EP3685095A1

EP3685095A1 - Device for lighting a court and corresponding lighting strip

Info

Publication number: EP3685095A1
Application number: EP18785691.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jérôme PAPINEAU; Jean-Luc TOURNEBISE
Original assignee: NLX
Current assignee: NLX
Priority date: 2017-09-22
Filing date: 2018-09-20
Publication date: 2020-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 2038-09-20
Also published as: US11118744B2; FR3071586B1; US20200224840A1; US11435039B2; US20210372580A1; FR3071586A1; EP3685095B1; WO2019058035A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for lighting a court, the device comprising at least one lighting strip (4) extending substantially horizontally along at least one side of said court, at a predefined height relative to said court, characterised in that said strip (4) comprises a series of light sources (42, 43) distributed along its length, each of said light sources (42, 43) projecting a light beam (429, 439) with a diffusion angle that is less than 20°, oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said ramp.

Description

FIELD LIGHTING DEVICE AND CORRESPONDING LIGHTING RAMP

Field of the invention

[001] The present invention relates to a lighting device of a field, and more particularly to a lighting device specially adapted to sports fields.

[002] Such a device is particularly applicable to the lighting of sports fields located outdoors.

[003] The invention also relates to a lighting ramp that can be implemented in such a lighting device.

Prior art

[004] The practice of a sport on a dedicated field usually requires good visibility. For sports whose practice is organized by a federation, it most often regulates the characteristics of the terrain on which the sport is practiced. It can thus impose precise dimensions for the terrain, as well as other characteristics, such as the lighting characteristics of the terrain. This is the case, for example, of tennis federations which, by standards, impose the size of the courts or tennis courts and, for the grounds to be used at night or without natural light, the characteristics of the lighting, and in particular the intensity of the lighting on the various points of the ground and the homogeneity of this lighting on the ground.

[005] For sports fields located inside buildings (usually referred to as "indoor"), lighting devices include lamps or projectors that are usually attached to the ceiling or the structure of buildings , in order to properly illuminate the grounds.

[006] For outdoor sports fields (usually referred to by the term "outdoor"), the lighting of the grounds is generally done by lamps or projectors placed at the top of support poles, installed near the field , as shown for example in US 4,141,056. These support poles must have a great height in order to allow the headlamps to have sufficient distance to illuminate the ground homogeneously. [007] For sports requiring athletes or players to look upwards, such as tennis, floodlights illuminating the grounds may be a source of dazzle or glare. A burst of light occurs when a light source, without necessarily dazzling a person, produces in her a luminous image remanent, which can be particularly troublesome for the practice of the sport. The use of projectors located at high height limits this disadvantage, by allowing the projectors are aligned with the line of vision of the player in a small number of cases.

[008] Once the projectors installed on the masts, it is necessary that their orientation is adjusted, at night, by a first technician, assisted by a second technician present in the field to measure the intensity of the lighting at different points. ground. The necessary precision of this adjustment is all the more important as the height of the mast carrying the projectors is low. In fact, when the lighting has a lower angle of incidence compared to the illuminated terrain, it is more difficult to obtain homogeneous lighting that meets the standards.

[009] The lighting devices therefore put in place, usually, very high masts to obtain a satisfactory lighting homogeneity and to limit the glare of the players. The installation of these support poles, which must be strong enough to withstand the wind, is important and expensive work, generally requiring a building permit, that the owners of sports fields are not always ability to achieve. A large number of outdoor sports fields, including tennis courts, are therefore not lit and can only be used during the day.

[010] Moreover, on lit land, the headlamps on the support poles develop a significant power thus resulting in high power consumption. In addition, these projectors often generate significant light pollution, providing around the field lighting that may not be desired.

[011] To avoid the major expense associated with the installation of projectors carried by masts, some tennis courts are lit by fluorescent tubes ramps extending along the ground, which can be carried by the poles of fence of the land or by a dedicated structure, as in document US 4,270,161. Due to the nature of the light sources and the proximity between the ramps and the ground, the light can not be distributed on the ground with the level of desired intensity and homogeneity. Such a device does not allow, for example, to fulfill the conditions imposed by the tennis federations for the grounds hosting official competitions. In addition, the lighting provided by these ramps is often a source of dazzle or glare of light for the players.

Objectives of the invention

The present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages of the prior art.

[013] More particularly, the present invention aims to provide a lighting device of a field, and more particularly of a sports field, which requires a lower installation cost compared to lighting solutions generally used.

[014] Another object of the invention is to provide such a lighting device that provides a high homogeneity of lighting, thus meeting demanding normative constraints.

[015] Another object of the invention is to provide such a lighting device whose installation and settings are simplified compared to the solutions of the prior art.

[016] Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a lighting device that is well suited to the practice of the sport concerned, and in particular that minimizes the risk of dazzle or light burst of the light. athletes or players, and which limits the shadows on the field. Presentation of the invention

[017] These objectives, as well as others which will appear more clearly later, are achieved by means of a lighting device of a field, the device comprising at least one lighting ramp extending horizontally along at least one side of said ground, in which, according to the invention, said ramp comprises a succession of light sources distributed over its length, each of said sources lights projecting a light beam having a diffusion angle less than 20 °, oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said ramp.

[018] In the present application we can consider that the ramp extends horizontally if it has an angle less than 5 ° with the horizontal. Similarly, we can consider that the beam is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ramp if it has an angle less than 5 ° with the perpendicular. Moreover, according to the uses in the field of lighting, the angle of diffusion of a light beam is considered as the diffusion angle of the width at half height (width of the beam in which the light intensity is at least equal to the maximum intensity, more commonly referred to as "full width at half maximum" or by the acronym FWHM) of the beam.

[019] Such a device having a ramp of very directional light sources oriented parallel to each other can effectively illuminate a field, even when the ramp is placed at low height, without generating glare of people placed on the ground, if they are not facing the ramp. This device is therefore very suitable for the lighting of sports fields, particularly sports courts in which the players or athletes are mainly oriented in a preferential direction. In the latter case, the light or booms may preferentially be parallel to this preferred direction.

[020] Advantageously, the ramp, or at least one of the ramps, can be placed at a predefined height relative to said terrain. This height can for example be predefined when the terrain has standardized dimensions, and the ramp can be attached to a terrain element, such as fences of the land.

[021] Advantageously, this height of the ramp is relatively small, relative to the dimensions of the ground to be illuminated, so that the beams of the light sources are preferably oriented in directions having angles of less than 25 ° with the horizontal . The low-level illumination of the ground thus produced makes it possible to avoid glare of the players and to limit the consumption of energy. [022] Preferably, the ramp extends over most of the length of said side of the ground. This arrangement allows the ramp can effectively illuminate the entire useful portion of the land.

[023] Preferably, the device comprises at least two lighting ramps, facing each other along two opposite parallel sides of said ground. These two lighting lamps make it possible in particular to obtain a better homogeneity of the lighting and to limit the shadows.

[024] According to a preferred embodiment, the orientation of said light sources relative to said at least one ramp is invariable. This solution, which can be implemented for lighting of the grounds having predefined dimensions, simplifies the installation of the device, the orientation of the light sources being adjusted in advance and not being designed to be modified during or after the installation. 'installation.

[025] Preferably, the position of said one or more ramps relative to the terrain is predetermined according to the dimensions of said terrain and the characteristics of the desired illumination.

[026] Advantageously, said or at least one of said ramps has means for fixing to posts located along said side of the ground. The ramps can thus be easily assembled to pre-existing elements in the field.

[027] According to a preferred embodiment, said fixing means comprise rails, extending over the entire length of said ramp, adapted to maintain a fastening element at any point along the length of said ramp. These fixing means thus allow easy attachment of the ramps to posts, regardless of the position or spacing of these posts.

[028] Preferably, said or at least one of said ramps is composed of several independent ramp segments, assembled to each other.

[029] In this case, advantageously, said ramp segments are assembled by fastening elements held by said rails of each of said ramp segments.

[030] According to an advantageous embodiment, the light sources of said or at least one of said ramps are oriented in at least two directions distinct. These different orientations of the lamps make it possible to ensure a good distribution of the light on the ground.

[031] Advantageously, said or at least one of said ramps has at least two separate supports adapted to receive each of the light sources oriented in parallel in a predetermined direction.

[032] Preferably, each of said supports extends over the entire length of said or at least one of said ramps. The light sources can thus be distributed along several orientations over the entire length of the ramp.

[033] According to a preferred embodiment, said ramp or at least one of said ramps comprises a metal section comprising said fixing means and at least one flat surface forming a support adapted to receive light sources oriented in parallel in a predetermined direction . Such a metal profile has good mechanical characteristics. It can also participate effectively in the dispersion of the heat emitted by the light sources.

[034] According to an advantageous embodiment, the device comprises at least two lighting ramps extending substantially parallel to each other along the same side of said ground, the light sources of at least two said ramps being oriented in distinct directions, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said ramps. Secondary lighting ramps can thus ensure, on certain parts of the ground, the lighting of volumes useful for the practice of the sport concerned.

[035] Advantageously, said light sources are lamps comprising light emitting diodes.

[036] The invention also relates to a lighting ramp, adapted to be implemented in a lighting device as described above, having fastening means adapted to allow its attachment to posts, in a horizontal position said fastening means comprising rails (417, 418) extending the entire length of said ramp (4), capable of holding a fastener at any point along the length of said ramp (4), the lighting ramp comprising a succession of light sources distributed over its length, each of said light sources projecting a light beam having a scattering angle of less than 20 °, oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of said ramp, a part of said light sources having a first non-modifiable orientation, with respect to said ramp, and another part of said light sources having a second orientation, distinct from said first orientation and non-modifiable, by relative to said ramp.

[037] This lighting ramp may advantageously have one or more of the characteristics mentioned above.

List of Figures

[038] The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of preferred embodiments, given as a simple figurative and non-limiting example, and accompanied by the figures among which:

Figure 1 is a plan of a sports field dedicated to the practice of tennis; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the terrain of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a detail view, in perspective, showing a lateral fence of the terrain of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the main lighting ramp carried by the fence of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the main lighting ramp of Figure 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the ground of Fig. 1, showing the illumination provided by some of the lamps of the light bars;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the fixing means of the main lighting ramp of Figure 4 to a fence post;

FIG. 8 is an outlook view of the means for fixing two segments of the main lighting ramp of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Tennis court

[039] Figure 1 is a plan of a sports field dedicated to the practice of tennis. This land is also shown in perspective in Figure 2. It was built and arranged in accordance with the normative requirements imposed by the tennis federations to be able to host the competitions.

[040] This field has a surface 1, on which lines 11 are drawn with white paint. The rectangular surface surrounded by lines 11 constitutes the playground 10, or short. The playground 10 is separated in two by a net 2 stretched between two vertical posts 21 and 22, arranged on either side of the playing area 10. The lines 11 and the net 2 define the main axis 100 of the field, which extends perpendicular to the plane defined by the net 2, separating the playground lOen two equal parts.

[041] The outer lateral lines 111 and 113 of the playing area, which are parallel to the main axis 100 of the ground being furthest from this axis, form the lateral limits of the playing area 10. baseline lines 112 and 114, which are parallel to the net 2 being farthest from the net, form the bottom boundaries of the playing area 10. To conform to the standards set by the tennis federations, the Playground has a length of 23.77 meters and a width of 10.97 meters.

[042] During the practice of tennis, the players are placed on both sides of the net 2, generally in the play area 10 or behind the baseline lines 112 and 114, and are mainly oriented in a substantially direction. parallel to the main axis 100 of the ground.

[043] The surface 1 of the ground has a rectangular shape whose sides are parallel to the boundaries of the playing area 10. To comply with the standards set by the tennis federations, this surface preferably has a length of 36 meters and a width of 18 meters. This surface 1 is surrounded by a fence 3, constituted by a grid 35 supported by fence posts 30 (only some of these posts 30 are numbered in the figures) surrounding the four sides of the surface 1 of the ground.

[044] The posts 30 aligned parallel to the lateral limit 111 of the playing area, on the same side of the main axis 100, form the lateral fence 31. The posts 30 aligned parallel to the baseline line 112 of the play area 10, on the same side of the net 2, form the bottom fence 32. The posts 30 aligned parallel to the lateral limit 113 of the playing area, on the same side of the main axis 100, form the lateral fence 33. The posts 30 aligned parallel to the baseline line 114 of the playing area, on the same side of the net 2, form the bottom fence 34.

[045] To comply with the standards set by the tennis federations, each of the side fences (respectively 31 and 33) is generally located at a distance of 3.5 meters from the nearest lateral limit (respectively 111 and 113). Similarly, each of the bottom fences (respectively 32 and 34) is located at a distance of about 6 meters from the nearest baseline (respectively 112 and 114).

[046] Figure 3 shows in more detail the side fence 33. As shown in this figure, the posts 30 holding the mesh 35 to form the fence 3 are aligned at regular intervals. Conventionally, these posts are spaced apart from each other by a distance of between 3 meters and 3.6 meters. Of course, a door (not shown in the figures) is normally provided in this fence.

[047] To comply with the standards set by the Tennis Federations, the fence 3 extends vertically over a height of at least 3 meters, generally between 3 meters and 3.50 meters. To support this fence, the posts 30 therefore extend, vertically, over a height of at least 3 meters.

Lighting device

[048] The tennis court represented by FIGS. 1 and 2 is equipped with a lighting device according to one embodiment of the invention, comprising two main lighting ramps 4 and four secondary lighting ramps 5. The lateral fence 31 and the lateral fence 33 each carry a main lighting ramp 4, intended mainly to illuminate the playground 10, and two secondary lighting ramps 5, intended primarily to illuminate the balls moving up.

[049] This lighting of the ground by two ramps 4 placed on both sides of the field also strongly limits the shadows generated by the players on the field, which can disturb players or spectators.

Main lighting ramps

[050] The main lighting ramps 4 extend horizontally along most of the length of the side fences 31 and 33. More specifically, these Main lighting ramps 4 extend, in the embodiment shown, over a length of 30.4 meters of the side fences 31 and 33, the total length of which is 36 meters. This length allows the main lighting ramps 4 to face the entire length of the playground 10, which measures 23.77 meters.

[051] Each main lighting ramp 4 has a longitudinal shape and is attached to the posts 30, on the side of these posts turned to the ground, at a height of 3 meters. The posts 30 normally having a height of between 3 meters and 3.50 meters, the main lighting ramps 4 are therefore fixed near their upper end.

[052] Figures 4 and 5 show, respectively in perspective and in section, a portion of the main lighting ramp 4. This lighting ramp comprises a profile 41, aluminum in the embodiment shown, designed to be fixed to the posts 30 and to support lighting means. This profile 41 comprises two rails, a lower rail 417 and an upper rail 418, extending over its entire length and having a shape adapted to retain the head of a screw whose threaded portion extends outside the profile. These two rails 417 and 418 are intended to be in contact with a vertical pole. Their alignment therefore defines the vertical direction, when the main lighting ramp 4 is in use configuration.

[053] The profile 41 also defines a lamp support housing, which is formed between two adjacent lamp support surfaces 411 and 412 and two protective wings, respectively a lower wing 413 and an upper wing 414. These two wings are extend, respectively, from one edge of the lamp support surfaces 411 and 412, respectively, substantially perpendicular to these walls. The free ends of these wings 413 and 414 have grooves, respectively 4131 and 4141, for maintaining a translucent wall 44, made of polycarbonate, closing the lamp support housing (in FIG. 4, the wall 44 is not shown only on a part of the length of the ramp 4)

[054] Lamps, preferably according to the LED technology (acronym for "Light-Emitting Diode" meaning "light-emitting diode"), are placed in the housing thus formed, at several points of the main lighting ramp 4 Some of these lamps, referred to as "far-field lamps" 42, are attached to the surface of support 411. The other lamps, called "near lighting lamps" 43, are attached to the support surface 412.

[055] Advantageously, these lamps 42 and 43 are bonded to the support surfaces 411 and 412 by means allowing heat transfer between the lamps and the profile 41. The profile 41, which is preferably metallic, can thus participate effectively. to the dispersion of the heat produced by the lamps.

[056] In the embodiment shown, the far-field lamps 42 and the near-field lamps 43 are identical. They may, however, be different in other embodiments. These lamps 42 and 43 are constituted by an electronic card, respectively 421 and 431, whose flat surface is intended to be glued on a support and whose other surface has a light-emitting diode (not visible in the figures) covered by a block 422 and 432 respectively. These optical blocks 422 and 432 act as a lens concentrating the light emitted by the diodes into a light beam.

[057] According to a particular embodiment, not shown in the figures, a part of the lamp holder housing can be covered with resin, to protect the lamps from dust and water. In this case, the resin covers the base of each of the lamps, and in particular the electronic card 421 or 431, and the base of the optical block 422 or 432. In contrast, the portion of the optical block emitting the light beam is not covered. of resin. In this particular embodiment, it is not necessary to close the lamp support box with the translucent wall 44, the lamps being sufficiently protected by the resin.

Orientation of light beams

[058] In the embodiment shown, the optical blocks, respectively 432 and 432, form a conical light beam shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5, respectively 429 and 439, very directional, having a diffusion angle α = 11 ° L. diffusion angle, in the present application, is the diffusion angle of the width at half height (width of the beam in which the light intensity is at least equal to the maximum intensity, more commonly referred to by the expression English "full width at half maximum" or by the acronym FWHM) of the beam. Other types of beams may be used, but it is necessary to avoid the risk of glare or of light, that the scattering angle of the beams is less than 20 °. An angle of diffusion of less than 15 °, and preferably between 10 ° and 12 °, both makes it possible to effectively avoid glare and brightness of light and to achieve an optimum distribution of the lighting in the field.

[059] The optical blocks 422 and 432 are designed to direct the beams, respectively 429 and 439, in a direction, respectively 420 and 430, perpendicular to the flat surface of the electronic cards 421 and 431, and therefore perpendicular to the support surfaces, respectively 411 and 412, the section 41. These support surfaces 411 and 412 have orientations chosen, depending on the land to be illuminated, lamps used and the position of the ramp relative to the ground, to provide a homogeneous distribution of the light on the ground.

[060] In the embodiment shown, the orientation of the surfaces 411 and 412 is chosen for the case of a ramp comprising the lamps described above, placed 3 meters high on the fence posts of the tennis court to illuminate. The surface 411 has an orientation such that the beam emitted by the distant lighting lamps 42 is oriented in the direction 420, forming an angle βΐ equal to 78 ° with vertical, when the ramp 4 is in its configuration of use. The surface 412 has an orientation such that the beam emitted by the near lighting lamps 43 is oriented in the direction 430, forming an angle β2 equal to 66 ° to the vertical, when the ramp 4 is in its configuration of use. In all cases, the beams are oriented in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ramp 4, therefore perpendicular to the main axis 100 of the ground.

[061] Figure 6 shows the illumination produced by a distant lighting lamp 42 and a lighting lamp near 43 of one of the ramps 4 on the tennis court. In this figure, we see the light beam 439 and the light spot 4390 produced in the field by a single near 43 lighting lamp. This lamp 43 illuminates only a restricted portion of the playground 10, located immediately in front of the lamp 43 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the main axis of the ground 100. A player playing on the playground 10 is likely to have eyes in the light beam 439, and therefore to to be dazzled or to experience a burst of light, only if it is at the extreme edge of the play area 10, and is directed towards this lamp, so perpendicular to the main axis 100. This situation is extremely rare during the practice of tennis.

[062] FIG. 6 also shows the light beam 429 and the light spot 4290 produced by a single distant lighting lamp 42. The lamp 42 being oriented in a direction closer to the horizontal than the lamp 43, the Light spot 4290 is further away from the ramp 4, and therefore more extensive and more diffuse. Due to the high directivity of the beam 429, however, this task 4290 extends in a direction perpendicular to the main axis of the ground 100 and remains limited to a small portion of the length of the playing area 10, situated immediately in 42. A player playing on the playground 10 is likely to have his eyes in the light beam 429, and thus to be dazzled, only if he is in the zone of the edge of the light. play area 10 and is oriented towards this lamp, so perpendicular to the main axis 10. This situation is very rare during the practice of tennis.

[063] The beams produced by the lamps 42 and 43 carried by the ramps 4 can only dazzle a player in very rare cases when playing tennis.

Distribution of lamps

[064] As shown in Figure 4, lamps 42 and 43 are placed in the ramp 4 at substantially regular intervals.

[065] In the embodiment shown, the ramp 4 has, along its length, a lamp 42 or 43 about every 12 cm, alternating series of two near 43 lighting lamps and six distant lighting lamps 42. The inventors have determined that this distribution of the lamps, with the characteristics, the lamp orientations and the positions of the ramps exposed above, made it possible to obtain an excellent distribution of the lighting on an outdoor tennis court, satisfying the standards set by the tennis federations for the organization of outdoor competitions. Moreover, this regular distribution of the lamps makes it possible to generate an almost continuous lighting line all along the ramp 4.

[066] However, it is possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to implement one or more ramps each having one or more surfaces oriented at different angles, and carrying lamps having different characteristics, to adapt to other configurations, for example lighting a terrain other than an outdoor tennis court, or a lighting system in which the ramps would be placed in another position relative to on the ground.

Secondary lighting ramps

[067] The lighting device shown comprises, in addition to the two main lighting ramps 4, four secondary lighting ramps 5 extending parallel to the main lighting ramps 4. It should be noted that in Other embodiments of the invention, the lighting device may have only one ramp, or one or two lighting ramps on each side of the ground, or on the contrary a greater number of ramps. In the embodiment shown in the figures, two secondary lighting ramps 5 are placed below each of the main lighting ramps 4. Each of these secondary lighting ramps is 1.90 meters long, and is hung centered on one of the posts 30 near the posts 30 closest to the net 2. Thus, on each side of the field, two secondary lighting ramps 5 are separated by several meters from each other, each being placed d one of the sides of the net 2.

[068] These secondary lighting ramps 5 have a structure very close to that of main lighting ramps 4. They also comprise profiles, having mounting rails and lamp support housings in which a support surface of lamps, or more surfaces with different orientations, are provided to support the lamps.

[069] In the embodiment shown, the secondary lighting ramps 5 are formed from the same profile 41 as the main lighting ramps 4. This profile is however placed in a reverse position, the wing 413 being placed up and the wing 414 is placed down. The lamp support surfaces of this profile therefore have different orientations.

[070] In this embodiment, only the surface 411 of the section 41 constituting each secondary lighting ramp 5 carries lamps. These lamps thus emit a beam 50 oriented in a direction perpendicular to the main direction of the ground and forming an angle of 102 ° relative to the vertical. The lamps used in this embodiment has a diffusion angle of 30 °, much greater than the scattering angle of the lamps used in the main lighting ramps 4. However, in other embodiments, they may have different characteristics. different.

[071] The beam 50, which is shown in Figure 6 for one of the lamps of one of the ramps 5, is thus directed in a slightly upward direction. This beam allows good lighting of high balls, when playing tennis. Obviously, each of the ramps 5 has, along its length, a succession of lamps, so that the entire area above the middle of the field, in which are likely to pass high balls, is illuminated with homogeneous way. The orientation of the beams produced by this secondary lighting ramp 5 that the lighting remains, in most cases, above the heads of the players. In the rare cases where the player can be in the light beams of these ramps 5, these beams are very scattered and therefore not likely to dazzle or cause them a burst of light.

Installation of the lighting device.

[072] The lighting device represented by the figures can be installed very easily on a tennis court. Each of the ramps 4 is composed of a plurality of segments, each of which is fully equipped with the lamps and the translucent wall. For example, each ramp 4 consists of eight segments of 3.80 meters each. This length of the segments, which is greater than the spacing generally found between two successive fence posts 30, allows each of the segments to be secured to at least one of the posts 30.

[073] The different segments forming the same ramp can be assembled easily, as shown in Figure 8. This figure shows the ends of two segments 491 and 492 of a ramp 4, which are secured with a plate This plate 6, placed against the lower rails 417 and upper 418 of each of the segments 491 and 492, has holes 61, 62, 63 and 64 placed opposite, respectively, each of the two rails of each segment. This plate 6 can be secured to the two segments 491 and 492 by means of bolts, whose screw heads are inserted into the rails 417 and 418 and whose rod passes through the holes 61, 62, 63 and 64 of the plate 6. The hexagonal screw heads, inserted into the rails 418 and 417, are advantageously locked in rotation by the rails, to allow the tightening of the nuts. It should be noted that the holes 63 and 64 have oblong shapes for moving the bolts along the rails 417 and 418, to avoid possible contact between the bolts and a fence post 30.

[074] Because of their relatively low weight, the ramps can easily, once assembled, be lifted and fixed to the fence posts 30 at a height of 3 meters. FIG. 7 represents the assembly of a ramp portion 4 on a fence post 30. This assembly is done by means of a fixing plate 7, placed against the post 30, on the side opposite the ramp 4 This fixing plate 7 has a shape adapted to bear on the post 30, and has four holes 71, 72, 73 and 74. This plate 7 can be brought closer to the ramp 4, by tightening the post 30, thanks to bolts whose screw heads are inserted into the rails 417 and 418 and whose rods pass through the holes 71, 72, 73 and 74.

[075] The mechanical assembly of the ramps 4 and 5 can thus be performed very easily by a simple assembly of bolts, without the need for cutting or drilling. It does not require any mast erection as pre-existing fence posts are used. It can therefore be done quickly, and for a very low cost, by people with no particular qualifications.

[076] Each of the sections of the ramp 4 comprises a set of electrical son, not shown in the figures, for feeding each of the lamps. According to an advantageous characteristic, each segment of the ramp 4 has, at each of its ends, a single power connector, which can be connected to the corresponding connector of the adjacent section. The power supply son of each of the sections can therefore be assembled to each other very easily.

[077] At one end of each of the ramps 4 and 5, the power connector can be connected to a power cable, to provide the electrical power generated by a power supply box that can be placed at the foot of the fence 3. Such an electrical box, to power all the lamps of one or more ramps 4 or 5, can be connected to the standard power grid. Indeed, field lighting with highly directional LED lights located at a short distance from the field to be lit consumes relatively little energy. The energy consumed is, in particular, much less than the energy consumed by headlamps placed at the top of masts, because of the small distance between the light sources and the surface to be illuminated.

[078] At each end of the ramps, a closure cap or a flange can be assembled to close the lamp holder housing. This cover or this flange may advantageously be fixed by screws inserted in the holes 415 and 416 provided for this purpose in the profile 41.

[079] Particularly advantageously, the lighting device according to the invention requires no adjustment after installation. Thus, in the embodiment shown, if the ramps are placed at the position recommended by the manufacturer (3 meters high on the side fences of the tennis court, for the main lighting ramps 4) and the tennis court to illuminate presents the dimensions recommended by the federations of tennis, the orientation of the various lamps will, without any adjustment, directly adapted to illuminate the ground optimally. In the embodiment described above, the constitution of the ramps also prevents any adjustment of the orientation of the lamps. The installation of the lighting device is therefore particularly simple.

Device for lighting other grounds

[080] In the embodiment described above, the lighting device is suitable for lighting a tennis court. Of course, other lighting devices according to the invention can be easily implemented to illuminate other types of terrain, for example the grounds dedicated to the practice of other sports. The implementation of the invention on other grounds will be of particular advantage when these lands have standardized dimensions, allowing manufacturers to propose devices adapting, without adjustment, the lighting of the grounds.

[081] The use of highly directional lamps oriented perpendicular to the main axis of the field will also have a particular advantage for the lighting of the grounds on which the athletes or the players are oriented mainly along the main axis of the field, and not do not wish to be dazzled by the lighting. Those skilled in the art will easily find, without departing from the scope of the invention, variants of the solutions presented in the above embodiments, for example for fixing the ramps to the posts or ramp segments between them, for the placement of the lamps in the ramps at selected angular positions, etc.

Claims

Device for illuminating a terrain, the device comprising at least one lighting ramp (4) extending horizontally along at least one side of said terrain,

characterized in that said ramp (4) comprises a succession of light sources (42, 43) distributed along its length, each of said light sources (42, 43) projecting a light beam (429, 439) having a diffusion angle less than 20 °, oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said ramp (4).

Lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that said ramp (4) extends over most of the length of said side of said terrain, at a predefined height relative to said terrain.

Lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least two lighting ramps (4), facing each other along two opposite parallel sides of said ground.

Lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the orientation of said light sources (42, 43) with respect to said at least one ramp is invariable.

Lighting device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the position of said one or more ramps (4) relative to the terrain is predetermined according to the dimensions of said terrain and the characteristics of the desired illumination.

Lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said or at least one of said ramps (4) has means for fixing to posts located along said side of the ground.

Lighting device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said fixing means comprise rails (417, 418) extending over the entire length of said ramp (4), able to hold a fixing element at a point any length of said ramp (4).

8. Lighting device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said or at least one of said ramps (4) is composed of several independent ramp segments (491, 492), assembled to each other by fixing elements ( 6) held by said rails (417, 418) of each of said ramp segments (491, 492).

9. Lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light sources (42, 43) of said or at least one of said ramps (4) are oriented in at least two distinct directions.

10. Lighting device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said or at least one of said ramps (4) has at least two separate supports (411, 412) adapted to receive each of the light sources (42, 43) oriented parallel. in a predetermined direction.

11. Lighting device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each of said supports (411, 412) extends over the entire length of said or at least one of said ramps (4).

12. Lighting device according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterized in that said ramp (4) or at least one of said ramps comprises a metal section (41) comprising said fixing means and at least one flat surface (411, 412) forming a support adapted to receive light sources (42, 43) oriented in parallel in a predetermined direction.

13. Lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least two lighting ramps (4, 5) extending substantially parallel to each other along one side of said ground, the light sources of at least two of said ramps (4, 5) being oriented in distinct directions, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said ramps.

14. Lighting ramp (4) adapted to be implemented in a lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has fixing means capable of allowing its attachment to poles ( 30), in a horizontal position, said fixing means comprising rails (417, 418), extending over the entire length of said ramp (4), able to hold a fixing element at any point along the length of said ramp (4), and in that it comprises a succession of light sources (42, 43) distributed along its length, each of said light sources (42, 43) projecting a light beam having a diffusion angle of less than 20 °, oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said ramp (4), a part of said sources light fixtures (42) having a first non-modifiable orientation, with respect to said ramp (4), and another part of said light sources (43) having a second orientation, distinct from said first orientation and non-modifiable, with respect to said ramp.