a width 52 of one of the second conductor tracks 12 and optionally a width 53 of the insulation gap 19 between them. As shown in FIG. 21 at position E, two contact needles 21b, 21c can also lie on different conductor tracks 12 of the same polarity, whereby a third of the contact needles 21a lies on a conductor track 11 of the other polarity. Optionally, the contact needles 21a-c can be arranged such that a distance between the first contact needle 21a and a straight line through the second contact needle 21b and the third contact needle 21c is greater than a width 51, 52 of one of the electrical tracks 11, 12.
[0163] The following table shows exemplary combinations of conductive track widths and circle diameters 41, assuming an insulation gap with a width of 1 mm and a contact area of 0.5 mm. The first and second conductive tracks 11, 12 can have the same track width.
TABLE-US-00001 Electrical conductor Circle diameter d track width in mm in mm 9 16-17 10 17-19 11 18-21 14 22-27 15 24-29 19 29-37 20 30-39
[0164] FIG. 22 shows another illustration of different arrangements of contact needles on a current-carrying wall member in different positions and rotations. However, in a particularly unfavorable case, as shown in FIG. 22 position E, for example, the second contact needle 21b and the third contact needle 21c can fall into the insulation gap 19 between the tracks 11, 12. In this special case, a power supply would not be possible without any further action. A first possible solution is to combine a first and a second current collector with different rotational orientations of the contact needles 21a-21c, for example with the orientations shown in FIG. 22 position A and position B. However, this would require a not negligible amount of material.
[0165] FIG. 22 positions G to J show further exemplary remedies. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 and FIG. 22 position G, the current collector 10 can optionally be provided with a fourth contact needle 21d. The fourth or further contact needle 21d can be arranged within the circle 41, on which the first, second and third contact needle 21a-c are located. It shall be understood that such a further contact needle inside the circle can also be provided in combination with further contact needles, as for example shown in FIG. 18. In FIG. 18 such an optional further or second fourth contact needle is denoted 21g. Thereby the flexibility regarding free positioning and rotation of the current collector relative to the wall member can be further improved. In the examples shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 22 G, the fourth contact needle can be arranged in a center of circle 41 and/or in a center of gravity of triangle 42 (these points coincide for an equilateral triangle).
[0166] Optionally, the fourth contact needle 21d can be arranged spaced apart decentered from a center of the circle 41, as shown in FIG. 19. This has the advantage of reducing the probability that, for example, the contact needles 21a and 21d will lie in a straight line 43, which is parallel to a horizontal or vertical axis of the current collector 20. The inventors recognized that the current collectors 20 are often aligned horizontally or vertically. Against this background, it can be advantageous to arrange the positioning of the contact needles turned with respect to a horizontal or vertical axis of the current collector 20, as shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 22 position H. This can also provide the advantage of reducing the probability that, for example, contact needles 21a and 21d are located on a straight line 43 parallel to a horizontal or vertical axis of the current collector 20. The use of a fourth contact needle 21d is optional. In particular, exactly three contact needles can be provided in this case, so that the costs and the manufacturing effort can be further reduced.
[0167] In a further exemplary embodiment the current collector 20 may also comprise a fourth contact needle 21d, a fifth contact needle 21e and a sixth contact needle 21f. The six contact needles 21a-f can be arranged as a hexagon, especially as an equilateral hexagon or star. As shown in the examples in FIG. 22 position I and J, in this case, even if two contact needles 21a and 21d, as shown in FIG. 22 position I, or 21b and 21d, as shown in FIG. 22 position J, fall into the insulation gap 19, an electrical connection can still be established with one of the first electrical conductor tracks 11 and one of the second electrical conductor tracks 12. Another advantage of this embodiment can be that when the current collector 20 is attached to the wall member 10, at least two contact needles 21e, 21f contact one or more of the first electrical conductor tracks 11 and at least two of the contact needles 21b, 21c contact one or more of the second electrical conductor tracks 12. This may allow higher current flows and thus higher power of an electrical device 5 connected to the current collector 20.
[0168] FIG. 23 shows an illustration of a current collector 20 with an arrangement of three contact needles 21a-21c in connection with a rectifier 22. FIG. 24 shows a corresponding representation of a current collector 20 with an arrangement of four contact needles 21a-21d in connection with a rectifier 22. In the shown examples, a diode bridge rectifier is shown, but other types of rectifiers can be used. An advantage of this solution is a simple, low-cost design, which is also easily scalable for a larger number of contact needles 21a-f. An output voltage of defined polarity is provided at outputs 24a, 24b, which can be fed to an electrical load 5.
[0169] FIG. 25 A to C show a top view (C), as well as a first and a second side view (A, B) of a specific exemplary embodiment of a current collector 20 for an electrical device. FIG. 26 shows a perspective view of this current collector 20. Such a current collector can also be called a needle connector. Here the contact needles 21a-21d can be arranged on a lower side or first side of the housing and the current interfaces 24a, 24b can be arranged on an upper side or second (opposite) side of the housing. For example, the rectifier circuit 20 shown in FIG. 24 may be integrated into the current collector 20. Hence a compact component can be provided that can be handles easily.
[0170] In the shown example, the current collector comprises four contact needles, which may for example be arranged similar to the illustration shown in FIG. 20. However, other arrangements or numbers of contact needles may be provided. In particular, the current collector 20 may be adapted such that, with horizontal or vertical alignment of the current collector, a straight line through the first and second contact needles 21a, 21b intersects a horizontal or vertical axis of the current collector at an acute angle, in particular at an angle not exceeding 30°, in particular at an angle not exceeding 15°, in particular at an angle not exceeding 5%.
[0171] FIG. 27 shows a perspective view of a current collector 20 with a magnet holder 30. The magnet holder 30 may comprise one or more magnets 32 adapted to attach the magnet holder 30 and thus the current collector 20 to a wall member 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The magnet holder can have a receptacle 33 for the current collector 20, here in the form of a groove 33 provided on the magnet holder, which interacts with a corresponding tongue 27 of the current collector 20.
[0172] Optionally, the current collector 20 (especially in combination with the holder 30) can be adapted such that the contact needles 21a-d can be moved between a contact position, in which the contact needles can contact the electrical conductor tracks of the wall member, and a non-contact position, in which the contact needles are at a distance from the conductor tracks, when the current collector is placed on the current-carrying wall member. For this purpose, the current collector 20 may comprise a spring element 28, for example as shown in FIG. 25B and FIG. 26. The magnetic holder 30 may optionally further comprise a slot 33 for an electrical device. In this case, the electrical device can be adapted to contact the output pins or output contacts 24a, 24b for power supply in an inserted position. Optionally, the current collector 20 in combination with the holder 30 can be adapted to be moved from the non-contact position to the contact position by inserting an electrical device into the plug-in unit or groove 33.
[0173] FIG. 28 shows a flow chart of a method 200, in particular for a presentation, sales or exhibition stand (100) and/or for store fitting. In a first step S201, a current-carrying wall member as described in the present disclosure is provided. In a second step S202, a current collector as described in the context of the present disclosure is provided. In a third step S203, the current collector is attached to the current-carrying wall member in such a way that a first of the contact needles contacts one of the first electrical conductor tracks and at least one other of the contact needles contacts one of the second electrical conductor tracks.
[0174] In an optional fourth step S204, a check of the position and rotation of the current collector (or of an electrical device comprising the current collector or connected to the current collector) can be performed. In an optional fifth step S205 a correction of the position and/or rotation of the current collector can be made. Steps S204 and S205 can optionally be repeated iteratively until a desired position and rotational alignment is reached. This can further improve the flexibility in the placement or design of such a presentation system. In particular, it is not necessary to define a position and angular alignment of the electrical consumers in advance, as they can be flexibly adjusted.
[0175] It shall be understood that the embodiments described herein as examples can also be used in modified form, for example with a different number of contact needles, different dimensions, different distances between contact needles and surfaces and/or modifications of the geometric arrangement, within the scope of the attached claims respectively.
[0176] It shall be understood that the shown strictly vertical or horizontal arrangement of the electrical conductor tracks, as shown in FIG. 2, is to be understood as an example, so that they can also be provided thinner, thicker, diagonally or in some other way such as e.g. circular or meandering on the carrier element 15. For the operation of the electrical device 5 the current collector can interact with the electrical conductor tracks arranged on the carrier element in such a way that at least a first contact needle can come into electrical contact with one of the first conductor tracks and a second contact needle with one of the second conductor tracks. For the power supply, in particular low-voltage systems can be used, which work with 12/24 V and can therefore be used without danger. However, by using special insulators which are applied as varnish, foil and/or other materials, it is also conceivable to use higher-voltage systems, i.e. systems operating at higher voltage, if necessary. Thanks to the e.g. needle-like design of the contacting needles, they can be moved frequently without damaging the cover. In general, the conductors 11, 12 usually carry low voltage, for example 12 or 24 V, so that the risk of injury when handling the proposed wall member 10 or the current collector 20 or an electrical device 5 connected to it can be almost completely excluded. The application of the conductor tracks 11, 12 on the carrier plate 15 can be done for example by spraying, gluing or welding. In particular, conductive lacquers can also be used for the conductor paths 11, 12 which are sprayed/printed (e.g. by screen printing) onto the carrier plate 15.
[0177] It is also possible that the wall members 10 may not only be made flat, but can also be curved or arched. Modern magnets 6 enable magnetic forces of considerably more than 80 kg, so that even large electrical devices 5 or electrical devices 5 arranged in special presentation elements, such as shelves 11 (see FIG. 1), can be easily mounted to the respective wall members 10.
[0178] The wall member 10 can also be designed flexibly, in particular it can be rolled up or down, so that it can for example be used as wallpaper or floor covering. The wall member 10 can be constructed as a sandwich material, which comprises the current-carrying conductors 11, 12 and can be used or mounted as wallpaper/carpet (rolled material) or panel material.
[0179] The sandwich construction can be done as follows: The cover 18 (surface material) is configured as a thin, penetrable, flexible material, behind this the conductor tracks 11, 12 are arranged on an insulating material, behind this there is the carrier material 15 made of plastic and/or of magnetic or magnetizable material, such as steel.
[0180] The current collector 20 and/or the electrical consumer 5 can also be intelligent or programmable. Data can be transmitted by modulating a signal on one or both of the electrical conductor tracks 11, 12 by means of so-called power line communication (PLC) or by wireless communication or optically. For example, different current collectors 20 and/or electrical devices 5 can be selectively controlled. For example, switching/dimming/controlling of individual devices 5 is possible. Furthermore, a bus system can also be provided in which the electrical conductors 11, 12, the current collectors 20 and/or the electrical devices 5 represent a part of the bus system and with which individual devices 5 can be individually addressed/controlled.
[0181] Optionally, a wall member can also be adapted to be applied under a wall covering, such as fiberglass wallpaper, and used for example in the field of smart home or in a museum. The current collectors can be used to supply electrical devices, such as lighting equipment for pictures or other exhibits or monitors explaining the exhibits, with electrical energy.
[0182] Likewise, the proposed system can be used in an office or a private home, where it can then be placed for example under a surface of textile, foil or wood veneer or other wall surface materials. By means of the current collectors it is possible to flexibly supply electrical devices at different positions and especially at different angles of rotation with electrical energy, without having to provide a multitude of possibly ugly power outlets. In particular when using a low-voltage system, the safety for children or other persons can be improved while at the same time providing increased flexibility.
