KR20250140073A - Energy storage devices, power supplies and support rail systems that supply electricity to devices that can be mounted on support rails - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an energy storage device for supplying electricity to a power supply located at least partially at the rear of a support rail, i.e., such a power supply is provided for supplying electricity to at least one electronic device attachable to the front of a shelf rail, characterized in that the energy storage device comprises a first coupling device, the first coupling device being formed for electrically and mechanically coupling the energy storage device directly, i.e., without cables, to the power supply.

Description

Energy storage devices, power supplies and support rail systems that supply electricity to devices that can be mounted on support rails

The present invention relates to an energy storage device for supplying electricity to a device mountable on a support rail.

Today, electronic shelf labels, commonly known as Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs), are primarily battery-powered, typically housed within the ESL. However, these batteries, built into the ESLs, require multiple maintenance steps, such as battery charging or replacement, which must be performed individually for each ESL. Consequently, the workload increases with the number of ESLs in a store.

WO 2022/188956 A1 discloses a bus system integrated into a shelf rail, capable of supplying energy storage devices to a plurality of ESLs located on the shelf rail, wherein the energy storage devices are formed as battery modules comprising rechargeable battery components. These battery components are secured to the side supports of the shelf below the shelf bottom via magnets and are connected via cables to a power supply unit secured to the shelf rail via a plug, and power is supplied to the ESLs secured to the shelf rail from this power supply unit via the bus system. This measure can reduce the maintenance workload of the individual ESLs associated with the energy storage devices. However, the installation of the battery components has proven problematic in itself, namely, the cables must be attached to the supports in accordance with the cable length. Then, the cable must be connected to the back of the power supply in the shelf area below the shelf bottom, which is not easily or completely visible to the maintenance personnel without bending down to inspect the underside of the shelf bottom. Without visual inspection, it would take a long time to find the exact location. Furthermore, there is a potential risk of damage to the cable, plug, or socket that accepts the plug if the battery module is removed in an unskilled manner, as the battery module is in a locked state and very high tension is inadvertently applied to the cable before the battery module can be released from the power supply.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an energy storage device for a support rail, a power supply device for the support rail provided to fit the energy storage device, and a support rail system having the support rail and at least one energy storage device, thereby enabling simple and trouble-free maintenance of the energy storage device.

The above object of the present invention is solved by an energy storage device according to claim 1. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present invention relates to an energy storage device for supplying electricity to a power supply located at least partially at the rear of a support rail, i.e. such a power supply is provided for supplying electricity to at least one electronic device that can be attached to the front of the support rail, wherein the energy storage device has a first coupling device, which first coupling device is formed for electrically and mechanically coupling the energy storage device directly to the power supply, i.e. without cables.

Furthermore, the above object of the present invention is solved by a power supply device according to claim 16. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a power supply device for supplying electricity to at least one electronic device that can be attached to the front side of the support rail, wherein the power supply device is formed to engage with a side of the support rail or engage with the rear side thereof along the rear side of the support rail, so that the power supply device is at least partially positioned at the rear side of the support rail when mounted on the support rail, wherein the power supply device has a second coupling device, the second coupling device being formed to electrically and mechanically couple the power supply device directly, i.e. without cables, to an energy storage device used to supply electricity to the power supply device.

Furthermore, the above object of the present invention is solved by a support rail system according to claim 27. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a support rail system, comprising: a support rail for supporting at least one electronic device, a power supply device provided and formed for supplying electricity to the electronic device, which can be attached to the front of said support rail, and which is positioned at least partially at the rear of the support rail while inserted into the support rail, and an energy storage device provided and formed for supplying electricity to the power supply device at least partially at the rear of the support rail, wherein the power supply device and the energy storage device are formed to be electrically as well as mechanically coupled to each other directly at the rear of the support rail, i.e. without cables.

The measures according to the present invention have the advantage of allowing trouble-free maintenance of the energy supply device directly from the energy supply device and support rail, which can be easily handled.

Meanwhile, these advantages are provided by the fact that the energy storage device and power supply device are designed as separate units rather than as an integrated unit.

On the other hand, these advantages are achieved by directly coupling the energy storage device and the power supply unit, without the intentional provision of cables between them. This direct coupling ensures an electrical connection (conductive connection) between the two devices to supply electrical energy, as well as a mechanical connection between the two devices to transmit power to each other for mutual placement and/or guidance.

Since the energy storage devices, as well as the associated components of the power supply unit connected to them, are located on the rear of the support rails—directly connected to each other—maintenance personnel can easily locate the energy storage devices adjacent to the power supply unit by inspecting along the rear of the support rails without visual contact with the energy supply unit, and can easily perform the necessary operations to remove, attach, or replace the energy storage device at the aforementioned location. This makes operation as intuitive as possible, since the position of the energy storage device in relation to the power supply unit is always known, but this is not necessarily the case for the cables connecting the two devices.

Furthermore, when the support rail is completely removed from the structure to which the support rail is attached (e.g., from an adapter rail adapted to fit a shelf or to fit or place the support rail on or over a table or basket, or to fit another fixing structure for hanging purposes), the energy storage device is not handled separately, since the energy storage device is directly electrically and mechanically coupled to the power supply and is therefore removed together with the power supply. Furthermore, since the removed support rail can rotate without problems, the rear of the support rail faces the maintenance personnel handling the support rail, and only then is the energy storage device removed from the support rail. The foregoing allows access to the energy storage device even in situations where maintenance personnel do not have free access to the rear of the support rail attached to another structure.

Here, in addition to the above-mentioned attachment possibilities of the support rail, it may be mentioned that in a particularly preferred embodiment of the support rail, a shelf rail is provided, wherein the shelf rail is attached directly to the front edge of the shelf bottom or to the front edge of the shelf via an adapter and an adapter rail.

Furthermore, particularly preferred embodiments and further embodiments of the present invention are based on the dependent claims and the detailed description below.

The energy storage device may comprise, for example, a simple battery as an energy storage device, or may comprise a battery configuration comprising multiple batteries rather than a single battery or battery cell. An accumulator or rechargeable battery configuration may also be provided. The energy storage device may also be equipped with electronic "intelligence" in addition to its primary function as an energy storage device that supplies power to operate electronic devices mounted on the support rail. This intelligence may be implemented via a correspondingly programmed microcontroller. Furthermore, the microcontroller may be equipped with analog and/or digital peripheral electronics. Through the microcontroller, for example, the power supply or energy supply of the energy storage device and its temporal usage history (discharging, charging, standby time, etc.) can be automatically measured and digitally documented, which can then be analyzed using non-contact technology or via wired and bus connections. The measured parameters of the energy storage device can be accessed from outside the energy storage device via the microcontroller or an interface provided therefor, or can be actively controlled from outside to intervene in energy management.

The above support rail is formed to support an electronic device, and for this purpose, has a fixing structure (e.g., a rail structure or a shaft structure) along the front side of the support rail and, if necessary, along the rear side to enable insertion and removal of the electronic device.

Preferably, the support rail has a bus-line system accessible from the front of the support rail, through which power and/or communication technology is provided to electronic devices attached to the support rail.

The above bus-line system is powered by a power supply, which is attached to the side of the support rail or is engaged with the front and rear structures of the support rail at the aforementioned location, wherein the power supply is located partially at the front for contact with the bus-line system and partially at the rear for engagement with the energy storage device. The power supply surrounds the support rail laterally, both mechanically and electrically, and forms a connection between the front of the support rail or an electronic device attached to the front of the support rail at the aforementioned location and the energy storage device located at the rear of the support rail or at the rear of the support rail.

In a minimal configuration, the power supply may be configured solely to supply electricity to the electronic device. Preferably, the power supply provides communication technology to the device or selected devices mounted on the front of the support rail. In this preferred embodiment, the power supply forms a gateway for the devices mounted on the support rail, thereby enabling the power supply to communicate with a higher-level communication infrastructure. For example, such communication infrastructure may be implemented via a wireless and/or wired network connecting the power supply to a computer or server. Software may be executed on the computer or server for the management and/or control or use of the electronic device. Similarly, the aforementioned may be implemented via a cloud-based software solution that can be processed via the Internet. Such management software is used, for example, in modern supermarkets, where product information and/or pricing information is displayed directly on shelves or display shelves, etc., via electronic displays implemented as electronic devices.

As an electronic device - as mentioned above - an electronic display device, for example an ultra-low power electrophoretic display device for displaying still images, such as an electrophoretic display device, or a video-playback device for playing back video may be provided. In addition, as an electronic device, a sensor for measuring a physical surrounding parameter, or a camera for detecting the surrounding environment of a support rail as an image, or an input device for user interaction, etc. may also be provided. In addition, the electronic device may form a wireless device, or the wireless device may be provided as a component of the above-mentioned device class, which is for example for receiving or transmitting a wireless signal unidirectionally, or for communicating bidirectionally via a wireless signal.

The support rails may be made of metal or a metal alloy. This provides the support rails with high stability and rigidity even in very harsh application environments, such as when carelessly or hastily handled in a store. Furthermore, cable supports, for example, made of plastic, may be provided to support the bus-line system. These support rails insulate the non-insulated cables (i.e., exposed cables or wires) of the bus-line system from each other through the cable supports themselves, and allow the non-insulated cables to be in contact along the entire length of the support rail. These cable supports may be inserted along the support rail or transversely relative to the support rail, depending on the embodiment. Furthermore, support rails made entirely of plastic may be provided. This provides weight advantages over those made of metal. Furthermore, assembly may be facilitated, as the entire support rail may be formed to be elastically deformable within a defined range.

As described above, the power supply forms a bridge between the front side of the support rail and the rear side of the support rail, and is in conductive contact with the bus-line system at the front side or the edge side. The power supply - in the energy storage device associated with the power supply - is conductively coupled to the energy storage device at the rear side and includes electronic components necessary to provide a regulated supply voltage for supplying electricity to an electronic device attached or capable of being attached to the front side of the support rail. Furthermore, the electronic devices of the power supply are configured to communicate with the electronic device via the bus-line system according to a first communication protocol, and to communicate wiredly or wirelessly with an upper communication infrastructure to control and/or call the electronic device according to another communication protocol, i.e. to function as the gateway described above.

Basically, the first coupling device can be configured to be coupled in any direction at the rear of the support rail. For example, the coupling device can be provided in a vertical direction with respect to the rear of the support rail, so that the energy storage device can be guided from this direction, i.e., by the hand of a maintenance worker, and coupled to the power supply device. Thus, for example, the energy storage device can be directly attached to a power supply portion extending from the rear of the support rail along the rear of the support rail, so that the power supply portion located at the aforementioned location is directly positioned along the rear of the support rail, behind which the energy storage device is located. According to a preferred embodiment of the energy storage device, the first coupling device is configured to couple the energy storage device guided along the rear of the support rail to the power supply device. Thus, a worker can first secure the energy storage device to the rear of the support rail and then move it along the rear of the support rail toward the power supply, wherein the energy storage device is guided along the rear of the support rail. In such guided movement, the maintenance personnel only need to control movement toward the power supply or change direction, and no longer need to worry about additional degrees of freedom of movement, which would otherwise complicate engagement due to unguided movement along the rear. The aforementioned also applies to disengagement of the coupling.

The shape of the power supply is similar to that of the energy storage device, and according to a preferred embodiment, a second coupling device is formed on the power supply for coupling the energy storage device guided along the rear of the support rail to the power supply, thereby producing the same effect as described above.

The form in which the coupling is achieved can vary. The structure of the coupling means can be, for example, lance-shaped and rod-shaped, or stamp-shaped and tubular. Preferably, the first coupling device of the energy storage device comprises a shaft, said shaft comprising an open shaft edge, in particular a substantially rectangular shape, and said shaft edge being formed to receive a substantially rigid connection of the power supply device. In particular, said shaft is provided to stably guide the direction during the entire coupling process. Furthermore, the rectangular shape prevents coupling in the wrong direction, which, if no other measures are taken, can occur in the square cross-section of the shaft when viewed along the shaft opening (or the rectangular parallelepiped shaft).

The shape of the power supply unit is similar to that of the energy storage unit, and the second coupling of the power supply unit comprises a substantially rigid connecting portion, in particular a rectangular parallelepiped, the connecting portion being dimensioned to be inserted into the shaft of the energy storage unit provided for this connecting portion. Particularly preferably, the two shapes of the shaft and the connecting portion are mutually aligned so that the connecting portion can be smoothly inserted into the shaft, while at the same time being guided longitudinally by the shaft wall. During the insertion process, the intended orientation of the connecting portion in the shaft (or, when viewed from the opposite direction, the orientation of the shaft in relation to the connecting portion) can be established, which allows for intuitive and easy handling and results in an optimal electrical and mechanical connection. Furthermore, the lengths of the connecting portion and the shaft can be mutually adjusted, so that the connecting portion is fully accommodated in the shaft when coupled. To obtain a guiding effect when moving in and out, the connecting portion can be adapted circumferentially to the shape of the shaft opening. The connecting portion can be formed so that its length is approximately equal to the depth of the shaft, or is shorter than the depth of the shaft.

Particularly preferably, in the energy storage device, the open shaft edge is bounded by a shaft opening, and in the energy storage device inserted into the support rail, the shaft opening extends transversely or vertically with respect to the rear surface of the support rail. As a result, when the joining process is initiated, the connection part is wrapped around the circumference, and the orientation effect occurs immediately. When inserted into the support rail, the opening face of the shaft is oriented vertically toward the rear surface of the support rail. Considering the surface normal of the opening face of the shaft, the surface normal is parallel to the rear surface of the support rail and points toward the connection part along (i.e., in the direction) the longitudinal extension of the support rail.

According to another aspect of the energy storage device, when viewed along the depth of the shaft, the shaft is formed such that the energy storage device inserted into the support rail extends along the rear surface of the support rail parallel to the rear surface of the support rail. That is, the depth of the shaft extends into the energy storage device along the rear surface of the support rail from the shaft opening as a starting point.

The shape of the power supply is similar to that of the energy storage device, and when viewed along the longitudinal extension of the support rail in the power supply inserted into the support rail, the rigid connection extends along the rear of the support rail parallel to the rear of the support rail with a gap from the rear of the support rail. This allows at least one side wall of the shaft to be inserted between the rear of the support rail and the rigid connection, i.e., to be slidably inserted between the connection during the engagement. Since the power supply is essentially already attached to the support rail at the target point of the power supply before the energy storage device is attached to the support rail, the slot or gap between the rear of the support rail and the rigid connection forms a guide structure (more precisely, a guide gap), which serves to stabilize the shaft in the target direction of the shaft when the rigid connection is inserted into the shaft.

To establish an electrical connection between the power supply and the energy storage device, the shaft of the energy storage device has a plurality of conductive first contact elements for electrical contact on one of the side walls of the shaft, more precisely on the inner wall of the shaft.

The form of the power supply is similar to that of the energy storage device, and the rigid connection of the power supply has a plurality of conductive second contact elements for electrical contact on one of the outer walls of the connection.

With regard to the number of conductive contact elements, it should be noted that each individual device is essentially provided with at least two contact elements to provide a supply voltage relative to a reference potential. Additionally, if signals and/or data are to be transmitted between the energy storage device and the power supply device, preferably one to three additional contact elements are provided for each individual device. In this case, a minimum number of contact elements may be provided on the energy storage device side, while a plurality of contact elements may be provided on the power supply side, in order to accommodate cases of signal and/or data transmission between the energy storage device and the power supply device formed in response to the power supply.

At this time, the positions of the contact elements are selected in the energy storage device and the power supply device so that the contact elements (voltage supply/signal and/or data transmission) of the energy storage device and the power supply device that are functionally identical to each other are in contact with each other, i.e., in conductive contact with each other.

The position of the contact elements can be arbitrarily selected within the energy storage device, specifically within the shaft. That is, the contact elements can be grouped together on any inner wall of the shaft, or individually distributed and arranged on different inner walls of the shaft. However, a side wall of the shaft having a first number of contact elements, which extends directly adjacent to the rear of the support rail, has proven particularly advantageous. That is, such a side wall can, for example, be supported by the rear of the support rail, while the corresponding contact elements of the power supply unit exert pressure on the side wall from within the shaft. Thus, a pressurized electrical contact can be created, which is advantageous for an electrical contact with the lowest possible resistance.

To maintain this contact configuration, it has proven convenient to provide a second contact element on the outer wall of the connection member, which is oriented towards the rear of the support rail, in relation to the power supply, when the power supply is inserted into the shelf rail. This orientation protects the second contact element from unintentional or intentional contact with an object other than the first contact element installed for contact, which could otherwise, in the worst case, result in damage to the electronic components of the power supply or to electronic devices connected to the power supply via a bus-line system.

Additionally, in the energy storage device, the first contact elements extend along the depth of the shaft and are spaced transversely from each other with respect to the longitudinal extension of the shaft, i.e., such longitudinal extension extending along the rear side of the support rail in the energy storage device inserted into the support rail.

The shape of the power supply is similar to that of the energy storage device, and the second contact element extends along the longitudinal extension of the connecting member, i.e. along the rear of the support rail from the power supply inserted into the support rail, and is spaced transversely from one another with respect to the longitudinal extension of the connecting element.

In this configuration of the first and second contact elements, the contact elements can slide over each other along a straight path until an electrical connection is formed between the two contact elements when the engagement is guided along the rear surface of the support rail. This configuration ensures that unwanted conductive contact between non-matching contact elements of the two devices is reliably suppressed during the engagement movement guided along the rear surface. The above also applies to the separation of the engagement.

Preferably, the contact elements providing the reference potential are arranged and formed such that they move along the longitudinal extension of the shaft or rigid connection to another contact element of each device so that these contact elements are the first to come into contact during the mating process, thereby ensuring reliable functioning of the energy storage device and the power supply device.

It has proven particularly advantageous for the energy storage device to have the first contact element terminate at a distance from the open shaft edge. This arrangement provides the advantage that a safe distance is secured from the shaft to the open shaft edge, thereby protecting the first contact element, in particular the two contact elements provided for the power supply, from unintentional contact. Due to the location of the first contact element, which is difficult to access from the outside of the shaft, damage to the energy storage device or unintentional, uncontrolled, sudden discharge of the energy storage device caused by a short circuit between the two contact elements provided for the power supply can be prevented.

The power supply's form factor is similar to that of an energy storage device, in which the second contact element terminates at a distance from the outer or free connection end. Since the second contact element is not positioned at the leading edge of the rigid connection, this special form effectively protects the often fragile second contact element from mechanical damage.

It has proven particularly advantageous in combination that the first and second contact elements are arranged inside the shaft, this arrangement reliably protecting the contact elements from environmental influences that could negatively affect the electrical contact.

The first and second contact elements can be implemented as pins (contact pins) and/or springs or the like. However, it has proven particularly advantageous for the first contact element to be implemented as a metal band or contact surface, wherein the metal band or contact surface extends from the shaft to components of the energy storage device provided for power supply and/or components for data and signal processing, and makes electrical contact directly or via additional conductive elements. This configuration has proven to be very robust and resistant, and can furthermore be implemented (at least partially) as a conductive path on an electronic printed circuit board.

The shape of the power supply is similar to that of the energy storage device, and the second contact element is implemented as a metal band, which protrudes from a first end region outside the metal band and is formed such that it comes out from a connection portion of the end region and is conductively connected to an electronic component of the power supply at a second end region. The metal band of the power supply may have elastic properties, which affect the pressure contact of the metal band or the contact surface of the energy storage device.

In order to maintain the coupling created by the above shaft and the rigid connecting member inserted into this shaft, it has been found desirable that the first coupling device of the energy storage device has a first fixing element at least around the periphery of the area of the energy storage device provided for coupling, wherein the first fixing element is provided and formed for fixing the energy storage device to the power supply.

The shape of the power supply is similar to that of the energy storage device, and the second coupling device of the power supply device has a second fixing element at least around the periphery of the area of the power supply device provided for coupling, wherein the fixing element is provided and formed for fixing the power supply device to the energy storage device.

The two aforementioned fixing elements, which are complementary and coincident with each other, are formed and provided for a detachable connection of the energy storage device to the power supply.

It has proven particularly advantageous if the first fixing element forms a substantially rigid first locking element of a snap-fit system, wherein a second locking element of the snap-fit system, which is formed on the power supply and is movable or deformable, snaps into place such that the energy storage device is prevented from being separated from the power supply at a position where the energy storage device is coupled to the power supply.

In response to the foregoing, it is preferred that the second fixing element of the power supply be substantially elastically deformable, or form a second locking element of a resiliently mounted snap-fit system, wherein the second locking element is formed on the energy storage device and is snapped into a substantially rigid first locking element such that the energy storage device is prevented from being separated from the power supply at a position where the energy storage device is coupled to the power supply.

In order to enable optimal interlocking or fixed interlocking from the rear, it has proven particularly advantageous if, in the coupled state, the first locking element protrudes in a flap-like manner beyond the periphery of the shaft and over the second locking element. The housing of the power supply unit may have an operating area accessible from the outside adjacent to the overlapping area or a button operable in this operating area, by which the first locking element can be released via the second locking element.

In addition, a guide rib formed on the edge side of the housing of the energy storage device may be provided, wherein the guide rib is formed and provided to engage with a guide shaft of the support rail, such that the energy storage device is guided along the rear side of the support rail. This guide rib advantageously or easily engages the guided engagement along the rear side of the support rail. The same applies in the case of release. The guide shaft of the support rail may extend along the rear side and may be provided at the rear side in an insertion shaft provided for receiving the energy storage device. When viewed transversely with respect to the longitudinal extension, the guide shaft is preferably located at the upper and lower ends or edge regions of the insertion shaft. The dimensions of the guide rib are determined in relation to the insertion shaft such that the guide rib can be easily inserted, rotated or pressed into the guide shaft, and ensure at least a minimum fixing force at the aforementioned location, wherein the fixing force prevents the energy storage device from being detached from the support rail due to its own weight.

What has proven particularly advantageous is that, when viewed from the longitudinal extension side of the energy storage device, the end regions of said energy storage device are provided for direct coupling, and when viewed from the longitudinal extension side of the energy storage device, the guide ribs are formed only in the second end region of said energy storage device. This produces the effect that, when moving along the shelf rail, the energy storage device is fixed to the support rail at the first coupling device, in particular at the opposite end of the shaft, and that before the actual coupling process is completed at the other end region of the energy storage device provided for direct coupling, the energy storage device is already longitudinally guided at the opposite end of the shaft.

In order to facilitate the engagement or disengagement of the energy storage device, and in particular to simplify the application of force when moving along the rear surface of the support rail, it has proven particularly advantageous if the energy storage device is provided with a handle at another second end region opposite the first end region provided for engagement. Preferably, the handle extends in a plane parallel to the rear surface of the support rail and is generally provided to fit the remaining height of the rear surface of the housing of the energy storage device. The handle does not protrude beyond this rear surface of the housing of the energy storage device when viewed perpendicular to the rear extension of the support rail.

Furthermore, it has been proven desirable that the thickness of the energy storage device, i.e. the gap between the front surface of the housing facing the rear of the support rail when inserted into the support rail and the rear surface of the housing, be small enough for the energy storage device to be completely accommodated in the receiving shaft of the support rail. Such dimensions of the energy storage device are not a problem, since the energy storage device is formed to correspond to the length for accommodating all electronic components of the energy storage device or components provided for storing electrical energy in the housing of the energy storage device, because there are no structural limitations on the rear surface of the support rail that would limit the length of the energy storage device, except for the power supply attached to the side. An energy storage device formed with such dimensions allows the support rail to be secured rearward by an adapter rail that is as thin as possible - typically flat - which, due to its shape, can be secured without problems to a structure provided for fixing, such as a shelf bottom.

The front of the above adapter rail is provided with an optimized shape for fixing the support rail to the adapter rail itself, and the rear of the adapter rail is provided with an optimized shape for fixing another object.

As long as the adapter rail is attached to the rear of the support rail, the adapter rail may conceal direct visual contact and/or direct access to the energy storage device.

Finally, it should be noted that the aforementioned electronic devices (e.g., energy storage devices, power supplies, electronic price tags, etc.) naturally include electronic components. These electronic components may be individual electronic components, integrated electronic components, or a combination of the two. They may also be used in conjunction with microcomputers, microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and, in some cases, analog or digital electronic peripherals. Many of the functions of the aforementioned devices can be implemented through software running on the processor of the electronic device—sometimes in conjunction with hardware components. Devices configured for wireless communication typically include an antenna configuration for transmitting and receiving wireless signals as a component of a transceiver module. The electronic devices may also include an internal power supply implemented with a replaceable or rechargeable battery. Furthermore, the devices may be powered either wired, such as from an external power supply, or wirelessly, such as via "Power over WLAN/WiFi."

These and other aspects of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings below.

The present invention is described in more detail below by way of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these exemplary embodiments. The same reference numerals designate the same components in different drawings. These are schematically as follows:
Figure 1 illustrates an electronic price indicator fixed to the front of a shelf rail and a power supply fixed to the side of the shelf rail.
Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a shelf rail along the cut surface shown in Figure 1,
Figure 3 shows a cut-off selection rail focused on the power supply,
Figure 4 shows a rear view of the cut support rail focusing on the energy storage device coupled to the power supply;
Figure 5 illustrates the power supply unit as viewed from a forward-slanted direction,
Figure 6 illustrates the energy storage device as viewed from a rearwardly inclined direction.
Figures 7 to 10 illustrate a coupling process for coupling an energy storage device to a power supply device along a shelf rail.

Figure 1 illustrates a shelf rail (1) provided with a slightly forward tilt when viewed from the side, i.e., a forward slant when viewed from above. This visualization shows the front (V) of the shelf rail (1). In this drawing, the rear (H) of the shelf rail (1) is not visible to the naked eye, but is implied by the drawing symbols. In addition, the positions or directions of the top (0), bottom (U), left (L) and right (R) are indicated in relation to the shelf rail (1). Furthermore, these positions or directions (0, U, L and R) are derived from natural language usage when viewing the front (V) of the shelf rail (1) from the front. These positions or directions (0, U, L and R) are also consistently indicated in other drawings, so as to clearly identify in each respective drawing the orientation of the shelf rail (1) and/or devices that are visible on said shelf rail. This logically also applies to the indications of the front (V) and rear (H).

Two electronic price indicators (2) are fixed to the front (V) of the shelf rail (1). When viewed from the front (V), the right side of the shelf rail (1) is closed by a power supply (3), which is inserted into the right side of the shelf rail (1) structure. The left side of the shelf rail (1) is closed by a cover plate (4). When viewed from the front (V), a central web (5) extending from the left edge to the right edge of the shelf rail can be seen. The head side of the shelf rail (1) is bounded by a cover plate (6) inclined downwardly forward, which extends along the entire longitudinal extension of the shelf rail. Beneath the cover plate, the lower part of a cable support (7) is visible, which extends parallel to the web (5) from the left side to the right side of the shelf rail (1) likewise beneath the cover plate (6). The above cable support (7) supports a cable bus (not visible here, but see Fig. 2) used to supply power to the electronic price indicator (2). The cable support (7) is received by the head side of the electronic price indicator (2), or is wrapped around the bottom where the electronic price indicator (2) contacts the cable bus. The electronic price indicator (2) is used to display price information and/or product information, and communication technology and power are provided to operate the electronic price indicator through a power supply (3), wherein the power supply makes conductive contact with the cable bus on the right edge side of the shelf rail (1).

In addition, Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a cross-section (F), and generally, the cross-section extends in a vertical direction with respect to the extension of the web (5) from the top (O) to the bottom (U), and in order to explain the present invention, the following will focus on the right-hand part of the shelf rail (1) limited by this cross-section (F).

Fig. 2 visualizes a shelf rail (1) cut along a cross-section (F) as viewed from the left edge of the shelf rail towards the right edge thereof, i.e. in the direction of the power supply (3), whereby a cable support (7) integrated into the shelf rail (1) and a cable bus present in the cable support (7) can be visually identified, wherein the cable bus is composed of three wires (8, 9 and 10) which can be continuously contacted along the entire length of the cable support (7) at the rear of the cable support. The wires (8, 9 and 10) are provided as exposed wires without insulation. The free space in front of the web (5) is used to accommodate an electronic price indicator (2) which is inserted into the shelf rail (1) from below by pushing it. The free space behind the web (5) is used to accommodate an energy storage device (11) which is visually identifiable in this drawing, wherein the energy storage device is conductively and mechanically coupled to the power supply device (3) and stores and provides energy required for electrical operation of the power supply device (3) and the electronic price indicator (2).

Furthermore, Fig. 2 depicts a cross-section of an adapter rail (12), which extends along the shelf rail and serves to secure the shelf rail (1) to the shelf floor of the shelf (both not shown) or to another mechanically supporting structure. As already discussed in Fig. 1, the adapter rail is not described in the other drawings because it obstructs the view of the rear (R).

What can be seen in detail in Fig. 2 is that the shelf rail (1) directly adjacent to the web (5) has guide shafts (13, 14) extending along the entire longitudinal direction on the head side and the bottom side, respectively. Guide ribs (15, 16) formed on the housing edge side of the energy storage device (11) (not only on the longitudinal edge side but also on the transverse edge side - see Fig. 4 or Fig. 6) are accommodated in the guide shafts (13, 14), thereby facilitating longitudinal guidance of the energy storage device.

In addition, it can be seen that the thickness of the energy storage device (11) is determined to such an extent that the energy storage device can be completely accommodated in the rear free space of the web (5), which means that when viewed in a cross-sectional view, the adapter rail (12) extends parallel to the web (5) to the rear of the energy storage device (11) and broadly borders the aforementioned free space outwardly to match the height of the outline.

Additionally, the left free end of the energy supply device (11) is provided with a bow-shaped handle (17) for a maintenance person to hold the energy storage device (11). The handle (17) facilitates both detachment from and connection to the power supply device (3). Typically, the handle (17) extends along the entire free end of the energy storage device (11) and at a sufficient distance from the web (5) (i.e., with respect to the front of the energy supply device (11)) to allow a service person to grasp the handle (17) with at least one finger. When viewed perpendicularly to the path along which the web (5) extends, the handle (17) has a thickness slightly less than half the thickness of the energy storage device (11).

The above power supply (3) is fixed to the shelf rail (1) via screws (20), and in this visualization only threaded bolts screwed into tubes (21) in the form of longitudinal slots can be identified.

As can be clearly seen from the drawing, the web (5) structurally separates the front (V) of the shelf rail (1) from the rear (R). That is, in the drawing, the shelf rail (1) extends to the left of the web (5) and has a rear receiving area or receiving shaft provided to receive a power supply and a portion of the energy storage device, and in the drawing, it extends to the right of the web (5) and has a front receiving area or receiving shaft provided to receive a power supply and a portion of the electronic price indicator (2).

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of the shelf rail (1) shown in Fig. 2 in a direction inclined toward the front right, so that it is possible to visually identify how the power supply (3) wraps around the shelf rail (1) from the front (V) to the rear (R) at the right edge of the shelf rail.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of the shelf rail (1) shown in Fig. 2 in a direction inclined to the rear left, where it can be visually recognized that the energy storage device (11) and the power supply device (3) are joined at the rear (R) of the shelf rail adjacent to the right edge of the shelf rail (1). The two devices (3, 11) are in a joined position, in which the first fastening element (18) of the energy storage device (11) overlaps the second fastening element (19) of the power supply, and in this overlapping area the fastening elements (18, 19) are locked to each other, or interlocked with each other. The second fastening element (19) has an operating area (22). When this operating area is pressed with a finger, the connection between the two fastening elements (18, 19) is released, so that the two devices (3, 11) are separated from each other, i.e. decoupled, due to the stress of the energy storage device (11) or the handle (17) provided on the energy storage device.

In the web (5) of this drawing, only one opening (23) of rectangular shape with a drawing symbol can be identified, which is arranged in a grid along the longitudinal extension of the shelf rail (1) and is used to fix the electronic price indicator (2) to a predetermined grid.

It should be noted here that although the guide rib (16) cannot be visually identified in this drawing, the edge-side position of the guide rib within the rear side receiving area of the shelf rail (1) is implied by the drawing symbol.

Detailed drawings of the power supply unit (3) and the energy storage unit (11) are as follows.

Fig. 5 shows the power supply (3) separated from the shelf rail (1) and the energy storage device (11) in a front-left view similar to Fig. 1. In this drawing, an upwardly open wire contact shaft (24) can be identified. When the power supply (11) is inserted into the shelf rail (1), the wire contact shaft (24) extends only along the front side (V) of the shelf rail (1) in the area of the right edge. A cable support (7) is inserted into the wire contact shaft. This wire contact shaft has three contact elements (25, 26, 27) for contacting three wires (8, 9, 10). The wire contact shaft (24) is thus accessible from the front side of the shelf rail (1) (from the front side of the web (5)). A first housing section (28) forming the right-hand side closure of the shelf rail (1) extends to the edge side. The first housing section accommodates an electronic device (not shown), in particular an electronic device for wireless communication in a wireless network provided for controlling an electronic price indicator (2). This first housing section (28) is formed by a second housing section (29) extending along the rear face (R), which likewise has an electronic device (not shown), in particular an electronic device for supplying electricity to the electronic price indicator, as well as for communicating with the electronic price indicator or the wireless network.

Fig. 6 shows an energy storage device (11) separated from a shelf rail (1) and a power supply (3) as viewed in an inclined direction to the rear right. The energy storage device (11) comprises a housing (30) which, when viewed longitudinally, has a handle (17) at one end and a first coupling device, generally in the form of a square shaft (31), at the other end, which serves for a conductive and mechanical connection with the power supply (3). Within the housing (30), an electrical energy storage cell (not shown) and another electronic device (also not shown) for controlling the charging and discharging of the electrical energy storage cell are accommodated. An electrical contact surface (33) provided for a conductive connection with the power supply (3) is identified on a shaft wall (32) of the shaft (31), which is inserted into the support rail (1) and faces the web (5). These contact surfaces (33) are arranged on the printed circuit board and maintain a safe distance from the open shaft edge.

It should be noted here that although the upper guide rib (16) is not identifiable in this drawing, the edge position of this upper guide rib is implied by the drawing symbol.

To form the connection, the power supply unit (3) illustrated in Fig. 5 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped connecting portion (34) connected to the second housing section (29), and on the side wall of the connecting portion, i.e. the side wall facing the web (5) when inserted into the support rail (1), resilient metallic contacts (35) provided for contacting the contact surfaces (33) protrude through the housing opening. The shape and dimensions of the connecting portion (34) correspond to the shape and dimensions of the shaft (31), which ensure easy insertion into the shaft (31), guidance along the internal structure of the shaft (31) and at the same time precise placement of the metallic contacts (35) at the position of the contact surfaces (33). Depending on the functional performance of the energy storage device (11), the quantity of metallic contacts (35) may be greater or less than that of the contact surfaces, which ensures functional downward compatibility.

It should be noted with reference to Fig. 5 that the power supply (3) has edge-side self-guided ribs (36, 37), which naturally extend along the entire length of the second housing section (29) and are accommodated in the guide shafts (13, 14) when inserted into the shelf rail (1). These guide ribs (36, 37) stabilize and fix the power supply (3) in the rear structure of the shelf rail (1). Unlike the edge-side guide ribs (15, 16) of the energy supply (11), the power supply is dimensioned such that the power supply (3) can only be completely pushed out of the shelf rail (1) to the right along the shelf rail (1). Contrary to the above, due to the relatively short shape and thin dimensions of the edge side guide ribs (13, 14), the energy storage device (11) can be rotated outwardly from the rear receiving area of the shelf rail (1) at any point on the shelf rail (1) to remove the energy storage device from the receiving area as soon as the energy storage device is completely separated from the power supply, or the energy storage device can be inserted into the rear receiving area at any point on the shelf rail (1) outside the area occupied by the power supply device (3).

Continuing, the handling process of inserting into the shelf rail (1) is visualized in FIGS. 7 to 10. Here, the focus is on the aspect that the coupling of the power supply unit (2) and the energy storage unit (11) can only be guided along the shelf rail (1) due to the special shape of the first and second coupling devices.

Fig. 7 shows the starting position where the energy storage device (11) is not yet inserted into the shelf rail (1). Then, the energy storage device (11) is first inserted into the shelf rail (1), i.e., into the rear receiving area of the shelf rail, at the right end of the rear surface (R) provided for engagement, and then, at the end of the energy storage device having the handle (17), the energy storage device is moved into the shelf rail (1) until the guide ribs (15, 16) engage the guide shafts (13, 14), which corresponds to the state shown in Fig. 8. Then, the energy storage device (11) is guided along the shelf rail toward the power supply device (3) until the connecting portion (34) is inserted into the shaft (31), which corresponds to the state shown in Fig. 9. As the movement continues, the connecting portion (34) is fully accommodated in the shaft (31) and the two fixing elements (18, 19) are interlocked with each other, thereby forming a rigid connection between the power supply (3) and the energy storage device (11), which corresponds to the state shown in Fig. 10.

In order to remove the energy storage device (11) from the shelf rail, the connection maintained between the two fixing elements (18, 19) must first be released by applying pressure to the operating area (22). Then, the energy storage device (11) can be removed in the reverse order of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. At this time, in the beginning of the removal process, i.e., in order to first release the connection, the movement of the energy storage device (11) guided along the support rail (1) must be performed away from the power supply (3) for the aforementioned release. Then, only after the shaft (31) is released from the connection (34) can the energy storage device (11) be lifted out from the support rail (1).

Finally, it should be reiterated that the detailed drawing descriptions described above are merely exemplary and can be modified in various ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. For completeness, it should also be noted that the use of the indefinite article "a" or "one" does not exclude the possibility that the corresponding element may exist in multiples.

Claims (27)

In an energy storage device (11) for supplying electricity to a power supply device (3) provided to supply electricity to at least one electronic device (2) that is at least partially located on the rear (H) of the support rail (1) and can be attached to the front of the shelf rail,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that it includes a first coupling device formed to electrically and mechanically couple the energy storage device (11) directly to the power supply device (3), i.e. without a cable. In the first paragraph,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that the first coupling device is formed to couple the energy storage device (11) guided along the rear side of the support rail (1) to the power supply device (3). In claim 1 or 2,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that the first coupling device comprises a shaft (31), the shaft having an open shaft edge forming a boundary, in particular, in a substantially rectangular shape, the shaft being formed to receive a substantially rigid connecting portion (34) of the power supply device (3). In the third paragraph,
An energy storage device (11) characterized in that the open shaft edge forms a boundary with a shaft opening, and the shaft opening extends in a vertical direction with respect to the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1) from the energy storage device (11) inserted into the support rail (1). In the third and fourth paragraphs,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that when viewed along the depth of the shaft (31), the shaft (31) is formed to extend along the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1) in a manner parallel to the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1) from the energy storage device (11) inserted into the support rail (1). In claims 3 to 5,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that the shaft (31) comprises a plurality of conductive first contact elements (33) for electrical contact on one of the side walls (32) of the shaft. In paragraph 6,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that the side wall (32) of the shaft including the plurality of first contact elements (33) is a side wall extending directly adjacent to the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1). In any one of the 6th to 7th paragraphs,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that the first contact elements (33) extend along the depth of the shaft (31) and are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal extension of the shaft (31), and the longitudinal extension extends along the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1) from the energy storage device (11) inserted into the support rail (1). In any one of the 6th to 8th clauses,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that the first contact element (33) ends at a gap from the open shaft edge. In any one of the 6th to 9th clauses,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that the first contact element (33) is implemented as a metal band or a contact surface and extends from the shaft (31) to a component of the energy storage device (11) provided for power supply and/or a component for processing data and signals, and is in electrical contact with it directly or via an additional conductive element. In any one of claims 1 to 10,
An energy storage device (11), characterized in that the first coupling device comprises a first fixing element (18) at least around a corresponding area of the energy storage device (11) provided for coupling, the first fixing element being provided and formed to fix the energy storage device (11) to the power supply. In Article 11,
An energy storage device (11) characterized in that the first fixing element (18) forms a substantially rigid first locking element of the snap-fit system, and a second locking element formed on the power supply device (3) and movable or deformable snaps into place at a position where the energy storage device (11) and the power supply device (3) are coupled, thereby preventing the energy storage device (11) from being separated from the power supply device (3). In any one of claims 1 to 12,
An energy storage device (11) comprising a guide rib (15, 16) formed on the edge side of the housing (30) of the energy storage device (11), wherein the guide rib is formed and provided to engage with the guide shaft (13, 14) of the support rail (1), and the energy storage device (11) is provided to be guided along the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1). In Article 13,
An energy storage device (11) characterized in that when viewed from the longitudinal extension side, the end region of the energy storage device is provided for direct coupling, and when viewed from the longitudinal extension side, the guide rib (15, 16) is formed only in the second end region of the energy storage device. In any one of claims 1 to 14,
An energy storage device (11) characterized in that the energy storage device (11) includes a handle (17) in another second end region located opposite the first end region provided for coupling. In a power supply device (3) for supplying electricity to at least one electronic device (2) that can be attached to the front (V) of the above support rail (1),
The power supply unit (3) is formed to be engaged with or grip-coupled to the side of the support rail (1) along the rear surface (H) of the support rail, and is at least partially located on the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1) when mounted on the support rail (1).
A power supply device (3) characterized in that the power supply device (3) includes a second coupling device, and the second coupling device is formed to electrically and mechanically couple the power supply device (3) directly, i.e. without cables, to an energy storage device (11) used to supply electricity to the power supply device (3). In Article 16,
A power supply device (3), characterized in that the second coupling device is formed to couple the energy storage device (11) guided along the rear side (H) of the support rail (1) to the power supply device (3). In Article 16 or 17,
A power supply device (3), characterized in that the second coupling device comprises a substantially rigid connecting portion (34), in particular a connecting portion (34) forming a boundary in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, said connecting portion having dimensions such that it can be accommodated in a shaft (31) of the energy storage device (11), in particular a shaft (31) forming a boundary in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. In Article 18,
A power supply (3), characterized in that when viewed along the longitudinal extension of the support rail in the power supply (11) inserted into the support rail (1), the rigid connecting portion (34) extends along the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1) parallel to the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1) with a gap therebetween. In Article 18 or 19,
A power supply (3), characterized in that the above rigid connecting portion (34) includes a plurality of conductive second contact elements (35) for electrical contact on one of the outer walls of the connecting portion. In Article 20,
A power supply (3), characterized in that the outer wall of the connecting portion supporting the second contact element (35) is an outer wall facing the rear (H) side of the support rail (1) in the power supply (3) inserted into the support rail (1). In Article 20 or 21,
A power supply (3), characterized in that the second contact element (35) extends along the longitudinal extension of the connecting portion (34) extending along the rear side (H) of the support rail (1) in the power supply (3) inserted into the support rail (1), and is arranged with a transverse gap from each other with respect to the longitudinal extension of the connecting portion (34). In any one of Articles 20 to 22,
A power supply (3), characterized in that the second contact element (35) ends at a distance from the outer or free end of the connecting portion. In any one of Articles 20 to 23,
A power supply (3) characterized in that the second contact element (35) is implemented as a metal band, the metal band is formed in a protruding shape in the outer first end region, and comes out from the connecting portion (34) and is electrically conductively connected to the electronic components of the power supply (3) in the second end region. In any one of Articles 15 to 24,
A power supply (3), characterized in that the second coupling device comprises a second fixing element (19) at least around a corresponding area of the power supply (3) provided for coupling, the second fixing element being provided and formed to fix the power supply (3) to the energy storage device (11). In Article 25,
A power supply (3) characterized in that the second fixing element (19) forms a second locking element of a substantially elastically deformable or spring-loaded snap-fit system, wherein the second locking element is snapped into a substantially rigid first locking element formed in the energy storage device (11) to prevent the energy storage device (11) from being separated from the power supply device (3) at a position where the energy storage device (11) is coupled to the power supply device (3). In the support rail system,
- a support rail (1) for supporting at least one electronic device (2),
- A power supply (3) provided and formed to supply electricity to the electronic device (2) that can be attached to the front (V) of the support rail (1), and positioned at least partially on the rear (H) of the support rail (1) while inserted into the support rail (1), and
- Includes an energy storage device (11) provided and formed to supply electricity to the power supply device (3) located at least partially on the rear (H) of the support rail (1),
A support rail system characterized in that the power supply device (3) and the energy storage device (11) are formed to be electrically and mechanically connected to each other directly at the rear surface (H) of the support rail (1), i.e. without cables.