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(11) | EP 2 413 028 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Joint for elongated lighting apparatus |
| (57) A joint (1', 1") is described for at least one lighting apparatus (2) with elongated
lamp (3) which is hookable to a fixed straight track (4) with respect to a wall/ceiling,
comprising at least one first element (5) adapted to integrally hook one lighting
apparatus (2) and connected by means of hinges (6) to a second element (7', 7") pivotally
hinged with a pin (8) to a connection (9) associated with said track (4).
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[0002] Reference is herein made to the kind of indoor lights accommodated on electrified tracks, in particular reference is made to lighting apparatuses with elongated, fluorescent lamps such as for example that called T5, or LED lamps, which are often found in office environments. Such apparatuses are generally fixed with respect to the ceiling or to the walls, typically in parallel arrays; hence said apparatuses are swivelling with respect to the fixed structure of the ceiling/walls.
[0003] There is a need to be able to guide said apparatuses, also individually and independently in case of lighting assemblies with several apparatuses, in order to be able to provide lighting which is more suitable for the environment and hence to provide swivelling lights with respect to their supports. In particular, the movement required is tilting and rotating with respect to the fixed electrified track.
[0004] It is hence the object of the present invention to propose a joint for allowing a tilting and rotating movement of a lighting apparatus with elongated lamp.
[0005] In accordance with the invention such an object is reached with a joint for at least one lighting apparatus with elongated lamp which is hookable to a fixed straight track with respect to a wall/ceiling, characterized in that it comprises at least one first element adapted to integrally hook one lighting apparatus and connected by means of hinges to a second element pivotally hinged with a pin to a connection associated with said track.
[0007] These and other features of the present invention will become increasingly apparent from the following detailed description of two of its non-limiting practical embodiment examples disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:
figure 1 shows a perspective view of a single and double joint comprised within one lighting assembly;
figure 2 shows a side view of the double joint in figure 1;
figure 3 shows a perspective view from below, of a single joint with lighting assembly rotated with respect to a track;
figure 4 shows a perspective view from above, of a first element of a joint according to the invention;
figure 5 shows a bottom view of figure 4;
figure 6 shows a section view according to the line VI-VI in figure 5;
figure 7 shows a perspective view from above, of a second element of a joint with double connection for said first element;
figure 8 shows a side view of figure 7;
figure 9 shows a back view of figure 7;
figure 10 shows a section view according to the line X-X in figure 9;
figure 11 shows a perspective view from above, of a third element of a joint with single connection for said first element;
figure 12 shows a top view of figure 11;
figure 13 shows a side view of figure 11;
figure 14 shows a back view of figure 11;
figure 15 shows a section view according to the line XV-XV of figure 12;
figure 16 shows a perspective view from above, of a connection for support track;
figure 17 shows a perspective view from below, of the connection in figure 16.
[0008] With reference to the accompanying figures, and in particular to figure 1, two joints 1' and 1" are present (whose differences will be explained later) for allowing a tilting/rotating movement of a lighting apparatus 2 for elongated fluorescent lamp 3, of the type obtainable with lamps called T5, with respect to a straight fastening track 4 for the lighting apparatus 2. Track 4 is fixed with respect to a wall/ceiling (not represented).
[0009] Joints 1' and 1" provide a first element 5 (figure 1) adapted to integrally hook the lighting apparatus 2 and hinged with at least one hinge 6 to a second element 7' and 7".
[0010] In particular, a first joint 1' provides a first element 5 (figures 1, 4-6) hinged to a second element 7' having single connection.
[0011] Instead, a second joint 1" provides a pair of hooking elements 5 integral with two lampholders 2 hinged to a single second element 7" having double connection. Hence, as will be increasingly apparent later, element 7' (figures from 11 to 15) is built to be connected, by means of hinges 6, to a single first element 5, and hence to a single lighting apparatus 2, while element 7" (figures from 7 to 10) is built to be connected, by means of hinges 6, to two first elements 5, and hence to two lighting apparatuses 2.
[0012] The first element 5 is adapted to allow a tilting movement of the lighting apparatus 2 by means of the hinges 6 with respect to the second element 7', 7", and the second element 7', 7" is pivotally hinged with a pin 8 (figure 2) to a connection 9 associated with track 4. Connection 9 has an engagement profile suitable for being inserted into the respective profile of track 4, and here is fixed by the persons skilled in the art.
[0013] The axis of the hinges 6 is perpendicular to the axis of pin 8, which is in turn perpendicular to the axis of track 4, and the first element 5 has a shaped section 10 (figure 4) for a reciprocal engagement with the lighting apparatus 2 and at least one flange 11 for the hinges 6. The lighting apparatus 2 may slide horizontally with respect to said shaped section 10 so as to allow an optimal centring of lamp 3.
[0015] The flanges 11 of the first element 5 and the flanges 11 of the second element 7', 7" cooperate by facing each other to form the hinges 6 with pins 60 (for example in figure 1), as will become increasingly apparent later. Joint 1' comprises a single first element 5 and one second element 7'. The second element 7' is therefore single, i.e. it only holds one single first element 5 (figure 3).
[0016] Instead, joint 1" comprises two first elements 5 and one single second element 7". The second element 7" is double, i.e. it holds two first elements 5 (figure 2).
[0017] The second element 7', 7" further comprises a flat section 12 (figure 7) abutting with connection 9 to allow stable resting and reciprocal sliding during the rotation between the second element 7', 7" and connection 9 about pin 8. The flat section 12 in turn has a stop 13 to prevent a reciprocal rotation exceeding 360° between second element 7', 7" and connection 9 about the axis of pin 8.
[0018] At least one flange 11 of the first elements 5 has, on the surface facing flange 11 of the second element 7', 7", some projecting elements 15 (figures 4, 9, 14) which are respectively engaged with grooves 16 on the facing surface of flange 11 of the second element 7', 7" (or vice versa, i.e. projections 15 on the second element 7', 7" and grooves 16 on the first element 5).
[0019] For example, flanges 11 of the second element 7', 7" have a plurality of radial grooves 16 covering the entire contact surface of flange 11 with the respective surface of flange 11 of the first element 5, which are equidistant from each other, to define equal sections on flange 11. The grooves 16 engage with two radial projections 15 arranged on the first conforming element 5 suitable for the temporary engagement with grooves 16, causing projections 15 to run free into successive grooves 16. This arrangement is useful during assembly, as will become increasingly apparent later, since it partializes the reciprocal tilting movement between first element 5 and second element 7', 7".
[0020] An assembly of lighting apparatuses 14 is shown in figure 2 and partially shown in figure 1, comprising one track 4, two lighting apparatuses 2 with respective fluorescent lamps 3 of T5 type and one connection 9 according to what described above, comprising a double joint 7" for the lighting apparatus 2 according to what described above.
[0021] In order to obtain the functionalities wanted from the joints 1', 1" the process is as follows: a first element 5 is assembled to a second single element 7' or two first elements 5 are assembled to a second double element 7", with an assembly which comprises pins 60 (figure 1, 2) in holes 70 (figures 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15) of the flanges 11 of both the first elements 5 and the second elements 7' and 7", said holes 70 being aligned to create hinge 6, as shown in figure 1.
[0022] When assembling the first element 5 to the second element 7' or 7", it is possible to control the reciprocal position of the first element 5 with respect to the second element 7', 7" by rotating the flanges 11 about the axis of hinge 6 thus taking advantage of the partialization by grooves 16 and by projections 15, and by controlling the reciprocal angle with respect to the hinging angle to then fasten it with means known by the person skilled in the art.
[0023] A single first element 5 may be fixed to a second single element 7', or two first elements 5 to a second double element 7", also with reciprocal, different inclinations between first elements 5 and second element 7".
[0024] The second element 7', 7" is then hinged by means of pin 8 to connection 9 by causing the flat section 12 of the second element abutting with the flat section 22 of connection 9. Pin 8 engages with through hole 80 (figures 7, 11, 12, 15) of the second element 7', 7" and through hole 90 of connection 9, which is aligned with hole 80.
[0025] Thereby the second element 7', 7" rotates about the axis of pin 8 with respect to connection 9, which is fixed to track 4 which in turn is fixed to the wall/ceiling.
[0026] The reciprocal rotation of the first element 5 and of connection 9 generates a reciprocal rotation between the axis of track 4 and the lighting apparatus 2, once it is assembled on the first element 5 as seen in figure 3 only if the second element 7' is single. Rotation is fixed with means known by the person skilled in the art.
[0027] First element 5 is coupled with the lighting apparatus 2 by engaging the shaped portion 10 thereof on a respective shaped part 100 of the lighting apparatus 2 (figure 1) which has a complementary profile. Thus the result is that the lighting apparatus 2 is integral with the first element 5.
1. A joint (1', 1") for at least one lighting apparatus (2) with elongated lamp (3) which
is hookable to a fixed straight track (4) with respect to a wall/ceiling, characterized in that it comprises at least one first element (5) adapted to integrally hook one lighting
apparatus (2) and connected by means of hinges (6) to a second element (7', 7") pivotally
hinged with a pin (8) to a connection (9) associated with said track (4).
2. A joint (1', 1") according to claim 1, characterized in that the axis of the hinges (6) is perpendicular to the axis of the pin (8) which is in
turn perpendicular to the axis of the track (4).
3. A joint (1', 1") according to claim 2, characterized in that the lighting apparatus (2) is slidingly associated with a shaped section (10) of
the first element (5) which also provides at least one flange (11) for the hinges
(6).
4. A joint (1', 1") according to claim 3, characterized in that the second element (7', 7") has at least one flange (11) for the hinges (6).
5. A joint (1', 1") according to claim 4, characterized in that the second element (7', 7") has a flat section (12) abutting with the connection
(9) to allow stable resting and reciprocal sliding during the rotation between second
element (7', 7") and connection (9).
6. A joint (1') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second element (7') has flanges (11) for the association with one single first
element (5).
7. A joint (1") according to any one of the preceding claims from 1 to 5, characterized in that the second element (7") has flanges (11) for the association with two first elements
(5).
8. A joint (1', 1") according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one flange (11) of the first element (5) has, on the surface facing the flange (11)
of the second element (7', 7"), a number of projecting elements (15) or grooves (16)
which are respectively engaged with grooves (16) or projecting elements (15) on the
facing surface of flange (11) of the second element (7', 7").
9. A joint (1', 1") according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is for fluorescent lamps, preferably of T5 type, or for LED lamps.