U.S. patent application number 16/562802 was filed with the patent office on 2019-12-26 for backup power source assembly, lamp assembly, lighting system and installing method thereof.
The applicant listed for this patent is CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC. Invention is credited to Honglei GAO, Hui LI, Junqi REN, Bing ZHANG, Cuijuan ZHOU, Shouyong ZHOU.
Application Number | 20190393719 16/562802 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 62489765 |
Filed Date | 2019-12-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190393719 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
REN; Junqi ; et al. |
December 26, 2019 |
BACKUP POWER SOURCE ASSEMBLY, LAMP ASSEMBLY, LIGHTING SYSTEM AND
INSTALLING METHOD THEREOF
Abstract
The present invention discloses a lighting system, comprising:
an emergency power supply assembly, a lighting assembly, at least
one first electrical connection for connecting the emergency power
supply assembly, and at least one second electrical connection for
connecting the lighting assembly, wherein the at least one first
electrical connector and the at least one second electrical
connector work with each other to form a quick connection between
the emergency power supply assembly and the lighting assembly. The
present invention also discloses an emergency power supply
assembly. The present invention further discloses a lighting
assembly. The present invention also discloses a lighting system
installation method.
Inventors: |
REN; Junqi; (Shanghai,
CN) ; ZHOU; Shouyong; (Shanghai, CN) ; ZHANG;
Bing; (Shanghai, CN) ; GAO; Honglei;
(Shanghai, CN) ; LI; Hui; (Shanghai, CN) ;
ZHOU; Cuijuan; (Shanghai, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC |
East Cleveland |
OH |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
62489765 |
Appl. No.: |
16/562802 |
Filed: |
September 6, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15839504 |
Dec 12, 2017 |
10447071 |
|
|
16562802 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21V 23/008 20130101;
H02J 9/02 20130101; H02J 9/065 20130101; F21S 9/02 20130101; F21V
23/023 20130101; H05B 47/29 20200101; F21V 23/04 20130101; H05B
47/10 20200101; H02J 9/061 20130101; H02J 9/06 20130101; F21V 23/06
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H02J 9/02 20060101
H02J009/02; H02J 9/06 20060101 H02J009/06; H05B 37/02 20060101
H05B037/02; H05B 37/04 20060101 H05B037/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 14, 2016 |
CN |
201611152366.6 |
Claims
1. A lighting system, comprising: a backup power source assembly
comprising a backup power source for providing with power source; a
lighting assembly comprising a lighting element for providing with
light source; and at least one first electrical connector for
connecting with the backup power source assembly and at least one
second electrical connector for connecting with the lighting
assembly; wherein the at least one first electrical connector mates
with the at least one second electrical connector so as to form a
quick connection between the backup power source assembly and the
lighting assembly.
2. The lighting system according to claim 1, further comprising: a
first housing for containing the at least one first electrical
connector; and a second housing for containing the at least one
second electrical connector; wherein the first housing mates with
the second housing so as to form a connection thereof.
3. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the backup
power source assembly further comprises a wiring distribution, for
distributing wires that can generate different functional circuits,
comprising: a first connection portion for connecting with the at
least one first electrical connector; and a second connection
portion for connecting with the backup power source.
4. The lighting system according to claim 3, wherein the wiring
distribution further comprises: a third connection portion for
connecting with an external power.
5. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the backup
power source assembly further comprises: a test switch, connecting
with the backup power source, for testing the operating state of
the backup power source.
6. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the lighting
assembly further comprises: a driving element, connecting with the
at least one second electrical connector, for controlling the
backup power source to provide power source to the lighting
element;
7. The lighting system according to claim 6, wherein the lighting
assembly further comprises: a mounting base having a pre-drilled
hole for allowing the test switch to pass through therein.
8. A backup power source assembly, comprising: a backup power
source for providing power source; a wiring distribution,
comprising: a first connection portion for connecting with a
lighting assembly; and a second connection portion for connecting
with the backup power source; and at least one electrical connector
configured to connect with the first connection portion so as to
form a quick connection between the first connection portion and a
lighting assembly.
9. The backup power source assembly according to claim 8, wherein
the wiring distribution further comprises: a third connection
portion for connecting with an external power.
10. The backup power source assembly according to claim 8, further
comprising: a test switch, connecting with the backup power source,
for testing the operating state of the backup power source.
11. The backup power source assembly according to claim 8, further
comprising: a housing for containing the at least one electrical
connector.
Description
RELATED CASES
[0001] This application is a Divisional of prior-filed, co-pending,
commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/839,504, filed
12 Dec. 2017, now allowed. This application claims priority under
35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) of China patent application 201611152366.6,
filed 14 Dec. 2016. Each of the aforementioned patent applications
are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to an emergency power supply
assembly, a lighting assembly, a lighting system, and a method of
mounting the same.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Embedded lighting has been widely used in commercial,
residential and public buildings. These fixtures are usually flush
mounted on walls or ceilings, and contain light sources such as
incandescent lamps or LEDs. In addition, embedded lighting fixtures
are often equipped with an emergency power supply that is separate
from the lighting fixtures, to provide temporary power to the
lighting fixtures in an emergency, such as a power failure.
However, the wiring between the existing emergency power supply and
lighting fixtures is very complex, which requires installation by
on-site professional electricians. In addition, manual wiring
inside the wall or on the ceiling is often required, which can
result in a great deal of additional time and labor. Furthermore,
in the case of malfunctioning lighting fixtures or emergency power
supplies, more time and labor is required through on-site
maintenance, which can also bring security risks.
[0004] Thus, it is desirable to provide new and improved lighting
systems and corresponding mounting methods that enable quick, safe
and easy installation between lighting fixtures and emergency power
supplies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a lighting system,
comprising: an emergency power supply assembly, a lighting
assembly, at least one first electrical connection for connecting
the emergency power supply assembly, and at least one second
electrical connection for connecting to the lighting assembly,
wherein the said first electrical connector and the said second
electrical connector cooperate with each other so that a quick
connection is formed between the emergency power supply assembly
and the lighting assembly.
[0006] A second aspect of the present invention is an emergency
power supply assembly, comprising: an emergency power supply for
providing backup power; and a splitter for splitting wires to form
different functional circuits, comprising: A first connection for
connecting to a lighting assembly and a second connection for
connecting to the emergency power supply; and at least one
electrical connection for connecting the first connection to the
quick connection formed between the first connection and the
lighting assembly.
[0007] A third aspect of the present invention is a lighting
assembly, comprising: a light emitting unit for providing a light
source; a driving unit connected to an emergency power supply
assembly for controlling the emergency power supply assembly to
provide power to the light emitting unit; at least one electrical
connector for connecting the driving unit to form a quick
connection between the drive unit and the emergency power supply
assembly; and a mounting base including a reserved hole for a
switch for emergency power testing.
[0008] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a method of
installing a lighting system, comprising: the electrical connectors
connecting each of the electrical connectors of the lighting
assembly to each of the electrical connectors of the complementary
emergency power supply assembly; connecting the emergency power
supply assembly to an external power source; configuring the
emergency power supply assembly on a wall or ceiling; and
installing the lighting assembly on a wall or ceiling.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The following detailed description with reference to the
accompanying drawings may help to understand the features, aspects
and advantages of the invention, wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a lighting system
according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of an emergency power
supply assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present
invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic structural view of a lighting assembly
according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIGS. 4a and 4b are schematic structural views of the first
and second electrical connectors according to a specific embodiment
of the present invention; and
[0014] FIGS. 5a and 5b are schematic structural views of the first
and second housings according to a specific embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] One or more embodiments of the present invention are
described below. It must first be pointed out that, in the specific
embodiments of the present invention that will be described, it is
to be understood that all of the features of the actual embodiments
will not be described in detail in order to provide a concise
description in the detailed description of these embodiments. It
should be appreciated that, during the actual implementation of any
one of the embodiments, just as during the process of any one
construction project or design project, in order to achieve the
specific objective of the developer, or to meet system-related or
business-related limitations, a variety of specific decisions are
often made, which will also change from one implementation to
another. In addition, it is to be understood that, while the
efforts made in this development process may be complex and
lengthy, to those of ordinary skill in the art in connection with
the present invention, some of the design, manufacturing or
production changes made on the basis of the technical contents
disclosed in the present invention, are only conventional technical
means and should not be construed as an inadequate disclosure of
the present invention.
[0016] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms
used in the claims and the specification are as they are usually
understood by those skilled in the art to which the present
invention pertains. "First", "second" and similar words used in
this specification and in the claims do not denote any order,
quantity or importance, but are merely intended to distinguish
between different constituents. The terms "one", "a" and the like
are not meant to be limiting, but rather denote the presence of at
least one. "Or" includes any or all of the listed items. The terms
"including", "comprising" and the like are intended to mean that
the presence of an element or thing preceded by the word
"including" or "comprising" encompasses elements or objects listed
after "including" or "comprising" and their equivalents, and does
not exclude other elements or objects.
[0017] The present invention relates to an embedded lighting system
that comprises an emergency power supply assembly suitable for use
in the event of a power failure. The emergency power supply
assembly can be connected to walls or ceilings, for example,
providing long-term emergency lighting during power outages while
also providing quick and easy installation, allowing unskilled
personnel to safely and quickly complete the installation of the
entire lighting system in a short amount of time without any
problems, and quickly overhaul the system in case of emergency.
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a lighting
system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In
conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 3, the lighting system 1 comprises an
emergency power supply assembly 10 and lighting assembly 20.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 2, the emergency power supply assembly 10
includes an emergency power supply 11, a test switch 13 and a
splitter 12. Wherein, the emergency power supply 11 may be a
battery or a battery assembly. It is understood that the battery or
battery assembly may be any suitable type of battery for providing
emergency power. In an embodiment of the present invention, a power
source sold by IOTA Corporation is selected as the emergency power
source 11.
[0020] The test switch 13 is electrically connected to the
emergency power supply 11 through a flexible cable 30 for testing
whether the emergency power supply 11 is in a normal working state.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the test
switch 13 is a push switch, the push switch is further electrically
connected to a test signal indicating device (not shown), when the
push switch is pressed down, the test signal indicating device
emits a color change, such as an optical signal, and indicates
through the optical signal whether the emergency power source 11 is
in a normal working state. It is to be understood that an audible
signal may also be emitted to indicate whether the emergency power
supply 11 can provide emergency power as normal by the level of its
decibels.
[0021] The splitter 12 may be a housing 120 having an accommodating
space which can be opened and closed, which may provide a first
connecting portion 121, a second connecting portion 122 and a third
connecting portion 123. The first connecting portion 121 is for
connecting to the lighting assembly 20, the second connecting
portion 122 is for electrically connecting to the emergency power
source 11 through a flexible second cable 32, and the third
connecting portion 123 is for connecting to an external power
source (not shown).
[0022] The first connecting portion 121 may be a connecting hole
(not shown) formed on the housing 120 of the splitter 12. The first
cable 31, covering each of the functional wires, may connect the
respective functional wires to the housing 120 of the splitter 12.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an end portion
(not shown) of the first cable 31 connected to the connecting hole
has a thread (not shown) and a limiting member (not shown) adjacent
to the thread. It can be understood that the threaded end of the
first cable 31 extends into the housing 120 through the connecting
hole. However, the limiting member prevents the first cable 31 from
extending into the housing via the connecting hole 120, and is
further matched with the thread of the end of the first cable 31 by
a matched thread fixing ring (not shown). That is, from inside the
housing 120 of the wire distributor 12 toward the outside of the
housing 120, the thread fixing ring is rotated along the thread
track of the end of the first cable 31 to be in close contact with
the inner wall of the housing 120 so that the first cable 31 is
fixedly connected to the splitter 12.
[0023] The second connecting portion 122 may be another connecting
hole (not shown) formed on the housing 120 of the splitter 12, and
a second cable 32 covering each functional wire electrically
connected to the emergency power source 11. The respective
functional wires are fed into the housing of the splitter 12 via
the other connection hole. It can be understood that the second
cable 32 can be fixedly connected to the housing 120 of the
splitter 12 in the same manner as the first cable 31 and the
housing of the splitter 12.
[0024] The third connecting portion 123 may also be a further
connecting hole (not shown) formed on the housing 120 of the
splitter 12 through which the third cable 33 covering each of the
functional wires is connected. The various functional wires are fed
into the housing 120 of the splitter 12. It can be understood that
the third cable 33 and the housing 120 of the splitter 12 can be
fixedly connected to the first cable 31, the second cable 32 and
the housing 120 of the splitter 12 in the same manner. In some
embodiments, the fixed connection method may include the third
cable 33 being fixedly connected to an additional connection hole
by using an additional engagement mechanism (not shown). The
engaging mechanism forms a passage (not shown) at the further
connecting hole such that the third cable 33 can only extend into
the housing 120 unidirectionally, when reaching a defined distance,
the engaging mechanism will prevent the third cable 33 from
continuing to protrude into the housing 120. In this case, the
third cable 33 is also restricted from moving outside the housing
120 and the third cable 33 is fixedly connected to the additional
connecting hole.
[0025] Within the housing 120 of the splitter 12, the respective
functional wires respectively covered by the first cable 31, the
second cable 32, and the third cable 33, will be connected one by
one to form a circuit for a predetermined function. As a result, by
using the splitter 12, on-site pre-wiring can be avoided.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 3, the lighting assembly 20 comprises a
light-emitting unit (not shown), a driving unit 22 and a mounting
base 23. Wherein, the light-emitting unit is used to provide a
light source, which may be an LED light source.
[0027] The driving unit 22 may be connected to the emergency power
supply assembly 10 for controlling the emergency power supply
assembly 10 to provide emergency power to the lighting unit.
According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the
driving unit 22 is integrated into a case 220 having an
accommodating space. Further, the case 220 provides a driving
connection portion 221 for connecting to the emergency power supply
assembly 10, and specifically to the first connection portion 121
of the emergency power supply assembly 10. The driving connecting
portion 221 may be a connecting hole (not shown) formed on the case
220. The driving cable 34 covering each of the function wires may
be used to feed the electric wires into the case 220 via the
connecting through hole, which is electrically connected to the
light-emitting unit so as to form a driving control for the
light-emitting unit in the power-on state. It can be understood
that the driving cable 34 and the case 220 can be fixedly connected
to the first cable 31, the second cable 32, the third cable 33, and
the housing 120 of the splitter 12 in the same manner.
[0028] The mounting base 23 is used for mounting the light-emitting
unit, which is also used for supporting the case 220. Further, a
reserved hole 231 is formed in the mounting base 23 for the test
switch 13 of the emergency power source to pass through. According
to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the test switch
13 and the reserved hole 231 are fixedly connected by a screw
thread, the push switch and the light emitting unit of the test
switch 13 are both located on the same use surface of the mounting
base 23. The use surface is the surface of the lighting assembly 20
viewable by the user during installation and use.
[0029] It can be understood that the mounting base 23 is further
provided with a connecting component 232 for fixedly connecting
with the wall or the ceiling.
[0030] In conjunction with FIGS. 4a and 4b, according to the
embodiment of the present invention, at least one first electrical
connector 41, one second electrical connector 42 is respectively
connected to each end of the first cable 31 and the driving cable
34. The at least one first electrical connector 41 and the at least
one second electrical connector 42 work with each other so that a
quick connection between the emergency power supply assembly 10 and
the lighting assembly 20 can be formed. The first and second
electrical connectors 41 and 42 may be paired plug-in electrical
connectors. When the pair of first and second electrical connectors
41 and 42 is connected to each other, circuits with different
functions may be constructed, such as; mains and ground circuits
including life wire, earth wire and neutral wire; a backup power
drive and dimming circuits including a positive/negative connection
of a light-emitting unit; a driver output/input line and a dimming
line. It can be understood that, the paired first and second
electrical connectors 41 and 42 can be distinguished by different
identifiers, such as colors and icons, and when installed on-site,
the user only needs to connect each pair of the first and second
electrical connectors 41 and 42, which are distinguished in color
and so on, and can be connected one by one, thereby eliminating the
need for complex and professional wiring operations on-site.
[0031] Referring to FIGS. 5a and 5b, the first housing 51 and the
second housing 52 are respectively connected to the same ends of
the first cable 31 and the driving cable 34. The first housing 51
and the second housing 52 work with each other to form a fixed
connection there between. After the first housing 51 and the second
housing 52 are fixedly connected to each other, an accommodation
space is formed between the first housing 51 and the second housing
52. Each first and second electrical connectors 41, 42 are received
in the receiving space to provide protection for the first and
second electrical connectors 41, 42 from damages from the adverse
environment on the ceiling or in the wall.
[0032] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the
first housing 51 and the second housing 52 are fixedly connected to
each other by at least one engaging mechanism. The engaging
mechanism comprises: a protruding portion 511 located on the first
housing 51 and a receiving portion 521 located on the second
housing 52 and engaged therewith. Specifically, the protruding
portion 511 extends from a side edge of the first housing 51 to
form an L-shaped insert, and the receiving portion 521 is an
opening formed in a sidewall of the second housing 52 for receiving
the insert.
[0033] The engaging mechanism further comprises a concave portion
512 on the first housing 51 and a protruding portion 522 on the
second housing 52 that mates with the concave portion 512.
Specifically, the protrusions 522 are formed on two opposite side
walls of the second housing 52 and protrude toward the inner space
of the second housing 52, the concave portions 512 are formed on
the two opposite side walls of the first housing 51, which are
opened for receiving the protrusion.
[0034] The engaging mechanism further includes a guiding portion
513, which is specifically an extending portion extending from an
edge of two opposite side walls of the first housing 51 toward the
connecting direction of the second housing 52.
[0035] When the first housing 51 and the second housing 52 are
connected to each other via the guide portion 513, the outsides of
the two opposite side walls of the first housing 51 fit the inside
of the two opposite side walls of the second housing 52 such that
the inside of the two opposite side walls of the first housing 51
make the case 51 gradually cover the two opposite side walls of the
second housing 52. During this process, the protruding portion 511
of the first housing 51 extends into the receiving portion 521 of
the second housing 52 which is engaged therewith, to form a fixed
connection at the same end of the first housing 51 and the second
housing 52 so as to limit the distance between the first housing 51
and the second housing 52 on the Z axis and the Y axis. Then, the
protruding portion 522 of the second housing 52 is fixed to the two
opposite sidewalls of the first housing 51 and the second housing
52 by extending into the concave portion 512 of the first housing
51 to be engaged therewith, so as to further limit the displacement
between the first housing 51 and the second housing 52 in the
X-axis and the Y-axis in the Figure, thereby forming a reliable
fixed connection between the first housing 51 and the second
housing 52.
[0036] It can be understood that the guiding portion 513 can be
located on the first housing 51 or on the second housing 52. The
positions of the concave portion 512 and the protruding portion 521
may also be exchanged with each other. That is, the concave portion
512 may be located on the second housing 52, and correspondingly,
the protruding portion 521 may be located on the first housing
51.
[0037] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention,
the installation method of the lighting system 1 comprises the
following steps:
[0038] Each second electrical connector 42 of the lighting assembly
20 is respectively connected to each first electrical connector 41
of the corresponding power supply assembly 10 to form at least an
emergency power drive circuit, an emergency power supply test
circuit, a dimming circuit and a wall switch control circuit;
connecting the emergency power supply assembly 10 to an external
power supply to form at least a ground circuit, a mains supply
circuit, a dimming circuit and a wall switch control circuit;
placing the emergency power supply assembly 10 in a wall or a
ceiling; and mounting the lighting assembly 20 to a wall or
ceiling.
[0039] The mounting method further comprises: fixedly connecting
the first housing 51 and the second housing 52 by the engaging
mechanism to receive the first and second electrical connectors 41,
42 therein. The engaging structure comprises an inserting portion
and a receiving portion that are respectively located on the first
housing 51 and the second housing 52, the protruding portion 521
and the concaved portion 512, and the guiding portion 513 of the
first housing 51 or the second housing 52.
[0040] The installation method further comprises: mounting the test
switch 13 of the emergency power supply assembly 10 to the lighting
assembly 20 via a reserved hole 231 on the lighting assembly
20.
[0041] While the present invention has been described in detail
with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that many modifications and
variations can be made in the present invention. It is, therefore,
to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all
such modifications and variations insofar as they are within the
true spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *