ITBS20110159A1 - MODULAR LIGHTING DEVICE, IN PARTICULAR FOR ROAD LIGHTING - Google Patents

Description

Title: "Modular lighting device, in particular for street lighting"

Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to the sector of lighting devices for internal or external use, in particular for street lighting. State of the art

Lighting devices for outdoor use are known, in particular for the artificial lighting of streets, parks, cycle paths, sidewalks and large environments, made using a great variety of technologies and equipped with lighting bodies (generally referred to as 'light sources') of various types, for example incandescent lamps or discharge lamps,

Typically, these devices are designed to meet certain performance requirements, defined for example in specific regulations designed to ensure adequate and correct night lighting and to prevent dangerous situations, in particular as regards the circulation of vehicles on roads.

The most important requirements concern the emitted power, luminance, luminous efficiency, uniformity and directionality of the emitted light, color rendering.

The Applicant has found that current lighting devices are not free from drawbacks and can be improved under various aspects, in particular as regards performance and flexibility of use.

For example, some devices have a reduced luminous efficiency and a consequent high energy consumption. Furthermore, known devices typically have a low color rendering index (IRC or Ra, or in English Color Rendering Index - CRI), a value of each light source which measures how 'natural' the colors of the objects illuminated by it appear; in practice, the lower the color rendering index the greater the modification of the real colors of an object introduced by the light source. In this context, the Applicant has found that a low color rendering of the devices leads to an overall lighting of low quality, which does not allow a user (in particular the driver of a vehicle) to easily distinguish other users as well as any obstacles present. on the route,

Furthermore, known devices may not be able to guarantee a precise directionality of the luminous flux; this is particularly important in order to precisely illuminate the desired area and at the same time avoid the scattering of light in other directions. In particular, the dispersion of light upwards must be limited as much as possible in order not to increase the so-called 'light pollution'.

Furthermore, the lack of a precise directionality for the single device prevents constant lighting from being obtained in the case of installations that require the use of a set of adjacent devices, a very frequent case and of particular relevance for street lighting (in which the devices are typically arranged in two parallel rows, one for each side of the road to be illuminated). To overcome this drawback, the overall number of devices is typically increased (ie the distance between adjacent devices is reduced), with a consequent increase in costs.

A further drawback of known devices resides in the reduced possibility of regulating the intensity of the light emitted (luminous flux), which prevents the luminous intensity from varying at will, for example according to the conditions of use. This is particularly relevant in the field of street lighting, in which precise regulations require the possibility of considerably attenuating the lighting during the hours of less traffic, in order to save energy.

Furthermore, the Applicant has found that known devices are difficult to modify on the basis of the requirements dictated by the type of installation; for example it is not possible, except for complex and costly structural changes, to vary the rated power of the device,

Furthermore, the known devices, in case of failure and / or for normal maintenance operations, require long and expensive interventions, which considerably impact on the overall cost of the lighting system.

Aims and summary of the invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device, in particular for street lighting, which solves in a simple and effective way one or more of the drawbacks of the traditional solutions.

The present invention therefore relates to a device according to claim 1.

In particular, the invention relates to a lighting device comprising:

- a structure defining a housing compartment open at least in the direction of emission of the light flux;

- at least one lighting module consisting of a box-like body comprising a light source and removably housed in said housing compartment;

- at least one power supply module consisting of a respective box-like body comprising electrical power supply means and removably housed in said housing compartment,

wherein said at least one lighting module is electrically connected to said at least one power supply module,

in which the respective box-like bodies of said lighting module and of said power supply module have the same length, and in which the width of one of said modules is equal to or multiple with respect to the width of the other of said modules.

Preferably, the housing compartment has a respective length equal to the length of the modules and a respective width equal to an integer multiple, greater than or equal to two, of the width of one of said lighting module and said power supply module.

With reference to the aforementioned parallelepiped-shaped modules, in the context of the present invention it is intended that they are defined by three dimensions, orthogonal to each other, called respectively length, width and height. Basically, the length and width are the dimensions visible from a plan view of the module and, as will become clear below, the length remains the same for each module while the width can vary according to integer multiples of a base width. The third dimension, height, defines the 'thickness' of the module and preferably, but not necessarily, is the same for each module.

The Applicant believes that the combination of the aforementioned technical characteristics advantageously allows to obtain a lighting device of the 'modular' type, where this term means the possibility of varying the number and sequence of the modules, both for lighting and for power supply, at will. inserted in the structure of the device itself. In fact, the characteristics of making both the modules and the housing compartment of a certain length and of varying the width of the compartment according to multiples of the width of the modules allow to have a flexible device in terms of overall light power and type of light source. , and characterized at the same time by an ease of construction and maintenance and by low warehouse costs. In fact, the presence of independent modules for lighting and power supply allows for their selection, assembly and maintenance in a simple and quick way.

In a possible embodiment, the box-shaped body of the lighting module and the box-shaped body of the power supply module have all three respective dimensions equal to each other.

In one aspect the device comprises a plurality of lighting modules and / or a plurality of power supply modules.

Preferably, the structure comprises a rear profile, intended to be mounted to a fixed element (for example a pole) carrying the device, and a front profile, arranged parallel to each other on two opposite sides of the structure itself and defining the aforementioned width of the compartment. housing, and further comprises a right-hand closure head and a left-hand closure head connecting, preferably perpendicular to them, the rear and front profiles, and defining the aforementioned length of the housing compartment.

Preferably, the box-shaped body of the lighting module comprises a longitudinal profile, defining an upper face and two major lateral faces, and a translucent or transparent wall, fixed to the longitudinal profile and defining a lower face, which collectively enclose an internal space of the box-like body housing said light source, and further comprises two closing profiles fixed to the sides of the longitudinal profile and defining two minor lateral faces.

Preferably, the box-like body of the supply module comprises a longitudinal profile, defining an upper face and two major lateral faces, and a closing wall, fixed to the longitudinal profile and defining a lower face, which collectively enclose an internal space of the box-like body housing said means power supply, and further comprises two closing profiles fixed to the sides of the longitudinal profile and defining two minor lateral faces.

In one aspect, the box-like body of the lighting module and / or the power supply module comprises a fin for heat dissipation.

In one aspect, said electrical power supply means comprise a power supply and control unit for one or more light sources.

In a preferred embodiment, the aforementioned light source is constituted by a plurality of power LEDs.

The Applicant has verified that this solution allows to obtain numerous advantages, such as an energy saving compared to traditional light sources (thanks to the high luminous efficiency of the LED sources) and the possibility of generating a luminous flux having a high color rendering index (e.g. example greater than 60). This last aspect, in particular, makes it possible to lower, by one or two levels, the reference lighting category (an important design parameter known to technicians in the sector, defined by specific regulations) for a road illuminated by a device according to the present invention. , resulting in energy savings.

Furthermore, the power LEDs can be controlled, by means of the power supply unit, in such a way as to continuously adjust the intensity of the luminous flux within a range of values,

Furthermore, by modifying the number, the type and the sequence of the lighting modules of the device, it is possible to obtain a precise directionality of the emitted flux.

In one aspect, the rear profile and the front profile each comprise mounting means for allowing the fixing of the lighting modules and power supply modules to the structure of the device.

In one aspect, the structure comprises a covering element that surrounds the housing compartment on the opposite side with respect to the direction of emission of the light flux.

The covering element can be a continuous panel or a grid. Alternatively, the covering element can be a panel covered with a photovoltaic cell film, connected to a suitable storage battery. This solution allows you to take advantage of solar radiation to store electricity, with a double advantage: the photovoltaic panel allows you to contain the temperature increase of the underlying lighting modules (in particular with LED luminous sergeant) and also allows you to power the device at night by the charge accumulated in the battery.

In a possible embodiment, the device comprises a camera module consisting of a box-like body, having a parallelepiped shape, comprising a camera and can be removably housed in the housing compartment. Preferably, the box-like body of the camera module is structurally identical to the box-like body of the aforementioned modules.

In one aspect, the aforementioned control unit is configured to connect to other devices by means of a conveyed wave communication, which exploits the electrical connection of the device.

Brief description of the drawings

More details of the invention will become evident from the continuation of the description made with reference to the attached exemplary and non-limiting drawings, in which:

- figures la, lb, le and ld are perspective views of a device according to the present invention;

figure 2 is a partial exploded view of the device of figure la-ld; - figure 3 is a section of the device of figure la-ld, sectioned along the plane III-III;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a lighting module of a device according to the present invention;

figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a power supply module of a device according to the present invention;

Detailed description of the invention

The figures show a lighting device 1 in accordance with the present invention for lighting internal or external environments, in particular for street lighting.

As can be seen from figures la, lb, le, ld, 2 and 3, the device 1 comprises a structure 2 provided with a housing compartment 3, open in the direction of emission of the luminous flux, indicated in the figures with the arrow L. The device it also comprises one or more lighting modules 20, each consisting of a parallelepiped-shaped box-like body 21 and comprising a light source 22, and one or more power supply modules 50, each consisting of a respective parallelepiped-shaped box-like body 51 and comprising electrical power supply means 52; both modules are detachably housed in slot 3.

The aforementioned lighting modules 20 are electrically connected, by means of electric cables (not shown in the figures and of a known type), to a power supply module 50. The device can provide a power supply module for each power supply module, or more lighting modules can be connected to, and powered by the same power supply module. This choice can be made in the design, construction or maintenance phase of the device, in a simple and rapid way, according to the needs, for example on the basis of the nominal power of the lighting modules; on the basis of the connection between the modules, a suitable wiring inside the device is prepared for the connection between the modules.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in the figures, the device 1 comprises a total of three modules, arranged side by side: two lighting modules 20 (identical to each other for simplicity) and a power supply module 50 connected to both lighting modules.

In the device of the present invention, the respective box-like bodies 21 and 51 of the lighting modules 20 and of the power supply modules 50 have the same length and an equal or multiple width; furthermore the housing compartment 3 also has a respective length equal to the length of the modules while its width is equal to an integer multiple, greater than or equal to two, of the width of one of the two types of modules. This sizing of the modules and the compartment appears clear by observing the example of the figures: the three modules and the compartment all have the same length; the three modules all have the same length and the same width; the compartment has a width equal to three times the width of the modules. This means that the compartment shown is designed to house exactly three identical modules or, alternatively, a power supply module and a lighting module twice the width of the two illustrated.

Preferably, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the structure 2 comprises a rear profile 5, which in use is mounted to a fixed element that supports and positions the device (for example a pole for a lamppost), and a front profile 6. two profiles are arranged parallel to each other on two opposite sides of the structure 2 and define the aforementioned width of the housing compartment 3. The structure also comprises a right closing head 7 and a left closing head 8 which connect the rear 5 and front profiles 6 and define the aforementioned length of the housing compartment 3. In other words, the profiles and the end caps form a quadrilateral structure that delimits the compartment 3 inside. This solution allows you to change the width of the compartment simply by lengthening the rear profiles and front; based on the width extension of the compartment, a greater number of modules or modules with greater width can be mounted.

With reference to Figure 4, the box-like body 21 of the lighting module 20 comprises a longitudinal profile 23, which defines an upper face 23a and two major lateral faces 23b, and a translucent or transparent wall 24, fixed to the longitudinal profile and defining a lower face . Overall, the profile 23 and the wall 24 enclose an internal space of the box-like body which houses the aforementioned light source 22. The box-like body further comprises two closing profiles 25 and 26 fixed to the sides of the longitudinal profile and defining two minor lateral faces.

The wall 24, being transparent or translucent, allows the passage of the light generated by the light source; the lighting modules are mounted in the structure in such a way that the wall 24 faces the direction L of emission of the luminous flux.

With reference to Figure 5, the box-like body 51 of the feeding module 50 comprises a longitudinal profile 53, which defines an upper face 53a and two major lateral faces 53b, and a closing wall 54, fixed to the longitudinal profile and defining a lower face. Overall, the profile 53 and the wall 54 enclose an internal space of the box-like body which houses the aforementioned power supply means 52. The box-like body further comprises two closing profiles 55 and 56 fixed to the sides of the longitudinal profile and defining two minor lateral faces.

In the example shown, the modules all have the same height - or depth - and their walls 24 and 54 are aligned on the same plane and do not protrude from the structure 2. Basically, in the figures the modules have all three respective dimensions equal between them.

Preferably, the lighting module 20 and the power supply module 50 comprise a respective pair of sealing gaskets 27 and 57, interposed between the longitudinal profile and the two closing profiles of the box-like body. These gaskets make it possible to isolate the inside of the box-like body, preventing dust or humidity from entering it.

Preferably, as in Figures 2, 4 and 5, the upper face 23a, 53a of the longitudinal profile 23 and / or 53 of the lighting module and / or of the power supply module comprises fins 28, 58 for heat dissipation.

The heat sinks are made on the upper faces, opposite to the walls 24 and 54 - in turn facing the direction L of illumination - in such a way as to be, once assembled, turned upwards and favor the cooling of the modules.

In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the aforementioned light source 22 consists of a plurality of power LEDs. In particular, the light source can comprise one or more strips of LED lights (in the figure three strips of four LEDs each arranged side by side) variously arranged inside the box-like body. The set of lighting modules, arranged in the structure according to a specific scheme, and the number and distribution of the LEDs inside each module allow to define a 'luminous solid', consisting of a discrete number of luminous points. The possibility of selecting the lighting modules and the LEDs inside them allows to obtain a luminous solid having very specific characteristics and specifications: for example the directionality of the generated light flux, its intensity, the distance that can be reached from the light, the energy consumption of the device.

Alternatively, the light source inside a module can be an incandescent lamp or a discharge lamp.

The aforesaid electrical power supply means comprise a power supply and control unit for one or more light sources. This control unit is of particular importance for the use of LED light sources, as it allows you to adjust the intensity and the on / off cycles, to detect operating parameters and send them to a control unit, to perform functions - even in remote - diagnostic.

With reference to Figures 2-5, the rear profile 5 and the front profile 6 each comprise mounting means for allowing the fixing of the lighting modules 20 and the power supply modules 50 to the structure of the device.

In detail, the mounting means comprise, for each of the two front 6 and rear 5 profiles, a pair of parallel and longitudinal teeth 11 and 12 which protrude from the profiles themselves inside the housing compartment 3 and define a respective groove.

The two closing profiles 25 and 26, 55 and 56 of the box-like bodies 21 and 51 of the lighting modules and of the power supply modules each comprise a pair of parallel counter-teeth 13 and 14 which protrude from the respective minor lateral face and are shaped to engage, slidingly and removably, with the relative teeth of the rear profile and of the front profile of the structure, by inserting it into the groove defined by the respective tooth. The presence of two teeth for each profile and two counter-teeth for each side of the modules guarantees a stable and aligned assembly.

Furthermore, as can be seen in particular in Figure 3, in each of the two profiles of the structure the upper tooth 11 faces upwards and the lower tooth 12 faces downwards; on the contrary, each closing profile of the box-like body has its upper counter-tooth 13 facing downwards and the lower counter-tooth 14 facing upwards. This conformation of teeth and counter-teeth creates two hooks in opposite directions which give greater stability to the assembly of the modules. Furthermore, the counter-teeth of the modules must necessarily be inserted into the compartment from the sides of the profiles and not from the front; once the structure is closed with the two heads 7 and 8, the modules are firmly fixed to the profiles and assembled 'in pack'. The coupling between the teeth of the front and rear profiles and the counter-teeth of the modules is easy to make and allows the rapid assembly and disassembly of the modules.

Preferably, the box-like bodies of the lighting modules and of the power supply modules are closed, with the exception of a respective opening for the passage of an electric cable. For example, as shown in figures 3 and 4, the lighting module comprises a cable gland 16 passing through the closing profile 25.

With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the structure 2 comprises a covering element 9 which surrounds the housing compartment 3 on the opposite side with respect to the direction of emission L of the luminous flux. The covering element is fixed to, and surrounded by, the front 6 and rear 5 profiles and the right 7 and left 8 closing heads of the structure, in such a way as to create a half-shell structure around the housing compartment, open in the direction of emission of the luminous flux.

In the form shown, the covering element 9 is a panel inserted with two opposite sides in suitable recesses of the profiles 5 and 6 and maintained on the remaining two sides by the heads 7 and 8.

Preferably, the rear 5 and front 6 profiles, and the longitudinal profiles of the modules 20 and 50 are profiles, preferably with a constant section, obtained by extrusion. The material with which these profiles are made is preferably aluminum or steel.

If the longitudinal profile of a module is obtained by extrusion, the respective dissipator is integrated into the profile itself. If necessary, the dissipation blading can extend over the entire longitudinal profile of the module.

The transparent wall 24 of the lighting module 20 can be made of glass, plastic or other material suitable for the purpose.

As shown by way of example in Figures 4 and 5, the closing profiles 25, 26 and 55, 56 of the box-shaped bodies 21 and 51 are fixed to the longitudinal profiles 23 and 53 by means of screws inserted in the holes of the closing profiles and in holes aligned in the longitudinal profile (in the example shown, the holes of the longitudinal profile are seats obtained in the major side faces of the profile itself).

The structure 2 comprises fixing means for assembling the front and rear profiles with the right and left heads. For example, these fastening means are screws inserted in special holes of the heads and penetrating into special seats of the profiles 5 and 6.

Preferably the rear profile 5 comprises a through hole 5a which allows the passage of electric cables from the housing compartment 3 to the outside of the device. Note how the protrusion of the counter-teeth towards the outside of the box-like body creates, when the device is mounted, a space inside the compartment 3 - between the modules and the profiles 5 and 6 - in which the cables coming from the modules to the aforementioned can pass. hole 5a.

The assembly of the device foresees the predisposition of the rear 5 and front 6 profiles, the insertion of the modules 20 and 30 - previously assembled - in the compartment 3 by sliding the counter-teeth of each module in the two pairs of teeth of the profiles 5 and 6, the realization of the wiring and the completion of the structure 2 with the assembly of the right and left end caps to the profiles 5 and 6.

If necessary, before or after fixing the end caps, the covering element 9 can be arranged.

Finally, the device 1 is installed by mounting it to a support pole and connecting it to the power line and possibly to a data network.

Claims (10)

Claims 1. Lighting device (1), in particular for street lighting, comprising: - a structure (2) defining a housing compartment (3) open at least in an emission direction (L) of the luminous flux; - at least one lighting module (20) consisting of a box-like body (21), having a parallelepiped shape, comprising a light source (22) and removably housed in said housing compartment (3); - at least one power supply module (50) consisting of a respective box-like body (51), having a parallelepiped shape, comprising electrical power supply means (52) and removably housed in said housing compartment (3), wherein said at least one lighting module (20) is electrically connected to said at least one power supply module (50), in which the respective box-like bodies (21, 51) of said lighting module (20) and of said power supply module (50) have the same length, and in which the width of one of said modules is equal to or multiple with respect to the width of the other of said modules, e in which the housing compartment (3) has a respective length equal to the length of the modules (20, 50) and a respective width equal to an integer multiple, greater than or equal to two, of the width of one of said lighting module (20) and said power module (50). Device (1) according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of lighting modules (20) and / or a plurality of power supply modules (50), preferably consisting of box-like bodies having all three respective dimensions equal to each other. Device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the structure (2) comprises a rear profile (5), intended to be mounted to a fixed element carrying the device, and a front profile (6), arranged parallel to each other on two opposite sides of the structure itself and defining the aforementioned width of the housing compartment (3), and also comprises a right-hand closing head (7) and a left-hand closing head (8) connecting, preferably perpendicular to them , the rear (5) and front (6) profiles, and defining the aforementioned length of the housing compartment (3). Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the box-like body (21) of the lighting module (20) comprises a longitudinal profile (23), defining an upper face (23a) and two major lateral faces (23b) , and a translucent or transparent wall (24), fixed to the longitudinal profile and defining a lower face, which as a whole enclose an internal space of the box-like body housing said light source (22), and also comprises two closing profiles (25, 26) fixed to the sides of the longitudinal profile (23) and defining two minor lateral faces. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the box-like body (21) of the feed module (50) comprises a longitudinal profile (53), defining an upper face (53a) and two major lateral faces (53b) , and a closing wall (54), fixed to the longitudinal profile and defining a lower face, which collectively enclose an internal space of the box-like body housing said electrical power supply means (52), and also comprises two closing profiles (55, 56 ) fixed to the sides of the longitudinal profile (53) and defining two minor lateral faces. Device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein at least the upper face (23a, 53a) of the longitudinal profile (23, 53) of the lighting module (20) and / or of the power supply module (50) comprises a fin (28, 58) for heat dissipation. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the aforementioned light source (22) consists of a plurality of power LEDs, and in which said electrical power supply means (52) comprise a power supply and control unit of one or more of these light sources. Device (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the rear profile (5) and the front profile (6) each comprise mounting means for enabling the removable fixing of the lighting modules (20) and the modules feeding (50) to the structure (2) of the device, in which said mounting means comprise, for each of the two front (6) and rear (5) profiles, a pair of longitudinally extending teeth (11, 12) which protrude from the profiles themselves inside the housing compartment (3) and define a respective groove, and in which the two closing profiles (25, 26; 55, 56) of the box-shaped body (21, 51) of the lighting modules (20) and of the power supply modules (50) each comprise a pair of counter-teeth (13,14) protruding from the respective minor lateral face and shaped to engage, slidingly and removably, with the relative teeth (11, 12) of the rear profile (5) and of the front profile (6) of the structure, m by inserting into the groove defined by the respective tooth. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the structure (2) comprises a covering element (9) which surrounds the housing compartment (3) on the opposite side with respect to the emission direction (L) of the flow luminous, said covering element being preferably fixed to, and surrounded by, the front (6) and rear (5) profiles and the right (7) and left (8) closing heads of the structure, so as to create a structure half-shell around the housing compartment (3), open in the direction of emission (L) of the luminous flux, and in which said covering element (9) is a continuous panel or a grid or a panel covered with a film photovoltaic cells and connectable to a suitable storage battery. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprises a camera module consisting of a box-like body, having a parallelepiped shape, comprising a camera and removably housed in the housing compartment.