DE29817256U1 - DIN rail light - Google Patents

Description

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· ·· Dipl.-Chem. E.L. FRITZ 98/334 Dr. Dipl.-Phys. R. BASFELD 23.09.1998 EF/Dr Patent attorneys Mühlenberg 74 59759 Arnsberg

company

Thorn Light GmbH

Möhnestrasse 55

59755 Arnsberg

"Rail luminaire"

The present invention relates to a support rail luminaire comprising a support rail that can be attached to a ceiling, a luminaire housing that can be mounted on the underside of the support rail, at least one clamp for establishing the connection between the support rail and the luminaire housing and at least one rotary latch lock, whereby the connection between the support rail and the luminaire housing can be released by acting on the clamp by rotating it about an axis.

A support rail light of the type mentioned above is known from DE 196 23 401.8 Al. The aim of this previously known support rail light is also to enable the light housing to be mounted on the support rail as quickly as possible in only one operation, whereby disassembly, i.e. removing the light housing from the support rail after actuating the rotary latch lock, is also possible in only one operation. The previously known support rail light also already dispenses with the so-called light bar used up to now, since

In principle, the luminaire housing simultaneously fulfils the function of this luminaire bridge and the luminaire housing can be mounted directly onto the support rail without the need for any additional part.
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In this well-known support rail light, the rotary latch lock, which can be rotated around an axis, is designed in such a way that when it is rotated, the clamps that create the connection to the support rail are bent inwards and then the light housing can be pulled downwards from the support rail. The design of the rotary latch lock and the clamps that work together with it have not proven to be ideal in practice with regard to handling. In addition, the clamps are a very complicated stamped and bent part, which is quite complex to manufacture.

The object of the present invention is therefore

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to further develop a rail-mounted luminaire of the type mentioned above with a view to further improving handling and making production even simpler.

The solution to this problem is provided by a support rail light according to the invention of the type mentioned at the beginning with the characterizing features of claim 1. According to the invention, the clamp is a locking spring which, unlike the previously known embodiment, does not bend when the rotary latch lock is turned, but rather rotates with the rotary latch lock into a position in which the connection to the support rail is released. This solution according to the invention is also more advantageous with regard to the possibility of dismantling the light housing from the support rail several times and then reattaching it, since the locking spring according to the invention is not deformed during the dismantling process.

Preferably, according to the invention, the support rail light is equipped with a locking spring or several locking springs which have upper legs that overlap molded elements of the support rail in the locking position and which, in the open position of the locking spring, lie with their outermost dimensions within the gap between the two opposite molded elements of the support rail. A slight turn of the locking spring or locking springs using the rotary latch lock is then sufficient and the positive connection 0 between the locking spring and the support rail is released. The molded elements of the support rail with which the corresponding upper legs of the locking spring cooperate can, for example, be end legs of the support rail that protrude upwards at an acute angle.

Preferably, the upper legs of the locking spring run diagonally inwards and upwards and are connected to the outwardly projecting shoulders of the locking spring.

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Outwardly projecting shoulders can prevent the locking spring from being pulled off the support rail when the locking spring is in the locking position. According to a further development of the invention, the upper molded legs of the locking spring are opposing locking legs that spring towards each other. This means that the locking spring can be pushed into the support rail from below during assembly, whereby the locking spring initially deforms slightly in the area of its locking legs, since these are designed to be springy and move towards each other, with these locking legs then snapping into parts of the support rail, i.e. preferably locking into the end legs of the support rail.

In order to simplify the assembly of the light housing to the support rail even further according to a further development of the invention, it can be provided that the locking spring has hooks that are connected to the legs at the upper ends and are angled outwards in a U-shape. The assembly can then be carried out in such a way that it is essentially carried out in one step, but which consists of two sub-steps, whereby in the first sub-step the hooks that are angled outwards in a U-shape engage in the end legs of the support rail, so that in principle a pre-assembled position is already given in which the clamp and thus the light housing can no longer detach from the support rail. This shortens the path to this pre-assembled position and there is already a guide for the further displacement path of the locking spring that must then be covered. In the second sub-step, the locking spring attached to the light housing is then pushed further upwards until the shoulders of the locking spring snap over the end legs of the support rail. These two steps therefore essentially involve only one work step, because it is possible to carry out both steps very quickly one after the other so that first the hooks hook into the end legs of the support rail and then immediately afterwards the shoulders of the

Locking spring snaps over the end legs. This procedure is also advantageous because such support rail lights can be designed to be relatively elongated and in this case several of the locking springs are arranged one behind the other at a distance in the length of the light. You can then proceed in such a way that you first bring the locking spring on one side into the pre-assembled position according to the first sub-step, so that the light housing is already fixed to the support rail on this side and then you fully connect the locking spring there to the support rail at the other end of the light, in order to then snap it into the fully locked position at the first end. This procedure is a simplification for longer support rail lights, since in these cases, if only one operator carries out the assembly, you may not be able to exert enough pressure to bring the locking springs at both ends of the lights into the final locked position at the same time. Engaging the pre-locking position, however, is easier to accomplish, as it involves a shorter path.

The features mentioned in the subclaims relate to preferred developments of the solution to the problem according to the invention. Further advantages of the invention emerge from the detailed description below.

In the following, the present invention is described in more detail using an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a support rail luminaire according to the invention in accordance with a possible variant of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding exploded view of the rail luminaire of Fig. 1 in partial

assembled state;

Fig. 3 a corresponding view of the rail luminaire

of Fig. 1 in the fully assembled state; 15

Fig. 4 a perspective view of the

Rail luminaire before mounting on the rail;

Fig. 5 a top view of the rail luminaire with

Locking spring in two different positions;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the locking spring;

Fig. 7 a vertical section through the locking spring

along the line VI VI of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the locking spring of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 a detailed view of the rotary latch lock in the

longitudinal section;

Fig. 10 is a view of the rotary latch closure of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 a top view of the rotary latch lock of the

Figures 9 and 10.

First, reference is made to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a

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Exploded view of a support rail light according to the invention from the front. The support rail light comprises a light housing 100, which can also serve as an external reflector of an elongated light, in particular for fluorescent lamps. Above the light housing 100 there is a locking spring 102, which is partially spring-loaded and is used to mount the light housing 100 to a support rail 103 mounted on a ceiling. Below the light housing 100 there is a rotary latch lock, which serves to rotate the locking spring 102 about the axis 104 shown in Fig. 1 when the locking spring 102 is to be released from its engagement with the support rail in order to remove the light housing 100 from the support rail 103. This will be explained in more detail below.

Reference is made to Fig. 2 below. From the illustration, when compared with Fig. 1, it can be seen that here the rotary latch lock 101 has been inserted into a suitable opening in the upper area 100a of the lamp housing 100, whereby the rotary latch lock 101 has molded guide elements 101a which are located above the sheet metal part 100a of the lamp housing. Furthermore, the rotary latch lock 101 has plug-in extensions 101b which protrude further upwards and which also protrude through corresponding recesses in the base 102a of the locking spring 102. In addition, there are locking lugs 101c on the rotary latch lock which create a positive locking connection to the base 102a and thus between the rotary latch lock 101 and the locking spring 102. In this assembled state, the rotary latch lock 101 can still be rotated around the vertical axis. During this rotary movement, it is guided by the guide elements 101a on the lamp housing 100. At the same time, the rotary latch lock 101 is positively connected to the locking spring 102, so that when the rotary latch lock 101 is rotated, the locking spring

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is rotated around the axis 104. This rotation of the locking spring 102 is important in order to release the connection to the support rail 103, as will be explained in more detail later.
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The assembly of the lamp shown in Fig. 2 with lamp housing 100 and locking spring 102 to the support rail 103 is now carried out by simply pushing it in from below in the direction of the arrow towards the support rail 103, which is mounted on a ceiling or suspended from the ceiling, which means that the support rail 103 usually represents a fixed abutment. After this assembly, the position shown in Fig. 3 is reached, in which the lamp housing 100 is attached to the support rail 103. The lamp housing 100 has, in the upper area in cross-section, approximately U-shaped indentations or grooves 100b, which receive correspondingly shaped lower webs 103a of the support rail 103, which then lie in these grooves 100b when assembled.

Furthermore, it can be seen from Fig. 3 that the locking spring has upper molded-on spring-loaded locking legs 102b with inward-facing shoulders 102c (see also Fig. 1), which, when mounted, grip over the end legs 103c of the support rail 103, which are bent inwards at an acute angle.

Reference is now made to Fig. .4. In the drawing, the support rail 103 can be seen in perspective with its end legs 103c projecting inwards at an acute angle. The support rail 103 is an elongated profile rail. The light housing 100 and a locking spring 102, which is mounted on the top of the light housing, can also be seen in Fig. in perspective, and the parts 101b, 101c can also be seen, which belong to the rotary latch lock 101 5 and reach upwards through the locking spring 102 and fix the locking spring 102 to the light housing 100.

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Reference is now made to the top view according to Fig. 5. There you can see the lamp housing 100 from above with the grooves 100b. The locking spring is also shown in different positions, namely once in solid lines in the locking position and once in dashed lines in the unlocking position, in which the locking spring 102 is rotated clockwise relative to the locking position, for example by about 45° in the drawing according to Fig. 5. It can also be seen that in the locking position the legs 102b of the locking spring 102 lie partially above the grooves 100b of the lamp housing 100, whereby the support rail 103 is not shown in Fig. 5. To unlock, the locking spring 102 is rotated a little, as mentioned above, whereby the operator grips the rotary latch 101, which is located on the underside of the lamp housing 100 (see Fig. 3). This rotary movement of the locking spring then releases the engagement between the legs 102b and the acute-angled end legs 103c of the support rail 103 (see Fig. 3) and the lamp housing 100 can be removed from the support rail.

Reference is now made to the individual part drawings Fig. 6 to 8 and the locking spring 102 is described in more detail on the basis of these. In Fig. 6, the legs 102b can be seen, which are each angled outwards in a roughly U-shape at their upper ends, so that hooks 102d are formed at the end of the locking spring 102. Below the shoulders 102c there are almost vertical sections 102e of the locking spring 102, which then stand at their lower end at approximately a right angle to the horizontal web plate 102f of the locking spring 102, which can also be seen in Fig. 8.

As can be seen from Fig. 8, this web plate 102f has a central recess 102g, which is intended to allow, as already explained with reference to Fig. 2, the corresponding formations 101b and locking projections 101c of the

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The rotary latch lock 101 can be pushed upwards through the recess 102g.

Fig. 7 shows the locking spring 102 again in a side view or partially in section, where one looks from the inside at the approximately vertical section 102e and can also see the limb 102b running diagonally inwards and upwards, which adjoins the shoulder 102c at the top. From Fig. 8 one can also see that the horizontal web plate 102f in its outer boundary edges does not run exactly transversely to the outer boundary in the area of the hooks 102d and the limbs 102b, but the alignment of the web plate 102f is rotated by an angle in this respect, as is the alignment of the central recess 102g.

Reference is made below to Figs. 9 to 11. The rotary latch lock 101 comprises a handle 1Old which, when the light is mounted, as can be seen from Fig. 2, is located on the underside of the light housing 100, 100a. Above this are the guide parts 101a, which can also be seen in Fig. 11 and in Fig. 2 and which are located between the light housing 100a and the horizontal web plate 102f of the locking spring 102 (see Fig. 2).

The formations 101b located further inside extend further upwards and, as can be seen from Fig. 2, protrude through the recess 102g in the horizontal web plate 102f of the locking spring. In the sectional view 0 according to Fig. 9, the formations 101b are covered by the locking lugs 100c located in front of them in the drawing. The circular plate 100le of the rotary latch lock forms the surface that rests on the underside of the lamp housing 100a, whereby the lamp housing has a recess there, as can be seen from Fig. 2. The two opposing locking lugs 101c lock into place when the rotary latch lock is installed above the sheet metal plate 102f of the locking spring 102. Analogous to the design of the locking spring Fig. 8, the

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Handle 10ld is rotated a little about the vertical axis 104 of the rotary latch lock with respect to the parts of the rotary latch lock that are located above the lamp housing 100/100a or the sheet metal plate 102f of the locking spring 102 and that take the locking spring with them. This can be seen quite clearly from Fig. 11, where the handle lOld is shown in dashed lines. Accordingly, the handle lOld in the illustration according to Fig. does not run exactly transversely, but at an acute angle to the transverse axis lOlf. This means that when the handle lOld on the underside of the lamp housing 100 is positioned exactly in the transverse direction, the formations 101b and the locking lugs 101c, which are located above the locking spring 102, assume the angular position which corresponds to the slight inclination of the locking spring 102 with its recess 102g in Fig. 8.

Claims (9)

-1-Protection claims: 1. A support rail luminaire comprising a support rail attachable to a ceiling, a luminaire housing that can be mounted on the underside of the mounting rail, at least one clamp for establishing the connection between the support rail and the luminaire housing and at least one twist-lock closure, whereby the connection between the support rail and the luminaire housing can be released by rotating it around an axis by acting on the clamp, characterized in that the clamp is a locking spring (102) which, when the rotary latch lock (101) is rotated, rotates with the rotary latch lock into a position in which the connection to the support rail (103) is released. 2. Rail luminaire according to claim 1, characterized characterized in that the locking spring has upper legs (102b) which overlap molded elements (103c) of the support rail (103) in the closed position and which, in the open position of the locking spring (102), lie with their outermost dimensions within the space between the two opposite molded elements (103c) of the support rail (103). 3. A support rail luminaire according to one of claims 1 or 2, 0 characterized in that the molded elements of the support rail (103) are end legs (103c) projecting upwards at an acute angle. 4. Support rail light according to one of claims 1 to 3, 5, characterized in that the legs (102b) of the locking spring (102) extend obliquely inwards and upwards and adjoin outwardly projecting shoulders (102c) of the locking spring (102) at the top. -2- 5. Support rail light according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the locking spring (102) has hooks (102d) which are angled outwards in an approximately U-shape and adjoin the legs (102b) at the upper ends. 6. Support rail light according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the locking spring (102) has almost vertical sections (102e) below the legs (102b) which, in the assembled state, rest on the inside against the acute-angled end legs (103c) of the support rail (103). 7. Support screw light according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the locking spring (102) has a in the assembled state horizontal web plate (102f) with a central recess (102g) through which the locking projections (101c) of the rotary latch lock (101) which can be locked to the horizontal web plate (102f). 8. Support rail light according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the rotary latch lock (101) has molded guide parts (101a) which, in the assembled state, are arranged between an upper region (100a) of the light housing (100) and the horizontal web plate (102a) of the locking spring (102). 9. Support rail light according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the upper molded-on legs (102b) of the locking spring (102) are opposite locking legs 5 which spring towards one another, so that the locking spring (102) can be pushed into the support rail (103) from below during assembly and can be locked with the end legs (103c), whereby, however, after locking, the shoulders (102c) prevent the -3- Lock the locking spring (102) downwards from the support rail (103).