Channel-type connection structure for a lighting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291317-B2
Application number	US-201213562089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2012
Priority date	Jul 29, 2011
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A housing apparatus for use in a lighting system may include a housing body and a channel-type connection structure coupled to or formed in the housing body. The channel-type connection structure may define a channel having a generally U-shaped cross-section and extending along a length in a first direction perpendicular to the U-shaped cross-section. The channel-type connection structure may be configured to receive and engage at least one first connector inserted in the generally U-shaped channel in an axial direction generally parallel to the first direction, and further configured to receive and engage at least one second connector inserted in the generally U-shaped channel in a perpendicular direction generally perpendicular to the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting system comprising:
a heat sink module; and
a housing body configured to engage with the heat sink module and comprising:
an elongated groove extending from a first surface and supporting an elongated hook structure of the heat sink module;
a seat structure extending from the first surface and having multiple mounting points along a length of the seat structure, wherein the seat structure supports a hip structure of the heat sink module such that the heat sink module is laterally adjustable from a first position to a second position along the length of the seat structure by coupling the heat sink module to a first subset of the multiple mounting points associated with the first position and a second subset of the multiple mounting points associated with the second position; and
a channel-type connection structure coupled to or formed in the housing body;
wherein the channel-type connection structure defines a channel having a generally U-shaped cross-section and extending along a length in a first direction perpendicular to the U-shaped cross-section; and
wherein the channel-type connection structure is configured to receive and engage at least one first connector inserted in the generally U-shaped channel in an axial direction generally parallel to the first direction, and further configured to receive and engage at least one second connector inserted in the generally U-shaped channel in a direction generally perpendicular to the first direction,
wherein the first surface comprises:
the seat structure; a first portion that extends from a longitudinal edge of the seat structure in a first direction and substantially perpendicular to the seat structure, wherein the elongated groove extends from and is substantially perpendicular to the first portion and substantially parallel to the seat structure; and
a second portion that extends from an opposite longitudinal edge of the seat structure in a second direction and substantially perpendicular to the seat structure, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction, and wherein the second portion is substantially parallel to the first portion.

2. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the generally U-shaped channel defined by the channel-type connection structure comprises:
a rounded channel portion configured to receive and engage the at least one first connector inserted in the rounded channel portion in the axial direction; and
an extended channel portion configured to receive and engage the at least one second connector inserted in the rounded channel portion in the perpendicular direction, wherein the extended channel portion extends from the rounded channel portion in the perpendicular direction.

3. The lighting system of claim 2 , wherein the extended channel portion is at least partially defined by a pair of opposing flanges extending from the rounded channel portion.

4. The lighting system of claim 3 , wherein the opposing flanges at least partially defining the extended channel portion are substantially planar and parallel to each other.

5. The lighting system of claim 2 , wherein the rounded channel portion of the channel sweeps an angle greater than 180 degrees but less than 360 degrees, such that the rounded channel portion is configured to resist a movement of the at least one second connector from the rounded channel portion into the extended channel portion.

6. The lighting system of claim 2 , wherein the extended channel portion extends in the perpendicular direction by a distance sufficient to receive and engage with multiple threads of an inserted screw.

7. The lighting system of claim 2 , wherein a depth of the channel portion in the perpendicular direction is at least 1.5 times a width of the channel portion.

8. The lighting system of claim 2 , wherein a depth of the channel portion in the perpendicular direction is at least 2 times a width of the channel portion.

9. The lighting system of claim 2 , wherein a depth of the channel portion in the perpendicular direction is at least 3 times a width of the channel portion.

10. The lighting system of claim 1 :
wherein the housing body comprises a bottom portion that is configured to receive an access door,
wherein one edge of the bottom portion is a hooked edge configured to provide a rotatable coupling between the housing body and the access door, and
wherein the housing body and the channel-type connection structure are extruded structures extruded in the same extrusion direction.

11. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the housing body and the channel-type connection structure comprise extruded aluminum, extruded brass, extruded copper, or extruded plastic.

12. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the channel-type connection structure provides a plurality of mounting positions along the length of the channel.

13. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the channel-type connection structure is coupled to a wall of the housing body by a web structure.

14. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the generally U-shaped channel is formed as a recess in a wall of the housing body.

15. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the channel-type connection structure has a shape similar to a tuning fork.

16. The housing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of mounting points on the seat structure are configured to align with a corresponding first subset of mounting points on the hip structure of the heat sink module for receiving fastening members to securely fasten the heat sink module to the housing body.

17. The housing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated hook structure and the hip structure of the heat sink module are located at a rear portion of the heat sink module.

18. A lighting system, comprising:
one or more light sources;
a housing comprising:
a housing body extending in a first direction and comprising:
an elongated groove supporting an elongated hook structure of a heat sink module; and
a seat structure having multiple mounting points that support the heat sink module such that the heat sink module is laterally

adjustable from one position to another position along a length of the seat structure;
wherein the mounting points on the seat structure are configured to align with corresponding mounting points on a hip structure of the heat sink module for receiving a fastening member to securely fasten the heat sink module to the housing body; and
one or more channel-type connection structures coupled to or formed in the housing body and configured to secure and retain one or more electronic components associated with the one or more light sources and disposed in an interior cavity of the housing body by one or more connectors inserted perpendicularly or axially in a channel of the one or more channel-type connection structures;
wherein the channel defined by each channel-type connection structure comprises:
a rounded channel portion configured to receive and engage the at least one of the one or more connectors in the rounded channel portion in an axial direction; and
an extended channel portion configured to receive and engage the one or more connectors in the rounded channel portion in a perpendicular direction, wherein the extended channel portion extends from the rounded channel portion in the perpendicular direction,
wherein the extended channel portion provides a plurality of mounting positions for the one or more electronic components along a length of the channel.

19. The lighting syst

Assignees

• Winters Philip Dean
• Cooper Technologies Co

Inventors

• Winters Philip Dean

Classifications

• F21Y2101/00

  Point-like light sources · CPC title

• F21W2111/02

  for roads, paths or the like · CPC title

• F21Y2105/10

  comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array of point-like light-generating elements · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21Y2103/10

  comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements · CPC title