U.S. patent application number 17/690365 was filed with the patent office on 2022-09-22 for cover for illuminant and lamp with cover.
The applicant listed for this patent is BJB GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Tobias Baecker, Olaf Baumeister, Philipp Henrici.
Application Number | 20220299197 17/690365 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006575846 |
Filed Date | 2022-09-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220299197 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Henrici; Philipp ; et
al. |
September 22, 2022 |
COVER FOR ILLUMINANT AND LAMP WITH COVER
Abstract
A cover for a circuit board including LED illuminants and at
least one connection terminals for connection cables on a top side
of the circuit board, the cover including a receiving chamber for
the circuit board; a light entry side oriented towards the
receiving chamber; a light exit side arranged opposite to the light
entry side; fasteners configured to arrange the cover at a light
influencing component; optical elements arranged above the LED
illuminants and configured to emit light emitted by the LED
illuminants, wherein the cover forms a cutout for at least the one
connection terminal between two of the optical elements that are
adjacent to each other, and wherein the cutout is framed by the
cover.
Inventors: |
Henrici; Philipp; (Arnsberg,
DE) ; Baumeister; Olaf; (Sundern, DE) ;
Baecker; Tobias; (Welver-Berwicke, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BJB GmbH & Co. KG |
Arnsberg |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006575846 |
Appl. No.: |
17/690365 |
Filed: |
March 9, 2022 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21Y 2115/10 20160801;
F21S 4/28 20160101; F21V 23/06 20130101; F21V 23/009 20130101; F21V
23/005 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F21V 23/00 20060101
F21V023/00; F21S 4/28 20060101 F21S004/28; F21V 23/06 20060101
F21V023/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 18, 2021 |
DE |
102021106644.1 |
Claims
1. A cover for a circuit board including LED illuminants and at
least one connection terminals for connection cables on a top side
of the circuit board, the cover comprising: a receiving chamber for
the circuit board; a light entry side oriented towards the
receiving chamber; a light exit side arranged opposite to the light
entry side; fasteners configured to arrange the cover at a light
influencing component; optical elements arranged above the LED
illuminants and configured to emit light emitted by the LED
illuminants, wherein the cover forms a cutout for at least the one
connection terminal between two of the optical elements that are
adjacent to each other, and wherein the cutout is framed by the
cover.
2. The cover according to claim 1, further comprising: arrangement
surfaces for at least one light influencing component or at least
one grid element on a light exit side of the cover.
3. The cover according to claim 2, further comprising at least one
support for a connection cable on the light exit side of the cover,
wherein the at least one support is arranged outside of arrangement
surfaces for the light influencing component.
4. The cover according to claim 3, wherein the at least one support
for the connection cable includes two support arms forming a
receiving gap between one another.
5. The cover according to claim 3, further comprising: two support
legs that laterally define the receiving cavity of the receiving
chamber; a cover wall that defines a top side of the receiving
chamber, wherein the cover wall forms optical elements and is
configured to be supported on the circuit board.
6. The cover according to claim 5, wherein the two support legs
include attachment devices configured as interlocking elements at
bottom sides that are oriented against the light exit direction,
and wherein the two support legs respectively include the at least
one cable support on a top side oriented in the light exit
direction.
7. A lamp, comprising: a lamp housing forming a U-shaped illuminant
receiver wherein a circuit board including at least one LED
illuminant is supported on a base of the illuminant receiver and
wherein legs of the illuminant receiver extend in a light exit
direction of the LED illuminant; the cover according to claim 1,
that extends over the circuit board wherein attachment devices of
the cover fix the circuit board on the base; the light influencing
component which is supported on the cover and arranged between legs
of the illuminant receiver.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from and incorporates by
reference German Patent Application DE 10 2021 106 644.1 filed on
Mar. 18, 2021.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a cover for a circuit board
including LED illuminants and connection terminals for connection
cables on a top side of the circuit board.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Generic covers are known in the art in many shapes and are
disclosed e.g; in DE 20 2019 106 117 U1 by applicant.
[0004] A use of LEDs as illuminants in lamps typically requires
covers in order to adapt radiation properties of the LEDs to a
respective application through optical elements. Additionally, the
covers are typically used to close the lamp in a light exit
direction and in order to make it esthetically appealing.
[0005] Increasing efficiency in lamp fabrication is paramount, in
particular simplification of lamp assembly, wherein the new design
options provided by a utilization of LED illuminants changes basic
principles of lamp assembly.
[0006] DE 20 2019 106 117 U1 by applicant proposes to fix the
circuit board placed on the lamp component using the cover so that
separate fasteners that connect the lamp component and the circuit
board with one another are redundant.
[0007] The technique proposed in DE 20 2019 106 117 U1 works well
in principle but is not easily useable for covers that include
additional lamp components on a light exit side, in particular
screen elements configured to influence the light, which is
typically caused by the constricted installation space and the
restricted component visibility during lamp assembly.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a cover
which helps with simplifying and improving lamp assembly.
[0009] The object is achieved by a cover for a circuit board
including LED illuminants and at least one connection terminals for
connection cables on a top side of the circuit board, the cover
including a receiving chamber for the circuit board; a light entry
side oriented towards the receiving chamber; a light exit side
arranged opposite to the light entry side; fasteners configured to
arrange the cover at a light influencing component; optical
elements arranged above the LED illuminants and configured to emit
light emitted by the LED illuminants, wherein the cover forms a
cutout for at least the one connection terminal between two of the
optical elements that are adjacent to each other, and wherein the
cutout is framed by the cover.
[0010] The cover described supra facilitates for the first time to
attach the circuit board with the LED illuminants at the lamp
component by applying the cover to the lamp component, in
particular when the fasteners are configured as interlocking
devices that reach behind the lamp component. Due to the recesses
for the connection terminals in the cover wiring the circuit board
can be performed after applying the cover and thus after fixing the
circuit board since the connection terminals are accessible through
the recesses of the cover. Providing the recesses with a
circumferential frame makes the cover stable and fracture
resistant.
[0011] Advantageously the cover includes arrangement devices and
arrangement surfaces for at least one light influencing component
on a light exit side of the cover, in particular a grid component
in order to provide the cover for assembling lamps which require
components to be arranged downstream of the cover in the light exit
direction, wherein the components are then advantageously fixed on
the cover and retained by the cover.
[0012] Components arranged downstream of the cover in the light
exit direction are e.g. reflectors or shielding elements assembled
from individual segments. The segments with respect to number and
arrangement correspond to the optical elements of the cover and
form an opening on the light entry side wherein light that exits
the optical element can enter through the opening. The segments
expand typically in a funnel shape in the light exit direction,
wherein the inner surfaces of the funnel shaped segments influence
the light exit from the lamp. These lamp elements designated as
grid components or interlocking elements optically configure the
lamp in addition to influencing the light and are typically used in
commercial spaces in line or surface lamps.
[0013] An advantageous embodiment is characterized in that the
cover includes at least one support for a connection cable on a
light exit side wherein the cover is arranged in particular outside
of the arrangement surfaces for the light influencing component, in
particular when the cable support includes two support arms forming
a receiving gap between each other.
[0014] The cable support formed by the cover provides a defined,
orderly and positionally correct arrangement of the connection
cables outside of areas that influence the light like e.g. the
optical elements. This way a detrimental shadow cast by the cables
is prevented. In particular it is possible due to the orderly and
defined position of the connection cables that are received in the
cable supports to keep the arrangement devices and arrangement
surfaces for additional light influencing components like
interlocking elements free from the cables which simplifies
assembly of the light influencing components considerably.
[0015] In order to reliably fix the circuit board at a lamp
component by the cover, it is provided that [0016] - the cover
includes two support legs that laterally define the receiving
cavity of the receiving chamber, [0017] - the cover includes a
cover wall that defines the receiving chamber towards the top side,
[0018] - the cover wall forms the optical elements and is configure
to be placed onto the circuit board.
[0019] Additionally, it is provided in a particularly advantageous
embodiment that the support legs include fasteners configured as
interlocking elements on a bottom side that is oriented against
light exit direction, and support at least one cable support on a
top side that is oriented in the light exit direction.
[0020] The object is also achieved by a lamp including a lamp
housing forming a U-shaped illuminant receiver wherein a circuit
board including at least one LED illuminant is supported on a base
of the illuminant receiver and wherein legs of the illuminant
receiver extend in a light exit direction of the LED illuminant;
the cover described supra, that extends over the circuit board
wherein attachment devices of the cover fix the circuit board on
the base; the light influencing component which is supported on the
cover and arranged between legs of the illuminant receiver.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The invention is subsequently described in more detail based
on an advantageous embodiments with reference to drawing figures,
wherein:
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a cover according to the invention in a
perspective view of a light exit side;
[0023] FIG. 2 illustrates the cover according to FIG. 1 in a
perspective view of the light entry side;
[0024] FIG. 3 illustrates a lamp according to the invention;
[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates the lamp according to FIG. 3 in an
exploded view, and
[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross sectional view of the lamp
according to FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] The drawing figures show a cover according to the invention
overall designated with reference numeral 10. The cover 10 is shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2 in a perspective view. FIG. 1 shows a perspective
view of the light exit side A of the cover 10. FIG. 2 shows a
perspective view of the light entry side E of the cover 10. The
light exit side A can also be designated as the top side of the
cover 10, the light entry side E can be designated as the bottom
side of the cover 10.
[0028] The cover 10 includes a plurality of optical elements 11
that are arranged one behind another in a row, wherein cutouts 12
are formed between the optical elements 11. The cutouts 12 are cut
outs in the cover 10 which are framed by two adjacent optical
elements 11 and two opposite legs 13. The optical elements 11 are
formed by a cover wall 14 of the cover 10 that respectively
supports a support leg 15 at opposite longitudinal sides. The
arrangement plane of the support arms 15 is offset relative to the
arrangement plane of the cover wall 14 so that the cover wall 14
forms a receiving chamber in combination with the lateral support
legs 15, wherein a circuit board 17 can be inserted into a
receiving cavity of the receiving chamber 16. The receiving chamber
16 is arranged on a light entry side E of the cover 10. Positioning
pins 18 are arranged on the light entry side E in an area of the
receiving chamber 16, wherein the positioning pins 18 engage
positioning openings of the circuit board 17 and of a lamp
component so that the lamp component, the conductor plate 17 and
the cover 10 are positioned relative to each other correctly.
[0029] The support arms 15 include clamping lugs 19 that are
oriented parallel to the bottom side and that protrude into the
receiving chamber 16, wherein the clamping lugs 19 are configured
to contact the edges of the circuit board 17. Last not least each
support leg 15 includes interlocking elements 20 that are
configured to fix the cover 10 at a lamp component 21 as described
infra.
[0030] The cover 10 includes arrangement devices 22 configured as
interlocking lugs 23 on the light exit side A and configured to
attach a light influencing component 24 configured as a grid
element 25 at the cover 10. Positioning arms 26 are arranged on the
light exit side A of the cover 10 wherein the positioning arms are
configured to align the grid element 25 in a correct position
relative to the optical elements 11 of the cover 10. Last not least
the cover 10 includes supports 27 for connection cables on the
light exit side A on the support legs 15 wherein the supports are
provided by supports arms 29 that form a receiving gap 28 between
each other.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a lamp 40 according to the invention in an
assembled condition. FIG. 4 shows the lamp 40 according to FIG. 3
in an exploded view. The lamp 40 includes a lamp housing 41 which
is configured approximately U-shaped. A housing base 42 includes
two housing arms 43 that are arranged in light exit direction
wherein the housing arms receive the circuit board 17, the cover 10
and the grid elements 25 between each other.
[0032] The exploded view according to FIG. 4 shows that individual
LED illuminants 44 are arranged on the circuit board in a row
behind one another and offset from each other wherein connection
terminals 45 are arranged on the circuit board in intermediary
spaces between adjacent LED illuminants 44. The connection
terminals 45 supply voltage on the one hand side, however can also
be used for connecting control conductors on the other hand
side.
[0033] The grid element 25 includes individual segments 46 which
correspond with respect to number and arrangement to the LED
illuminants 44 or the optical elements 11 extending over the LED
illuminants 44. The segments 46 thus include a light entry opening
which respectively receives an associated optical element. The
individual segments 46 are expanded funnel shaped in a light exit
direction. Each segment 46 can be provided with a reflecting inner
surface and thus functions as a reflector. However, it is also
possible to use the segments as screen elements without reflective
properties.
[0034] Some of the segments 46 support interlocking protrusions 47,
wherein interlocking lugs 23 on a cover side reach behind the
interlocking protrusions 47 and fix the grid element 25 on the
cover 10. Positioning legs 48 cooperate with the positioning arms
26 at the cover in order to provide a positionally correct
association of the individual segments 46 of the grid element 25
with the respective optical elements 11 of the cover 10.
[0035] FIG. 5 gives a cross sectional view of the lamp 40 that
shows how the individual components cooperate with one another. The
housing base 42 which is also designated as a lamp component
configured to attach the cover 10 by its interlocking elements 20,
primarily provides a support for the circuit board 17.
Additionally, the cover 10 is arranged on the housing base 42 so
that only the support legs 15 of the cover 10 contact the housing
base 42. The receiving chamber formed by the support legs 15 and
the cover wall 14 illustrated in FIG. 5 receives the circuit board
17. Interlocking the cover 10 at the housing base 42 fixes the
circuit board 17 in the lamp housing.
[0036] After connecting the connection cables at the connection
terminals 45 the grid element 25 is inserted into the lamp housing
41 so that an edge distal from the cover contacts the free ends of
the housing legs 43 and interlocks therein. The cable support 27 of
the cover 10 is arranged laterally from the receiving openings of
the segments 46 and outside of the interior that expands in a
funnel shape so that cables inserted and supported therein are
arranged outside of arrangement surfaces and out outside of areas
occupied by arrangement surfaces and arrangement devices 22 or
interlocking lugs 23 formed by the cover.
[0037] Thus, it is an essential advantage of the invention that the
circuit board can be fixed by the cover 10 at the housing base 42
of the lamp 40 without having to use separate attachment devices
for the circuit board 17. After fixing the circuit board 17 at the
housing base 42 the connection and/or control conductors are
connected at the terminal clamps 45 and supported by the inventive
supports 27 in a defined portion of the cover 10, namely above the
support legs 15. Thus, the grid element 25 can be inserted in a
simple manner without colliding with the connection and/or control
conductors into the space between the housing legs 43 and can be
interlocked there as well as at the cover 10.
[0038] Thus, the cover 10 substantially simplifies assembly of the
lamp 40 in that it supports the circuit board 17 and routes the
required control and/or connection conductors in an area that is
not essential for mounting the grid element 25.
[0039] REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS
[0040] 10 cover
[0041] 11 optical element
[0042] 12 cutout
[0043] 13 leg
[0044] 14 cover wall
[0045] 15 support leg
[0046] 16 receiving chamber
[0047] 17 circuit board
[0048] 18 positioning pin
[0049] 19 clamping lug
[0050] 20 interlocking element
[0051] 21 lamp component
[0052] 22 arrangement device
[0053] 23 interlocking lug
[0054] 24 light influencing component
[0055] 25 grid element
[0056] 26 positioning arm
[0057] 27 support for connection cable
[0058] 28 receiving gap
[0059] 29 support arm
[0060] 40 lamp
[0061] 41 lamp housing
[0062] 42 housing base
[0063] 43 housing cover
[0064] 44 LED illuminant
[0065] 45 connection terminal
[0066] 46 segment
[0067] 47 interlocking protrusion
[0068] 48 positioning leg
[0069] A light exit side
[0070] E light entry side What is claimed is:
* * * * *