Connecting element for connecting at least two rails adapted for mounting semiconductor light sources

Abstract

A connecting element for connecting at least two rails adapted for mounting semiconductor light sources. The connecting element has a bottom wall and two side walls emerging from the bottom wall on opposite sides. The walls form a U-shaped profile. The connecting element is configured for accommodating at least one rail adapted for mounting semiconductor light sources in an accommodating area delimited by the bottom wall and the side walls, and the connecting element has latching elements arranged with a regular longitudinal pattern on at least one wall for latching with the accommodated rail.

Claims

1-3. (canceled)

4. A connecting element for connecting at least two rails adapted for mounting semiconductor light sources, wherein the connecting element has a bottom wall and two side walls emerging from the bottom wall, the bottom wall and the two side walls together form a U-shaped profile, the connecting element is configured for accommodating at least one rail adapted for mounting semiconductor light sources in an accommodating area delimited by the bottom wall and the two side walls, and the connecting element has latching elements arranged with a regular longitudinal pattern on at least one of said two side walls for latching with the accommodated rail,

5. The connecting element as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the at least two rails have cable tie cutouts arranged with a regular longitudinal pattern, the connecting element being configured so that the cable tie cutouts are introducible into at least one of said two side walls of the connecting element, wherein the latching elements are in the form of latching projections, which are: arranged on the side walls, directed towards the accommodating area for the rail, and configured for latching at least one of the cable tie cutouts in the accommodated rail.

6. The connecting element as claimed in claim 4, wherein the connecting element is configured to accommodate two rails arranged in a row.

7. The connecting element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the latching elements of the connecting element are arranged with the regular longitudinal pattern on both of the side walls, the regular longitudinal pattern of the latching elements corresponding to the regular longitudinal pattern of the cable tie cutouts in the accommodated rail.

8. The connecting element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the latching projections are tabs protruding into the accommodating area.

9. The connecting element as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tabs are introduced into the side walls by at least one selected from the group consisting on stamping, casting and cutting,

10. The connecting element as claimed in claim 4, wherein a width of the accommodating area of the connecting element corresponds substantially to a width of the accommodated rail.

11. The connecting element as claimed in claim 4, wherein the connecting element is made of metal.

12. The connecting element as claimed in claim 11, wherein the metal is aluminum.

13. The connecting dement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the connecting element is made of plastic.

14. The connecting element as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a plurality of fastening holes formed in the bottom wall, the fastening holes being arranged in a row, the fastening holes being spaced apart so as to facilitate connection of the fastening holes of the connecting element with corresponding respective longitudinal holes in the accommodated rail.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] FIG. 1 shows an angled view of a detail of a possible DIN rail according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a detail of the DIN rail according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the DIN rail according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0037] FIG. 4 shows an angled view of a connecting piece for connecting two DIN rails;

[0038] FIG. 5 shows the connecting piece in a front view;

[0039] FIG. 6 shows an angled view of an exploded illustration of a light-emitting module according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0040] FIG. 7 shows an angled view of a light box open at the front with the DIN rails according to an embodiment of the invention with lateral fastening on four sides;

[0041] FIG. 8 shows a front view of a sketch of the light box with the DIN rails with lateral fastening on four sides;

[0042] FIG. 9 shows an angled view of a light box open at the front with the DIN rails according to an embodiment of the invention with fastening for one-sided backlighting; and

[0043] FIG. 10 shows an angled view of a light box open at the front with the DIN rails according to an embodiment of the invention with fastening for two-sided backlighting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] FIG. 1 shows an angled view of a detail of a DIN rail 1 in the region of a longitudinal end. The DIN rail 1 is a linear rail with a longitudinal extent along a longitudinal axis L. FIG. 2 shows the DIN rail 1 in a side view in the x direction. FIG. 3 shows a front view in the y direction of the DIN rail 1.

[0045] The DIN rail 1 has a U-shaped profile (in section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L), in which two side walls 3a, 3b integrally adjoining opposite sides emerge from a bottom or a bottom wall 2, to be precise substantially at right angles upwards (in the z direction). The DIN rail 1 is produced from sheet aluminum with a sheet thickness of approximately 1 mm, for example by stamping and bending. The bottom wall 2 and the side walls 3a, 3b delimit an accommodating area 4.

[0046] The bottom wall 2 has a plurality of longitudinal holes 5 extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis L in the center. The longitudinal holes 5 are arranged in a straight row and have equal spacing and grid spacing from one another. The longitudinal holes 5 act as fastening cutouts for fastening the DIN rail 1, for example in a light box. The DIN rail 1 can be screwed on by means of the longitudinal slots 5, for example, wherein the longitudinal slots, for more precise positioning, enable a limited longitudinal displaceability of the DIN rail 1 when the screw(s) is/are not yet tightened.

[0047] Both side walls 3a, 3b each have a plurality of elongate holder projections 6 which extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis L and extend in the direction of the respective other side wall 3a, 3b and therefore into the accommodating area 4. The holder projections 6 have an equal grid spacing. The holder projections 6 have an elongated form. The holder projections can be produced by deformation from sheet aluminum, for example, by means of sheet bending, for example.

[0048] A light-emitting module 7 inserted into the accommodating area 4 can be held by means of the holder projections 6, for example continuously longitudinally displaceable or latched in the longitudinal direction. The holder projections 6 can also provide a form-fitting connection perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L in order to hold the light-emitting module 7 in the accommodating area 4.

[0049] Both side walls 3a, 3b additionally each have a plurality of rectangular cutouts, which extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis L and are referred to below as cable tie cutouts 8. Cable ties for fastening cables etc. on the DIN rail can be pulled through the cable tie cutouts 8 or at least one electrical line, for example a power supply line, can be pulled through said cutouts to at least one light-emitting module 7 (see FIG. 6, for example). It is also possible for the cable tie cutouts 8 to be used as latching cutouts, for example for a light-emitting module and/or a connecting element in the form of a connecting piece 10 (see, for example, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). The cable tie cutouts 8 can also be used for passing through a tool (screwdriver, ejection tool etc.), for example for ejecting an already accommodated light-emitting module 7.

[0050] Both side walls 3a, 3b additionally each have a plurality of pairs of screw holes 9 extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L (vertically on the side walls 3a and 3b). A further DIN rail 1 can be fastened on this DIN rail 1 by means of at least one of the screw holes 9, for example by screwing through a longitudinal hole 5 in the further DIN rail 1 and a screw hole 9 in this DIN rail 1. This DIN rail 1 can thus act as a mounting base or mounting rail for the further DIN rail 1.

[0051] The functional elements of the side walls 3a, 3b, namely the holder projections 6, the cable tie cutouts 8 and the screw holes 9, have the same grid spacing and can therefore also be considered to be a group comprising a holder projection 6, a cable tie cutout 8 and a pair of screw holes 9 which is arranged with this grid spacing. The functional elements 6, 8, 9 are arranged identically relative to one another on both side walls 3a, 3b, but offset through half a grid spacing along the longitudinal axis L with respect to the respective other side wall 3a or 3b.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows an angled view of the connecting piece 10 for connecting two DIN rails, for example the DIN rails 1. FIG. 5 shows the connecting piece 10 in a front view along the y axis.

[0053] The connecting piece 10 is likewise configured as a U-shaped DIN rail and has a bottom wall 11 and two side walls 12a, 12b emerging from the bottom wall 11 on opposite sides. The connecting piece 10 is used for accommodating at least one DIN rail (not depicted) in an accommodating area 13 delimited by the bottom wall 11 and the side walls 12a, 12b. For this purpose, the connecting piece 10 has latching elements 14 arranged with a regular longitudinal pattern on both side walls 12a, 12b for latching with a DIN rail accommodated therein. The latching elements 14 are in this case in the form of tabs protruding into the accommodating area 13. For this purpose, the latching elements 14 have the same arrangement pattern as the cable tie cutouts 8 in the DIN rail 1, with the result that the latching elements 14 can be brought into engagement with the cable tie cutouts 8, which then also act as latching cutouts.

[0054] The spacing d1 between the inner sides of the side walls 12a, 12b approximately corresponds to a total width of the DIN rails 1.

[0055] In addition, fastening holes 15 arranged in a regular row for fastening, in particular by means of screws, a DIN rail 1 on the connecting piece 10 are provided in the bottom wall 11, for example by means of a screw which is passed through a longitudinal hole 5 in the DIN rail 1 and is screwed with the fastening hole 15.

[0056] FIG. 6 shows an angled view of an exploded illustration of a light-emitting module 7 according to the invention. The light-emitting module 7 is elongate and can be inserted into the DIN rail 1. For this purpose, the light-emitting module 7 has a housing 16, in which a printed circuit board 17 is accommodated. Three light-emitting diodes 18 with a fixed light source grid spacing (pitch or pitch spacing) are fitted on the printed circuit board 17 and can be supplied with power by means of a continuous electrical cable 19. In each case one optical element 20 for suitably configuring, in particular homogenizing, a light bundle emitted by the light-emitting diodes 18 is connected downstream of the light-emitting diodes 18. The optical element 20 can therefore have in particular a collimation function. The housing 16 can be covered by means of a cover 21 and by means of side walls 22. The light source grid spacing (for example 110 mm or 165 mm) corresponds to a multiple of the grid spacing of the cable tie cutouts (for example 55 mm). In order to fasten the light-emitting module 7 in a DIN rail 1, the housing 16 has linear longitudinal slots 25 extending continuously along a longitudinal extent of the light-emitting module 7 on the side walls 24 of said housing 16. The longitudinal slots 25 serve to engage with the holder projections 6, make it possible for the light-emitting module 7 to be moved along a longitudinal axis L (in both directions) and prevent the light-emitting module 7 from becoming detached from the DIN rail 1 in the z direction.

[0057] Alternatively, rows of latching recesses, for example latching notches, which are aligned in the longitudinal direction, for latching with the holder projections 6 can be provided for latching instead of the longitudinal slots.

[0058] FIG. 7 shows an angled view of a light box 26 open at the front with DIN rails 1 and light-emitting modules 7 fastened on the side walls or frames 27 of said light box, to be precise with lateral fastening on four sides (at the top, at the bottom, on the left and on the right). FIG. 8 shows a front view of a sketch of the light box 26. As shown in FIG. 8, the light-emitting modules 7 radiate (in this case elliptically) laterally into the space in the light box 26.

[0059] For this purpose, in each case one DIN rail 1 is fastened on each frame 27, for example by means of screwing through the longitudinal holes 5. While in each case four light-emitting modules 1 are latched (in particular snapped) into the DIN rails 1 of the lateral frames 27, in each case three light-emitting modules 7 are inserted into the lower frame 27 and the upper frame 27. Typically, a ballast 28 is also provided in the light source 26 (see FIG. 8) in order to supply an electrical signal (current, voltage etc.) to the light-emitting modules 7. For this purpose, the ballast can be electrically connected to the light-emitting modules 7 via an appropriate power line.

[0060] FIG. 9 shows an angled view of a light box 29 open at the front with DIN rails 1 with fastening for one-sided backlighting. In this light box 29, six DIN rails 1 are mounted, in particular screwed, perpendicularly on a rear side 30 of the light box 29 in order to backlight the front side. Three light-emitting modules, for example light-emitting modules 7, are inserted into each of the DIN rails 1.

[0061] FIG. 10 shows an angled view of a light box 31 open at the front with the DIN rails 1 with fastening for two-sided backlighting. Twelve DIN rails 1 each having three light-emitting modules 7 are now accommodated perpendicularly or vertically in the light box 31 for the two-sided backlighting, of which six DIN rails 1 point towards the front side of the light box 31 and six DIN rails 1 point in the opposite direction towards the rear side of the light box 31. Thus, both the front side and the rear side of the light box 31 can be backlit.

[0062] In order to position the twelve DIN rails 1 bearing the light-emitting modules 7, in each case one further DIN rail 1 can be mounted on the lower frame 27 and on the upper frame 27 over the length of said DIN rail, for example can be screwed thereto. These further DIN rails 1 are used for fastening a respective end of the perpendicular DIN rails 1 bearing the light-emitting modules 7. For this purpose, the DIN rails 1 bearing the light-emitting modules 7 are screwed through their longitudinal hole 5 to one of the screw holes 9 in the further DIN rails. A uniform workpiece, namely the DIN rails 1, can thus be used both for mounting other DIN rails 1 and for holding the light-emitting modules 7.

[0063] Alternatively, a single-sided backlighting arrangement can have the further DIN rails 1. It goes without saying that the present invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiment shown. Thus, in the case of one-sided backlighting, at least one further DIN rail can be used as mounting rail for fastening at least one DIN rail provided with at least one light-emitting module in order thus to be able to variably adjust a spacing with respect to an area to be illuminated, and consequently a luminous intensity and a homogeneity distribution at this area.