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(11) | EP 1 172 603 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Electrical emergency device |
| (57) An electrical emergency device (1), comprising a support (2) made of insulating material
which can be anchored to fixed parts, a box-like enclosure (3) made of insulating
material which can be detachably engaged with elements for the engagement of the support
(2), rechargeable electrical batteries for supplying an electrical user, a transformer
in which the secondary circuit is accommodated in the enclosure (3), electrical means
suitable to connect the secondary circuit to the batteries, the primary and secondary
circuits being electromagnetically coupled in order to charge the batteries when the
enclosure (3) is associated with the support (2). |
[0002] It is known that electrical emergency devices, particularly quick-coupling emergency lamps, have already been commercially available for several years. These lamps are constituted by a support provided with a terminal strip for mains wiring with corresponding energy transmission connectors, by a light source provided with appropriate pins for interfacing with the connectors, and by a cover made of transparent material which is suitable to diffuse the light emitted by the light source. The cover is an integral part of the emergency lamp, since it ensures that the system constituted by the support and the light source is insulated from the user or, more generally, the surrounding environment.
[0003] In particular, it has been found that the need to ensure an easy lamp replacement, i.e., to mechanically insert the pins of the lamp into the connectors of the support, hinders the provision of a hermetic execution of the emergency lamp with a high protection rating, defined according to the relevant technical standards by the acronym IP (International Protection). This IP rating is clearly very important, because, as said rating increases so do the protection characteristics of the enclosures of the emergency lamps with respect to direct contacts for people and against external agents such as dust, corrosive atmospheric chemicals, moisture and water which penetrate very easily if the IP rating is not sufficiently high.
[0004] The aim of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned drawbacks by providing an electrical emergency device which allows to obtain an emergency lamp with a high IP rating.
[0005] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a device which ensures quick coupling of the emergency lamp and ensures that this operation can be performed even by a person who is not skilled in the field of electrical systems, working in the best electrical insulation conditions.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to extend the average life of the power supply batteries of the emergency device.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a device in which there is no connection to dangerous voltages.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and relatively low in cost.
[0009] This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by the present electrical emergency device, characterized in that it comprises a support made of insulating material which can be anchored to fixed parts, a box-like enclosure made of insulating material which can be detachably engaged with means for the engagement of said support, rechargeable electrical batteries for supplying an electrical user, a transformer in which the primary circuit is accommodated in said support and the secondary circuit is accommodated in said enclosure, electrical means suitable to connect said secondary circuit to said batteries, said primary and secondary circuits being electromagnetically coupled in order to charge said batteries when said enclosure is associated with said support.
[0010] Further particularities and advantages will become better apparent from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an electrical emergency device according to the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of the support and of the box-like enclosure;
Figure 3 is another exploded view of the device according to the invention;
Figure 4 is a front elevation view of the box-like enclosure associated with the support;
Figure 5 is a sectional view, taken along the line V-V of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a sectional view, taken along the line VI-VI of Figure 4;
Figure 7 is a view of a detail of the heat-seal provided between the cover and the box-like enclosure;
Figures 8 and 9 are views of the electrical power supply and control circuits of the device according to the invention.
[0011] With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates an electrical emergency device constituted by a support 2 made of insulating material and by a box-like enclosure 3 also made of insulating material.
[0012] The support 2 is constituted by a base 4 and by a covering element 5 which are closed by means of screws being screwed into holes 7 so as to define internally, between the base 4 and the covering element 5, a hollow region 11, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The covering element 5 has a face 12 which is constituted by a flat surface 13 and by a rectangular protrusion 14. The flat surface 13 and the rectangular protrusion 14 are delimited laterally by sides 15 from which projections 8 protrude which couple to a corresponding number of projections 8 provided on the sides of the base 4. A portion of the flat surface 15 rises so as to define a sort of substantially cylindrical protrusion 17, while another portion, which is arranged so as to constitute an extension, is recessed so as to define two openings 18, 19 in which strips 20 of insulating and transparent material are inserted with an interlocking coupling in order to electrically insulate the support 2 from the outside environment.
[0013] The support 2 on the flat surface 13 rigidly supports engagement means by way of which it is detachably engaged by the box-like enclosure 3.
[0014] The engagement means comprise a pawl system 22 associated with the lower part 23 of the support 2 and a plurality of teeth 25 provided on the upper part 24 of the support 2. Proximate to the lower part 23 there are slots 21 in which fixing screws, not shown in the drawings, are inserted; such screws are designed to fix the support 2 to fixed parts, such as walls, ceilings and the like.
[0015] Finally, the upper part 24 has a hole 26 in which a cable guide 27, made of insulating material, is inserted; the electrical power supply cables are guided through said cable guide.
[0016] The box-like enclosure 3 is constituted by a backplate 28 and by a cover 29 which are heat-sealed along peripheral edges 30 so as to define a cavity 31. The cavity 31 includes a lower portion which defines a seat 32 having a semicircular cross-section for containing the electric accumulating batteries 33 and another central V-shaped portion in which the electrical contacts 34 for supplying an electrical user, constituted for example by a light source 35, are arranged. The backplate 28 has, in its upper central region, on the part that faces outward, a compartment 36 shaped complementarily to the covering element 5.
[0017] The compartment 36 defines a face 37 which is bound perimetrically by two sides 38 and by an upper stringer 39 and a lower stringer 40. The face 37, which is directed toward the face 12, defines a portion which is hollowed out so as to define a recess 41 which is engaged coaxially by the protrusion 17 and another portion which is hollowed out so as to define two openings 42 and 43 being shaped complementarily to the openings 18, 19. A corresponding number of strips 44 made of transparent insulating material is inserted in each one of the pairs of openings 42 and 43. Finally, the sides 38 have, in their central region, recesses 45 in which the protrusions 8 fit so as to guide the coupling of the box-like enclosure 3 to the support 2.
[0018] The removable coupling of the box-like enclosure 3 with the support 2 is ensured by the plurality of teeth 25 which enter, with an interlocking coupling, the seats 46 provided in the upper stringer 39, and by the pawl system 24 which enters the slot 43 provided in the cover 29.
[0019] The cover 29 is made of transparent insulating material in order to allow diffusion of the light radiation emitted by the light source 35 connected to the electrical contacts 34 supplied as described hereinafter.
[0020] The electrical power is transmitted from the support 2 to the box-like enclosure 3 by way of a transformer 48 when the support 2 is coupled to the box-like enclosure 3.
[0021] In the transformer 48, the primary circuit 48a is connected by way of input terminals 49 to first electrical means being integrated on a first electrical board 50 which is accommodated in the hollow region 11 of the support 2, and the secondary circuit 48b is connected by way of the output terminals 51 to electrical means being integrated on a second electrical board 52 which is accommodated in the cavity 31 of the box-like enclosure 3, as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7.
[0022] The primary circuit 48a is a winding which winds around a ferrite core 53 fixed to the first electrical board 52 and arranged coaxially to the protrusion 17.
[0023] The secondary circuit 48b also is a winding which winds around the internal peripheral region of the recess 41. The recess 41 is engaged coaxially by the protrusion 17 during the mating of the box-like enclosure 3 with the support 2, so as to provide a magnetic coupling. Such magnetic coupling allows to transmit energy, in the form of electromagnetic energy, from the first electrical means located inside the support 2 to the electrical means arranged inside the enclosure 3 with absolutely no live external parts.
[0024] The first electrical means comprises a Graetz bridge 54 connected to the power supply terminal strip 55, in turn connected to the power supply cables. The Graetz bridge 54 is connected, at its output, to a voltage/frequency converter 56 which is connected in output to the input terminals 49 of the primary circuit 48a. Advantageously, upstream of the Graetz bridge 54 there is an inductive filter 57 in order to attenuate sudden current variations and peaks and a capacitive filter 58 in order to reduce the noise on the voltage in input to the voltage/frequency converter 56 and thus comply with the requirements of the laws on electromagnetic compatibility. Furthermore, for uses which entail small loads it is possible to insert a capacitor 59 in series to one of the branches in input to the Graetz bridge 54. Finally, the capacitor 59 can be selected with different capacitances according to the power level of the electrical load to be supplied.
[0025] The voltage at a frequency f1 is drawn from the mains by means of the power supply terminal strip 55. Such voltage is first rectified by the Graetz bridge 54 and then filtered by means of the capacitive filter 58 and finally converted into an AC voltage having a frequency f2 > f1 by means of the voltage/frequency converter 56 and sent to the primary circuit 48a of the transformer 48.
[0026] The voltage at the frequency f2 is induced on the secondary circuit 48b and sent to the electrical means, adapted a diode 60 for rectifying the voltage and a voltage/current regulator 61 adapted to regulate the charging of the batteries 33. Advantageously, a capacitive filter 63 is inserted upstream of the voltage regulator 61 in order to attenuate noise.
[0027] The first electrical board 50 and the second electrical board 52 have respective integrated first and second control means which are suitable to monitor and control the operating status of the batteries 33 and of the electrical user, which in this case is the light source 35.
[0028] Each one of the first and second control means is connected to respective data conditioning/processing circuits 64, 65. The first and second means are constituted by an emitter LED 66 and by a receiver photodiode 67 which are interfaced for data exchange by means of the openings 18, 19 and 42, 43, as shown in Figures 5 and 9. The monitoring of the electrical device 1 or of the batteries 33 and of the light source 35 occurs as follows: the conditioning/processing circuit 64, depending on the intended operating requirements, sends electrical signals which are representative of the operating state imposed on the conditioning/processing circuit 64. The electrical signals are converted into a light signal by the emitter diode 66 and then are converted back into an electrical signal by the receiver photodiode 67. These last electrical signals are sent to the conditioning/processing circuit 65, which monitors the operating state of the accumulating batteries 33 and of the emergency lamp 35, as set by means of the conditioning/processing circuit 64. The data acquired by the conditioning/processing circuit 65 are sent, in the same manner, to the conditioning/processing circuit 64.
[0029] In practical operation, after assembling the mechanical parts and wiring the electrical parts of the support 2 and of the box-like enclosure 3, the electrical device 1 is immediately operational when the box-like enclosure 3 is inserted in the support 2. After the mechanical insertion of the box-like enclosure 3 in the support 2, it is in fact possible to transmit energy and exchange data without having to resort to the connection of external wires between the support 2 and the box-like enclosure 3.
[0030] Thereby, the electrical emergency device 1 is fully operational for emergency lighting and signaling according to known criteria.
[0031] An important feature of the device 1 is the fact that the support 2 and the box-like enclosure 3 hermetically enclose internally all the live parts. As a consequence, the degree of electrical insulation is high, thus allowing the user to work in maximum safety conditions.
[0032] Another very important feature is that the heat-sealing process provides a hermetic closure of the box-like enclosure 3, thus allowing to obtain a device which has a high IP rating. As a consequence, the device can be installed for emergency lighting and signaling even in the locations considered most at risk, such as for example areas which are damp and heavily polluted by corrosive atmospheric agents.
[0033] The easy assembly of the box-like enclosure 3 with the support 2 further allows even an unskilled user to handle the device 1 without having to resort to an expert electrician. If the light source 35 and/or the batteries 33 deteriorate, the user can easily remove the box-like element 3 and take it to a specialized repair center or replace it conveniently with a new one while keeping the old support.
[0034] Finally, it is important to note that the presence of the voltage/frequency converter in the support reduces the average operating temperature in the box-like enclosure that accommodates the accumulating batteries. This is beneficial for the accumulating batteries, which by operating at lower temperatures over time significantly increase their useful life.
[0036] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.
[0037] A variation related to the openings 18, 19 and 42, 43 is provided by walls whose thickness is reduced appropriately in order to allow the passage of the light pulses.
[0038] Moreover, infrared emitter/receiver components can be used in order to attenuate the interference of ambient light in the electrooptical transmission of the signals.
[0039] Advantageously, a variation which is not shown in the drawings consists of an electrical user which can be for example an electric power outlet at an end of a small- or medium-power electrical unit. The power outlet is constituted by a case made of insulating material which is shaped so as to accommodate the secondary circuit of the transformer which, by coupling to the primary circuit of the transformer of the support, allows to supply power to the electrical unit.
[0041] In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and the dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims.
[0042] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. BO2000A000368 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
[0043] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
1. An electrical emergency device, characterized in that it comprises a support made of insulating material which can be anchored to fixed
parts, a box-like enclosure made of insulating material which can be detachably engaged
with means for the engagement of said support, rechargeable electrical batteries for
supplying an electrical user, a transformer in which the primary circuit is accommodated
in said support and the secondary circuit is accommodated in said enclosure, electrical
means suitable to connect said secondary circuit to said batteries, said primary and
secondary circuits being electromagnetically coupled in order to charge said batteries
when said enclosure is associated with said support.
2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said box-like enclosure is constituted by a backplate and a cover which are heat-sealed
along peripheral edges.
3. The device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said electrical user is a light source which is accommodated in the internal cavity
provided between said cover and said backplate.
4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that said cover is made of transparent material suitable to diffuse the light emitted
by the lamp.
5. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said support is constituted by a base and by a covering element which are heat-sealed
at peripheral edges so as to define internally a hollow region of said support.
6. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said engagement means comprise a pawl associated with the lower part of said support
and a plurality of teeth provided in the upper part of said support, said pawl and
said plurality of teeth being suitable to engage respective complementary seats provided
in said box-like enclosure.
7. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said covering element defines a substantially cylindrical protrusion and two openings
in which strips of insulating and transparent material are inserted.
8. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said backplate defines a compartment whose shape is complementary to said covering
element.
9. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said compartment has a recess which is coaxial in coupling to said protrusion and
another pair of openings which are coaxial to said pair of openings and in which a
corresponding number of strips of insulating and transparent material are inserted.
10. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a first board which is accommodated in said hollow region proximate
to said covering element and in which first electrical means are integrated, said
first electrical means being connected in output to the input of said primary circuit.
11. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a second board which is accommodated in said cavity proximate to said
compartment and on which said electrical means are integrated.
12. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said primary circuit is a winding which is fixed onto said first board coaxially
to said first protrusion.
13. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said secondary circuit is a winding which is fixed onto said second board coaxially
to said recess.
14. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical ferrite core fixed to said first board coaxially to said
winding of said primary circuit, said core being suitable to increase the magnetic
induction flux that is concatenated with said winding of the secondary circuit.
15. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises first and second control means which are integrated respectively on
said boards, said first and second control means being suitable to exchange data for
the continuous monitoring and control of the operating state of said device.
16. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first electrical means comprise a Graetz bridge suitable to rectify the voltage
and a voltage/frequency converter which is connected to said primary circuit.
17. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electrical means comprise a diode connected to the output of said secondary
circuit of the transformer and a voltage/current regulator which is arranged between
said diode and said batteries, said regulator being suitable to regulate the charging
of said batteries.
18. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first and second control means respectively comprise a light-emitting LED and
a light-receiving photodiode which are interfaced by means of said openings.
19. The device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said user is an electric power outlet at the end of a small- or medium-power electrical
unit.
20. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said power outlet is constituted by a case made of insulating material being shaped
so as to accommodate said secondary circuit which is suitable to couple to said primary
circuit provided in said support, in order to supply said electrical unit.