Modular electric system

• US 8,184,445 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Joseph Hendrik Anna Maria, Hente, Dirk, Waffenschmidt, Eberhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Xiaoliang
• Application Number:
  US12/525,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 361/760, 361/601, 361/622, 361/681, 361/725, 361/731
• US Class Current: 361/760
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/096 Magnetic devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/34 Supporting elements displaceable along a guiding element telescopic mounting of lighting devices F21V21/22
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/00 Planar light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/15 Organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/64 Means for preventing incorrect coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/147 Low voltage devices, i.e. safe to touch live conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/00 Circuit arrangements or apparatus for operating incandescent light sources structurally associated with the incandescent lamps H01K1/62
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/60 Circuit arrangements for operating LEDs comprising organic material, e.g. for operating organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/083 Magnetic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/168 Wrong mounting prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/303 Surface mounted components, e.g. affixing before soldering, aligning means, spacing means H05K3/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/325 : by abutting or pinching, i.e. without alloying process; mechanical auxiliary parts therefor adaptations of leads inserted in holes for press-fit connections H05K3/308
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 : Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/18 : Tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/90 : Assemblies of multiple devices comprising at least one organic light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 : Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modular electric system with a base module (2, 11) comprising a substrate (3, 12), a power supply (40), power/data transmission means (4, 16) and holding means; at least one load module (7, 20, 30) comprising an cc electric load, a power/data receiving means (8, 26) and a holding means, said load module (7, 20, 30) being adapted to be placeable on said substrate (3, 12) in first and second positions, wherein in said first position (connecting position) the transmission means (4, 16) of said base module interact with said receiving means (8, 26) of said load module (7, 20, 30) and in said second position (repelling position) interaction of said transmission means (4, 16) and said receiving means (26) is not allowed or possible. The modular electric system is characterized in that said holding means of said base module and said load module comprise magnet elements (5, 9, 49, 59) which are arranged relative to each other such that the load module (7, 20, 30) is removably held in said first position and is not held in said second position.

Claims

1. Modular electric system, comprising:

a base module comprising;

a substrate,

a power supply,

means for transmitting power and/or data and

first holding means;

at least one load module comprising;

an electric load,

means for receiving power and/or data and

second holding means,

wherein said load module is placeable on said substrate in at least first and second positions such that said means for transmitting power and/or data interact with said means for receiving power and/or data in said first position, but not in said second position; and

wherein said first and second holding means comprise magnet elements arranged relative to each other for removably securing said load module in said first position, but not in the second position.

2. Modular electric system of claim 1, wherein said electric load is a light unit.

3. Modular electric system of claim 1, wherein said means for transmitting power and/or data comprises at least two electrodes, and said means for receiving power and/or data comprises at least two electrode connector elements.

4. Modular electric system of claim 1, wherein said power and/or data is transmitted from the said base module and/or received by said load module wirelessly.

5. Modular electric system of claim 1, wherein said first holding means comprises at least two magnet elements with similar orientation of polarization, and said second holding means comprises at least two magnet elements with similar orientation of polarization.

6. Modular electric system of claim 1, wherein the magnet elements of said base module and said load module are oriented with respect to polarization such that in the second position at least one magnet element of said base module repels an adjacent magnet element of said load module.

7. Modular electric system of claim 1, wherein said load module comprises a substantially rectangular frame and second holding means comprises an arrangement of at least four magnet elements arranged in four corners of said frame, and said first holding means comprises at least one arrangement of at least four magnet elements disposed so as to engage said second holding means.

8. Modular electric system of claim 7, wherein said first holding means comprises a plurality of arrangements of four magnet elements distributed on the substrate.

9. Modular electric system of claim 3, wherein at least two electrodes are provided on said substrate in the form of elongated parallel conductor lines, and said load module comprises at least two electrode connector elements spaced apart according to the spacing of said conductor lines.