Patent Application
20250003561
The disclosure relates to a lighting luminaire, in particular for a suspended tile light ceiling assembly. Such lighting luminaires are in essence composed of an elongated fixture housing comprising an elongated light exit opening and an elongated light exit window plate, functioning as a light diffusor plate, and structured to be mounted to the fixture housing for covering the elongated light exit opening. Next to the application of such lighting luminaire in a suspended tile light ceiling assembly, such lighting luminaire can also be used in an illumination system for line illumination, wherein such illumination system for line illumination is composed of multiple lighting luminaires connected in line with each other, thereby forming a self-sustained trunked illumination system.
A lighting luminaire as outlined above, either used as a standalone light unit or in a suspended tile light ceiling assembly or in a trunked illumination system suited for line illumination, is commonly known and finds general application in illuminating large room areas, in particular office spaces, retail spaces (supermarkets), manufacturing areas, warehouses, distribution centres, etc. etc. Such lighting luminaires are composed of an elongated fixture housing and a corresponding elongated light exit window plate or light diffuser plate. Both parts can have a considerable length of 1000 mm or more.
The diffuser plates used in such lighting luminaires are typically manufactured in two ways. They are either cut from larger sheets of plastic material or are manufactured using extrusion techniques. Sheet cut diffuser plates and extruded diffuser plates can have lengths of 1000 mm and above up to 3500 mm. Whereas sheet cut diffuser plates have a flat configuration, extruded diffuser plates can be manufactured with a three-dimensional surface profile for additional light diffusing effects. Sheet cut diffuser plates are relatively inexpensive to manufacture as no significant tool investments are required, whereas extruded diffuser plates require specific machinery including a specific design of an extrusion die. A sheet cut diffuser plate requires either a simple assembly to the elongated fixture housing by means of sliding in, or with the use of additional fixing parts, for example screws or brackets. Extruded diffuser plates can also be slid-in, but the extruded profile of the plate has usually a snap interface, that snaps with the fixture housing.
Sliding in a sheet cut diffuser plate or an extruded diffuser plate element having lengths of 1000 mm or more is cumbersome on the assembly line as it doubles the footprint of the assembly table. Also the on-site replacement of a slide-in diffusor plate of an already installed lighting luminaire is equally cumbersome and complex. In addition, an extruded diffuser plate requires tooling and high-volume production batches for being cost-effective.
In addition, the above known examples of a lighting luminaire require high manufacturing tolerances of both the fixture housing as well as the diffuser plate. It is thus desirable to present a lighting luminaire, which is easy to assembly and disassembly not requiring high manufacturing tolerances.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,758,207B1 discloses a lightweight LED lamp.
The disclosure proposes a lighting luminaire, in particular for a suspended tile light ceiling assembly, the lighting luminaire at least comprising an elongated fixture housing comprising an elongated light exit opening; and an elongated light exit window plate structured to be mounted to the fixture housing for covering the elongated light exit opening, wherein the elongated light exit opening is bound by two longitudinal mounting slots facing each other, the longitudinal mounting slots each being configured to accommodate a longitudinal plate edge of the elongated light exit window plate, wherein the elongated light exit window plate has a width larger than a width of the elongated light exit opening, but smaller than a distance between longitudinal mounting slots facing each other, and the lighting luminaire further comprising a set of two fixating plate elements, each fixating plate element having two longitudinal element edges each structured to be accommodated in one of the two longitudinal mounting slots and a frontal element edge structured to fixate the elongated light exit window plate between the two longitudinal mounting slots through abutment against a frontal plate edge of the elongated light exit window plate.
The frontal element edge is further structured to fixate and center the elongated light exit window plate between the two longitudinal mounting slots in a cross direction transverse to a longitudinal direction through abutment against both longitudinal plate edges of the elongated light exit window plate, thus fixating and centering the elongated light exit window plate relative to the mounting slots, and accordingly providing a proper covering of the light exit window.
Accordingly, as the elongated light exit window plate or diffuser plate has a width larger than a width of the elongated light exit opening, but smaller than a distance between longitudinal mounting slots facing each other, an easy top-down mounting by means of tilting of the elongated light exit window plate in the elongated fixture housing is possible, and the usual sliding in technique is no longer necessary. The assembly of such lighting luminaire is less cumbersome, either at the assembly line (which now can have a reduced footprint) as well as on-site for maintenance or replacement purposes. Fixating the elongated light exit window plate or diffuser plate through abutment at their frontal plate edge with the two fixating plate elements prevents a dislodging of the diffuser plate from the longitudinal slots, which bound the light exit window without the use of additional fixing parts, for example screws or brackets. Also it is not necessary to design and manufacture diffuser plates with complex snap fit interfaces by means of extrusion.
In a preferred example, the fixating plate element has a width larger than the width of the elongated light exit window plate, but a width smaller than the distance between the longitudinal mounting slots facing each other. Accordingly, this allows a proper centering of the elongated light exit window plate between the longitudinal mounting slots, ensuring an overall covering of the light exit window without exposed light slits. It also prevents an undesired dislodging of the elongated light exit window plate from the longitudinal mounting slots and from the lighting luminaire accordingly.
In a particular example, the fixating plate element has a width equal to the distance between the longitudinal mounting slots facing each other, also further guaranteeing a proper centering of the fixating plate element within the slots and relative to the elongated light exit window plate.
Preferably, the fixating plate element has a profiled frontal element edge that is complementary shaped to a profiled frontal plate edge of the elongated light exit window plate, thus forming mutually matching profiles. For example, the profiled frontal element edge or the profiled frontal plate edge is partly or fully convexly profiled and the profiled frontal plate edge or the profiled frontal element edge is complementary concavely profiled. This ensures a proper abutment over the full width dimension of both the elongated light exit window plate and the interacting fixating plate element, thus guaranteeing the fixating and centering relative to the mounting slots.
In particular, the profiled frontal element edge and the profiled frontal plate edge are symmetric along a longitudinal direction of either fixating plate element and elongated light exit window plate. Herewith the assembly of both the fixating plate elements and the elongated light exit window plate is simplified, and its mounting can be achieved irrespective of their side orientation.
In an example, the profiled frontal element edge or the profiled frontal plate edge is provided with at least two (convex) protrusions and the profiled frontal plate edge or the profiled frontal element edge is provided with at least two complementary (concave) recesses.
For cost effective reasons as well for ensuring uniform optic features, the fixating plate element and the elongated light exit window plate are made from the same light transmissive material. Accordingly, the light emission from the lighting luminaire is not different for the separate elements, which cover the light exit window, further improving its overall appearance to a user.
The lighting luminaire further comprises at least one light emitting element accommodated in the elongated fixture housing, the elongated fixture housing is provided with power electronics for supplying power to the at least one light emitting element.
The disclosure also pertains to a kit of parts comprising an elongated light exit window plate and at least two fixating plate element according to the disclosure.
The disclosure will now be discussed with reference to the drawings, which show in:
For a proper understanding of the disclosure, in the detailed description below corresponding elements or parts of the disclosure will be denoted with identical reference numerals in the drawings.
The disclosure proposes in
The present disclosure, and in particular the non-exemplary example of
Returning to
The elongated fixture housing 11 furthermore comprises an elongated light exit opening 14, allowing light being emitted by the light emitting element 12 to leave the space formed by the U-profiled elongated fixture housing 11. The elongated light exit opening 14 is bound by two longitudinal mounting slots 15a and 15b, which are each part of the first and second side parts 11a and 11b, respectively of the U-profiled elongated fixture housing 11.
The two longitudinal mounting slots 15a and 15b are each formed of two flanges 15a1-15a2 (15b1-15b2) extending parallel and at some distance from each other. Each longitudinal mounting slot 15a and 15b has a base face 15a3 and 15b3. The two flanges 15a1-15a2 (15b1-15b2) of each mounting slot 15a (15b) are orientated in the plane of the elongated light exit opening 14, and accordingly the mounting slots 15a-15b (base faces 15a3-15b3) are facing each other.
The distance between the two flanges 15a1-15a2 (15b1-15b2) of each mounting slot 15a (15b) is such that each longitudinal mounting slot 15a and 15b is capable in accommodating a first and second longitudinal plate edge 16a and 16b respectively of an elongated light exit window plate 16, see
The elongated light exit window plate 16 functions as a light diffuser plate and is mounted to the fixture housing 11 as outlined above. Accordingly, the light diffuser plate 16 covers the elongated light exit opening 14 and provides diffused light for effectively illuminating the office space, the retail space (supermarket), manufacturing area, warehouse, or distribution centre, etc. etc., in short the area in which the lighting luminaire 10 is installed.
Known, prior art diffuser plates used in lighting luminaires are typically manufactured in two ways. They are either cut from larger sheets of plastic material or are manufactured using extrusion techniques. Sheet cut diffuser plates and extruded diffuser plates can have lengths of 1000 mm and above up to 3500 mm. Whereas sheet cut diffuser plates have a flat configuration, extruded diffuser plates can be manufactured with a three-dimensional surface profile for additional light diffusing effects. Sheet cut diffuser plates are relatively inexpensive to manufacture as no significant tool investments are required, whereas extruded diffuser plates require specific machinery including a specific design of an extrusion die. A sheet cut diffuser plate requires either a simple assembly to the elongated fixture housing by means of sliding in, or with the use of additional fixing parts, for example screws or brackets. Extruded diffuser plates can also be slid-in, but the extruded profile of the plate has usually a snap interface, that snaps with the fixture housing.
Sliding in a sheet cut diffuser plate or an extruded diffuser plate element having lengths of 1000 mm or more is cumbersome on the assembly line as it doubles the footprint of the assembly table. Also the on-site replacement of a slide-in diffusor plate of an already installed lighting luminaire is equally cumbersome and complex. In addition, an extruded diffuser plate requires tooling and high-volume production batches for being cost-effective.
The proposed lighting luminaire according to the disclosure is easy to assembly as well as to disassembly not requiring high manufacturing tolerances. Accordingly, the elongated light exit window plate 16 has a width 16z, which is larger than a width 14z of the elongated light exit opening 14, but smaller than a distance 15z between the first and second longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b facing each other. With reference to
Accordingly, distance 14z<distance 16z<distance 15z.
As the elongated light exit window plate or diffuser plate 16 has a width 16z, which is larger than a width 14z of the elongated light exit opening 14, but smaller than a distance 15z between longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b facing each other, an easy top-down mounting by means of tilting of the elongated light exit window plate 16 in the elongated fixture housing 11 is possible, and the usual sliding in technique is no longer necessary. These mounting steps are shown in
As shown in the Figures, one of the flanges 15a2 (15b2) of each longitudinal mounting slot 15a (15b) located closest to the base part 11c of the elongated fixture housing 11 is longer than the other flanges 15al (15b1), which is facing furthest from the base part 11c and is facing the area in which the lighting luminaire is to be installed.
Accordingly, using a tilting technique as shown in
Thus, the assembly of the lighting luminaire 10 according to the disclosure is less cumbersome, either at the assembly line (which now can have a reduced footprint) as well as on-site for maintenance or replacement purposes.
For fixating the elongated light exit window plate or diffuser plate 16 within the longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b, a set of two fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 is used. Each fixating plate element 17-1 and 17-2 interacts with one of the two frontal plate edges 16c-16d of the elongated light exit window plate 16. See
Therefore, each first and second longitudinal element edge 17a-17b can be accommodated in one of the two longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b. Each fixating plate element 17-1 and 17-2 has a frontal (proximal) element edge 17c, which proximal element edge 17c, when the fixating plate element 17-1 and 17-2 is mounted in the mounting slots 15a-15b, is facing a frontal plate edge 16c-16d of the elongated light exit window plate 16. A distal element edge 17d of each fixating plate element 17-1 and 17-2 is facing the opposite direction pointing away from the elongated light exit window plate 16.
It is preferred that the two fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 together with the elongated light exit window plate 16 have a combined length, which is equal to the length of the light exit window 14 of the lighting luminaire 10. The fixating plate elements 17-1 (17-2) with the diffuser plate 16 in between can be held in place between the longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b by means of so-called endcaps (not shown). Such endcaps can be placed over the two opposing end faces of the whole lighting luminaire 10 and abut against the distal element edges 17d of each fixating plate element 17-1 and 17-2. The abutting action clamps the endcaps against the two fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 and accordingly clamps the elongated light exit window plate 16 in between.
The clamping action exerted in the longitudinal orientation of the light exit window 14 causes the profiled complementary edges 17c and 16c-16d to interface or align with each other, resulting in a proper immobilizing and centering of the elongated light exit window plate 16 between the longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b. This ensures an overall covering of the light exit window 14 without exposed light slits. The clamping action caused by the endcaps also prevents an undesired dislodging of the elongated light exit window plate 16 from the longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b and from the lighting luminaire 10 accordingly.
Each proximal element edge 17c of both fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 is structured to fixate the elongated light exit window plate 16 between the two longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b. The fixation is achieved through abutment against a corresponding frontal plate edge 16c-16d of the elongated light exit window plate 16. In short, both fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 clamp the elongated light exit window plate 16 inside the mounting slots 15a-15b.
Accordingly, through abutment at the frontal plate edges 16c-16d with the two fixating plate elements 17-1 (17-2), it is prevented that the diffuser plate 16 can dislodge from the longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b. No use of additional fixing parts, for example screws or brackets is required. Also it is not necessary to design and manufacture diffuser plates with complex snap fit interfaces by means of extrusion.
In a preferred example and as shown in more detail in
Each fixating plate element 17-1 (17-2) can have a width 17z, which is equal to the distance 15z between the longitudinal mounting slots 15a-15b facing each other. Also this guarantees a proper centering of the fixating plate elements 17-1 (17-2) within the mounting slots 15a-15b and relative to the elongated light exit window plate 16.
The proximal element edge 17c of each fixating plate element 17-1 (17-2) is provided with a specific profile 18, which is interacts through abutment with a corresponding, yet complementary profile 19 provided at each frontal plate edge 16c-16d of the diffuser plate 16. Preferably, the profiles 19 provided at each frontal plate edge 16c-16d of the light diffuser plate 16 are identical to each other, further simplifying the manufacturing thereof through sheet cutting and for symmetrical assembly purposes. In particular, the profiled proximal element edge 17c and the profiled frontal plate edges 16c-16d are symmetric along a longitudinal direction of either fixating plate element 17-1 (17-2) and elongated light exit window plate 13. Herewith the assembly of both the fixating plate elements and the elongated light exit window plate is simplified, and its mounting can be achieved irrespective of their side orientation. Using complementary profiles 18 and 19 on both abutting frontal (proximal) element edges 17c and frontal plate edges 16c-16d of the elongated light exit window plate 16 ensures a proper abutment over the full width dimension of both parts thereof, thus guaranteeing an effective and durable fixating and centering relative to the mounting slots 15a-15b.
Each profile 18 (19) can consist of extensions 18a (19a), which interact with complementary recesses or chamfers 19b (18b). In other examples, the profiles 18 and 19 can have a partly spherical configuration, which are complementary to each other.
Examples of certain profiles 18 and 19 provided at the proximal element edges 17c and frontal plate edges 16c-16d of both the fixating plate elements 17-1 (17-2) and the elongated light exit window plate 16 are shown in
The example of
The example of
In particular, the profiles 18-19 as depicted in
In
In
For cost effective reasons as well for ensuring uniform optic features, the fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 and the elongated light exit window plate 16 are made from the same light transmissive material. Accordingly, the light emission from the lighting luminaire 10 is not different for the separate elements, which cover the light exit window, further improving its overall appearance to a user. Examples of plastic materials typically used for light diffusers are polycarbonate, PMMA (poly-methyl methacrylate), polystyrene. As an alternative material, quartz or glass can be used.
Alternatively, the fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 and the elongated light exit window plate 16 can have different light transmissive characteristics. For example, the fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 can be made less transparent to light due to an additive added to the plastic material, such as a dye. In such example, the fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 can have a white “milky” appearance, yet in another non-transparent example the fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 can be black to reduce light transmission.
In addition, certain optical structures can be applied on the surface of either the fixating plate elements 17-1 and 17-2 and the elongated light exit window plate 16 or on both, for example comprising satin structures, various micro lens structures or beam shaping structures.
Finally,
Such kit of parts can be used for the on-site replacement of for example slide-in diffusor plate of an already installed lighting luminaire.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21205759.0 | Nov 2021 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/080097 | 10/27/2022 | WO |
