FR2645944A1 - Device for illuminating sports grounds - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is a device for illuminating sports grounds. It consists of the combination of low-power lamps 1 of a very widely used and inexpensive model, connected directly on to the mains, installed at a medium height lying between 3.5 and 5 metres using single or double supports 2 designed for this use and fixed on to the head of each pole 5 of the side fences 8, but not on the corner posts 10, these supports 2 being made from a material which is sufficiently lightweight for it not to be necessary to reinforce fences of standard type, and being designed to allow passage of the electrical supply cable. It is intended more particularly for illuminating existing and new tennis courts.

Description

SPORTS FIELD LIGHTING DEVICE
The present invention relates to a lighting device for sports grounds.

 it is intended more particularly for lighting tennis courts, both existing and new.

 There are currently two types of lighting for tennis courts.

The first, which is the most widespread, uses a small number of pylons of a height greater than six meters, the head of each of these pylons being equipped with a certain number of high-power projectors, specially intended for this function and very expensive. The installation of pylons requires
excavation and construction of concrete massifs, as well as digging trenches for electrical supply conduits. Contrary to popular belief, this type of installation causes annoying glare in the event of high bales, unless recourse to pylons of very high height (more than 12 meters).

 The second type of lighting consists of continuous ramps of fluorescent tube luminaires arranged at a low height on the sides of the court, fixed on the fence posts. These devices, given their low unit power must be numerous. In addition, because of the low height at which they are located, they are necessarily devices protected against shocks, as well as against the risk of direct electrical contact, which results in a high price.

Finally their installation requires in most cases a reinforcement of the fence.

 The device according to the present invention eliminates all these drawbacks. Indeed, it allows, for a price much lower than that of the systems mentioned above, to produce glare-free lighting for tennis courts or other sports grounds, having good uniformity of lighting, and requiring no modification nor any digging in the case of an existing installation.

It is made up of a combination of low-power projectors of a very common and inexpensive model that connects directly to the mains, installed at an average height of between 3.5 and 5 meters thanks to single or double supports designed for this purpose. use fixed on the head of each post of the lateral fences, but not on the corner posts, these supports being made of a sufficiently light material not to have to reinforce the standard type fences, and being envisaged to allow the passage of the power supply cable
In the accompanying drawings, given by way of nonlimiting example of one of the embodiments of the subject of the invention:
Figure 1 is a partial view in perspective, part of two tennis courts equipped with the lighting device object of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a simple support equipped with its projector and mounted on a fence post.

Figure 3 shows under the same conditions, a double support, intended to be mounted on a fence separating two tennis courts.

The device, FIGS. 1 to 3, consists of projectors 1, mounted on a support 2 fixed on the head of each of the posts 5 carrying the lateral fences 8, except on the corner posts 10, by means of a simple collar 3 or double 4, the double collars being provided for mounting two projectors on the same post 5.

Projectors 1 are of a very widespread type, waterproof, light and very inexpensive. These are models used in particular for lighting signs. They connect directly to the mains and are fitted with 150 or 300 watt "halogen lamps". They can receive impact protection grids. they include stirrups 6 allowing their fixing and their orierrtation.

The supports 2, preferably tubular, are made of light material, such as aluminum or plastic and are designed to allow the passage of the electric power cable. They are of a length substantially equal to one meter and inclined by about 45 degrees.

The collars 3, 4 are provided with one or two pins 7 made up of bolts passing through the lower part of the support 2 and the tightening of which allows both the fixing of the collar to the post 5 and the immobilization of the support 2.

The weight of the projector plus support assembly is sufficiently low to require no reinforcement of the fence 8.

The posts of the current fences are generally distant of approximately three meters, which leads to installing on each side of a tennis court 9 between eight and ten projectors, which provides a lighting of a good uniformity and not dazzling if the lamp power does not exceed 300 watts.

In the case of tennis courts belonging to a club, the entire installation can be controlled by a contactor, the operation of which is controlled by a programmer equipped with a coin or coin-operated coin mechanism, the introduction of which tion gives the right to a specific lighting period, the timer can be set to switch off the lighting at the end of the periods allocated to users.

Thanks to its low cost price and its speed of implementation, the device which has just been described lends itself particularly well to the realization of the lighting of private tennis courts not homologable.

The positioning of the various constituent elements gives this device a maximum of useful effects which had not been obtained to date by similar devices.

Claims (2)

RESELL ICAT IONS 10 Lighting device for sports grounds, intended more particularly for equipping tennis courts, both existing and new, the object of which is to enable the production of lighting of good uniformity and not dazzling at lower cost. , characterized by the combination of low-power projectors (1) of a very common and inexpensive model connecting directly to the mains, equipped with a parabolic mirror, a halogen lamp of 150 or 300 watts and possibly d '' a protective grid, installed at an average height of between 3.5 and 5 meters thanks to single or double supports (2, 3, 4) designed for this use fixed on the head of each of the posts (5) of the fences side (8), but not on the corner posts (10), these supports (2) being made of a sufficiently light material, such as aluminum or a synthetic material, so as not to have to reinforce type fences st andard, and being provided to allow the passage of the electric power cable. 20 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the supports (2) of the projectors (1) are a length substantially equal to one meter and inclined by about 45 degrees.  3 Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the entire installation is controlled by a contactor, the operation of which is controlled by a programmer equipped with a coin or token coin currency whose introduction gives the right to a specific period of lighting, the programmer can be adjusted to switch off the lighting at the end of the periods allocated to users.