EP0826919A2

EP0826919A2 - Luminaire

Info

Publication number: EP0826919A2
Application number: EP97202543A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans Hermann Jämmrich; Bernd Stigrot; Wolfgang Henze; c/o Internationaal Octrooibureau Gert Winkler
Original assignee: Philips Corporate Intellectual Property GmbH; Philips Patentverwaltung GmbH; Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV; Philips Electronics NV
Current assignee: Philips Intellectual Property and Standards GmbH; Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 1996-08-26
Filing date: 1997-08-19
Publication date: 1998-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 2017-08-19
Also published as: EP0826919A3; EP0826919B1

Abstract

The luminaire suitable for being mounted to a trunk (d) has an elongate light carrier (60), which has at an outer surface (61) thereof means (62) to receive a lamp and an operating knob (2) of a mounting device (1). The mounting device (1) has against spring (4) force slidable hooks (30,30') able to grip behind a rim (r) of a trunk (d) upon the luminaire being pressed against the trunk. A reflector (63) is mountable to the luminaire by pressing it over resilient tongues (21) of the knob (2), thereby blocking the knob to rotate. Demounting occurs by first compressing the tongues (21) to remove the reflector (63) and subsequently turning the knob (2) to release the luminaire.

Description

The invention relates to a luminaire provided with a mounting device for detachable mounting to a trunk,

which luminaire has an elongate light carrier with a longitudinal direction which at a first outer surface thereof is provided with

means for holding and supplying an elongate electric lamp, and with

an operating knob of the mounting device,

which mounting device is fixed behind the first outer surface in the light carrier and is provided with a first and a second movable hook, which hooks face away from one another and each have a guiding surface, said guiding surfaces approaching one another more closely in proportion as their distances to the first outer surface increase,

which hooks are capable of moving against spring force under the influence of a pressure exerted on the light carrier against a trunk and of engaging behind an edge of the trunk, and can be loosed again through a rotation of the operating knob.

Such a luminaire is known from DE-U-93 20 823.

The mounting device in the known luminaire has an eccentric disc to which the hooks are rigidly connected. The mounting device has, besides the operating knob moulded around with synthetic resin and comprising a synthetic resin safety disc, also a complicated multifunctional blade spring and a synthetic resin plate cam. When the luminaire is pressed against a trunk, the eccentric disc rotates through a comparatively small angle, with the result that the luminaire can be pressed into the interior of the trunk. The disc rotates back under the influence of the blade spring, and the luminaire is coupled to the trunk. Since the hooks then grip into the trunk with their extreme portions only, the luminaire is yet to be locked in its coupled position in that the disc is rotated at least 70° further by means of the knob, but preferably 110° further.

In the initial coupled position, or else preceding the coupling, a reflector having an opening of the same shape as the operating knob can be provided in a position corresponding to the position of the knob in that it is passed with its opening over the knob. The reflector, however, is not coupled then. A coupling of the reflector is not achieved until after the knob has been turned into the locking position. Similarly, the reflector and the luminaire may be removed simultaneously or one after the other during dismantling.

It is a disadvantage of the known mounting device that the operating knob must be rotated by hand in order to achieve a reliable coupling. It is also a disadvantage that the device requires a complicated blade spring. It is a further disadvantage in the presence of a reflector that the comparatively voluminous reflector and the comparatively heavy luminaire can become detached simultaneously while the two are not coupled to one another when loose from the trunk.

A luminaire is known from EP-A-0 373 323 in which the mounting device is made of synthetic resin and comprises an eccentric disc which can grip into the trunk through a rotation of the knob. A reflector can be passed over the operating knob and be fixed through a further rotation of the knob. It is a disadvantage of this luminaire that the coupling to the trunk is not achieved until after the operating knob has been rotated, and also that the synthetic resin mounting device is unreliable if the device is exposed to high temperatures such as occur, for example, during a fire.

A luminaire is known from DE-U-69 26 006 which is provided with a reflector and which is coupled to a trunk by means of a mounting device which has laterally projecting pins. When the pins are pressed towards one another, springs coupled thereto can pass through the opening in the trunk during mounting and dismantling of the luminaire. It is a disadvantage that the pins of the mounting device must be operated with two hands because they are positioned exactly above the reflector on either side of the trunk, while the reflector is comparatively wide. A separate coupling member for the reflector is necessary in a luminaire with a separate reflector.

It is an object of the invention to provide a luminaire of the kind described in the opening paragraph which has a mounting device of a simple construction which renders possible a quick and reliable coupling to a trunk.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the hooks are present at bodies which are movable along one another against spring force substantially parallel to the first outer surface and transverse to the longitudinal direction of the light carrier, and the operating knob has an extension inside the light carrier which shifts the hooks towards one another upon a rotation of the operating knob.

The hooks are present at bodies which perform a translatory movement along one another when the luminaire is positioned in that it is pressed against a trunk, or in that the knob is rotated, if so desired, and also during the removal of the luminaire through rotation of the knob. The mounting device is thus of a simple and reliable construction which renders possible a fast placement and removal of the luminaire.

The luminaire may have only one mounting device, for example positioned centrally between its ends or adjacent its center of gravity. Given a comparatively long luminaire, for example a luminaire for tubular fluorescent lamps, it is favorable to have a second mounting device at a distance from the first, for example arranged adjacent respective ends of the luminaire. Sagging of a comparatively long luminaire under the influence of its own weight is prevented thereby.

In a favorable embodiment, the operating knob has resilient tongues which face away from one another and are directed towards the first outer surface for retaining a reflector against the first outer surface. Such a reflector may then be readily mounted in that an opening therein is passed over the knob and is snapped home behind the tongues. The reflector may be easily removed in that the tongues are pressed towards one another with two fingers.

In a favorable modification, the reflector has an opening through which the operating knob is passed with fitting shape. The reflector locks the operating knob in this modification. The advantage of this is that first the voluminous reflector must be removed before the luminaire can be detached. This avoids the risk of the luminaire, the reflector, or both dropping to the ground because they are no longer mutually coupled and because it is difficult to hold both firmly until they are put down. This is of major importance especially during dismantling of a luminaire suspended from a high ceiling by someone standing on a scaffolding.

It is favorable for easy handling when the mounting device has a housing in which the displaceable bodies are accommodated, preferably together with means which supply the spring force.

In a favorable embodiment, the movable bodies are each substantially U-shaped and are each placed with a base wall thereof against the other, the hooks projecting from the respective base walls.

In an embodiment, each base wall has a respective opening provided with tongues and tags which form a cage in which a helical spring is enclosed as the resilient means. The two movable bodies may be identical.

In these embodiments, the housing of the mounting device may be U-shaped and together with the light carrier may form a sleeve which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the luminaire.

In a favorable modification, the housing has a stroke limitation for the movable bodies so that the latter cannot move farther relative to one another than allowed by this stroke limitation. The stroke limitation may be formed, for example, by a slot in the housing in which a respective transverse tongue of a movable body can slide. The housing may be coupled, for example, by means of resilient tongues grip in mutually opposed walls of the housing, which tongues into respective movable bodies, and also by means of the stroke limitation.

In an advantageous and simple embodiment, the movable bodies each have an opening, the openings together accommodating the extension of the operating knob. These openings may be separate from one another or merge into one another.

To cope with high mechanical loads, the extension of the operating knob has, for example, laterally extending shoulders which hook behind the first outer surface in the light carrier.

The mounting device may be mounted by brining the operating knob from inside the luminaire through an opening to the exterior. The housing may be fixed to the luminaire, for example, with screws, rivets, through torsion of projecting tongues, etc. A favorable embodiment, however, is provided with barbed hooks or resilient tongues which form part of the housing and which grip into the luminaire.

The constructional parts of the mounting device may be made completely from metal, based on metal plating or metal sheeting. The device may be built up from no more than four different components and yet have a double function: fastening the luminaire to a trunk and providing a separate mounting and dismantling possibility for a reflector.

In application areas where this is desirable, the mounting device of the luminaire may comprise a further element in the form of sealing means which prevent dust and/or moisture from entering the luminaire along the operating knob.

The luminaire according to the invention is suitable for use with more than one lamp, for example with two or more single-ended, for example low-pressure mercury fluorescent lamps, each having a lamp vessel comprising mutually parallel tubular lamp vessel portions. Such lamps may be arranged next to one another or one in the longitudinal direction of the other. The luminaire may alternatively be designed for one or several, for example parallel straight tubular fluorescent lamps. The luminaire may be used in a row of such luminaires so as to obtain a line or strip illumination.

An embodiment of the luminaire according to the invention is shown in the drawings in which

Fig. 1 shows the luminaire with a reflector for trunk mounting in perspective view;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the mounted luminaire taken on the line II-II in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the mounting device taken on the line III in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows the mounting device taken on the line IV in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the mounting device of the preceding Figures.

In Fig. 1, the luminaire has an elongate light carrier 60 with a longitudinal direction, which at a first outer surface 61 thereof is provided with means 62 for retaining and supplying an elongate electric lamp, a tubular fluorescent lamp in the Figure, and with an operating knob 2 (see Fig. 2) of a mounting device 1. The light carrier 60 can be mounted to the trunk d by means of the mounting device 1. Said trunk d may have a length which is several times the length of the light carrier 60, so that several light carriers 60 can be united in the trunk d so as to form a light line.
The mounting device 1 is fixed behind the first outer surface 61 in the light carrier 60 and is provided with (see Fig. 2) a first 30 and a second movable hook 30', which hooks face away from one another and each have a guiding surface 31, the two guiding surfaces 31 approaching one another more closely in proportion as their distances to the first outer surface 61 increase. The hooks 30, 30' can move against spring force under the influence of a pressure exerted on the light carrier 60 against a trunk d, can be made to engage behind an edge r of the trunk d, and can be detached through rotation of the operating knob 2.

The hooks 30, 30', see Fig. 5, are present at bodies 3 which are movable along one another against spring pressure substantially parallel (see also Fig. 2) to the first outer surface 61 and transverse to the longitudinal direction of the light carrier 60. The bodies 3 are manufactured from comparatively rigid metal plating. The operating knob 2 has an extension 20 in the light carrier 60 which moves the hooks 30, 30' towards one another upon a rotation of the operating knob 2. It is visible in Fig. 5 that the knob 2 must be turned to the left, i.e. counterclockwise.

The operating knob 2, see Figs. 2, 3 and 5, has resilient tongues 21 which face away from one another and are directed towards the first outer surface 61 for holding a reflector 63 (Fig. 2) against the first outer surface 61 of the light carrier 60. The knob 2 is of a simple shape and in the embodiment drawn is manufactured from one piece of metal plating which is comparatively elastic.

The reflector 63 has an opening 64 (see Fig. 1) through which the operating knob 2 is passed with fitting shape and which is retained by the tongues 21. The opening 64 encloses the operating knob 2 so narrowly that only a very small angular rotation of this knob is possible, too small for moving the hooks 30, 30' off the edge r of the trunk d. The tongues 21 must first be pressed together between thumb and index finger, whereby the reflector 63 is loosed and should be removed, before the light carrier 60 can be detached from the trunk d through a rotation of the knob 2.

The mounting device 1 comprises a housing 5, made of metal plating in the Figure, in which the movable bodies 3 are accommodated. The movable bodies 3, see Figs. 3 and 5, are each substantially U-shaped and are placed against one another with their base walls 32, respective hooks 30, 30' projecting from said base walls 32.

An opening 33 provided with tongues 34 and tags 35 is formed in each base wall 32, see Fig. 5, so as to form a cage in which a metal helical spring 4 is retained, see Fig. 3. The tags 35 form a diamond-shaped container in cross-section which encloses the helical spring 4 laterally. The tongues 34 grip into the spring and enclose the spring longitudinally together with their immediate surroundings.

The housing 5, see Fig. 5, is U-shaped and together with the light carrier 60 forms a sleeve, see Fig. 2, which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the light carrier 60.

The housing 5, see Figs. 4 and 5, comprises a

stroke limitation

50, 36 for the movable bodies 3, formed in the drawings by a slot 50 in the housing 5 and transverse tongues 36 which can move therein and which form part of the movable bodies 3.

The mutually identical movable bodies 3 each have an opening 37 in which the extension 20 of the operating knob 2 is held. The openings 37 merge into one another, so that the extension 20 in this embodiment need not be furcate.

The extension 20 of the operating knob 2 has laterally projecting shoulders 22 which hook behind the first outer surface 61 in the light carrier 60, as a result of which the knob can withstand a comparatively strong tensional load in downward direction. On the other hand, the knob 2 cannot move farther up because the shoulders 22 will then hit against the movable bodies 3.

These bodies 3, see Figs. 3 and 5, each have a raised rim 38 for offering the knob 2 a comparatively large surface area against which the knob 2 can press when operated so as to move the hooks 30,30' towards one another. Both the shape of the openings 37 and the

stroke limitation

36, 50 allow of a rotation of the knob 2 to the left only. The manner of operation of the mounting device 1 is thus unequivocally clear.

Projecting tongues 23 resting on the raised rim 38 are present at the extension 20 of the operating knob 2, see Fig. 3, so that the parts of the mounting device 1 form a unit also before it is fastened to the light carrier 60.

The movable bodies 3 have flanged edges at the guiding surfaces 31, see Figs. 3, 4, 5, so as to make the latter wider than the thickness of the material, thus reducing the pressure on a trunk when the luminaire is being mounted.

In mutually opposed walls 51 of the housing 5, see Figs. 3 and 5, there are tongues 53 inwardly directed towards a connecting wall 52 and each hooking into a respective movable body 3. They keep the housing 5 fastened in conjunction with the

stroke limitation

36, 50.

In the embodiment drawn, the housing also has tags which are directed outwards and towards the connecting wall 52, designed for mechanically coupling the mounting device 1 to the luminaire. Instead of this, for example, the housing 5 could have outwardly flanged tags perpendicular thereto on which fastenings to the luminaire can be realized.

The

constructional parts

2, 3, 4, 5 of the mounting device 1 are made from metal.

The mounting device 1, see Figs. 3 and 5, comprises sealing means 6 which seal the operating knob 2 on the light carrier 60. Said means in the drawings comprise a cupped rubber body with two slots or extending from its bottom to its upper side, through each of which a respective half of the extension 20 of the operating knob 2 extends.

Claims

A luminaire provided with a mounting device (1) for detachable mounting to a trunk (d),

which luminaire has an elongate light carrier (60) with a longitudinal direction which at a first outer surface (61) thereof is provided with

means (62) for holding and supplying an elongate electric lamp, and with

an operating knob (2) of the mounting device (1),

which mounting device (1) is fixed behind the first outer surface (61) in the light carrier (60) and is provided with a first (30) and a second movable hook (30'), which hooks face away from one another and each have a guiding surface (31), said guiding surfaces (31) approaching one another more closely in proportion as their distances to the first outer surface (61) increase,

which hooks (30, 30') are capable of moving against spring force under the influence of a pressure exerted on the light carrier (60) against a trunk (d) and of engaging behind an edge (r) of the trunk (d), and can be loosed again through a rotation of the operating knob (2),
characterized in that the hooks (30, 30') are present at bodies (3) which are movable along one another against spring force substantially parallel to the first outer surface (61) and transverse to the longitudinal direction of the light carrier (60), and the operating knob (2) has an extension (20) inside the light carrier (60) which shifts the hooks (30, 30') towards one another upon a rotation of the operating knob (2).
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the operating knob (2) has resilient tongues (21) which face away from one another and are directed towards the first outer surface (61) for retaining a reflector (63) against the first outer surface (61).
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that a reflector (63) is present which has an opening (64) through which the operating knob (2) is passed with fitting shape, which reflector is retained by the tongues (21).
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mounting device (1) has a housing (5) in which the displaceable bodies (3) are accommodated.
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that the movable bodies (3) are each substantially U-shaped and are each placed with a base wall (32) thereof against the other, the hooks (30, 30') projecting from the respective base walls (32).
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that each base wall (32) has a respective opening (33) provided with tongues (34) and tags (35) which form a cage in which a helical spring (4) is enclosed.
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that the housing (5) is U-shaped and together with the light carrier (60) forms a sleeve which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the light carrier (60).
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 4 or 7, characterized in that the housing (5) has a stroke limitation (50, 36) for the movable bodies (3).
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the movable bodies (3) each have an opening (37) in which the extension (20) of the operating knob (2) is accommodated.
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the extension (20) of the operating knob (2) has laterally extending shoulders (22) which hook behind the first outer surface (61) in the light carrier (60).
A luminaire as claimed in any one or several of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the constructional parts (2, 3, 4, 5) of the mounting device (1) are entirely made of metal.
A luminaire as claimed in Claim 11, characterized in that the mounting device (1) has sealing means (6) which seal the operating knob (2) on the light carrier (60).