EP0916060B1

EP0916060B1 - Arrangement for moving a.o. high placed lighting-installations

Info

Publication number: EP0916060B1
Application number: EP97932060A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rolf CEDERSTRÖM
Original assignee: LightLift Esystems AB
Current assignee: LightLift Esystems AB
Priority date: 1997-06-06
Filing date: 1997-06-06
Publication date: 2006-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-06
Also published as: DE69735887D1; ATE326663T1; WO1998058207A1; EP0916060A1; DE69735887T2; ES2259446T3

Abstract

Arrangement for a.o. lighting installations which enables these, even by big lengths, for service and maintenance to be arranged for lifting and lowering or horizontal movements with utilisation of the one and same driving unit independent where the individual lifting objects are positioned in the vicinity of the lifting arrangement. At the same time service and maintenance of the driving unit itself can be comforted through its accessibility from the floor level. This is arranged with a device so laid out that it offers pulling force in two opposite working directions through a device comprising one or more main-wires attached to a driving units hoist drum, each with the free end running through a first-block and after that with its utmost part terminate hanging in a second-block with function as object-wire for the ultimate lifting-object beside the function as main-wire for the arrangements remaining lifting objects, however, can pulling force in two opposite working directions can also be obtained in alternative ways within the frame of the invention.

Description

The presented invention refers to arrangement for mainly vertical movement of lighting installations in premises of great height to the ceiling as factory-, athletics- and exhibition halls and facilities, which often are equipped with lighting equipment that are disposed rather close to the ceiling so as to permit an unrestricted utilisation of the entire hall volume. That gives rise to the problem that the intensity of illumination as time passes is gradually decreased due to that the lighting gets dirty and also due to that some of the lighting get inoperative and must be changed or repaired.
Although the invention, as mentioned, primarily is thought of as a lift for lighting equipment it is evident that it also can be applied for other uses. E.g. for units with sensors of different kinds, which for their proper function can claim uninterrupted galvanic connection and a precise position when lifted to its highest position or for raising and lowering of inner-ceilings of arbitrary shapes, with or without lighting installed. Even other alternatives for transport or movement for to the arrangement applied objects are possible within the the invention, as shifting and rotary-motion in one or more directions or just one of these alternatives.
Other applications can be facilities where the access can be complicated due to "on the floor" existing special circumstances, as in industry with not movable machinery or other installations, swim-bath where scaffolds are difficult to arrange, assembly halls with seats arranged in slopes or premises where the activity makes it desirable that work as e.g. service and maintenance in the ceiling must be avoided, as in galvanic industry with open basins with liquid metal, but still the environment requests frequent maintenance of the lighting.
Since the armatures in such facilities normally are placed comparatively inaccessible, defects rather seldom are taken care of on time. In order to maintain an acceptable lighting level for as long period as possible, it is common to over-size the installation in regard to the effect of the individual fittings or their number or both ways, which means that the installations dimensions and structure are often arranged for longest possible and not for the total economy optimised service-intervals. Impartial surveys show that the a consequence can be that the stipulated technical quality of the lighting is not fulfilled and that the energy-consumption gets substantially higher than it necessarily has to be. The State board of labour-safety and the cooperating LJUSKULTUR illustrate this in a report from their project for better industrial lighting 1979 - Partial report INDUSTRIAL LIGHTING X. (encl.)
To achieve that a lighting installation shall combine good lighting quality with energy-efficiency it must be regularly maintained, which with high and inaccessible armatures not seldom is requiring extensive arrangement, almost without exception is the access to the armatures requiring more effort than the maintenance measures, which seldom are causing any problem.
It can well justified be stated that the total economy of high located lighting installations in a decisive degree is conditioned by one single factor - the accessibility of the armatures.
Improved accessibility costs, independent how it is created, e.g. by moving the armatures horizontal or vertical or with devices allowing the maintenance crew to come up to the site of the armatures.
A known way to avoid over-sized and energy-wasting lighting installations and to add comfort and safety to the maintenance crew is that the armatures are arranged vertically movable, so that they from their normally very high operational position may be lowered down to a position in convenient working height for service and maintenance. The installation can be based on hand-driven and inconvenient winches or motor-driven expensive system for every separate armature or smaller group of armatures, the latter alternative is e.g. shown in the Swedish patent 8207360-2 and in encl. illustration.
Characteristic properties of these arrangements, beside that they can be inconvenient to handle, that they can be complicated to add more armatures to and/or seem costintensive by the initial expenses, are that they mostly assume a strict linear position of the armatures to be served.
A reason why lighting installations with movable armatures are not more frequent than they are, is that an investment in improved accessibility at the time of installation means an additional cost which is experienced just as a "cost", at the same time as the "gain" first later becomes a reality and then also drops into "another purse", namely the one for running costs, but then paying off as long as the installation is in operation. A solution that is more and more observed, is that leasing is a possible way of financing movable lighting installations, which in many cases are entirely financed by the better operating economy and not at has to be a burden to a tender investment-budgets.
The entrance in EU actualises the severe international rules which are claimed in regard to the lighting qualities, which will be enforced in time with the increased awareness by environmental- and health- as well as labour-organisations with claims for regular maintenance of lighting installations.
An arrangement according to the preamble of claims 1 and 2 is known from US 4851980 A.
In spite of an increasing awareness by all involved actors - single consumers, energy producers as well as central organisations - that it is cheaper to save energy than to build for increased production of energy, it is continuously important to reduce the costs for the accessibility of armatures, lighting quality, and for utilisation of energy. The invention makes this possible in a high degree, through its uncomplicated structure in comparison with other known solutions on the market.
The presented invention has also the aim to offer considerable freedom to arrange a lighting installation or similar formed in accordance to the facilities actual needs through the possibility to arrange a great number of armatures in one hoist-arrangement also with large measures in length or width or both. As example can be mentioned lighting arrangements where the light from an intensive light-source is distributed by means of tubeformed lightguides, lightpipes, mirrors or other reflector systems in order to create a uniform lighting over large areas.
Important for all lighting arrangements is that they with their location in the facility comply with their major task, which is delivering light but important is also that they offer possibilities for rational maintenance.
A sector which, in regard to development of suitable lighting devices can be expected to have special requests, is lighting in tunnels with long light-tubes. Thus this alternative will be described somehow more in detail, although other uses of the invention are as well possible.
A need that can be foreseen, in regard to the limited heights in tunnels, is not in the first hand to move the lighting-installations up and down for accessibility, rather then a horizontal moving for simultaneous service and cleaning of two or more parallel continuous lighting-installations over traffic lanes.
A need for a partial rotation e.g. light-pipes, eventually in units of lengths of 25 -50 meters, so that they are distributing their light in desired direction, is also a requirement that can be foreseen.
It is easy to understand that a movement, sideways and/or a rotation of a long unit preferably must be executed simultaneously along the full length of the unit.
An application where combined movement, sideways and with partial rotation can become actual is for lighting of traffic lanes in road-tunnels, with each lane having its own continuous arrangement of light-pipes. Service and maintenance must here be possible to carry out, fast and with a minimum of disturbance of the traffic, and closing of lanes must be limited so that the traffic always can flow at least in one lane.
Economical and rational reasons make it desirable that the lighting arrangements for two or three lanes temporarily can be moved together so that the work can be carried out from just one lane. This is possible with the installation of one lane fixed and neighbouring arrangements are possible to move sidewards, by hand or with motor.
By moving a lighting arrangement only sidewards from the open traffic lane, will the two lighting arrangements concentrate the light downwards to the closed lane and leaving open lanes with unnecessarily poor light.
Should the lighting tubes be so arranged that they can be partially rotated the light from the arrangement still can be directed towards the open lanes where the decrease of lighting thus can be kept to a minimum.
With modern control devices it is possible to operate the sideways movements and positioning in sections along the installation, allowing a service-vehicle to travel continuously in the closed lane and at the same time clean the installations for two or three lanes with minimal decrease of the lighting quality for open lanes.
Another example of utilisation of the invention is horizontal movement of long lighting installations could be in green-houses for uniform distribution of light covering large areas and with for the crop adjusted intensity. Instead of a number of fixed installations could a "walking arrangement" cover a larger surface and also be concentrated to parts of the green-house where there is a demand for lighting.
Independent of application for movable lighting installations it is for a good function a request that the movements are performed in a uniform way, if up and down or sideways or by rotating and that the load is balanced over in the operation engaged components, mainly steel-wires. This required balance includes the payload as well as the load caused by the own weight of the arrangement that is engaged in the movements.
In the Swedish patent application 9504382 (published on 1997-06-08, after the filing date, and therefore not belonging to the prior art) the invention aims to give the biggest freedom to plan and build lighting installations through a precise operated parallel movement up and down along the whole construction without deviation from its linear form, or still with a vertical movement starting with a parallel movement down to be fulfilled with a lowering just in one end and the other end fixed.
The basic principle for movements sideways and rotating of long lighting installations is the same that is shown in the mentioned Swedish patent application 9504382-4, i.e. through the construction of installations so that one with one or several main-wires creates pulling force in two opposite directions in the full length of the installation. On these main-wires can in optional placed pulling-points object-wires be attached where so is needed for movements of the objects along the full length of the installation.
For the related purposes the arrangement has within the frames of the invention been given the form shown in its principles as claim 1., in fig. 1.
The invention is characterised in that one from the hoist drum of the driving-unit running main-wire, after a final wire-pulley in its free end is given the function as object-wire for an object in the arrangement, that can as well be an armature, a counterweight or a component in the system, which is taking part in the balancing of the system already during the stage of installation, and in that the construction is furnishing pulling force in two opposite directions along the full length of the installation.
Object-wires running through their object-block, with armatures as load or arrangement for pulling power supplying cables can then within the capacity of the driving-unit be attached to the main-wire for respective lifting, moving or rotating functions in desired directions.
Installations in accordance to the invention can also be constructed as self-lifting devices independent of length. The advantage with this construction is that also the driving unit is available for service and maintenance in lowered position and that alternatives are possible to construct so the installation can be called down without motor engagement just by using the safety braking devices. This alternative is shown as fig. 2.
A lighting installation constructed in accordance to the invention can easily be placed hidden between the ceiling of the building and a second ceiling with minimal openings for object-wires and cables for power supply and for operation. It is possible to arrange for these cables to remain hidden when the lighting installation is in its upper operational position. This is shown in fig. 3.
An installation in accordance to the invention can comprise of:

1. driving unit with wire-drum, hand- or motor-driven for the moving functions
2. main-wire
3. first block
4. object-bloc
4a. block for main-wire
4b. block for main-wire
5. object-wire
6. lifting object
7. connecting rigid element
8. cable for power supply

fig. 1: illustrates the invention with a to the building structure fixed driving unit
fig 2.: illustrates the invention in a self-lifting version
fig 3.: illustrates the invention in a building hidden between two ceilings and with the movement adapted to a sloped interior
fig.4: illustrates an alternative form characterised in that from the wire-drum of the driving unit 11 outgoing main-wire runs to a pulley in the utmost end of the installation and then passes through a second-block and in its free end is given the function as object-wire for a lifting object in the installation, which can be an armature, a counterweight or a component in the system that is taking part in the balancing of the system already during the stage of installation and that the construction is furnishing pulling force in two opposite directions along the full length of the installation.
The construction leads to that the load by vertical movement is stretching the wire-system.
fig. 5: illustrates an alternative characterised in that one from the wire-drum running main-wire runs to a pulley located in the utmost end of the installation and thereafter runs back and again is coiled on the wire-drum.
fig. 6: illustrates an alternative characterised in that an endless wire is running between two blocks 10 which are located in the utmost ends of the installation, whereby one or both are driving. For this alternative can instead of wire, indented V- belt or chains or similar machine-elements with for the purpose adopted wheels be used.
fig. 7: illustrates an alternative in accordance to fig. 5 and fig. 6 enabling constrained movements of an object in two directions when lifting or rotating an object 12, which means that that each object-wire runs over a first-block 3.
fig. 8: illustrates an example what is intended with the invention by moving objects sideways. A tunnel 20 with three traffic lanes 21 and the middle lane with fixed lighting installation 22 and the two outer lanes movable installatons 22a towards the middle lane and a service vehicle 25, e.g. with one or several rotation brushes can proceed in the middle lane a simultaneously clean the lighting installations of all three lanes.

It is an advantage that by installation of hig located equipment that as much as possible can be prepared on floor level and that the necessary moments of the installation on high heights are few and simple to carry out.
The invention offers this to a great extent since what has to be lifted are merely the blocks with their corresponding wires to be fixed to the structure of the facilities to pre-prepared locations where they can be attached e.g. with shackles. The real load - the armatures or other objects - can afterwards be installed from floor-level on to the lifting-device.
A possible alternative with the invention is a free-hanging lift-arrangement without support from or engagement of the walls of a building which is shown in fig. 1 This alternative can be advantageous for use in less stabile building structures e.g. so called "balloon-halls" without supporting construction.
In such versions the arrangement is in accordance to the invention built as a frame onto which the driving unit is attached. Appearing forces are all handled within the lifting device and will not influence the wires which the arrangement is attached to the ceiling with more than by its weight.
The invention allows the installation of lifting-devices in wire perpendiculars where the height to the ceiling is significantly higher than the height the lighting-installation is to be placed.

Claims

Arrangement for movement of a.o. lighting armatures or similar objects in large facilities, comprising a hand- or motor-driven device, a main-wire (2) placed around a hoist drum (1) respective wire-pulley (10), the main-wire (2) running over at least one with distance to the hoist drum respective the wire-pulley arranged first-block (3) in a way that the main-wire (2) is led back to the hoist drum respective the pulley, characterised in that at least one object-wire (5), to which an object (6) is connected, runs over at least one second-block(4) and is attached to, with at least one end, the main-wire whereby the first block (3) as well as the second-block (4) are fixed to the facility.
Arrangement for movement of a.o. lighting armatures or similar objects in large facilities, comprising a hand- or motor-driven device, two main-wires (2) placed around a hoist drum (1) and with one of their end parts they are attached to the hoist drum (1), the main-wires (2) running preferably symmetrically over leading blocks (14a, 14b) and first-blocks (3), all firm by attached in order to hold the main-wires stretched, characterised in that at least one object-wire (5), which with one end is attached to a lifting object (6), runs over at least one second-block(4) and is with its other end connected to a main-wire (2).
Arrangement as claimed in claims 1 or 2 characterised in that the main-wire (2) runs over a last second-block (4a) and in its free part is connected to a weight.
Arrangement as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the weight the free part of the main-wire consists of a lifting object (6)
Arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that several lifting objects (6) each over its object-wire (5) and second-block (4) are attached to the main-wire (2), whereby the number of object-wires connected to the part of the main-wire (2) between the driving device and the first-block is equal to or so equal as possible to the number of object-wires (5), which are attached to the part of the main-wire between the first-block (3) and the last second- block (4a).
Arrangement as claimed in claims 1 or 2, characterised in that all lifting objects are connected to each other by a rigid element (7).
Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one object-wire runs over a hanging block (33) on one side and on the other side, and with its two free parts is connected to two locations on the main-wire (2) which by a move of the main-wire move in opposite directions.
Arrangement as claimed in any of the claims 1-7.
characterised in, that this arrangement is combined with at least one separate device for a rotating movement of the objects.