The invention relates to a fixing system for recessed luminaire according to the preamble of claim 1.
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The problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a fixing system for a one step installation of the recessed luminaire. The design of the fixing system should prevent damages of the ceiling and allow easy installation as well as disassembly.
Solutions to the problem are described in the independent claim 1. The depending claims relate to further embodiments of the invention.
The inventive fixing system comprises a carrier frame for the luminaire and a clamping unit. The clamping unit comprises a flap as a clamping element, a nut and a screw. The clamping unit does not make use of a spring element or the like. It therefore prevents damages of the ceiling due to local high stress which is created by a spring element. Especially soft ceiling materials e. g. gypsum plates are prevented from damages by using the inventive clamping unit. The mounting load can be adjusted exactly. It only depends on the degree of rotation of the screw.
Moreover the clamping unit is located outside the carrier frame. This allows a one-step installation process. The luminaire can be mounted in the recessed opening formed by the carrier frame before mounting the fixing system including the recessed luminaire to the ceiling.
The cylindrical surface section provides at least one groove which extends parallel to the center axle with the front side of the groove defining the control edge. Making the control edge an integral part of the cylindrical surface section reduces costs and allows a very compact and cost efficient design. The groove may be designed as a linear groove with the control edge being defined by a front side of the groove.
The disassembly is also simple. Both the installation position and the fixing position are built as rest positions due to the absence of springs which try to bring the clamping element in a preferred position, e. g. the fixing position. The screw and the nut may have a self-locking thread allowing a controlled stop of the flap at any position desired.
The fixing system is suitable for both soft and rigid ceilings. Depending on the design of the clamping unit and especially depending on the length of the screw ceiling depth of 0.5 up to 30 mm can be handled by one and the same fixing system. The fixing system is therefore highly flexible.
In a further embodiment of the invention the flap is rotated by an angle of 85° to 95° when being moved from the installation position to the fixing position or vice versa. In a preferred embodiment the rotation of angle is 90°. Within the specified range the movement of the flap ensures both a positive locking in the fixing position as well as a small footprint in the installation position. It therefore provides an easy installation and disassembly as well secure fit in the fixing position.
According to a further embodiment of the invention the second contact surface is a plane contact surface with the center axle of the carrier frame being in a rectangular orientation to the second contact surface when the flap is in the fixing position and with the second contact surface being a tangential orientation to the cylindrical surface section of the carrier frame in the installation position. The plane contact surface ensures low stress to the ceiling in the fixing position as the load is divided to a relatively large area of the ceiling. Reducing the stress to the ceiling once again prevents damages and allows the installation of the fixing system to soft ceilings.
The flap and the nut of the clamping unit can be made completely out of plastic. No metal parts expect for the screw is needed. This allows cost reductions as the plastic parts can be built very cheaply in high volume. Moreover plastic parts are not electrically conductive and therefore favorable due to safety reasons.
In a further embodiment of the invention the flap provides a guiding surface which interacts with a guiding rail, provided by the cylindrical surface section of the carrier frame when moving the flap from the installation position to the fixing position or vice versa. The guiding rail of the cylindrical surface section and the center axle of the carrier frame are oriented in parallel to each other. The guiding surface and the guiding rail allow smooth and exact movement of the flap. This makes assembly and disassembly easy and prevents damages caused by misalignments of the clamping unit.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive to the present invention.
The carrier frame 2 comprises a cylindrical surface section 4 which defines a recessed opening 5 for mounting the luminaire to the carrier frame 2. The cylindrical surface section 4 is oriented coaxial to a center axle 6 of the carrier frame 2. The carrier frame 2 also comprises a flat rim section 7 which protrudes from the cylindrical surface section 4 radially to the outside. The flat rim section 7 provides a first contact surface 8 of the fixing system 1 which is built as a plane contact surface. The contact surface 8 is designed for connecting the fixing system 1 to an outer side of the ceiling.
The clamping unit 3 comprises a flap 9, a nut 10 and a screw 11. The flap 9 is the clamping element of the clamping unit 10. The flap 9 has a second contact surface 12 and a control surface 13 which is designed for interaction with a control edge 14 of the carrier frame 2. The interaction will be described later in detail.
The flap 9 is L-shaped with a first arm 21 comprising the control surface 13 and with a second arm 22 comprising the second contact surface 12.
The nut 10 has two bearing pins 15 protruding from a thread section 16 of the nut 10. The bearing pins 15 are mounted in two recesses 17 of the flap 9. The nut 10 is therefore rotatable arranged to the flap 9.
The screw 11 meshes with the nut 10. The screw 11 comprises a screw head 18 and a shaft 19 which extends in parallel to the center axle 6 of the cylindrical surface section 4 and the carrier frame 2.
For mounting the clamping unit 3 to the outside of the carrier frame 2 the flat rim section 7 of the carrier frame 2 provides a hole 20 for the screw 11. A diameter of the hole 20 is smaller than a diameter of the screw head 18 and taller than a diameter of the shaft 19 of the screw 11. The hole 20 is positioned next to the cylindrical surface section 4 of the carrier frame 2.
The nut 10 has a guiding lug 23 which interacts with and translatory travels in a sliding rail 24 of the carrier frame 2 when mounting the carrier frame 2 to the ceiling. The sliding rail 24 is part of the cylindrical surface section 4 and extends in parallel to the center axle 6. Guiding lug 23 and sliding rail 24 are designed for smooth and exact movement of the nut 10 and prevent the clamping unit 3 from misalignment.
On both sides of the sliding rail 24 grooves 25 and guiding rails 26 are provided. The two grooves 25 as well as the guiding rails 26 extend in parallel to the center axles 6. The lower front sides 28 of the grooves 25 define the control edge 14 which interact with the control surface 13 of the flap 9.
The two guiding rails 26 interact with two guiding surfaces 27 of the flap 9. The guiding surfaces 27 are installed next to the control surface 13 on the first arm 31 of the flap 9. Control surface 13 and guiding surface 27 are in a rectangular orientation to each other.
The fixing system 1 has identical two clamping units 3 which are connected to the carrier frame 2 on opposite sides of the center axle 6. The two clamping units 3 allow a secure fastening of the fixing system 1.
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As it can be seen the luminaire 31 is located in the recessed opening 5 of the carrier frame 2 and mounted to the fixing system 1. Therefore the fixing system 1 allows one step installation process with a combined installation of fixing system 1 and luminaire 31.
After the first contact surface 8 which is part of the flat rim section 7 of the carrier frame 2 is connected to an outer surface 32 of the ceiling 30 the two flaps 9 are moved to the fixing position by rotation of the screws 11. Starting in the installation position the rotation of the screw 11 leads to a linear movement of the nut 10 along the shaft 19 of the screw 11. As a result of the linear movement of the nut 10 and the contact between the control surface 13 of the flaps 9 and the control edge 14 of the groove 25 the flaps 9 rotates. This rotation by an angle of 90° brings the second contact surface 12 into a rectangular orientation to the center axle 6. After the 90° rotation of the flaps 9 the first contact surface 8 and the second contact surface 12 are in a parallel orientation. Further rotation of the screw 11 will move the flaps 9 towards the ceiling 30. When the second contact surface 12 meets an inner surface 33 of the ceiling 30 the flaps 9 are in the fixing position and the fixing system 1 is mounted to the ceiling 30. Finally a cover 34 can be mounted to the flat rim section 7 of the carrier frame 2.
For disassembly the screws 11 are rotated in the opposite direction causing the flaps 9 to move from the mounting position to the installation position. After the installation position is reached the fixing system 1 including the recessed luminaire 31 can be removed from the ceiling 30.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.