Explosion-proof luminaire

Abstract

The luminaire according to the invention comprises an inner space that is separated into a first section and a second section by a separating wall. While the first section is free and comprises at least one light source, an operating circuit for the light source and/or other components that form potential ignition sources and/or other components that may not be considered as ignition sources are arranged in the second section. The second section is provided with an open pored fill material. The separating wall comprises at least one opening that allows a flow connection between the two sections. The section of the inner space provided with fill material serves as pressure relief volume for the first section, in which the light source is arranged. The fill material can fill the section completely or partly.

Claims

1. An explosion-protected luminaire, comprising: an enclosure having a translucent section that surrounds an inner space; at least one separating wall having at least one opening, the at least one separating wall dividing the inner space of the enclosure into at least one first section without fill material and at least one second section with fill material; the first section without fill material comprises a light source and the first section is translucent in a region proximate to the light source; the second section is located behind the at least one separating wall, and the fill material is an open pored material; an electronic circuit is arranged in the second section of the inner space; and wherein the fill material fills the second section of the inner space of the enclosure completely such that blast waves from the first section are absorbed by the fill material in the second section.

2. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a first enclosure part and a second enclosure part that, the first enclosure part and the second enclosure part comprising a translucent material and wherein the at least one separating wall is retained between the first enclosure part and the second enclosure part.

3. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure is a profile part, into which the fill material is slid in.

4. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one separating wall is held at its complete circumference in the enclosure.

5. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein the at least one separating wall is integrated into the enclosure.

6. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein a filter is arranged at the at least one opening.

7. The luminaire according to claim 6, wherein the filter is an open pored body selected from one of the following; a textile material, a filter, a wire mesh network, and a porous body.

8. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein the fill material is a pourable fill material.

9. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein the separating wall carries the light source.

10. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein the separating wall is a circuit board.

11. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein an electronic circuit is arranged in the first section of the inner space.

12. The luminaire according to claim 2, wherein the enclosure is a profile part, into which the fill material is slid in.

13. The luminaire according to claim 12, wherein the at least one separating wall is held at its complete circumference in the enclosure.

14. The luminaire according to claim 13, wherein the at least one separating wall is integrated into the enclosure.

15. The luminaire according to claim 14, wherein a filter is arranged at the at least one opening.

16. The luminaire according to claim 15, wherein the filter is an open pored body selected from one of the following; a textile material, a filter, a wire mesh network, and a porous body.

17. The luminaire according to claim 16, wherein the fill material is a pourable fill material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 the explosion-protected luminaire in a simplified cross-sectional illustration,

(2) FIG. 2 the luminaire of FIG. 1 in a schematic illustration,

(3) FIG. 3 a modified embodiment of a luminaire according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 illustrates a luminaire 10 the enclosure of which consists preferably of at least two enclosure parts 11, 12 that are attached to each other by connection means that are not illustrated. Connection means can be screws, bolts, rivets, weld seams, glue seams, glue joints or the like. In the schematically illustrated embodiment in FIG. 1 the two enclosure parts 11, 12 abut against each other at a separating joint 13. The separating joint 13 can be configured in a planar or another shape, for example configured in the form of a thread or the like. As illustrated, it can be sealed by means of a seal 14, for example in the form of an O-ring or another profiled ring, a lip seal or the like, or can be configured due to its length and its width as flameproof gap. For example, the enclosure parts 11, 12 can be made of plastic, wherein the cover part 12 is preferably made of a transparent plastic or comprises at least a transparent window. The cover part 11 can also be made of plastic, for example a non-transparent plastic or also of metal or a metal/plastic compound.

(5) The two enclosure parts 11, 12 surround an inner space 15 that is divided into a first section 17 and a second section 18 by a separating wall 16. The first section 17 of the inner space 15 adjoins the cover part 12 that is configured transparent or comprises a light exit window. A zone 12a of the enclosure part 12 can be considered as light exit window.

(6) A light source 19 is arranged in the section 17 of the inner space (FIG. 2), for example in form of one or more LED-chips 20 that can be supported by the separating wall 16. The LED-chip(s) 20 can be arranged at the separating wall 16 directly or by an intermediate carrier, wherein the separating wall 16 is preferably held between the two enclosure parts 11, 12. For this purpose at least one of the two enclosure parts 11, 12 comprises a seat 21 for receipt of the circumferential edge of the separating wall 16, such that the separating wall 16 traverses the inner space 15 along the complete cross-section. The separating wall 16 can be made of metal or as it is preferred of an electrically insulating material. In the latter case it can support conductor tracks for an electric supply of the LED-chips 20. As necessary, further electric components can be arranged on the separating wall 16 that is configured as circuit board.

(7) The separating wall 16 comprises at least one, preferably a plurality of openings 22, 23 via which the two sections 17, 18 of the inner space 15 are in connection with each other. The openings 22, 23 are preferably grouped around the at least one LED-chip in order to allow a fast pressure compensation between the two sections 17, 18 of the inner space 15.

(8) At the at least one opening 22, in the present embodiment at both openings 22, 23, a filter 24 can be arranged that can consist of a fine-poured material. This filter 24 can be made by arranging a textile non-woven fabric, a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, a non-woven fabric of mineral material, like glass wool, rock wool or the like, a rigid porous plate or a plurality of rigid porous elements, a strainer formed of wires or threads, like for example a plastic strainer, a wire strainer, a perforated plate, a grid or the like. The mesh or opening width of this filter 24 is preferably so small that particles arranged in the second section 18 of the inner space 15 cannot pass through the openings 22, 23. If instead of a pourable particulate material, a batting-like material is provided, the filter 24 can be avoided.

(9) The second section 18 of the inner space 15 serves for accommodation of an electric or an electronic circuit 25 that can serve as operating device for the light source 19, for example, and can for example comprise electronic components 27, 28 arranged on a circuit board 26.

(10) The second section 18 is preferably filled with a pourable fill material 29, like for example glass spheres, sand or the like. The particles of this pourable material are larger than the mesh width of the filter 24. If the openings 22, 23 are smaller than the size of the particles of the pourable material, the filter 24 can be avoided. Similarly the filter 24 can be avoided, if the section 18 of the inner space 15 is filled with a different open pored material, like for example glass wool, rock wool or the like, instead of pourable material. The second section 18 of the inner space 15 can be completely or partly filled with such an open pored material for this purpose.

(11) During operation of the explosion-protected luminaire 10 an explosive gas mixture may have entered the inner space 15. Present ignition sources can be particularly the light source 19, for example the LED-chip(s) 20 or also the electronic components 27, 28. An ignition of the gas mixture in the section 18 is, however, avoided due to the filling of this section 18 with the fill material 29. If, however, an ignition happens in the section 17, the forming blast wave can enter through the openings 22, 23 into the section 18 of the inner space 15 and expand therein. In doing so, the blast wave passes into the fill material 29 that inhibits the propagation of the explosion or at least mitigates the blast wave by absorption. Thus, the section 18 of the inner space 15 acts as expansion space for an explosion that took place in the section 17. Thus, the enclosure parts 11, 12 can be configured relatively thin-walled without bursting risk. The free explosion volume in the enclosure 10 is remarkably reduced. Similarly created pressure peaks are highly reduced.

(12) As shown in FIG. 1, the enclosure 10 is preferably configured in a closed manner. Alternatively a pressure relief opening can be provided at the enclosure part 11 and/or the enclosure part 12 that leads to the outside and that is provided with a porous gas permeable flameproof filter as pressure relief body. This is, however, unnecessary in most cases.

(13) FIG. 3 illustrates a modified embodiment of the luminaire 10 that comprises two separating walls 16a, 16b that subdivide two sections 18a, 18b from the inner space 15 that are provided with porous damping fill material 29a, 29b. The circuit board 26 can support the light source 19 and/or the operating circuit 25 that can be arranged in the first section 17. Alternatively the operating circuit 25′ can be arranged in one of the sections 18a, 18b. Alternatively the operating circuit can be split in two circuits 25a, 25b and placed in the two sections 18a, 18b. In a further alternative the circuit 25 can be placed as part of the operating circuit in the section 17 and additionally as another circuit 25a, 25b as circuit portion 25a, 25b in the sections 18a and/or 18b.

(14) The luminaire 10 according to the invention comprises an inner space 15 that is separated into a first section 17 and a second section 18 by a separating wall 16, while the first section 17 is free and comprises at least one light source, an operating circuit 25 for the light source 19 and/or other components that form potential ignition sources and/or other components that may not be considered as ignition sources are arranged in the second section 18. The second section 18 is provided with an open pored fill material. The separating wall 16 comprises at least one opening 22 that allows a flow connection between the two sections 17, 18. The section 18 of the inner space 15 provided with fill material 29 serves as pressure relief volume for the first section 17, in which the light source is arranged. The fill material 29 can fill the section 18 completely or partly.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(15) 10 luminaire 11, 12 enclosure parts 12a transparent zone or transparent part of the enclosure 13 separating joint 14 seal 15 inner space 16, 16a, 16b separating wall 17 first section of the inner space 15 18, 18a, 18b second section of the inner space 15 19 light source 20 LED-chip(s) 21 seat 22, 23 openings in the separating wall 16 24 filter 25, 25′ circuit/operating circuit 26 circuit board 27, 28 electronic components 29, 29a, 29b fill material