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(11) | EP 0 614 041 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies |
| (57) Fastening device (12) for flush-mounted lighting bodies (11) suitable for being positioned
on a side support surface of a lighting body, constituted by one pair of arms (13',13'')
arranged in compass fashion, and constrained, by means of a screwed rod (14), at a
first, enlarged end thereof (15). Furthermore, said arms (13',13'') are kept mutually
spaced apart, in a rest position, by a spring (18). Said screwed rod (14) is slid
into a through-bore (19') provided in the inner arm (13'), and a screwed bore (19'')
provided in the outer arm (13'') of said pair of arms and, in that way, provides,
in conjunction with the screwed bore (19''), an arm clamping element. |
[0002] The flush-mounted lighting bodies can be manufactured with a degree of protection against the possible penetration of liquid substances, e.g., water, or solid substances. The presence of hooking devices may result in a decrease in the desired protection degree the structure of the flush-mounted lighting bodies is designed with.
[0003] A commonly used fastening type is based on the use of sliding brackets, and two variants thereof exist. According to the first variant, a slot is provided through the support bands, and according to the second variant, on the contrary, said slot is provided through the same bracket.
[0004] In the first one of said variants, the necessary slot for the system to perform its task, results in a very serious drawback, because the lighting body no longer has its tightness characteristics.
[0005] The same drawbacks affects also the second variant described above. In fact, according to said variant, the sliding bracket must be accessed for being manipulated, from the interior of the flush-mounted lighting body. Of course, as briefly mentioned above, it is the presence of this opening, the element which tunrs the lighting article or body into a non-protected one against particles of solid or liquid materials entering it.
[0006] Another fastening device for lighting bodies is of the type with double-arm springs, which allows the above mentioned drawback to be overcome; however, also it results in several problems.
[0007] One of them is shown when one tries to install lighting bodies, above all when these are made from a thermoplastic material. In fact, the thrust applied by the springs is so strong, that the geometry of the body is altered, which may even make it impossible several accessories to be applied.
[0008] Another drawback displayed by this type of anchoring is caused by the friction between the springs and the support surface on which the lighting body is to be fastened. Such surfaces usually are several types of false ceilings which, when are made from soft materials, e.g., wallboard, are damaged by the stress applied by this type of devices.
[0009] Another drawback is caused by the overall dimensions of the accessory equipment, which is linked in offset position relatively to the central body. When it has to be introduced into the false ceiling, the whole lighting body complete with such accessory equipment, must be inclined; the consequence is that the bore must be given an ellyptical shape, which substantially reduces the manipulation ability, which, on the contrary, is absolutely necessary in order to install the lighting body.
[0010] The purpose of the present invention is of overcoming, or substantially reducing, the above listed drawbacks, which affect the traditional anchoring means used for lighting body fastening.
[0011] Another purpose is of providing a supporting and/or fastening device, which is simply and easily installed and does not excessively add to the total overall dimensions of the lighting body.
[0012] A not least purpose is of providing a fastening device which secures a strong and reliable anchoring of the article onto the carrier surface, e.g., a false ceiling, made inclined to a reference plane.
[0013] In order to achieve the above purposes, a fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies is provided, which can be positioned on a side support surface of a lighting body, characterized in that it is constituted by one pair of arms, i.e., an outer arm and an inner arm, arranged according to a compass fashion and constrained, by means of a screwed rod, at a first, enlarged end thereof and kept mutually spaced apart, in a rest position, by a spring, with said screwed rod being suitable for being slid into a through-bore provided through said inner arm and screwed down into a screwed bore of said outer arm, with said screwed bore and said screwed rod forming a clamping element for both of said arms.
[0014] The structural and functional characteristics and the advantages of a device according to the present invention will be better understood from the following exemplifying, non-limitative detailed disclosure made by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a side view of a flush-mounted lighting body complete with a fastening device according to the present invention with the arms being shown in two operating positions thereof, wherein one position (shown in solid line) is close to the rest position of the device, and the other position (shown in phantom line) is the installed position;
Figure 2 shows a plan view of the device of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a sectional view of an enlarged detail, made according to the section line III-III of Figure 1;
Figure 4 shows a further sectional view, also made according to the section line III-III, of the position shown by phantom line in Figure 1.
[0015] Referring to Figure 1, a flush-mounted lighting body is displayed complete with a fastening device suitable for being installed onto a side support surface of a lighting body, with said whole being indicated with the reference number 10. On a flush-mounted lighting body 11, there are mounted, at two diametrically opposite positions, two fastening devices 12. Each of such devices 12 has a compass-like shape and is constituted by one pair of arms 13' and 13'', manufactured, according to this embodiment, from punched metal sheet, having an arc-bent shape and constrained, by means of a screwed rod 14, at a first, enlarged end 15 thereof. As one will see from Figures 3 and 4, the rod 14 is slid inside a through-bore 16 provided through the lighting body 11 and through an outwards protruding portion 17 acting as a reinforcer/shoulder means. In fact, during the assembly of the device 12, an inner arm 13', elastically constrained through a spring 18 to an outer arm 13'', is caused to rest against the portion 17. In that way, the arms 13' and 13'' are kept closely adjacent to each other, in a rest position thereof. The screwed rod 14 is also slid through a first through-bore 19' provided through the inner arm 13' and a second screwed bore provided in the outer arm 13'', both of which are provided in the centre of the enlarged ends 15.
[0016] On each of the upper ends 15 of the arms 13' and 13'', a round portion 20 is provided by drawing, the internal surface of which, i.e., its surface facing the other arm, acts as the seat for the spring 18. In order that the spring 18 -- which is a double Archimedean spiral spring -- may be hooked, hooks 21 are provided at each end of said spring. At the assembly time, said hooks 21 are each entered into a respective hole 22 provided on an edge of the round portion 20.
[0017] The screwed rod 14, which, in conjunction with the screwed bore 19'' acts as the clamping element for said arms 13' and 13'', is preferably made of steel and in the exemplifying embodiment displayed in the Figures, has a hexagonal head 24 onto which a wing nut 25,usually made from thermoplastic material, is mounted. The wing nut 25, which thus results to be integrally mounted on the screwed rod 14, has a central hollow zone acting as the seat for the hexagonal head 24 of the above said rod 14. Furthermore, on a lower surface of said wing nut 25, a seat is provided to house a so-said "O-ring" 27, made of rubber. In that way, a tight seal is realized on the arms 13' and 13'' clamping bore 16.
[0018] Those skilled in the art will realize that any other mechanically equivalent clamping means can be used in lieu of the exemplifying embodiment illustrated hereinabove.
[0019] The arms 13' and 13'' which, in their rest position result to be lowered and resting against an edge 30 of the flush-mounted lighting body 11, are, on the contrary, rotated during the assembly, i.e., during the installation, to their position shown in phantom line in Figure 1. Said so lifted arms 13' and 13'' are inserted, or slid, into a hollow inside which the lighting body 11 is to be installed. When the insertion is complete, or when the desired position for the lighting body 11 is reached, both arm pairs are released. The double-spiral springs 18, which got loaded during the rotation of the arms 13' and 13'', tend to return back to their initial position, i.e., their rest position. Therefore, the spring 18 causes the arms 13' and 13'' to revolve back towards their original rest position, which, in that way, come to urge against the support surface 33 of the housing hollow, which need not be necessarily planar, because the arms are capable of arranging themselves according to the shape of the concerned surface.
[0020] The installation of the lighting body inside said housing hollow is completed by locking the devices 12. For that purpose, the arms 13' and 13'' are tightened by acting on the wing nut 25 which, by causing the rod 14 -- with which it is integral -- to revolve, causes the outer arm 13'', which bears the screwed bore 19'', to move closer to the inner arm 13' already resting against the protruding portion 17. The friction resistance between the arms 13' and 13'' is secured by two protruding elements 31 bent towards the inner arm 13', which are provided on an external edge of the enlarged terminal end of the outer arm 13''. Furthermore, a boss 32 is provided, still on the same arm, in the nearby the drawn portion 20 and protruding towards the inner arm 13'.
[0021] One of the advantages offered by the fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to the present finding, is that, besides being easily manufactured, it also allows a simple installation of the flush-mounted lighting body.
[0022] Another important advantage is given by the possibility of installation on carrier surfaces, i.e., false ceilings, which not necessarily are with constant thickness because, as already said hereinabove, the arms are capable of arranging themselves according to the shape of the concerned surface.
1. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies which can be positioned on a side
support surface of a lighting body, characterized in that it is constituted by one
pair of arms, i.e., an outer arm and an inner arm, arranged according to a compass
fashion and constrained, by means of a screwed rod, to a first, enlarged end thereof
and kept mutually spaced apart, in a rest position, by a spring, with said screwed
rod being suitable for being slid into a through-bore provided though said inner arm
and screwed down into a screwed bore of said outer arm, with said screwed bore and
said screwed rod forming a clamping element for both of said arms.
2. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 1, characterized
in that each end of said spring is constrained inside a hole provided on said enlarged
end of said arms.
3. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 1 or 2, characterized
in that said spring is a double-spiral spring.
4. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 2, characterized
in that two mutually facing surfaces of said drawn zones serve as seats for said spring.
5. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 1, characterized
in that on an external edge of said enlarged end of said outer arms, two protruding
elements bent towards said inner arm, are provided.
6. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 2, characterized
in that on said outer arm a boss is provided in the nearby the drawn portion, extending
towards said inner arm.
7. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 1, characterized
in that said screwed rod is a hexagonal-head rod.
8. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 7, characterized
in that said hexagonal head of said rod is housed inside a central hollow provided
in a wing nut element.
9. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 8, characterized
in that said wing nut element has, on a lower surface thereof, a seat for an O-ring.
10. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 1, characterized
in that arms have an arc-bent shape.
11. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 1, characterized
in that said screwed rod is made of steel.
12. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 8, characterized
in that wing nut is made from a thermoplastic material.
13. Fastening device for flush-mounted lighting bodies according to claim 9, characterized
in that said wing nut is an O-ring of rubber.