Patent Description:
Outdoor lighting assemblies, in particular sconces, are known and typically comprise a light fitting mounted against an upright support (e.g. a wall, gate, post or the like). The light fitting usually allows to mount a light emitting element (e.g. a lamp, LED or the like) thereon. Light fittings with the light emitting element embedded or integrated therein are also known. A cover is normally mounted on the light fitting for various reasons, such as shielding areas of the light fitting from environmental conditions, guidance of light emitted from the light emitting element, aesthetic considerations, etc. In order to avoid the light fitting to be visible from the outside, covers with one or more transparent regions (allowing light emitted by the light emitting element to pass therethrough) are known which completely enclose the light fitting.

A common way of mounting such an outdoor lighting assembly is to mount the light fitting, for example its rear wall, directly to the upright support, e.g. using common mounting means such as screws, bolts, glue or the like. Power is typically supplied to the light emitting element by connecting a power cable in the upright support to the light fitting. The cover is then placed on the mounted light fitting and fixed thereto. For that purpose, the light fitting is provided with multiple threaded openings corresponding to multiple threaded openings in the cover allowing the use of screws or bolts (i.e. threaded fastening means) to attach the cover to the light fitting. Alternatively, it is known to use snap click fit means to attach the cover to the light fitting. Prior art assemblies are known from <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

The present invention is particularly focussed on outdoor lighting assemblies for mounting on outdoor closure systems, such as gates, fences, posts, or the like, which comprise mainly metal components. The metal components of such closure systems normally undergo various treatment steps during manufacture in order to provide desired surface properties (e.g. finish, anti-corrosive properties, colour, etc.). These treatment steps may involve operations such as: pickling, chromating, rinsing, etc. For outdoors use, it is common that a powder coating is applied, for example through electrostatic coating, which then hardens to a solid coating film (e.g. through heating in an oven at temperatures between <NUM> and <NUM>, particularly between <NUM> and <NUM>). The coating film typically has a thickness between <NUM> and <NUM>, with particular lower limits of <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> and with particular upper limits of <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>. In the context of such an outdoor closure system with outdoor light assembly, it is desirable that all exterior visible components have the same look and finish (e.g. surface protection, colour, texture, etc.).

It is an object of the present invention to provide an outdoor lighting assembly which may be provided with a same look and finish as the outdoor metallic closure system on which it is to be mounted.

This object is achieved according to the invention with an outdoor light assembly for mounting against an upright support, the outdoor light assembly comprising: a light fitting comprising a rear wall configured to be mounted against the upright support, a bottom wall and a top wall, the bottom wall being provided with a light emission opening allowing light generated by a light source to pass therethrough, the top wall being provided with at least one threaded opening; a cover fixed on the light fitting and comprising a top wall, a bottom wall and a side wall, the top wall comprising at least one opening aligned with said at least one threaded opening and the bottom wall comprising a further light emission opening aligned with the light emission opening; at least one fastening member which comprises a threaded shaft disposed in said at least one threaded opening in the light fitting, a head disposed in said at least one opening in the cover, and a collar interposed between the head and the threaded shaft, the collar engaging an inner side of the top wall of the cover; and mutually cooperating securing means between the light fitting and the cover.

The present invention is based, in part, on the realization that, a same look and finish for all the exterior visible components can be achieved by subjecting the cover of the light assembly with the same treatment steps as the upright support on which the light assembly is to be mounted. However, the inventor realized that the application of a powder coating caused issues in the existing covers as the threads became clogged with the applied powder coating to such an extent that these were no longer suited for attaching the cover to the light fitting.

In view of this issue, the inventor considered relying on different means for fastening the cover to the light fitting. Known snap click fit means were attempted. However, as the light assembly is meant for outdoors use, the known snap click fit means introduced the risk that the cover became loose, e.g. due to high winds, animal or human intervention. A solution to reduce this risk was considered in the form of an additional securing by means of a screw or bolt, but this required the presence of threads in the cover and therefore does not solve the problem with powder coating. Another solution that was considered was to reduce spacing between the cover and the light fitting thereby increasing the force that the snap click fit means are able to handle. However, due to manufacturing tolerances, such narrow fitting snap click fit means led to friction and damage to the powder coating when placing the cover on the light fitting. As the light assembly is meant for outdoors use, any damage to the protective powder coating in the cover is undesirable as this can lead to corrosion.

The outdoor light assembly according to the present invention relies on a cover that is attached to the light fitting using specific fastening means. More specifically, the light fitting has one or more threaded openings in which the threaded part of one or more fastening members are positioned. As the light fitting is an internal component, there is no need to powder coat this so the provision of threads is not an issue. The head of each fastening member is disposed in a corresponding opening in the cover. Each fastening member is provided with a collar between the head and the threaded part. The collar engages the inner surface of the cover which surrounds to opening in which the head of the fastening member is placed. Each fastening member can be rotated (due to the presence of the threads) thereby causing the collar to move closer or farther away from the light fitting. By moving the collar further away from the light fitting, a force is exerted on the cover to urge this away from the light fitting. This force allows to place and maintain the mutually cooperating securing means in a securing state. In this manner, the fastening members and the mutually cooperating securing means fix the cover on the light fitting without requiring threads in the cover or without requiring tight-fitting elements. The cover can therefore be subjected with the same treatment steps, in particular the application of a powder coating, as the upright support on which the light assembly is to be mounted so that all exterior visible components have the same look and finish.

In an embodiment of the present invention said mutually cooperating securing means are provided on the bottom wall of the light fitting and on the bottom wall of the cover, said mutually cooperating securing means preferably comprising a male member and a female member which slidingly engage with one another. Providing the mutually cooperating securing means on the bottom is advantageous due to the placement of the fastening members on the top side of the outdoor light assembly. More specifically, the fastening members on the top side urge the cover upwards with respect to the light fitting so that relatively simple securing means (e.g. a pin and hole) can be used on the bottom side whereas a hook-shaped element would be required for securing means placed on the side of the outdoor light assembly. Furthermore, the use of slidingly engaging male and female members requires a less complex relative motion of the cover and light fitting when compared to hook elements that typically require a motion in two mutually perpendicular directions.

In an embodiment of the present invention said mutually cooperating securing means comprise a circumferential ridge provided on the light fitting which engages a circumferential wall delimiting said further light emission opening in the cover. Preferably, the circumferential ridge is formed by a transparent cover element, such as an optical element (e.g. a lens or diffusor), mounted on the light fitting and fitted in the further light emission opening in the cover, the transparent cover element more preferably being flush with an outer surface of the bottom wall of the cover. As a light emission opening needs to be provided in the cover in any case (otherwise no light will be visible outside the light assembly), the use of the circumferential wall of this opening as part of the mutually cooperating securing means allows a single element to have a double function thus reducing design complexity. Using an optical element to form the circumferential ridge is advantageous as this element can be manufactured separately from the light fitting thus lowering the complexity of the light fitting when compared to a design where the light fitting is to provide the ridge. Having the optical element flush with the outside of the cover is not only aesthetically pleasing but also provides a more secure light assembly as it is more difficult to remove or damage the optical element.

In an embodiment of the present invention the cover is made from metal, preferably aluminium, and/or the cover is powder coated. These options allow to manufacture the cover from the same range of materials and finishes as the upright support on which it is to be mounted.

In an embodiment of the present invention the outdoor light assembly further comprises a transparent cover element (such as an optical element, e.g. an optical focusing element, such as a lens, an optical diffusing element, such as a diffusor, or an optical viewing element, such as a window) at least partially disposed in the further light emission opening in the cover, the transparent cover element preferably being flush with an outer surface of the bottom wall of the cover. Preferably, when the outdoor light assembly is mounted on said upright support, the cover and the transparent cover together (i.e. jointly) completely cover the light fitting. A transparent cover element is desired to avoid the further light emission opening being open which would expose the light fitting to the outdoors environment, which is undesirable. Having the transparent cover element flush with the outside of the cover is not only aesthetically pleasing but also provides a more secure light assembly as it is more difficult to remove or damage the transparent cover element. Moreover, completely covering the light fitting is desired in order to optimize its protection from outdoors environment and further creates an aesthetically pleasing design.

In an embodiment of the present invention the outdoor light assembly further comprises said light source mounted on the light fitting, the light source having an Ingress Protection <NUM>, preferably, <NUM> or <NUM> rating. Having an Ingress Protection <NUM> or preferably <NUM> or <NUM> rating greatly reduces the risk of damage to the electrical components due to the outdoors environment, e.g. precipitation. A downside of this embodiment is that the light source has to be embedded in a protective casing or cover meaning that a replacement of a defective light emitting element is very complex and may not even be possible thus requiring a complete replacement of the light source.

In an embodiment of the present invention said at least one fastening member is formed by a collar screw or collar bolt. This allows to use known elements as fastening members thus avoiding the need for special production facilities.

In an embodiment of the present invention the rear wall of the light fitting is provided with mounting means to mount the rear wall to the upright support. Having such mounting means provided in the light fitting reduces the need for separate additional means, thus avoiding additional components to be provided and simplifying the mounting procedure.

In an embodiment of the present invention said light fitting comprises said light source, preferably an LED light source, which is particularly integrated in said light fitting. Providing the light source with the light fitting likewise reduces the need for separate additional means. Integrating the light source may further aid in achieving an Ingress Protection <NUM> or <NUM> or <NUM> rating, the advantages of which were described above.

In an embodiment of the present invention, said light source is an LED light source, the light fitting forming or comprising a heat sink for the LED light source. Overheating is a known issue for LEDs and may lead to a reduced lifetime. Providing a heatsink avoids the LEDs from overheating. The heatsink may be provided by manufacturing the light fitting from a thermally conductive material, such as a metal (e.g. aluminium). Contact between the light fitting and the upright support causes a further heat dissipation if this should be required. Alternatively, a metal element (or an element with a high thermal conductivity) may be provided in a plastic light fitting. The metal element then acts as the heatsink or may thermally connect the LEDs to the upright support where the heat can dissipate over a large material volume.

In an embodiment of the present invention said at least one opening in the cover is free from threads, wherein preferably the entire cover is free from threads. As mentioned above, avoiding threads allows the cover to be powder coated.

The object according to the present invention is also achieved with a method of mounting the outdoor light assembly as described above on an upright support, the method comprising: mounting the light fitting onto the upright support with the head of said at least one fastening member being located inside the top wall of the light fitting; sliding the cover onto the light fitting until said at least one opening in the cover is aligned with said at least one threaded opening in the light fitting and said further light emission opening in the cover is aligned with the light emission opening in the light fitting; and rotating said at least one fastening member such that the head is located inside said at least one opening in the cover with the collar engaging the inner side of the top wall of the cover. The method results in an upright support with the outdoor light assembly as described above mounted thereon and thus achieves the same advantages.

In an embodiment of the present invention rotating said at least one fastening member slides the cover upwards with respect to the light fitting thereby securing the mutually cooperating securing means. The advantages of slidingly engaging securing means has been described above.

The object according to the present invention is also achieved with an outdoor closure system, such as a gate or fence, comprising an upright support and the outdoor light assembly as described above mounted on the upright support, the cover of the outdoor light assembly and the upright support preferably having a same surface finish. The outdoor closure system includes the outdoor light assembly as described above and thus achieves the same advantages.

The object according to the present invention is also achieved with a kit of parts for constructing the outdoor light assembly as described above, the kit of parts comprising: the light fitting, the cover, and the at least one fastening member. The kit of parts allows to construct the outdoor light assembly as described above and thus achieves the same advantages.

The invention will be further explained by means of the following description and the appended figures.

Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are to be interpreted in relation to the outdoor light assembly when mounted on an upright support.

<FIG> show different perspective views, <FIG> particularly shows a bottom view and <FIG> particularly shows a top view, of an upright (such as vertical) support <NUM> on which an outdoor light assembly <NUM> according to the present invention is mounted. The upright support <NUM> is typically part of an outdoor closure system, such as a fence, gate, or the like, and is most often formed by a fixed post. In the illustrated embodiment, the upright support <NUM> is formed by a hollow metal, in particular stainless steel, aluminium or the like, tube. A hollow structure is beneficial as this provides a convenient manner to provide power to the outdoor light assembly <NUM>, e.g. by a power cable, in a manner not visible from the exterior of the closure system. The upright support <NUM> may be made, for example, using extrusion moulding.

The outdoor light assembly <NUM> is shown in perspective views in <FIG>. The outdoor light assembly <NUM> comprises a light fitting <NUM> surrounded by a cover <NUM>. The light fitting <NUM> is shown in <FIG>, where <FIG> shows a front-bottom perspective view; <FIG> shows a rear-bottom perspective view; and <FIG> shows a top view, whereas the cover <NUM> is shown in <FIG>, where <FIG> shows a front-bottom perspective view; and <FIG> shows a rear-bottom perspective view.

The light fitting <NUM> of the illustrated embodiments is generally L-shaped and includes a rear wall <NUM>, a bottom wall <NUM>, and a top wall <NUM>.

The bottom wall <NUM> is provided with a light emission opening <NUM> (indicated in <FIG>) allowing light from a light emitting element (not shown) to pass therethrough.

The rear wall <NUM> is provided with an power opening <NUM> allowing a power cable <NUM> to pass therethrough. The rear wall <NUM> is further provided with a fixation opening <NUM> surrounded by a square (in general non-circular) recess <NUM>. The fixation opening <NUM> and recess <NUM> allow to mount the light fitting <NUM> on the upright support <NUM> using a fixture set as described in <CIT> or in <CIT>. More specifically, the fixture set includes a bolt <NUM> which is inserted through the opening <NUM> in the light fitting <NUM> into a fixation element <NUM> having a square cross-section that fits into the recess <NUM>. The bolt <NUM> is screwed into an automatically fastening nut element <NUM> that is located inside the upright support <NUM>. It will be readily appreciated that more or fewer fixture sets may be used to fix the light fitting <NUM> to the support <NUM>. Moreover, other fastening means may also be used.

The top wall <NUM> is provided with two threaded openings <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the openings <NUM> are directly provided with an internal thread (e.g. a bolt thread or a screw thread). However, in other embodiments, the openings have a smooth inside surface and a nut element is present to provide the thread. The nut element may be fixed inside the opening or located underneath it. It will be readily appreciated that more or fewer threaded openings <NUM> may be provided.

The light fitting <NUM> is typically made from a plastic material and particularly from a thermoplastic polymer material, such polyamide, polyethene, polyoxymethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic polyurethane, and the like. The use of a thermoplastic material is preferred as this allows producing the light fitting <NUM> using moulding operations, such as injection moulding.

In alternative embodiments, the light fitting <NUM> is made from a metal, preferably aluminium. This may be achieved by a casting operation. Although a plastic light fitting is easier and cheaper to manufacture, a metal light fitting has the advantage that it provides a heat sink for a light emitting element (not shown) mounted on the light fitting <NUM>. Especially when using LEDs as light emitting element, a heatsink is advantageous so as to avoid overheating of the LEDs.

A heatsink may also be provided in a plastic light fitting <NUM> by the provision of a metal (e.g. aluminium) element (e.g. a plate) in thermal connection (e.g. by direct contact or by indirect contact with one or more elements having a high thermal conductivity) with the light emitting elements. Preferably, the heat sink is also in thermal connection with the upright support where the heat has a sufficient area to dissipate.

The cover <NUM> has a bottom wall <NUM>, a top wall <NUM>, and a side wall <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the side wall <NUM> has a curved section, but other designs are possible, e.g. a U-shaped side wall. The shape of the side wall <NUM> is mainly determined for aesthetic reasons. In the illustrated embodiment, the side wall <NUM> forms a closed surface, however one or more openings may be provided thereby allowing additional illumination.

The bottom wall <NUM> is provided with a light emission opening <NUM> allowing light from a light emitting element (not shown) to pass therethrough. The light emission opening <NUM> in the cover <NUM> is aligned with the light emission opening <NUM> in the light fitting <NUM>. It will be readily appreciated that the light emission openings <NUM>, <NUM> may have different shapes besides the illustrated circular one, for example rectangular, square, oval, etc. The light emission openings <NUM>, <NUM> may each have a different shape.

The top wall <NUM> is provided with two openings <NUM> which are aligned with respective ones of the threaded openings <NUM> in the light fitting <NUM>. It will be readily appreciated that more or fewer openings <NUM> may be provided. These openings <NUM> are free from any form of threads.

Details on how the cover <NUM> is fixed to the light fitting <NUM> are described in relation to <FIG>. However, before going into detail, we first turn our attention to <FIG> which illustrates some additional components mounted on the light fitting <NUM>. More specifically, a light source <NUM> is mounted on the bottom wall <NUM> of the light fitting <NUM>. The light source <NUM> is connected to the power cable <NUM> and is provided with one or more light emitting elements (not shown) to provide the desired illumination. The light emitting elements may comprise one or more LED elements. The light source <NUM> has an Ingress Protection (IP) <NUM> rating, although other IP ratings, such as IP <NUM> or <NUM> rating, are also possible. Naturally, the connection between the power cable <NUM> and the light source <NUM> is preferably also made in compliance with the desired IP rating, e.g. by using waterproof seals and/or connections.

Besides the light source <NUM>, a protective transparent cover <NUM> is also mounted on the outer surface of the bottom wall <NUM> of the light fitting <NUM>. This cover <NUM> covers the light emission opening <NUM> and protrudes with respect to the outer surface of the bottom wall <NUM> as shown in <FIG> also shows the presence of an optical element <NUM> (e.g. a lens, diffusor, or the like) interposed between the light source <NUM> and the protective transparent cover <NUM>.

Two fastening members <NUM> are also positioned in the light fitting <NUM>. More specifically, these are disposed in the threaded openings <NUM>. Naturally, more or fewer fastening members <NUM> may be used depending on the number of threaded openings. As shown in <FIG>, each fastening member <NUM> comprises a threaded shaft <NUM>, a head <NUM>, and a collar <NUM> interposed therebetween. The fastening members <NUM> may be formed by collar bolts or collar screws.

The way of mounting the outdoor light assembly <NUM> on the upright support <NUM> is described next. In a first stage, the light fitting <NUM> is mounted on the upright support <NUM>. To this end, two openings are provided in the support <NUM>, namely one for a mechanical connection using the fixture set <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and one for the power cable <NUM>. The light fitting <NUM> is mounted using the fixture set (or other conventional means).

At this stage, the fastening members <NUM> are inside the light fitting <NUM>. More specifically, the heads <NUM> are flush (or protrude only over a small distance) with the outer surface of the top wall <NUM> of the light fitting <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. In this way, the cover <NUM> can be slid onto the light fitting <NUM> to arrive at the state illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. The top wall <NUM> of the cover <NUM>, in particular an inner surface thereof, is resting on the top wall <NUM> of the light fitting <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, there is a gap <NUM> between the bottom wall <NUM> of the cover <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM> of the light fitting <NUM>.

In the next stage, the fastening members <NUM> are rotated. This may be achieved by inserting a tool (e.g. a hex key) into a hex-shaped hole <NUM> provided in the head <NUM> of the fastening member <NUM>. Other shapes besides a hex shape are known to the skilled person. Rotating the fastening members <NUM> causes, due to the threaded parts <NUM>, <NUM>, a sliding motion thereof with respect to the light fitting <NUM>. More specifically, the collar <NUM> is moved away from the top wall <NUM> of the light fitting <NUM> and engages an inner side <NUM> of the top wall <NUM> of the cover <NUM> surrounding the openings <NUM>. In this manner, the cover <NUM> is slid upwards with respect to the light fitting <NUM> and the protective cover <NUM> is slid into the light emission opening <NUM> provided in the bottom wall <NUM> of the cover <NUM>. Once the outer surface of the cover <NUM> is flush with the outer surface of the bottom wall <NUM> of the cover <NUM>, upwards motion of the cover <NUM> is stopped by the bottom wall <NUM> of the cover <NUM> abutting against the bottom wall <NUM> of the light fitting <NUM>. The heads <NUM> are deposed in the openings <NUM> in the cover <NUM>. This state is shown in <FIG> and <FIG> where a gap <NUM> is present between the top wall <NUM> of the cover <NUM> and the top wall <NUM> of the light fitting <NUM>.

In the illustrated embodiment, the protective transparent cover <NUM> forms a circumferential ridge (i.e. a male element) on the light fitting <NUM> which engages a circumferential wall <NUM> (i.e. a female element) delimiting the light emission opening <NUM> in the cover <NUM>. These elements thus acts as mutually cooperating securing means (in addition to the heads <NUM> being deposed in the openings <NUM>) and prevent the cover <NUM> from being detached from the light fitting <NUM> without rotating the fastening members <NUM>.

It will be readily appreciated that, besides the cover <NUM> fitting in the light emission opening <NUM>, additional mutually cooperating securing means may be provided between the light fitting <NUM> and the cover <NUM>. Examples are a protrusion (e.g. a pin) on the bottom wall <NUM> of the light fitting <NUM> which fits into a corresponding hole on the bottom wall <NUM> of the cover <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An outdoor light assembly (<NUM>) for mounting against an upright support (<NUM>), the outdoor light assembly comprising:
- a light fitting (<NUM>) comprising a rear wall (<NUM>) configured to be mounted against the upright support, a bottom wall (<NUM>) and a top wall (<NUM>), the bottom wall being provided with a light emission opening (<NUM>) allowing light generated by a light source (<NUM>) to pass therethrough, the top wall being provided with at least one threaded opening (<NUM>); and
- a cover (<NUM>) fixed on the light fitting and comprising a top wall (<NUM>), a bottom wall (<NUM>) and a side wall (<NUM>), the top wall comprising at least one opening (<NUM>) aligned with said at least one threaded opening and the bottom wall comprising a further light emission opening (<NUM>) aligned with the light emission opening,
characterized in that the outdoor light assembly further comprises:
- at least one fastening member (<NUM>) which comprises a threaded shaft (<NUM>) disposed in said at least one threaded opening (<NUM>) in the light fitting, a head (<NUM>) disposed in said at least one opening (<NUM>) in the cover, and a collar (<NUM>) interposed between the head and the threaded shaft, the collar engaging an inner side (<NUM>) of the top wall of the cover; and
- mutually cooperating securing means between the light fitting and the cover.