EP1457735A1

EP1457735A1 - Motorised swivelling lamp

Info

Publication number: EP1457735A1
Application number: EP03380057A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ruben Melenchon Figuls
Original assignee: Formas SA
Current assignee: Formas SA
Priority date: 2003-03-12
Filing date: 2003-03-12
Publication date: 2004-09-15

Abstract

Swivelling lamp, provided with a fixed support (17), on which are placed the electric-electronic control means (7,8) as well as one of the motors (1) allowing rotation about a vertical axis (12); in addition, it has a swivelling support (10) on which is placed the motor (2) allowing rotation about a horizontal axis (13), the two supports (17,10) joined by a set of gears (3) and bearings (6), and inside which run the motor and lamp power supply cables (15,16). The control means are a power transformer (8) and a regulator (7) for adjusting the speed of the motors (1,2), the intensity of the lamp (11) and discriminating the orders received through the communications bus.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a motorised swivelling lamp, from among lamps used for indoor and outdoor illumination, which provides a motorised means for directing the light beam in a predetermined direction.
The present invention is characterised by allowing a remote action on both the position of the lamp bulb and the lamp intensity, covering practically all of the space surrounding the lamp.
Also characteristic of the invention is its motorization, which provides the lamp with an improved and faster orientation of its light beam towards the desired area.
Thus, the present invention lies within the scope of swivelling lamp supports, and more specifically to those that are motorised.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hitherto known are adjustable lamp supports such as that described in US Patent 6481871, which describes an adjustable support provided with a first support element having a groove on which slides a second support element that can be attached at various positions, as the latter is also provided with a groove that allows attaching the second element on the first one using means of attachment. These mechanical orientation possibilities are achieved manually, and it is necessary to change the attachment points whenever a new orientation of the light beam is desired.
Thus, in view of the difficulty of changing the orientation of the light beam, as well as the lamp optics, disclosed herein is a motorised swivelling lamp by means of a double set of axes, the configuration of the assembly also allowing to act on both the intensity of the light beam and on the direction of this beam and the optics, all of this from a distance.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention of a motorised swivelling lamp consists of an assembly that can be turned in practically all directions around the lamp, in a motorised manner, wherein the orientation is achieved by two motors that allow an almost complete revolution about two mutually perpendicular axes.
In addition, the swivelling assembly is provided with a fixed support on which are attached the electric and electronic control means and one of the motors.
Joined to said fixed support are a support that swivels about a set of bearings and a gear that engages another gear emerging from the shaft of the motor that is assembled on said fixed support.
This first motor allows a rotation about a vertical axis that passes through the shaft of the gear connecting the fixed and the swivelling supports.
A second motor is disposed on the swivelling support, allowing to turn the lamp of the assembly about a horizontal axis as the lamp is attached to the swivelling support at two diametrically opposite points, with two degrees of freedom with respect to the shaft that passes through the two support points.
All the power supply cables for the motor and the lamp run inside the gear joining the fixed and swivelling supports, and continue inside a flexible duct that turns about its upper junction end.
Inside the fixed support of the assembly are provided means such as a transformer for transforming the power supply of the unit and a printed circuit board for controlling the lamp functions.
Said printed circuit board is provided with the means necessary to recognise whether the commands travelling through the communication bus are intended for one lamp or another, as well as to interpret the commands. With the commands sent by the bus, the board electronics allow acting on a dimmer to adjust the light intensity and on the position of the lamps with the motors provided.
Optionally, it is possible to provide a third motor on the swivelling support where the lamp support structure is established, allowing to raise or lower the lamp while changing the lamp optics to obtain the desired beam angle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As a complement of the following description and in order to aid a better understanding of characteristics of the invention, the present descriptive memory is accompanied by a set of drawings where, for purposes of illustration only and in a non-limiting manner, the most relevant aspects of the invention are shown.
Figure 1 shows an partially sectioned elevation view of the motorised swivelling lamp assembly object of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned figures, a description is made of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the drawings are explained.
Figure 1 shows that the swivelling lamp basically comprises a fixed support (17) and an swivelling support (10), the fixed support (17) houses the electric-electronic control elements and one of the motors (1), while the other support (10) supports the other motor (2).
Both supports (17) and (10) are joined by a set of gears (3); one gear is attached to the shaft of the motor (1) while the other is attached to the swivelling support (10). On either side of the gear connecting the two supports are corresponding bearings (6), the cables passing through the gear and bearing assembly by a cable-bearing hollow shaft (5) and reaching the interior of the swivelling support (10).
By means of the double set of motors (1) and (2), the assembly may turn about a vertical axis (12) and a horizontal axis (13) respectively.
Rotation about the axis (12) is limited by a mechanical stop (4) placed on the swivelling support (10) to prevent an excessive rotation of the swivelling support (10) in either sense. Rotation about the horizontal axis (13) is possible about an angle of 200 degrees. The lamp (11) can turn about the horizontal axis (13) as it is jointed on the swivelling support (10) at two diametrically opposite points, the lamp (11) being joined to the motor (2) at one of these points by an attachment (9).
The motor power supply cables (15) and the lamp (11) power supply cables (16) run from the top of the jointed support (10) to one of its sides through a flexible duct (14), which may revolve at its top end with respect to the swivelling support (10).
Inside the fixed support (17) is a power transformer (8) allowing to adapt the power supply voltage of the motor and lamp unit, and an electronic control board (7) allowing to discriminate whether the commands sent through the communications bus are intended for this lamp, in which case the means are provided to interpret these commands, adjusting the light intensity of the lamp by means of a dimmer and positioning the motors (1) and (2).
As mentioned before, in addition to the two motors (1) and (2) it is possible to place a third motor, not shown, on the support structure of the lamp (11), allowing to raise and lower the lamp to change the lamp optics.
This lamp and other similar ones are connected by a bi-directional connection to a management unit with own software, allowing to control the actions of a number of lamps and to record different scenarios, this is, various different states of positioning and intensity of the lamps, or different sequences which are various scenarios maintained for certain time periods.
It is not considered necessary to extend the description for an expert in the subject to understand the scope of the invention and the advantages derived thereof.
The materials, shape, size and arrangement of the component elements may vary as long as the essence of the invention is unchanged.
The terms used in this descriptive memory shall be understood in a wide-ranging and non-limiting sense.

Claims

Motorised swivelling lamp, characterised in that it comprises a fixed support (17) that houses the electric-electronic control means as well as one of the motors (1) allowing rotation about a vertical axis (12), being further provided with a swivelling support (10) that holds a motor (2) allowing rotation about a horizontal shaft (13), the two supports (17) and (10) being joined by a set of gears (3).
Motorised swivelling lamp according to claim 1, characterised in that the two supports, the fixed support (17) and the swivelling support (10), are joined by a set of gears (3), one of the gears being coupled to the shaft of the motor (1) and the other being placed between two bearings (6), and inside the assembly of the gear and bearings (6) run the cables (15) and (16) for power supply to the motor (2) and the lamp (11) respectively.
Motorised swivelling lamp according to claim 2; characterised in that the cables (15) and (16) inside the swivelling support (10) run inside a flexible duct (14), the top end of which is free to turn about the swivelling support (10).
Motorised swivelling lamp according to claim 1, characterised in that the support of the lamp (11) can turn about a shaft (13) by being joined to the swivelling support (10) at two diametrically opposite points, also being joined at one of these points to the motor (2) by means of an attachment element (9).
Motorised swivelling lamp according to claim 1, characterised in that the rotation about the vertical axis (12) is limited by a mechanical stop (4) disposed on the swivelling support (10), thereby allowing a turning angle of 350°.
Motorised swivelling lamp according to claim 1, characterised in that the turning angle about the horizontal axis (13) is limited to about 200°.
Motorised swivelling lamp according to claim 1, characterised in that on the fixed support (17) is provided a power transformer (7) to adapt the power supply voltage to the motors and the lamp (11), as well as a printed circuit board (8) that discriminates the commands travelling in a bi-directional bus and interprets them, having the necessary means for acting on the light intensity with a dimmer and on the positioning of the motors.
Motorised swivelling lamp according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that on the support structure of the lamp (11) is provided a third motor allowing to raise and lower the lamp to change the lamp optics, providing the desired beam angle.
Motorised swivelling lamp according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that this lamp and others are joined by a bi-directional bus to a management unit with own software, with which it is possible to control the actions of a number of lamps and record various scenarios, this is, various states of position and light intensity of the lamps, or different sequences, this is, scenarios maintained for a certain period of time.