Grave slabs lighting system for cemeterial burial niches

Abstract: By means of feed network (1) the electric energy is brought, from the public body delivery point, to a diffuser system (2). Said system sheds the radiation, delivered by an artificial light source, on a terminal of a some number optical waveguide (3) which by means of a distribution conductors, placed on one or more risers (4) foreseen to supply on a wall part a group of flanked and superimposed cemeterial burial niches, light up each a grave slab coming out with their other terminal into socket (5).

Description: The invention refers to a new system, to lighten cemetery burial niches with light sources coming into grave slabs sockets put on wall for blocking the burial niches, which principally realizes a basic structural simplification and a major reliability giving the solution to the different problems existing in the actual plants. Consequently the invented system permits a substantial reduction of the realization and upkeeps plants costs, moreover the same is particularly suitable for manual and/or automatic check from information centre plants. The actual energy distribution systems for electric energy delivery, said "votive lights", for the cemetery burial grave slabs, including flanked and superimposed burial niches, provide initially a distribution network to bring energy from the public delivery point to the mount points of some burial niches series including one or more risers. Actually in each of said mount points it is necessary to seat a suitable box, or to provide a niche, to lodge in a protected position a transformer and the pertinent fuses to bring the energy from high to low voltage so to avoid damages for persons. From said box it goes away a conductors network on which ends are then put the sockets for the final application of the lamps. The above indicated system involves, besides the necessity of interventions and fabrication parts, different drawbacks: a) it is possible to have electric contacts and in particular to occur oxidation on the junctions; b) it is possible to determine short circuits and electric shock; c) it is difficult to look for system faults again and consequently it has leakage current; d) it is possible a sockets oxidation with consequent decay of the system and its eventual breakage; e) it is possible the lamps unscrewing owing to metal dilatation; f) it is possible a differentiated luminous intensity. For all the above indicated reasons said systems are particularly expensive both in their frabrication than in its management because it is necessary to provide constantly to an extraordinary management service for interventions and part replacement and also referring to the high drains caused by energy leakages that happen in the same. Moreover it is to add that, since the systems are not constantly controlled in a specific way, they are sometimes subjected to lamps theft or sockets damaging. The aim of the present invention is to provide a grave slabs lighting system for cemetery burial niches which does not have the aforesaid disadvantages. With this aim in view, according to the present invention, there is provided a grave slab lighting system for cemetery burial niches, characterized by supply means of electric energy from a public delivery point to a diffuser system, said system distributing the radiation delivered by an artificial light source on a first end of some optical fibers which pass through distribution ducts disposed on one or more raceways provided on a wall part of neighbouring burial niche groups and such that a second end of each fiber lights respectively a grave slab, said fiber second end emerging at In order to provide a better understanding of the present invention a preferred embodiment will now be described, purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective and partially-sectioned view of a system formed in accordance with the scope of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic view of a circuit of optical fibers of the system illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a view of cemetery burial niches provided with two systems of the Figure 1. With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, number 2 indicates a diffuser system for lighting cemetery burial niches with light sources. A feed network 1 brings the electric energy from the public delivery point to the diffuser system 2. With reference to figures 1, 2 and 3, the diffuser system 2 includes: a light source 7 fed by the network 1 and having one or more electric lamps 7a; a plurality of groups of optical fibers 3 which convey the radiation delivered by the source 7 to a plurality of sockets 5; and a first box 2a which houses the light source 7 and first ends of the optical fibers 3. The sockets 5 are installed in correspondence of a respective grave slab 6 and work only by support to the second ends of the optical fibers 3 which light through irradiation the respective grave slabs 6. The first box 2a presents an inner first body 9 which supports the said first ends of the optical fibers 3 and an inner second body 19 which supports the light source 7. The first ends of the optical fibers 3 extend into a space defined between the bodies 9 e 19 by some bores 8 realized on the body 9. The groups of the optical fibers 3 which originate from the box 2a are distributed in a plurality of conveyor ducts 10. The diffuser system 2 presents a distributor box 12 connected to the box 2a by a tubular junction 11 which conveys the conveyor ducts 10 to the same distributor box 12. The distributor box 12 presents a plurality of bores 13 by which the conveyor ducts 10 extend outside of the same distributor box 12. The conveyor ducts 10 are housed into respective raceways 4 having a "U" shaped holding part 14 and a cover part 15 which is mounted by pressure on the part 14 and which realizes a hydraulic seal of the raceway 4. In the example of actualization illustrated in Figure 1 and 3, the niches are obtained in a vertical wall in a plurality of stripes and columns. In this example the diffuser system 2 lights a plurality of grave slabs 6 distributed along four columns. The box 2a and the distributor box 12 are installed in a superior zone of said wall and from the distributor box 12 originate four raceways 4, one for each column. Two raceways 4 are central and two raceways 4 are lateral. The lateral raceways 4 present a horizontal length and a vertical length connected between them through corner joints 16. In correspondence of each line of niches, from duct 10 it results at least an optical fiber 3 that extends outside the correspondent raceway 4 and that steers toward the respective socket 5. The box 2a presents an anterior handhole 17 to reach its inside for the control and maintenance works. When a light point is excluded from the lighting, it is provided a cap 18 that in use covers the first end of the optical fiber 3. In a productive solution the light source 7 comprise more lamps 7a of which only one is activated. In case of damage of the lamps 7a it is provided the feeding of a supply lamp 7a by an automatic device working in an operative power plant and/or by a manual device. When a damage signalling arrives at the operative power plant, the automatic device provide to operate the starting of the supply lamp 7a. The manual device includes a warning light 20 installed on an external side of the box 2a and fitted to signal the damage of the activated lamp 7a, and a push-button 21 it too installed on the external side of the box 2a and by pressing which the operator controls the feeding of the supply lamp 7a. Particularly it is permitted the automatic check and management of the plant from a station using an optical fiber inserted into a diffuser system 2 that transmits signals to a suitable electronic device which sends triggers for the optical fiber opening or closing so to permit to activate only the use light points and vice versa to put off the drive. In the automatic plant it is provided on the diffuser system 2 a series of three lamps 7a one of that is activated by means of an automatic device which provides, in case of its fault, to change the same with another one of the series so to permit to avoid the occasional intervention because the fault lamp could be changed during the routine inspection. The invented system, by means of a new project that integrally replaces the illumination realized with lamps by means of electric mains with other one using luminosity conductors, determines a new plant engineering that principally avoids: a) the necessity to provide to the current transformation; b) to prepare electric joints or hookups; c) the use of electric contact sockets and of lamps; d) running interruptions owing to faults; e) the possibility to have differentiated luminous intensity; f) the possibility of field discharges; g) the electric creepage and at last h) the possible theft of the used lamps. The system uses the long and thin wires properties of transparent substances said "optical fibers", such as glass or plexiglas, with level ends to converge with high efficiency a luminous radiation flux from one of their end to the other one exploited the total internal reflection phenomena. In the different versions the diffuser, the distributor, the risers shape and number and the activating and working means could be differently realized. In particular said plants could be provided completely or in part of tubes with opening parts to permit working. The same could be provided completely or in part on walls so to permit a total adjustment of the invented system to the existing cemetery burial buildings.

Claims: Grave slab lighting system for cemetery burial niches, characterized by supply means of electric energy from a public delivery point to a diffuser system (2), said system distributing the radiation delivered by an artificial light source (7) on a first end of some optical fibers (3) which pass through distribution ducts (10) disposed on one or more raceways (4) provided on a wall part of neighbouring burial niche groups and such that a second end of each fiber lights respectively a grave slab (6), said fiber second end emerging at a socket (5). Grave slab lighting system for cemetery burial niches as claimed in Claim 1 characterized by the fact that it comprises a diffuser box (2a) which houses the said light source (7) and the first ends of the said optical fibers (3), a plurality of the said raceways (4) each of which conveys at least one of the said distribution ducts (10) to the said grave slabs (6), a distributor box (12) from which the said raceways (4) originate, and a tubular conduit (11) which conveys the said distribution ducts (10) from the said diffuser box (2a) to the said distributor box (12). Grave slab lighting system for cemetery burial niches as claimed in Claim 2 characterized by the fact that said raceways (4) comprises a holding part (14) and a cover part (15) which is mounted by pressure on the said holding part (14) and which realizes a hydraulic seal of the said raceways (4). Grave slab lighting system for cemetery burial niches as claimed in Claim 2 characterized by the fact that said diffuser box (2a) is provided of a handhole (17) to reach its inside for the control and maintenance works. Grave slab lighting system for cemetery burial niches as claimed in Claim 2 characterized by the fact that it comprises a cap (18) to cover a first end of one of the said optical fibers (3) so that to exclude lighting from the one of the said grave slabs (6). Grave slab lighting system for cemetery burial niches as claimed in at least one of the preceding Claims characterized by the fact that said light source (7) comprises a plurality of lamps (7a) of that one is activated and characterized by the fact that it comprises an automatic device which provides, in case of fault of the activated lamps (7a), to change the same with another one of the said lamps (7a) so to permit to avoid the occasional intervention because the fault lamp could be change during the routine inspection. Grave slab lighting system for cemetery burial niches as claimed in Claim 6 depending to Claim 2 characterized by the fact that it comprises a station for automatic check and management of the said system and using an optical fiber inserted into the said diffuser box (2a) that transmits signals to a suitable electronic device which sends triggers for the said optical fiber (3) opening or closing so to permit to activate only the use light points and vice versa to put off the drive. Grave slab lighting system for cemetery burial niches as claimed in Claim 6 characterized by the fact that it comprises a warning light (20) fitted to signal the damage of the activated lamp (7a) and a push-button (21) by pressing which the operator controls the feedind of a supply lamp (7a).

Inventors: PASELLI CARLO, PASELLI, CARLO
Applicants: SERTEC SYSTEM LIMITED
Application year: 1991
Main classification: F21V8
IPC codes: F21V8