GB2309513A

GB2309513A - Mounting of built-in lamp

Info

Publication number: GB2309513A
Application number: GB9701300A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Massimo Gattari
Original assignee: Iguzzini Illuminazione SRL
Current assignee: Iguzzini Illuminazione SRL
Priority date: 1996-01-23
Filing date: 1997-01-22
Publication date: 1997-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 2017-01-22
Also published as: GB9701300D0; ES1036203U; ITMI960052U1; IT240401Y1; ITMI960052V0; GB2309513B; FR2743864B3; DE29700723U1; FR2743864A1; ES1036203Y

Abstract

A lamp intended for mounting in a false ceiling includes an element 2, containing the electrical and optical components, mounted within an element 3 carrying lamp fixing means which comprise at least one pair of helical springs 5 each having the axis of its coils arranged along a radius of the lamp and having action and reaction arms 6,7. Each action arm 6 is arranged to abut in use against a bearing surface 8 of the ceiling and each reaction arm 7 abuts a bearing surface 9 on element 3. The reaction arm may have an extension 13 which can be grasped manually, allowing disengagement from the surface 9, for dismounting the lamp from the ceiling. A plurality of adjacent surfaces 9 may provide alternative location positions for the arms 7.

Description

BUILT-IN LIGHTING APPLIANCE This invention relates to a built-in lighting appliance.

Being designed for housing in seats or cavities, built-in appliances are usually used in environments provided with a false ceiling, it being particularly simple to provide within the false ceiling (practically at any point) the necessary seats or cavities for said lighting appliances. Built-in appliances described in the classifying part or introduction of claim 1 are currently known.

In said built-in lighting appliances, the retention force exerted by the fixing means is generated by springs having the axis of their turns positioned substantially tangential to the lighting appliance so that the arms of action extend in a direction radial to the interior of the seat or cavity. These built-in lighting appliances are conspicuous mainiy for the low cost of their springs, which also enable them to be easily installed. However the springs of said appliances exert a retention force which is directly proportional to the thickness of the false ceiling, and which hence differs depending on the installation. In particular if the lighting appliance is applied to false ceilings of small thickness, the force generated by the springs may be insufficient to adequately support possible accessories (such as additional screens or lenses). This drawback is currently remedied by providing the appliances where necessary with springs of greater rigidity and hence able to produce a greater retention force for the same deformation. Unfortunately when such appliances are removed from their seat, the springs (having to deform to the maximum extent to allow withdrawal from the seat) exert a force on the edge of the seat which is of such an extent as to exceed the strength of the false ceiling material, which is usually of plaster board or a mechanically similar material. Consequently the lighting appliance needs to be removed only once to destroy the appearance of the edges of the seat provided in the false ceiling.

The object of the present invention is to provide a lighting appliance comprising fixing means able to obviate the aforesaid drawbacks, ie comprising springs which are able simultaneously to: exert a retention force the intensity of which is independent of the false ceiling thickness and in any event sufficient to support the lighting appliance even if provided with accessories, enable the lighting appliance to be extracted from its seat without damaging the false ceiling, whatever the fixing force exerted by the springs of the fixing means.

These objects are attained by a built-in lighting appliance in accordance with claim 1, to which reference should be made for brevity.

The essence of the invention is hence the particular arrangement of the spring relative to the remaining parts of the lighting appliance, in which respect by positioning each helical spring such that the axis of its turns radially cuts the lighting appliance, and arranging the second bearing surface radially on a coupling element which projects inwards of said element, the reaction arm can hence be easily released from or engaged with the coupling element, by neutralizing or activating the spring. The lighting appliance can hence be installed or removed with the spring deactivated, so that the danger of damaging the false ceiling during the installation or removal of the lighting appliance is totally averted, independently of the retention force which the spring is able to exert when activated.

The dependent claims relate to improved and consequently even more advantageous alternative embodiments of the invention.

The invention is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the figures of the accompanying drawings, which show a lighting appliance of circular plan.

Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a lighting appliance according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the lighting appliance.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a spring of the invention taken parallel to the axis of the turns thereof.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of a spring of the preceding figure taken perpendicular to the axis of the turns thereof.

With reference to said figures, the built-in lighting appliance of the invention, indicated overall by 1, comprises a first element 2 and a second element 3 which are connected together such that the first element 2 is positioned substantially within the second 3.

Preferably the connection (not shown) between the first element and second element 3 is of hinge type, enabling the two elements 2 and 3 to be positioned at an angle to each other. As an alternative to the hinge connection, other types of connection can be provided. The first element 2 comprises the optical and electrical components of the lighting appliance, the second element 3 comprising an annular base element 17 and the means 4 for mechanically fixing the appliance 1 into a seat which can be provided either in a solid wall (ceiling or partition) or in the space between a ceiling and the underlying false ceiling. The mechanical fixing means 4 for the appliance 1 comprise essentially at least one pair of helical springs 5, each of which comprises an action arm 6 and a reaction arm 7. Each helical spring 5 is arranged such that the axis of its turns radially cuts the lighting appliance 1.

In the illustrated embodiment the turns of the helical spring 5 are retained and guided within a seat 14 in an upright 12 by a tubular element 15 coaxial with the turns of the spring 5 and provided at its ends with a pair of flanges 16 bearing against the outer surfaces of the upright 12. The flanges 16 are interrupted in correspondence with the action arm 6 and reaction arm 7 of the helical spring 5.

The action arm 6 is intended to abut against a first bearing surface 8 provided on the housing, the reaction arm 7 being intended to abut against a second bearing surface 9 provided on the inside of the second element 3.

The end 13 of the reaction arm 7 projects beyond the coupling element 11 and is shaped to enable it to be grasped manually or by a tool (such as a screwdriver) which in the second case must be able to be inserted into the annular space between the first element 2 and second element 3. In the illustrated embodiment the end 13 is bent back on itself.

The invention is mounted as follows.

Each end 13 is disengaged from the respective second bearing surfaces 9. Each spring 5 is then free to rotate about the axis 10, while the relative position of the arm 6 to the arm 7 remains constant.

The built-in lighting appliance 1 can then be inserted into the housing provided, without the spring obstructing this insertion.

When the lighting appliance 1 has been inserted into the cavity, the ends 13 are hooked to the coupling elements 11 such that said ends abut against the second bearing surfaces 9. Each action arm 6 presses elastically against the respective bearing surface 8 to elastically retain the lighting appliance 1 in its seat. The retention force can be varied by changing the coupling element 11.

In the illustrated embodiment the choice can be made only between two coupling elements 11, but it is apparent that more than two can be provided, circumferentially spaced apart.

Consequently in the case of false ceilings of different thickness, by choosing the appropriate coupling element 11 the elastic retention force generated by each spring 5 can be maintained constant at the desired value. The invention therefore enables the lighting appliance 1 to be retained with the same intensity even if in a region in which the false ceiling thicknesses are different. The invention is applicable both to lighting appliances having the first element 2 and second element 3 separated on mounting and to lighting appliances having the first element 2 and second element 3 inseparable on mounting. In this latter case the space between the two elements 2 and 3 must be sufficient to enable a tool (such as a screwdriver) to be inserted at the uprights 12 in order to act on the ends 13. To remove the lighting appliance 1 from the false ceiling, it is necessary merely to release the ends 13 from the respective coupling elements 11.

In conclusion, the built-in lighting appliance 1 can be retained with an elastic force which can even be large, but which in any event does not damage the false ceiling if the lighting appliance 1 is removed, because both during its fixing into the housing and during its removal the action of the spring 5 which generates the retention force is neutralized.

In further embodiments of the invention, not shown for brevity, the plan shape of the first element 2 and second element 3 of the built-in lighting appliance 1 could have a plan shape different from the circular shape illustrated. For example the plan shape of either the first element 2 or the second element 3 or both could be ellipsoidal, square, rectangular, rhomboidal or regular polygonal.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A built-in lighting appliance (1) comprising a first element (2) and a second element (3) joined together such that the first element (2) lies within the second (3), in which the first element (2) comprises the optical and electrical components of the lighting appliance (1) and the second element (3) comprises the means (4) for mechanically fixing the lighting appliance (1) into a seat, said mechanical fixing means (4) comprising at least one pair of helical springs (5) each of which comprises an action arm (6) intended to abut against a first bearing surface (8) located on the housing, and a reaction arm (7) intended to abut against a second bearing surface (9) located within the second element (3), characterised in that each helical spring (5) is arranged such that the axis of its turns radially cuts the lighting appliance (1), the second bearing surface (9) being arranged radially on a coupling element (11) which projects inwards of said second element (3).
2. A lighting appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterised by comprising for each reaction arm (7) a plurality of spacedapart coupling elements (11).
3. A lighting appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the end of the reaction arm (7) projects beyond the coupling element (11) and is shaped such as to be able to be grasped manually or by a tool.
4. An appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the mechanical fixing means (4) for the appliance comprise for each helical spring (5) an upright (12) which: - is rigid with an annular base element of the second element (3), - supports a plurality of coupling elements (11) positioned on that surface facing the interior of the annular element, - is provided at its free end with a seat for housing the turns of the helical spring (5), the action arm (6) and reaction arm (7) of which are arranged tangential to the outer lateral surface and inner lateral surface of the upright (12) respectively.
5. An appliance as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the turns of the helical spring (5) are retained and guided within their seat in the upright (12) by a tubular element (15) coaxial with the turns of the spring (5) and provided at its ends with a pair of flanges (16) bearing against the outer surfaces of the upright (12), said flanges (16) being interrupted in correspondence with the action arm (6) and reaction arm (7) of the spring (5).
6. A lighting appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that of the first element (2) and second element (3), at least one has in plan view one of the following shapes: circular, ellipsoidal, square, rectangular, rhomboidal, regular polygonal.
7. A lighting appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the connection between the first element (2) and second element (3) is of hinge or rigid type.