Track lighting system including lamp clips with separate locking and connection means

A lighting track, comprising:

• a) an elongated housing defining a plurality of channels extending in a direction along the longitudinal axis of said housing, said channels positioned both above and below a designated reference plane of said housing;
• b) a plurality of conductors mounted in said channels along an upper plane surface of said housing;
• c) a plurality of conductors mounted in said channels along a lower plane surface of said housing;
• d) means for engaging a plurality of lamp clips for receiving lamps;
• and
• e) said engaging means includes a plurality of complementary tabs extending in the plane of said housing at predetermined locations along the length of said housing, said complementary tabs being spaced apart and opposite one another to engage corresponding apertures of a lamp clip.

A lighting fixture system, comprising:

• a) at least two lighting tracks connected to each other end-to-end, each lighting track including an elongated housing defining a plurality of channels extending in a direction along the longitudinal axis of said housing;
• b) a first set of said conductors mounted in a first set of said channels in spaced-apart relationship on the upper plane surface of said housing in order to form a first electrical circuit;
• c) a second set of said conductors mounted in a second set of said channels in spaced-apart relationship on the lower plane surface of said housing in order to form a second electrical circuit;
• d) means for engaging a lamp clip at a predetermined location on said lighting tracks;
• e) a base component attached to said first set and said second set of conductors at one end of each lighting track;
• said base component includes a plurality axial passageways, each passageway for receiving one of said conductors and having an opening for allowing a conductive strip in said base component to make electrical contact with one of said conductors;
• f) a track connector attached at opposite ends to each of said base components, said track connector including an elongated housing defining a pair of longitudinal channels in spaced-apart relationship;
• said track connector including a plurality of complementary tabs extending in the plane of said track connector at predetermined locations along the length of said track connector, said complementary tabs being spaced apart and opposite one another to engage corresponding apertures of a lamp clip;
• and
• g) a conductive strip mounted in each of said channels of said track connector, each end of said conductive strip having a surface for making electrical contact with a conductor in one of said lighting tracks.

An electrical lamp clip for a double-ended lamp of a lighting track system, comprising:

• a) a body having first and second legs for supporting the lamp clip on a lighting track and a socket connected to said first and second legs for receiving a terminal end of a lamp;
• b) means for locking each of said first and second legs on the lighting track;
• said locking means includes a longitudinal extension formed on each of said first and second legs at an end opposite said socket, said extensions each having an aperture for receiving a corresponding tab of a set of complementary tabs located on the lighting track, whereby each leg is locked in position relative to the lighting track as each tab engages the corresponding aperture;
• and
• c) means for making electrical contact between the lamp and a current-carrying conductor in the lighting track, said electrical contact means being separate from said locking means.

An electrical lamp clip for a double-ended lamp of a lighting track system, comprising:

• a) a body formed from a strip of resilient metallic material;
• b) said body having first and second legs for supporting the lamp clip on a lighting track and a socket connected to said first and second legs for receiving a terminal end of a lamp;
• c) each of said first and second legs having a longitudinal extension formed thereon at an end opposite said socket;
• d) said longitudinal extensions each having an aperture for the reception of a corresponding tab of a set of complementary tabs located on the lighting track, whereby each leg is locked in position relative to the lighting track as each tab engages the corresponding aperture;
• and
• e) an electrical extension on one of said legs, said electrical extension projecting outwardly from said leg and having a surface for making electrical contact with a conductor in the lighting track to establish an electrical path between the lamp clip and the conductor.