WO2010044718A1

WO2010044718A1 - Improvements in or relating to adjusting of a light source

Info

Publication number: WO2010044718A1
Application number: PCT/SE2009/000460
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Engstrand
Original assignee: Michael Engstrand
Priority date: 2008-10-15
Filing date: 2009-10-14
Publication date: 2010-04-22
Also published as: SE532051C2; SE0802196L

Abstract

The present invention refers to a device for adjustment of the position of a light source (1), e.g. a light bulb in a reflector (2) fixed to an electric light, said reflector (2) is provided in an opening in a surface (3), e.g. a ceiling and said light source (1) is provided in a socket (4), e.g. an adapter, which is adjustable in a sliding manner along an imaginary adjusting line (5) pointing in a direction (6) into the reflector (2) through an opening (33) in the same. Said socket (4) is fixed to a fixing device (7) arranged around the same in a predetermined position along the adjustment line (5) via least two spring legs (8) pointing from the fixing device (7) across the direction (6), each of said spring legs (8) comprise at least one gripping element (9), each of which is arranged in at least a predetermined distance (10) from the fixing device (7) and is intended with a return spring power to grasp each edge area (12), said two edge areas (12) extending in parallel with the adjusting line (5) and are firmly provided to at least two places in the electric light in said predetermined distance.

Description

Improvements in or relating to adjusting of a light source

The present invention refers to a device for the setting up of the position of a light source in a reflector in an electric light, which is designed to shine from, for example, underneath a ceiling. The light source is fixed in a socket that is adjustable in a sliding manner along an imaginary adjustment line in a direction into the reflector through an opening made in this. According to the invention, the socket is fixed by a fixing device attached around it, comprising two from the same across the adjustment line pointing springs, each comprising a gripping element, which by a return spring action is provided to grip an edge area in a predetermined distance from the fixing device and which are attached to a cover provided around the reflector and the socket or in a detail removable from the cover.

On the market today existing structures of this kind the socket of a light device is arranged in a fixed manner to an electric light and is therefore not adjustable to fit different lengths of light bulbs and light sources. This problem has been attempted to be solved according to the patent JP2003187632 by screwing in an adjustable manner the socket into a holder, which supports the reflector fitted to a ceiling. This causes problems when changing must be done to a longer or shorter light bulb or light source, since in this case the whole ceiling must be removed in order to get access to screw with a relevant tool. It is necessary to take apart the electric light, unscrew the screw which fixes the adjusted position, insert a new, for instance longer, light bulb, adjust this to the right position, screw in the screw and then screw together and refit the electrical light in the ceiling. This is hard, unpractical and time-consuming to perform since the structure is complicated and expensive to manufacture. It is necessary to use a locking washer in order for the screw not to unscrew itself due to vibrations and changing between hot and a cold socket. Such a screw with a special type of locking washer is extra hard to work with.

One object of the present invention is to solve those problems existing with the above mentioned structures, since the fixing of the socket is done by a locking means arranged around the same comprising two spring legs pointing from the same across the adjustment line, each of said legs are equipped with a gripping element provided to grip respective edge in a spring back way and which are arranged in a predetermined distance from the fixing device in a cover provided around the socket. In this way the position of the light source may easily be adjusted in

¹UXORD COF ■ TR AXS. Ru n. i ? -0 loosening the spring legs by hand, so that they thereafter can grip on a new, predetermined position along the edge areas.

Thanks to the invention an easily operated, adjustable fixing device in an electric light has now been provided, which can be moved quickly and easily, so that a light source e.g. a light bulb can be moved to a desired position in a reflector without using tools. The reflector is arranged to shine through an opening in a surface such as a ceiling constituting a so called "down-light". According to the invention, the light source is arranged in a socket, e.g. an adapter, which can be adjusted in a sliding fashion along an imaginary adjustment line pointing in a direction into the reflector through an opening in the same. According to the invention, the socket is fixed by a fixing device arranged around the same. Two spring legs are fixed to the fixing device pointing away from this across the adjustment line. Further out from the fixing device the spring legs comprise gripping elements in a predetermined distance from said fixing device, said gripping elements are intended by hand to be tightened towards or away from each other, whereupon they are released and spring back to grip against respective elongated edge area, provided in a predetermined second distance from each other, extending in parallel with the adjustment line. The edge areas are fixed to the electric light in two places. In a preferred embodiment example of the invention the edge areas are arranged in a cover or detail surrounding the reflector and socket, which is removable from the top of the cover. The spring legs comprise a predetermined width viewed in the direction of the adjustment line. The edge areas are in this case arranged in two elongated opposite long sides of the openings extending in parallel with the adjustment line. The detail consists in this embodiment example of a flat, removable element similar to a lid, intended to fit to be snapped into a cut-out in the cover, where the openings consist of two, straight, longitudinal recesses. The recesses and the gripping elements comprise in this case a number of locking functions provided closely after each other such as teeth, rills or any other suitable hooking-in formation. Once adjustment of the position of the light source in the reflector to a desired position along the adjustment line has been done, the spring legs are released in this position and are locked against the locking functions. The fixing in position then also works well in an environment, where there are vibrations and changes in temperature. In order to be able to change to a new light source having longer or shorter length without having to adjust and measure the light source into a correct position in the reflector, locking functions are used, which lock into preselected positions and which accommodate the various lengths. The locking functions are in this case arranged with selected distances. The width of the spring legs corresponds to the length of the socket along the adjustment line. One end of the spring legs is fixed to the sides of the socket and they do mainly point in parallel to each other up towards the top away from the surface and is kept in place in the recesses in the flat element. It is then easy to snap loose the flat element without using any tools and to change the light bulb, since it is attached when it accompanies during the loosened. It is then also possible to reach the spring legs with the fingers and release the fixing device from the recesses from inside and then replace the light bulb without loosing parts from the ceiling. The locking functions in the gripping element are arranged in the bottom of a channel having surrounding walls, comprising a predetermined height forming a guide recess turned towards the edge areas, which run in parallel to the adjustment line. The walls then are grasping the edge areas to create firmness during the positioning of the light source in order to avoid that the light source is angled downwards towards the surface due to its own weight, but instead be in parallel with the surface. In this position, it is good that the two elongated openings along their extension comprise two recess widths, one wider recess width, which is mainly as long as the width of the spring leg and thick enough to deal with the height of the walls, when the spring leg is inserted through the opening and that the other recess width is smaller, which means, that during a displacement of the two spring legs in the direction into the narrower recess width, the locking functions are guided into the guide recess and strengthen the position fixing even further when the spring legs are located in the narrower recess width. In reaching the spring legs easily for adjusting of the position and replacement of light source, the spring legs have a length so that they protrude a bit e.g. one or a few centimetres outside the cover in order to form surfaces there or along its extension under the cover, so that it is possible by help of a finger to create to add power to release the spring legs when replacing the light source.

The invention is described closer below by the help of some preferred embodiment examples with reference to the drawings enclosed, in which

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal, vertical cross section through the electric light,

Fig. 2 shows a first view from above towards a part of the top side of a cover where the gripping element is illustrated in a horizontal cross section, Fig.3 shows a vertical cross-section through a fixing device having spring legs and a horizontal cross-section through the gripping elements, and

Fig. 4 shows like fig. 2 a view from above towards a part of the top side of the cover.

As is illustrated in fig. l a device is showed for adjustment of the position of a light source 1 in a reflector 2 in an electric light, provided in a surface 3, e.g. a ceiling. The light source 1 is supplied with power from a cable 32. The light source 1 is arranged in a socket 4, which is adjustable in a sliding manner along an imaginary adjustment line 5 pointing in a direction 6 into an opening 33 in the reflector 2. The socket 4 is fixed to a fixing device 7 arranged around the same, said fixing device 7 comprises two spring legs 8 protruding from it across the adjustment line 5, each of said spring legs 8 comprises a gripping element 9 intended to grasp each of its edge area 12 provided in a predetermined distance 10 from the fixing device 7.

As is evident from fig. 1 , 2 or 3 the gripping elements 9 comprise a pre-determined width 1 1. The edge areas 12 are arranged in a the top side 17 of a cover 15 surrounding the reflector 2 and the socket 4 in a removable detail 14, which consists of flat removable element 19 accommodating into a cut-out 31 in the top side 17. The edge areas 12 are arranged in two elongated openings 16 in two opposite long sides 18 provided in a second distance 13 from each other, where the openings 16 consist of two elongated straight recesses 20. The spring legs 8 protrude somewhat above the cover 15 to create surfaces for fingers 27 there or along the extension of the spring legs 8 under the cover 15, to apply force for position fixing or releasing of the gripping element 9. The recesses 20 and the gripping elements 9 comprise a number of locking functions 21 arranged after each other.

As is evident from fig. 3, the two spring legs 8 are fixed in one end 23 to the sides 24 of the socket 4. The locking functions 21 in the gripping elements 9 are arranged in the bottom of a channel 25 with surrounding walls 26, comprising a predetermined height 29 creating a guide recess 22. The walls 26 are intended to grasp the edge areas 12 in order to create stability against the long sides 18 of the elongated openings 16. As is evident from fig. 3 and 4, the elongated openings 16 comprise a wider recess width 28 in order to handle the height 29 and a narrower recess width 30 for the moving of the two spring legs 8 into the narrower recess width 30 so that the walls 26 in a better way can grasp around the edge areas 12.

Claims

1 . A device for adjustment of the position of a light source ( 1), e.g. a light bulb in a reflector (2) fixed to an electric light, said reflector (2) is provided in an opening in a surface (3), e.g. a ceiling and said light source ( 1 ) is provided in a socket (4), e.g. an adapter, which is adjustable in a sliding manner along an imaginary adjusting line (5) pointing in a direction (6) into the reflector (2) through an opening (33) in the same, characterized in that the socket (4) is fixed to a fixing device (7) arranged around the same in a predetermined position along the adjustment line (5) via least two spring legs (8) pointing from the fixing device (7) across the direction (6), each of said spring legs (8) comprise at least one gripping element (9), each of which is arranged in at least a predetermined distance (10) from the fixing device (7) and is intended with a return spring power to grasp each edge area ( 12), said two edge areas (12) extending in parallel with the adjusting line (5) and are firmly provided to at least two places in the electric light in said predetermined distance (10).

2. A device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the gripping elements (9) are provided in a cover (15) around the reflector (2) and the socket (4) or in at least a detail (14), removable provided in the top side ( 17) of the cover ( 15), said edge areas ( 12) are provided in two elongated openings ( 16) in at least one of its two opposite long sides (18), arranged in a predetermined second distance (13) from each other, viewed across the direction (6) and extending in parallel with the adjustment line (5).

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the adjustment line (5) points across the radiating light beams of the reflector (2) from the light source (1) out from the surface (3).

4. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the detail (14) consists of a mainly flat removable element (19) like a lid intended to accommodate for being snapped into a cut-out (31) in the cover (15), in which element (19) the openings ( 16) consist of two elongated straight recesses (20).

5. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the recesses (20) or gripping elements (9) comprise a number of locking functions (21) such as teeth, rills or another suitable formation for hooking into the same provided closely after each other in the direction (6), whereby when the adjustment to desired position of the light source (1) inside the reflector (2) along the adjustment line (5) has been done, the spring legs (8) are released in this position and fixed into position against the locking functions (21 ).

6. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking functions (21) are arranged with predetermined selected spacings along the adjustment line (5), which correspond to different lengths of light sources (1) to be fitted centred in the reflector (2) when the locking function (21) locks against the selected locking function (21).

7. A device according to claims 3, 5 or 6, characterized in that the width (1 1 ) of the spring legs (8) mainly corresponds to the length of the socket (4) viewed in the direction (6) parallel to the adjustment line (5) and that the spring legs (8) in one of their ends (23) are fixed to the sides (24) of the socket (4), said spring legs (8) are pointing upwards towards the top side (17) away from the surface (3) extending mainly in parallel with each other.

8. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one locking function (21 ) in the gripping elements (9) is arranged in the bottom of a channel (25) having surrounding walls (26) comprising a predetermined height (29) constituting a guide recess (22) running in parallel with the adjustment line (5), said walls (26) are intended to grasp around the edge areas (12) in order to create stability during the fixing into position of the light source (1) against the elongated, oblong sides (18) of the openings (16).

9. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that the spring legs (8) extend somewhat, e.g. one or a few centimetres outside the cover (15) so as to along the extension of the spring legs (8) underneath the cover (15) create surfaces (27) for fingers to apply force for fixing into position or releasing the fixing device

(7) when replacing the light source (1 ).

10. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that the two elongated openigs (16) display along their stretch a wider track width (28) that is at least a long and the width (1 1) and thick enough to sustain the height (29) when the spring

(8) is put through the holes (16) and a narrower track width (30) so that when shifting the two springs (8) in the direction (6) into the smaller track width (30), the locking functions(21 ) are steered into the steering track (22) and strengthens the position fixing when the springs (8) are situated in the narrower track width (30).