WO2005100848A1

WO2005100848A1 - Luminaires

Info

Publication number: WO2005100848A1
Application number: PCT/GB2005/001441
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kelvin John Austin
Original assignee: Abacus Holdings Limited
Priority date: 2004-04-19
Filing date: 2005-04-14
Publication date: 2005-10-27
Also published as: RU2006140804A; RU2379580C2; GB0408654D0; WO2005100848A8; CN1942702A; CN100547284C

Abstract

A luminaire comprises a chassis member (12) having a housing for receiving a lamp and a reflector (22). The housing has an opening through which light from a lamp can be directed when the lamp is received in the housing. The luminaire further comprises a closure member (14) mountable to the chassis member for closing the opening, the closure member having a transparent or translucent portion (50) through which light from the lamp can pass when the closure member is in position and outer casing means (16) mountable about the chassis member.

Description

Lurriinaires

The present invention relates to luminaires.

Known luminaires comprise an outer casing mountable to a support. The casing mcludes a housing into which a lamp, reflector, and associated electronic control gear for the luminaire are mounted and has an opening through which light from the lamp is directed. To protect the components in the housing from the elements, the opening is closed by means of closure member having a transparent or translucent portion to allow light from the lamp to pass through. The closure member can take many forms depending on the design of the lamp and may, for example, be in the form of a glass bowl.

In the known construction, the casing forms part of the external appearance of the luminaire, hence a different casing is required for each design of luminaire. This is a significant problem. The casing being a substantial structural component of the luminaire is expensive to manufacture and so the need to produce a different casing for each luminaire design adds significantly to the costs of manufacture. It is also very wasteful, as it is unlikely that a casing could be re-used once the luminaire comes to the end of its useful life.

There is a requirement for an improved luminaire that overcomes or at least mitigates the above problems.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a lurninaire comprising a chassis member having a housing for receiving a lamp and a reflector, the housing having an opening through which light from a lamp can be directed when the lamp is received in the housing; a closure member mountable to the chassis member for closing the opening, the closure member having a transparent or translucent portion through which light from the lamp can pass when the closure member is in position; and outer casing means mountable about the chassis member.

hi a luminaire in accordance with the invention, an internal chassis provides the main structural component for housing the lamp and reflector whilst the external appearance is determined by a closure member and an outer casing means that are mountable to the chassis. With this construction, the same internal chassis can be used in a variety of different luminaire designs, reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, when a lurninaire in accordance with the invention reaches the end of its working life, the internal chassis can be re-used, together with a new closure member and/or outer casing means to produce a substantially new luminaire. It would also be possible for a luminaire in accordance with the invention to be re-vamped in situ, by simply replacing the closure member and/or the outer casing means.

Preferably, the chassis is a cast component and may be cast from a metal such as aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

A seal means may be provided between the chassis and the closure member. The seal means prevents moisture and the like from entering the housing to protect the internal components from the elements.

Preferably, the closure member is attached to the chassis by means of a hinge, which may be a double hinge. The hinge may have guide means for controlling the movement of the closure member as it is moved between a closed and an open position.

Preferably, the closure member is secured to the chassis by means of at least one releasable catch which may be an over-centre catch.

Preferably, any necessary electronic control gear is also mounted within the housing.

Preferably, the chassis is provided with at least one mounting means to enable the luminaire to be attached to support means. More preferably, the chassis has a plurality of mounting means to enable the luminaire to be attached to support means at a variety of positions on the chassis.

Advantageously, a variety of different closure members and/or outer casing means can be mounted to the same chassis to vary the external appearance of the luminaire. Preferably, the closure member and the casing means completely encase the chassis when in position.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a luminaire in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the outside of a chassis forming part of the lummaire of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the interior of the chassis of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the chassis of Figs 2 and 3, with a closure member attached to the chassis by means of a hinge, the closure member being shown in an open position;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hinge used to attach the closure member to the chassis in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge of Fig. 5;

Figs 7A to 7C are a series of sectional views through the hinge of Fig. 5, showing the relative movement of the hinge plates as the hinge is opened and closed;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the luminaire of Fig. 1 mounted to a support;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the luminaire of Fig. 1 mounted to an alternative support; and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a modified version of the luminaire of Fig. 1 mounted to a yet further alternative support.

With reference first to Fig. 1 to 4, a luminaire 10 in accordance with the invention comprises an internal chassis 12, a closure member 14 and an outer casing 16,

The chassis 12 has an internal cavity 18 that forms a housing in which a lamp 20, reflector 22, and electronic control gear (not shown) for the luminaire can be received. As can be seen from Fig. 3, the internal cavity is provided with a number of mounting points 24 to which the lamp 20, reflector 22 and a gear tray (not shown) can be removable mounted. The mounting points 24 are arranged so that a variety of different lamps, reflectors and gear trays can be located in the housing.

The chassis 12 can be made from any suitable material using any suitable process, but is preferably cast from a metal such as aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

The chassis 12 is generally circular when viewed in plan, having a generally circular side wall portion 26 enclosed by a generally conical upper portion 28. A flange portion 30 projects radially outwardly from the lower edge of the side wall portion, which lower edge defines an opening 32 of the housing 18. When in position in the housing, the lamp 20 and reflector 22 are arranged so that light from the lamp is directed through the opening 32. A small opening 33 is provided in the upper portion 28 though which electrical caballing can pass. A suitable grommet (not shown) can be used in the opening to protect the caballing and to provide a seal around the caballing.

To enable the luminaire to be mounted to a support, such as lamp post for example, the chassis 12 is provided with a number of mounting points on its outer surface. Two of the mounting points are provided by first and second recesses 24, 26 on the exterior of the chassis. A first of the recesses 24 provides a lower mounting point adapted to receive the end of a supporting arm or spigot 34 entering from the side, as shown in Figs. 1 & 9. Side walls 36, 38 of the recess have mounting holes 40 to receive a fastener, such as a bolt or screw (not shown), for securing the chassis 12 to the spigot. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the outer casing 16 has an opening 41 through which the support arm 34 passes in order for it to be connected to the chassis 12. The other recess 26 is similarly constructed and provides a second, upper mounting point, also for receiving the end of a supporting arm or spigot 42 entering from the side as shown in Fig. 10. Further mounting points are provided by two flats 44, 46 formed in the side wall portion 26 on either side of the chassis. The flats 44, 46 can be used to attach the chassis 12 to a pair of wishbone type support members, such as those shown in Fig. 9. Additional or alternative mounting points can be provided as required.

The closure member 14 is mounted to the flange portion 30 of chassis 12 so as to close the opening 32, protecting the lamp 20, the reflector 22 and the control gear within the housing. The closure member has a rim 48 that abuts the flange portion 30 when the closure member is in its closed position and an inner transparent or translucent portion 50, though which light from the lamp can pass. As shown in Fig. 1, the inner portion maybe a separate component from the rim 48 and can take a variety of forms. For example, as shown in Fig 1 , the inner portion 50 may in the form of a generally flat of low profile insert of glass, plastics or the like. Alternatively, the inner portion may be in the form of bowl 54, as shown in Fig. 10. Those skilled in the art will understand that the profile of the inner portion 50 can be varied as required to suit the style of the luminaire.

A seal 55 is positioned between the rim 48 of the closure member and the flange portion 30 of the chassis to prevent moisture and the like from entering the housing when the closure member 14 is in position. This ensures that the housing is fully weatherproofed. A seal (not shown) may also be provided between the rim 48 and the inner portion 50 of the closure member 14.

In the present embodiment, the closure member 14 is attached to the chassis 12 by means of a hinge 56. This enables the closure member to be swung open, as shown in Fig. 4, for removal or servicing of the components mounted in the chassis. When the closure member 14 is moved to its closed position, it is held in place by one or more releasable catches (not shown) which operate between the rim 48 of the closure member and chassis. Preferably, the catch or catches are over-centre type catches to ensure that the closure member is clamped tightly to the chassis 12 to provide a good seal.

In order that the closure member 14 can be opened far enough to enable the components mounted in the chassis to be removed through the opening 32, the hinge 56 is a double hinge. The use of a double hinge means that the rim 48 of the closure member is able to clear the flange portion 30 of the chassis, as the closure member is opened. The construction of the hinge can be seen more clearly in Figs 5 to 7.

The hinge 56 has a first hinge plate 58 for attachment to the flange portion 30 of the chassis and a second hinge plate 60 for attachment to the rim 48 of the closure member 14. Extending between the two hinge plates is a spacer plate 62 having a generally inverted U- shape. The spacerplate 62 is pivotally connected to the first hinge plate 58bymeans of afirst pair of co-axial hinge pins 64, 66, each pin being received in one end of a knuckle 68 formed centrally on an upper edge of the spacer plate and a respective one of a pair of knuckles 70, 72 spaced apart on an outer edge of the first hinge plate 58. Similarly, the spacer plate 62 is pivotally connected to the second hinge plate 60 by means of a second pair of co-axial hinge pins 74, 76. The pins 74, 76 of this second pair are each received in a respective knuckle 78, 80 formed at the lower end one of the limbs 62A, 62B of the inverted U-shaped spacerplate and a corresponding knuckle 82, 83 on an outer edge of the second hinge plate 60 An opening is formed in the spacer plate between the two limbs 62A, 6B and the central knuckle 68.

Because the closure member 14 may be heavy and difficult to handle, the first and second hinge plates 58, 60 are provided inter-engaging guide members 84, 86 to guide the movement ofthe closure member 14 relative to the chassis 12 between the open and closed positions. A first ofthe guide members 84 proj ects from the first hinge plate 58 and has a first cam surface 88. The second guide member 86 projects from the second hinge plate 60 and has a second cam surface 90 that is in contact with the first cam surface 88 on the first guide member. As can be seen best in Figs. 7A to 7C, the first and second guide surfaces are curvilinear and define on the guide members bulbous end portions 92, 94, towards the distal ends of the guide members and narrower neck portions 96, 98 between the end portions 92, 94 and the respective hinge plates.

Operation ofthe hinge will now be described with reference to Fig 4 and to Figs. 7A to 7C.

Fig. 7A shows the relative positions of the first and second hinge plates 58, 60 when the closure member 14 is in the closed position, with the rim 48 of the closure member in alignment with the flange portion 30 ofthe chassis. With the hinge in this condition, the end portion 94 ofthe second guide member 86 is nestled in the neck region 96 ofthe first guide member 84. As indicated in the drawing, the first guide member 84 projects through the opening in the separator plate 62 defined by its limbs 62A, 62B and the central knuckle 68.

Fig. 7B shows the hinge as the closure member 14 is moved to a partially open position. In this position, the end portion 94 on the second guide member 86 has ridden onto the end portion 96 on the first guide member 84. The lower end ofthe spacer plate 60 has moved by a small amount to the left, as shown, relative to its position as shown in Fig. 7A. The second hinge plate 60, and thus the closure member 14, have pivoted downwardly about the hinge pins 74, 76 relative to the spacer plate 62 to extend downwardly at an angle of about 45 degrees.

Fig. 7C shows the hinge 56 in the fully open position. It can be seen that the end portion 94 on the second guide member 86 has moved around the end portion 92 on the first guide member 84 so that it is in engagement with a lower surface of the end portion 92. In this position, the lower end ofthe spacer plate 62 is moved further to the left, as shown, relative to the position shown in Fig. 7A and the second hinge plate 60 is angled almost straight down. Because the lower end ofthe spacer plate 62 has been moved leftwards, away from the flange portion 30 on the chassis, the second hinge plate 60 and the closure member 14 hang down clear ofthe opening 32 in the chassis 12, enabling the components mounted in the housing to be removed.

When the closure member 14 is moved back to the closed position, the relative movement of the hinge components is reversed. Hence, as the hinge 56 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 7C to the position shown in Fig.7B, the end portion 94 on the second guide member 86 rides around the end portion 92 on the first guide member 84 to cause the second hinge plate 60, and hence the closure member 14, to be moved to the right, as shown, relative to the chassis. Then, as the hinge moves from the position shown in Fig. 7B to that shown in Fig. 7A, the end portion 94 on the second guide member 86 enters the neck region 96 on the first guide member so that the second hinge plate 60 and the rim 48 ofthe closure member are brought into proper alignment with the flange portion 30 on the chassis in a controlled manner. The closure member 14 can now be secured in position using the catches (not shown).

Whilst in the embodiment shown the closure member 14 is attached to the chassis 12 by means of a hinge 56 and one or more releasable catches, the closure member can be secured to the chassis by any suitable means. For example, rather than using releasable catches, the closure member can be secured using any suitable releasable fastening means, such as screw threaded fasteners or the like. Furthermore, the closure member 14 need not be attached to the chassis 12 by means of a hinge 56 but could be attached only by suitable releasable fastener means, such as catches, screw threaded fasteners or the like, or any combination of these.

With closure member 14 secured in the closed position, the chassis 12 and closure member 14 provide a weatherproofed housing that can be mounted directly to a suitable support 34. To complete the exterior appearance ofthe luminaire an appropriate outer casing means 16 is mounted about the chassis 12. The outer casing means 16 maybe a single piece component as shown in Fig. 1 or may comprise a number of separate components that together form an outer casing for the luminaire.

Because the outer casing 16 does not form a structural part of the luminaire, it can be manufactured relatively cheaply from any suitable material such as aluminium or plastics. By using different outer casings 16 and/or closure members 14, the external appearance ofthe luminaire 10 can be changed. This means that a common chassis 12 can be used to produce a variety of luminaire designs, leading to reduced manufacturing costs. Furthermore, once the luminaire reaches the end of its useful life, the chassis 12 can be refurbished and used together with a new outer casing 16 and a new closure member 14 to produce a substantially new luminaire. Alternatively, a user could simply replace the outer casing 16 and/or the closure member 14 in order to revamp a luminaire without having to replace the whole unit. If required, the replacement outer casing 16 and/or closure member 14 can be of a different design to alter the external appearance of the luminaire. Alternatively, the outer casing 16 and/or closure member 14 can be replaced with identical components simply to extend the life ofthe luminaire. Figs. 8 to 10 illustrate how the external appearance ofthe lu inaire can be altered by using different outer casings 16 and closure members 14 and by using different support means.

In Fig. 8, the luminaire 10 of Fig. 1 is attached to a support arm 34 mounted to the top of a lamp post 100. hi this embodiment, the support arm 34 is attached to the chassis 12 using the lower mounting point provided by the first recess 24, as shown in Fig.1.

Fig. 9 shows the luminaire 10 of Fig. 1 mounted between a pair of wishbone arms 102, 104 that are attached to the chassis 12 by means ofthe flats 44, 46 on the side wall.

Finally, Fig. 10 shows a luminaire 10' with an alternative outer casing 16'. The luminaire 10' is mounted to a support arm 42 that engages with the upper mounting point provided by the second recess 26 on the chassis 12. In this embodiment, the closure member 14' includes a glass bowl insert 54 and the outer casing means 16' is made up of a number of separate casing parts 106, 108, 110.

Claims

1. A luminaire comprising a chassis member having a housing for receiving a lamp and a reflector, the housing having an opening through which light from a lamp can be directed when the lamp is received in the housing; a closure member mountable to the chassis member for closing the opening, the closure member having a transparent or translucent portion through which light from the lamp can pass when the closure member is in position; and outer casing means mountable about the chassis member.

2. A luminaire as claimed in claim 1, in which the chassis is a cast component.

3. A luminaire as claimed in claim 2, in which the chassis is cast form a metal, preferably aluminium or an aluminium alloy

4. A luminaire as claimed in any previous claim, in which a seal means is provided between the chassis and the closure member.

5. A luminaire as claimed in any previous claim, in which the closure member is attached to chassis by means of a hinge.

6. A luminaire as claimed in claim 5, in which the hinge is a double hinge.

7. A luminaire as claimed in claim 6, in which the hinge has means for guiding the movement ofthe closure member relative to the chassis.

8. A luminaire as claimed in any previous claim, in which the closure member is secured to the chassis by means of at least one releasable catch.

9. A luminaire as claimed in claim 8, in which the at least one catch is an over-centre catch.

10. A luminaire as claimed in any previous claim, in which any necessary electronic control gear is also mounted within the housing.

11. A luminaire as claimed in any previous claim, in which the chassis is provided with at least one mounting means to enable the luminaire to be attached to support means.

12. A luminaire as claimed in claim 11 , in which the chassis has a plurality of mounting means to enable the luminaire to be attached to support means at a variety of positions on the chassis.

13. A luminaire as claimed in any previous claim, in which a variety of different closure members and/or outer casing means can be mounted to the same chassis to vary the external appearance ofthe luminaire.

14. A luminaire as claimed in any previous claim, in which the closure member and the casing means completely encase the chassis when in position.

15. A luminaire substantially as herein before described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.