SE540979C2

SE540979C2 - Post with internal illumination

Info

Publication number: SE540979C2
Application number: SE1750753A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Åke Andersson
Original assignee: Fmk Produktutveckling Ab
Priority date: 2017-06-14
Filing date: 2017-06-14
Publication date: 2019-02-12
Also published as: SE1750753A1

Abstract

A window (6) for a post (1) is described. A post (1) with such a window (6) is also described. The post (1) comprises an outer surface (2), an internal cavity (3) adapted for arrangement of a light source (4), and a corresponding opening (5) into the internal cavity (3). The window is characterized in that the window (6) comprises an external portion (13) which is to be placed on the outside of the post (1), and an insertion portion (14) which is to be inserted into the opening (5). The outer portion of the external portion (13), between the peripheral edge (16) of the external portion and the peripheral edge (17) of the insertion portion (14), constitutes a rim (15), which extends around the circumference of the window (6) and which is arranged to be adhered to the outer surface (2) of the post (1) around the circumference of the opening (5).

Description

Post with internal illumination Technical field The present invention relates to a post with internal illumination. More specifically the present invention relates to such a post which is arranged to be placed outdoors, and preferably at the limit between a public street and a private garden.

Description of the prior art Private gardens may be delimited by a fence with marks the border between the garden and the public street. A post may be arranged at the entrance to the garden. Possibly, a pair of posts may be arranged at the entrance to the garden with a gate between the posts. In some neighborhoods street illumination is sparse, which makes it difficult to navigate during dark nights, especially for people not being familiar with the neighborhoods. In such neighborhoods garden illumination may be very helpful for the navigation. The garden illumination may consist of lights illuminating different plants in the garden or the façade of a building in the garden. Another possibility is to arrange illumination at the entrance to the garden by arranging internal illumination in the post at the entrance to the garden.

Description of the invention An object of the present invention is to provide a window for a post with internal illumination, wherein the window enables the post to be sealed to prevent rain and dust from entering the post and wherein the window is easy to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a post with internal illumination for placement in a garden and preferably at an entrance to the garden, which post is sealed to prevent rain and dust from entering the post.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a post with internal illumination for placement in a garden which provides possibilities for identification of the garden.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a post with internal illumination to which post it is possible to hinge a gate.

At least one of these objects is provided with a window or a post according to the independent claims.

Further advantages of the invention are provided with the features of the dependent claims.

According to a first aspect a window is provided for a post comprising an outer surface, an internal cavity adapted for arrangement of a light source, and a corresponding opening into the internal cavity. The window is arranged to be placed in the corresponding opening. The window is characterized in that the window comprises an external portion which is to be placed on the outside of the post, and an insertion portion which is to be inserted into the opening. The external portion has an extension that is larger than the extension of the insertion portion and larger than the opening, so that the external portion of the window covers the opening when the window is placed in the opening. The outer portion of the external portion, between the peripheral edge of the external portion and the peripheral edge of the insertion portion, constitutes a rim, which extends around the circumference of the window and which is arranged to be adhered to the outer surface of the post around the circumference of the opening.

There might be several openings of different sizes on the post. Each one of the windows to be placed in the different openings fulfils the above limitations.

In this context, the size of the opening is the size of the opening at the outer surface. Thus, in case the opening has beveled edges the size of the opening at the internal cavity may be larger than the window.

With the external portion having an extension that is larger than the extension of the insertion portion and larger than the opening is meant that the extension of the outer portion in the plane defined by the rim is larger than the corresponding opening in the plane at the outer surface.

The window may be manufactured of a plastic material. There are many different plastic materials that may be used. Examples on suitable plastic materials are acrylic and polycarbonate plastic.

The insertion portion comprises a recess extending from the side of the insertion portion being opposite the external portion towards the external portion. The width and depth of the recess are chosen in order to provide a wall thickness of the window that is as even as possible to achieve a window that cools off uniformly after molding in order to prevent the window from being deformed during cooling.

The insertion portion is preferably in the form of a wall surrounding the recess, wherein the wall is wedge shaped. The wedge shape is preferably such as to facilitate the release of the window from a mold after forming. An angle of 1-5 degrees is suitable as the angle between the wall and the direction perpendicular to the rim.

The adhesive layer should be at least around 0.5 mm. To allow such a wide adhesive layer the width of the rim should be in the interval 0.5-10 mm and preferably in the interval 1-4 mm. In case the rim is made too wide other problems may arise, such as problems with keeping the rim straight during hardening of the plastic after molding.

The thickness of the rim, i.e., the largest thickness of the rim should be sufficiently large to give the rim sufficient mechanical strength while simultaneously providing sufficient thickness for the handling of the window with a tool. The thickness of the rim may be in the interval of 0.5-10 mm and preferably in the interval 1-4 mm.

The distance from the bottom of the recess to the outside of the window is preferably smaller than the thickness of the rim. This will ensure an even cooling of the window.

The height of the window perpendicular to the outer surface may be 5-15 mm. Such a height gives a reasonable rigidity and mechanical strength to the window.

The shape of the surface of the rim facing the post is preferably adapted to the outer surface of the post. Thus, in case the outer surface of the post surrounding the opening is flat the surface of the rim facing the outer surface of the post is flat, i.e., extends in a plane.

The window may be elongated, and the length of the window may be at least twice as large as the width of the window, preferably 3 times as large as the width of the window.

The width of the window may be 5-50 mm and preferably 5-20 mm. This allows the window to be formed with a small thickness while still providing sufficient strength.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a post is provided comprising an outer surface, an internal cavity adapted for arrangement of a light source, and at least one opening into the internal cavity, wherein the opening defines an opening surface at the plane of the outer surface. The post is characterized in that it comprises a window according to anyone of the preceding claims arranged in said at least one opening. The post according to the second aspect is tight with regard to rain and dust.

The window is adhered to the outer surface of the post along the entire rim. This enables a tight sealing of the openings in the post.

The post may be made from aluminium, which is a corrosion resistant material. Furthermore, a post made of aluminium may be made sturdy enough to allow hinging a gate to the post.

The window may be adhered to the post using a suitable adhesive.

The adhesive used is chosen so that it is suitable for the temperature differentials in the environment in which the post is placed. Additionally, the adhesive should have sufficient elasticity to allow some movement between the post and the window due to their different thermal expansion coefficients.

In the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention similar features will be denoted with the same reference numeral.

Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 shows a post according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a window according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the window in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows the window in Fig. 2 and 3 in cross section.

Description of preferred embodiments of the invention Figure 1 shows a post 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising an outer surface 2, an internal cavity 3 adapted for arrangement of a light source 4, as is shown by the broken line. The post 1 comprises a number of openings 5 into the internal cavity 3. A window 6, 9, is arranged in each one of the openings 5 according to any one of the preceding claims arranged in said at least one opening. Also shown in Figure 1 is an electric wire 7 that enters the post 1 at the base 8 of the post.

The post shown in Figure 1 is preferably casted in aluminium. The post is preferably casted in two pieces namely the central part 10 and the lid 11. The central part 10 is attached to a base 8. The windows 6 in the central part 10 are considerably longer than the windows 9 in the lid 11. The lid 11 is attached to the central part 10 in a sealingly manner. This can be achieved in a plurality of different ways known per se to a person skilled in the art. In order to avoid water and dust from entering the internal cavity the windows are attached to the openings according to the description relating to Fig. 2, 3 and 4. The face of the post shown in Fig. 1 comprises two rows of three windows 6. The number and arrangement could be used to individualize the posts to facilitate for a person to find the correct garden when walking home in the dark.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a window 6 according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3 is a side view of the window 6. The window 6 comprises an external portion 13 which is to be placed on the outside of the post 1, and an insertion portion 14 which is to be inserted into the opening 5. The main reasons for having the insertion portion 14 is to give the window structural rigidity and to facilitate insertion of the window in the corresponding opening 5 of the post 1. The external portion 13 has an extension that is larger than the extension of the insertion portion and larger than the opening. In this context, the size of the opening is the size of the opening at the outer surface 2. Thus, if the walls of the opening 5 are beveled it is the size at the outer surface 2 that matters. The outer portion of the external portion 13, between the peripheral edge 16 of the external portion 13 and peripheral edge 17 of the insertion portion 14, constitutes a rim 15, which extends around the circumference of the window 6 and which is arranged to be adhered to the outer surface 2 of the post 1 around the circumference of the opening 5. Thus, the rim is arranged to be adhered to the outer surface 2 of the post all around the circumference of the opening, leaving no gap through which water and dust may enter. The rim 15 extends in a plane 19. Thus, it is adapted to be arranged on a flat surface on the post 1. The insertion portion 14 comprises a recess 18 extending from the side of the insertion portion 14 being opposite the external portion 13 towards the external portion 13. The recess 18 is clearly visible in Fig. 2 and will be further discussed below with reference to Fig. 4. The external portion 13 has a flat surface 19. As can be seen in Fig. 3, the insertion portion has a wall which is not perpendicular to the plane 19 but is arranged at an angle a to the plane 19. The main reason for the angle a is to enable manufacturing of the window 6 by molding it of a plastic material. When molding the window 6 of a plastic material it is necessary to have release angles so that the window 6 can be released from the mold when the window 6 has hardened. The window 6 comprises the recess 18 for the same reason, i.e., to enable manufacturing of the window 6 by molding it in plastic. When molding in plastic there might be internal stresses in the plastic due to, e.g., uneven cooling of the plastic. This problem is alleviated if the material thickness is kept as even as possible. By providing a recess 18 in the insertion portion 14 the window will cool evenly. Thus, it is avoided that the window 6 becomes twisted, which could jeopardize a tight attachment of the window 6 to the post 1. As is indicated in Fig. 1 the window 6 has a length which is considerably larger than its width. The windows 6 in the central portion 10 have a length to width ratio of about 15:1 while the windows 6 in the lid have a length to width ratio of about 3:1. The angle a is preferably in the interval 1-5 degrees. The length Lwof the window 6 is also shown in Fig. 3. The top surface 21 of the external portion 13 is also shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 shows the window 6 in Fig. 2 and 3 in cross section along A-A when the window 6 is inserted into an opening 5 in the central portion 10 of the post 1. In Fig. 4 the window 6 is adhered to the post 1 with an adhesive layer 20. The adhesive used is chosen so that it is suitable for the temperature differentials in the environment in which the post 1 is placed. Additionally, the adhesive should have sufficient elasticity to allow some movement between the post 1 and the window due to their different thermal expansion. The plastic material may be, e.g., acrylic, or polycarbonate plastic. It is, however also possible to use other plastic materials. The insertion portion 14 is in the form of a wall surrounding the recess, wherein the wall is wedge shaped.

As can be seen in Fig. 4 the width Wiof the insertion portion 14 is smaller than the width woof the opening 5 at the outer surface 2. The width wwof the window 6 is large enough to leave room for a sufficiently large rim 15. The rim 15 should be sufficiently large to allow a sufficiently large adhesive layer 20. The adhesive layer should be at least around 0.5 mm. To allow the such a wide adhesive layer 20 the width wrof the rim 15 should be in the interval 0.5-10 mm and preferably in the interval 1-5 mm. In case the rim 15 is made too wide other problems may arise, such as problems with keeping the rim straight during hardening of the plastic after molding. The thickness hrof the rim 15, i.e., the largest thickness of the rim 15 should be sufficiently large to give the rim sufficient mechanical strength while simultaneously providing sufficient thickness for the handling of the window with a tool. The edge of the rim 15 may be beveled as is shown in Fig. 4. The thickness hrof the rim is preferably in the interval of 0.5-10 mm and most preferred in the interval 1-4 mm. The centre thickness hcof the window 6 from the bottom of the recess 18 to the top surface 21 of the external portion 13 of the window 6 is shown to be smaller than the thickness hrof the rim. The walls 22 of the opening 5 are beveled so that the opening 5 widens towards the internal cavity 3. The walls 22 of the opening may alternatively be at a right angle to the exterior surface 2.

As can be seen in Fig. 4 the insertion portion 14 has in cross section the form of a wedgeshaped wall. The recess 18 is wedge shaped with the walls being inclined at an angle ? in the interval 1-5 degrees from the vertical direction. The total height of the window perpendicular to the outer surface 2 is in the interval 5-15 mm.

The post is preferably made from aluminium as this is a material that may be easily molded and provides sufficient mechanical strength. It is also suitable for outdoor use due to its corrosion resistance. Aluminium of proper thickness is also strong enough to support a gate (not shown) hinged to the post 1.

As is obvious for a person skilled in the art the described specific embodiments of the invention may be amended in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention which is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Window (6) for a post (1) comprising an outer surface (2), an internal cavity (3) adapted for arrangement of a light source (4), and a corresponding opening (5) into the internal cavity (3), wherein the window (6) is arranged to be placed in the corresponding opening (5), characterized in that the window (6) comprises an external portion (13) which is to be placed on the outside of the post (1), and an insertion portion (14) which is to be inserted into the opening (5), wherein the external portion (13) has an extension that is larger than the extension of the insertion portion (14) and larger than the opening (5), wherein the outer portion of the external portion (13), between the peripheral edge (16) of the external portion and the peripheral edge (17) of the insertion portion (14), constitutes a rim (15), which extends around the circumference of the window (6) and which is arranged to be adhered to the outer surface (2) of the post (1) around the circumference of the opening (5).

2. Window (6) according to claim 1, which is manufactured of a plastic material.

3. Window (6) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insertion portion (14) comprises a recess (18) extending from the side of the insertion portion (14) being opposite the external portion (13) towards the external portion (13).

4. Window (6) according to claim 3, wherein the insertion portion (14) is in the form of a wall surrounding the recess (18), wherein the wall is wedge shaped.

5. Window (6) according to claim 4, wherein the thickness (hr) of the rim (15) is in the interval 0.5-10 mm, preferably in the interval 1-4 mm.

6. Window (6) according to claim 5, wherein the thickness of the wall is in the interval 0.5 -10 mm, preferably in the interval 1-4 mm.

7. Window (6) according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the height of the window (6) perpendicular to the outer surface (2) is 5-15 mm.

8. Window (6) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the window (6) is elongated and the length of the window (6) is at least twice as large as the width of the window (6), preferably 3 times as large as the width of the window (6).

9. Post (1) comprising an outer surface (2), an internal cavity (3) adapted for arrangement of a light source (4), and at least one opening (5) into the internal cavity (3), characterized in that it comprises a window (6) according to anyone of the preceding claims arranged in said at least one opening (5).

10. Post (1) according to claim 9, wherein the window (6) is glued to the outer surface (2) of the post (1) along the entire rim (15).

11. Post (1) according to claim 10, wherein the post (1) is made from aluminium.