Abstract:
Lighting appliance provided with an outer chassis made in such a way as to permit the operator to comfortably perform in situ a repair or maintenance operation if needed. Said chassis makes it possible to efficiently separate the light emission devices and the reflector and refractor means associated thereto from the power supply means guaranteeing that the section containing the LED devices is such as to ensure the required level of insulation from external elements, such as IP55 or more preferably IP67, even after the chassis has been opened and said section has been separated from the rest of the chassis.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is the 35 U.S.C. §371 national stage of PCT Application No. PCT/IT2013/0000240, filed Jan. 25, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety and which also claims priority to, and the benefit of, Italian Patent Application FI2012A000013, filed Jan. 26, 2012, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the technical field of lighting devices and apparatuses, in particular to the field of public and street lighting devices and apparatuses. 
     STATE OF THE ART 
     In the field of public and street lighting, lighting appliances using semiconductor light sources such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are becoming increasingly well established. 
     The use of LEDs makes it possible to produce lighting appliances characterised by a greater flexibility of use, greater energy efficiency and greater modularity. 
     The lighting appliances comprising LEDs generally comprise a plurality of LEDs, provided with relative optics and reflectors, suitable dissipators associated to said LEDs and appropriate power supply means suitable for providing the power supply current needed to said plurality of LEDs. 
     The appliances using semi-conductor light sources have a more complex internal structure than the corresponding appliances using traditional light sources. The use of semi-conductor light sources and corresponding power supply means permits a high degree of miniaturisation which is reflected in construction solutions of extremely reduced dimensions compared to the past. 
     The reduced dimensions of the lighting appliances entail obvious requirements to optimise the inner spaces which must house the components needed to ensure the necessary dissipation of heat generated by the electronic devices during their functioning and leave the operating space needed to perform maintenance and repairs. 
     In essence, the inner spaces of the aforesaid lighting appliances comprising electronic devices, not only must be such as to efficiently house the necessary electronic components but must also be organised in an easily accessible manner to simplify any in situ maintenance operations, particularly important in the case of public or street lighting, usually located in difficult positions for maintenance technicians to reach. 
     The patent application US2010/0172131 relates to an LED appliance for street lighting comprising an outer chassis, an LED module and a heat dissipation module. The LED module and the heat dissipation module being positioned inside said chassis. The LED module includes a frame, an electronic circuit bearing a plurality of LEDs, and a regulation mechanism of the lighting intensity. As shown by the figures appended to the application US2010/0172131, and in particular by  FIG. 2 , said outer chassis comprises a base and a cover inside which the various parts are housed and interconnected. It is clear that with such a structure, in the case of a need for maintenance or repair operations, the operator must preferably remove the lighting appliance from the post and take it to a suitable place for dismantling. In situ operations, while not impossible, are certainly extremely difficult given the position of the chassis cover and the relative attachment screws. The need to perform the maintenance operation not in situ also arises from the fact that opening the chassis exposes the LED devices to external atmospheric agents and this may represent a serious problem if exposure is prolonged over time. Humidity and impurities may in fact deposit on the emitting surfaces of the LEDs and on their dissipators considerably reducing the respective emission and dissipation capacity and causing, ultimately, a reduction of the performance and of the duration of the lighting appliance. 
     The patent U.S. Pat. No. 7,775,692 also relates to an LED street lighting appliance comprising an outer chassis inside which the light emitter devices and the relative power supply units with associated dissipators are housed. In this case too, the appended figures show a structure similar to that of the appliance described in the patent application US2010/0172131 as above, said outer chassis comprises a base and a cover inside which the various parts are housed and interconnected. In this case too, a maintenance or repair operation in situ is certainly complicated by the fact that said outer chassis substantially needs to be dismantled to be opened, an operation, which may prove complicated if not prohibitive on account of the functioning position of the lighting appliance suspended various meters above the ground. 
     The patent application FR2913484 describes an LED appliance for street lighting comprising an outer chassis, again provided with a base and a cover such that access to the inner parts necessarily entails the dismantling of the entire appliance making in situ maintenance or repair operations extremely difficult. 
     The United States patent application US 2008/0080188 describes a modular group for an LED light according to the preamble in claim  1 . In the event of maintenance or repair operations being needed, the operator must preferably remove the unit from the support post and take it to a suitable place for dismantling. 
     The United States patent application US 2005/0141219 describes a lighting appliance for indoor lighting. In relation to such appliance, maintenance and repair operations in situ will be very difficult on account for example of the position of the cover which forces the operator to work from underneath in a particularly awkward position. 
     The United States patent application US 2008/0002399 describes an LED modular lighting appliance for street lighting. In relation to such lighting appliance too, maintenance and repair operations in situ will be very difficult on account, for example, of the position of the cover which forces the operator to work from underneath and at a relatively great height in a particularly awkward position and manner. 
     The lighting appliance according to the present invention resolves the technical problem related to the drawbacks described above by introducing a lighting appliance provided with an outer chassis made in such a way as to permit the operator to comfortably perform in situ a repair or maintenance operation if needed. Said chassis makes it possible to efficiently separate the light emission devices and the reflector and refractor means associated thereto from the power supply means and permits simplified access to the inside without the need to remove screws (or with the need to remove only a few screws, for example two screws), movable attachment parts or covers. As well as this, the lighting appliance according to the invention provides that the section containing the LED devices is such as to guarantee the required level of insulation from external elements, such as IP55 or more preferably IP67, even after the chassis has been opened and said section has been separated from the rest of the chassis. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view from above of the lighting appliance according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view from below of the lighting appliance according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the chassis of the lighting appliance according to the present invention, in an open position. 
     
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Lighting appliance provided with an outer chassis made in such a way as to permit the operator to comfortably perform in situ a repair or maintenance operation if needed. Said chassis makes it possible to efficiently separate the light emission devices and the reflector and refractor means associated thereto from the power supply means guaranteeing that the section containing the LED devices is such as to ensure the required level of insulation from external elements, such as IP55 or more preferably IP67, even after the chassis has been opened and said section has been separated from the rest of the chassis. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the appended drawings, the lighting appliance according to the present invention comprises a chassis  10  in turn comprising a base  11  and a cover  12 , connected by means of suitable hinging means such as to permit the aperture of said base  11  and said cover  12  while keeping them connected to each other. 
     Said cover  12 , is suitable for receiving, in its widest part, a plurality of punctiform lighting devices  13  and, preferably, relative reflector and/or refractor means, the plurality of punctiform lighting devices preferably comprising high intensity LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). 
     Said base  11  comprises an inner compartment  14  having sufficient capacity to house suitable power supply means for said plurality of punctiform lighting devices  13  and reversible coupling means  15  to support posts, where present. 
     Advantageously, said inner compartment  14  will comprise appropriate inner anchorage means, suitable for favouring the arrangement and attachment in a stable manner of said power supply means and a gasket, positioned along the rim of said inner compartment  14  and suitable for insulating said inner compartment  14  from the atmospheric agents when the lighting appliance according to the present invention is functioning. According to a preferred embodiment, the inner anchorage means are of a removable type, and comprise for example an accessory plate which is removable without the use of screws and which permits a rapid replacement of the LED power supply units. 
     The lighting appliance according to the present invention will comprise, in addition, appropriate seats suitable for housing connection cables between the devices housed in said inner compartment  14  and said punctiform lighting devices  13 . Said cables will advantageously be fitted with suitable connectors so as to be able to easily separate the devices housed in said inner compartment  14  and said punctiform lighting devices  13 . 
     As may be seen clearly in  FIG. 3 , the cover  12  comprises a cover section  12 A, or cover portion  12 A, and an optical section  12 B, or optical portion  12 B. As may be seen in the appended drawings, the optical section  12 B is provided to receive the aforesaid plurality of punctiform lighting devices  13  and, preferably, the relative reflector and/or refractor means, and is an extension of the cover section  12 A. In particular, if, as in the example shown, the cover  12  has a main longitudinal direction of extension P 1  ( FIG. 1 ), the optical section  12 B is an extension of the cover section  12 B in the main longitudinal direction of extension P 1 . 
     It is to be observed that the aforementioned hinging means are such as to permit the cover  12  to respectively assume, while keeping the base  11  and the cover  12  connected to each other, a closed configuration ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) and an open configuration ( FIG. 3 ). In the closed configuration, the cover section  12 A covers the inner compartment  14  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). In the open configuration, the cover section  12 A is positioned in such a way as to expose the inner compartment to permit access thereto ( FIG. 3 ). In particular, as may be seen for example in  FIG. 2 , in the closed configuration of the cover the optical section  12 B is positioned alongside the inner compartment  14 . More in particular, in the closed configuration of the cover the optical section  12 B is positioned laterally alongside the inner compartment  14 . With cross-reference to the  FIGS. 1-3 , is it moreover evident that in the closed configuration of the cover  12  the cover section  12 A and the base  11  are suitable for defining a closed or substantially closed chamber comprising the inner compartment  14 . In particular, according to a currently preferred embodiment, such closed chamber has an IP67 protection level. As may be seen for example in  FIG. 2 , the optical section  12 B extends outwards of such closed chamber. 
     With cross-reference to the  FIGS. 2 and 3 , one may observe that the base  11  comprises an bottom wall  11 A suitable for defining the inner compartment  14 , and the optical section  12 B comprises a lighting face  13 A suitable for being operatively crossed by the luminous radiation emitted by the punctiform lighting devices  13  received in the optical section  12 B, and preferably, by the relative reflector and/or refractor means. In particular, as may be seen in  FIG. 2 , in the closed configuration of the cover  12  the lighting face  13 A is substantially aligned and positioned alongside the bottom wall  11 A. Again with reference to  FIG. 2  one may also observe, that the optical section  12 B is such as to receive the punctiform lighting devices  13  in such a way that in the closed configuration of the cover  12  the punctiform lighting devices  13 , and preferably, the relative reflector and/or refractor means, are positioned to illuminate from the side opposite the cover section  12 A. 
     The structure of the lighting appliance according to the present invention allows an operator to perform maintenance or repair operations in situ, in that the inner compartment  14  of said appliance is easily accessible without the need to dismantle parts and leaves both hands free to operate on the internal components without the need for auxiliary support surfaces on which to rest the dismantled arts and without having to adopt awkward positions on account of the position and orientation of the lighting appliance to be operated on. 
     Advantageously, said hinging means suitable for connecting said base  11  to said cover  12 , are made by means of a pair of hinges  16  of the type with a removable pin. Advantageously, moreover, said pair of hinges  16  is positioned in such a way that the axis passing through said pair of hinges  16  is shifted, in relation to the barycentre of said cover  12 , towards the area of lesser width, not comprising said punctiform lighting devices  13 . 
     This makes it possible to achieve, when the cover  12  is opened, a naturally stable position of said cover  12  approximately orthogonal to said base  11  and such as to fully expose said inner compartment  14  to the operator. 
     As may be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the hinge axis of the hinging means, which in the example corresponds to the aforementioned axis passing through the pair of hinges  16 , is positioned orthogonally or substantially orthogonally to the aforementioned main longitudinal extension direction P 1 . 
     The use of a pair of hinges  16  with removable pin instead permits, as needed, the separation of said cover  12 , comprising a plurality of punctiform lighting devices  13  and preferably relative reflector and/or refractor means, from said base  11  and the replacement if necessary of the entire optical unit of the lighting appliance should it be required. 
     It may be observed that, by means of the lighting apparatus according to the present description, a public lighting apparatus may be provided, such as for example a lamp-post for street lighting, comprising a lighting apparatus according to the present description and a support post to which such lighting apparatus is attached. It is to be observed that the present invention also relates to such public lighting apparatus.