EP2159347A1

EP2159347A1 - Baseboard

Info

Publication number: EP2159347A1
Application number: EP08163466A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Leonardo Battiston
Original assignee: Zeroombra Srl
Current assignee: Zeroombra Srl
Priority date: 2008-09-02
Filing date: 2008-09-02
Publication date: 2010-03-03

Abstract

A baseboard (10) comprising a substantially C-shaped profiled body (11) that can be associated with a wall (12) by way of fixing means and is adapted to cover the edge that connects the wall (12) to the floor (15) in order to protect it against contact with other bodies, the body (11) being provided with receptacles for lighting means (16) adapted to project light outside it.

Description

The present invention relates to a baseboard.
Baseboards made of various materials, for example wood, metal or plastics, which can be associated with walls by means of nails, screw anchors or double-adhesive strips, are currently known.
In addition to the role of protecting the wall to which they are applied, some baseboards are shaped so as to form a compartment between the boards and the wall in order to accommodate cables.
Cable raceways are articles similar to such baseboards. They generally comprise a supporting base, which can be fixed to the wall by means of screw anchors, and a C-shaped profiled body, which can be associated with such base by means of hook-shaped interlocks.
Transparent raceways are also known inside which LEDs or other lighting means are accommodated.
These raceways are used generally in the decorative lighting of rooms by using raceways or LEDs of various colors.
LEDs or similar lighting means are also used as safety lights by inserting them in steps or other obstacles in order to indicate their presence, particularly in scarcely lit spaces, such as movie theaters.
Further, LEDs and the like are used to provide decorative lighting effects by inserting them in recesses and false ceilings, especially by utilizing the effect of grazing light.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a baseboard that acts both as protection for the wall and as a source of decorative or safety lighting.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a baseboard that is structurally simple and easy to use and can be manufactured with low costs.
This aim and this and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a baseboard comprising a substantially C-shaped profiled body that can be associated with a wall by way of fixing means, said body being adapted to cover the edge that connects said wall to the floor in order to protect it against contact with other bodies, characterized in that said body is provided with receptacles for lighting means that are adapted to project light outside said body.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the baseboard according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a baseboard according to the invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded rear perspective view of a baseboard according to the invention;
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views of a baseboard according to the invention, taken along various transverse planes.

It is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.
With reference to the figures, a baseboard according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a substantially C-shaped profiled body 11, which can be associated with a wall 12 by way of fixing means, which conveniently comprise a supporting flange 13 connected to the wall 12 by means of screw anchors 14.
The body 11 covers the edge that connects the wall 12 to a floor 15 in order to protect it against contact with other bodies.
According to the invention, the body 11 is provided with receptacles for lighting means 16 adapted to project light outside the body 11.
Such receptacles advantageously comprise at least one hole 17, which is formed on a wall of the body 11, to insert the lighting means 16, which conveniently comprise at least one lamp and/or one LED, which face the outside of the body 11 and are supported by an appropriately provided support 18.
Preferably, the receptacles comprise a plurality of holes 17, which are formed in adjacent walls of the body 11, so as to accommodate several lighting means 16 in order to project beams of light onto the wall 12 and/or onto the floor 15.
Further, the lighting means 16 advantageously can be oriented in order to direct the beams of light produced by them onto objects or to illuminate areas of interest for the user due to ornamental or safety reasons.
The body 11 conveniently comprises wings 19, which form inside it compartments 20 adapted to accommodate at least one support 18.
Further, the body 11 conveniently has hook-shaped edges 21 for engagement with the supporting flange 13 and engagement means, conveniently hook-shaped ribs 22, for cable supporting brackets 23 and for devices 24 for supplying power to the lighting means 16.
Conveniently, the body 11 is made of aluminum and the lighting means 16 comprise filters 25, which are transparent or translucent and coloured according to the user's taste, or for emitting coloured light that is adapted to constitute a danger indicator, for example an indication of steps or other obstacles.
Use of the baseboard according to the invention is as follows.
The user fixes at least one supporting flange 13, preferably a plurality of supporting flanges 13, to a wall 12 by means of the screw anchors 14.
He/she then arranges the lighting means 16 at the holes 17, accommodating them in the compartments 20 of the body 11 and connecting them in a per se known manner to power supply devices 24, which are coupled to the body 11 by means of the hook-shaped ribs 22.
Optionally, in order to keep tidy the cables that connect the lighting means 16 to the power supply devices 24 and/or to the electrical mains, the user inserts in the body 11 cable supporting brackets 23, fastening them to the hook-shaped ribs 22.
The body 11 is then fastened to the supporting flanges 13 by means of the hook-shaped edges 21 and can be disengaged, simply by pulling, in order to access the lighting means 16, the power supply devices 24 and the cables accommodated therein.
In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the proposed aim and object, providing a baseboard that is simple and easy to use, can be manufactured with low costs, and acts both as a protection of the wall and as a source of decorative or safety lighting.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
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 baseboard (10) comprising a substantially C-shaped profiled body (11) that can be associated with a wall (12) by way of fixing means, said body (11) being adapted to cover the edge that connects said wall (12) to the floor (15) in order to protect it against contact with other bodies, characterized in that said body (11) is provided with receptacles for lighting means (16) that are adapted to project light outside said body (11).
The baseboard according to claim 1, characterized in that said lighting means (16) comprise at least one lamp.
The baseboard according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said lighting means (16) comprise at least one LED that faces the outside of said body (11).
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fixing means comprise a supporting flange (13) that can be associated with said wall (12).
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said receptacles comprise at least one hole (17) formed in a wall of said body (11).
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said receptacles comprise a plurality of holes (17) formed on adjacent walls of said body (11).
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lighting means (16) can be oriented in order to direct the beams of light produced by them.
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (11) is provided with hook-shaped edges (21) for engaging said supporting flange (13).
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (11) comprises wings (19) that form, within said body (11), compartments (20) adapted to accommodate said lighting means (16).
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (11) comprises engagement means for devices (24) for supplying power to said lighting means (16).
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (11) comprises engagement means for cable supporting brackets (23).
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (11) is made of aluminum.
The baseboard according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lighting means (16) comprise coloured filters (25) for colouring the light emitted by said lighting means (16).