EP3093922B1 - Contact element for grounding a mast luminaire - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mast lamp with a lamp mast, a contact element for establishing a ground connection and an attached lamp housing which forms electrical contact with the contact element.

Mast lights usually include a metallic housing and / or a metallic mast flange, which is also referred to as a housing in the context of this description, which requires equipotential bonding to earth for safety reasons. For luminaires that are mounted on a metallic lamp mast, the equipotential bonding to earth can be established simply by an electrical contact with the metallic mast. However, if the material of the mast consists of a non-conductor, e.g. Concrete, plastic or wood, separate facilities are required to create equipotential bonding to earth.

For non-conductive lamp masts, an additional electrical connection is therefore necessary in order to connect the lamp housing to the earth. An additional wire is usually not provided in the standardized cable harnesses for connecting the lights. In particular, the yellow / green conductor of the connection cable must not be used for grounding, as this color designation may only be used for the protective conductor. It was therefore necessary to insert an additional wire into the cable harness. This solution is extremely complex because the standard connection lines have to be exchanged. In addition, a storage point must be created on the luminaire.

US 2010/224385 A1 discloses an apparatus and method for grounding a support structure using an integrated electrode. A conductive sleeve is arranged between a concrete base and a lamp post of a lamp and has spring-loaded flanges which are connected to an earth conductor via a screw.

DE 38 35 695 A1 discloses a mechanical and electrical connection between a metal extruded profile and a metal casting. The connection has two Leg on, wherein one leg is provided with barbs in order to claw firmly on the longitudinal sides of the metal extruded profile and the metal casting.

U.S. 3,528,050 relates to a clip-on earthing clip. The clip comprises a U-shaped element, on one side of which a grounding cable is clamped. The clip is intended to be attached to a wall and is supported on the wall with a barb on the leg opposite the grounding cable.

The present invention is intended to offer a technically simple way of electrically connecting a grounding conductor within a lamp mast to the lamp housing.

The object is achieved by a mast lamp according to claim 1.

The contact element offers the mast lamp according to the invention the possibility of a simple electrical contact to the lamp housing for lamp masts of different wall thickness create. Under lamp housing according to the present description, any parts of the lamp housing or of a flange attached to the lamp housing (for example, hingedly connected) which are set up to be placed on a lamp mast are also generally understood.

The contact element has a U-shaped section, which is formed from a spring steel, so that it is suitable for different wall thicknesses of the lamp housing in order to be attached to it. On the leg of the U-shaped section of the contact element that points into the lamp mast, a separate grounding conductor is connected as a single wire to a first contact area. On the second opposite leg, which is on the outside of the lamp mast, a second electrical contact area is provided, which forms the electrical contact to the lamp housing by simply placing it on. The contact element according to the invention is therefore simply attached to the lamp mast and a separate grounding line is connected before the lamp housing is put on. After the luminaire housing has been put on, electrical contact is then established between the luminaire housing and the earth for equipotential bonding.

According to a preferred embodiment, the second contact area has one, preferably two outwardly pointing, sharp-edged tongues which are designed to scratch the attached lamp housing. The sharp-edged tongues can form an electrical contact to the metallic core of the housing through a colored or insulating layer of the lamp housing.

According to a preferred embodiment, the tongues can be formed by simply bending one or two corners of the spring steel sheet. Alternatively, the tongues can also be formed by a cutout that is bent outwards away from the lamp mast. In this context, a tongue is to be understood as any shape, in particular triangular or square shapes with sharp-edged corners. It is particularly advantageous to provide two tongues directed towards one another, so that when the lamp housing is screwed tight on a side opposite the contact element, the tongues dig into the material of the lamp housing against one another.

According to a preferred embodiment, the first contact area has an opening or a terminal to which the grounding conductor can be connected as a separate individual line.

A simple opening as a contact area is sufficient to clamp the grounding conductor. According to an alternative, a clamp is provided on the contact element itself in order to form the first contact area.

According to a preferred embodiment, a barb pointing towards the wall of the lamp mast is provided on the first and / or second leg, which barb prevents the contact element from moving away in the opposite direction to the attachment direction. As a result, the contact element remains firmly connected to the lamp mast when the lamp housing is removed from the mast for assembly work.

According to a preferred embodiment, the barb is formed by an inwardly angled section of the first or second leg, i.e. from the spring steel sheet itself. In this way, the barb is particularly easy to manufacture.

Figur 1

zeigt eine perspektivische Ansicht eines oberen Leuchtenmastabschnittes mit aufgestecktem Kontaktelement gemäß einer Ausführungsform.

Figur 2

zeigt einen Querschnitt durch den oberen Mastabschnitt gemäß Figur 1 mit einem aufgesetzten Leuchtengehäuse und einer angeschlossenen Erdungsleitung.

Figur 3

zeigt eine Aufsicht auf das Leuchtengehäuse gemäß Figur 2, wobei im Piktogramm eine perspektivische Ansicht des Mastabschnitts mit dem Leuchtengehäuse gezeigt ist.

Further advantages and features of the present invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment, which is given in connection with the figures, in which the following is shown:

Figure 1

shows a perspective view of an upper lamp mast section with an attached contact element according to an embodiment.

Figure 2

shows a cross section through the upper mast section according to FIG Figure 1 with an attached luminaire housing and a connected earth line.

Figure 3

shows a plan view of the lamp housing according to Figure 2 , the pictogram showing a perspective view of the mast section with the luminaire housing.

Referring to Figure 1 a contact element 2 made of spring steel sheet is shown, which is attached to an edge of a hollow lamp post 4. The lamp mast 4 is made of a non-conductive material, such as plastic, wood or concrete.

As in the cross section according to Figure 2 As can be seen, the contact element is bent in a U-shape so that a first leg 6 of the contact element 2 points into the interior of the lamp mast 4 and a second leg 8 lies on the outside of the lamp mast.

A lamp housing 10 is pushed over the lamp mast 4 with the contact element 2 fitted thereon, as in FIG Figure 2 with the direction of attachment is shown by the arrow. The lamp housing 10 in the present embodiment comprises the lower part of a mast flange on which a further part of the lamp housing is pivotably mounted (the upper part of the lamp housing is not shown in the figures).

The second leg 8 of the contact element has a tongue at each of the lower two corners which protrudes outwards, i.e. away from the lamp mast 4, are angled. The tongues 12 are sharp-edged in the area of the edges and the corner, so that they dig into the lamp housing 10 when it is plugged on. In particular, they also penetrate any insulation or paint layer that may be present on the luminaire housing in order to establish electrical contact with the metallic core of the luminaire housing 10.

On the side of the luminaire housing 10 opposite the contact element 2, two screw holes 14 are provided which are used to clamp the luminaire housing to the mast by screwing screws from the outside inwards against the lamp mast 4 into the housing 10. The screws are provided opposite the contact element 2 so that the tongues 12 dig even more firmly into the material of the housing 10 by clamping and sliding the lamp housing on the mast. By mounting the housing 10 on the lamp mast with the previously plugged-on contact element 2, electrical contact is therefore formed from the lamp housing to the second leg 8 and to the first leg 6 of the contact element 2.

On the first leg 6, a grounding cable 16 is connected in an opening 20 of the first leg 6, which serves to connect the contact element 2 to a base of the mast with the To connect earth electrically. In this way, electrical potential equalization is created between the lamp housing 10 and the earth.

The contact element 2 therefore offers a particularly simple way of creating an electrical tap for grounding the lamp housing 10. The contact element 2 is attached to the lamp mast and connected to the grounding conductor 16 before the lamp housing 10 is assembled. Without further precautions, the electrical connection to the lamp housing is established after the lamp housing 10 has been placed and screwed on.

On the first leg 6 of the mounting element 2, a barb 18 is also formed by a section of the spring steel sheet bent inwardly towards the wall of the lamp mast 4. When the contact element 2 is plugged on, this barb 18 digs into the wall of the lamp mast 4, so that unwanted loosening of the contact element is prevented even when the lamp housing 10 is removed for assembly work.

Numerous changes can be made in the preferred embodiment described above without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims. In particular, several barbs can also be provided on one or both of the legs of the contact element. Furthermore, instead of the opening 20, a clamp can also be provided directly on the leg 6 in order to connect the grounding conductor 16.

List of reference symbols:

2

Contact element

4th

Lamp mast

6

first leg

8th

second leg

10

Luminaire housing

12

tongue

14th

Screw hole

16

Grounding conductor

18th

Barbs

20th

opening

Claims (6)

1. A pole light with a light pole (4), in particular made of a non-conductive material, a contact element (2) and a mounted light housing (10) which forms an electrical contact with the contact element (2), the contact element (2) being arranged in a region at an edge of the light pole (4) below the mounted light housing (10) in order to produce an earthing connection for the pole light,
   wherein the contact element (2) is formed from an elongated strip of a spring steel sheet bent into a U-shape and is plugged onto a wall of the hollow lamp post (4) so that a first leg (6) of the U lies inside and a second leg (8) of the U lies outside the hollow lamp post (4),
   the first leg (6) having a first electrical contact region which is angled towards the interior of the lamp post and to which a separate earth conductor (16) can be connected as a single wire, and
   a second electrical contact region is provided on the second leg (8), which projects outwards from the lamp post and which is designed to make electrical contact with a lamp housing (10) mounted on the lamp post (4).
2. The pole light according to claim 1, wherein the second contact area has at least one, preferably two sharp-edged tongues (12) pointing outwards, which are adapted to scratch a mounted luminaire housing (4).
3. The pole light according to claim 2, wherein the at least one tongue (12) is formed by bending out of the spring steel sheet, e.g. by bending a corner of the spring steel sheet.
4. The pole light according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first contact area has an opening (20) or a terminal to which an earthing conductor (16) can be connected as a separate individual line.
5. The pole light according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a barb (18) is provided on the first and/or second leg (6; 8), which barb (18) is directed inwards towards the wall of the light pole and prevents the contact element (2) from moving away in the opposite direction to the direction in which it was attached.
6. The pole light according to claim 5, wherein the at least one barb (18) is formed by an inwardly angled section of the first or second leg (6; 8).

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