Patent Application
20160334090
This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application Serial No. IT 102015000014768, which was filed May 12, 2015, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present description relates to lighting devices.
One or more embodiments may refer to lighting devices employing electrically powered light radiation sources, for example solid-state light radiation sources such as LED sources.
In the field of lighting technology, over the last few years elongate lighting devices have increasingly been used which include an elongate carrier structure, which may be flexible, on which electrically powered light radiation sources are mounted sequentially. The latter may be comprised e.g. of solid-state light radiation sources, e.g. LED sources, which are distributed on the carrier as a linear array with constant pitch.
In implementing a lighting device by coupling a plurality of such modules (which are currently named “flex” modules when they exhibit flexibility), it may be difficult to keep the same pitch in the region of mutually facing end or front portions of two subsequent modules.
For instance, if in the coupling region there is provided a connection to a power supply line, in the coupling area the light radiation sources may be separated by a wider distance than the pitch of the sources provided on the modules being mutually connected. This may lead to an irregularity of the light flux emitted by the device (in other words, a region which is at least slightly darker than the rest of the device), which is perceived negatively.
A connector for connecting mutually facing ends of elongate lighting devices is provided. The connector includes a connector body having opposed end regions coupleable to the facing ends of said lighting devices. The connector body includes a light emission region between the opposed end regions.
In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the following description, various embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:
In the following description, numerous specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of one or more exemplary embodiments. One or more embodiments may be practiced without one or several specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiments.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the possible appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
The headings provided herein are for convenience only, and therefore do not interpret the extent of protection or meaning of the embodiments.
The Figures show the possibility of implementing composite or modular lighting devices by mutually coupling, at mutually facing ends, a plurality of elongate (e.g. ribbon-shaped) modules M, including a carrier on which there are mounted electrically powered light radiation sources L, such as solid-state light radiation sources, e.g. LEDs.
Such elongate modules M may be implemented either as bars or—according to an increasingly widespread configuration—as flexible ribbon-shaped elements which are named “flex” modules, adapted to modify their shape. In order to achieve a uniform distribution of the light emission along the length of module M, sources L may be distributed along each module M with a uniform pitch.
Said modules are well known in the prior art, and therefore do not require a detailed description herein.
In implementing composite or modular lighting devices by connecting or coupling a plurality of such modules M, it is desirable to obtain a uniform distribution of the light emission along the whole length of the device.
In some cases, as exemplified by the connection between the first and the second module (from the left) of
In other cases, as exemplified in the connection between the second and the third module (again, from the left), e.g. due to the presence of electrical power supply connectors K1, K2, there may arise a modification in the spacing pitch from one light radiation source L to another, so that at the connection there may be e.g. a pitch which is wider than the pitch of sources L on the individual modules M.
Therefore, an irregularity arises in the light radiation emission due to the presence of an area which, when the device is turned on, will appear as at least slightly less bright (i.e. darker) than the neighbouring areas.
One or more embodiments, as exemplified in
opposed end portions 10a and 10b, adapted to be coupled with the mutually facing ends of modules M being connected to each other, and
a portion lying between both opposed ends 10a, 10b, which is adapted to act as a light emission region.
In one or more embodiments as exemplified in
The source may comprise, in one or more embodiments, an electrically powered radiation source 12 such as a solid-state light radiation source, e.g. a LED source, which is substantially similar to sources L arranged on modules M connected through connector 10.
In one or more embodiments, the size of connector 10 and the mounting position of source 12 may be chosen so that, when two modules M are connected to each other via connector 10, as exemplified in
In one or more embodiments as presently exemplified, connector 10 may be implemented as a body having an at least approximately tubular shape (e.g. a parallelepid) with openings at the opposed ends 10a, 10b, wherein it is possible to insert the facing ends of modules M connected via connector 10, so that the connector may be coupled with the mutually facing ends of modules M coupled to each other.
Source 12 (which may optionally include an array, e.g. a focused array, of single LEDs) enables the achievement of a uniform light emission along the whole length of the lighting device.
In one or more embodiments, source 12 may be fed via an electrical drive circuit integrated in connector 10, which in turn can be supplied by cables K1, K2, so that source 12 exhibits the same brightness as the other sources L. For example, in one or more embodiments, such a drive circuit may be regulated by a resistor having a variable value, so as to obtain a fine adjustment of the brightness level.
In one or more embodiments, connectors 10 may be provided having a pitch and/or brightness features corresponding to sources L arranged on modules M.
In comparison with the embodiments exemplified in
In this case, connector 10 may be implemented so that it includes, between opposing ends 10a, 10b, a region emitting a light radiation propagating from sources L arranged on modules M, so that connector 10 may not include a light radiation source.
In one or more embodiments, as exemplified in
In one or more embodiments, as exemplified in
In this way, connector 10 may comprise, between opposed ends 10a, 10b, a region 14 which emits a radiation propagating from sources L arranged on modules M, i.e. a region 14 which may merely serve as a waveguide (or, more generally, as a propagation path) for the light radiation emitted by light radiation sources L which are arranged at the mutually facing ends of modules M coupled to each other.
In this case, as well, in connector 10 there may be provided two power supply cables K1, K2 connected to electrical contacts 141, 142, which for example may be comprised of boards adapted to perform the transfer of a power supply from the electrically conductive lines which are arranged (according to a method known in itself) on the carriers of modules M, which are coupled via connector 10.
As exemplified in the view of
In one or more embodiments as exemplified in
Such a result may be obtained, as exemplified in
In this case, as well, power supply cables K1, K2 may be provided which are connected to metal contacts 141, 142, which may act as sliding contacts towards electrically conductive lines which are present (in a manner known in itself) on modules M coupled to each other, the ends whereof are inserted into connector body 10.
It will be appreciated that embodiments as exemplified in
It will be appreciated, moreover, that one or more embodiments as exemplified herein offer the effect of enabling the connection of a wide range of modules M, without modifying the features thereof. One or more embodiments as exemplified herein, therefore, may easily be applied to a wide range of modules M already available on the market.
Finally, it will be appreciated that one or more embodiments may be used in combination both with modules M emitting white light and with modules M emitting coloured light.
In various embodiments, a connector is provided for connecting elongate (e.g. ribbon-shaped) lighting devices at the mutually facing ends thereof includes a body having opposed end regions coupleable to the facing ends of said lighting devices. The connector body includes a light emission region between said opposed end regions.
One or more embodiments aim at overcoming the previously described drawback.
According to one or more embodiments, a connector is provided having the features specifically set forth in the claims that follow.
One or more embodiments may also concern a corresponding method.
The claims are an integral part of the technical teaching provided herein with reference to the embodiments.
One or more embodiments enable the achievement of one or more of the following effects:
the possibility of coupling two or more modules while ensuring a constant pitch among the light radiation sources (e.g. LEDs) along the whole length of the resulting lighting device;
the possibility of installing e.g. two modules by using one single power supply connector, i.e. with one single cable for the end user;
the possibility of connecting modules in pairs in an intermediate position between the two, therefore achieving an additional degree of freedom for the lighting device installer.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The scope of the invention is thus indicated by the appended claims and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102015000014768 | May 2015 | IT | national |
