GB2129536A - Fluorescent light fitting - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrolier for a fluorescent lamp is of the kind having a cover to contain, in addition to the tube, other lighting components such as a reactor, a starter and a transformer, and to carry other components such as switches and plug sockets, the cover being simple to fix and to be connected electrically to a supply, and is characterised in that the cover has three sections 1,2,3 of equal length which can be detachably assembled together, and two side members 4 which can be engaged at the ends of a unit formed by those sections and each including a bracket 45 to support a lamp holder 49 and a lug 46 projecting laterally outwardly and having a fixing hole 47, the side members being each covered by a side cover piece 5 secured detachably thereon. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrolier for a fluorescent lamp The present invention relates to an electrolier for a fluorescent lamp, made up of a small number of components which can be assembled quickly and simply.

It is known that fluorescent lamps are applied to special supports having widely varying shapes and sizes.

Normally, such supports consist of a base on which at least the starter and the reactor are often arranged, as well as suitable lamp-holders on which the fluorescent tube is fixed. The unit may be completed by a reflector which often forms part of the support itself and a diffuser of various types, often consisting of a screen made of a suitable transparent material.

As is known, fluorescent tubes are produced in various lengths, therefore at least one type of support is required for each length.

Moreover, the cabling of the lighting components and the lamp-holders must also normally be done in such supports, and in order to fix them at least the fluorescent tube has to be removed, and sometimes the diffuser and the reflector as well.

The object of the present invention is to obviate all the drawbacks mentioned above and in accordance with the invention this is achieved with the above electrolier, which is characterised in that it is made up of a very small number of easily-assembled components, these components basically consisting of three sections respectively forming the base member, the reflector and the diffuser, a single side member comprising the lamp-holder support and a lug for fixing and a single side cover-piece, the said three sections being able to be cut to different lengths in order this to be able to obtain supports of various lengths and moreover being provided along their longitudinal edges with grooves and/or raised borders suitable to engage in each other, providing a detachable connection, the said side member and the said side cover-piece being able to be fixed indiscriminately on both sides of the electrolier, the said side members being able to be fixed on the end of the section forming the base member and the said side cover-pieces being able to be fixed detachably on the said side members.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, by way of non-limiting example, is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front elevation and a plan view of the electrolier; Figure 3 is a rear view of the same; Figure 4 is a section along the line i-l in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a section along the line ll-ll in Figure 2, and Figure 6 shows an exploded perspective view of the basic components making up the said electrolier together with some optional components applicable thereto.

In the above-mentioned Figures, the common components are designated by the same numerical references.

Referring in particular to Figure 6, it can be seen that the electrolier is essentially made up of the following five basic components, viz: the base member 1, the reflector 2, the diffuser 3, the side members 4 and the side cover-pieces 5.

The first three component, viz. the base member 1, the reflector 2 and diffuser 3, consist of sections easily produced by extrusion for example. The sections of the base member 1 and reflector 2 are preferably made of aluminium and the diffuser section is preferably made of transparent plastics material such as methacrylate.

The base member section 1 is C-shaped and the longitudinal edges at the free ends of its wings are shaped in such a way as to form two grooves 11. The reflector section 2 is in the shape of an arc of a circle and its longitudinal edges are folded on themselves towards the outside of the arc so as to form longitudinal borders 21 turning inwards. The diffuser section 3 is U-shaped and its longitudinal edges are also shaped so as to form longitudinal borders 31 also turned inward.

This conformation, as can clearly be seen also in Figure 5, allows the three sections to be detachably connected. On the ends of the base member section 1 there are then inserted and fixed the side members 4. These side members 4, preferably made of plastics, consist basically of a hollow member 41 in the shape of a parallelepiped, a first part 42 of which can be inserted in the said ends of base member section 1, and a second part 43 of which remains projecting therefrom.

On the external side face 44 of said second part 43, there is a lamp-holder bracket 45 projecting forwards and shaped in such a way as to support the lamp-holder 49, and at the rear of the same there is a lug 46 projecting outwards and having its rear surface in the same plane as the rear surface of the base member section 1. The lamp-holder bracket 45 and lug 46 are symmetrical with the transversal axis of the external side face 44, so that the side member 4 can be applied indiscriminately to both ends of base member 1.

The lug 46 is provided with a hole 47 to allow the passage of a screw or similar means of fixing the electrolier. On the top face and the bottom face of the second part 43 there are two transversal grooves 48 which are parallel and adjacent to the side edges of the wings of the section forming the base member 1, and which are used, as described below, for fixing the side cover-pieces 5. These side cover-pieces 5 consist of shells, preferably made of plastics, whose confirmation is clearly illustrated particularly in Figures 1,2,3 and 4. It can be seen that, in practice, these consist of a length of U-section exactly the same as diffuser section 3 (see Figures 3 and 5) which is closed at one end by a connecting part having a constant profile which, when fitted, will connect the side cover-piece 5 to the diffuser 3.

As can be seen in Figure 6 and particularly in Figure 3, the longitudinal edges of the side coverpiece 5 also have a raised border 51 facing inwards which can be engaged slidingly in the abovementioned transversal grooves 48 in the side mem bers 4, thus allowing fixing to the latter. The side cover-pieces 5 are also provided, in the centre of the end opposite the one closed by the connecting part, with a small opening 52 to allow if necessary the passage of an electric cable 12 to supply the electrolier from the side, as can clearly be seen in Figure 4.

It can be seen how, in view of their conformation, each side cover-piece 5 can also be applied indiscri minatelyto both ends of the electrolier.

In addition to the side, as mentioned above, the supply can also be obtained directly at the rear of the electrolier by connecting the supply cable 13 to the terminal 14 of a socket 15 fixed, as can clearly be seen in Figures 3,4 and 6, to the rear of the section constituting base member 1.

As shown in Figure 6, on one of the wings of the same section 1, preferably the bottom one, there may be applied other useful components such as a tumbler switch 16 or a pull switch 17, a plug socket 18, a shunt 19, etc., and also lighting devices such as a transformer 7, a reactor 8, a starter 9, can advantageously be positioned inside it. Obviously the whole is completed by the fluorescent tube 6, which is detachably fixed in known manner to lamp-holder 49.

From the foregoing, the advantages of the above invention in regard to construction and applications are obvious.

Briefly, the main advantages to be obtained with the electrolier are: quick and easy assembly and application, which can be effected merely by removing the side cover-pieces 5. It is not necessary, as normally happens with known types of fluorescent tube holders, to remove either the diffuser or the fluorescent tube or any other parts. It is sufficient, once the side cover-pieces 5 have been removed, to insert into the holes 47 in the two lugs 46, screws or other suitable means which fix it to the wall behind by engaging therein.

Obviously, application takes place after making the electrical connection which may be done in two ways, either at the back by means of socket 15 or at the side.

The second possibility is particularly useful in the case of installations with a continuous row of lamps.

It is pointed out that the electrolier, in addition to all the lighting and control components, etc. can be supplied complete with the relevant cabling so that all the user has to do is to make the electrical connection and carry out the fixing, and in view of the particular form described these operations are speedy and simple.

Modifications within the capability of a technician may be made without thereby departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (9)

1. An electrolier for a fluorescent lamp, having a cover capable of containing, in addition to the fluorescent tube, lighting components such as a reactor, starter and transformer, and of carrying other components such as switches and plug sock ets, said cover being easy to fix and connect electrically to a supply, characterised in that said cover comprises three sections of equal length arranged to assemble detachably, two side members which can be engaged at the ends of a unit formed by said sections and each including a bracket capable of supporting a lamp-holder and a lug projecting laterally outwardly and having a fixing hole the said side members each being covered by a side cover-piece which can be fixed detachably thereon.

2. An electrolier, according to claim 1, wherein said sections comprise a first section made of aluminium and C-shaped, a second section made of aluminium and shaped in an arc of a circle, and a third section made of transparent material and U-shaped, said sections being provided on their longitudinal edges with borders projecting inwards and/or corresponding grooves suitable for making a detachable connection between them.

3. An electrolier, according to claim 1, wherein said first section forms a base member which is closed at the front by said second section whose external surface constitutes a reflector unit of the electrolier, detachable connection between the two sections being obtained by borders with which the longitudinal edges of said second section are provided and which engage in corresponding grooves with which the longitudinal edges of said first section are provided, the resultant internal cavity being capable of containing lighting components for the fluorescent tube, the third section constituting the diffuser component being also fixed detachably on the unit so formed by means of respective borders on its longitudinal edges also engaging in said grooves in the section constituting the said base member, the fluorescent tube being positioned in the resultant cavity therein.

4. An electrolier, according to claim 1, wherein both the side units and the side cover-pieces are symmetrical in shape and can be fixed indiscriminately on both ends of the electrolier.

5. An electrolier according to either of claims 1 and 4, wherein said side cover-pieces are provided along their longitudinal edges with borders projecting inwards and capable of engaging in corresponding transversal grooves on said side members, thus allowing them to be detachably connected to each other.

6. An electrolier, according to any one of claims 1, 4 and 5, wherein said side cover-pieces are provided with an opening in the centre of the rear edge therof, said opening making it possible to pass an electricity supply cable through it.

7. An electrolier, according to claim 1, wherein the section making up the base member is provided along its rear face with a socket to allow electricity supply to be obtained from the rear and along at least one of whose wings other components can be provided, such as a switch or a plug socket.

8. An electrolier, according to claim 1,wherein the side members consist of a plastic box component, substantialiy parallelepiped in shape, which can be inserted accurately with one part of it in the ends of the first section, the side face thereof which is on the outside of the said ends being provided with a bracket projecting frontwards and capable of supporting a corresponding lamp-holder and with a lug projecting sideways and whose rear surface is in the same plane as the rear surface of the base member, said lug being provided with a whole to allow the passage of means to fix the electrolier, which fixing can be done merely by removing the side cover-pieces.

9. An electrolier substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.