CN108506895B

CN108506895B - Lamp housing trough for forming lamp housing

Info

Publication number: CN108506895B
Application number: CN201810164975.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: W·巴赫特; M·斯皮格尔; C·恩德
Original assignee: Zumtobel Lighting GmbH Austria
Current assignee: Zantober Lighting Co ltd
Priority date: 2017-02-28
Filing date: 2018-02-28
Publication date: 2020-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 2038-02-28
Also published as: EP3366981A1; AT15820U1; CN108506895A; EP3366981B1; DE102017203200A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a lamp cartridge pocket for forming a lamp housing. The light box channel (50) is designed for connection with the light-transmitting cover (20) to form a complete light housing and has ribs (70,80) projecting into its interior, which ribs are designed for detachably holding a support (100) for the luminous element unit.

Description

Lamp housing trough for forming lamp housing

Technical Field

The invention relates to a lamp housing trough which is provided for forming a closed lamp housing together with a light-transmitting cover. The invention also relates to a lamp housing for a lamp, in particular a so-called moisture-proof lamp (feuchterlaucleuchte).

Background

A moisture-proof lamp refers to a lamp that is used in an environment where higher air humidity may be particularly present. That is to say, it can be, for example, a workshop or garage and an area which is not completely closed to the outside. Since dirt or dust, and in particular moisture, should be prevented from penetrating into the interior of the lamp in order to avoid damage to the electronics responsible for the emission of light, the lamp must in this case be sealed in a suitable manner from the environment. In this connection, so-called protection classes are defined, which, depending on their class, determine certain requirements for sealing the lamp housing.

The closed lamp housing is usually composed of at least two parts, one being a cover cap which is responsible for the light output and the other being a so-called lamp capsule housing which is to be connected to the cover cap. The lamp housing socket is generally designed at least in this case in the form of a pot or groove to provide a receiving space in which other components of the lamp, in particular those responsible for the light emission, can then be arranged in a sealed manner with respect to the environment. Although the lamp housing is usually realized in the form of a correspondingly stamped and bent sheet metal part for reasons of manufacturing technology, there is no possibility for realizing a moisture-tight lamp, since such a housing made of sheet metal can only be sealed in a complicated manner with respect to the environment. The light box housing for a moisture-tight lamp is therefore preferably made of plastic and in this case is produced, in particular, by injection molding, since in this way a one-piece and therefore complete light box housing can be realized.

At the same time, however, the corresponding housing groove must also be designed in such a way that it allows the arrangement and fixing of further components in the receiving space. However, such measures often result in the injection-molded housing having to be additionally processed to provide the required installation possibilities.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a new possibility for realizing a lamp housing pocket which can be produced in a simple manner and which also opens up the possibility of mounting additional components of the lamp in the interior space in a simple manner.

This object is achieved by a lamp housing according to the invention.

The housing recess according to the invention is characterized in that a rib projecting into the interior of the housing recess is provided for the detachable retention of the support element, in particular for the luminous element unit. They extend in one piece from the respective side wall of the housing recess, so that they can be manufactured simply. At the same time, these ribs allow simple mounting and possibly also removability of the support for the luminous element unit.

That is, according to the invention, a light box trough is proposed which is designed for connection with a light-transmitting cover in order to form a closed lamp housing, wherein the light box trough has ribs projecting into its inner space, which are designed for detachably holding a support for a luminous element unit. In this case, the ribs are preferably arranged on two mutually opposite side walls of the magazine trough.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, provision can be made here for at least two different types of ribs to be provided, each having a locking notch provided for locking with the support. In this case, however, the locking notches of the different types of ribs are designed differently, i.e. they jointly fix the support element in a predetermined position. In this case, it can be provided in particular that the ribs of a first type fix the support element in at least one first direction, while the ribs of a second type fix the support element in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The corresponding selection of the ribs in this case simplifies the mounting of the support element into the lamp housing, wherein it is then also fixed in the desired position.

It may also be provided that at least a part of the rib has a locking notch for locking the wire holder. Such a component is advantageous, for example, when the electrical wires should be mounted along the lamp housing, for example, for continuous wiring. The ribs of the light box channel according to the invention are designed in a targeted manner such that the respectively defined installation of the electrical lines can only be achieved by snapping in the respective line holders, without the electrical lines having to be installed in a complicated manner by additional installation measures on the light box channel.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, it can also be provided that at least a part of the ribs has additional through-openings. They may also be used to lay other elongated members along the lamp housing or to mount additional members on ribs.

Usually, the lamp housing has symbols, such as warning symbols or the like, on its outer surface due to the respective provisions. They are usually placed on the light box after manufacture, for example by stamping or printing or gluing. But in all cases additional work is required to realize the symbols on the outer surface of the lamp housing.

In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, it is therefore provided that the warning symbol is formed on the outer surface of the housing groove by a plurality of surface portions offset from one another in a stepped manner. Such a sign, which may be, for example, a lightning bolt for warning voltage, is then produced in an efficient manner in the context of injection-molding the lamp housing. That is, the special and inventive design of the warning symbol results in the light box channel still being able to be simply ejected from the injection mould after injection moulding. For this reason, the cost of implementing the lamp is reduced again as a whole.

In order to be able to form the desired sealed lamp housing together with the cover cap, the lamp capsule housing according to the invention can preferably have a circumferential sealing channel, wherein a seal is provided in the bottom region of the sealing channel. In this case, it can be provided in particular that the outer wall of the sealing channel has a locking recess facing the channel, which then cooperates in a corresponding manner with a locking projection of the cover cap. Additionally, the channel inner wall may have a notch opposite the locking recess. This measure in turn simplifies the subsequent stripping of the capsule housing from the mold after the injection-molding manufacture of the capsule housing.

In order to supply components located in the lamp interior space with electric current, external current supply wires have to be introduced into the lamp housing. Accordingly, the light cartridge slot typically has one or more regions that are removed from the cartridge slot to form a through opening. Such regions are provided in the light box channel of the invention, wherein, according to a particularly preferred embodiment, at least one of the regions is formed centrally in the base surface of the light box channel. Typically, such regions are provided on the end faces or in the ends of the bottom face. In the case of the lamp capsule housing according to the invention, corresponding regions for forming the lead-in openings can also be provided at these points, but a corresponding region can also be provided centrally or centrally, which opens up a higher flexibility in the supply of current to the lamp and thus in the positioning of the lamp. The housing recess can be formed, for example, from PC or PMMA. In the case of PMMA, a light-transmitting design of the housing vessel is obtained, which can be used to obtain additional lighting effects in the secondary light output range, if necessary.

The invention also relates to a lamp housing, in particular for a moisture-tight lamp, wherein the housing is formed by a lamp vessel of the type described above and by a cover to be connected to the lamp vessel. In this case, it can be provided in particular that the cover and the cassette holder are both made of the same material. This advantageously results in the two housing parts being realized purely from the same material, which has the advantage that no different expansions of the two housing parts are to be feared in the event of temperature fluctuations. This action may result in a shift that may adversely affect the function of the seal and lock. However, in the embodiment of the invention, this problem is avoided in that the two housing parts are made of the same material and expand or contract accordingly.

In a lamp according to the invention having a lamp housing of the above-mentioned type, provision can also preferably be made for a light-emitting means to be provided in the lamp housing. They can then be placed in particular on a device carrier which is detachably locked to the lamp housing groove. The device carrier can then have a plurality of light exit openings which allow light to pass into the region of the device carrier opposite the light emitter at the housing part in which the light emitter is arranged. This can then be used in the case of at least partially light-transmitting lamp sockets, in order that the light generated by the light-emitting means, although it is emitted predominantly via the cover, can also enter the opposite housing region and then emerge via the slot-shaped housing.

Drawings

The invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

fig. 1 and 2 show views of a so-called moisture-proof lamp, in which the device carrier of the invention is used;

FIG. 3 shows an end view of a moisture resistant lamp;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a moisture-tight lamp;

fig. 5 and 6 show views of the cover of the moisture-proof lamp responsible for the light output;

FIG. 7 shows an enlarged view of the end of the cover;

fig. 8 and 9 show views of the locking portion responsible for mounting the cover on the capsule recess;

FIGS. 10 and 11 show views of a light box slot of a moisture-tight light;

FIG. 12 shows an enlarged view of the end of the cartridge slot;

FIG. 13 shows the light cartridge slot section responsible for locking with the cover;

FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the cover locked with the light box slot;

FIG. 15 illustrates the mounting of an additional wire retainer on the light box channel;

fig. 16 shows the wire holder in isolated view;

FIG. 17 shows an end of the pod slot;

FIG. 18 shows a view of a special tool for producing a warning symbol on the outer surface of a light box channel;

FIG. 19 shows a cross-sectional view of the device carrier locked with the light box slot;

figures 20 and 21 show views of the device carrier;

fig. 22 to 25 show views of the device carrier together with the light emitting component mounted thereon;

fig. 26 to 28 show views of a primary optical component to be mounted on a device carrier, an

Fig. 29 shows a structural unit consisting of a device carrier and a primary optical component mounted on the device carrier.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 and 2 first show two perspective views of a moisture-protection lamp with the general reference numeral 1, i.e. a moisture-protection lamp is intended in particular for use in areas where in particular also higher air humidity is possible. That is, the lamp 1 should in particular be designed such that an intrusion of dust and/or moisture into the inner region of the lamp 1 is avoided. The lamp 1 should then meet the requirements of protection class IP65, ideally class IP66, by means of sealing measures which will also be described in detail below.

The main components of the lamp 1 are a so-called lamp capsule housing 50, a cover 20 and a device carrier which is described in more detail below but is not visible in fig. 1 and 2, which is arranged in the space enclosed by the lamp capsule housing 50 and the cover 20 and which contains the components responsible for the light emission. That is, the lamp housing is formed by the parts to be connected to each other, the lamp housing groove 50 and the cover 20. They enclose an elongated receiving chamber for the other components of the lamp 1.

Provision is made for the cover 20 and the lamp housing recess 50 to be composed of the same material. This is a first feature in comparison to the solutions known to date, since, on account of different requirements, it has hitherto been preferred to provide that the lamp housing socket is composed of a first material and that the cover cap responsible for the light output is composed of a second material. For the lamp vessel, materials are generally used here which, in particular, allow the interior of the lamp to be sealed with respect to external influences. The cover is in turn made of a material which meets the optical requirements in terms of light output.

However, it is now provided that the lamp housing recess 50 and the cover 20 are formed purely from the same material, and it can be provided here, for example, according to a preferred embodiment that Polycarbonate (PC) is used for both components. The plastic can be designed not only to be opaque but also to be opalescent, wherein then preferably an opaque material is selected for the cartridge pocket 50 and the cover 20 is designed to be opalescent. That is, the cover 20 has in this case at least slightly light scattering properties, which results in a uniform and stable light output.

According to a further advantageous variant, it can be provided that the capsule housing 50 and the cover 20 consist of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). It may be a material that can be designed to be transparent to glass. That is, the material selection then results in light being emitted not only through the cover 20, but also through the cell 50, which is designed to be light-transmissive. This can be used to illuminate the housing of the lamp 1 as a whole or to obtain an indirect light output via the cassette slot 50.

In both variants, however, the lamp housing 50 and the cover 20 are formed from the same material as described above, which also has the advantage, in particular, that the two

housing parts

20, 50 expand or contract in the same manner in the event of temperature fluctuations. This results in temperature fluctuations that do not lead to an adverse effect of the sealing measures, which will be described in more detail below. This also improves the sealing of the lamp 1 against external influences.

Another feature of the lamp 1 is that, apart from the sealing material described below, sealing of the lamp interior against external influences is achieved exclusively by the two housing parts (the cartridge recess 50 and the cover 20), and the two

housing parts

20, 50 are designed such that they can be connected to one another without additional auxiliary means. Ideally, the cover 20 and the lamp housing recess 50 are then completely made of the only material (e.g. polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate) without additional elastic material, for example in the connecting region, as is done in many known solutions. This results in a simplified manufacture of the two

housing parts

20, 50, since they can be manufactured by injection molding in a simple manner as described below. On the other side, the abandonment of additional connecting and sealing measures requires that the two

housing parts

20, 50 are specially fitted in the connecting region to obtain the desired connection and sealing.

In this connection, the design of the cover 20 with the measures provided thereon for connection to the lamp housing trough 50 shall first be explained in detail below. This should be done in particular in connection with fig. 5 to 9.

Fig. 5 and 6 now show the complete lamp cap 20 first in a perspective view, from the inside on the one hand (fig. 5) and from the outside on the other hand (fig. 6). The cover 20 now has an elongated hood-like shape and is designed to be smooth on its outer surface. The cleaning of the surface of the lamp 1 which is responsible for the light output in the first place is thus much easier. The risk of dirt particles depositing on the surface of the lamp 1 is also reduced.

Whereas on the inner surface of the hood shape the hood 20 has over substantially its entire surface a light-refracting structure, in the embodiment shown ribs 24 extending in the longitudinal direction. They can have, for example, a prismatic, triangular cross-sectional shape in order to influence the light output via the cover 20 in the lateral direction in a desired manner. Other prismatic structures (e.g., matrix shapes) may be used. It is noted, however, that the light refracting structure 24 only functions optically when the material of the cover 20 has no or only slight light scattering properties. That is, the structure 24 first works in the variant where the cover 20 is made of PMMA.

The shape of the cover 20 is selected such that it is approximately trapezoidal in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as well as in a cross section perpendicular thereto. In this case, however, the base 21 merges in a curved manner into the region of the side walls 22 and the end faces 23. The shaping leads to a higher mechanical stability of the cover 20, avoids sharp edges on the outer surface of the cover 20 which may adversely affect the light output, and in turn facilitates the cleaning of the surfaces responsible for the light output. The base surface 21 can be designed here as a slightly concave elevation, as can be seen from the views of fig. 3 and 4, whereby the light output can also be influenced in a desired manner.

The components responsible for locking the cover 20 with the lamp capsule recess 50 and for sealing the lamp housing can be seen in particular in fig. 7 to 9.

In this case, it can be seen first of all that the outwardly inclined side walls 22 and the end faces 23 of the cover 20 merge into a circumferential web 26 which is oriented approximately perpendicular to the plane of the base face 21 and which is intended to be inserted into a sealing channel of the lamp housing groove 50 which is described further below. The webs 26, which extend without interruption over the entire extent, should then be used for the actual sealing of the lamp interior in cooperation with the sealing material accommodated in the sealing channel.

However, the cover 20 also has a splash guard edge 25 which projects perpendicularly outward from the upper edge of the sealing web 26, as can be seen in particular in fig. 7. The splash rim covers the sealing channel of the capsule recess 50 in the assembled state of the lamp housing, thus preventing any influence of splash water or the like which acts directly on the sealing area. I.e. the risk of accumulating pressure acting on the seal is avoided. It is a supplementary protective measure in this case, which does not prevent moisture from principally entering the lamp interior space (which should be obtained by the cooperation of the seal and the sealing web 26), but thereby obtains additional protection of the lamp 1.

The splash guard 25 also preferably extends completely around the entire periphery of the cover 20, but is broken off at several locations. In this case, a location where the locking portion 30 is provided that allows tool-less locking of the cover 20 with the housing groove 50. A plurality of said locking portions 30 are provided evenly distributed around the cover 20, where the individual locking portions are shown enlarged in fig. 8 and 9.

The locking portion 30 in this case has in particular a web-shaped locking projection 31 which is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the sealing web 26 and is supported at its bottom surface by two trapezoidal support webs 32. The locking projection 31 comprising the support web 32 should then be inserted into a corresponding locking notch of the capsule housing 50, but in order to allow the locking between the cover 20 and the capsule housing 50 to be released at a later moment, a rectangular opening 28 is provided in the splashguard edge 25 above the locking projection 31, through which opening access to the locking projection 31 is allowed. That is, there is a break in splash lip 25 that allows for subsequent release of the lock between cover 20 and capsule slot 50.

However, there is naturally also the risk that water enters the sealing region of the lamp housing via a break in the splashproof edge 25. To avoid this, two additional vertically extending webs 29 are provided which extend from the end opening 28 down to the locking projection 31. The webs 29, which are shallower in depth than the latching projections 31, bear against the wall of the lamp vessel 50 on both sides of a latching recess, which will be described in more detail below, in the latched state of the lamp housing, so that, although there is a possibility of water splashing into the region above the latching projections 31, there is then no further access to the connection, since this region is completely closed off by the corresponding wall of the vessel housing and the webs 29 and latching projections 31. The webs 29 and the locking projections 31 accordingly cover the openings 28 of the splash guard edge, so that a completely circumferential splash protection is obtained overall in the region of the connection between the cover 20 and the box groove 50.

Furthermore, on the inner surface of the sealing edge 26, on both sides of the locking portion 30, in each case a further web 27 is provided. The additional tabs 27 support the engagement of the locking portions 30 of the cover 20 with corresponding locking members of the cassette slots 50, as will be described in more detail below.

In addition to the above, it is also possible to supplement that the circumferential splash guard 25 can also be used as a stacking aid in addition to its actual splash guard function. That is, a plurality of lamp covers 20 of the type shown can be stacked one on top of the other in a simple manner, wherein the lamp covers 20 then rest with the lower edge of the sealing web 26 on the splash-proof edge 25 of the lamp cover 20 disposed therebelow. This facilitates storage and transportation of the cover 20. Furthermore, the rotation of the cover is selected in such a way that it can be produced by injection molding in a simple manner as described.

The design of the capsule housing 50 can be seen from fig. 10 to 17 and 19, wherein the features essential for the sealing connection of the capsule housing 50 to the cover cap 20 shall first be described below.

In this case, the lamp cartridge pan 50 firstly has a pot-shaped or groove-shaped configuration and corresponds in terms of its dimensions substantially to the dimensions of the cover 20. In this case, the electrical lines to be described later can also be provided on the base surface 51 and the end surface 53, through which the electronics in the lamp 1 are connected to external current supply lines.

In this case, the two side walls 52 and the end wall 53 of the lamp capsule recess 50 comprise an opening towards the cover 20, in the region of which opening the lamp capsule recess 50 is designed double-walled, in accordance with the enlarged view in fig. 13. Specifically, according to the sectional view according to fig. 14, the side and end

walls

52, 53 are first extended by a first web 62. Furthermore, the box groove 50 is widened laterally by a second web 61 which is designed to be curved, wherein the second web 61 then runs substantially parallel to the inner web 62, but slightly beyond it. In this way, a sealing channel 60 is formed which completely surrounds the opening of the cartridge pocket 50, the outer wall of which is formed by a web 61, the inner wall of which is formed by a web 62, and which has a seal 63 in the region of the bottom. The seal is preferably foamed into the channel 60 after the manufacture of the cassette slot 50 or, alternatively, is added to subsequently form a bearing surface for the lower edge of the sealing flap 26 of the cover 20. It is inserted into the channel over the entire extent of the channel 60 and by its abutment against the seal 63 results in the interior of the lamp housing being protected against dust and/or moisture.

The secure retention of the cover 20 on the lamp cartridge slot 50 is obtained by means of a locking portion 65, which is shown enlarged in the view according to fig. 13. The locking part 65 is formed in such a way that the outer web 61 has a thickening 66 which faces the interior of the sealing channel 60 and has a locking recess or locking notch 67. The notch 67, however, passes only through the thickened portion 66, but not through the entire outer web 61. That is, the housing of the cartridge slot 50 is closed to the outside in this region.

The positioning of the locking portion 65 now corresponds to the arrangement of the locking portion 30 and the cover 20 described above. That is, the locking protrusions 31 are inserted into the corresponding notches 67 when the lamp cartridge slot 50 is assembled with the cover 20. The inclined support webs 32 provided on the bottom of the locking projections 31 now form a thrust ramp which causes the outer webs 61 to be set aside laterally when the cover 20 is placed on the cassette holder 50. Thereby facilitating assembly between the cartridge slot 50 and the cover 20.

After the cover cap 20 is subsequently fully inserted with the sealing web 26 into the sealing channel 60, the locking projections 31 and the webs 32 fully engage in the corresponding notches 67 of the lamp capsule groove 50 and the outer web 61 can be moved back into the initial position. A reliable and stable retention between the cover lid 20 and the cartridge slot 50 is thereby ensured, wherein the dimensions of the components responsible for the locking are selected as described above, the lower edge of the sealing web 26 of the cover lid 20 abutting against the seal 63 provided in the bottom region of the channel 60, whereby the desired protection of the interior space of the lamp housing is obtained.

As is also apparent from fig. 14, in the assembled state the circumferential splash lip 25 of the cover 20 then also bears against the end face of the outer web 61, in order to ensure the described splash protection in addition to the internal seal and to prevent larger particles from entering the sealing region. The opening is also only present because of the notches 28 of the splash guard edge 25 in several locking areas. Said opening being required in order to allow, at a later moment, the release of the lock between the cartridge slot 50 and the cover 20. However, the corresponding space is then closed as described by the side webs 29 abutting the outer web 61 of the cassette 50 from the inside and by the locking projections 31. That is, liquid or debris particles present in this area cannot successfully enter the seal channel 60.

The defined fit between the locking portion 30 of the cover 20 and the locking portion 65 of the cartridge slot is also supported in that the webs 27 provided on the inner circumference of the sealing edge 26 abut against the side of the inner web 62 of the cartridge slot 50 facing the edge 60 in the assembled state. That is, the part of the cover 20 responsible for locking and sealing is held in a defined position with respect to the mating part of the cartridge slot 50 by additional support by the connecting edge 27.

The unlocking of the lock between the cover 20 and the lamp housing socket 50 then takes place by inserting a tool, for example a socket-head screwdriver, through the opening 28 of the splash guard edge 25 into the locking region. By turning the tool or screwdriver, the outer tabs 61 of the cassette 50 can then be bent outwards locally, so that the locking projections 31 can be disengaged from the locking notches 67. In this way, the locking between the cover 20 and the lamp housing recess 50 can be released again in a simple and intuitive manner. This is achieved as described above only by means of corresponding tools, which are not generally readily available. Here too, the webs 29 and the locking projections 31 prevent the tool from inadvertently touching the seal 63 during insertion of the tool and possibly damaging the seal in this case.

In this way, a reliable sealing engagement between the cover 20 and the lamp housing recess 50 can be achieved in a simple manner, but this engagement can also be easily separated again, if desired. As shown in fig. 13, the inner web 62 has an opening or slot 68 opposite the locking slot 67. It does not relate to the subsequent use of the lamp cartridge pocket 50 and the mating with the cover 20, but it facilitates the injection molding manufacture of the cartridge pocket 50. That is, with the openings 68 corresponding to the notches 67, the cartridge pocket 50 is much easier to demold from the corresponding injection mold after injection molding.

Other special features of the capsule slot 50 relate to the possibility of supplying external current supply lines and measures allowing to arrange the light emitting component within the lamp housing. The properties will be described in detail below.

With regard to the possibility of feeding an external current supply line, a number of possibilities of forming an input port are specified on the lamp cartridge slot 50. Here, the

segments

54,55 and 56 are closed after the production of the cartridge slot 50, but here have a weakened structure of annular material which allows the removal or withdrawal of the circular housing part. In this way, a plurality of supply openings can then be provided, through which electrical lines can project into the interior of the lamp. The opening can then also be closed by corresponding additional measures, such as a sleeve or the like.

One feature of the illustrated lamp housing socket 50 is that, unlike conventional lamp housing sockets 50, only the sections forming the supply opening are provided at the ends, but also allow a central supply of electrical lines. That is, in the illustrated cartridge slot 50, the respective section 54 with the weakened structure of the material is first arranged centrally in the bottom surface 51 of the cartridge slot 50. In addition,

additional sections

55,56 are also formed in the end of the bottom surface 51 and in the end surface 53. That is, the input of the external current supply line can be flexibly adjusted according to the installation form of the lamp or its application field.

Furthermore, two suspension channels 57 extending parallel to one another are formed in each case at the ends of the base surface 51. They allow for the insertion of, for example, clips that are connected to slings for hanging the lamp 1. Such clamps are known and allow in a simple manner a rope-hanging or balanced suspension of the lamp 1. Here, the length of the channel 57 into which the arm of the suspension clamp is to be inserted is set to leave a certain clearance for positioning the suspension clamp. The flexibility of the arrangement of the lamp 1 can thereby also be increased.

In addition, the suspension channel 57 can now also fulfill another function. That is, since the housing part surrounding the channel 57 forms a linear surface section of curved design, in particular also beyond the other outer surfaces of the lamp capsule well 50, this part can also be used as a resting or bearing surface, whereby a simple stacking of the same lamp capsule well 50 is again achieved. That is, as described with respect to the cover 20, this results in a simplified support and better transport of the cartridge slot 50 to the final lamp installation site.

Other features of the light box channel 50 relate to the design of the interior space. Here, it can be seen in particular that the

ribs

70,80 are scattered in position along the inner walls of the two side faces 52 of the cassette bay 50. They serve on the one hand to increase the stability of the cartridge pocket 50, but in particular also to tool-less arrange and mount other lamp components.

Here, two different ribs are provided according to the embodiment shown, which have different designs. In the illustrated embodiment, two first type ribs 70 and four second type ribs 80 are provided on one side of the cartridge slot 50. The first type of rib 70, which is herein positioned at the second and fifth locations along the longitudinal direction, will be described first. It is also obviously conceivable to vary the arrangement and number of different types of ribs.

The shape of the first type of ribs 70 can now be seen in particular in fig. 12 and also in fig. 15. It first has a first lower section 71, which, as a result of the curved contour of the cassette bay 50, has approximately the shape of a quarter ellipse and, according to the drawing, a vertical first side 72 and a horizontal second side 73. Separately from the first portion 71, a further rib portion 74 is formed above the horizontal side 73, which rib portion is formed approximately in the form of a right triangle, but here forms the hypotenuse at an angle. Together with the upper edge 73 of the first rib section 71 and the housing side wall, the second rib section 74 encompasses a locking notch 75 for holding a device carrier as described in more detail below. At its end facing the centre of the capsule slot 50, the horizontal edge 73 also has a slight elevation in this case, whereby the locking notch 75 is laterally delimited.

Furthermore, the lower convex rib section 71 has a further locking notch 76 of substantially triangular shape in the region of the vertical edge 72. This achieves a snap-in lock into the wire holder 90 as shown individually in fig. 16 according to the view of fig. 15. The holding part 90, which is formed for example from plastic, is formed essentially in a C-shape and has a central leg 91 which merges laterally into two oblique side legs 92 which have, at their outer ends, ends 93 which in turn run parallel to the central leg 91. A cut-out 94 is provided in each of these ends so that the end 93 which is locked into the slot 76 of the rib 70 wraps around the lower section of the rib 70. The cross-fitting of the rib 70 and the wire retaining member 90 causes it to be secured in the position shown in fig. 15. Since the wire holder 90 is designed symmetrically and cooperates in the same way with the correspondingly opposite rib 7 of the capsule slot 50, it can be locked in the shown arrangement in a simple manner into the lamp capsule slot 50. The foot 95 formed on the bottom surface of the central region 91 now supports the thread holder 90 on the bottom surface of the cassette slot 50. The electrical lines can then be laid between the bottom surface and the line holders 90, respectively, which are supported by a plurality of line holders fixed in the cartridge pocket 50 in such a way that they run along the bottom surface of the cartridge pocket 50 and do not interfere with the further arrangement of the additional components in the lamp housing.

In the illustrated arrangement, corresponding locking notches 76 are provided for retaining the wire retainer 90 in the first type of rib 70. It will be apparent that corresponding locking notches may additionally or alternatively be provided in the second type of ribs 80 described below. The number of wire holders 90 to be inserted may possibly be increased thereby, which must be relevant in relation to the length of the lamp 1.

The release of the locking between the wire holder 90 and the lamp cartridge slot 50 can be done in a simple manner by pressing the central portion 91 of the clip 90 or pulling this portion. Because of the elasticity, the end 93 of the wire holder 90 is pulled slightly inward at this time, so that the locking with the corresponding rib 70 is released.

It is also provided that the first type of rib 70 has a through-opening 78 offset laterally with respect to the locking slot 76. It may perhaps be used for power lines or lines to pass through if so desired. It is also possible to provide such openings 78 in the ribs 80 of the second type.

The shape of the second type of ribs 80 can also be seen in fig. 12. They are first of all made up of a lower section 81 with straight vertical edges 82. As mentioned, a plurality of notches or openings may be provided in the lower rib section 81 corresponding to the locking notches 76 or openings 77 of the first type of rib.

The upper end of the lower male rib section 81 has a triangular projection 83 which in turn defines a locking notch 84 with the side wall of the cartridge slot 50. But unlike the locking notch 75 of the first rib 70, the locking notch 84 is not defined upwardly here, since here the rib 80 continues only through the narrow web 85.

In addition, further ribs 88 are provided on the end-side ends of the capsule slot 50. However, the ribs 88 (see fig. 11) facing the interior space extend only over the height of the internal webs 62 of the sealing channel 60 and are oriented perpendicularly to the first or

second ribs

70,80 provided on the longitudinal sides of the cartridge slot 50. They also support, among other things, a stack of a plurality of identical light cartridge slots 50.

The function of the

aforementioned ribs

70,80 and 88 in connection with the mounting of the device carrier will be described below. But first additional features of the pod slots 50 will be briefly described in connection with fig. 17 and 18. It has at least one warning symbol 250 on its outer surface as shown in fig. 17 with a lightning bolt 251 therein warning the voltage. It is obvious that in principle there are various distinct possibilities to place the warning symbol 250 on the outer surface after manufacture of the light box channel 50. For example, a corresponding embossing of the symbols 250 is conceivable, or it is obvious that a sticking or printing of the light box channel 50 is also conceivable. However, in this case, it is provided that the symbol is formed simultaneously during the injection molding process within the production range of the cartridge pocket 50.

For this purpose, special slides are provided which are used in injection molds, as shown in fig. 18 and are provided with the reference numeral 300. The use is made here of the fact that the triangular symbol 250 shown with its contained lightning bolt 251 can be realized by using mould segments comprising

surface portions

301, 302 and 303 which are designed to be offset from one another in a stepped manner. That is, the second surface portion 302 is connected to the first surface portion 301 forming the first portion of the triangular interior, has a lightning bolt 251 shape, and is slightly raised with respect to the first surface portion 301. The triangle is only complemented by the surface portion 303, which in turn is designed to be elevated with respect to the second surface portion. This particular design of the sliding plate 300 results in that the symbols 250 with the respective subsequently stepped offset surface portions can be applied directly to the outer surface of the lamp housing recess 50 in the course of the injection molding process, but nevertheless a subsequent demolding of the housing recess 50 can be effected smoothly. In this way, it is possible to produce the capsule housing 50 simply and precisely, avoiding subsequent additional steps, by injection molding.

The third main component of the moisture-proof lamp 1 is the device carrier 100 described above, which is first shown in fig. 20 and 21. It is an elongated plate on which the components of the lamp 1 responsible for the light emission should be mounted. The central plate-like section 101 is in this case designed to be oblong and arranged slightly shorter than the actual length of the lamp 1. On both sides of the plate-shaped section 101, the device carrier 100 has profiled side legs 102 which are bent into a U-shape at their ends 103.

The profile or configuration of the side legs 102 can be seen, for example, from the view of fig. 24. It allows locking with the capsule slot 50, where the arrangement shown in fig. 19 is then obtained in the locked state. It can be seen how the bent U-shaped end 103 of the side leg 102 of the device carrier 100 mates with the locking

notch

75,84 of the

rib

70 or 80. It can be seen in particular that the second raised rib section 74 of the first type of raised rib 70 forms a boundary stop for the end 103 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the opening of the cell housing 50. The protrusions 83 of the second type of raised ribs 80 in turn form lateral boundaries for the side legs 102. That is, the two types of

ribs

70,80 secure the side legs 102 primarily in one direction, respectively, where the two directions are substantially perpendicular to each other, so that the device carrier 100 is generally secured in the housing 50 in a desired position. The shaping of the respective projection or rib then makes it easy to insert the U-shaped bent and thus somewhat elastic end 103 into the locking

notches

75,84 of the

ribs

70,80, thus allowing a simple installation of the device carrier 100 into the housing 50. But the lock may also be disengaged again by hand if it is desired to replace or remove the device carrier 100 for service work.

At this time, the device carrier 100 serves to hold a luminous element unit (here, a plurality of LED circuit boards 130) responsible for the emission of light and to position other components responsible for the supply of power to the LED circuit boards 130 in an opposite manner. Here, the

respective driver

140, 141 and the connecting

terminals

142, 143 are connected via electrical lines, not shown in detail, to an electrical current supply line running into the lamp or from the

driver

140, 141 to the LED circuit board 130.

Namely, the LED circuit board 130 and the

components

140 and 143 responsible for the power supply are held by the device carrier 100, wherein these components are positioned on both sides of the plate-shaped section 101. In this case, it is provided that a frustoconical spacer 110 is formed on the side of the plate-shaped section 101 on which the LED circuit board 130 is arranged. The spacer 110 forms a raised support surface for the LED circuit board 130, so that the support surface has a certain distance h to the surface of the plate-shaped section 101, as shown, for example, in fig. 24 and 25.

The illustrated spaced arrangement of the LED circuit boards 130 provides a number of benefits.

On the one hand, there is only a very weak direct thermal coupling between the LED circuit board 130 and the

driver devices

140, 141. The two components, namely the LED board 130 and the

driver devices

140, 141, generate heat during operation of the lamp 1, wherein if the thermal coupling is too strong there is the risk that heat is transferred to the respective other component and there is finally a high temperature which is not suitable for operation and which may lead to damage. The spacing arrangement by means of the spacer 110 now substantially results in a thermal decoupling between the components, so that the risk is avoided.

Another advantage is that the mounting measures, for example for the LED circuit board 130, do not have an adverse effect when placing other components on the opposite side of the device carrier 100. In particular, it can be seen from the illustration in fig. 25 that the LED circuit board 130 is screwed to the device carrier 100. In this case, the spacer 110 has, on its upper planar bearing region 111, a plurality of holes or, more generally, openings 112, which allow screws 115 to pass through. The screws 115 will pass through the plate-like section 101 of the device carrier 100 without the spacer 110 and protrude at the opposite side. Here, they may then interfere with the arrangement of the

drives

140, 141, etc., which is now no longer a problem because of the use of the spacer 110 according to the invention. Likewise, mounting the

connection terminals

142, 143 with corresponding positioning pins through the plate-shaped section 101 of the device carrier 100 does not result in adversely affecting the arrangement of the LED circuit board 130. That is, the available area of the plate-shaped section 101 may be efficiently used for arranging the light emitting components.

The spacer 110 is preferably an integral part of the device carrier 100. It is usually formed by a correspondingly stamped and formed sheet metal part, wherein the spacer 110 is subsequently also formed by stamping and pressing of the corresponding section. Ideally, the spacer 110 is configured as a truncated cone with a flat bottom surface as described. They are also designed to bend in two mutually perpendicular planes, thereby increasing their stability, so that the LED circuit board 130 is reliably and stably supported. The stable support of the circuit board 130 is also supported in this case in that the spacer disks 110 are alternately offset from one another in the longitudinal direction of the device carrier 100, as shown in particular in fig. 21. The individual printed circuit boards 130 should then stand still on at least three spacers 110, so that a defined support is obtained. In this case, it is obvious that these spacers 110 can also be arranged alternatively or additionally on opposite sides of the device carrier 100, which accordingly allows the arrangement of the

drive devices

140, 141 at a distance from the plate-shaped section 101.

Mounting of the circuit board 130 on the device carrier 100 is preferably carried out as described above by means of screws, wherein the circuit board 130 rests on at least three spacer washers 110. In this case, it is preferably provided that the printed circuit board 130 is fixed centrally, viewed in the longitudinal direction, and is supported at both ends with a gap. This can be achieved, for example, in that the printed circuit board 130 has a round hole in the center for the screw connection and a plurality of elongated holes at both ends. However, it is likewise possible to define the slot-hole-slot sequence in the holes 12 in the bearing surface 11 of the spacer 110. By this measure, different longitudinal extensions can be harvested for different material types, but here the circuit board 130 is in principle fixed in the desired position with respect to the device carrier 100 because it is fixed centrally.

In other words, when the lamp 1 is installed, it is first provided that the device carrier 100 is equipped with components responsible for light emission. Thus, the configuration shown in fig. 22 and 23 is obtained, where the wire connection between the driving device 140 and the LED circuit board 130 is also performed. That is, since the two components are located on mutually opposite sides of the device carrier 100, the connecting wires necessarily extend through the edge region of the device carrier 100 from one side to the other side thereof. For this purpose, it is provided that a slot 116 is formed in the end face end of the device carrier 100, as can be seen clearly in fig. 21. The electrical lines, not shown in the figures, which connect the driver 140 to the LED circuit board 130 should again pass through this slot 116, wherein the design of a slot 116 or the arrangement of the LED circuit board 130 is selected such that the circuit board 130 already projects with its end face end into the area of the slot 116. It is therefore to be avoided that the electrical lines leading from one side of the device carrier 100 to the other directly bear against the peripheral region of the slot 116 and may lead to a damage of the electrical line insulation due to punching burrs or sharp edges occurring during the production of the device carrier 100. It is obvious that the shape of the notch can be chosen otherwise in order to achieve this. It is in principle desirable that the wire does not contact sharp edges of the device carrier 100.

The device carrier 100 is preferably produced as described above within the scope of a stamping/pressing method, wherein this takes place in one step. This has the advantage that the individual elements of the device carrier 100, i.e. the spacer 110, the openings, the locking openings, etc., are aligned and positioned relative to one another in a very precise manner. This opens up the possibility that the device carrier 100 can be automatically equipped, for example by means of a robot, wherein a possibly predetermined guide opening, which determines the reference position for installation, can be made simultaneously in the manufacture of the device carrier 100 together with other elements.

The correspondingly equipped and wire-connected device carrier 100 is then inserted into the housing 50 and locked or clamped there in the manner described above by means of the

ribs

70 and 80. The end-side ribs 88 of the cartridge slot 50 then form centering or guiding aids, so that a corresponding suitable positioning of the device carrier 100 in the housing of the lamp 1 is facilitated.

As already mentioned, in a particular variant of the lamp housing, it is provided that both the cover 20 and the vessel shell 50 are designed to be light-transmitting in order to obtain a secondary light output here. The light used for this purpose should also originate from the LEDs 131 of the LED circuit board 130, i.e. it is necessary to allow light to escape into the housing part provided with the driving means 140, 141. This is achieved in the case shown in that the plate-shaped section 101 has light exit openings 117 on both longitudinal sides. The preferably punched-out light exit opening 117, which is designed in this case in an oval shape (other shapes are obviously also conceivable), is then located laterally to the region in which the LED circuit board or

driver

140, 141 is located and which is not to be covered by these components. The scattered light or light reflected at the inner surface of the cover 20 can then be emitted via the light exit opening 117 into the part of the lamp housing facing away from the cover 20 and can exit here via the housing 50 which is designed to be light-transmitting. In order to improve the utilization efficiency of the light generated by the LED circuit board 130, the device carrier 100 is preferably designed to be light-reflecting. For this purpose, it can be made of a light-reflecting material or be correspondingly coated with a light-reflecting coating or lacquer.

Finally, the device carrier 110 can also be used to hold a so-called primary optic which is intended to influence the light generated by the LED circuit board 130 before the light is actually emitted through the cover 20 of the lamp 1. The use of a corresponding main optical component 150 as shown in fig. 26 to 29 is advantageous in particular when a material is chosen for the cover 20 of the lamp 1 that is not strongly light-scattering. If no light-scattering primary optic is used, the LEDs 131 of the LED circuit board 130 are considered as individual point-like light sources in this case, which is generally disadvantageous because a stable or uniform light output is desired. That is, the primary optic shown is particularly configured for use where the cover 20 is constructed of PMMA, where it is apparent that it may also be used in variations where the cover 20 is constructed of PC.

That is, in this case, it is then provided that the main optical component 150, as shown in fig. 26 to 29, is mounted on the device carrier 100. Primary optic 150 is constructed of a light scattering material (e.g., PC) that first causes diffuse scattering of light. The basic shape of the primary optic 150 now corresponds approximately to the basic shape of the cap cover 20. That is, the main optical member 150 is formed in an elongated cover shape so that it can overlap the LED circuit board 130. Here, locking projections 155 are provided on both sides of the end face of the main optical element 150. They are located on respective downwardly projecting webs 156 of the optical component 150 and are dimensioned such that they are inserted into the corresponding locking openings 120 of the device carrier 100 from the outer surface. A locking aperture 120 is formed in the side leg 102 of the device carrier 100.

That is, the web 156 of the primary optic 150 laterally overlaps the plate-like section 101 of the device carrier 100 such that the locking projection 155 can be inserted into the slot 120 from the outside. By means of the other circumferential surfaces, the main optical component rests on the surface of the plate-shaped section 101 of the device carrier 100 and now overlaps not only the LED circuit board 130 but also the light exit opening 117. In this way, unwanted light emission that is not influenced by the main optical component 150 is prevented. In this case, however, it is possible to select the shape of the circumferential surface of the primary optic 150 such that a smaller part (e.g. a corner) of the plate-shaped section 101 of the device carrier 100 remains free, i.e. not covered by the primary optic 150. In this region, a status LED can then be positioned, for example, which signals the operating status of the lamp 1. In order to improve the visibility of such status LEDs, it is advantageous that the light thereof is as far as possible not mixed with the light of the real LEDs 131, i.e. not scattered by the main optic 150, which is ensured by the proposed measures.

To unlock the device carrier 100 from the primary optic 150, the tabs 156 need only be bent laterally so that the locking projections 155 can clear the notches 120. Fig. 29 now shows a structural unit consisting of the device carrier 100 and the primary optical component 150 locked thereto. The structural unit can then be completed and thus simply fitted into the lamp housing recess 50 in the manner described above. The primary optic 150 is not located in the region of the U-shaped end 103 of the side leg 102 at this time and therefore does not affect the locking of the device carrier 100 with the cartridge slot 50.

Finally, an advantageous feature of the main optic 150 in the embodiment shown is that it is divided into a plurality of successive segments 159, viewed in the longitudinal direction, by respective ribs 157 of grooves 158 formed in the exit face of the optic 150 from the outer face. That is, the light affected by the main optical component 150 is preferably composed of a plurality of sub-beams corresponding to the individual segments 159 of the main optical component 150 before it is output through the actual cover 20 of the lamp 1.

In the case of a stable emission of light over the entire length of the device carrier 100, this firstly only leads to interesting light engineering effects, since the light is easily perceptibly divided into a plurality of beams. As an alternative thereto, however, the division of the main optic 150 into a plurality of segments can also be used for actually emitting different light via a plurality of separate longitudinal segments of the lamp 1. Thus, for example, it is possible to illuminate, i.e., illuminate, the region associated with the lamp 1 and to transmit information or instructions during this journey. That is, the corresponding control of the LED circuit board 130 may be used to generate a time-controlled lighting through the various sections 159, by which e.g. a moving light moving along the lamp 1 is generated, which signals a preferential direction (such as an emergency escape route or the like). The light output can also be done via a separate section 159 in different colors, which is used for example in the sense of parking space lighting to indicate whether a parking space below the lamp is occupied or available for use.

I.e. different lighting effects can be obtained with the lamp as shown as a whole. The lamp is distinguished in particular in that the various components can be produced and installed accordingly in a simple manner.

Claims

1. A light box channel (50) designed to be connected with a light-transmitting cover (20) to form a complete light housing, wherein the light box channel (50) has ribs (70,80) projecting into its interior, which ribs are designed to detachably hold a device carrier (100) for a light-emitting element unit, at least two different types of ribs being provided, both having locking notches (75,84) provided for locking with the device carrier (100), wherein the locking notches (75,84) of the different types of ribs are designed to be different, and the locking notches (75,84) jointly fix the device carrier (100) in a predetermined position.

2. A pod well as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ribs (70,80) are provided on two mutually opposed side walls (52) of the pod well (50).

3. A light box channel as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a first type of rib (70) secures the device carrier member (100) in at least one first direction and a second type of rib (80) secures the device carrier member (100) in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

4. A light box trough as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the ribs (70,80) have locking notches (76) for locking wire retainers (90).

5. A light box channel as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least a part of the ribs (70,80) have through openings (78).

6. The light box channel as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the light box channel has a warning symbol (250) on the outer surface, which warning symbol is formed by a plurality of surface sections which are offset from one another in a stepped manner.

7. A lamp capsule well as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it has a surrounding sealing channel (60), wherein a seal (63) is provided in the bottom region of the sealing channel (60).

8. A lamp capsule well as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the lamp capsule well (50) is of double-walled construction in the region of the sealing channel (60), wherein an outer wall (61) of the sealing channel (60) has a locking recess (67) facing the sealing channel (60).

9. A light cartridge well as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the inner wall of the sealing channel (60) has a notch (68) opposite the locking recess (67).

10. A light box channel as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the light box channel has regions for forming wire lead-ins (54,55,56), at least one of said regions being formed centrally on a bottom surface (51) of the light box channel (50).

11. The light cartridge slot of claim 1 wherein the light cartridge slot is comprised of polycarbonate or polymethylmethacrylate.

12. A lamp housing, wherein the lamp housing is constituted by a lamp capsule well (50) according to any one of the preceding claims and a cover cap (20) to be connected with the lamp capsule well (50).

13. The lamp housing according to claim 12, wherein the cover cap (20) and the lamp housing recess (50) are both composed of the same material.

14. The light housing of claim 12, wherein the light housing is for a moisture-tight light.

15. A lamp (1) having a lamp housing according to any one of claims 12 to 14 and a lighting mechanism arranged in the lamp housing.

16. A lamp as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the lighting means are arranged on a device carrier (100) locked with the cartridge slot (50).

17. A lamp as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the device carrier (100) has a plurality of light exit holes (117) which allow light to pass from the housing section in which the lighting means are arranged into the region opposite the lighting means with respect to the device carrier (100).

18. A lamp as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the lamp (1) is a moisture-proof lamp.