EP1605425B1

EP1605425B1 - Light-emitting display

Info

Publication number: EP1605425B1
Application number: EP20040425428
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carole Rosenthal; Giorgio Castiglioni
Original assignee: Elios SpA
Current assignee: Elios SpA
Priority date: 2004-06-11
Filing date: 2004-06-11
Publication date: 2007-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 2024-06-11
Also published as: EP1605425A1

Description

The present invention relates to a light-emitting apparatus particularly for producing articles, lamps, luminaires, signs, decorations, lettering and the like.
As is known, so-called sealed lighting chains are already commercially available and are generally constituted by a tubular element made of substantially translucent plastics in various colors, inside which a series of lamps arranged in succession, either of the incandescent and of the LED type, is arranged.
These sealed lighting chains are used to provide light-emitting apparatuses in order to obtain, for example, articles, lamps, luminaires, signs, decorations, lettering and the like.
The light-emitting apparatuses are provided by means of a supporting frame, which is constituted by a strip on which the sealed lighting chain is to be fixed, usually by means of loops and/or straps, see for example document FR 2 811 063 A.
This method is first of all extremely costly, since it is necessary to fix the various loops; moreover, it allows to provide a light-emitting apparatus whose light-emitting portion is only on one face, so that its visibility is considerably limited.
The aim of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks noted above by providing a light-emitting apparatus, particularly for producing articles, lamps, luminaires, signs, decorations, lettering and the like, that allows to assemble the sealed lighting chain to the supporting frame extremely rapidly and also allows to provide all the configurations deemed appropriate.
Within this aim, a particular object of the invention is to provide a light-emitting apparatus in which its visibility is increased considerably, contributing to improve the possibility of use of the light-emitting apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a light-emitting apparatus that thanks to its particular constructive characteristics is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a light-emitting apparatus that can be obtained easily starting from commonly commercially available elements and materials and is also competitive from a merely economical standpoint.
This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a light-emitting apparatus, particularly for producing articles, lamps, luminaires, signs, decorations, lettering and the like, according to the invention, which comprises a supporting frame to which at least one sealed lighting chain is connected, characterized in that said supporting frame comprises a supporting profile that has a substantially H-shaped transverse cross-section in order to form receptacles for said sealed lighting chain on two opposite faces of said supporting frame.
Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a light-emitting apparatus particularly for producing articles, lamps, luminaires, signs, decorations, lettering and the like, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a light-emitting apparatus according to the invention, shaped for example like a star;
Figure 2 is a view of the coupling means of the supporting profile of the frame;
Figure 3 is a view of the supporting profile in the regions where it bends.

With reference to the figures, the light-emitting apparatus particularly for producing articles, lamps, luminaires, signs, decorations, lettering and the like, according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a supporting frame, designated by the reference numeral 2, to which at least one sealed lighting chain 3 of a per se known type is connected; said chain is provided by means of a tubular element inside which light sources are arranged.
The particular characteristic of the invention is constituted by the fact that the supporting frame 2 is obtained by means of portions of a supporting profile, designated by the reference numeral 10, which are provided with an H-shaped transverse cross-section, which is obtained by means of a first wing 11 and a second wing 12, divided by central bridges 13 that delimit a passage channel 14 between them.
The wings 11 and 12 form a first seat 15 and a second seat 16 for accommodating the sealed lighting chain 3 on two faces that remain opposite to each other in the supporting frame.
The particular configuration of the supporting profile 10 allows to assemble the most disparate types of light source, thanks to the fact that it is possible to join the various portions of supporting profiles one another by way of connecting means that pass transversely in the channel 14, which is provided specifically for the passage of the connecting means.
The connecting means, in a preferred embodiment, are constituted by a screw 20, with a corresponding locking nut 21, which engages in through holes 22 provided in the wings 11 and 12 at the channel 14.
The type of profile used allows to easily provide any type of bend or curve, and to do so it is sufficient to remove a portion of a wing and the connecting bridges, thus leaving a single wing, which can be easily bent to provide convex and concave regions.
In the specific example, the profile is folded by keeping on the inside the wing that remains continuous; of course, nothing changes from a conceptual standpoint if one decides to bend the profile in the opposite direction, keeping on the convex side the wing that has remained continuous.
The sealed lighting chain 3 can be easily inserted in the receptacles 15 and 16 by pressing, which chain remains firmly in position without having to resort to additional fixing means.
From what has been described above, it is thus evident that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, and in particular it is stressed that a light-emitting apparatus is provided which uses a particular supporting profile that allows to retain the sealed lighting chain with the possibility to arrange it on two opposite faces without having to resort to additional fixing means.
Moreover, the particular type of profile allows, simply by removing a wing and the central connecting portions, to provide any bend in order to obtain more complex configurations.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.
All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements or materials.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A light-emitting apparatus (1) particularly for producing articles, lamps, luminaires, signs, decorations, lettering and the like, comprising a supporting frame (2) to which at least one sealed lighting chain (3) is connected, characterized in that said supporting frame (2) comprises a supporting profile (10) that has a substantially H-shaped transverse cross-section in order to form receptacles for said sealed lighting chain (3) on two opposite faces of said supporting frame (2).
The light-emitting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said supporting profile (10) comprises a first wing (11) and a second wing (12), which are joined to each other by at least one central bridge (13).
The light-emitting apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting profile (10) has a first wing and a second wing (12), which are joined to each other by two central bridges (13), the bridges being spaced out from each other so as to form a passage channel (14).
The light-emitting apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wings (11, 12) delimit a first receptacle (15) and a second receptacle (16) for accommodating said sealed lighting chain (3), said first (15) and second receptacles (16) being arranged on opposite faces.
The light-emitting apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for connecting the portions of said supporting profile that engage in said channel.
The light-emitting apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said connecting means are constituted by a screw (20) with a corresponding lock nut (21), said screw (20) engaging in through holes (22) formed in said wings (11, 12).
The light-emitting apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises portions where said supporting profile is bent, in regions where one of said wings and said central bridges are removed.
The light-emitting apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wing that remains continuous in the region where said central bridges and the other wing are removed is arranged on the concave side of the bend.
The light-emitting apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wing that remains continuous in the region where said central bridges and the other wing are removed is arranged on the convex side of the bend.