JP7624874B2 - Lighting fixtures - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lighting fixture.

The LED lighting device described in Patent Document 1 has a feed hole at the end in the longitudinal direction. In this case, adjacent LED lighting devices are connected to each other by passing an electric wire through the feed hole.

JP 2015-032405 A

However, when adjacent LED lighting devices are arranged in a broken line, the electric wire may come into contact with the edge of the feed hole and rub against the edge, or tension may be applied to the electric wire, causing it to continue to contact the edge. As a result, the durability of the electric wire may decrease depending on the material of the member in which the feed hole is formed.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a lighting fixture that can suppress the deterioration of the durability of the electric wire.

The lighting fixture disclosed in this application comprises a lighting fixture body and an end member. The lighting fixture body includes a light source. The end member is disposed at a longitudinal end of the lighting fixture body. The end member includes a communication portion. The communication portion communicates between the inside and outside of the lighting fixture body. The material of the communication portion is resin.

In the lighting fixture disclosed in the present application, it is preferable that the communication portion is open in a predetermined direction indicating the direction from the bottom surface to the top surface of the lighting fixture body.

In the lighting device disclosed in the present application, the communication portion preferably includes a pair of side edges. The pair of side edges preferably extend linearly along the predetermined direction. The pair of side edges preferably face each other.

In the lighting device disclosed in the present application, it is preferable that the communication portion further includes a flared portion. It is preferable that the flared portion has a shape that flares in the predetermined direction. It is preferable that the flared portion is continuous with the ends of the pair of side edge portions in the predetermined direction.

The present invention provides a lighting fixture that can prevent deterioration of the durability of the electric wire.

1 is a perspective view showing a lighting fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the lighting fixture according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of electrically connecting lighting fixtures according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an end member according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the end member according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a state in which lighting devices according to the present embodiment are electrically connected to each other.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference symbols and the description will not be repeated. In addition, in order to facilitate understanding, the drawings will appropriately depict the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system. The X-axis and Y-axis are approximately parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z-axis is approximately parallel to the vertical direction.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a lighting fixture 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the lighting fixture 100 emits light. Specifically, the lighting fixture 100 includes a lighting fixture body 1, a pair of end members 3, and a pair of fixing members SCR (only one of which is shown).

The lighting fixture body 1 emits light. The lighting fixture body 1 extends in a certain direction LD (hereinafter, the longitudinal direction LD). The lighting fixture body 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

Specifically, the lighting device body 1 includes a housing 11 and a cover member 12. The housing 11 and the cover member 12 face each other in a first direction D1. The first direction D1 is, for example, approximately parallel to the vertical direction and faces vertically upward. The first direction D1 indicates the direction from the bottom surface to the top surface of the lighting device body 1. The first direction D1 corresponds to an example of a "predetermined direction" in this disclosure.

The pair of end members 3 face each other in the longitudinal direction LD. The pair of end members 3 are respectively arranged at a pair of end portions ED in the longitudinal direction LD of the lighting fixture body 1. The end members 3 are, for example, end caps. The end members 3 are, for example, integrally molded products. The end members 3 cover a part of the opening 1a at the end portion ED of the lighting fixture body 1. The end members 3 are fixed to the end portion ED of the lighting fixture body 1 by the fixing members SCR. The fixing members SCR are, for example, screws. The end members 3 include a communication portion 31. The communication portion 31 communicates the inside and outside of the lighting fixture body 1. The communication portion 31 is, for example, a notch. The communication portion 31 is, for example, recessed toward a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1. The second direction D2 is approximately parallel to the vertical direction and faces vertically downward.

Next, the internal structure of the lighting fixture 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the lighting fixture 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the lighting fixture body 1 further includes a power supply unit 13, a base member 14, a light-emitting module 15, and a pair of mounting members 16, in addition to a housing 11 and a cover member 12. The light-emitting module 15 corresponds to an example of a "light source" in this disclosure.

The housing 11 extends along the longitudinal direction LD. For example, the housing 11 has an angular, generally U-shaped cross-sectional view. The housing 11 is made of, for example, metal. The housing 11 houses the power supply unit 13, the base member 14, and the light-emitting module 15. The housing 11 may be attached directly to a mounting portion such as a ceiling, or may be suspended from a mounting portion such as a ceiling.

The power supply unit 13 supplies power to the light-emitting module 15 via a power line (not shown). The power supply unit 13 extends along the longitudinal direction LD. The power supply unit 13 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The power supply unit 13 generates a DC internal power supply voltage based on an external power supply voltage from a commercial power source. The power supply unit 13 includes, for example, a power supply circuit and a lighting circuit.

The base member 14 is generally elongated and extends along the longitudinal direction LD. The base member 14 is made of, for example, metal (e.g., aluminum). The power supply unit 13 is attached to the upper surface 14b of the base member 14. The light-emitting module 15 is attached to the lower surface 14a of the base member 14.

The light-emitting module 15 is substantially elongated and extends along the longitudinal direction LD. The light-emitting module 15 emits light. The light-emitting module 15 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) module. Specifically, the light-emitting module 15 includes a substrate 151 and a plurality of light-emitting elements 152.

The multiple light-emitting elements 152 are mounted on the substrate 151. Each of the light-emitting elements 152 is, for example, an LED. The multiple light-emitting elements 152 are, for example, arranged in a straight line along the longitudinal direction LD. The multiple light-emitting elements 152 face the inner surface of the cover member 12 and emit light toward the inner surface of the cover member 12. As a result, the light is emitted to the outside of the lighting fixture body 1 through the cover member 12. Note that the light-emitting module 15 may include a single light-emitting element 152.

The cover member 12 covers the light emitting module 15. The cover member 12 is attached to the base member 14. The cover member 12, for example, diffuses the light emitted by the light emitting module 15. The cover member 12 may be, for example, white and translucent. The cover member 12 may be formed, for example, by molding a resin containing a light diffusing material, or may be formed by molding a transparent material and then applying a light diffusing treatment to the surface.

The pair of mounting members 16 face each other in the longitudinal direction LD. The mounting members 16 are fixed to the upper surface 14b of the base member 14. The mounting members 16 are made of, for example, stainless steel. The mounting members 16 are curved and have elasticity. The mounting members 16 fit inside the housing 11. Therefore, the base member 14 is attached to the housing 11 by the elasticity of the pair of mounting members 16.

Next, the communication portion 31 of the end member 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. In the description of FIG. 3, the reference number for one of the lighting fixtures 100 will be followed by the letter "A," and the reference number for the other lighting fixture 100 will be followed by the letter "B." FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of an electrical connection between two lighting fixtures 100A and 100B.

As shown in FIG. 3, lighting fixture 100A and lighting fixture 100B are connected by a connecting fitting CN.

The lighting fixture body 1A further includes an electric wire 17A and a connector 18A. The electric wire 17A extends from the lighting fixture body 1A to the lighting fixture body 1B. The connector 18A is connected to one end of the electric wire 17A. The lighting fixture body 1B further includes an electric wire 19B and a connector 20B. The connector 20B is connected to one end of the electric wire 19B. The other end of the electric wire 19B is connected to the power supply unit 13B.

Connector 18A and connector 20B are connected to electrically connect wire 17A and wire 19B. Wires 17A and 19B include, for example, power lines. In this case, for example, an external power supply voltage is supplied to power supply unit 13B by wires 17A and 19B. As a result, power supply unit 13B generates a DC internal power supply voltage based on the external power supply voltage. Note that wires 17A and 19B may also include signal lines.

When lighting fixture 100A and lighting fixture 100B are connected, electric wire 17A is wired from lighting fixture body 1A to lighting fixture body 1B through communication portion 31A of end member 3A and communication portion 31B of end member 3B. In this case, electric wire 17A may come into contact with communication portions 31A and 31B.

The material of the end members 3A and 3B is resin. Therefore, the communication parts 31A and 31B are formed of resin. As a result, according to this embodiment, even if the electric wire 17A comes into contact with the communication parts 31A and 31B and rubs against them, or even if the electric wire 17A continues to be in contact with the communication parts 31A and 31B while tension is applied to the electric wire 17A, the deterioration of the durability of the electric wire 17A can be suppressed. This is because resin is softer than metal, so the possibility that the electric wire 17A will be damaged by the communication parts 31A and 31B is extremely low. In this case, the "resin" is, for example, natural rubber or synthetic resin. The "synthetic resin" is, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, or silicone.

Next, the end member 3 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the end member 3. As shown in Figure 4, the communication portion 31 is open in the first direction D1. When placing the electric wire 17 on the outside of the end member 3 in the communication portion 31, the electric wire 17 is moved from the upper side of the end member 3 in the second direction D2 and passes through the open portion of the communication portion 31. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the electric wire 17 can be easily placed in the communication portion 31. In other words, wiring of the electric wire 17 is easy.

Specifically, the communication portion 31 includes an electric wire arrangement portion 311 and a flared portion 312. The electric wire arrangement portion 311 extends from the flared portion 312 in the second direction D2. The electric wire arrangement portion 311 has a pair of side edges 311a and a bottom edge 311b.

The pair of side edges 311a face each other in the short-side direction SD of the lighting fixture body 1. The short-side direction SD is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction LD and the first direction D1. The pair of side edges 311a extend linearly along the first direction D1. When the electric wire 17 is arranged in the electric wire arrangement section 311, the electric wire 17 may come into contact with the side edges 311a. However, in this embodiment, since the side edges 311a are formed of resin, even if the electric wire 17 comes into contact with and rubs against the side edges 311a, or even if the electric wire 17 continues to be in contact with the side edges 311a while tension is applied to the electric wire 17, the deterioration of the durability of the electric wire 17 can be suppressed.

The pair of side edges 311a are spaced apart in the short direction SD. The electric wire 17 passes between one side edge 311a and the other side edge 311a. The electric wire 17 may come into contact with the bottom edge 311b due to its own weight. Specifically, the bottom edge 311b connects the end of one side edge 311a in the second direction D2 to the end of the other side edge 311a in the second direction D2.

The flared portion 312 is continuous with the end of the electric wire arrangement portion 311 in the first direction D1. Specifically, the flared portion 312 is continuous with the end of the pair of side edges 311a in the first direction D1. The flared portion 312 has a shape that flares in the first direction D1. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the flared portion 312 can easily guide the electric wire 17 to the electric wire arrangement portion 311. In other words, wiring the electric wire 17 is even easier.

Specifically, the flared portion 312 has a pair of inclined portions 312a. The pair of inclined portions 312a are spaced apart in the short direction SD. The pair of inclined portions 312a are inclined so as to move away from each other. The pair of inclined portions 312a each extend from the ends of the pair of side edge portions 311a in the first direction D1.

More specifically, the end member 3 has a main body portion Q1 and a pair of protruding portions Q2. The pair of protruding portions Q2 face each other in the short direction SD. The pair of protruding portions Q2 protrude from the main body portion Q1 in the first direction D1. The side edge portion 311a and the inclined portion 312a are the inner edges of the protruding portions Q2. The bottom edge portion 311b is the inner edge of the main body portion Q1.

Figure 5 is a front view showing the end member 3. As shown in Figure 5, the distance L1 between the pair of side edges 311a is shorter than the length L2 in the short direction SD of the connector 18 (corresponding to connector 18A in Figure 3). Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the connector 18 (corresponding to connector 18A in Figure 3) from coming loose from the lighting fixture body 1 (corresponding to lighting fixture body 1B in Figure 3).

Next, another example of the connection of the lighting fixtures 100A and 100B will be described. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of the state in which the lighting fixtures 100A and 100B are electrically connected. In FIG. 6, the lighting fixtures 100A and 100B are viewed vertically from above.

As shown in FIG. 6, as an example, the lighting fixture 100A is arranged at a substantially right angle to the lighting fixture 100B. In this case, the electric wire 17 is likely to come into contact with the side edge 311a of the communication portion 31A of the end member 3A and the side edge 311a of the communication portion 31B of the end member 3B. This is because the electric wire 17 is bent.

However, in this embodiment, since the side edge portion 311a is formed from resin, even if the electric wire 17 comes into contact with the side edge portion 311a and rubs against it, or even if tension is applied to the electric wire 17 and the electric wire 17 continues to be in contact with the side edge portion 311a, the deterioration of the durability of the electric wire 17 can be suppressed.

Above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. The drawings are mainly shown schematically for ease of understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of drawing. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention.

(1) The communication portion 31 described with reference to FIG. 4 does not have to have a flared portion 312.

(2) In the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 4, the communication portion 31 is a notch that opens toward the first direction D1. However, the shape of the communication portion 31 is not particularly limited. For example, the communication portion 31 may have a through hole that penetrates the end member 3 in the longitudinal direction LD.

(3) The material of the end member 3 described with reference to FIG. 4 was resin. However, the material of the end member 3 may be, for example, metal. In this case, for example, the side edge portion 311a, the bottom edge portion 311b, and the inclined portion 312a are chamfered or have a curved surface. As a result, even if the electric wire 17 comes into contact with the side edge portion 311a and rubs against it, or even if the electric wire 17 continues to be in contact with the side edge portion 311a while tension is applied to the electric wire 17, the deterioration of the durability of the electric wire 17 can be suppressed.

The present invention provides a lighting device and has industrial applicability.

1, 1A, 1B Lighting fixture main body 3, 3A, 3B End member 31, 31A, 31B Communication part 311a Side edge part 312 End widening part 100, 100A, 100B Lighting fixture

Claims (1)

A lighting fixture body including a light source;
and an end member disposed at an end portion of the lighting fixture body in a longitudinal direction,
The end member includes a communication portion that communicates between an inside and an outside of the lighting fixture body,
The material of the communication portion is resin,
The communication portion is open in a predetermined direction indicating a direction from a lower surface to an upper surface of the lighting fixture body,
the communication portion has a pair of side edges extending linearly along the predetermined direction, and further includes a diverging portion having a shape diverging toward the predetermined direction,
The pair of side edges are opposed to each other,
A lighting fixture, wherein the flared portion is continuous with ends of the pair of side edges in the specified direction .

Images