EP0528198B1 - Strip for securing a folded sheet to a strip louvre - Google Patents

Abstract

A description is given of a vane arrangement, a dome being secured to a louver in a lamp. In this case, it is provided that in the central region of the vane a blank is formed which secures the dome by means of a resilient lug, the lug being present bent projecting upwards out of the plane of the vane and pointing forwards. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a fastening according to the preamble of claim 1. Such fastening is used in louvre grids in lighting technology. In particular, fluorescent lamp lights are provided with louvre grids in the area of their light exit opening.

Such lamella grids are parallel or mutually spaced sheet metal or plastic strips, which are combined together in a holder. If two-lamp luminaires are used, it is necessary to decouple the lighting between the two lamps in the area of the grid.

A so-called dome is thus arranged in the grid between the two lamps, which prevents the light from one lamp from radiating into the area of the other lamp at a flat angle in order to avoid an excessively flat light exit angle on the underside of the lamella grid.

Such a dome is attached to the individual lamellae by means of fastening technology. The subject of the present innovation is a novel fastening of such a dome to slats.

It is known from the prior art to design the dome as a V-shaped sheet metal part, transverse slots being arranged in the region of the V-shaped tip, which are pushed over the individual lamellae. The V-shaped dome is thus plugged from above with its transverse slots onto the associated lamellae, so that these penetrate the dome in the area of its V-shaped tip in the middle region.

In order to avoid loosening of the dome in the area of these transverse slots, various fastening measures are known. In a first embodiment, it is provided to provide the lamellae on their upper edges with tabs which reach through the slots of the dome, which provides a first fastening. A second fastening takes place in that in the area of the V-shaped tip of the dome, on the inside of the dome, the transverse lamellae are arranged through aligned bores through which a crossbar is passed. This rod thus connects the V-shaped tip of the dome with the associated transverse lamellae in the area of its tip in order to ensure that the dome cannot be tilted. It is therefore not sufficient to fix the dome by pulling the dome out of the transverse slats again, but the dome must also be secured against tilting so that it sits exactly perpendicular between the slats. Such constructions are usually painted white.
In another embodiment of the prior art, it is known to implement a snap lock. The prerequisite here, however, is that the lamellae are not designed as simple sheet metal lamellae, but rather they are designed as double lamellae and consequently also have a V-shaped profile. This results in two legs of the lamella lying close together, which mutually have a spring action. It is known here to press a bead out of one lamella, which is however not free in the material of the lamella, but is only pressed out of the plane of the lamella. If you now slide the dome with its transverse slots arranged at the V-shaped tip onto such a lamella arrangement, the lamellae being designed twice, then the beads snap out and take advantage of the spring action of the double lamellae as they emerge from the transverse slot of the dome on the inside of the V-shaped dome. Grids with double slats are anodized. With anodized grids, the lamella is removed duplicated for lighting reasons (much better glare control). In the case of lacquered grids, a double version does nothing for the slats.

This is why this snap-in solution is costly, especially with painted screens, because double slats are required to produce a spring effect for this snap-in protection, which greatly increases the manufacturing costs. In addition, there is the further disadvantage that the double cross blades form a space that can serve as light transmission, i. H. the light from one side of the lamp can be radiated into the space between the lamellae and can reach the other side through the V-shaped dome.

Such a disadvantage arises when a two-lamp luminaire is operated with only one flame.

Another disadvantage of the known solution is that the lamellae are relatively wide due to their double design and therefore absorb a lot of light, so that the radiation efficiency of such a lamella grid is poorer.

Another similar solution is known from GB-A-668 693. Here, a dome is used in conjunction with lamella strips, the dome being approximately V-shaped and at least partially covering the lamella strips. To secure the bearing between the dome and the lamella strips, an upper pushing off of the lamella strips is bent over after the dome has been pushed on and then rests resiliently on the inside thereof. The disadvantage here is that a relatively high manufacturing effort must be provided, since this bending can only take place after assembly. Overall, therefore additional work steps and a complex manufacturing process.

Another construction is known from GB-677 003. This publication describes a simple lamella grid in which essentially rectangular lamellae are inserted into one another at right angles. With such a construction, however, the use of elongated illuminants is made more difficult, since recesses must be provided in each of the slats.

In addition, the use of a cathedral is not possible with this construction.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of developing a type of fastening of the type mentioned in such a way that a simple fastening of a lamella in a V-shaped dome is achieved, with - compared to the prior art - the advantage of an inexpensive mounting should be.

To achieve the object, the invention is characterized by the technical teaching of claim 1.

An essential feature of the present invention is that no double slats are used according to the invention, but a simple slat strip. This has the advantage that such a lamella strip can be produced not only from an inexpensive metal part (eg sheet metal or aluminum part), but also as a plastic part.

According to the invention, a punch-out is provided in the central region of the lamella, by means of which a rag is defined which is held resiliently in the material of the lamella.
This flap is resilient in the area of its lower, V-shaped rounded tip because it is integrated with its upper area in the material of the lamella. It is also essential here that in the manufacture of such a lamella and in the attachment of the free punching of the lobes it is already bent so that it emerges from the plane of the lamella.

With such an attachment, it is now possible to attach the dome in a simple and inexpensive manner. This is simply plugged with its lower transverse slots arranged in the area of the V-shaped tip onto the slats arranged in the manner of a lamella grid, as a result of which the central areas of the lamella enter the transverse slots of the cathedral. Here, the resiliently formed tabs reach the area of the transverse slots and are pushed back into the plane of the respective lamella when the V-shaped dome is inserted into the lamellae because of the internal prestress. As soon as the tabs are completely in the interior of the V-shaped dome, due to their pretension they reach outside the plane of the lamella and at least rest with their lower tips on the inner surfaces of the dome.
Since the dome also has an internal stress due to its existing V-shape in such a way that the legs are spring-loaded to the outside, there is also a brief relative movement when the snap-in connection is made In the opposite direction to the direction of insertion, the dome pulls upwards under its own pretension and the lobes of the lamellas thus engage the inside of the dome in a non-positive and positive manner.
This centers the dome and is secured against any tilting. In addition, there is a safeguard against unintentional pulling out of the dome from the slats, because the rags on the inside of the dome are non-positively and positively. With this type of fastening described, the dome is centered in the lamellae both positively and positively. If this already very solid arrangement is still painted, then this connection is further strengthened.

With the given type of fastening there is the main advantage that simple and inexpensive, strip-shaped slats can now be used, and there is no longer any need to use double slats. Furthermore, there is the advantage that relatively narrow cross-slits can now be made in the V-shaped dome, which creates an extremely light-tight connection in this area.

The subject matter of the present invention results not only from the subject matter of the individual patent claims, but also from the combination of the individual patent claims with one another. All of the information and features disclosed in the documents - including the summary -, in particular the spatial design shown in the drawings, are claimed to be essential to the invention, insofar as they are new to the prior art, individually or in combination.

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to drawings showing several possible embodiments. Here go from the drawings and their description further essential features and advantages of the invention.

Figur 1:

Draufsicht auf einen Dom vor seiner Biegung,

Figur 2:

Seitenansicht des fertiggestellten Domes nach der Biegung,

Figur 3:

eine Lamelle nach der Neuerung in Seitenansicht,

Figur 4:

eine Teildarstellung des Mittenbereichs der Lamelle nach Figur 3,

Figur 5:

Schnitt durch den Mittenbereich der Lamelle nach Figur 4,

Figur 6:

Seitenansicht des in den Lamellen fertig montierten Domes,

Figur 7:

Draufsicht auf die Anordnung nach Figur 6.

Show it:

Figure 1:

Top view of a cathedral before its bend,

Figure 2:

Side view of the completed cathedral after the bend,

Figure 3:

a slat after the innovation in side view,

Figure 4:

3 shows a partial representation of the central area of the lamella according to FIG. 3,

Figure 5:

Section through the central area of the lamella according to FIG. 4,

Figure 6:

Side view of the dome fully assembled in the slats,

Figure 7:

Top view of the arrangement according to FIG. 6.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dome 1 consists of a simple sheet metal part, which is shown in a top view in FIG. 1 before the bend is produced. The dome 1 is provided in the region of its center line with transverse slots 2 which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line 22 and which take up a mutual distance from one another. The dome is then bent according to FIG. 2 in the area of this center line 22, so that the side view shown in FIG. 2 is obtained. For manufacturing reasons, the upper edges of the dome 1 are bent and form inwardly curved edges 5 sufficient mechanical stability. It is important that the legs 3, 4 of the dome 1 are bent relatively far apart and consequently generate a pretension when the legs 3, 4 are bent against one another by appropriate manual force.
A lamella 6, as is suitable for fastening in the dome 1, is shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. It consists of a simple sheet metal or plastic strip, in the center area (center line 10) of which a punch 11 arranged symmetrically to the center line is provided, which defines a central tab 12.
The flap 12 is thus punched out of the material of the lamella 6 and connected to the material of the lamella 6 via the region 13. In the area 13, the pretension for the tab 12, which will be mentioned later, is then achieved.
Beyond the center line 10, two V-shaped incisions 9 are provided, in which the outer sides of the legs 3, 4 of the V-shaped dome lie in the installed position.

It should also be mentioned in connection with FIG. 7 that the slats 6 can be connected to one another by being fastened to a common angle 7 and that these slats are first fastened as flat sheet metal parts at this angle 7 and then in the region of lateral bending edges 8 are bent vertically upwards, as shown in FIG. Slats produced in this way are of course much cheaper than the double slats manufactured piece by piece.

It can be seen in FIG. 4 that the width 14 of the punching 11 is not uniform, but that the width in the upper region is greater than in the lower region.
This is desirable for reasons of manufacturing technology in order to give the punching tool the necessary mechanical stability.

A distance 18 is importantly provided in the lower region of the flap 12, so that the flap 12 can be easily bent out of the plane of the punching 11, as shown in FIG.
The distance 18 is also chosen to be relatively wide for manufacturing reasons (a punching tool with a long service life is to be achieved).

FIG. 4 also shows the mounting position of the dome 1 in relation to the tab 12. Here it can be seen that the flap 12 engages with its lateral contact surfaces 17 on the inner sides of the legs 3, 4 of the dome 1 in a non-positive and positive manner.

The tab edges 15 are therefore only in the area of the contact surfaces 17 on the inside of the legs 3, 4 of the dome.

The tab 12 forms a lower radius 16.

After the dome has a tendency to move upwards in the direction of arrow 23 (FIG. 6) due to its resilient pretension between the legs 3, 4, the flap edges 15 are clamped in the area of the contact areas 17 on the inside of the area Domes. The cathedral is thus clamped very firmly and centered in the middle. In Figure 5 it is also shown that for the manufacture of the assembly, the tab 12 is located in the plane of the lamella 6 and only after the insertion into the transverse slots 2 of the dome 1 in the direction of arrow 19 and pivots in the manner described the inside of the legs 3.4 of the dome 1 creates.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the assembled position of the arrangement, where it can be seen that a lamella grid 20 consists of individual lamellae 6, which are made of one piece with bending edges 8 and all of them Slats on the outside connecting angle 7 are connected. With this angle 7, the entire lamella grid 20 is suspended on a bracket, not shown.

FIG. 7 shows in a top view that the tabs 12 are bent out of the material of the slats 6 and lie in the area of the V-shaped tip (contact surfaces 17) on the inside of the legs 3, 4 of the dome 1. In addition, the front edge 21 can also be seen in FIG. 7 in the region of the center lines 10 of the individual slats 6. According to FIG. 6, the outer edges of the legs 3, 4 also lie against the associated outer edges in the area of the incisions 9 of the respective lamella 6, as a result of which the legs 3, 4 of the dome are guided centrally over a greater distance in the area of these lamellae. It goes without saying that not only the lamella 6 can be formed from a plastic material, but also the dome 1 can consist of plastic.

The essence of the present invention is therefore that relatively simple slats can be used, which can be connected with a snap-in connection in a safe and simple manner with a V-shaped dome and that this is held exactly in the center of the slats.

DRAWING LEGEND

• 1 cathedral
• 2 cross slots
• 3 legs
• 4 legs
• 5 edge
• 6 slats
• 7 angles
• 8 bending edge
• 9 incision
• 10 center line
• 11 punching
• 12 rags
• 13 area
• 14 width (clearance 11)
• 15 rag edge
• 16 radius
• 17 contact surface
• 18 distance
• 19 arrow direction
• 20 louvre grids
• 21 front edge
• 22 center line
• 23 direction of arrow

Claims (4)

1. A lamella for the attachment of a dome (1) to a lamellar louvre (20) of a light, wherein to create a connection in the central region a simple lamellar strip is used, characterised in that in the lamellar strip a free punched out portion (11) is provided, which forms an elastic tongue (12) which is Dent out from the plane of the lamellar strip and narrows towards the front, so that the dome (1) is held precisely centrally.
2. A lamella according to Claim 1, characterised in that the free punched out portion (11) forms a narrow site (contact surface 17) in the region of the front end of the tongue (12).
3. A lamella according to one of Claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the free punched out portion (11) has a V-shaped profile.
4. A light grid with a lamella according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the louvre is painted.

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