Patent Description:
Within the field of lighting, light blade lighting devices, which are therefore provided with a light beam having a preferential plane, are becoming more and more widespread. These devices therefore need to be directed in the correct manner. Examples of lighting apparatus of the state of the art are disclosed in documents <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>. Further examples are disclosed in <CIT> and <CIT>.

The object of the present invention is to provide a lighting apparatus that can be easily directed and can meet the requirements discussed above.

This object is achieved by a lighting apparatus as per claim <NUM>.

The features and the advantages of the lighting apparatus according to the present invention will become clear from the description given below by way of nonlimiting example and in accordance with the attached drawings, in which:.

With reference to the attached drawings, reference numeral <NUM> represents a lighting apparatus provided with a light source <NUM>.

The light source <NUM> emits a focused (directed), in other words not scattered, light beam, which is therefore provided with a preferential axis and/or plane. In other words, by directing the light source <NUM>, it is possible to direct the light beam.

In one embodiment shown in <FIG>, the light source <NUM> comprises a diffuser globe <NUM> that extends along one plane; in this example, the diffuser globe <NUM> is semicircular or semi-discoidal. Therefore, the light beam emitted by the light source <NUM> has a preferential plane that corresponds to the plane of the diffuser globe <NUM>. In this embodiment, the light source <NUM> emits a light blade beam.

In another embodiment, the light source <NUM> is provided with a plurality of diffuser globes and therefore emits a light beam that is not scattered, in other words that is provided with a preferential axis and/or plane.

Preferably, the light source <NUM> is an LED.

The lighting apparatus <NUM> is an LED spotlight, for example.

The lighting apparatus <NUM> comprises a lamp body <NUM> that is supported by a support <NUM>.

The lamp body <NUM> comprises a main body <NUM>, which houses the light source <NUM> and is covered by an outer body <NUM>, at least in part.

The main body <NUM> extends along a longitudinal axis X.

The main body <NUM> comprises a front portion <NUM> in which the light source <NUM> is fixed, and a rear portion <NUM> from which a power supply cable (not shown) leaves.

The main body <NUM> also houses the printed circuit board <NUM> for the light source <NUM>.

A cable grommet <NUM> for the power supply cable is arranged in the rear portion <NUM>, preferably in the back wall <NUM>.

The outer body <NUM> is a casing intended to cover the main body <NUM>, at least in part, in particular in order to conceal the light source <NUM> from the user's view, while letting out the light beam.

The outer body <NUM> also extends along a longitudinal axis X.

The outer body <NUM> defines a compartment <NUM> on the inside, into which at least part of the main body <NUM> is inserted.

The outer body <NUM> is provided with a front opening <NUM> and with a rear opening <NUM>; the front <NUM> and rear <NUM> openings allow access to the compartment <NUM>.

Preferably, the outer body <NUM> and the main body <NUM> are integrally joined for conjoint rotation by coupling means <NUM>, <NUM>. In fact, the outer body <NUM> acts as a handle for the user intending to direct the light beam emitted by the light source <NUM> of the lighting apparatus <NUM>. The user therefore grasps the outer body <NUM> and rotating it about the longitudinal axis X: due to the coupling means, the rotational movement of the outer body <NUM> is transmitted to the main body <NUM> that houses the light source <NUM>. Therefore, the lamp body <NUM> can rotate about the longitudinal axis X.

For example, the coupling means are at least one tab <NUM>, which protrudes into the compartment <NUM> and can engage in a suitable groove <NUM> (or in a compartment or a depression or a channel) arranged in the main body <NUM>.

The coupling means <NUM>, <NUM> preferably also extend along a longitudinal axis X. During mounting of the lamp body <NUM> of the lighting apparatus <NUM>, the main body <NUM> is inserted into the outer body <NUM> along the longitudinal axis X such that the tab <NUM> is inserted and slides in the groove <NUM>.

The coupling means preferably comprise a pair of tabs <NUM> and a relative pair of grooves <NUM>. The tabs <NUM> are preferably arranged symmetrically on the main body <NUM>.

The outer body <NUM> and the main body <NUM> are preferably fixed to one another by locking means <NUM>. The locking means advantageously prevent the main body <NUM> from leaving the outer body <NUM>, via the front opening <NUM>, by sliding along the longitudinal axis X.

In one embodiment, the locking means comprise a screw <NUM> that is associated with the main body <NUM> and can be screwed into a suitable abutment arranged on the outer body <NUM>.

The screw <NUM> is preferably inserted from the back wall <NUM> of the rear portion <NUM>, through the main body <NUM>, and exits in the front portion <NUM>.

Two locking screws <NUM> are preferably provided.

The lighting apparatus <NUM> also comprises a support <NUM>.

The support <NUM> comprises a bearing base <NUM> from which a stem <NUM> extends that bears a bracket <NUM> that can support the lamp body <NUM>.

The bearing base <NUM> comprises a stand <NUM> on which an outer body <NUM> is arranged such that it can rotate about a vertical axis Y. By fixing the bracket <NUM> to the outer body <NUM>, the lamp body <NUM> can also rotate about the vertical axis Y.

The bearing base <NUM> preferably comprises anti-rotation means <NUM>, for example screws or grub screws, which lock the outer body <NUM> with respect to the stand <NUM> in order to prevent any unwanted rotational movements about the vertical axis Y.

The bracket <NUM> is fixed to the stem <NUM> by means of a hinge <NUM> that allows said bracket to rotate about a transverse axis Z. Therefore, the lamp body <NUM> can rotate about the vertical axis Y.

The bracket <NUM> comprises an annular body <NUM>, which defines a support compartment <NUM> into which the lamp body <NUM> can be inserted.

The body <NUM> is preferably obtained from a strip of flexible material folded back on itself to form a ring.

The body <NUM> preferably comprises two ends <NUM> that are joined to one another to form the annular body <NUM> by means of a bushing-screw system, which is preferably formed by a screw <NUM> inserted into a bushing <NUM>. Each end <NUM> comprises a hole into which the screw <NUM> or the bushing <NUM> is inserted.

The two ends <NUM> are preferably externally folded with respect to the circumference of the ring to form a socket portion <NUM>.

The socket portion <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> is held in a particular seat <NUM> arranged in the stem <NUM>. The seat <NUM> is defined between two facing walls <NUM>, each of which is provided with a through-hole <NUM>.

The socket portion <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> is fixed inside the seat <NUM> arranged in the stem <NUM> by means of a pin <NUM>. The pin <NUM> is preferably formed by the screw <NUM> and by the bushing <NUM> as per the bushing-screw system that closes the annular body <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>.

In particular, the screw <NUM> is inserted into the hole <NUM> in the first facing wall <NUM> of the stem <NUM>, passes through a first end <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> and meets, inside the seat <NUM>, the bushing <NUM> that has, in turn, firstly been inserted into the hole <NUM> in the second facing wall <NUM> of the stem <NUM> and then passes through a second end <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>.

The socket portion <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>, the seat <NUM> of the stem <NUM> and the pin <NUM> form the hinge <NUM> that allows said bracket to rotate about the transverse axis Z. In particular, the seat <NUM> of the leg <NUM> represents the female component of the hinge that receives the male component represented by the socket portion <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>, which are fixed for conjoint rotation by the pin <NUM> that defines the transverse axis of rotation Z.

The seat <NUM> of the stem <NUM> is preferably dimensioned such that it comfortably receives the socket portion <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>; that is to say that the seat <NUM> has a greater width than the width of the socket portion <NUM> (when this is completely closed by the bushing-screw system). In other words, the seat <NUM> is provided with a space <NUM> that can also accommodate the socket portion <NUM> when the bushing-screw system is released and the two ends <NUM> of the annular body <NUM> move away from one another.

It should be noted that the lamp body <NUM>, in particular the main body <NUM>, is provided with a support seat <NUM> defined between a front abutment <NUM> and a rear abutment <NUM>, into which the bracket <NUM> of the support <NUM> is inserted.

The support seat <NUM> is preferably an annular groove arranged in the rear portion <NUM> of the main body <NUM>.

When fixing the lamp body <NUM> to the support <NUM>, the annular body <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> is widened, separating the two ends <NUM> such that the lamp body <NUM> can be inserted into the particular support compartment <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

The annular body <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> is then closed, coupling the two ends <NUM> to one another, and inserted into the support seat <NUM> of the lamp body <NUM> positioned between the front abutment <NUM> and the rear abutment <NUM> of the main body <NUM>.

The socket portion <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> is then inserted into the particular seat <NUM> arranged in the stem <NUM>.

The screw <NUM> and the bushing <NUM> are therefore inserted into the particular hole <NUM> in the stem <NUM>, and then cross the particular end <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>.

The bushing-screw system is therefore operated by screwing the screw <NUM> into the bushing in order to completely close the annular body <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> around the lamp body <NUM> by fixing it in position with respect to the support <NUM> such that it does not rotate about the longitudinal axis X.

When the user needs to orient the light beam emitted by the light source <NUM>, they will proceed to release the bushing-screw system such that the two ends <NUM> slightly separate from one another and the annular body <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> releases, that is widens, thus allowing the lamp body <NUM> to rotate in the interior thereof.

Therefore, the lamp body <NUM> is advantageously fixed to the support <NUM> by means of a releasable tensioning system (bushing-screw system), which is operable between a locked configuration in which the lamp body <NUM> cannot rotate with respect to the longitudinal axis X, and a released configuration, in which the lamp body <NUM> can rotate with respect to the longitudinal axis X.

The rotation of the lamp body <NUM> inside the bracket <NUM> of the support <NUM> is preferably circumferentially limited by abutment means. The abutment means advantageously limit the rotational movement by slightly less than <NUM>° (for example approximately <NUM>°) such that the electric cables inside the lamp body <NUM> do not get tangled up.

The abutment means comprise an abutment <NUM>, which projects from the main body <NUM> of the lamp body <NUM> and can abut a particular stop <NUM> that projects from the annular body <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>.

In particular, the abutment <NUM> protrudes externally from inside the support seat <NUM> of the main body <NUM> of the lamp body <NUM>; the stop <NUM> protrudes into the support compartment <NUM> of the annular body <NUM> of the bracket <NUM>.

Therefore, a lighting apparatus according to the present invention can advantageously be directed in a particularly simple manner.

Claim 1:
A lighting apparatus (<NUM>) equipped with a light source (<NUM>) with a directed light beam, comprising a lamp body (<NUM>), extending along a longitudinal axis (X) and wherein the light source (<NUM>) is housed, supported by a support (<NUM>), and wherein the lamp body (<NUM>) is fixed to the support (<NUM>) by means of a releasable tensioning system, operable between a locked configuration wherein the rotation of the lamp body (<NUM>) relative to the longitudinal axis (X) is prevented, and a released configuration wherein the rotation of the lamp body (<NUM>) relative to the longitudinal axis (X) is allowed, characterized in that the support (<NUM>) comprises a bearing base (<NUM>) and a stem (<NUM>) extending from the base (<NUM>), wherein the stem (<NUM>) bears a bracket (<NUM>); wherein the bracket (<NUM>) comprises an annular body (<NUM>) defining a support compartment (<NUM>) wherein the lamp body (<NUM>) is inserted, said body (<NUM>) being equipped with two parts (<NUM>) joined together by the releasable tensioning system; wherein the two parts (<NUM>) form a socket portion (<NUM>) held in a seat (<NUM>) arranged in the stem (<NUM>); wherein the releasable tensioning system is a bushing-screw-type system consisting of pin (<NUM>) formed by a screw (<NUM>) inserted into a bushing (<NUM>) ; wherein the socket portion (<NUM>), the seat (<NUM>) and the pin (<NUM>) form a hinge (<NUM>) that allows the rotation of the lamp body (<NUM>) around a transverse axis (Z).