Lighting device and trunk element

• US 10,472,088 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2018
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Schmalz, Kai, Kokott, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Joseph L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Jose M
• Application Number:
  US15/886,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20180215480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/44 Spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/47 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/76 for spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps spotlighting on or for specific fittings B60Q3/20; spotlighting in mass transit vehicles B60Q3/44
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0053 Cabin passenger reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0035 the fastening means being capable of simultaneously attaching of an other part, e.g. a housing portion or an optical component
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/32 Flexible tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/002 Arrangements of cables or conductors inside a lighting device, e.g. means for guiding along parts of the housing or in a pivoting arm
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2106/00 Interior vehicle lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/30 for aircraft

Abstract

A lighting device includes a semi-rigid arm having a tubular shape and an arm cavity, and proximal and distal ends, which can be brought into various positions, a lighting head which is attached to the distal end of the arm and supported by the arm, a support body with a receptacle cavity which accommodates the proximal end of the arm to support the arm, and an inner support sleeve which is disposed at the proximal end of the arm at least partially in the arm cavity.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a semi-rigid arm configured to be brought into various positions in all directions, the arm having a tubular shape and an arm cavity, and proximal and distal ends;

a lighting head which is attached to the distal end of the arm and supported by the arm;

a support body having a receptacle cavity configured to accommodate the proximal end of the arm to support the arm;

an inner support sleeve which is disposed at the proximal end of the arm at least partially in the arm cavity, wherein the portion of the inner support sleeve at least partially disposed in the arm is disposed in the arm cavity with a radial clearance of less than 1 millimeter; and

a supply cable that extends through the inner support sleeve to the lighting head.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the lighting device is a passenger seat lamp configured to be permanently mounted on an interior of an aircraft.

3. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the semi-rigid arm is configured to be flexible.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the semi-rigid arm is configured to be manually bendable.

5. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the radial clearance is less than 0.5 millimeters.

6. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the radial clearance is less than 0.1 millimeter.

7. The lighting device of claim 1,

wherein the arm has an arm inner surface facing the arm cavity and an opposite arm outer surface, and

wherein the receptacle cavity of the support body has a radial receptacle cavity inner surface which is at least one of radially clamped and glued to the arm outer surface in an area of the proximal end of the arm.

8. The lighting device of claim 1,

wherein the arm has an annular arm end face at its proximal end, and

wherein the inner support sleeve has a tubular portion and an outer collar connected to the tubular portion, wherein the tubular portion engages in the arm cavity and the outer collar abuts against the arm end face.

9. The lighting device of claim 1,

wherein the receptacle cavity of the support body has a receptacle cavity rear inner surface, and

wherein the inner support sleeve abuts against the rear inner surface of the receptacle cavity.

10. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein the outer collar of the inner support sleeve abuts against the rear inner surface of the receptacle cavity, so that the outer collar of the inner support sleeve is fixed between the rear inner surface of the receptacle cavity and the end face of the arm.

11. The lighting device of claim 1,

wherein a cable passage is provided in the rear inner surface of the receptacle cavity, and

wherein the supply cable extends through the cable passage and through the inner support sleeve and through the arm cavity towards the distal end thereof, to the lighting head, wherein the supply cable comprises at least one of at least one electrical conductor and one optical waveguide.

12. The lighting device of claim 1,

wherein the supply cable comprises a strain relief element, and

wherein the inner support sleeve has a support sleeve inner projection which functions as an abutment for the strain relief element of the supply cable when a tensile force is exerted on the supply cable in the proximal direction.

13. The lighting device of claim 12, wherein the strain relief element is configured in the form of a contracted shrink tube that firmly encloses the supply cable.

14. The lighting device of claim 12,

wherein at least one of the inner support sleeve and the support sleeve inner projection has at least one support sleeve inner edge, and

wherein the at least one support sleeve inner edge is at least one of beveled and rounded.

15. The lighting device of claim 3,

wherein the flexible semi-rigid arm comprises a wound hose which includes two helically interengaging spiraled metal wires, and

wherein the two spiraled metal wires have at least one of different cross sections and are made of different materials.

16. The lighting device of claim 15,

wherein one of the two spiraled metal wires has a round cross section and the other one of the two spiraled metal wires has a wedge-shaped cross-section.

17. The lighting device of claim 15, wherein one of the two spiraled metal wires is made of a harder material than the other one of the two spiraled metal wires.

18. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein the one of the two spiraled metal wires made of the harder material has a round cross section and the other one of the two spiraled metal wires has a wedge-shaped cross section.

19. The lighting device of claim 3, wherein the flexible semi-rigid arm comprises a tubular covering sheath.

20. The lighting device of claim 19, wherein the flexible semi-rigid arm comprises a wound hose which includes two helically interengaging spiraled metal wires and the tubular covering sheath is configured to cover the wound hose of the arm.

21. The lighting device of claim 19, wherein the tubular covering sheath is made of leather, synthetic leather, or plastics.

22. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the inner support sleeve is made of metal.

23. The lighting device of claim 22, wherein the metal is aluminum or steel.

24. The lighting device of claim 22, wherein the inner support sleeve has a weight of less than 10 grams.

25. A trunk element, comprising:

a flexible semi-rigid tubular body with a tubular cavity;

a receptacle body with a receptacle cavity which accommodates one end of the tubular body; and

an inner support sleeve which is arranged at an end of and at least partially within the tubular body, the support sleeve including a central opening configured to allow passage of a supply cable through the support sleeve, wherein the inner support sleeve is made of metal.

26. The trunk element of claim 25, wherein the trunk element is for a lighting device, the lighting device including a semi-rigid arm configured to be brought into various positions in all directions, the arm having a tubular shape and an arm cavity, and proximal and distal ends, and a lighting head which is attached to the distal end of the arm and supported by the arm, and a support body having a receptacle cavity configured to accommodate the proximal end of the arm to support the arm, and wherein

the inner support sleeve is configured to be disposed at the proximal end of the arm at least partially in the arm cavity.

27. A support sleeve for a lighting device, the lighting device including a semi-rigid arm configured to be brought into various positions in all directions, the arm having a tubular shape and an arm cavity, and proximal and distal ends, and a lighting head which is attached to the distal end of the arm and supported by the arm, and a support body having a receptacle cavity configured to accommodate the proximal end of the arm to support the arm,

the support sleeve configured to be inserted into the arm cavity of the semi-rigid arm of the tubular shape, the support sleeve including a central opening that allows passage of a supply cable through the support sleeve, wherein the supply cable comprises a strain relief element, and wherein the inner support sleeve has a support sleeve inner projection which functions as an abutment for the strain relief element of the supply cable when a tensile force is exerted on the supply cable in the proximal direction.

28. The support sleeve for the lighting device of claim 27, wherein the semi-rigid arm is flexible.

29. A lighting device, comprising:

a semi-rigid arm configured to be brought into various positions in all directions, the arm having a tubular shape and an arm cavity, and proximal and distal ends;

a lighting head which is attached to the distal end of the arm and supported by the arm;

a support body having a receptacle cavity configured to accommodate the proximal end of the arm to support the arm, wherein the arm has an arm inner surface facing the arm cavity and an opposite arm outer surface, and wherein the receptacle cavity of the support body has a radial receptacle cavity inner surface which is at least one of radially clamped and glued to the arm outer surface in an area of the proximal end of the arm;

an inner support sleeve which is disposed at the proximal end of the arm at least partially in the arm cavity; and

a supply cable that extends through the inner support sleeve to the lighting head.