LIGHT AND LIGHTING SYSTEM

Abstract

A light for an interior of a vehicle contains at least two light modules that are disposed in series along a profile line and are mounted on a supporting structure in the vehicle. Each two adjacent light modules are attached to each other in regions. All light modules together form a light strip, which is attached to the supporting structure with exactly one first region, wherein a second region is movably supported on the supporting structure.

A lighting system contains a supporting structure and the aforementioned light.

Claims

1. A light for an interior of a vehicle that contains at least two light modules, wherein in an installed state (E) the light modules are mounted on a supporting structure in the vehicle, and the light modules are disposed in series along a profile line, and wherein in the installed state (E), each two adjacent light modules are attached to each other in regions in a fixed relative mutual position (G), wherein all light modules that are mutually attached to each other together form a light strip, the light strip is attached with exactly one first region to the supporting structure in a fixed relative position (F) to the supporting structure, and at least one second region of the light strip is movably supported on the supporting structure in a variable relative position (V) to the supporting structure.

2. The light according to claim 1, wherein in the installed state (E) each of the light modules comprises at least the first region or one of the second regions.

3. The light according to claim 1, wherein the light contains exactly one first mounting arrangement that is designed for the attachment of the first region to the supporting structure, and contains a respective second mounting arrangement that is designed for respective movable support of a respective second region on the supporting structure, and contains respective joining arrangements that are designed for mutual attachment of the regions of the light modules to each other.

4. The light according to claim 3, wherein the first mounting arrangement is a fixed holder that can be fixedly attached to the light strip and to the supporting structure, and/or the second mounting arrangement is a sliding holder that can be fixedly attached to the light strip and that is movable relative to the supporting structure.

5. The light according to claim 4, wherein said sliding holder is movable along a direction of motion or within a plane of motion.

6. The light according to claim 1, wherein one of the light modules comprises the first region and at least one second region and/or at least one of the remaining light modules each comprises at least two second regions.

7. The light according to claim 1, wherein in the installed state (E), each two light modules are attached to each other with a defined separating distance (A).

8. The light according to claim 7, wherein the defined distance (A) is selected so that each two light modules are attached to each other without gaps.

9. The light according to claim 1, wherein the light modules comprise respective end faces, with which they face each other in the installed state (E), and the light modules are configured to emit light up to the respective end faces.

10. The light according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle is an aircraft.

11. A lighting system, with a supporting structure that can be attached within a vehicle comprising a light according to claim 1.

12. The lighting system according to claim 11, wherein the supporting structure extends along the profile line.

13. The lighting system according to claim 11, wherein the supporting structure is a supporting rail.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Further features, effects and advantages of the invention are revealed by the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention as well as the accompanying figures. The figures show in a schematic basic sketch:

[0031] FIG. 1 a lighting system in a side view,

[0032] FIG. 2 an alternatives lighting system in a top view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a light 2 that contains a total of three light modules 4a-c. The light is installed in an interior 6 of a vehicle that is not illustrated further, in this case of an aircraft, and is located between two dividing walls 18 of the interior 6. The light 2 is disposed in an installed state E, and is thus mounted in the aircraft and ready for use.

[0034] The light 2 contains two joining arrangements 16, here in the form of clamps. Each of the joining arrangements 16 is used to join the respective adjacent light modules 4a and 4b or 4a and 4c to each other in a fixed mutual relative position G. Here too the relative position more precisely relates to the respective regions 14c or end segments of the light modules 4a-c that the joining arrangements 16 engage. The regions 14c face each other in the installed state E. Respective end faces 19 of the light modules 4a-c face each other. The joining arrangements 16 are in this case configured so that there is a certain non-zero distance A, in this case 5 mm, between each two adjacent light modules 4a-c or end faces 19. In the installed state E, the light modules 4a-c are oriented so as to abut each other in series along a profile line 12, in this case a straight line. The light modules 4a-c joined with the joining arrangements 16 together form a light strip 17.

[0035] For assembling the light strip 17 in the aircraft, a supporting structure 8here in the form of a straight rail is fixedly installed for its part in the interior 6 or rather in the aircraft. Using mounting arrangements 10 a, bin this case clamps for the railthe light strip 17 or the light modules 4a-c is/are mounted on the supporting structure 8 and hence in the vehicle. The light 2 contains exactly one first mounting arrangement 10a for this. Said mounting arrangement 10a fixes the light strip 17 by means of the light module 4a in a fixed relative position F relative to the supporting structure 8, here symbolized by a double arrow. More precisely, a suitable region 14a of the light module 4a that is engaged by the mounting arrangement 10a is fixed in the fixed relative position F.

[0036] The light strip 17 is otherwise fixed to the supporting structure 8 by means of the second mounting arrangement 10b, both by means of the light module 4a and also by means of the further light modules 4b. This enables the movable support of each of the respective light modules 4a-c in a respective variable position V relative to the supporting structure 8again symbolized by a double arrow. More precisely, the corresponding regions 14b, which are engaged by the mounting arrangement 10b on the respective light modules 4a-b, are again movably supported in the corresponding variable relative position V. The mounting arrangements 10a,b are each fixedly attached to the light modules 4a-c in this case.

[0037] The second mounting arrangements 10b are implemented here as sliding holders that are movable along the rail in one dimension. Said second mounting arrangements each enable a movement of the mounting arrangement 10b and the regions 14b along a direction of motion 22, which extends parallel to the profile line 12 or along the supporting structure 8 here.

[0038] By means of the fixing of said region 14a, the entire light strip 17 is also in principle fixed in the aircraft relative to the installation position thereof. Movements of the light strip 17 owing to thermal expansion only take place in the remaining regions of the light strip 17. The light 2 and the supporting structure 8 in total together form a lighting system 20.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows, in the direction of the arrow II of FIG. 1, a modified lighting system 20 in which altered joining arrangements 16 form an altered light strip 17. The alternative joining arrangements 16 join the respective light modules 4a-c to each other without gaps. The distance A between each two adjacent light modules 4a-c is thus zero. The end faces 19 of the light modules 4a-c abut each other without gaps, i.e. they are touching. The light modules 4a-c are moreover implemented so that they emit light up to the end faces 19. The zero gap between the light modules 4a-c is therefore practically no longer visible. In both lights 2 according to FIGS. 1 and 2, light is emitted mainly in the direction of the arrow II of FIG. 1, i.e. in the plane of the drawing in FIG. 2.

[0040] The second mounting arrangements 10b are implemented here as sliding holders that are movable along the rail in two dimensions. This enables in each case a movement of the mounting arrangement 10b and the regions 14b within a plane of motion 24, which extends here in the figure parallel to the plane of the figure. The plane of motion 24 extends both along and also transversely to the longitudinal direction of the supporting structure 8, i.e. parallel to the profile line 12 or along the supporting structure 8. The light strip 17 thus extends at a distance from and parallel to the plane 24.

[0041] In both cases of FIGS. 1 and 2, the light 2 is dimensioned so that the same cannot expand so far that it would contact the dividing walls 18 even under adverse conditions. In FIG. 2 the direction I is identified that indicates the direction of view of the arrangement of FIG. 1.

REFERENCE CHARACTER LIST

[0042] 2 light [0043] 4a-c light module [0044] 6 interior [0045] 8 supporting structure [0046] 10a,b mounting arrangement [0047] 12 profile line [0048] 14a-c region [0049] 16 joining arrangement [0050] 17 light strip [0051] 18 dividing wall [0052] 19 end faces [0053] 20 lighting system [0054] 22 direction of motion [0055] 24 plane of motion [0056] A distance [0057] E installed state fixed relative [0058] F position [0059] G mutual relative position [0060] V variable relative position