The present invention relates to a lighting fixture with arms. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lighting fixture comprising one or more central bodies and a plurality of protruding radial arms, and provided with means for a quick and easy mechanical positioning and electric connection of the arms in the central body.
Lighting fixtures comprising a centered body and a plurality of protruding radial arms and provided with means for a quick and easy mechanical and electrical connections of the arms to the centered body are known from GB No. 416, FR-A-2377576; DE 8905616 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,770.
As used herein and in the claims, the term xe2x80x9clighting fixturexe2x80x9d comprises any lighting device from metal, glass, wood, majolica, plastic material or other materials, which hangs from the ceiling or rests on the floor or on a top or is arranged on posts or stands, for artificially lighting a room or also for ornamental purposes. Examples of lighting fixtures comprise chandeliers, wall lanterns, desk lamps, bed lamps and the like. As is known, for the production of such lighting fixtures several operations are performed that comprise:
the formation of arms which, once provided with bulbs, require a small electric system to be arranged in the inside of their components;
the complete formation of the central body to which the accessories, the elements necessary to fasten said fixtures to ceilings or walls, the bulb-carrying arms, the arms carrying no bulbs which bear ornamental parts (xe2x80x9cpastoralsxe2x80x9d from crystal, drops from crystal having different shapes and size, supports for other ornamental elements, etc.) are to be assembled;
the realisation of the whole electrical system which, from the central body, connects all the bulbs of the fixture to one another;
the arrangement of all the ornamental elements provided and required;
lastly, the connection of the fixture to the mains.
The actuation of all these operations, and in particular the execution of electric connections, requires much time and work, which still increases if said connections are made in full compliance with the severe norms in force.
The aesthetic completion of these fixture and the accurate packaging they require further increase the engagement of the producers and sellers. Therefore, also these activities are to be considered in the economic balance, especially when the same must be actuated out-house, both by the manufacturers and the sellers of these fixtures.
Object of this invention is to provide contrivances allowing to simplify said work by eliminating some operations, and to obtain an easy and facilitated mechanic positioning and electric connection of the arms of the lighting fixture provided with several arms.
More particularly, object of the present invention is to provide particular arrangements of all the parts which constitute and make up said fixtures, causing their assembly to be easier and more rational, and eliminating the complex and complicated electric systems.
A further object of the present invention is to simplify the mechanical assembly of the arms to the central core of the fixture, and the connection and fastening operations of the same.
A lighting fixture having the features of the preamble of claim 1 is known from GB-A-416. This document discloses a lighting fixture with arms comprising: at least a central body; a plurality of projecting removable radial arms, and means for fastening the arms to the central body and for electrically connecting the bulb-carrying arms to a main consisting of only one clutching means comprising a fixed element, connected to the central body and provided with annular electrical conductors, and a movable element, connected to the end portion of each arm and provided with electrical contact means projecting from its surface and contacting the electrical conductors, when the movable element is inserted into the fixed element.
The lighting fixture of the present invention is characterized in that the electrical conductors are annular coil (spiral) springs located at the base of the fixed element in such a position to contact the corresponding electrical contacts of the movable elements, and in that the electrical contact means of the movable elements are jackplugs; said jackplugs being inserted between two adjoining windings of the coil (spiral) springs, when each movable element is inserted into the corresponding fixed element.
Particular embodiments of the lighting fixture of the present invention are set forth in subclaims 2 to 10.
The mobile clutch between the arm and the central body allows to realise at the same time in one only step both the mechanical connection of each arm to the central body of the fixture, and the electric connections that concern it.
To this aim, the clutch is provided with means to realise at the same time several electric contacts.
Said means may be either a system obtained by means of coiled conductors between which two cylindrical jackplugs are inserted, or a system obtained by means of two thin metal rings that perform the function of coupled conductors, and which, like the first ones, provide-the energy necessary to turn on the bulbs of the chandelier or a prefixed sector of the same. The latter system works by means of contacts constituted by a couple of small metal springs that fit in and remain tight on the cylindrical rings. All the arms radially placed and fastened in the seats of the body supporting said suitably insulated conductorsxe2x80x94which are at the same time in contact with the energy sourcexe2x80x94converge towards the first and the second conductors.
In said fixtures, both the supports and the guides of the bulb-carrying arms are so sized as to support all the arms that have to sustain the ornamental parts that complete the same, as also when the latter have not the function of conducing and transmitting electric energy, they must be arranged and supported by the same means and elements that bear the bulb-carrying arms.
The advantages achieved by the lighting fixtures of the present invention comprise:
the simplification and speeding up of the processes necessary to produce, prepare and compose the lighting fixtures;
the speeding up and improvement of all the steps of the assembly of said fixtures;
the actuation and formation of components ready for the final assembly of the fixture;
the simplification of the electric systems that must be workmanlike realised for each fixture;
the possibility of final composition of the fixture also by those that are not skilled in the art;
the possibility of obtaining perfectly assembled fixtures, without any recourse to adjustments which only those skilled in the art can make once the fixture is mounted;
in case of working defects, the possibility of repairing the same by removing only the defective parts;
the possibility of reducing the size and quality of packages, and consequently the transportation costs.