GB2170661A

GB2170661A - Ceiling rose

Info

Publication number: GB2170661A
Application number: GB08502885A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul William Bollinghaus
Original assignee: CONTACTUM Ltd
Current assignee: CONTACTUM Ltd
Priority date: 1985-02-05
Filing date: 1985-02-05
Publication date: 1986-08-06
Also published as: GB8502885D0; GB2170661B

Abstract

An electrical ceiling rose comprises a circular base 2 on which is received connector blocks 8 in a trough, with access to the bores in the blocks 8 being provided between the base 2 and a cover 14. The blocks 8 are held in the trough by the cover plate 14 attached at its ends to the base by pegs 15. Access to the screws 11 is provided by cut-out portions 17 in the cover 14 and cut- out portions 13 in the base 2. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ceiling rose This invention relates to an electrical ceiling rose.

In UK Patent Specification 1 331 501 (Ashley) there is described a ceiling rose which consists of a circular base provided with a screw threaded cap. A plurality of electrical connector blocks are provided on the base, to allow the conductors of electrical supply cables to be connected to a pendant cable for a light fitting. The connector blocks are arranged in a linear trough formed in the base and are held in position by a cover which clips into slots formed in the base. The cover is provided with openings to provide access for the electrical conductors to be inserted into the connector blocks. Also, the cover is provided with openings to allow clamping screws on the terminal blocks to be thightened by means of a screw driver. The base is typically made of urea formaldehyde which is a relatively rigid plastics material.The cover however needs to be made of a more flexible plastics material to provide sufficient resilience to enable the cover to be clipped into the slots in the base. This leads to the disadvantage that separate moulding processes need to be carried out to manufacture the base and the cover. Also, due to the fact that the cover is provided with access openings for the conductor blocks, it needs to be of a relatively complex shape, making it difficult to mould.

With a view to overcoming these disadvantages, the present invention provides from one aspect an electrical ceiling rose including a base of electrically insulating material on which is received at least one electrical connector block including means to receive an electrical conductor and user operable clamping means for retaining a conductor iri the block, and a cover which covers the terminal block, the base providing access to the terminal block to permit the conductor to be inserted therein.

Thus in accordance with this aspect of the invention; the access openings to the terminal block for the conductors is provided in the base rather than in the cover, thereby simplifying the design of the cover.

From another aspect, the present invention provides an electrical ceiling rose including a base of electrically insulating material on which is received at least one electrical connector block including means to receive an electrical conductor and user operable clamping means for retaining a conductor in the block, and an elongate cover plate covering the block, the cover plate being affixed to the base at its ends by members extending through apertures in the cover into cooperating apertures in the block.

In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the cover is no longer clipped into the base and therefore does not need to be resilient.

The invention thus permits the cover to be made of the same material as the base. Thus, the base and cover can be formed simultaneously in a common mould, with a common supply of plastics material to be moulded.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood an embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a base and cover of a ceiling rose in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows the reverse side of the cover shown in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the base; and Figure 4 is a sectional view of the base taken on the line A-A of Fig. 3, and additionally showing the ceiling rose cap.

The ceiling rose consists of a circular base 1 provided with fixing holes 2 to enable it to be attached to a ceiling by means of screws (not shown). The circular periphery of the base 1 is provided with a single start thread 3 which receives a cooperating thread 4 on a cap 5 (Fig. 4).

In the usual way, a cable to a light fitting (not shown) suspended through an aperture 6 in the cap 5 and is connected to supply cables (not shown) which enter the ceiling rose through apertures 7 in the base provided with knock-out covers.

The cables are interconnected by terminal blocks 8. The terminal blocks 8 are received in trough portions 9 arranged in a line on the base. Each of the terminal blocks 8 consists of a brass block formed with bores 10 to receive the conductors of the cables, and clamping screws 11. The blocks 8 are arranged obliquely in the trough portions 9.

The trough 9 is bounded by a wall 12 which is provided with cut-out portions 13 to provide access to the clamping screws 11.

The terminal blocks 8 are over-layed by an elongate cover plate 14 which extends along the line of the trough portions 9. At opposite ends of the cover plate 14 holes are provided through which extend friction gripping pegs 15 that frictionaily engage in apertures 16 in the base to retain the cover in position. As can be seen from Fig. 2 the rear edge of the plate 14 is provided with cut-out portions 1 7 that cooperate with the cut-out portions 13 on the base to provide access holes to enable a screw driver to be inserted to tighten the clamping screws 11.

The inclined arrangement of ther terminal blocks 8 relative to the base provides for ready insertion of the cable conductors into the bores 10. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the trough portions 9 are open towards the centre of the ceiling rose such that access is provided to the terminal blocks, for the conductors, between the base and the cover 14.

The base is also provided with additional fixed terminal posts 18, 19 which may be used as earth terminals or cable fixings.

To assemble the ceiling rose, the terminal blocks are laid in their inclined position in the trough portions 9, the plate 14 is laid over the terminal blocks and the pegs 15 are push fitted into the apertures 16. The cover then retains the blocks 8 in the trough, cable access being provided between the cover and the base, and access to the terminal screws being provided by the cut-out portions 13, 17.

Since the cover plate 14 is not fixed in position by virtue of clipping, it can be made of the same material as the base. Conveniently, both the base 1 and the cover 14 are made of urea formaldehyde by moulding in a common mould. This reduces manufacturing costs.

Many modifications and variations falling within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the cut-out portions 13, 17 may be provided with an internal stop to prevent removal of the screws 11 from the terminal blocks 8.

Claims

1. An electrical ceiling rose including base of electrically insulating material on which is received at least one electrical connector block including means to receive an electrical conductor and user- operable clamping means for retaining a conductor in the block, and a cover which covers the terminal block, the base providing access to the terminal block to permit insertion therein of the conductor.

2. An electrical ceiling rose according to claim 1 wherein the or each said terminal block is arranged in a trough in the base, and said cover comprises an elongate plate overly ing the block and affixed to the base so as to hold the block in the trough.

3. An electrical ceiling rose according to claim 2 wherein the elongate cover plate is affixed at its ends to the base by members extending through apertures in the cover into cooperating apertures in the base.

4. An electrical ceiling rose according to claim 2 or 3 including a plurality of the con nector blocks arranged in a line in respective portions of the trough, the blocks being in dined obliquely to the base such that access to the blocks is afforded by the base between the base and the cover.

5. An electrical ceiling rose according to any preceding claim wherein the cover and the base are made of material having substantially the same rigidity.

6. An electrical ceiling rose according to claim 5 wherein the cover and the base are made of the same plastics material.

7. An electrical ceiling rose according to any preceding claim wherein the or each said connector block is made of metal and includes at least one bore to receive a said conductor, and said clamping means includes a clamping screw to retain the conductor in the bore, the base including an aperture portion to provide screwdriver access to the clamping screw

8. An electrical ceiling rose according to claim 7 wherein the cover includes an aperture portion which cooperates with the base aperture portion to provide screwdriver access to the clamping screw.

9. A ceiling rose substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of manufacturing a ceiling rose according to any preceding claim including simultaneously moulding the base and cover in a common mould.

11. An electrical ceiling rose including a base of electrically insulating material on which is received at least one connector block including means to receive an electrical conductor and user operable clamping means for retaining a conductor in the block, and an elongate cover plate covering the block, the cover plate being affixed to the base at its ends by members extending through apertures in the cover into cooperating apertures in the base.

12. An electrical ceiling rose according to claim 11 wherein said members comprise pegs that are pushed fitted into the apertures in the base to be frictionally engaged therein.