Lighting system

Abstract

Various embodiments may relate to a lighting system, including at least one lighting module which has a printed circuit board and at least one lighting means arranged on the printed circuit board, and at least one electrical component for operating the lighting means of the lighting module. The electrical component is electrically connected to the lighting module. The electrical component is directly fastened to the lighting module.

Claims

1. A lighting system, comprising: at least one lighting module which has a printed circuit board and at least one light-emitting element arranged on the printed circuit board, and at least one electrical component for operating the light-emitting element of the lighting module, wherein the electrical component is electrically connected to the lighting module, and wherein the electrical component is directly fastened to the lighting module, wherein there is no gap between the lighting module and the electrical component.

2. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical component has a groove to engage with the lighting module.

3. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical component has a step on an outer surface of the electrical component, on which the lighting module is placed and fixed.

4. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical component is fastened to the lighting module by a fastening element at least partially engaged around the electrical component.

5. The lighting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fastening element is in the form of a bracket or a clip.

6. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical component is electrically connected to the lighting module via a plug connection.

7. The lighting system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plug connection has a connector arranged on the electrical component and a mating connector which is arranged on the lighting module and is connected to the connector.

8. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fastening surface, wherein the electrical component is fastened to the fastening surface, wherein the lighting module is arranged at a distance from the fastening surface.

9. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lighting module is formed in such a manner that it at least partially engages around the electrical component.

10. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board of the lighting module is U-shaped.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosed embodiments. In the following description, various embodiments described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a plan view of a lighting system according to one embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a side view of the lighting system shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic detailed illustration of a fastening of the lighting system shown in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a further schematic detailed illustration of a fastening of the lighting system shown in FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a further schematic detailed illustration of a fastening of the lighting system shown in FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of an arrangement of a plurality of lighting modules;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a further schematic illustration of an arrangement of a plurality of lighting modules; and

(9) FIG. 8 shows a further schematic illustration of an arrangement of a plurality of lighting modules.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form part of this description and show, for illustration purposes, specific embodiments in which the invention can be implemented. In this regard, direction terminology such as, for instance, at the top, at the bottom, at the front, at the back, front, rear, etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the figure(s) described. Since components of embodiments can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the direction terminology serves for illustration purposes and is not restrictive in any way at all. It goes without saying that other embodiments can be used and structural or logical changes can be made, without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. It goes without saying that the features of the various exemplary embodiments described herein can be combined with one another, unless specifically indicated otherwise. The following detailed description should therefore not be interpreted in a restrictive sense, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

(11) In the context of this description, the terms linked, connected and coupled are used to describe both a direct and an indirect link, a direct or indirect connection and direct or indirect coupling. In the figures, identical or similar elements are provided with identical reference symbols insofar as this is expedient.

(12) FIG. 1 shows a lighting system 1 which has a lighting module 2 and an electrical component 3. The lighting module 2 has a printed circuit board 4 and a plurality of lighting means 5, the lighting means 5 being arranged on the printed circuit board 4. The lighting means 5 which may be in the form of a light-emitting diode (LED) are arranged here parallel to one another in two rows. The printed circuit board 4 is U-shaped, with the electrical component 3 which may be in the form of a ballast being arranged between two parallel webs 6a, 6b of the U-shaped printed circuit board 4. The electrical component 3 is therefore arranged substantially in the center of the lighting module 2, with the result that the lighting module 2 or the printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2 at least partially engages around the electrical component 3, here on three side surfaces 16. The electrical component 3 is directly fastened to the printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2, with the result that no clearance is formed between the electrical component 3 and the lighting module 2.

(13) The electrical component 3 which is rectangular or box-shaped here is used to operate or control the lighting means 5 arranged on the printed circuit board 4. For this purpose, the electrical component 3 is electrically connected to the lighting module 2, with the electrical connection being formed by means of a plug connection 7. The plug connection 7 has a connector 8 arranged on the electrical component 3 and a mating connector 9 fastened to the printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2, wherein, in order to make electrical contact, the connector 8 is connected to the mating connector 9, as shown in FIG. 1. When fastening the electrical component 3 to the lighting module 2 by pushing the electrical component into the recess in the U-shaped printed circuit board 4 formed by the two webs 6a, 6b, for example, the connector 8 can be quickly and easily connected to the mating connector 9. The plug connection means that there is no longer any need to provide wirings to be arranged in a complicated manner.

(14) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the lighting system 1 shown in FIG. 1, in which case it can be seen here that the electrical component 3 is arranged between the two webs 6a, 6b of the board-shaped printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2 and is therefore at least partially engaged around.

(15) The electrical component 3 is arranged or fastened on a fastening surface 10. The printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2 extends parallel to the fastening surface 10, a distance being provided between the printed circuit board 4 and the fastening surface 10, with the result that the lighting module 2 is positioned at a distance from the fastening surface 10. A clearance is therefore formed between the fastening surface 10 and the lighting module 2, which clearance is filled with air, for example, and therefore has an insulating effect, thus complying with the requirements imposed on air gaps and leakage paths.

(16) FIGS. 3-5 show different ways of possibly fastening the electrical component 3 to the lighting module 2.

(17) In the case of the fastening shown in FIG. 3, a groove 11 in the form of a recess formed on the outer surface 12 of the electrical component 3 is formed on the electrical component 3. The groove 11 may be formed circumferentially on the side surfaces of the outer surface 12 of the electrical component 3, on which the U-shaped printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2 adjoins the electrical component 3. An edge region 13 of the printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2 is introduced into the groove 11 and is held and fixed in the groove 11. The groove 11 enables a form-fitting connection between the electrical component 3 and the lighting module 2.

(18) In the case of the fastening shown in FIG. 4, a step 14 is formed on the outer surface 12 of the electrical component 3, on which step an edge region 13 of the printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2 is placed and fixed. The step 14 is formed on the side surfaces of the outer surface 12 of the electrical component 3, on which the lighting module 2 adjoins the electrical component 3.

(19) In order to fix the printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2, which rests on the step 14, a fastening element 15 in the form of a bracket or a clip is arranged on the electrical component 3, which presses the printed circuit board 4 or the edge region 13 of the printed circuit board 4 against the step 14.

(20) In the case of the fastening shown in FIG. 5, a step 14 is also formed on the outer surface 12 of the electrical component 3, on which step an edge region 13 of the printed circuit board 4 of the lighting module 2 rests. In the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the lighting module 2 adjoins the fastening surface 10, with the result that the printed circuit board 4 is pressed against the step 14 here by means of the fastening surface 10 and is therefore fixed to the electrical component 3.

(21) FIG. 6 shows an arrangement of a plurality of, here two, lighting modules 2, 2, for example when producing lighting modules 2, 2 for lighting systems 1. Both lighting modules 2, 2 each have a U-shaped printed circuit board 4, 4. The printed circuit board 4 of the first lighting module 2 has two webs 6a, 6b which delimit a recess in the printed circuit board 4, and the printed circuit board 4 of the second lighting module 2 has two webs 6a, 6b which delimit a recess in the printed circuit board 4. The two lighting modules 2, 2 engage in one another in such a manner that the first web 6a of the printed circuit board 4 of the second lighting module 2 engages in the recess in the printed circuit board 4 of the first lighting module 2 and the second web 6b of the printed circuit board 4 of the first lighting module 2 engages in the recess in the printed circuit board 4 of the second lighting module 2, as a result of which it is possible to efficiently use the area when producing lighting modules 2, 2, 2 or lighting systems 1. In comparison with area light sources, virtually double use of the useful area (lighting means/unit area) is possible in the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 and also in the arrangements shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

(22) The first lighting module 2 can be or is advantageously electrically connected to the second lighting module 2 via a plug connection 7. This further simplifies the structure since the modules do not have to be soldered in a complicated manner.

(23) It is expedient if at least one component 9 of the plug connection 7 can also be used as a component 9 of a plug connection 8 to an electrical component 3 as described above. This ensures universal usability of the module since it can be connected both to an electrical component 3 and to other modules.

(24) It is also expedient if the plug connection 7 has a connector 9 arranged on the first lighting module 2 and a mating connector 17 which is arranged on the second lighting module 2 and can be connected to the connector 9. This makes it possible to easily connect the modules to one another. As above, the plug connection 7 is preferably formed when connecting the electrical component 3 and the lighting module 2.

(25) FIG. 7 shows an arrangement in which the distance between the webs 6a, 6b and therefore the recess in a U-shaped printed circuit board 4 is greater, with the result that two webs 6a, 6b of printed circuit boards 4 of further lighting modules 2 can engage in the recess. In comparison with the arrangement shown in FIG. 6, two first lighting modules 2 and two second lighting modules 2 which engage in one another are provided in the arrangement shown in FIG. 7.

(26) In the possible arrangement shown in FIG. 8, a first lighting module 2 and a second lighting module 2 which are each comb-like and engage in one another in a comb-like manner are provided. This shows that lighting modules 2, 2, 2 are also possible in which the printed circuit boards 4, 4, 4 have a plurality of fingers which may be arranged on a common connecting web, thus making it possible to make particularly good use of the useful area when producing the printed circuit boards 4, 4, 4 and therefore the lighting modules 2, 2, 2 or lighting systems 1.

(27) In the possible configurations of a lighting system 1 and a possible arrangement of lighting modules 2, 2, 2 when producing lighting systems 1, as shown in FIGS. 1-8, the total amount of effort needed to assemble the lighting system 1 is reduced and effective use of the area is possible. In this case, the assembly can be carried out in such a manner that one or more lighting modules 2, 2, 2 are first of all connected to an electrical component 3 and are fastened to the latter and the electrical component 3 is then fastened, together with the lighting modules 2, 2, 2, to the fastening surface 10. Alternatively, it is also possible for the electrical component 3 to first be fastened to the fastening surface 10 and then for one or more lighting modules 2, 2, 2 to be fastened to the electrical component 3.