GB2536280A

GB2536280A - A spacer

Info

Publication number: GB2536280A
Application number: GB1504244.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward Bassant James
Original assignee: ASTRO LIGHTING Ltd
Current assignee: ASTRO LIGHTING Ltd
Priority date: 2015-03-13
Filing date: 2015-03-13
Publication date: 2016-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 2035-03-13
Also published as: GB201504244D0; GB2536280B

Abstract

A light fitting 2 has a front face from which light emerges, and a rear portion 10 distal from the front face. A spacer has at least three feet 14 engaging the rear portion 10, the feet 14 being connected to legs 20 that extend away from the fitting 2 and join in a joining region away from the rear portion 10 of the fitting to define a volume surrounding the rear portion 10 of the fitting.

Description

A SPACER

This invention relates to spacers, in particular to spacers for use in light fittings.

In recent years it has become very popular to recess light fittings into ceiling spaces or voids so that a front face of the fitting is flush or substantially flush with the ceiling surface. The rest of the fitting is then hidden from view in the ceiling void. These types of fittings are commonly also called down lights.

The development of lamps with greater efficiency and more compact design than the traditional GLS design and shape (General Lighting Service) has increased this trend and made it possible to use smaller neater fittings.

Lamps commonly employed in these fittings are small halogen lamps having a power consumption of between 20 -50W. Many of these lamps are spot lamps or illuminate over a narrow angle, and in the absence of a dichroic reflector any heat as well as light is directed downwards. This can be inconvenient and is not always desirable, leading to the increasing popularity of lamps with a dichroic reflector. This dichroic reflector comprises a series of optical filters built into the lamp which serve to reflect the light down whilst the heat or infra-red energy passes through the filter and out of the rear portion of the lamp. Typically a substantial portion of the heat generated in such a fitting is emitted from the rear portion of the lamp so quite a large amount of energy is dissipated up and away through the rear of the fitting. Typically the lamp is around 50 mm in diameter and the fitting is around 70 mm in diameter, so it will be apparent there is not a lot of space for air circulation around the lamp.

For a number of reasons, there is an increasing tendency to put insulating materials in the ceiling void and above the false ceiling. This means that any fitting recessed in the ceiling must either push up against the insulation, or a hole must be made for the fitting to project through the insulation. Regardless of the situation there remains a substantial amount of heat generated by the lamp which needs to be dissipated and any insulation will tend to prevent that, with the consequent risk of a build-up of heat, a rise in temperature causing a fire risk, and a reduction of lamp-life.

In order to mitigate such fire risks, many fittings are surrounded by or incorporate intumescent materials.

However, it is preferable to keep the insulation away from an upper region or rear part of the fitting so allowing air to circulate and so maintain an acceptable temperature around the fitting.

One method of achieving and allowing air circulation is to cut a hole in any insulating material. This is not always possible, nor is it always easy, and there is the risk that some of the insulating material or strands or pieces of it may remain in the area around the fitting and continue to present a fire hazard.

An object of the present invention is to provide an easy way of ensuring there is an air circulation space above a light fitting to help keep a safe working temperature.

According to the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a spacer for a light fitting, the light fitting having a front face from which, when in use, light emerges and a rear portion distal from the front face, the spacer when installed, having at least three feet engaging the rear portion, the feet connected to legs extending away from the fitting, adjacent legs extending and joining in a joining region away from the rear portion of the fitting and defining a volume surrounding the rear portion of the fitting.

The inventors have found that by placing a spacer on the top of the fitting above a rear portion, it will provide a volume for free air circulation around the top of the fitting and keep any insulation or other material away from the rear part of the fitting.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spacer for a light fitting, having feet extending to ankles, the ankles in turn connected to legs, the legs extending from the ankles and away from the rear portion of the fitting and bifurcating, each of the at least two legs from adjacent ankles joining in a joining region distal from the ankles.

Advantageously, each of the feet is connected to an ankle region each of which is in turn connected to a leg. The legs bifurcate and each extends away from the cables and arches round to join an adjacent leg in a joining region away from the top of the fitting According to another aspect of the present invention a spacer has further spacer arms connected to the legs in the joining regions to maintain the legs in spaced apart relationship.

Advantageously, in another embodiment there are provided spacer arms connected to the legs in the joining region. The spacer arms will provide additional strength and support to maintain the legs in spaced apart relationship thereby helping to ensure a volume in which air can circulate freely. This will of course help to keep the fitting operating at a lower temperature than might otherwise be possible.

According to another aspect of the present invention a spacer according to any preceding claim in which the feet are provided with means to engage a rear portion of the fitting.

According to another aspect of the present invention a spacer is provided with feet with engagement for engaging the fitting and for which the engagement means are clips.

It is advantageous to keep the spaces onto the fitting at the time of installation to ensure it stays anchored and secured in its place.

According to a further aspect of the present invention a spacer according to any preceding claim in which rear portion of the fitting includes slots or holes into which the feet may be engaged.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a spacer is provided with three feet.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a spacer has at least four feet.

The invention will now be described, will reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1: Shows a general arrangement of a down lighter fitting mounted in a ceiling recess. Figure 2: Shows a first example of the spacer mounted on a fitting.

Figure 3: Shows a second example of the spacer in a curved and bent form and mountable on a fitting.

Figure 4: Shows a third example of the spacer mounted on a fitting.

Figure 5: Shows an example of the spacer of Figure 4, but in substantially flat form before installation on the fitting.

Figure 6: Shows another example of a spacer in substantially flat form and before installation on a fitting.

Figure 7: Shows a spacer installed on a fitting., Figure 1 shows a general arrangement of a typical down lighter fitting 2 installed in a typical ceiling void, with a front face 110 substantially flush with the ceiling 100 and a rear portion 10 in the ceiling void. This ceiling is provided with a layer of thermal insulation 120. It can be seen that the insulation normally rests on the ceiling material and is displaced by the presence of the fitting 2. The spacer 12 will assist in providing a ventilation volume above fitting.

Figure 2 is a drawing of the spacer in place and installed on the rear portion of a typical down lighter fitting. Typically, the fitting will have a body 2 in the form of a cylinder, typically made from a metal such as steel or aluminium. The body will incorporate various means for mounting or securing it to a ceiling, various means for providing a lamp holder to suit the chosen type of lamp and possibly also various slots or intumescent or fire suppressant products. None of those features are shown in detail here since they do not form a part of the invention and the man skilled in the art will be familiar with the various alternatives.

A typical down lighter body 2 will have a rear part 10 enclosing the body and have one or more holes or apertures in it. These apertures 4 can either be a large diameter circular hole as shown in Figures 1 and 2 or at least two other holes or slots. Advantageously, power supply wires 6 will pass through the holes to be connected to a lamp holder in the body 2. As shown in Figure 1, there may be also provided some intumescent material 8.

Preferably the upper or rear part of the fitting body 2 will be provided with a planar flat rear part 10. A spacer 12 is provided with feet 14, which rest on the rear part 10 of the fitting. The feet may also be provided with clip portions 16 which engage with the rear part 10 to secure the feet 14 against motion across the rear part 10. The feet 14 are connected to ankle regions 18 that are in turn connected to legs 20 which extend upward and away from the fitting body 2. The legs 20 all join at a joining region 22 above the fitting to define a volume and help keep any insulating material away from the volume above the fitting and so aid the air circulation.

In Figure 3, each ankle region 18 is connected to a foot 14 and is also connected to a leg 20.

The leg 20 bifurcates, each part of the leg 20 extending away from the rear part of the fitting and arching over to join another leg 20 in a joining region 22. In the example of Figure 3 there are three feet 14 and ankles 18 each connected to a leg 20 which bifurcates, extends away from the fitting, and arches over to join in a joining region 22. The resulting spacer has a very open structure which will serve to keep insulating material away from the rear part of the fitting. Whilst also providing plenty of volume for air to circulate freely above the fitting.

In another embodiment shown in Figure 4, a spacer is mounted on top of a down lighter fitting 2. The feet 14 rest on a rear part 10 of the down lighter. Feet 14 engage the rear part as in the example of figure 2. In this embodiment one end of each of the legs is connected to an ankle region and the other end, the legs 20 join in a joining region 22 above the fitting. Additionally, the joining region includes spacer arms 24 extending to meet spacer arms connected to adjacent legs, the spacer arms joining in a crown region 26. The spacer arms 24 in this embodiment help to provide extra support for the legs 20 to maintain them in a spaced apart relationship so that the overall volume above the down lighter body is kept substantially free of insulating or other material which might inhibit or limit the circulation of cooling air.

Preferably the spacer element is made from a flexible material and so easily bent and formed so it may be mounted on the top of the fitting. The inventor has found that it can be made conveniently from a flexible plastics material.

Figure 5 shows such an example but in the shape before installation on top of the fitting. Preferably the legs 20, the joining region 22, spacer arms 24 and crown region 26 are all substantially in one plane, the spacer being bent to enable the feet to engage with the top of the fitting. The feet 14 are additionally provided with clip means 16 which are of a size and shape that enables them to be clipped onto the top surface 10 of the fitting. Other means of securing the spacer to the fitting can be imagined. An advantage of a spacer formed during manufacture to be substantially flat is that it can easily and simply be packed and transported with the down lighter fitting, taking very little, if any, extra space in any packaging. If desired, the spacer can be easily formed and clipped into place on top of the fitting.

Advantageously, the feet 14 and clips 16 could also be provided with barbs or other teeth to facilitate engagement with the fitting body but to make it more difficult to disengage the feet from the fitting. Alternatively, the fitting can be provided with teeth or barbs to facilitate engagement with the feet 14 and clips 16.

Alternatively, the top part of the fitting could be provided with a ledge, ridges or barb means to engage the feet and ensure they stay in place on the top of the fitting.

In another arrangement, the top of the fitting could be provided with slots which extend along longitudinal axis of the fitting and the feet could be provided with complimentary clips to anchor the spacer to the rear part of the fitting.

Figure 6 shows another example of a further embodiment. In this example there are three feet 14 for engaging with the rear of the fitting. Each of the feet rests on the rear of the fitting or can engage with it as described above. The feet extend into and are joined to ankles 18 which bifurcate and extend into legs 20. Near the ankle region, each of the legs is provided with reinforcing support means 28 which extends to connect to an adjacent leg. Reinforcing support means 28 provides a means of stabilising the legs 20 against inward pressures from any insulating or other material in the ceiling void above the fitting. This design of spacer has the advantage of not needing or having a crown region and so there is no material immediately over the top of the fitting which might inhibit or limit the amount of cooling air that can flow around the rear of the fitting. The design is also relatively easily made in a substantially flat form and so easily and economically transported in a flat form with the fitting to be installed if needed. Preferably, the spacer element is moulded from a plastics material which is sufficiently flexible to be bent into shape at the time of installation and resilient so that it retains its shape.

In a further alternative embodiment, the spacer can be made from a flexible material and can be pressed from a flat structure in manufacture and bent or formed on site to provide a suitable spacer or cage at a later stage or just before installation. Examples of materials which might be suitable are easily bent metals including steel strips, aluminium, brass or tin. Clearly different materials will each have advantages and disadvantages.

Figure 7 shows an example of a spacer of Figure 6 installed on the top of a fitting. As can be seen, the flexible structure is bent so the feet 14 engage with the top 10 of the fitting.

Many methods of manufacture of a spacer according to the present invention can be envisaged. For example the products can be injection moulded, pressed or even 3D printed. The choice of method will clearly depend upon the number of units, the size of the spacer and a number of other considerations.

Claims

Claims: 1. A spacer for a light fitting, the light fitting having a front face from which, when in use, light emerges and a rear portion distal from the front face, the spacer when installed, having at least three feet engaging the rear portion, the feet connected to legs extending away from the fitting, adjacent legs extending and joining in a joining region away from the rear portion of the fitting and defining a volume surrounding the rear portion of the fitting.
2. A spacer for a light fitting, according to claim 1 having the feet extending to ankles, the ankles connected to legs, the legs extending from the ankles and away from the rear portion of the fitting and bifurcating, each of the at least two legs from adjacent ankles joining in a joining region distal from the ankles.
3. A spacer according to claim 2 further having spacer arms connected to the legs in the joining regions the spacer arms maintaining the legs in spaced apart relationship.
4. A spacer according to any preceding claim in which the feet are provided with means to engage a rear portion of the fitting.
5. A spacer according to claim 4 in which the engagement means are clips.
6. A spacer according to any preceding claim in which rear portion of the fitting includes slots or holes into which the feet may be engaged.
7. A spacer according to any preceding claim in which the rear portion of the fitting has ridges or teeth which can securely engage the feet to locate them on the rear portion of the fitting.
8. A spacer according to any of claims 1 to 6 in which at least one of the feet has ridges or teeth which can securely engage the rear portion of the fitting.
9. A spacer according to any preceding claim in which the spacer has at least three feet.
10. A spacer according to any preceding claim in which the Spacer has at least four feet.
11. A spacer according to any preceding claim in which the spacer arms join together in a crown region spaced away from the fitting.
12. A spacer according to any preceding claim in which the spacer is made from a flexible plastics material.
13. A spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 11 in which the spacer is made from a metal.
14. A spacer according to any preceding claim in which it is manufactured in a flat form and bendable to form a spacer before installation on the fitting.