GB2375163A

GB2375163A - Light fitting

Info

Publication number: GB2375163A
Application number: GB0208870A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Gillies Coughtrie
Original assignee: J & G Coughtrie Ltd
Current assignee: J & G Coughtrie Ltd
Priority date: 2001-04-30
Filing date: 2002-04-18
Publication date: 2002-11-06
Also published as: GB0110503D0; GB0208870D0

Abstract

A light fitting 10 that enhances ease of access and serviceability of its components comprises a housing member 12, a mounting plate 14, and releasable attachment means 16 pivotably coupling the mounting plate to the housing member. The attachment means may comprise a slotted protrusion 22 on one of the housing member and mounting plate and a pintle 24 on the other. The light fitting further comprises releasable fastening means 18 which when fastened retains the mounting plate relative to the housing member in an operative position, and when released allows for pivotal movement of the mounting plate relative to the housing member. A further removable attachment rail 40 containing some of the electrical components may be attached to the mounting plate.

Description

IMPROVED LIGHT FITTING The present invention relates to an improved light fittings and, in particular, though not exclusively, to an arrangement that enhances access and serviceability of a light fitting In current light fittings that comprise a separate fluorescent tube (s) and electrical components, such as a ballast or the like, it is known that the electrical components are generally mounted within a housing of the fitting. The electrical components are, however, not readily accessible to a technician or the like, if the light fitting needs to be serviced or repaired.

Furthermore, due to the configuration of these types of light fittings-which may be mounted on a ceiling or wall - the user may spend extended periods of time servicing or repairing the light fitting. This may in turn result in the technician being exposed to prolonged periods of time in which certain health and safety factors need to be assessed, such as falls from a height, working in a hostile environment, or the like, or even physiological factors, such as muscular fatigue of the neck or shoulders, due to working on overhead equipment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a light fitting which obviates or at least mitigates at least one of the problems associated with the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a light fitting (luminair) comprising:

a housing member; a mounting plate; and attachment means pivotably coupling the mounting plate to the housing member.

In use the invention enhances ease of access to components, features or the like of the light fitting attached to an inside face of the mounting plate and/or inside faces of the housing, so as to enhance serviceability or replacement of said components, features or the like.

Preferably the light fitting further comprises releasable fastening means which when fastened retains the mounting plate relative to the housing member in an operative position, and which when released allows for pivotal movement of the mounting plate relative to the housing member.

Preferably the attachment means are releasable and provide at least one slotted portion carried by one of the housing member or mounting plate and at least one pintle carried by the other of the mounting plate or housing member.

Preferably the attachment means further provides means for openably closing a slot of the slotted portion so as to allow the pintle to be removably captured in the slot.

In one implementation the openably closable means may comprise a circlip.

In a preferred embodiment there are provided a pair of opposing slotted portions carried by one of the housing member or mounting plate and a corresponding pair of

pintles carried by the other of the mounting plate or housing member.

Preferably the\each circlip may be at least partially rotatable around an outer surface of the corresponding slotted portion.

Preferably the housing member comprises part of a housing including an at least one side member that is releasably attachable relative to the housing member.

Conveniently said at least one side member is attached to the housing member by a retaining strap.

Preferably the side member engages with a diffuser so as to retain the diffuser in a position relative to the housing member.

Preferably the diffuser is attached to the housing member by a further retaining strap.

Preferably the mounting plate is provided with an attachment rail, such that in use electrical components of the light fitting can be mounted thereto.

Preferably the attachment rail is an elongate member that extends a substantial length of the mounting plate and is formed so as to be capable of receiving a fastening device.

Preferably a section of the rail that receives the fastening device is profiled with a pitch substantially similar to that of the fastening device.

Preferably the fastening device has a threaded section such as a screw or bolt.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light fixture comprising:

a housing; a mounting plate pivotally attached to the housing; attachment means coupling said mounting plate to said housing; fastening means to retain the mounting plate, in substantially abutting relation to* a face of the housing; and wherein the attachment means allows the mounting plate to be attachably detached from the housing.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a light fitting comprising: a housing member; a mounting plate; and an attachment rail; wherein the mounting plate is provided with said attachment rail.

The attachment rail may be capable of retaining one or more components of the light fitting, such as electrical components, and may be formed with or attached to the mounting plate.

In use the invention enhances the ease of serviceability or replacement of components mounted internally to the light fitting.

Preferably the attachment rail is an elongate member that extends a substantial length of the mounting plate and is formed so as to receive a fastening device.

Preferably a section of the attachment rail that receives the fastening device is profiled with a pitch substantially similar to that of the fastening device.

These and other aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are:

Figure 1 a perspective view of part of a light , fitting according to an embodiment of the present invention having a diffuser removed; Figure 2 a view of part of the light fitting of Figure 1 with a mounting plate in an open position; Figure 3 a perspective view showing part of the light fitting of Figure 1 and an attachment means thereof; Figure 4 a side view of the light fitting of Figure 1 with a side member thereof removed; and Figure 5 a more detailed perspective view of a mounting plate and a mounting rail of the light fitting of Figure 1.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 and Figure 2 of the drawings which show a light fitting according to an embodiment of the present invention, generally designated by reference numeral 10, and having a housing member 12, a

mounting plate 14 and releasable attachment means 16. The attachment means 16 releasably and pivotably couples the mounting plate 14 to the housing member 12. In this embodiment the mounting plate 14 carries two fluorescent luminates 17 mounted to the light fitting 10.

In the embodiment disclosed,'the light fitting 10 further 5 comprises releasable fastening means 18, comprising a quick release male fitting 20 and corresponding female receiving portion 21. When fastened the fastening means 18 retains the mounting plate 14 in an operative position, such that the mounting plate 14 is secured substantially along a face of the housing member 12 and, when released allows for pivotal movement of the mounting plate 14 relative to the housing member 12, about attachment means 16.

Referring to Figure 3, the attachment means 16, of this embodiment, comprises a slotted protrusion 22, provided on the housing member 12, a pintle 24 and a circlip 26. The pintle 24 is fitted to the mounting plate 14 by introducing the pintle 24 into a receiving portion provided in the mounting plate 14. When fitted the pintle 24 is securely held by the mounting plate 14 and extends beyond an outer surface of the mounting plate 14. The portion of the pintle 24 that extends beyond the mounting plate 14 is received by the slotted protrusion 22. The pintle 24 is further captured and retained within the slotted protrusion 22 by means of a circlip 26, which is rotatable on the protrusion 22 and, which has an opening

large enough for the pintle 24 to pass through. Therefore by rotation of the circlip 26 it is possible to readily capture or release the pintle 24 from within the slotted protrusion 22, such that the mounting plate 14 can be received to, or removed from, the housing member 12.

Attached to the mounting plate 14 are electrical components and fittings for the light fitting 10. To further assist in the ease of removal of the mounting plate 14, a flying lead (not shown) is provided. The flying lead connects a power source, which is terminated in a terminal block 30 attached to the housing member 12, to a terminal block 32 attached to the mounting plate 14. Whilst one end of the flying lead is directly connected into the terminal block 30, the other end of the flying lead is terminated in a quick release, push type connector that can readably be coupled to, or released from, the terminal block 32. In this way it is possible to easily and quickly remove the mounting plate from a wired light fitting 10, in conjunction with the attachment means 16 as hereinbefore described, such that work can be performed on the components attached to the mounting plate 14. Alternatively the mounting plate 14 along with all the components mounted thereon can be quickly and easily replaced with a known working unit, that is to say a mounting plate with known working components, and the original unit taken away for repair.

Referring now to Figure 2, the housing member 12 further comprises two side members 34, only one of the side member 34 being shown in the Figures provided. These side

members 34 are attached to the housing member 12 by further fastening means, such as a screw (s), and are further attached to the housing member 12 by means of a retaining strap, not shown. In use the side members 34 engage with a diffuser 36 such that the diffuser 36 is retained in a position over the remainder of the light fitting 10.

Therefore in practice it is necessary to remove at least one of the side members 34 to remove the diffuser 36, which allows access to the luminants 17 and mounting plate 14 of the light fitting 10. The diffuser 36 is attached to the housing member 12 by means of a further retaining strap 38, so as to aid in ease of working on the light fitting 10 (see Figure 4).

Turning now to Figure 5 there is shown an attachment rail 40 to which is mounted at least some of the electrical components of the light fitting 10, such as the terminal block 32 and ballast 42. The attachment rail 40 is further formed such that a channel 48 formed in a centre portion of the rail 40, extending an entire length of the rail 40, has an internal profile substantially similar to that of a fastening device 42, such that the fastening device 42 can be held fast when screwed into the channel 48. With the attachment rail 40 formed in this way it is possible to attach electrical components anywhere along the length of the attachment rail 40 as desired.

The attachment rail 40 is further profiled such that outer edges thereof that extend the length of the mounting plate 14 are tapered. Correspondingly, on the mounting plate 14 there is provided two support rails 44,46 which

are tapered to the same profile as that of the tapered edges of the attachment rail 40. A person of ordinary skill would realise that it is therefore necessary to slide the attachment rail 40 along the length of the mounting plate 14. In this way the weight of the attachment rail 40, and components mounted thereon, are supported by the support rails 44,46. The attachment rail 40 is further located in position by means of two location screws 48, which also act to stop any lateral movement of the attachment rail 40 with respect to the mounting plate 14.

It will be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention hereinbefore described is given by way of example only, and is not meant to limit the scope thereof in any way. It will particularly be appreciated that the present invention is suitable for use as light fittings or features or so-called luminairs such as antivandal units, eg. , used in prisons, police cells, secure units, detention centres, hospitals, or the like.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A light fitting comprising: a housing member ; a mounting plate; and

attachment means pivotably coupling the mounting plate , to the housing member.
2. A light fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light fitting further comprises releasable fastening means which when fastened retains the mounting plate relative to the housing member in an operative position and which when released allows for pivotal movement of the mounting plate relative to the housing member.
3. A light fitting as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the attachment means are releasable and provide at least one slotted portion carried by one of the housing member or mounting plate and at least one pintle carried by the other of the mounting plate or housing member.
4. A light fitting as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the attachment means further provides means for openably closing a slot of the slotted portion so as to allow the pintle to be removably captured in the slot.
5. A light fitting as claimed in claim 4, wherein the openably closing means comprises a circlip.
6. A light fitting as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5,

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wherein there are provided a pair of opposing slotted portions carried by one of the housing member or mounting plate and a corresponding pair of pintles carried by the other of the mounting plate or housing member.
7. A light fitting as claimed'in claim 5, wherein the/each circlip are at least partially rotatable around a surface of the corresponding slotted portion.
8. A light fitting as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the housing member comprises part of a housing including an at least one side member that is releasably attachable to the housing member.
9. A light fitting as claimed in claim 8, wherein the/each at least one side member is attached to the housing member by a retaining strap.
10. A light fitting as claimed in either of claims 8 or 9, wherein the/each at least side member is releasably engagable with a diffuser so as to retain the diffuser in a position relative to the housing member.
11. A light fitting as claimed in claim 10, wherein the diffuser is attached to the housing member by a further retaining strap.
12. A light fitting as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the mounting plate is provided with an attachment

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rail, such that in use electrical components of the light fitting are mounted thereon.
13. A light fitting as claimed in claim 12, wherein the attachment rail is an elongate member formed so as to be capable of receiving a fastening device.
14. A light fitting as claimed in claim 13, wherein a section of the rail that receives the fastening device is profiled with a pitch substantially similar to that of the fastening device.
15. A light fitting as claimed in claim 14, wherein the fastening device has a threaded section.
16. A light fixture comprising: a housing ; a mounting plate pivotally attached to the housing ; attachment means coupling said mounting plate to said housing; and fastening means to retain the mounting plate in substantially abutting relation to a face of the housing ; and wherein the attachment means allows the mounting plate to be attachably detached from the housing.
17. A light fitting comprising: a housing member; a mounting plate ; and

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an attachment rail; wherein the mounting plate is provided with said attachment rail.
18. A light fitting as claimed in claim 16, wherein the attachment rail is capable of retaining one or more components of the light fitting, and is be formed with or attached to the mounting plate.
19. A light fitting as claimed in claim 17, wherein the attachment rail is an elongate member that extends a length of the mounting plate and is formed so as to receive a fastening device.
20. A light fitting as claimed in claim 18, wherein a section of the attachment rail that receives the fastening device is profiled with a pitch substantially similar to that of the fastening device.
21. A light fitting as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
22. A light fixture as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.