CONCRETE CASTING SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR PROVIDING A LIGHTING SYSTEM IN A BUILDING

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, a concrete casting system including a large number of individual concrete casting boxes is provided. The concrete casting system has a grid-like structure in which the individual concrete casting boxes are arranged at the intersection points of the grid-like structure. Two respectively adjacent concrete casting boxes are connected to one another by means of a spacer. Each concrete casting box has a housing which has at least one opening in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extent of the grid-like structure. The concrete casting system is designed such that it can be rolled up or folded.

Claims

1. A concrete casting system comprising a large number of individual concrete casting boxes, wherein the concrete casting system has a grid-like structure in which the individual concrete casting boxes are arranged at the intersection points of the grid-like structure, wherein two respectively adjacent concrete casting boxes are connected to one another by means of a spacer, wherein each concrete casting box has a housing which has at least one opening in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extent of the grid-like structure, and wherein the concrete casting system is designed such that it can be rolled up or folded.

2. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the spacers has a tubular structure.

3. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein an electrical line for supplying power is arranged at least in one spacer.

4. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the spacers has a rod-like structure.

5. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one tubular spacer is associated with each concrete casting box.

6. (canceled)

7. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the spacers which are oriented in one direction are of flexible design and/or the coupling of the spacers to the concrete casting boxes is of articulated design.

8. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing of a concrete casting box is metallic and/or is formed from a plastic.

9. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a concrete casting box has a depth in the opening direction, which depth is at most 3 cm.

10. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross section of a concrete casting box is angular, round or elliptical perpendicular to the opening direction.

11. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross section of the concrete casting box is round perpendicular to the opening direction, wherein the diameter of the concrete casting box is between 10 mm and 20 cm.

12. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one lamp with at least one LED is arranged in the housing.

13. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fastening mechanism for fastening a lamp is arranged in the housing.

14. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each concrete casting box comprises a detachable cover for the opening.

15. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one cover comprises at least one electrical bridging arrangement which is designed in such a way that, when a cover is mounted onto the housing, bridging of at least two electrical contacts which project into the housing is implemented.

16. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a radio receiver and/or a radio transmitter are/is arranged in at least one housing.

17. The concrete casting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one sensor is arranged in at least one housing.

18. A method for providing a lighting system in a building, comprising: providing a concrete casting system comprising a large number of individual concrete casting boxes, wherein the concrete casting system has a grid-like structure in which the individual concrete casting boxes are arranged at the intersection points of the grid-like structure, wherein two respectively adjacent concrete casting boxes are connected to one another by means of a spacer, wherein each concrete casting box has a housing which has at least one opening in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extent of the grid-like structure, wherein a cover is fitted onto the opening; inserting the concrete casting system into formwork; inserting a steel reinforcement into the formwork; filling the formwork with concrete; removing the formwork; and removing the cover from at least one opening of a concrete casting box.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0029] 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:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a concrete casting system according to the present disclosure in the unrolled or unfolded state;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a concrete casting system according to the present disclosure in a partially rolled-up state;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through a concrete ceiling with reinforcement and a concrete casting system according to the present disclosure installed; and

[0033] FIGS. 4A and 4B show a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a concrete casting box as is used in a concrete casting system according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a concrete casting system 10 according to the present disclosure having a large number of concrete casting boxes 12 which are arranged at the intersection points of the grid-like structure. The respectively adjacent concrete casting boxes are likewise mechanically, advantageously mechanically and electrically, coupled to one another by means of spacers 14a in the x-direction and 14b in the y-direction. To this end, the spacers 14a, 14b advantageously have a tubular structure in which, if required, an electrical line for supplying power or further electrical or optical lines can be arranged. The spacers 14a, 14b can, in particular, be in the form of an insulated wire or in the form of a plastic rod. The connection to a power supply is schematically indicated by 16. Said power supply can constitute, in particular, an AC power supply system.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows the concrete casting system 10 according to the present disclosure in a partially rolled-up state. In order to make this possible, at least the spacers 14b in the y-direction are of flexible design. As an alternative, the corresponding coupling of the spacers 14b to the concrete casting boxes 12 could also be of articulated design and the spacers 14b themselves could be stiffer than in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a cross section through a concrete ceiling 18 in which a concrete casting system 10 according to the present disclosure for realizing a lighting system in a building is arranged. A steel reinforcement 20 which is arranged in the concrete ceiling 18 is supported against formwork 24, illustrated using a dashed line, by means of spacers 22. Before the reinforcement 20 was inserted, a concrete casting system 10 according to the present disclosure including spacers 14 and concrete casting boxes 12 was arranged on the formwork 24 in the present case. As is clearly shown, the depth of a casting box 12 in a direction perpendicular to the concrete ceiling 18 is smaller than the distance between the formwork 24 and the reinforcement 20. Therefore, it is possible to dispense with cutting out regions of the reinforcement 20 in order to create space for concrete casting boxes 12.

[0037] FIGS. 4A and 4B show a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a concrete casting box 12 according to the present disclosure, wherein the casting box 12 which is arranged between two spacers 14 and has an open opening 26 is illustrated in FIG. 4A and a cover 28 which closes the opening 26 during casting with concrete is illustrated in FIG. 4B.

[0038] The housing 30 of the concrete casting box 12 can be formed from metal and/or from plastic. The depth T in the opening direction is at most 3 cm, advantageously at most 2 cm. Although the concrete casting box 12 is round in the exemplary embodiment, it can also be of angular or elliptical design. In the case of a round design of the concrete casting box 12, the diameter D is between 10 mm and 20 cm, advantageously between 10 mm and 75 mm. In the case of angular or elliptical design, these dimensions apply to the edge length and, respectively, the smaller of the two diameters.

[0039] In the present case, an LED 32 is arranged as lighting means in the housing 30, wherein the lamp formed by said LED does not have a heat sink for the LED 32. As indicated using dashed lines, a metallic disc 34 which is arranged on the base 36 of the housing 30 can be used in order to spread heat. The LED 32 can already be permanently wired in the housing 30. However, it is also possible, as schematically illustrated here, for a fastening mechanism for fastening and/or making contact with a lamp to be provided, said fastening element including, for example, plug connections 38a, 38b. As an alternative, cable clamps or screw connections can also be provided.

[0040] In order to install, for example, an LED or lamp, the cover 28 is removed from the housing opening 26 and a correspondingly contacted LED or lamp 32 is inserted into the plug connections 38a, 38b.

[0041] As already mentioned, the cover 28 is of detachable design. In the exemplary embodiment, said cover includes an electrical bridging arrangement 40 which is designed in such a way that, by virtue of a cover 28 which is mounted onto the housing 30, bridging of the contacts 42a, 42b which project into the housing 30 is implemented.

[0042] A radio receiver and/or a radio transmitter and/or a sensor, in particular a smoke alarm and/or a fire alarm, can also be arranged in the housing 30.

[0043] The casting boxes 12 are advantageously already wired to one another from the factory. A cable length between the boxes which is designed with the typical grid pattern, for example 60 cm60 cm, or else is designed to be shorter or longer is advantageously selected.

[0044] The concrete casting system according to the present disclosure which includes a grid of wired boxes 12 can already be mounted on a roll at the factory, so that space-saving storage and simple transportation are possible. The concrete casting system 10 can be laid at the installation site by simply unrolling the roll onto the formwork 24. In this case, the thickness and durability of the wiring arrangement are designed such that said wiring arrangement can withstand being cast in concrete. As already mentioned, an empty conduit arrangement can also serve for connection, cables already being passed through said empty conduit arrangement at the factory or cables being passed through said empty conduit arrangement subsequently. This has the advantage that further cables can also be drawn through the conduits, for example for loudspeakers, fire alarms or the like, subsequently.

[0045] The concrete casting boxes 12 are designed such that the lamps 32 can be electrically connected by cable clamps or plugs 38a, 38b. The lamp can be reliably prevented from falling out of the box 12 by a correspondingly designed plug-connection mechanism and a correspondingly designed screw connection.

[0046] Laying the concrete casting system 10 allows installation locations to be kept for downlights. It is advantageous when the grid is designed more densely than the density at which downlights are intended to be installed. Therefore, virtually any desired arrangement of downlights can be realized and downlights can be, as it were, repositioned subsequently.

[0047] The unused housings 36 are each provided with a covering cap 28 which allows said housings to be closed off with the concrete ceiling surface as far as possible without joints. In order to ensure electrical bridging, cables are clamped together or connected by means of plugs in the boxes without downlights. The preferred solution is, as mentioned, illustrated in FIG. 4B and includes a bridging contact 40 which connects the connections 42a, 42b to one another when the covering cap 28 is mounted.

[0048] The concrete casting boxes 12 can also be designed with an electromechanical interface such that, in addition to the lamp 32 and the bridging contact 40, other functions which require the supply of electric current and electrical signals, such as sensors, fire alarms, smoke alarms for example, can also be realized. Particularly when using an electrically nonconductive housing 30, it is possible for wireless radio communication, for example ZigBee, to be realized for the signals together with the lighting function, and for only the power supply system to be supplied by means of a cable power supply system.

[0049] As already mentioned, it is particularly advantageous when the lamps 32 are already integrated into the networked concrete casting boxes 12 at the factory. This has the advantage that the electrical connection can already be made at the factory and does not have to be performed in an awkward manner at the ceiling. Installation time and therefore installation costs can be further reduced as a result. The lamps 32 are advantageously provided with a protective film at the factory, said protective film preventing damage during concrete casting operations and it being possible for said protective film to be removed after the casting operation.

[0050] While the disclosed embodiments have been particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments as defined by the appended claims. The scope of the disclosed embodiments is thus indicated by the appended claims and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced.