EP0376401A1

EP0376401A1 - Revolving, low-voltage contact device suitable for being orientated according to a plurality of space directions, in particular for lighting equipment

Info

Publication number: EP0376401A1
Application number: EP89203290A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pasquale Ajello
Original assignee: Iguzzini Illuminazione SRL; Iguzzini Illuminazione SpA
Current assignee: Iguzzini Illuminazione SRL
Priority date: 1988-12-30
Filing date: 1989-12-21
Publication date: 1990-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-21
Also published as: ES2068237T3; IT1227746B; DE68920852D1; DE68920852T2; IT8823162A0; EP0376401B1

Abstract

Revolving, low-voltage contact device (10) suitable for being orientated according to a plurality of space directions, constituted by two elements (15,17), rotatable relatively to each other, around a fastening pin (25) and around a rigid conductor element (11), so as to form ribbing contacts, with a horizontal and vertical orientability of 360° being secured.

Description

The present invention relates to a revolving, low-voltage contact device suitable for being orientated according to a plurality of space directions, in particular for lighting equipment.
The problem arising with revolving lighting apparatuses, as regards their power feeding cables, is known. In fact, when the orientation of said lighting apparatuses has to be adjusted, said apparatuses have to be rotated together with their power feeding cables, which consequently limit the movements thereof, sometimes preventing them from performing some of said movements.
Furthermore, in revolving lighting apparatuses provided with power feeding cables, such cables, subject to continuous torsions, may deteriorate, sometimes causing accidents.
The purpose of the present invention is of overcoming the drawbacks inhering in the prior art, by proposing a novel contact device which is capable of showing a very wide range of orientation positions, is completely free from flexible power supply cables, and is equipped with a reliable contact system.
In order to achieve such a purpose, a revolving, low-voltage contact device suitable for being orientated according to a plurality of space directions is provided, which is characterized in that it is constituted by a first contact element comprising two conductors, with said first contact element being suitable for being inserted, with possibility of removal, into a first conductor body suitable for rotating relatively to a longitudinal axis of said first contact element, with said first body a second, insulating body being rotatably associatable, which second, insulating body is equipped with a conductor plate on one of its base surfaces, and with two conductor terminals extending from a portion of one of the side surfaces thereof, with one of said terminals being connected with said conductor plate, electrical conducting linking means being furthermore provided, which are suitable for linking said first contact element, said first conductor body and said second conductor body with one another in such a way that said first body and said second body may integrally rotate as a whole relatively to said longitudinal axis of said first contact element, and said second body may rotate relatively to said first body according to a revolution axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said first contact element.
Still according to the instant invention, in said first contact element at least one of said two conductor elements is a rigid conductor.
Furthermore, said first contact element is constituted by a first, rigid, hollow conductor, inside which a hollow, insulating element is inserted, wherein inside said hollow, insulating element a second conductor is coaxially inserted, with said insulating element protruding beyond the ends of said first conductor and said second conductor protruding beyond the ends of said insulating element.
Furthermore, said first, conductor body is constituted by a hollow cylindrical body with an open base provided with a perimetrical seat, and a tubular, conductor element is provided on the side surface of said first conductor body in connection with the interior of said first conductor body, which tubular, conductor element is suitable for housing said first contact element.
Said second, insulating body is furthermore constituted by a hollow, cylindical body having an open base and a base with a through-bore running through it.
Still according to the instant invention, said conductor plate is an annular plate positioned in correspondence of said through-bore.
Furthermore, one of said two conductor terminals is connected with said annular plate, with the other one of said two conductor terminals having an end ending inside said through-bore.
In the preferred form of practical embodiment of the instant invention, said linking means are constituted by a pin having a perforation at a free end thereof, and bearing a plate at its other end, with said plate being suitable for being inserted inside said open base of said second insulating body, with said pin running through said through-bore while keeping into contact with said one end of said other one of said two terminals, said free, perforated end being suitable for receiving an end of said second conductor element protruding from said insulating element, on said pin elastic means being furthermore provided, which elastic means constitute retainer means suitable for getting engaged between said plate and said base provided with said through-bore.
Still within the scope of the instant invention, said annular plate is suitable for being rotatably engaged inside said perimetrical seat provided in said first conductor body.
Furthermore, between said pin and said end of said other one of said two terminals, as well as between said annular plate and said perimetrical seat a rubbing contact is accomplished.
Finally, said first conductor body is rotatable by 360° on said first contact element, and said second, insulating body is rotatable by 360° around said pin.
The structural and functional characteristics and the advantages of this contact device according to the instant invention will be better understood from the exemplifying, non-limitative disclosure thereof, made by referring to the hereto attached schematic drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a partially sectional view of the device according to the instant invention;
Figure 2 shows a sectional view made along path line II-II of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 shows a sectional view made along path line III-III of Figure 2.

Referring to the figures, a device according to the instant invention is generally indicated by means of the reference numeral 10.
Such a device 10 comprises a first contact element 11 constituted by a hollow, cylindrical conductor 12 inside which an also hollow, insulating element 13 is coaxially inserted. Inside the interior of the insulating element 13 a second conductor element 14 is provided, which is so positioned that one of its ends protrudes outside the insulating element 13 which in its turn is slightly protruding outside said hollow, cylindrical conductor 12.
The first contact element 11 can be inserted inside a first body 15 of cylindrical shape and with a hollow interior, made from a conductor material, so that only the hollow cylindrical conductor 12 is into contact with it; the body 15 is furthermore freely rotatable around the first contact element 11 and is equipped with a perimetrical seat 16. With the first body 15 a second insulating, hollow, cylindrical body is associated, as indicated by the reference numeral 17. Such a body 17 is provided with a base 18 through which a through-bore 19 runs, and with an annular, conductor plate 20 positioned externally to the body 17, in order to get engaged inside said perimetrical seat 16.
Furthermore, from said second body 17, a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal extend; said electrical terminals are respectively indicated by the reference numerals 21 and 22. The electrical terminal 21 is connected, e.g., by means of a connection screw 23, with the annular conductor plate 20, and the electrical terminal 22, fastened to the body 17, e.g., by means of a second screw 24, ends inside the through-bore 19.
In order to accomplish the rotatably articulated assemblage of the contact device according to the instant invention, a conductor pin 25 is provided. Said conductor pin 25 bears a bore 26 at one of its ends, and the other end thereof is equipped with a plate 27 which is suitable for being inserted inside the interior of the body 17.
On the pin 25 a helical spring 28 is furthermore installed, which supplies the necessary force for the unit according to the present invention to be kept assembled as a whole with possibility of revolutionary movements.
In order to assemble the device 10, the first contact element 11 is inserted inside the first body 15, and the second, insulating body 17 is placed into contact with the first body 15, causing the annular plate 20 to come to be housed inside the purposely provided seat 16, precisely provided on the body 15 for this purpose. For the parts which compose the whole device to be stably assembled with one another, the pin 25, bearing the spring 28, has to be inserted through the through-bore 19 in such a way that its bore 26 gets engaged with the end of the second conductor 14 of the contact element 11.
One can observe how in this way the electrical current conduction paths remain always separated, in that along one of them electrical current will flow through the conductor 12 reaching the body 15, and then the annular plate 20, in order to reach eventually the terminal 21, whilst along the other conduction path electrical current will flow through the conductor 14, reaching the pin 25 (by means of the through-bore 26), which pin 25 is into contact, inside the through-bore 19, with the terminal 22.
Furthermore, the device according to the present invention, due to the total absence of conductor cables, makes it possible the body 15 to be rotated by 360° around the longitudinal axis of the contact element 11, and furthermore makes it possible the insulating body 17 to be rotated, also by 360°, around the pin 25 (and therefore around the body 15).
All this, besides securing the reliability of the contacts, enables the device according to the instant invention to be practically boundlessly orientated in a tridimensional space, making it flexible and useable in most different application situations.
The present invention is hereinabove disclosed for merely illustrative, non-limitative purposes, and it should be understood that modifications and changes may be supplied by those skilled in the art, without anyway departing from the scope of protection of the instant patent.

Claims

1. Reolving, low-voltage contact device suitable for being orientated according to a plurality of space directions, characterized in that it is constituted by a first contact element comprising two conductors, with said first contact element being suitable for being inserted, with possibility of removal, into a first conductor body suitable for rotating relatively to a longitudinal axis of said first contact element, with said first body a second, insulating body being rotatably associatable, which second, insulating body is equipped with a conductor plate on one of its base surfaces, and with two conductor terminals extending from a portion of one of the side surfaces thereof, with one of said terminals being connected with said conductor plate, electrical conducting linking means being furthermore provided, which are suitable for linking said first contact element, said first conductor body and said second conductor body with one another in such a way that said first, conducting, body and said second, insulating, body may integrally rotate as a whole relatively to said longitudinal axis of said first contact element, and said second body may rotate relatively to said first body according to a revolution axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said first contact element.

2. Contact device according to claim 1, characterized in that in said first contact element at least one of said two conductor elements is a rigid conductor.

3. Contact device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first contact element is constituted by a first, rigid, hollow conductor, inside which a hollow, insulating element is inserted, wherein inside said hollow, insulating element a second conductor is coaxially inserted, with said insulating element protruding beyond the ends of said first conductor and said second conductor protruding beyond the ends of said insulating element.

4. Contact device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first, conductor body is constituted by a hollow cylindrical body with an open base provided with a perimetrical seat, and a tubular, conductor element is provided on the side surface of said first conductor body in connection with the interior of said first conductor body, which tubular, conductor element is suitable for housing said first contact element.

5. Contact device according to claim 1, characterized in that said second, insulating body is constituted by a hollow, cylindical body having an open base and a base with a through-bore running through it.

6. Contact device according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that said conductor plate is an annular plate positioned in correspondence of said through-bore.

7. Contact device according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that one of said two conductor terminals is connected with said annular plate, with the other one of said two conductor terminals having an end ending inside said through-bore.

8. Contact device according to claims from 1 to 6, characterized in that linking means are constituted by a pin having a perforation at a free end thereof, and bearing a plate at its other end, with said plate being suitable for being inserted inside said open base of said second insulating body, with said pin running through said through-bore while keeping into contact with said one end of said other one of said two terminals, said free, perforated end being suitable for receiving an end of said second conductor element protruding from said insulating element, on said pin elastic means being furthermore provided, which elastic means constitute retainer means suitable for getting engaged between said plate and said base provided with said through-bore.

9. Contact device according to claims 1, 3 and 5, characterized in that said annular plate is suitable for being rotatably engaged inside said perimetrical seat provided in said first conductor body.

10. Contact device according to claims from 1 to 8, characterized in that between said pin and said end of said other one of said two terminals, as well as between said annular plate and said perimetrical seat a rubbing contact is accomplished.

11. Contact device according to claims from 1 to 9, characterized in that said first conductor body is rotatable by 360° on said first contact element, and said second, insulating body is rotatable by 360° around said pin.