Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of lamps, particularly to strip-shaped
lamps, preferably comprising a plurality of LEDs, and relates also to an end cover
for such a strip-shaped lamp to cover an axial end of the strip-shaped lamp and seal
it against the environment to prevent the intrusion of dirt and moisture into an inner
cavity of the strip-shaped lamp.
Background of Invention
[0002] As the brightness of LED light-emitting components continues to improve, and due
to the high luminous efficiency, small size and colorful features, LED light-emitting
components as a light source for lighting lamps are gradually widely used in many
different lighting applications, and LED lamps become more and more prevalent in daily
use for lighting.
[0003] Existing strip-shaped LED lamps include a lamp holder usually having a U-shaped cross-section,
a light transmissive lampshade covering an upper end of the lamp holder and a circuit
board with LED light-emitting units soldered to it, which is accommodated in an inner
cavity formed by the lamp holder and lampshade. Currently, the end covers of such
strip-shaped lamps are mounted as separate pieces at the axial ends of the lamp holder,
and electric wires lead through the end covers need to be connected separately to
the circuit board by soldering special wire connections. All this results in a very
low in productivity for assembly, especially for strip-shaped lamps with waterproofing
needs, which require a much more complex structure of the end cover assemblies, require
manual soldering, and are not easy to assemble.
[0004] Therefore, there is a need to develop light end structures for strip-shaped lamps,
which can be efficiently mounted, do not require a soldering of electric wires during
assembly and are suitable for automated production.
Summary of Invention
[0005] In view of the above deficiencies of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved
by the present invention is to overcome the afore-mentioned drawbacks of conventional
end covers for strip-shaped lamps. More specifically, it is an object of the present
invention to provide a strip-shaped lamp that can be efficiently mounted, does not
require a soldering of electric wires during assembly and is suitable for automated
production. It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple end
cover for such strip-shaped lamps.
[0006] These problems are solved by a strip-shaped lamp as claimed by claim 1 and by an
end cover for strip-shaped lamps as claimed by claim 12. Further advantageous embodiments
are the subject-matter of the dependent claims.
[0007] According to the present invention there is provided a strip-shaped lamp, comprising
a lamp holder, a lampshade mounted on the lamp holder, a light emitting module disposed
in an inner cavity formed by the lamp holder and the lampshade, and an end cover,
wherein the lamp holder comprises a lamp holder base plate and two lamp holder sidewalls
disposed on opposite sides of the lamp holder base plate, the lamp holder base plate
and the lamp holder sidewalls forming a mounting port at an axial end of the lamp
holder, and said lamp holder comprising first slots and the second slots extending
in a longitudinal direction of the lamp holder; the lampshade comprises snap-in portions
provided on both sides of the lampshade and extending in the longitudinal direction,
wherein the snap-in portions are positively accommodated in the first slots so that
the lampshade and the lamp holder are connected to each other and form the inner cavity;
and the light emitting module is provided in the inner cavity of the strip-shaped
lamp and comprises a light board with a plurality of LED-units disposed on the light
board, wherein a conductive layer is provided at an axial end of the light board;
and the end cover is provided at an axial end of the lamp holder to cover the mounting
port at the axial end of the lamp holder. According to the present invention the end
cover comprises an outer cover and a bracket, wherein the bracket is provided on both
sides with guiding blocks configured to be positively accommodated in the second slots
of the lamp holder, and is provided with a resiliently biased terminal, the resiliently
biased terminal comprises an overlapping connecting portion in electric contact with
the conductive layer of the light board for electric power supply, and an interface
is provided in the outer cover for electrical connection of an external wiring harness
to the resiliently biased terminal. As the guiding blocks can be positively accommodated
in the second slots of the lamp holder, the position of the end cover, and also outer
cover, can be precisely defined, in particular in a direction perpendicular to the
longitudinal direction, which can help to ensure a reliable sealing of the mounting
port of the lamp holder and thus reliably prevent intrusion of dirt and moisture into
the inner cavity of the lamp holder. Moreover, a reliable electric contact to the
contacts of the light board can be ensured easily, because the abutment of the resiliently
biased terminal against the contacts of the light board can be precisely adjusted
because the precise definition of the position of the end cover at the mounting port
of the lamp holder. The interface in the outer cover is preferably sealed, to prevent
intrusion of dirt and moisture into the inner cavity of the lamp holder.
[0008] According to a further embodiment, the lamp holder comprises a rib configured to
abut the bottom surface of the light board, wherein two opposite sides of the rib
are connected to the lamp holder side walls. The rib can further increase the mechanical
stability of the lamp holder, and also assist in a more efficient heat dissipation
of the LED light module.
[0009] According to a further embodiment, third slots are formed in the lamp holder sidewalls
at a level between the first and second slots and extending in the longitudinal direction,
wherein lateral edges of the light board are inserted in the third slots and a bottom
surface of the light board abuts against the rib. Thus, the position of the light
board inside the inner cavity and lamp holder can be precisely defined in an easy
manner.
[0010] According to a further embodiment, lateral edges of the light board are inserted
in the second slots and a bottom surface of the light board abuts against the lamp
holder base plate. Thus, the position of the light board inside the inner cavity and
lamp holder can be precisely defined in an easy manner.
[0011] According to a further embodiment, the resiliently biased terminal is resiliently
biased against the conductive layer of the light board, to ensure a reliable electric
contact to the contacts of the light board.
[0012] According to a further embodiment, the resiliently biased terminal is fixedly mounted
on or connected to the bracket, wherein the bracket is provided with an accommodation
opening formed corresponding to the resiliently biased terminal, and stoppers are
provided at an axial end of the accommodation opening for limiting or defining a position
of the resiliently biased terminal, and at least one limiting post is provided in
the middle of the bracket for separating contact fingers of the resiliently biased
terminal and/or wires of the external wiring harness.
[0013] According to a further embodiment, a width of the electrically conductive layer at
the axial end of the light board is smaller than a width of a middle portion of the
light board, wherein the overlapping connecting portions of the resiliently biased
terminal pass through the accommodation opening and abut against the electrically
conductive layer of the light board, and the head of the bracket is provided with
an accommodation slot adapted to accommodate the axial end of the light board and
connected to the accommodation opening.
[0014] According to a further embodiment, an anti-pulling block is provided between the
bracket and the outer cover and fixedly connected to the external wiring harness,
for fixing the external wiring harness at the outer cover.
[0015] According to a further embodiment, the outer cover may be provided with a mounting
recess adapted to the bracket at an end opposite the bracket.
[0016] According to a further embodiment, the end cover further may comprise a blocking
head, wherein the blocking head is provided with a sealing ring, the blocking head
is matingly coupled with the bracket and has an interference fit with inner walls
of the lampshade.
[0017] According to a further embodiment, the end cover may be provided with a glue injection
hole formed between the end cover and the blocking head, the lamp holder and the lampshade,
to further enhance the sealing of the end cover against the environment.
[0018] According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an end cover
for a strip-shaped lamp, in particular a strip-shaped lamp as outlined above, said
strip-shaped lamp comprising a lamp holder, a lampshade mounted on the lamp holder
to form an inner cavity and a light emitting module disposed in the inner cavity formed
by the lamp holder and the lampshade, said lamp holder having a U-shaped profile and
forming a mounting port at an axial end of the lamp holder, and said lamp holder comprising
first slots and the second slots extending in a longitudinal direction of the lamp
holder, said end cover being configured to be mounted to the lamp holder to cover
the mounting port at the axial end of the lamp holder and seal it against the environment,
wherein the end cover comprises an outer cover and a bracket, the bracket is provided
on both sides with guiding blocks configured to be positively accommodated in the
second slots of the lamp holder, the bracket is provided with a resiliently biased
terminal comprising an overlapping connecting portion configured to electrically contact
a conductive layer of the light emitting module for electric power supply, and an
interface is provided in the outer cover for electrical connection of an external
wiring harness to the resiliently biased terminal.
[0019] The present invention provides particularly the following technical effects:
- (1) In the strip-shaped light of the present invention, the lampshade, the light board
and the end cover holder can be mounted by means of slots, which enables an easy location
and definition of the positions of the lamp components and is suitable for automated
assembly.
- (2) The resiliently biased terminals in the end cover and the light board are electrically
connected solely by mechanical contacting rather than by means of welding or soldering
electric wires, which enables a simple structure and simplifies the assembly process
significantly.
- (3) The resiliently biased terminal and an external wire harness used for electric
power supply can be positioned precisely and easily in the end cover. The wire harness
can be provided with an anti-pulling structure, which additionally protects the resiliently
biased terminal and wire harness connection structure in the end cover from being
damaged under external pulling forces.
- (4) By means of glue injection via the end cover, the end structure of the strip-shaped
lamp can offer good waterproof characteristics.
Overview on Drawings
[0020] Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be
described in an exemplary manner and with reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
- Fig. 1
- is a schematic perspective view of a strip-shaped lamp of a first embodiment according
to the present invention;
- Fig. 2
- is an exploded view of the end cover structure of the strip-shaped lamp of Fig. 1;
- Fig. 3
- is a schematic diagram showing details of the end cover structure of Fig. 2;
- Fig. 4
- is a schematic perspective view of a strip-shaped lamp of a second embodiment according
to the present invention;
- Fig. 5
- is an exploded view of the end cover structure of the strip-shaped lamp of Fig. 4;
- Fig. 6
- is a cross-sectional view of the end cover structure of Fig. 5 in an assembled state;
- Fig. 7
- shows details of a bracket end cover structure of the strip-shaped lamp of Fig. 4;
- Fig. 8
- is a schematic diagram of the connection assembly of the bracket and the resiliently
biased terminal of the end cover structure of the strip-shaped lamp of Fig. 4, (a)
before assembly and (b) after assembly;
- Fig. 9
- is a schematic diagram of the assembly of a bracket and a blocking head in the end
cover structure of the strip-shaped lamp of Fig. 4, (a) before assembly and (b) after
assembly;
- Fig. 10
- is a schematic view of the outer cover of end cover structure of the strip-shaped
lamp of Fig. 4, (a) when viewed from an outer side and (b) when viewed from an inner
side;
- Fig. 11
- is an exploded view of the end cover of the strip-shaped lamp of Fig. 4; and
- Fig. 12
- is an exploded view of the overall assembly of the strip-shaped lamp of Fig. 4.
[0021] Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals designate identical or technically
equivalent elements or groups of elements.
Detailed Description of Embodiments
Embodiment 1
[0022] Figs. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of a strip-shaped LED-lamp according to the
present invention and the following description is particularly focused on the configuration
of the end cover of such a strip-shaped LED-lamp. Generally, the end structure mainly
includes a lamp holder 1, a lampshade 2, a light emitting module 3 and an end cover
4.
[0023] The lamp holder 1 has a U-shaped cross-section and comprises a lamp holder base plate
11 with upright sidewalls 12 disposed on both sides of the lamp holder base plate
11 and extending basically perpendicular to the lamp holder base plate 11. The lamp
holder base plate 11 and the lamp holder sidewall 12 together form a U-shaped mounting
port 13 which is open towards the upper end of the lamp holder 1 and an end portion
of the lamp holder 1. The lamp holder sidewalls 12 each comprise a first slot (groove)
121 and a second slot (groove) 122, each extending in the longitudinal direction of
the lamp holder 1 and in parallel with, but spaced apart from, the lamp holder base
plate 11.
[0024] The lampshade 2 is mounted on the lamp holder 1. The lampshade 2 is of convex shaped
and provided with snap-in portions 21 protruding on both sides of the convex central
portion of the lamp holder 1 in the width direction, which is parallel to the lamp
holder base plate 11. The snap-in portions 21 extend in the longitudinal direction,
and the snap-in portions 21 are mated with the first slot 121 so that they can be
snapped into the first slots 121 and fixedly mounted therein in a positive-fit manner.
In this manner, the lampshade 2 and the lamp holder 1 can be connected to each other
to form the inner cavity 14 of the strip-shaped lamp. In this embodiment, the first
slot 121 is provided on the two opposite inner sides of the lamp holder sidewalls
12, and the lampshade 2 may be connected to the lamp holder 1 by inserting the snap-in
portions 21 into the opposite first slots 121 and sliding the lampshade 2 in the longitudinal
direction of the first slots 121 starting from the mounting port 13 of the lamp holder
1.
[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the lamp holder 1 is provided with two opposite second slots
122 formed in the two opposite lamp holder sidewalls 12 closer to the lamp holder
base plate 11, preferably adjacent to the lamp holder base plate 11. The second slots
122 extend in the longitudinal direction of the lamp holder 1 and in parallel with
the first slots 121. The second slots 122 may be used for accommodating guiding blocks
421 of bracket 42, explained in more detail hereinafter.
[0026] The light emitting module 3 comprises a strip-shaped, rectangular light board 31
and an LED unit 32 disposed on the light board 31. More specifically, a plurality
of LED-units 32 may be provided on the light board 31 and distributed at equidistant
spacing along the longitudinal direction. The light board 31 is provided with an electrically
conductive layer 33 at an end portion in the length direction. More specifically,
the electrically conductive layer 33 is provided at an end portion of the light board
31, particularly at a center thereof and extending in the length direction of the
light board 31, and may be embodied as two gold fingers or gold-plated connecting
structures that are insulated against each other, for electrical power supply of the
light emitting module 3. Preferably, the electrically conductive layer 33 is provided
on the bottom surface of the light board 31.
[0027] The end cover 4 is provided at the end of the lamp holder 1 and includes an outer
cover 41, which may be plate-shaped, and a bracket 42 extending perpendicular to the
outer cover 41. The outer cover 41 is connected or mounted to the end of the lamp
holder 1 at the mounting port 13. For this purpose, the outer cover 41 and the end
of the lamp holder 1 may be connected to each other by means of fasteners, or by means
of a plug or socket-type connector or other means of connection. According to a preferred
embodiment, the outer cover 41 may be snap-fitted into the mounting port 13 of the
lamp holder 1 or mounted in a positive-fit manner to the mounting port 13. Generally,
the outer cover 41 covers the mounting port 13 of the lamp holder 1 and seals the
inner cavity 14 of the lamp holder 1 against the environment, to prevent the intrusion
of dirt and moisture into the inner cavity.
[0028] Both sides of the bracket 42 may be provided with guiding blocks 421 that are mated
to the second slots 122 and configured for insertion and sliding in the second slots
122 via the mounting port 13 along the longitudinal direction of the lamp holder 1.
The bracket 42 is provided with a resiliently biased terminal 43. The resiliently
biased terminal 43 and the bracket 42 may be connected to each other by means of a
plug-in fastening or a fastener. The resiliently biased terminal 43 comprises an overlapping
connecting portion 431 forming two contact portions that are configured to be in electric
contact with the conductive layers 33 of the light board 31, in particular by abutment
with the conductive layers 33. The overlapping connecting portion 431 may be a conductive
sheet that is bent to a resilient contacting portion of e.g. a triangular profile.
The outer cover 41 is provided with an interface 411 for electrically connecting the
external wiring harness 5 to the resiliently biased terminal 43, i.e., for supplying
the light board 31 with an external power via the resiliently biased terminal 43.
Fig. 3 shows the general configuration of the end cover 4, wherein the resiliently
biased terminal 43 may be a one-piece molded structure, and wherein the resiliently
biased terminal 43 may be formed with barbs or resilient tongues at fixed positions
relative to the bracket 42.
[0029] As shown in Fig. 2, the lamp holder 1 may be provided with a rib 15 extending in
the longitudinal direction and adapted to support or abut against the bottom surface
of the light board 31. The front end of the rib 15 is preferably spaced apart to the
mounting port 13 of the lamp holder 1. The sides of the rib 15 may be fixedly connected
to the lamp holder sidewalls 12. Optionally, the rib 15 may be a structure integrally
molded or extruded in the lamp holder 1 with the lamp holder sidewall 12. The rib
15 may be a planar structure, which is used to support the light board 31, and may
also serve for dissipating heat away from the light board 31 to the lamp holder 1
by thermal contact. Moreover, the rib 15 may also serve for enhancing the mechanical
stability of the lamp holder 1. An additional limiting strip 125 may be formed on
the side wall 12 of the lamp holder 1, to form a third slot 123 extending in the longitudinal
direction, which is formed adjacent to first slot 121. The light board 31 may be inserted
into the inner cavity 14 of the lamp holder 1 via the opening port 13 along the third
slot 123 so that the lateral edges of the light board 31 are accommodated in the third
slots 123. Unlike the traditional assembly of the light board 31 with soldered wires,
the light board 31 of the present invention is not provided with patch connectors
at both ends, but is mounted on the rib 15, which requires that the bottom surface
of the light board 31 opposite to the upper surface with the LED units 32 does not
have a protrusion. Accordingly, the light board 31 is preferably not provided with
a patch connector at the end of the light board 31, and the LED unit 32 does not have
a protrusion at its bottom surface. For electric power supply, a conductive layer
33 is provided on the light board 31 at an end portion thereof (cf. Fig. 2), which
is contacted via the overlapping connecting portion 431 of the resiliently biased
terminal 43. Moreover, the end of the rib 15 is provided with an avoidance opening
for the end cover 4 to be mounted into the inner cavity 14 of the lamp holder 1.
[0030] Preferably, positioning blocks 422, which may be pin-shaped as shown in Fig. 3, may
be provided on both sides of the bracket 42 as shown in Fig. 2, and corresponding
positioning slots 124 may be formed on the sidewalls 12 of the lamp holder 1 to accommodate
to the positioning blocks 422 for precisely positioning the bracket 42 and end cover
41. The depth of the positioning blocks 422 may be less than that of the guiding blocks
421, and the level (above the bottom end of end cover 41) at which the positioning
blocks 422 are provided is a little higher than the bracket 42.
[0031] As shown in Fig. 2, the lamp holder 1 is provided with the lampshade 2, the light
board 31, and the bracket 42 in order from top to bottom. The plurality of LED-units
32 is provided at the upper surface of the light board 31 and directed toward the
lampshade 2, and the electrically conductive layer 33 is provided at the bottom surface
of the light board 31. For assembly, the lampshade 2 and the light board 31 are first
installed in the lamp holder 1 by insertion via the mounting port 13, and then the
end cover 4 is installed by insertion into the mounting port 13 of the lamp holder
1. During installation of the end cover 4, the guiding blocks 421 of the bracket 42
first enter along the second slots 122 for a certain distance, and then the positioning
blocks 422 enter the positioning grooves 124 until the outer cover 41 rests against
the end portion of the lamp holder 1 in order to cover and seal the mounting port
13 of lamp holder 1, and the overlapping connection portions 431 of the resiliently
biased terminal 43 of the bracket 42 resiliently contact the electrically conductive
layer 33 on the bottom surface of light board 31 after installation.
[0032] As shown in Fig. 3, the outer cover 41 and the bracket 42 may be formed in one piece,
so that in the assembly process, the light board 31 and the lampshade 2 are mounted
to the lamp holder 1 via the slots 121 and 123, and the resiliently biased terminal
43 provided at the end cover 4 is assembled as a whole at the end portion of the lamp
holder 1, which simplifies the assembly steps and facilitates automated production.
Embodiment 2
[0033] Figs. 4 to 12 show a second embodiment of a strip-shaped LED-lamp according to the
present invention and the following description is particularly focused on the configuration
of the end cover of such a strip-shaped LED-lamp. The end structure of the strip-shaped
lamp mainly includes a lamp holder 1, a lampshade 2, a light-emitting module 3 and
an end cover 4. In this embodiment, the configuration of the lamp holder 1 and end
cover 4 is different as compared to the afore-mentioned first embodiment.
[0034] The lamp holder 1 has a U-shaped cross-section and comprises a lamp holder base plate
11 with upright sidewalls 12 disposed on both sides of the lamp holder base plate
11 and extending basically perpendicular to the lamp holder base plate 11. The lamp
holder base plate 11 and the lamp holder sidewall 12 together form a U-shaped mounting
port 13 which is open towards the upper end of the lamp holder 1 and an end portion
of the lamp holder 1, which open towards the front end (lateral side of lamp holder
1) and forms a mounting port 13. The lamp holder sidewalls 12 each comprise a first
slot (groove) 121, which is open towards the upper end of the lamp holder 1, and a
second slot (groove) 122, which is open towards the inner cavity of lamp holder 1.
Each of the slots 121, 122 extend in the longitudinal direction of the lamp holder
1 and in parallel with each other.
[0035] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the lampshade 2 is mounted on the lamp holder 1. The lampshade
2 is convex shaped and provided with snap-in portions 21 protruding on both sides
of the lamp holder 1 at a bottom end thereof and along the width direction. The snap-in
portions 21 extend in the longitudinal direction of the lampshade 2, and the snap-in
portions 21 are installed in conjunction with the first slot 121 so that they can
be snapped or inserted into the first slots 121 and fixedly mounted therein in a positive-fit
manner. In this manner, the lampshade 2 and the lamp holder 1 can be connected to
form the inner cavity 14 of the strip-shaped lamp. The profile of the snap-in portions
21 of the lampshade 2 is mated to the profile of the first slots 121, and the snap-in
portions 21 are snap-fitted or inserted into the first slots 121, and the size of
the entrance of the first slot 121 is smaller than the end surface of the snap-in
portion 21, so that the snap-in portions 21 can be slid into the first slots 121 from
the open end of the lamp holder 1, i.e. via the mounting port 13, thereby enabling
a lateral mounting. The snap-in portions 21 can be embedded and positioned at the
bottom of the first slots 121 after entering along the opening of the first slots
121.
[0036] The light emitting module 3 is disposed in the inner cavity 14 of lamp holder 1 and
includes a light board 31 and a plurality of LED-units 32 disposed on the upper side
of light board 31. More specifically, a plurality of LED-units 32 may be provided
on the light board 31 and distributed at equidistant spacing along the longitudinal
direction. The light board 31 is provided with an electrically conductive layer 33
at an end portion in the length direction. More specifically, the electrically conductive
layer 33 is provided at an end portion of the light board 31, particularly at a center
thereof and extending in the length direction of the light board 31, and may be embodied
as two gold fingers or gold-plated connecting structures that are insulated against
each other, for electrical power supply of the light emitting module 3.
[0037] The end cover 4 is provided at the end of the lamp holder 1 and includes an outer
cover 41, which may be plate-shaped, and a bracket 42 extending perpendicular to the
outer cover 41, i.e. in the longitudinal direction of lamp holder 1. The outer cover
41 is connected or mounted to the end of the lamp holder 1 at the mounting port 13,
to thereby cover the mounting port 13 and seal it against the environment for preventing
intrusion of dirt and moisture into the inner cavity 14. For this purpose, the outer
cover 41 and the end of the lamp holder 1 may be connected to each other by means
of fasteners, or by means of a plug or socket-type connector or other means of connection.
According to a preferred embodiment, the outer cover 41 may be snap-fitted into the
mounting port 13 of the lamp holder 1. Both sides of the bracket 42 may be provided
with guiding blocks 421 that are mated to the second slots 122 and configured for
insertion and sliding in the second slots 122 via the mounting port 13 along the longitudinal
direction of the lamp holder 1. A limiting block 423, preferably a pair of limiting
blocks 423, may be provided at the bottom side of the bracket 42. In the process of
inserting the bracket 42 along the second slots 122 in the lamp holder 1, the limiting
block 423 finally reaches a limit position when it rests against the lamp holder 1
so that the bracket 42 cannot be inserted beyond this limit position into the lamp
holder 1. The bracket 42 is provided with a resiliently biased terminal 43. The resiliently
biased terminal 43 and the bracket 42 may be connected to each other by means of a
plug-in fastening or a fastener. The resiliently biased terminal 43 comprises an overlapping
connecting portion 431 forming two contact portions that are configured to electrically
contact the conductive layers 33 of the light board 31 by abutment. The overlapping
connecting portion 431 may be a conductive sheet that is bent to a resilient contacting
portion of e.g. a triangular profile. The outer cover 41 is provided with an interface
411 such as a plug or socket connector, for electrically connecting the external wiring
harness 5 to the resiliently biased terminal 43, i.e., for supplying the light board
31 with an external power via the resiliently biased terminal 43.
[0038] As shown in Fig. 5, a pair of limiting strips 125 extends basically perpendicular
to the lamp holder base plate 11, spaced apart to the lamp holder sidewalls 12 to
form the first slots 121. At the upper ends of the limiting strips 125 a protrusion
is formed projecting into the inner cavity 14 of lamp holder 1, basically in parallel
to the lamp holder base plate 11 to thereby form the second slots 122. The two lateral
edges of the light board 31 can be inserted into the second slots 122 by insertion
via the mounting port 13 and sliding along the longitudinal direction, and after assembly
the bottom surface of the light board 31 rests against the lamp holder base plate
11. That is, both the light board 31 and the bracket 42 are mounted on the lamp holder
1 by means of the second slot 122, and for assembly, it is necessary to mount the
light board 31 first and then the bracket 42.
[0039] As shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the resiliently biased terminal 43 is connected to the
external wiring harness 5, e.g. via a plug or socket connector, and passes through
the end of the bracket 42 and is fixedly mounted on the bracket 42. An accommodation
opening 424 is provided in the bracket 42 near the side of the head to be adapted
to fit with the resiliently biased terminal 43, and a stopper 425 is provided at the
end of the accommodation opening 424 for limiting the longitudinal position of resiliently
biased terminal 43, and a stopper 425 is provided in the middle part of the bracket
42 adjacent to the accommodation opening 424 for restricting the resiliently biased
terminal 43 and in particular for separating the two contact fingers of the resiliently
biased terminal 43 to prevent short-circuiting. For assembly in the bracket 42, as
shown in Fig. 8, the resiliently biased terminal 43 is first made to pass into the
holding port 424 from the top down, as shown in Fig. 8(a), until the resiliently biased
terminal 43 contacts the end portion of the holding port 424, and then it is turned
over or pivoted downward by about 90 degrees, and the stopper 425 may be pressed downwardly
to hold down the end portion of the resiliently biased terminal 43. On the opposite
side, the external wiring harness 5 is installed between the limiting post 426 from
the top down, and is then fixed by the central limiting post 426 in the middle of
the bracket 42 and adjacent to the holding port 424. Optionally, the central limiting
post 426 may be provided with an inverted buckling portion to limit the external wiring
harness 5, particularly in a positive-fit manner. In this way, as shown in Fig. 8(b),
the resiliently biased terminals 43 do not flip relative to each other, for preventing
in particular a short-circuiting, and the external wiring harness 5 does not detach
from the bracket 42 after the installation is completed, thereby achieving a fixing
effect.
[0040] Because the light board 31 rests against the lamp holder base plate 11, the LED-units
32 and the conductive layer 33 on the light board 31 are provided on the upper side
of the light board 31. The width of the conductive layer 33 provided at the end portion
of the light board 31 is smaller than the width of the middle portion of the light
board 31. The LED-unit 32 are provided on the light board 31 in the area starting
from the conductive layer 33 to the opposite end portion of the light board 31 if
viewed in the longitudinal direction. The overlapping connecting portions 431 of the
resiliently biased terminal 43 are provided and configured such that they pass downward
through the holding port 424 and abut against the contacting fingers formed by conductive
layer 33 of the light board 31 for electric power supply.
[0041] A holding groove may be provided in the head of the bracket 42 which is suitable
for holding the end portion of the light board 31. More specifically, the head of
the bracket 42 may be provided with an accommodation slot 427 (cf. Figs. 9a and 9b)
suitable for accommodating an end portion of the light board 31, for defining the
level of the end portion of the light board 31 and ensure a reliable electrical contact
between the overlapping connecting portions 431 of the resiliently biased terminal
43 and the contact fingers formed by the conductive layer 33 on the light board 31.
The accommodation slot 427 may be formed on a bottom side of the bracket 42, and the
accommodation slot 427 is connected to the accommodation opening 424.
[0042] The bracket 42 and the outer cover 41 may be provided with an anti-pull block 46,
which is provided outside the external wiring harness 5 and is fixedly connected to
the external wiring harness 5. The fixed connection of the anti-pull block 46 and
the external wiring harness 5 may be adhesive fixing, extruding fixing, ultrasonic
welding, etc. The anti-pull block 46 abuts against the outer cover 41, the outer wiring
passes through the interface 411 of the outer cover 41 and is then fixedly connected
to the anti-pull block 46. When the external wiring harness 5 is pulled outwardly,
the anti-pull block 46 will be pressed against the outer cover 41 to prevent further
outward movement, thereby protecting the connection structure of the external wiring
harness 5 and the resiliently biased terminal 43, and achieving the effect of anti-pull
protection.
[0043] The end cover 4 may also include a blocking head 44, which is provided with a sealing
ring 441 and is matingly connected to the bracket 42 and has an interference fit with
the inner wall of the lampshade 2. As shown in Fig. 9, the blocking head 44 is mounted
on the upper side of the bracket 42 and is positioned for mounting through a post
hole structure. Instead of a single sealing ring 441 there may be provided a plurality
of sealing rings to further improve the sealing effect, and when the blocking head
44 is accessed or mounted to the lampshade 2, the sealing is achieved by the sealing
ring 441 and the inner wall of the lampshade 2 resiliently contacting each other.
The blocking head 44 may optionally be made of an elastic material such as a soft
rubber for this purpose.
[0044] Preferably, the outer cover 41 is provided with a mounting recess 412 adapted to
the bracket 42 at an end opposite the bracket 42, as shown in Fig. 10b. Moreover,
the outer cover 41 may also be provided with an accommodation groove (slot) 413 adapted
to the anti-pull block 46. The outer cover 41 may be provided with a positioning post
414 or a pair of positioning posts 414 directed towards the bracket 42, and the end
of the bracket 42 may be provided with a positioning hole 428 corresponding to the
positioning post 414, so that the bracket 42 can be positioned in the outer cover
41 by the cooperation of the at least one positioning post 414 and the corresponding
positioning hole 428. During assembly, when the outer cover 41 approaches the end
of the lamp holder 1, the outer cover 41 first accommodates the anti-pull block 46,
then abuts against the bracket 42, and then fits against the lamp holder 1 for assembly,
as shown in Fig. 11.
[0045] The outer cover 41 and the lamp holder 1 may be connected to each other by fasteners,
for example by screws 45. The outer cover 41 may be provided with mounting holes 415
corresponding to the screws 45, and a threaded port may be provided at the opening
of the second slot 122 of the lamp holder 1, and the outer cover 41 may be mounted
at the end of the lamp holder 1 by means of the screws 45 extending along the mounting
holes 415.
[0046] During assembly, the resiliently biased terminal 43 is fixedly mounted on the bracket
42 after connecting the external wiring harness 5. Then, the anti-pull block 46 is
fixed on the external wiring harness 5, the blocking head 44 is mounted on the bracket
42, and the light emitting module 3 and the lampshade 2 are mounted in the lamp holder
1. Then, the outer cover 41 is connected to the external wiring harness 5 and is mounted
against the anti-pull block 46 towards the end portion of the lamp holder 1, and the
connection is tightly fastened after installation. Subsequently, a connection terminal
is assembled at the other end of the external wiring harness 5.
[0047] The outer cover 41 may be provided with a glue injection hole 416, and after installation
of the outer cover 41 a glue may be injected via the glue injection hole 416 into
a glue injection cavity 16 formed between the end cover 4 and the blocking head 44,
the lamp holder 1, and the lampshade 2. Hence, a waterproof structure can be accomplished
at the end of the lamp holder 1 after the glue injection. Furthermore, after the snap-in
portion 21 of the lampshade 2 is inserted into the first slot 121, the glue injection
may be performed at the bottom of the first slot 121 for sealing to accomplish a waterproofing
between the lampshade 2 and the lamp holder 1.
[0048] In addition, the present invention also provides an easy-to-assemble strip-shaped
light comprising a lamp holder 1, a lampshade 2, a light-emitting module 3 and an
end cover 4 provided at the end of the lamp holder 1.
[0049] A preferred specific embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail
above. It should be understood that a person of ordinary skill in the art can make
many modifications and changes according to the general concept of the present invention
without becoming inventive. Therefore, any technical solution that can be obtained
by logical analysis, reasoning or limited experimentation by a person skilled in the
art on the basis of a study and analysis of the general concept and idea of the present
invention shall fall within the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.
List of Reference Numerals
[0050]
- 1
- lamp holder
- 11
- lamp holder base plate
- 12
- lamp holder side wall
- 121
- first slot
- 122
- second slot
- 123
- third slot
- 124
- positioning groove
- 125
- limiting strip
- 13
- mounting port
- 14
- lamp inner cavity
- 15
- rib
- 16
- glue injection cavity
- 2
- lamp shade
- 21
- snap-in portion
- 3
- light emitting module
- 31
- light board
- 32
- LED unit
- 33
- conductive layer
- 4
- end cover
- 41
- outer cover
- 411
- interface
- 412
- mounting recess
- 413
- receiving slot
- 414
- positioning post
- 415
- mounting hole
- 416
- glue injection hole
- 42
- bracket
- 421
- guiding block
- 422
- locating block
- 423
- limiting block
- 424
- accommodating port
- 425
- stopper
- 426
- limiting post
- 427
- accommodation slot
- 428
- locating hole
- 43
- resiliently biased terminal
- 431
- overlapping connecting portion
- 44
- blocking head
- 441
- sealing ring
- 45
- screw
- 46
- anti-pull block
- 5
- external wiring harness
1. A strip-shaped lamp, comprising a lamp holder (1), a lampshade (2) mounted on the
lamp holder (1), a light emitting module (3) disposed in an inner cavity (14) formed
by the lamp holder (1) and the lampshade (2), and an end cover (4), wherein
the lamp holder (1) comprises a lamp holder base plate (11) and two lamp holder sidewalls
(12) disposed on opposite sides of the lamp holder base plate (11), the lamp holder
base plate (11) and the lamp holder sidewalls (12) forming a mounting port (13) at
an axial end of the lamp holder (1), and said lamp holder (1) comprising first slots
(121) and the second slots (122) extending in a longitudinal direction of the lamp
holder (1);
the lampshade (2) comprises snap-in portions (21) provided on both sides of the lampshade
(2) and extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the snap-in portions (21)
are positively accommodated in the first slots (121) so that the lampshade (2) and
the lamp holder (1) are connected to each other and form the inner cavity (14); and
the light emitting module (3) is provided in the inner cavity (14) of the strip-shaped
lamp and comprises a light board (31) with a plurality of LED-units (32) disposed
on the light board (31), wherein a conductive layer (33) is provided at an axial end
of the light board (31);
and the end cover (4) is provided at an axial end of the lamp holder (1) to cover
the mounting port (13) at the axial end of the lamp holder (1);
characterized in that
the end cover (4) comprises an outer cover (41) and a bracket (42), wherein
the bracket (42) is provided on both sides with guiding blocks (421) configured to
be positively accommodated in the second slots (122) of the lamp holder (1), and is
provided with a resiliently biased terminal (43),
the resiliently biased terminal (43) comprises an overlapping connecting portion (431)
in electric contact with the conductive layer (33) of the light board (31) for electric
power supply, and
an interface (411) is provided in the outer cover (41) for electrical connection of
an external wiring harness (5) to the resiliently biased terminal (43).
2. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lamp holder (1) comprises
a rib (15) configured to abut the bottom surface of the light board (31), wherein
two opposite sides of the rib (15) are connected to the lamp holder side walls (12).
3. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein third slots (123) are formed
in the lamp holder sidewalls (12) at a level between the first and second slots (121,
122) and extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein lateral edges of the light
board (31) are inserted in the third slots (123) and a bottom surface of the light
board (31) abuts against the rib (15).
4. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein lateral edges of the light
board (31) are inserted in the second slots (122) and a bottom surface of the light
board (31) abuts against the lamp holder base plate (11).
5. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the resiliently
biased terminal (43) is resiliently biased against the conductive layer (33) of the
light board (31).
6. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein
the resiliently biased terminal (43) is fixedly mounted on or connected to the bracket
(42),
the bracket (42) is provided with an accommodation opening (424) formed corresponding
to the resiliently biased terminal (43), and
stoppers (425) are provided at an axial end of the accommodation opening (424) for
limiting or defining a position of the resiliently biased terminal (43), and
at least one limiting post (426) is provided in the middle of the bracket (42) for
separating contact fingers of the resiliently biased terminal (43) and/or wires of
the external wiring harness (5).
7. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in claim 6, wherein
a width of the electrically conductive layer (33) at the axial end of the light board
(31) is smaller than a width of a middle portion of the light board (31),
the overlapping connecting portions (431) of the resiliently biased terminal (43)
pass through the accommodation opening (424) and abut against the electrically conductive
layer (33) of the light board (31), and
the head of the bracket (42) is provided with an accommodation slot (427) adapted
to accommodate the axial end of the light board (31) and connected to the accommodation
opening (424).
8. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein an anti-pulling
block (46) is provided between the bracket (42) and the outer cover (41) and fixedly
connected to the external wiring harness (5), for fixing the external wiring harness
at the outer cover (41).
9. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the outer
cover (41) is provided with a mounting recess (412) adapted to the bracket (42) at
an end opposite the bracket (42).
10. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the end cover
(4) further comprises a blocking head (44), the blocking head (44) being provided
with a sealing ring (441), the blocking head (44) being matingly coupled with the
bracket (42) and having an interference fit with inner walls of the lampshade (2).
11. The strip-shaped lamp as claimed in claim 10, wherein the end cover (4) is provided
with a glue injection hole (416) formed between the end cover (4) and the blocking
head (44), the lamp holder (1) and the lampshade (2).
12. An end cover (4) for a strip-shaped lamp, in particular a strip-shaped lamp as claimed
in any of the preceding claims, said strip-shaped lamp comprising a lamp holder (1),
a lampshade (2) mounted on the lamp holder (1) to form an inner cavity and a light
emitting module (3) disposed in the inner cavity (14) formed by the lamp holder (1)
and the lampshade (2), said lamp holder (1) having a U-shaped profile and forming
a mounting port (13) at an axial end of the lamp holder (1), and said lamp holder
(1) comprising first slots (121) and the second slots (122) extending in a longitudinal
direction of the lamp holder (1),
said end cover (4) being configured to be mounted to the lamp holder (1) to cover
the mounting port (13) at the axial end of the lamp holder (1) and seal it against
the environment, wherein
the end cover (4) comprises an outer cover (41) and a bracket (42),
the bracket (42) is provided on both sides with guiding blocks (421) configured to
be positively accommodated in the second slots (122) of the lamp holder (1),
the bracket (42) is provided with a resiliently biased terminal (43) comprising an
overlapping connecting portion (431) configured to electrically contact a conductive
layer (33) of the light emitting module (3) for electric power supply, and
an interface (411) is provided in the outer cover (41) for electrical connection of
an external wiring harness (5) to the resiliently biased terminal (43).
13. The end cover (4) as claimed in claim 12, wherein
the resiliently biased terminal (43) is fixedly mounted on or connected to the bracket
(42),
the bracket (42) is provided with an accommodation opening (424) formed corresponding
to the resiliently biased terminal (43), and
stoppers (425) are provided at an axial end of the accommodation opening (424) for
limiting or defining a position of the resiliently biased terminal (43), and
at least one limiting post (426) is provided in the middle of the bracket (42) for
separating contact fingers of the resiliently biased terminal (43) and/or wires of
the external wiring harness (5).
14. The end cover (4) as claimed in claim 13, wherein
a width of the electrically conductive layer (33) at the axial end of the light emitting
module (3) is smaller than a width of a middle portion of the light emitting module
(3),
the overlapping connecting portions (431) of the resiliently biased terminal (43)
pass through the accommodation opening (424) and are configured to abut against the
electrically conductive layer (33) of the light emitting module (3), and
the head of the bracket (42) is provided with an accommodation slot (427) adapted
to accommodate the axial end of the light emitting module (3) and connected to the
accommodation opening (424).
15. The end cover (4) as claimed in any of claims 12 to 14, wherein an anti-pulling block
(46) is provided between the bracket (42) and the outer cover (41) and fixedly connected
to the external wiring harness (5), for fixing the external wiring harness at the
outer cover (41).