Mounting System, Especially for Lamps

Abstract

The invention relates to a mounting system, especially for a lamp, with a mounting unit (1) and a housing bottom plate (4) which are connected by a connecting device to connecting elements (2, 5) cooperating in pairs. The first connecting element (2) is formed as a ring with a surrounding ridge (3), and the second connecting element (5) is formed like a cover with a cover bottom (7) and a collar portion (6) consisting of individual clips. The second connecting element (5) is slidable on the first connecting element (2) in such a way that its collar portion (6) with the clips lockingly engages the back face of the ridge (3) of the first connecting element (2) and can be brought into a removal position by a force acting on the cover (7).

Description

The invention relates to a mounting system, especially for a lamp, with a mounting unit fixable to a wall, ceiling or similar, and a housing bottom plate, wherein the mounting unit and the housing bottom plate are releasably connected to each other by at least one connecting device and the connecting device comprises connecting elements which are provided on the mounting unit and the housing bottom plate and are cooperating in pairs.

Lamps which are to be fixed to a wall or a ceiling of a room are often made up of two parts and have a mounting unit and a lamp element, the mounting unit being mounted, for example, with the aid of screws to the wall, and the lamp element then being connected to the mounting unit. The disadvantage here is that with known lamps the fixing and also the removal of the lamp element, for example for maintenance purposes, is complex and complicated. There is therefore a requirement for a mounting system which makes it possible to mount the lamp element quickly and easily onto the mounting unit, and to be able to release it from the latter again just as easily.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the first connecting element of the connecting device is formed as a ring with a surrounding ridge, and the second connecting element is formed like a cover with a cover bottom and a collar portion consisting of individual clips, wherein the second connecting element is slidable on the first connecting element in such a way that its collar portion with the clips lockingly engages the back face of the ridge of the first connecting element, and wherein the second connecting element can be brought into a removal position by a force acting on the cover in the direction towards the first connecting element, in which removal position the clip-like collar portion is extended outwardly and releases the ridge of the first connecting element.

Therefore, the basic idea behind the invention is to design the connecting device such that in its holding position the second connecting element can be slid onto the first connecting element of the connecting device, and in so doing the collar portion of the second connecting element consisting of individual clips lockingly engages the back face of the ridge of the first connecting element. In this way both connecting elements are connected securely to each other. In order to release this connection again, the second connecting element can be brought into the removal position. For this purpose a force must be exerted on the cover of the second connecting element, by means of which the latter curves inwardly and the clips of the collar portion are bent outwardly.

Therefore the invention makes provision for the use of connection devices which work substantially according to the same principle as the so-called “click clack tins” which are normally used for packaging, e.g. for sweets.

Special advantages of the mounting system according to the invention are that the housing bottom plate can be mounted in the simplest of ways onto the mounting unit and be released from the latter again.

According to one embodiment of the invention provision is made such that the mounting unit and the housing bottom plate have a rectangular form. The advantage here is that a number of lamps, picture frames or similar can be fixed next to one another in a space-saving manner. Therefore, a number of lamps can be combined to form a light wall.

In order to guarantee secure connection of the housing bottom plate to the mounting unit, they can be connected to each other by several connecting devices. It is thus guaranteed that even heavier lamps can be mounted without there being any risk of them falling down due to unintentional touching or movement for example.

The mounting system according to the invention is particularly suitable for LED-based lamps. Since the latter are relatively sensitive to damage, a great advantage here is that first of all the mounting unit, which is largely insensitive can be mounted onto a wall with the aid of screws, and only then the housing bottom plate with the LED is fixed. This final step is therefore implemented after completion of the actual mounting work, by means of which the risk of mechanical damage to the LEDs is reduced.

In order to guarantee a simple connection to an electric power supply, it is advantageous if the mounting unit has a connection device for electric current. Due to this it is no longer necessary to provide an additional connection between the power supply and the housing bottom plate, for example by connection to a line.

Furthermore, it can be advantageous if the housing bottom plate and the mounting plate comprise means for electrically contacting each other. These can be designed for example as spring contact pins which engage with each other when the connecting elements are connected to one another, and so guarantee the supply of electricity to the housing bottom plate without any additional measures.

In a further embodiment of the mounting system according to the invention provision can be made for the mounting unit to comprise electrical connecting means which enable to electrically connect it with at least one further neighboured mounting unit. This is particularly advantageous if a number of lamps are to be fixed next to one another, since it is then no longer necessary to connect each of the mounting units to its own feeder.

Tests have shown that connecting devices made of metal, e.g. stainless steel, have high resistance. Moreover, they have a high retention force, and show hardly any wear.

If the connecting device has a cylindrical form, it is particularly easy to slide the second connecting element onto the first connecting element since no twisting is possible, and furthermore play-free connection is also possible. Moreover, in this case the click clack tins which are already known and cheap to buy can be used directly and simply as connecting devices.

In order to protect the second connecting elements from possible damage during mounting, it is advantageous to provide the first connecting element on the mounting unit and the second connecting element on the housing bottom plate.

According to a further possible embodiment of the invention the second connecting element is mounted distantly on the mounting unit or the housing bottom plate. In this way it is guaranteed that the element can be moved easily from the holding position into the removal position and back again.

In the following the invention is described in greater detail by means of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings show as follows:

FIG. 1 a cross-section through a lamp equipped with a mounting system according to the invention with released connecting devices,

FIG. 2 an enlarged section of the mounting system according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 a cross-section of the lamp from FIG. 1, with which the housing bottom plate is mounted onto the mounting unit, and

FIG. 4 an enlarged section from FIG. 3.

The drawings show a lamp arrangement which is equipped with a mounting system according to the present invention. The lamp arrangement has a plate-shaped mounting unit 1 which is rectangular in form and can be mounted onto a wall or a ceiling, screwed secure for example, and a lamp unit L which is formed by a housing bottom plate 4 and a lamp housing 9 fixed to the latter. The mounting unit 1 and the lamp unit L can be releasably connected to each other by a total of four connecting devices which are provided in the corner regions. These connecting devices respectively have a first connecting element 2 which is fixed to the mounting unit land is designed in the form of a cylindrical tin which has a surrounding ridge 3 beneath its opening region. A second connecting element 5 which is mounted onto the lower side of the housing bottom plate 4 is assigned to the first connecting element 2. The second connecting element 5 is in the form of a cover and has a collar portion 6 consisting of individual, non-connected clips which are mounted onto a cover bottom 7. As can be seen especially in the enlarged views of FIGS. 2 and 4, the second connecting element is fixed distantly from the housing bottom plate 4, a washer 11 being disposed between the cover bottom 7 and the housing bottom plate 4. It can not be seen in the drawing that in its initial position—the holding position—the cover bottom 7 is curved slightly upwards towards the housing bottom plate 4.

On the upper side of the housing bottom plate 4 a board is provided on which a plurality of LEDs 8 are disposed.

In order to mount the lamp arrangement illustrated onto a wall, for example, the mounting unit 1 is first of all fixed, for example screwed secure, to this wall. After fixing the mounting unit 1 the lamp unit L is mounted onto the mounting unit 1, the connecting elements 5 in the form of covers and which are provided on the housing bottom plate 4 being slid onto the connecting elements 2 in the form of tins provided on the mounting unit 1. The clip-formed collar portion 6 of the connecting elements 5 in the form of covers 5 are elastically extended here until the clips engage behind the surrounding ridge 3 and snap back elastically into their holding position, and in this way connect the connecting elements 2, 5 securely to each other.

In order to separate the housing bottom plate 4 again from the mounting unit 1, a compressive force is applied once again to the lamp unit 1 in the direction of the mounting unit 1. The consequence of this compressive force is that the curved cover base 7 is curved away from the housing bottom plate 4, the consequence being that its clip-formed collar portion 6 is extended outwardly into a removal position so that the connection between the connecting elements 2, 5 is released, and the housing bottom plate 4 is separated from the mounting unit 1.

Before the housing bottom plate 4 can be connected once again to the mounting unit 1, the second connecting elements 5 must first of all be brought manually back into their holding position. For this purpose a compressive force directed towards the housing bottom plate 4 can easily be applied to the cover bottom 7 so that the latter curves back into its initial position. Alternatively it is possible to press the clips of the collar portion 6 together again. Then the cover bottom 7 snaps automatically back into an initial position.

In the drawings it is not shown that electrical connecting means in the form of spring pins are provided in order to connect the board of the lamp unit L to an electrical connecting device of the mounting unit 1. The spring contact pins are designed here so that they are automatically brought into contact when the lamp unit L is fixed to the mounting unit 1, and in the same way the electrical connection is also interrupted once again when the lamp unit 1 is released from the mounting unit 1.

In the same way each mounting unit 1 is equipped with electrical connecting means by means of which the mounting units 1 of adjacent lamps can be connected to one another electrically so that it is basically only necessary to connect one of a plurality of lamps to an external power supply. In the embodiment shown, in FIG. 1 this type of connection board 12 is shown to which a corresponding connection board which is disposed in a recess on the upper side of an adjacent mounting unit 1 is assigned. The arrangement is such that the electrical contacting takes places automatically between the boards when the mounting units 1 are mounted onto a wall or similar.

Claims

1. Mounting system, especially for lamps, with a mounting unit (1) fixable to a wall or a ceiling and a housing bottom plate (4), wherein the mounting unit (1) and the housing bottom plate (4) are releasably connected to each other by at least one connecting device and the connecting device comprises connecting elements (2, 5) which are provided on the mounting unit (1) and the housing bottom plate (4) and are cooperating in pairs, characterized in that the first connecting element (2) of the connecting device is formed as a ring with a surrounding ridge (3) and the second connecting element (5) is formed like cover with a cover bottom (7) and a collar portion (6) consisting of individual clips, wherein the second connecting element (5) is slidable on the first connecting element (2) in such a way, that its collar portion (6) with the clips lockingly engages the back face of the ridge (3) of the first connecting element (2), and wherein the second connecting element (5) can be brought into a removal position by a force acting on the cover (7) in the direction towards the first connecting element (2), in which removal position the clip-like collar portion (7) is extended outwardly and releases the ridge (3) of the first connecting element (2).

2. Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting unit (1) and the housing bottom plate (4) have a rectangular form.

3. Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized in that several connecting units are provided.

4. Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the lamp is a LED-lamp (8).

5. Mounting system according to claim 4, characterized in that the mounting unit (1) comprises a connecting device for electric current.

6. Mounting system according to claim 5, characterized in that the mounting unit (1) and the housing bottom plate (4) comprise means for electrically contacting each other.

7. Mounting system according to claim 6, characterized in that the means for electrical contacting comprise spring contact pins.

8. Mounting system according to claim 5, characterized in that the mounting unit (1) comprises electrical connecting means which enable to electrically connect it with a further neighboured unit (1).

9. Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting elements (2, 5) of the connecting device consist of metal.

10. Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting device has a cylindrical form.

11. Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first connecting element (2) is mounted on the mounting unit (1) and the second connecting element (5) of the housing bottom plate (4).

12. Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the second connecting element (5) is distantly fixed.