EP2128517A2

EP2128517A2 - Customizable lighting apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP2128517A2
Application number: EP20090159444
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luta Bettonica; Luca Melocchi
Original assignee: Cini & Nills Srl
Current assignee: Cini & Nills Srl
Priority date: 2008-05-07
Filing date: 2009-05-05
Publication date: 2009-12-02
Also published as: ITMI20080822A1

Abstract

A lighting apparatus (100) id proposed. The lighting apparatus includes at least one lighting body (105, 110). Each lighting body includes socket means (125) for mounting a lightning source (130), and a covering structure (135,140,145) for enclosing the lighting source when mounted in the socket means. The covering structure includes a first and a second base elements (140,145) arranged at opposite positions with respect to the lighting source when mounted. The covering structure further includes a lateral element (135) adapted to slide around the first and the second base element, and constraining means (120,150,230) for constraining the lateral element with respect to the first and second base element when positioned between the first and the second base element.

Description

The present invention generally relates to the field of lighting apparatus; more specifically, the present invention concerns a customizable modular lighting apparatus.
Following a more and more popular trend, the demand of customizable lighting apparatus (or lamps) is steadily increasing. In particular, the demand of lamps allowing the user to change, in a custom way, some of the characteristics regarding the type of obtainable lighting (for example, the intensity, the color, and the type of diffusion) is spreading in the most different spheres of users, both of private type (for example, the residential interior lighting), and of public type (for example, the lighting of offices, of art galleries, and the like).
For this purpose, there have been launched on the market a number of different modular lamps, which allow the user to customize the obtainable lighting by the substitution of proper shade glasses and/or lenses.
A typical modular lamp may consist of a cylindrical-shaped lighting body - wherein a light bulb in enclosed - being provided with openings at the bases of the cylinder. Colored shade glasses and/or lenses are then mounted onto such openings in a removable way.
However, the known modular lamps have various drawbacks in their use and maintenance.
In particular, with reference to the above-described example, the replacement of the shade glass (or of the lens) turns out to be awkward and dangerous. In fact, a lamp of such type has proper locks close to the openings of the lighting body for holding the shade glasses. Such locks, for example, of the clip type, have to ensure a hold on the shade glass that is as steady as possible, so as to avoid possible accidental unlocking of the shade glass from the lighting body of the lamp, which would cause a consequent break of the same shade glass. In order to replace a shade glass it is necessary to act directly on the shade glass to be removed so as to cause its slipping off the holding of the locks, and thereafter fixing the chosen new shade glass into such locks. It is then obvious that the operation of replacing the shade glass is very awkward and dangerous, since the shade glass (being made of fragile material) might easily break.
Moreover, it has to be pointed out that the customization ofthe lighting characteristics that can be obtained by the mere replacement of the shade glasses and/or ofthe lenses may be not enough for satisfying the requests of the most demanding users, who could wish a greater freedom of customization.
The solution according to an embodiment of the present invention provides an improved technique for customizing lighting apparatus.
In particular, an aspect of the present invention concerns a lighting apparatus. The lighting apparatus includes at least one lighting body. Each lighting body includes socket means for mounting a lighting source and a covering structure for enclosing the lighting source when mounted in the socket means. The covering structure includes a first and a second base elements arranged at opposite positions with respect to the lighting source when it is mounted. The covering structure further includes a lateral element adapted to slide around the first and the second base element, and constraining means for constraining the lateral element with respect to the first and second base element when positioned between the first and the second base element.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a corresponding method for assembling a lighting apparatus.
The features and the advantages of the present invention will be best understood with reference to the following detailed description of some practical embodiments thereof, given purely by way of a non-restrictive indication, to he read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG.1 illustrates, in a partially exploded view, a lighting apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG.2A and FIG.2B show an example of how a diffuser can be inserted into a lighting body of the lighting apparatus of FIG.1 according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention; and
FIG.3 illustrates, in a partially exploded view, a portion of the lighting apparatus of FIG.1.

In this respect, it is expressly intended that the figures are not necessary drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they arc merely used to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
With reference to the figures, in FIG.1 there is illustrated, in a schematic way, a lighting apparatus 100 (hereinafter indicated with the term lamp for simplicity) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
The lamp 100 is equipped with two lighting bodies 105,110 each one including a cover structure being adapted to enclose a respective lighting source (for example, a light bulb). In particular, FIG.1 shows the lighting body 105 being completely assembled; the lighting body 110 is instead shown in FIG.1 by means of a partially exploded view, so as to show the elements included in the cover structure.
Each one of said lighting bodies 105,110 is connected to a common support structure 115, which has the function of bearing frame of the lamp 100. In the example illustrated in FIG-1, the support structure 115 is made up of a tubular structure that has, at one end thereof, a branch giving the support structure 115 as a whole a "T"-like shape, whose lateral arms are connected to the lighting bodies 105,110 and whose stem is connected to a support disc for the wall assembly. The support structure 115 may further house electrical cables (not illustrated) being necessary for the electric power supply of the light bulbs.
At each lighting body 105,110, the support structure 115 ends connecting to a tube (indicated with the reference 116 for the lighting body 110) on which an inner support 120 is mounted. The tube 116 (being part of the lighting body 110) also contains a lamp socket 125 (with all the respective accessories); the lamp socket 125 is electrically connected to electrical cables being housed in the support structure 115 and is adapted to house a light bulb 130 that operates as lighting source.
The cover structure includes a lateral portion, indicated with the reference 135, and two portions 140,145 at opposite positions with respect to the light bulb 130. At least one between the lateral portion 135 and the portions 140,145 is made up of transparent or semi-transparent material. The characteristics of the lighting that can be obtained by the lamp 100 depend on the material, the shape and other features (for example, the color) of the portions of the cover structure.
The lateral portion 135, denoted in the following with the term diffuser, has a tubular shape, and it is provided with openings at its ends. The diffuser is adapted to be mounted so as to surround the light bulb 130, as it will be described in greater detail in the following. The diffuser 135 is further provided with a longitudinal slot 138, which crosses the lateral surface of the diffuser 135 along all its length. The portions 140 and 145 are elements being substantially plate-like, for example, discs (made up of a ring-shaped frame that supports shade glasses and/or lenses). The discs 140,145 are mounted on a common external support 150 - sliding on the tube 116 - by means of respective knurls 155,160 with tap screw ends that are inserted into proper threaded holes (not illustrated in the figure) being available on the external support 150 through respective plain holes being available on each disc 140,145.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the knurls 155,160 have extended heads, being adapted to project towards the outside of the lighting body when the knurls are completely screwed in the holes on the external support 150.
The centers of the discs 140,145 are substantially arranged along the longitudinal axis of the diffuser 135, indicated in the figure with the reference 165.
In the solution according to an embodiment of the present invention, the radius of the discs 140,145 is smaller than the radius of the openings of the diffuser 135. In this way, the diffuser 135 can slide around the discs 140,145 along the direction defined by the longitudinal axis 165. Moreover, the diffuser 135 is constrained to the rest of the lighting body 110, and thus to the lamp 100 as a whole, by means of the supports 120 and 150.
A lamp provided with such structure can be mounted and dismounted in an easy and effective way, as it will be best understood in the following of the present description.
In particular, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the external support 150 is a cursor capable of sliding along the tube 116 corresponding to the lighting body 110, as indicated by the arrows shown in the figure. It is remarked that the possibility of sliding along the tube 116 also involves the discs 140,145, since they are constrained to the external support 150.
As it will be described in greater detail in the following of the present description, the external support 150 - being movable with respect to the tube 116 - and the inner support 120 - being fixed with respect to the tube 116 - are coupled to each other through a screw-spring system (denoted with the overall reference 230 in FIG.3) that biases the external support 150 against the inner support 120. In particular, in a closing condition - corresponding to the position of the external support 150 illustrated in FIG.1 with solid lines - the external support 150 is maintained pressed against the inner support 120. The external support 150 can, however, be removed from the inner support 120 by acting on the projecting heads 155,160 that secure the discs 140,145 to the same external support 150, in such a way that the external support/knurls complex is made slide along the tube 116, until reaching an opening position - corresponding to the position of the external support 150 illustrated in FIG.1 with broken lines, and, for example, determined by the elasticity of the spring and/or by the length of the screw being included in the screw-spring system 230 that couples the external support 150 with the inner support 120. Thanks to the presence of the spring, if the hold on the projecting heads of the knurls 155,160 is released, the external support 150 is automatically dragged (integral with the discs 140,145) towards the position corresponding to the closing condition,
The above-described structure ensures an easy and effective way of inserting and removing the diffusers 135 into/from the corresponding lighting bodies 105,110,
In particular, referring to FIG.2A and FIG.2B together with FIG.1, the insertion of the diffuser 135 into the lighting body 110 can occur in the following way.
First of all, there is acted on the projecting heads of the knurls 155,160, in such a way to push the external support 150 - and with it, the corresponding discs 140,145 - until the opening position (FIG.2A). At this point, by maintaining, the hold even upon only one of the projecting heads of the knurls 155, 160 (FIG.2B, step "a"), there is made the diffuser 135 slide around the discs 140,145 along the direction of the longitudinal axis 165 (FIG.2B, step "b"). For this purpose, it should be remembered that the diameter of the discs 140,145 is smaller than the diameter of the diffuser. Thanks to the presence of the slot 138 in the surface of the diffuser 135, the diffuser 135 can he placed in such a way to form, with the surfaces of the discs 140,145, a cover structure that encloses the light bulb 130. It is emphasized that the width of the slot 138 must be sufficient to allow the passage of the diffuser 135 in the central part of the supports 120 and 150. At this point, the hold on the projecting heads of the knurls 155,160 is released, in such a way that the external support 150 is dragged (integral with the discs 140,145) by the screw-spring system 230 towards the position corresponding to the closing condition. As it will be best understood in the following of the present description, the side of the external support 150 facing the inner support 120 has grooves being sized so as to be capable of receiving the longitudinal edges of the slot 138 in the surface of the diffuser 135. In this way, the diffuser 135 is firmly constrained to the supports 120 and 150 by means of a pressure action that is exerted by the external support 150, which pushes the diffuser 135 against the inner support 120.
In order to remove the diffuser 135, for example, for replacing it with a diffuser of other type, it is sufficient to act on the projecting heads of the knurls 155,160 again, thereby moving the external support 150 away from the inner support 120. In this way, the diffuser 135 is not constrained any longer by the pressure action exerted by the external support 150, and it can he easily removed by making it slide along the longitudinal axis 165.
Thanks to the above-described solution, a user can modify the lighting characteristics of the lamp 100 at will, by replacing (in a safe, easy and effective way) the diffuser 135 in the lighting body 110 with a diffuser being provided with the wished characteristics (for example, with a diffuser of different color and/or transparency).
The FIG.3 schematically illustrates the lighting body 110 of F1G.1 by means of a partially exploded view being taken from different observation point; it should be noted that the elements corresponding to those being shown in FIG.1 are indicated with the same references, and their explanation will be omitted for simplifying the description. Moreover, some components of the lighting body 110 that have been shown in FIG.1 in their entirety, in FIG.3 are shown in a partially exploded view.
In particular, in FIG.3 there is shown the side of the external support 150 facing the inner support 120; on such side, for example, close to the longitudinal edges of the external support 150, there are a first and a second grooves, being indicated with the references 205 and 210. As it has already been described previously, the grooves 205,210 are adapted to receive the longitudinal edges 215,220 of the slot 138 being present on the surface of the diffuser 135. In FIG.3 there is further shown that the external support 150 includes an opening 225, with a size suitable to receive the tube 116. A possible implementation of the screw-spring system 230 (that biases the external support 150 against the inner support 120) is made up of a pair of screws 235,240 that are inserted into proper coaxial holes being present in the external support 150 and in the inner support 120. The length of such screws 235,240 is higher than the sum of the cross-sectional thickness of the external support 150 and of the inner support 120, so as to allow the external support 150 to slide along the tube 116 and move away from the inner support 120. The biasing effect of the external support 150 against the inner support 120 is ensured by the presence, in the screw-spring system 230, of a pair of springs 245,250 that arc inserted into the holes in the inner support 120 wherein the screws 235,240 are respectively plugged. In particular, by making the external support 150 slide along the tube 116 in the direction opposed to the inner support 120, the screws 235,240 connecting the external support to the inner support compress the springs 245,250, which tend to make the external support 150 return close to the inner support 120.
In order to examine the structure and the function of the discs 140, 145 in greater detail, reference will be made now to the portion of FIG.3 that shows the components being included in the disc 145 in a partially exploded view (the structure of the disc 140 is substantially identical to that of the disc 145).
The disc 145 includes a ring-shaped frame 252, which comprises an upper surface 255 (facing the light bulb 130), a lower surface 260 being opposite the upper surface 255, an inner surface 265 (facing the center of the ring-shape) and an external surface 270 being opposite the inner surface 265.
Close to the edge being comprised between the lover surface 260 and the inner surface 265, the frame 252 is provided with an abutment element 275. On the abutment element 275, a shade glass or a lens 280 is placed (in the following, reference will be made only to the shade glass for the sake of convenience). Moreover, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner surface 265 of the frame 252 is provided with a groove 285 being arranged over the abutment element 275. The groove 285 is suitable to house a spring element 290 for providing a securing action of the shade glass 280 to the chassis 252.
In particular, the spring element 290 is formed by an open elastic ring (for example, made of steel), which has a no-perfectly circular shape. In particular, the spring element 290 includes proper out-turned portions being housed in the grove 285 and proper in-turned portions suitable to project from the groove 285 when the out-turned portions of the spring element 290 are housed in the groove 285. Moreover, the ring forming the spring element 290 has a non-planar profile. In greater detail, the spring element 290 is shaped so as have portions that are not included in the plan defined by the grove 285, which portions project towards the shade glass 280 placed on the abutment element 275. In this way, thanks to the above-described structure, the shade glass 280 is maintained secured to the frame 252 in a firmly way thanks to the action ofthe spring element 290 that pushes the shade glass 280 against the abutment element 275. Moreover, by using the above-described solution it is possible to use shade glasses of different thickness, thanks to the fact that the spring element 290 has a non-planar profile.
A further advantage that is offered by the present solution consists in the fact that the replacement of the shade glass 280 in the frame 252 is safer and easier than it is in the solutions known in the art. In particular, in order to remove the shade glass 280 it is enough to act on the turned-in portions of the spring element 290 projecting from the groove 285, and to shrink the spring element 290 so as to have it slip off the groove 285 completely. At this point, the spring element 290 is removed, and the shade glass 280 is not constrained to the frame 260 any longer, since it is only rested on the abutment element 275. The removal of the shade glass can then occur in an easy way, without any risk of accidental breaking. Once a new shade glass 280 has been placed on the abutment element 275, such shade glass 280 is secured to the frame through the re-insertion of the spring element 290 into the groove 285.
Naturally, in order to satisfy local and specific requirement, a person skilled in the art may apply to the solution described above many modifications and alterations. Moreover, although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details as well as other embodiments are possible.
In particular, it is pointed out that the type of lamp, its structure and the number of lighting bodies and/or lighting sources included therein are not limitative for the present invention, which may be applied in general terms to any type of equivalent lamp (for example, the lamp can be formed by a single lighting body, each one with one or more light bulbs).
Although in the description reference has been made to a specific support element with peculiar structural characteristics, nothing prevents applying the concepts of the present invention to lamps with different support elements - for example, like the supports for floor lamps.
Likewise, the cursor element that operates to constrain the diffuser may have a structure that is different from the one being disclosed in the description; moreover, the diffuser may by constrained directly to the discs, or more generally to any constraining means.
Similar considerations apply to the screw-spring complex that biases the cursor against the inner element support, which may be replaced with clastic means performing analogous functions.
Moreover, although in the description reference has been made to a diffuser with a tubular structure, and in particular to a cylindrical diffuser, the concepts of the present invention are applicable to lamps provided with diffusers with different structures (for example, with a square section).
Naturally, the plates may be constrained to the cursor element in a different way, by using mounting devices being different from the knurls (also fixed).
Moreover, the concepts of the present invention may be applied in the event that the plates have a shape that is different from the one of a disc (for example, squared) and the frame is structured in a different way.
Although in the description reference has been made to cover elements of the shade glass of lens type, the concepts of the present invention may be applied to equivalent cover clements (for example, a cross-line screen).
Similar considerations apply to the spring element adapted to constrain the cover element in the trame; for example, the spring element may be coupled with the frame by means of a respective screw.
Nothing prevents using a spring element with a different profile, even a planar one.
Naturally, it is possible that one or both of the discs or the diffuser are not transparent.
The concepts of the present invention may also be applied to mounting methods being equivalent to the described one.

Claims

A lighting apparatus (100) having at least one lighting body (105, 110), each lighting body including:
- socket means (125) for mounting a lighting source (130);

- a covering structure (135,140,145) for enclosing the lighting source when mounted in the socket means, said covering structure including a first and a second base elements (140,145) arranged at opposite positions with respect to the lighting source when mounted,
characterized in that
- the covering structure further includes a lateral element (135) adapted to slide around the first and the second base element, and

- constraining means (120,150,230) for constraining the lateral element with respect to the first and second base element when positioned between the first and the second base element.
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein:
- each lighting body includes support means (116) for the lighting body, the housing means (125) being fastened the support means, and

- the constraining means (120,150,230) includes means for constraining the lateral element (135) to the support means (116).
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 2, wherein the constraining means (120,150,230) includes means for maintaining the lateral element (135) pressed against an inner support element (120).
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 3, wherein the constraining means (120,150,230) includes a push element (150) for acting on the lateral element (135) and elastic means (230) for biasing the push element against the inner support element (120), the push element being moved away from the inner support element in opposition to the elastic means.
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 4, wherein the support means (116) includes a tube (116) with a substantially tubular shape carrying the inner support element (120), and wherein the push element (150) includes a cursor element (150) being adapted to slide along the tube (the 116) and connected to the inner support element (120) though the elastic means (230).
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 5, wherein the lateral element (135) has a substantially tubular shape with a lateral surface including a through slot (138), said slot defining a first and a second longitudinal edge (215,220) on the lateral surface, said cursor element (150) including a first and a second seat (205,210) For receiving ending portions of the lateral element being proximate to the first and second edge, respectively.
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 6, further including mounting means (155,160) for mounting each one of said first and second base element (140,145) on the cursor element in a removable way.
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 7, wherein for each base element (140,145) the mounting means (155,160) includes a handling element adapted to be screwed into a threaded hole of the cursor element (150) through a plain hole of the base element, the handling element being adapted to be handled to move the cursor element away from the inner support element (120).
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 8, wherein each base element (140,145) includes a frame (252), a cover element (280), and securing means (290) for securing the cover element to the frame in a removable way.
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 9, wherein the frame (252) includes an abutment (275) for constraining the cover element (280) in a first way along a mounting direction and a groove (285) on an internal surface (265) of the frame, the securing means (290) including a spring element (290) adapted to be housed into the groove to constrain the cover element in a second way opposite the first way along the mounting direction.
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 10, wherein the spring element (290) includes an open elastic ring with out-turned portions for the housing in the groove (285) and in-turned portions adapted to be handled to shrink the spring element so as to disengage the out-turned portions from the groove.
The lighting apparatus (100) according to claim 11, wherein the spring element (290) has a non-planar profile for maintaining the cover element pressed against the abutment.
The lighting apparatus (100) according to any claim from 9 to 12, wherein at least one between the lateral element (135) and the cover elements is transparent.
A method for assembling a lighting apparatus having at least one lighting body, for each lighting body the method including the steps of:
- mounting a lighting source into socket means; and

- enclosing the lighting source into a covering structure, said covering structure including a first and a second base elements arranged at opposite positions with respect to the lighting source,
characterized in that
the step of enclosing the lighting source into a covering structure includes:
- sliding a lateral element around the first and the second base element, and

- constraining the lateral element with respect to the first and second base element when positioned between the first and the second base element.