AU747884B2

AU747884B2 - Improvements in street lights

Info

Publication number: AU747884B2
Application number: AU32375/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Craig O'donoghue
Original assignee: SYLVANIA LIGHTING INTERNAT Pty
Current assignee: Sylvania Lighting Australasia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-06-10
Filing date: 1999-06-02
Publication date: 2002-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-02
Also published as: AU3237599A

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Sylvania Lighting International Pty Limited

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Improvements in street lights The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- Background of the Invention The present invention relates to improvements in lighting apparatus and particularly to improvements in street lights also referred to as street lighting luminaires or road lighting luminaires.

Background of the Invention A street lighting luminaire is normally supported at the top of a pole and is arranged to light the surface of a roadway below. A luminaire consists basically of an aluminium body casting which is hollow and arranged in such a way that two separate chambers are formed. The two chambers provide a separation of heat sensitive components from the main heat generating component (a lamp or light bulb), as well as a higher IP rating for the optical chamber required by AS 3771-1998. The optical chamber which holds the lamp is located on the underside of the body casting and is closed by means 15 of a transparent visor which is fixed to the underside of the body casting by clips or other means to make it readily removable for the replacement of bulbs.

The gear chamber which houses the electrical control equipment can "be located on the underside or topside of the casting. This equipment is protected by means of a cover moulding attached over the body casting. The .cover moulding is normally attached to the body casting by screws that thread into the body casting. The cover can be made of a polymer, aluminium or an alloy of aluminium.

Australian standard AS 3771-1998 sets out the mechanical and physical requirements of a road lighting luminaire. Section 2.3.1 which relates to the material of the luminaire body has that "the material of the luminaire body, except for the visor, should be of aluminium complying with AS 1874 except that non-load-bearing covers may be constructed by other materials of proven durability.

Various electrical components are attached to a street light body when the street light is assembled and these include ballast (also referred to as a "choke") which tends to be the heaviest component, capacitor supply terminal blocks, igniters, fuses (where required) and a photocell socket and a plug in photocell, if required. Some street lights are operated by photocells which plug into a socket in the underside of the street light. When the level of light as measured by the photocell drops below a certain level, the street light is switched on. Other street lights are operated a central control, which is typically a timing control mechanism and do not require a photocell. It a comparatively time consuming process to assemble a street light and fix the various sockets and components to the body of the light and the present invention seeks to provide improvements to street lights to improve their ease and cost of assembly.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a gear, or component tray for a street lighting luminaire or the like, the tray being moulded in a synthetic polymer material, and being adapted to mount or support components for a control circuit for a street lighting luminaire including ballast, the arrangement being such that the ballast for the luminaire is mounted on the underside of the component tray when the tray is located in the body of the luminaire, the underside being the side of the tray that faces ground when the luminaire is mounted on a pole in use, such that when the tray is mounted in the body of a street lighting luminaire the ballast is supported by the body of the luminaire Thus the present invention provides a component tray for a street 20 lighting luminaire to which the components of the circuits supplying power to the lamp of the luminaire may be mounted prior to fixing the tray to the luminaire body, thus saving on costs and construction time. Because the heaviest component, the ballast is mounted on the underside of the tray, that component is still being supported by the body of the luminaire as required 25 by the Australian Standards since the tray will be essentially non-load bearing. The tray can be mounted to the ballast by means of pop rivets or the •o like and captivates between itself and the ballast an aluminium or steel bracket, used to apply pressure onto the ballast thereby clamping the ballast in position on the body of the luminaire.

The luminaire body may define a series of fins on the underside of the body below the ballast to dissipate heat generated by the ballast and the pressing of the choke directly onto the body of the luminaire improves the transfer of heat from the choke to the heat dissipation fins.

In one particularly preferred embodiment, the gear tray is moulded to define a socket for receiving a photocell. Standard photocells used in street lighting luminaires are squat cylindrical devices which include a plug defining three arcuate pins arranged around the circumference of a circle: these are traditionally attached to street lighting luminaires by wiring a corresponding socket in the body of the street lighting luminaire. Each socket costs several dollars and moulding the socket as part of the component tray adds very little to the costs of moulding the tray but makes substantial savings by avoiding the need to purchase and fit a socket for the photocell.

Apart from the ballast which is the heaviest item in the control circuit for the lamp, the rest of the components may be mounted on the upper surface of the gear tray and these will typically include a capacitor, an incoming supply terminal block which is mounted above the ballast, and if the lamp is a metal halide or high pressure sodium lamp, an igniter. The separation of the ballast and other electrical components on either side of the tray, also further reduces the thermal loading on heat sensitive components, as the polymer in the tray is a natural insulator.

15 In a related aspect, the invention also provides a method of assembling a street lighting luminaire including the steps of: i:ii providing a street lighting luminaire body; placing a component tray formed from a moulded synthetic polymer S: material in the body wherein the ballast for the luminaire is mounted on the 20 underside of the tray, the underside being the side of the tray that faces ground when the luminaire is mounted on a pole in use, in such a manner that the ballast is supported by the luminaire body; fixing the component tray to the luminaire body; and placing a cover on the body to cover the components and tray.

The present invention also provides a street lighting lumrninaire including a gear tray embodying the first aspect of the present invention.

o• Brief Description of the Drawings A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a street lighting luminaire body with a cover portion, lamp and visor removed; Figure 2 is an exploded view of a gear/component tray and components for use in the street light shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end elevation of a component tray as shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view on arrow iv shown in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is an underneath isometric view of the component tray and component shown in Figure 2 an assembled state prior to insertion in a street lighting luminaire body.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a street lighting luminaire body 10 cast in aluminium or an aluminium alloy. The left hand side of the luminaire body defines a large aperture or optical chamber 12 in which a lamp such as a metal halide lamp or high pressure sodium lamp can be fitted.

A visor, not shown, is attached to the underside of the body portion in use, using clips, screws or the like. As seen in Figure 1, the right hand side 14 of the lamp body, supports the various electrical or electrical components which supply power to and control the lamp. The components are mounted on a component or gear tray 20 which will be described in more detail hereinafter. The bottom half of the body portion defines a series of aluminium fins 22 which act to dissipate heat from control gear of the lamp.

S•A photocell 24 is also fitted to the underside of the right hand body portion 14 of the lamp in a generally cylindrical aperture 26 formed in the body portion.

The lamp includes a cover portion which fits over the top of the right hand side of the body portion of the lamp, not shown, which protects the components and a means for attaching the street lighting luminaire to the top of a pole, also not shown.

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the gear cassette/tray 20 and the components which are mounted thereto. The tray is also shown in Figures 3 and The heaviest component, the ballast 32, is attached to the underside of the gear tray by means of a ballast clamping bracket 34 and two pairs of holes in the tray, 36 and 38. The bracket is used to apply pressure onto the ballast in position on the lamp body 14. Screws are used to attach the ballast to the gear tray 20. A capacitor 40 is located on the upper side of the tray in a part cylindrical aperture 42 formed at one end of the tray. An end wall of the aperture defines an elongate slot 44 which is adapted to receive a cylindrical pin 46 projecting from one end of the capacitor and the capacitor is secured to the cassette tray by means of a plastic cable tie 48 or the like (see Figure On the opposite side of the tray from the capacitor, is a similar recess and four upstanding clips 54 which are adapted to receive an igniter 56, if an igniter is required for the particular type of lamp fitted to the luminaire.

In the centre of the gear cassette tray, at the left hand side of the tray as viewed in Figure 2, are four projecting clips 50 which are adapted to engage with an incoming supply terminal block 52.

The bottom left hand corner of the tray as oriented in Figure 2, defines a socket 60 for receiving the photoelectric cell 24. Figure 4 shows a front view of the socket. As can be seen, the photoelectric cell 24 defines three upstanding arcuate pins 62 arranged on the circumference of a circle and the socket 60 which is adapted to receive those pins is moulded as a part of the tray 20. Metal contacts 64 fit into the moulding and the mould includes a o further rear component 66 which is secured by a self threading screw 68 to the upper side of the moulded socket 60 which secures the metal to 15 contacts/terminals in place and also provides contacts for securing wires to 00 o the socket.

With reference to Figure 5, the moulding also provides contacts adapted to receive a blocking inductor if required. A location 72 (refer to Figure 2) is also provided to receive a fuse, if a fuse is required. A ballast terminal block is fitted to the underside of the tray an earth on the incoming electricity supply is linked to the terminal block and then to the casting.

o In use, the various components for a street lighting luminaire can be fitted to the moulded gear tray as illustrated and the tray can be simply fixed directly to the body of a street lighting luminaire. This not only makes assembly of a street light using luminaires more efficient, the inclusion of the socket for the photoelectric cell also produces substantial cost savings.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A gear, or component tray for a street lighting luminaire or the like, the tray being moulded in a synthetic polymer material, and being adapted to mount or support components for a control circuit for a street lighting luminaire including ballast, the arrangement being such that the ballast for the luminaire is mounted on the underside of the component tray when the tray is located in the body of the luminaire, the underside being the side of the tray that faces ground when the luminaire is mounted on a pole in use, such that when the tray is mounted in the body of a street lighting luminaire the ballast is supported by the body of the luminaire.

2. A gear, or component tray for a street light as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gear tray is moulded to define a socket for receiving a photocell.

3. A gear, or component tray for a street lighting luminaire as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein at least some of the components for the control 15 circuit for the lamp apart from the ballast are mounted on the upper surface of the gear tray.

4. A gear, or component tray for a street lighting luminaire as claimed in claim 3 wherein the components mounted on the upper surface of the gear tray include a capacitor, and incoming supply terminal block mounted above 20 the ballast.

A method of assembling a street lighting luminaire including the steps "of: providing a street lighting luminaire body; placing a component tray formed from a moulded synthetic polymer 25 material in the body wherein the ballast for the luminaire is mounted on the o: underside of the tray, the underside being the side of the tray that faces ground when the luminaire is mounted on a pole in use, in such a manner that the ballast is supported by the luminaire body; fixing the component tray to the luminaire body; and placing a cover on the body to cover the components and tray.

6. A method of assembling a street lighting luminaire as claimed in claim further including the step of: mounting a photocell to a socket moulded in the underside of the tray through an aperture provided in the luminaire body;

7. A street lighting luminaire comprising a metallic body casting which is hollow and arranged in such a way that two separate chambers are formed, an optical chamber which holds a lamp and is located on the underside of the body casting and is closeable by means of a transparent visor which is fixed to the underside of the body casting, and a gear chamber which houses electrical control equipment and which is located on the topside of the casting wherein the luminaire includes a gear tray moulded in the synthetic polymer material on which components, including ballast, for a electrical control equipment circuit for the lamp are mounted or supported, the arrangement being such that the ballast for the luminaire is mounted on the underside of the component tray when the tray is located in the gear chamber of the luminaire, the underside being the side of the tray that faces ground when the luminaire is mounted on a pole in use, such that the ballast is supported by the body of the luminaire.

8. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in claim 7 wherein the body of the luminaire is an aluminium casting.

9. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in claim 8 or claim 7 wherein the luminaire body defines a series of fins on the underside of the body below the ballast to dissipate heat generated by the ballast and the tray presses the 20 ballast onto the body of the luminaire improves the transfer of heat from the ballast to the fins.

10 A street lighting luminaire as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein the gear tray is moulded to define a socket for receiving a photocell.

11. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in any one of claims 7 to S. 25 wherein at least some of the components for the control circuit for the lamp apart from the ballast, are mounted on the upper surface of the gear tray.

12. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in claim 11 wherein the components mounted on the upper surface of the gear tray include a capacitor, and an incoming supply terminal block mounted above the ballast. 30

13. A gear, or component tray for a street lighting luminaire substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

14. A street lighting luminaire substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings. DATED this eighth day of February 2002 Sylvania Lighting International Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F.B.RICE&CO. a. a