[0001] The invention relates to a sheet lighting luminaire comprising:
a housing having a light emission window ad means for holding on to a mast;
a reflector provided with a lampholder opening remote away from the means for holding
on to a mast, in front of the light emission window in the housing;
a transparent plate closing the light emission window;
a lampholder for holding and electrically contacting a one-sided capped electric lamp
inside the reflector, detachably fastened in an operational position in the lampholder
opening;
a supply unit for electrically supplying an accommodated, lamp in the housing;
an electric male connector electrically and mechanically connected to the lampholder;
an electric female connector arranged in the housing, in electrical contact with the
male connector, and electrically connected to the supply unit,
which lampholder can be brought into the operational position in the lampholder opening
from outside the reflector while bypassing the light emission window, and can also
be removed therefrom while bypassing the light emission window, the male and female
connectors making electrical contacts with one another and breaking their electrical
contacts, respectively, during this.
[0002] Such a street lighting luminaire is known from EP-A-0 686 805.
[0003] The known street lighting luminaire renders it possible to replace an electric lamp
in the luminaire with a new lamp in that a hinging cover of the housing is opened
and the lampholder with the lamp inside is removed from the lampholder opening of
the reflector without opening the light emission window.
[0004] During its removal the lampholder must be rotated before it can be taken from the
reflector in a translatory movement. The electrical connection between the lampholder
and the supply unit is broken with certainty upon the removal of the lampholder, so
that the lamp can be safely exchanged. This is an advantage of the known luminaire.
[0005] It is a disadvantage of the luminaire, however, that the hinging cover must first
be opened and be fixed in the open position before the lampholder can be brought to
the exterior. The old lamp can then be screwed from the lampholder and a new lamp
can be inserted. After the lampholder with the lamp has been mounted in the luminaire
again, the cover can be closed.
[0006] This procedure of exchanging lamps in street lighting luminaires, which is to be
carried out usually from a cherry picker on account of the height of the masts used,
is comparatively time-consuming.
[0007] A street lighting luminaire is known from US-A-4,028,541 whose transparent plate
with the reflector and lampholder with lamp connected thereto can hinge outwards,
whereupon the lampholder can be detached for exchanging the lamp.
[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide a street lighting luminaire of the kind
described in the opening paragraph which is of a simple construction which facilitates
a fast replacement of an inserted electric lamp.
[0009] According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the housing has an opening
through which the lampholder can be brought into its operational position in the lampholder
opening, which opening in the housing is closed by means of a lid which is detachable
from the housing and to which the lampholder is fastened.
[0010] The street lighting luminaire according to the invention renders it possible to exchange
an inserted lamp easily and quickly in that the detachable lid is taken from the housing,
and thus bringing the lampholder and the lamp held therein to the outside simultaneously,
in one operation. It is a particularly attractive feature of the street lighting luminaire
that the lid with the lampholder, the lamp and the connector can be fully detached
electrically and mechanically and removed from the housing, so that it is possible
to approach the luminaire with a spare set of the lid with the lampholder and connector
fastened thereto, complete with a new lamp inserted therein. After removal of the
lid from the luminaire, the spare lid assembly is placed, whereby the lamp replacement
is effected. The lamp in the lid just removed may be replaced on the way to a next
luminaire. The time necessary for the replacement of a lamp can be additionally reduced
thereby.
[0011] It is favorable that the dimensions of the lid need be only a little larger, for
example by 2 cm, than the greatest lateral dimension of the lamp to be placed in the
luminaire.
[0012] In a favorable embodiment, the lampholder can be removed from its operational position
by means of a linear translatory movement away from the housing. This has the advantage
of an enhanced ease of replacement, but also of the possibility of using simple, for
example commercially available male and female connectors which can be coupled and
uncoupled by means of a simple linear translation.
[0013] It is furthermore favorable when a locking device for the lid is provided which can
be operated without the use of tools, for example, an overlap clip at the housing
which grips over the lid. This embodiment renders possible an even faster and easier
lamp exchange.
[0014] In a favorable modification of the above, the lid itself carries the locking device.
This embodiment offers the possibility of unlocking the unit formed by lid, lampholder,
connector, and lamp with one hand, for example in one fluent movement, and removing
it, and also of placing a new unit with a new lamp inside with the other hand and
locking it.
[0015] In an embodiment, the opening in the housing is arranged in a hood with a hinge and
a closure which is part of the housing. In a modification thereof, the hood can only
be rotated about the hinge so as to be opened when the lid has been removed. This
has the advantage that it is prevented that the lamp and the lampholder can be touched
while the hood is open, for example for inspection or maintenance, while they are
live. In this modification, for example, the closure of the hood may be overlapped
by the lid, for example, by a projecting tag of the lid.
[0016] An embodiment of the street lighting luminaire according to the invention is shown
in the drawing, in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a luminaire with a lamp; and
Fig. 2 shows a detail of a modified version of Fig. 1, with the lamp removed therefrom.
[0017] In Fig. 1, the street lighting luminaire comprises a housing 1 provided with a light
emission window 2 and means 3 for holding on to a mast
a. A reflector 4 is present in the housing in front of the light emission window and
is provided with a lampholder opening 5 at a side which faces away from the means
3 for holding on to a mast
a. A transparent plate 6, for example made of polymethyl methacrylate, closes off the
light emission window 2. In the Figure, the plate 6 is sealed against the housing
1 by means of a gasket 13. A lampholder 7, e.g. an Edison lampholder for holding and
electrically contacting a one-sided capped electric lamp
b within the reflector 4 is detachably fastened in an operational position in the lampholder
opening 5. A supply unit 8 for electrically supplying an accommodated lamp
b is present in the housing. The lamp shown is a high-pressure sodium discharge lamp
with a tubular outer envelope. Alternatively, however, the lamp used may well have
an ellipsoidal outer envelope.
A male electric connector 71 is electrically, to make a phase and a zero connection,
and mechanically connected to the lampholder 7. A female electric connector 9 is arranged
in the housing, in electric contact with the male connector 71 and electrically connected
to the supply unit 8 via a cable 10. The lampholder 7 with the lamp
b inside can be brought from outside the reflector 4 into its operational position
in the lampholder opening 5 while bypassing the light emission window 2, and can be
removed therefrom also while bypassing the light emission window 2. The male connector
71 and the female connector 9 then make electric contacts and break their electric
contacts, respectively.
[0018] The housing 1 has an opening 11 through which the lampholder 7 can be brought into
its operational position in the lampholder opening 5, which opening 11 in the housing
1 is closed with a lid 72 which is detachable from the housing and to which the lampholder
7 is fastened.
[0019] A hood 12, which can be opened for maintenance of the supply unit 8, of the reflector
4, and of the plate 6, forms part of the housing 1 of the luminaire shown. The hood
has a hinge 14 and a closure 15. The opening 11 is present in the hood 12.
[0020] The lampholder 7 can be removed from its operational position by means of a linear
translatory movement from the housing 1, see also Fig. 2.
[0021] The luminaire has a locking device 73 for the lid 72 of the housing 1 which can be
operated without tools. The locking device 73 is supported by the lid 72. In the embodiment
shown, the locking device comprises hinging arms which are pressed against the inside
of the housing 1, i.e. the inside of the hood 12 of the housing 1 in the Figures,
by a spring 76.
[0022] The locking action can be lifted in that a button 74 at the outside of the lid 72
is pulled out, see Fig. 2. This is rendered even easier in the modification shown
in Fig. 2, where a handle 75 is present on the lid 72 by which the unit shown can
be gripped and carried. During gripping, it is possible to pull the button 74, so
that the locking arms 73 hinge towards one another and their free ends assume a smaller
interspacing. The lid 72 may as a result be removed in one fluent movement with one
hand while the lock is being operated, complete with the lampholder 7, the lamp
b, and the connector 71 from the housing, i.e. from the operational position of the
lampholder 7, or may be connected to the housing in said position in such a movement.
[0023] The hood can only be opened after the lid 72 with the lamp
b has been removed from the housing. A projecting tag 77 of the lid 72 overlaps the
closure 15 after the lid 72 has been placed.
1. A street lighting luminaire comprising:
a housing (1) having a light emission window (2) and means (3) for holding on to a
mast (a);
a reflector (4) provided with a lampholder opening (5) remote from the means (3) for
holding on to a mast (a), in front of the light emission window (2) in the housing;
a transparent plate (6) closing the light emission window (2);
a lampholder (7) for holding and electrically contacting a one-sided capped electric
lamp (b) inside the reflector (4), detachably fastened in an operational position
in the lampholder opening (5);
a supply unit (8) for electrically supplying an accommodated lamp (b) in the housing;
an electric male connector (71) electrically and mechanically connected to the lampholder
(7);
an electric female connector (9) arranged in the housing, in electrical contact with
the male connector (71), and electrically connected to the supply unit (8),
wherein the lampholder (7) can be brought into the operational position in the
lampholder opening (5) from outside the reflector (4) while bypassing the light emission
window (2), and can also be removed therefrom while bypassing the light emission window
(2), the male (71) and female (9) connectors making electrical contacts with one another
and breaking their electrical contacts, respectively, during this,
characterized in that the housing (1) has an opening (11) through which the lampholder
(7) can be brought into its operational position in the lampholder opening (5), which
opening (11) in the housing (1) is closed by means of a lid (72) which is detachable
from the housing and to which the lampholder (7) is fastened.
2. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the lampholder
(7) can be removed from its operational position by means of a linear translatory
movement away from the housing (1).
3. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a locking
device (73) for the lid (72) is provided which can be operated without the use of
tools.
4. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that the lid (72)
supports the locking device (73).
5. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that the lid (72)
mounted to the housing can be unlocked and removed from the housing (1) with one hand
in one fluent movement.
6. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the
lid (72) can be mounted and locked to the housing (1) with one hand in one fluent
movement.
7. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, characterized
in that the opening (11) in the housing (1) is present in a hood (12) with a hinge
(14) and a closure (15), which hood forms part of the housing (1).
8. A street lighting luminaire as claimed in Claim 7, characterized in that the hood
(12) can be rotated about the hinge (14) exclusively when the lid (72) has been removed.