EP0947764B1

EP0947764B1 - Anchoring apparatus for chandeliers

Info

Publication number: EP0947764B1
Application number: EP99830150A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Leonardo Pini
Original assignee: Verda Srl
Current assignee: Verda Srl
Priority date: 1998-04-03
Filing date: 1999-03-19
Publication date: 2003-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-19
Also published as: EP0947764A2; DE69907559D1; EP0947764A3; ES2197596T3; ITFI980078A3; ITFI980078A0; DE69907559T2

Description

The present invention refers to an apparatus for anchoring chandeliers.
For anchoring a chandelier to the ceiling use is currently made of a double, S-shaped hook, the upper side of which is engaged with a hook fixed to the ceiling while the other side is engaged with an eyelet element, usually made of metal, connected to the chandelier mount. With the term "mount" it is meant an assembly made up of a generally metal sleeve through which an electrical cable is passed for feeding power to the chandelier; on the end of said sleeve, that is, on the same side of said eyelet element, a so-called cable retainer body made of plastics being fixed for retaining the cable.
The use of the "S" hook, however, implies an unstable and unsafe anchorage of the chandeliers. Moreover, the presence of the eyelet connected to the mount is detrimental as far as the cost and time of installation are concerned.
US-A-3 843 086 and US-A-1 843 201 disclose anchoring apparatus.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a chandelier-anchoring apparatus of simpler use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a chandelier-anchoring apparatus which, in addition to being easier to use, will ensure safety and stability once installed in place.
This result has been achieved, according to the invention, by providing an apparatus having the features indicated in the characterizing part of claim 1. Further characteristics being set forth in the dependent claims.
The advantages deriving from the present invention lie essentially in that it is possible to provide an effective and safe anchorage of the chandeliers to the ceiling; that the present anchoring apparatus is simple to make, cost-effective, reliable even after a prolonged service life, readily and quickly installable also on chandeliers already fitted on their mounts; that - since the apparatus in question engages directly the cable retainer, that is, the mount proper - no use is made of the metal eyelet conventionally associated to the mount, nor of the "S" hook.
These and other advantages and characteristics of the invention will be best understood by anyone skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the attached drawings, which are not to be considered in a limitative sense, wherein:

Figs. 1A and 1B are respectively a perspective, exploded view and and ensemble view of a mount for chandeliers which does not make part of the invention but is mentioned here for illustrative purpose;
Figs. 2A and 2B are respectively a perspective, exploded view and and ensemble view of a mount for chandeliers which is provided with a second embodiment of anchoring apparatus according to the invention;
Figs. 3A-3C are, respectively, an elevation front view of the cable retainer belonging to the mount shown in Figs. 1A-2B, a section view taken on line F-F of Fig. 3A and a section view taken on line G-G of Fig. 3A, wherein numeral (72) indicates the channel through which the power cable for the chandelier is made to pass;
Figs. 4A and 4B are, respectively, a schematic view of the chandelier anchored at the ceiling by means of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1A-1B and an enlarged detail of the hook applied to the ceiling and the mount anchored thereto.

Reduced to its basic structure, and reference being made to the figures of the attached drawings, a chandelier-anchoring apparatus consists of a body (1) with two appendixes (10) elastically stretchable apart and intended to engage, on opposite sides, the mount (M) of the chandelier. On the side opposite to said appendixes (10), the body (1) exhibits a portion (12) shaped like an eyelet (see Figs. 1A, 1B, 4A, 4B) for the anchoring thereof to a hook (3) hanging from the ceiling (4) in correspondence of the site chosen for the installation of the chandelier (5).
According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 2A, 2B and 3B, the portion (12) of said body (1), intended to engage the hook (3) to hang the chandelier from the ceiling, is in turn shaped as a hook.
The said mount (M) is made up of a sleeve (2) for the chandelier power cable to go through it and of a cable retainer (7), the latter being made of plastics material and able to be screwed onto the upper portion (20) of the sleeve (2). The cable retainer (8) can be fixed to the sleeve (2) by means of a metal screw (8) that can be screwed across the cable retainer orthogonally to the axis of the same sleeve. The cable (6) can be fixed to the cable retainer (7) by a corresponding screw made of plastics material (9) and going across the longitudinal axis of the cable retainer.
Advantageously, said body (1) can be formed in a single, substantially filiform metal element.
Advantageously, the cable retainer (7) of the mount (M) has two diametrically opposite seats (70) to receive therein the elastically stretchable apart appendixes (10) of said body (1). The size and orientation of said seats (70) of cable-retainer (7) correspond substantially to those of the appendixes (10) of body (1).
Moreover, advantageously, the elastically stretchable apart appendixes (10) of said body (1) are formed by the end lengths, bent over 90°, of two corresponding arms (11) which, in turn, make up the respective extensions of the portion (12) to be engaged with the hook (3) of the ceiling.
Advantageously, provision is also made for the elastically stretchable appendixes (10) of said body (1) to be so oriented as to have their respective free ends disposed opposite to each other.
For the body (1) to be fitted more easily on the cable retainer (7), the head portion of the latter, that is, the portion of the cable retainer (7) opposite to the one which is to be screwed on the sleeve (2), is suitably shaped so as to have two surfaces (71) converging towards the outside and terminating in correspondence of said seats (70). This makes it possible to fix the body (1) to the cable retainer (7) by merely exerting a pressure, that is, forcing the appendixes (10) of the body (1) to slide onto the respective surfaces (71) of the cable retainer (7), thereby making them to stretch apart until each appendix (10) is received into the respective seats (70).
With the body (1) thus fixed to the cable retainer (7), that is, to the mount (M) which the cable retainer is an integral part of, as described in the examples with reference to the attached drawings, it is possible to anchor the chandelier (5) to the hook (3) of the ceiling by simply fitting the portion (12) of body (1) onto the hook (3). The hook (3) may then be bent over until its free end is in contact with the ceiling surface (4) (as illustrated in Figs. 4A amd 4B, in which said hook is represented in its final or bent over condition).
In particular, by using the anchoring apparatus with the portion (2) of body (1) shaped as an eyelet, there is obtained a higher degree of safety, in addition to a simpler application and installation.
The cable retainer (7) is provided with an appendix (72) for supporting a terminal-clamping plate (73).

Claims

Chandelier anchoring apparatus provided with a mount (M), comprising a body (1) with two appendixes (10) elastically stretchable apart and able to elastically engage the mount (M) on two corresponding surfaces thereof, and with a portion (12) intended to engage a hook (3) protruding down from the ceiling (4) in correspondence of the installation site being chosen, characterized in that the mount (M) exhibits a cable retainer (7) and the latter is provided with an appendix (72) able to support a terminal-clamping plate (73).
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said portion (12) of said body (1) is eyelet shaped.
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said portion (12) of said body (1) is hook shaped.
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said body (1) is in one, substantially filiform metal piece.
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said mount (M) comprises a cable retainer (7) which exhibits two diametrically opposite seats (70) to receive therein the elastically stretchable appendixes (1) of said body (1).
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastically stretchable apart appendixes (10) of said body (1) are formed by the terminal, bent-over-90° lengths of two corresponding arms (11) which, in turn, make up the respective extensions of the portion (12) to be engaged with the hook (3) of the ceiling.
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastically stretchable appendixes (10) of said body (1) are oriented with their respective free ends disposed opposite to each other.
Apparatus according to claims 1 and 5, characterized in that the head portion of the cable retainer (7) has two surfaces (71) converging towards the outside and terminating in correspondence of said seats (70).