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(11) | EP 1 733 653 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Lighting device for display cabinets and/or display areas |
| (57) Lighting device for display cabinets or display premises, comprising at least one
base (10;110) to which conductors (12;112) are integrally fixed, and at least one
lamp-holder body (20;120) inside which the light sources (21) are arranged, said lamp
holder having, attached thereto, permanent magnets (22;122) arranged in a position
opposite that of the conducting bars (12;112) for engagement with each other.
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[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting device for display cabinets or display premises both of a public and of a private nature.
[0002] In the technical sector relating to the manufacture of display cabinets for products of various kinds such as cosmetics, perfumes and the like, it is known that there exist problems arising from the need to illuminate said products arranged on the various shelves of the display cabinet, while ensuring at the same time the safety of the user who, upon approaching the cabinet and removing a product, must not - even accidentally - come into contact with live electrical parts.
[0003] Numerous devices able to achieve optimum insulation of the visible parts of the display cabinet, using also low-voltage lighting means, have been produced.
[0004] These known display cabinets, however, result in the need to install complicated and costly electrical wiring and/or electrical contact means of the sliding type which increase considerably the cost of producing and maintaining the display cabinet.
[0005] The technical problem which is posed, therefore, is to provide a lighting device for display cabinets and/or display areas used for products of various kinds, which allows diffusion of light over all the objects displayed, without the need for electrical wires and/or electrical connections on each shelf/area to be illuminated.
[0006] In connection with this problem, a further requirement is that the display cabinet should be easy and inexpensive to produce and assemble and allow the possibility of varying the relative arrangement of the lighting points so that these are directed towards the product without the need for structural modification of the display cabinet and/or the lighting installation.
[0007] These results are obtained according to the present invention by a lighting device for display cabinets or display premises, comprising at least one base to which conductors are integrally fixed and at least one lamp-holder body inside which the various light sources are arranged, said lamp holder having, attached thereto, permanent magnets arranged in a position opposite that of the conductors in the base for engagement with each other.
[0008] Further details may be obtained from the following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment of the present invention provided with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the lighting device according to the present invention;
- Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-section, along a transverse vertical plane, of the device according to Fig. 1;
- Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of a lighting device according to the present invention;
- Figure 4 shows a schematic perspective view of a third embodiment of a lighting device according to the present invention;
- Figure 5 shows a partial schematic cross-section, along a transverse plane, of the device according to Fig. 4;
- Figure 6 shows a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment of the device according to the invention;
- Figure 7 shows a cross-section along the plane indicated by VII-VII in Fig. 6;
- Figures 8 and 9 show a schematic perspective view, partially exploded and assembled, of a further embodiment of the device according to the invention; and
- Figure 10 shows a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment of the device according to the invention.
[0009] As shown in Fig. 1, the lighting device for display cabinets according to the present invention comprises:
- a fixed base 10 which extends over a suitable length in a longitudinal direction indicated by X-X and which has, formed therein, seats 11 extending longitudinally substantially over the entire length of the base 10 and able to contain conductors 12 in the form of parallelepiped bars which are supplied with low voltage direct current by means of corresponding power supply means connected to the electrical mains (not shown in that they are conventional per se) and able to determine the dual polarity (-) and (+) of the electrical circuit of the light sources;
- a lamp-holder body 20 inside which the light sources 21, preferably consisting of power LEDs (light emitter diodes), are arranged; said lamp holder also has, attached thereto, permanent magnets 22 which are arranged in a position corresponding to and opposite that of the conducting bars 12 of the base 10 with which the magnets 22 are engaged during use.
[0010] Said LEDs are suitably connected, by means of leads 21a incorporated inside the lamp-holder body 20, to the magnetic bars 22 by means of which they receive the d.c. power supply.
[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, it is envisaged, moreover, that the lamp holder 20 is divided into two parts, 20a and 20b respectively, which are joined together by means of hinging means 25 which are shown, solely by way of example in Fig. 2, as a spherical body and are able to allow a relative rotational and/or translatory movement of one part 20a with respect to the other part 20b, so as to maintain the engagement between the magnets 22 and the bars 11 and the simultaneous orientation of the light sources 21 depending on the specific requirements during use.
[0012] It is envisaged, moreover, that a heat-conducting element 26 able to dissipate the heat generated by the light sources is also associated with the lamp holder 20.
[0013] Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of the device according to the invention which envisages a substantially flat base 110 formed by a first sheet 110a of insulating material in which the conductors 112 are formed, for example using the silk-screen printing technique or printed circuit technology, said conductors being able to determine the dual polarity of the electric power supply circuit, and a second sheet 110b of insulating material provided with a grid arrangement of openings 110c and able to be joined to the first sheet 110a.
[0014] In this configuration it is envisaged that the lamp holder 120 has compact dimensions and is provided with a single pair of magnets 122 of the pin type for insertion inside the preselected openings 110c in the surface 110b.
[0015] With this configuration it is possible to obtain a greater range of uses since the conductors 112 may be made in a wide variety of forms using printing technology and the grid 112b allows insertion of the lamp-holder body 120 in the most suitable points for the specific use.
[0016] Figs. 4 and 5 show a further embodiment of the device according to the invention in which the base 310 is in the form of a multi-layered flat sheet composed of a first outer layer 312 made of ferrous material, an inner layer 310a made of insulating material and a second outer layer 310b of ferrous/conducting material situated opposite the first layer, with respect to the insulating layer.
[0017] The second outer layer 310b and the insulating inner layer 310a have, passing through them, a grid arrangement of holes 310c suitable for insertion of the lamp holder 320 which is substantially T-shaped with one end of the shank 320a provided with a magnetic element 322 and a bottom surface of the head 320b in turn provided with contact plates 322 made of magnetic/conducting material corresponding to the material of the outer layer 310b.
[0018] With this configuration, once the lamp holder 320 has been inserted in any hole 310c of the base 310, the magnetic element 322 will ensure both stable retention of the lamp holder and electrical contact with the first outer layer 312 forming the first pole of the electric power supply circuit closed by the magnetic/conducting plates 322 of the head 320b of the lamp holder which make contact with the other pole of the circuit consisting of the second outer conducting layer 310b of the base 310.
[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the device shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it is envisaged that the overall thickness of the base 310 may be between a few tenths of a millimetre and few millimetres so as to allow the formation of supports which can be rolled up/unrolled and can be mounted on walls/ceilings by means of gluing in a manner similar to that of wallpaper.
[0020] In this way it will be possible to fit out beforehand the entire area, for example of the ceiling inside a shop, and rearrange therein with a great degree of freedom both the display cabinets and the respective light sources, without the need for complicated refurbishment work.
[0021] Figs. 6 and 7 show a further embodiment of the device according to the present invention in which the base 210 is in the form of a section with lateral rails 215 extending in the longitudinal direction and suitable for engagement with lugs 235 of the lamp-holder body 220, which in this embodiment is also divided into two parts 220a and 220b, respectively, joined together by means of a hinging element 25, as already described in connection with Figure 2.
[0022] Since the remaining parts have the same function, they retain the same reference numbers as in the other figures and are not described in detail.
[0023] Figs. 8 and 9 show a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, in which the base 410 has a substantially parallelepiped extension with a longitudinal dimension X-X and a vertical dimension Z-Z much greater than the transverse dimension Y-Y.
[0024] In this configuration, the conductors 412 are inserted in corresponding seats 411 in the vertical surfaces 410a of the insulating base 410 which has a free edge 413 shaped so as to form the male element of a connection in which the female element 423 is formed in the insulating body 420a of the lamp holder 420.
[0025] The latter has, in turn, two contact plates 422a arranged on opposite sides of the insulating body 420a and with opposite vertical edges suitably projecting in the direction Z-Z towards the outside of the said insulating body; the end of each contact plate able to engage with the base 410 has longitudinal magnets 422 able to adhere to the conductors 412 so as to form the conducting element of the electric circuit closed on opposite sides by the electrical contacts of the light sources 21 suitably inserted inside a body 420b able to engage with the said projecting part of the plates 422a.
[0026] Finally, Fig. 10 shows a further embodiment of the device according to the invention substantially complementing the preceding embodiment; in this case, in fact, the base 510 has a substantially U-shaped form with conductors 512 arranged in associated seats 511 inside the vertical branches of the U, and the lamp holder 520 consists of an insulating body 520a which has, fixed thereto, convex plates made of magnetic material 522, and a head piece 520b inside which the LEDs 21 are arranged, as already described.
[0027] In this configuration the lamp holder is inserted inside the base 510 and electrical operation is entirely similar to that already described.
[0028] It can therefore be seen how, with the device according to the invention, it is possible to achieve effective lighting of display cabinets and/or display premises of widely varying forms without the need for complicated electrical wiring and with low-voltage light sources which cannot be accessed by the user, for whom maximum safety is therefore ensured during installation and/removal of a product on display.
1. Lighting device for display cabinets or display premises, characterized in that it comprises at least one base (10;110;210,310;410;510) to which conductors (12;112;312;412;512)
are integrally fixed, and at least one lamp-holder body (20;120;220;320;420;520) inside
which light sources (21) are arranged, said lamp holder having, attached thereto,
permanent magnets (22;122;322;422;522) arranged in a position opposite that of the
conductors (12;112;312;412;512) for engagement with each other.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that seats (11) for containing said conductors (12;112;412;512) are formed in said base
(10;210,410;510).
3. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said seats (11;411;511) extend in the longitudinal direction and said conductors
are in the form of substantially parallelepiped bars (12;112;412;512).
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that said bars (12;112;412;512) are supplied with low-voltage direct current by means
of corresponding power supply means connected to the electrical mains.
5. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said lamp holder (20;120;220;320;420;520) is movable relative to the fixed base (10;110;210,310;410;510).
6. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said light sources (21) consist of power LEDs.
7. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said light sources (21) are connected by means of leads (21a) incorporated in the
lamp-holder body (20;120;220;320;420;520) to the magnetic bars (22;122;322;422;522)
via which they receive the d.c. power supply.
8. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said lamp holder (20) is divided into two parts (20a,20b) connected together by means
(25) able to allow a relative rotational and/or translatory movement.
9. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that a heat-conducting element (26) able to dissipate the heat generated by the light
sources (21) is associated with the lamp holder (20).
10. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said base (110) is substantially flat and comprises a first sheet (110a) of insulating
material in which the conductors (112) are formed and a second sheet (110b) of insulating
material provided with a grid arrangement of openings (110c) and able to be joined
to the first sheet (110a).
11. Device according to Claim 9, characterized in that said conductors (112) are printed.
12. Device according to Claim 9, characterized in that said lamp holder (120) is provided with single pair of magnets (122) of the pin type
for insertion in the preselected openings (110c) of the surface (110b).
13. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said base (310) is in the form of a flat sheet composed of at least a first outer
layer (312) made of ferrous material, an inner layer (310a) made of insulating material
and a second outer layer (310b) which is situated opposite the first layer, with respect
to the insulating layer, and made of ferrous/conducting material.
14. Device according to Claim 13, characterized in that said second outer layer (310a) and the insulating inner layer have, passing through
them, a grid arrangement of holes (310c) suitable for insertion of the lamp holder
(320).
15. Device according to Claim 13, characterized in that the overall thickness of the base (310) is between a few tenths of a millimetre and
a few millimetres, suitable for allowing the formation of supports which can be rolled
up/unrolled.
16. Device according to Claim 13, characterized in that it said lamp holder (320) is substantially T-shaped with one end of the shank (320a)
having a magnetic element (322) and a bottom surface of the head in turn provided
with contact plates (322) made of magnetic/conducting material.
17. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said base (410) has a substantially parallelepiped extension with a longitudinal
dimension (X-X) and a vertical dimension (Z-Z) much greater than the transverse dimension
(Y-Y).
18. Device according to Claim 17, characterized in that the conductors (412) are inserted in the vertical surfaces (410a) of the insulating
base (410).
19. Device according to Claim 17, characterized in that said base (410) has a free edge (413) shaped so as to form the male element of a
connection, the female element (423) of which is formed in the insulating body (420a)
of the lamp holder (420).
20. Device according to Claim 17, characterized in that the lamp holder (420) has two contact plates (422a) arranged on opposite sides of
an insulating body (420a) and with opposite vertical edges suitably projecting towards
the outside of the said insulating body in the vertical direction (Z-Z).
21. Device according to Claim 19, characterized in that the end edge of each contact plate (422a) able to engage with the base (410) has
longitudinal magnets (422) able to adhere to the conductors (412).
22. Device according to Claim 19, characterized in that the light sources (21) are suitably inserted inside a body (420b) suitable for mechanical
and electrical engagement with the corresponding projecting end edge of each contact
plate (422a).
23. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said base (210) is in the form of a section with side rails (215) extending in the
longitudinal direction and suitable for engagement with corresponding lugs (235) of
the lamp-holder body (220).