BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

This invention relates to lights.

The invention particularly relates, but is not limited to, lights and lighting apparatus, where different lighting arrangements can be provided to existing fittings and/or interchangeable lighting can be easily installed.

2. PRIOR ART:

There are only a limited number of mounting types for light globes and other illumination sources (e.g. LED lights). The most common are the Bayonet Connection (BC and SBC) and Edison Screw (ES and SES) types, along with the respective two-pin connectors for dichroic lamps. Even if such types of light sources can be installed, they do not diffuse the light properly.

Many of the newer, higher efficiency lamps cannot be installed in older- style lamp fittings, mountings or sockets.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:

It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least ameliorate, the problems with the prior art.

It is a preferred object to provide a method for mounting alternative light globes or lamps (hereinafter referred to as "lamps") in light fittings, mountings or sockets (hereinafter referred to as "light fittings").

It is a further preferred object to provide a lamp which is provided with a custom connector to enable mounting in a custom socket on a light fitting.

It is a still further preferred object to provide a rigid or flexible lead interconnecting the light source in the lamp to the custom connection.

It is a still further preferred object to provide a base, having at least one custom socket, to be mountable in a light fitting and to support a plurality of the lamps.

It is a still further preferred object to provide a transformer, sensor(s), back-up batteries or other components in the base e.g. to covert 1 10-250V AC to 12 DC, detect ambient light, or enable the lamp(s) to operate during a power failure. Other preferred objects will become apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:

In one aspect, the invention resides in a lamp including:

at least one light source;

a connector receivable in a complementary connector in or on a base; and a lead or body interconnecting the one or more light sources to the connector.

The light sources may be any suitable light source, including incandescent globes, dichroic lights, LED's, LCD's or the like, and may be provided with one or more filters e.g. for coloured effects, to limit UV emissions.

Preferably, the connector has a plug member, and the complementary connector is a socket; or vice versa.

Preferably the connector has a plug member with a latching member and two or more pins for mechanical and electrical connection to the complementary connector on the base.

The lead may be rigid or flexible, and may have a range of lengths e.g. from 0.5 - 30cm.

Preferably, the base has a body portion provided with a plurality of sockets, each socket connection being adapted to receive a respective plug member. (NB: The lighting system will operate with some / all of the sockets receiving the connectors of the lamps.)

Preferably, a removable safety plug is mountable in any socket in which a plug member is not received

Preferably, the base has a mounting connection e.g. of the BC or SES type, receivable on an existing light fitting. Alternatively, the base may be connected to an electrical outlet (e.g. a GPO) by a power cord.

A transformer may be provided in the base to convert the incoming electricity e.g. 10-250V AC to 12V DC or 240 V AC to 1 0V AC.

At least one sensor may be provided in the base e.g. to detect an over- temperature condition, or the ambient light level, to control the electrical supply to the lamps.

A dimmer control may be provided in the base; as may back-up batteries and/or at least one solar cell.

In a third aspect, the present invention resides in a base provided with at least one lamp.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention resides in a light fitting provided with at least one base, the, or each, base having at least one lamp.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

To enable the skilled workman to fully understand the present invention and to enable that person to put the invention into practice, preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a first embodiment of the present invention, for mounting in an existing light socket;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a second embodiment of the present invention, provided as a free-standing unit;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of one side of a first embodiment of a plug member;

FIG. 4 is a similar view of the other two sides of the plug member;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a socket operable to receive the plug member;

FIG. 6 is a similar view of two of the sockets arranged back-to-back;

FIG. 7 is bottom plan view of a second embodiment of a plug member operably receivable in the sockets of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional side view showing the interior arrangement of a free-standing unit, of the type illustrated in FIG. 2

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:

Referring to FIG. 1 , a light fitting 10 has a base 20 with a generally spherical body 21.

The base 20 has an Edison Screw (ES) electrical connector 22 receivable in a complementary ES socket S e.g. mounted on a wall or ceiling (not shown). The skilled addressee will appreciate the electrical connector 22 / socket S combination may be of any existing type e.g. Bayonet Connection (BC).

A plurality of sockets 30, to be described with reference to FIG. 5, are located on the exterior of the spherical body 21 , to receive the connectors 50 for a plurality of lamps 40, to be hereinafter described.

Each socket 30, as illustrated in FIG. 5, is formed by a recess in the outer face of the body 21 , and has a substantially-pyramid configuration defined by an opening 31 and side faces 32, 33, 34, which are all of equilateral triangular shape.

Electrical contacts 35, 36 are provided on faces 32, 33, and are connected to conducting wires (not shown) within the body 21 , connected to the ES electrical connector 22.

A latching recess 37 in face 34 is operably to receive a latching member (to be described) on the connector 50.

Each lamp 40 has a lead or cable 41 , which may be flexible, semi-rigid or rigid, where the cable 41 contains electrically-conducting wires within an insulating sheath. Light sources 42, such as incandescent globes 43, dichroic lights 44, LED's 45, LCD's 46 may be selectively mounted on the outer end of the cable 41 via complementary sockets 46, 47, 48, 49.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cable 41 may have two or more branches 41A, 4 B with a respective light source 42 at the outer ends of each branch 41 A, 41 B..

Each connector 50, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, is provided at the inner end of the cable 41 and is of substantially-pyramid shape, with a top face 51 and respective side faces 52, 53, 54 each having the configuration of an equilateral triangle. The cable 41 passes through the top faces 51 and the wires are connected to electrical contacts 55, 56 on the side faces 52, 53.

A latching member 57, such as a spring-loaded ball, is provided on side face 54 to releasably secure the connector 50 in the socket 30.

Any insulated safety plug 60, e.g. formed of plastics-material, has a similar configuration to the connector 50 and be placed in a socket 30, in which no connector is received, to prevent an electric shock.

Referring to FIG. 2, the light fitting 110 has a free-standing base 120 with a substantially hemi-spherical body 121 supportable e.g. on a table T (or shelf), with a power cord 190 having a plug 191 receivable in a power outlet (e.g. GPO) 192 mounted on a wall W (or ceiling or floor).

Sockets 30 are provided in the upper surface of the body 21 of the base 120 to receive the connectors 50 of one or more lamps 40 and/or the safety plugs 60.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, two sockets 30 may be provided back-to-back, to receive a connector 70, as illustrated in FIG. 7, having a substantially diamond-shaped body 71 , with two pairs of contacts 72, 73 engageable with the electrical contacts 35, 36 in the two sockets 30, and one or two latching members 74 releasably engageable with latching recess(es) 37 in the sockets 30.

Referring to FIG. 8, a third embodiment of a free-standing light fitting 210 is illustrated, shown in sectional side view.

The base 220 has a hollow body 221 with a plurality of the sockets 30 in the top wall 229.

A power cord 290 has a plug 291 receivable in a power outlet (not shown).

The power cord 290 is connected to a 1 10-250V AC / 12V DC transformer 280, and the light fitting 210 is optionally powered by batteries 281 and/or solar cell(s) 282.

The input power is fed to a control unit 283, to which may be connected a dimmer unit 284, an ambient light sensor 285, an over-heat sensor 286 and/or a wireless receiver 287 operably connected to a remote-control unit 288.

The skilled addressee will appreciate that the control unit 283 can be programmed to produce different aesthetic effects and/or control the output of the lamps 40 to suit the lighting conditions in the vicinity of the light fitting 210.

The skilled addressee will appreciate that each body may have a plurality of sockets connections on the exterior; where each socket is configured to be complementary to the custom connectors on the lamps, providing both a mechanical connection and an electrical connection between the socket 30 and the connector 50 received therein.

The number and/or location of the sockets 50 on each base can be varied to suit particular intended installations.

Alternatively, standard patterns of the sockets 30can be provided, and the use selects which of the sockets 30 are to be fitted with the lamps 40, the remainder being fitted with the safety plugs 60

The bodies of the bases can have a wide range of regular or irregular external shapes.

Regular shapes can include balls, ellipsoids, cylinders, tubes, or being of triangular, square / rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal or like cross-section.

Irregular shapes include amorphous or "blob-like" shapes, of shapes replication corral, rocks, minerals, nuggets or the like.

The bases can also be shaped to replicate cartoon characters, animals, vehicles (e.g. automobiles, aircraft, trains, boats) or the like (for use in nurseries or children's rooms).

By selectively fitting the lamps 40 to the bases, an almost infinite number of different lighting arrangements can be achieved. The flexible leads or cables 41 can allow the head portions of the lamps 40 to move e.g. due to airflow through a room.

By having short or long leads or cables 41 , which may be rigid or flexible, and with different types of light sources 42(which may be of different colours), the designer or customer can produce any lighting effect they desire.

In addition, the bases and the lamps 40 can be provided as replaceable consumables e.g. to be changed as tastes / fashions change. The different lighting arrangements can be achieve without having to replace the existing hard-wired light fittings.

By providing dimmers or other sensors or controllers in the bases, a further range of effects can be provided. For example, an ambient-light sensor can reduce the input to the lamps as the ambient-light decreases, or can switch on the lamps when the ambient light falls below a preset level.

Batteries may be provided in the base to operate some / all of the lamps (e.g. as emergency-lighting) if the mains power supply fails.

In alternative lighting systems, the base may be supported on a surface (e.g. a table) or suspended (e.g. on a wall) and be connected to a power outlet by a (e.g. figure-8) power cord.

The base can be provided with a remote-control device or timer to control the operation of the lamps, and a USB charger connection can also be provided on the base.

In addition to the different types of light sources and types of leads, the lamps may also be provided with decorative-shaped head portions, and the head- and tail-portions and/or leads may be different colours and/or cross- sections.

The present invention e.g. enables a chandelier to be created for a light fitting which was originally provided with a single incandescent globe.

Advantages of the present invention include:

a) the system allows user-interchangeable lamps e.g. with different LED's to produce different lighting effects;

b) the bases, can contain the drivers for the lamps;

c) the number / location of the sockets connections on each base can be customized to enable different effects to be produced;

d) the lamps can be remotely controlled or selectively controlled by sensors or timers in the bases;

e) groups of lamps can be selectively installed / controlled to produce different colour patterns;

f) the bases can be arranged to be installed in existing light fittings, or be free standing- or suspended. (The bases can be fitted to the light fitting on standard or table lamps or the like.); and

g) existing light globes can be substituted by much more energy- efficient lamps, to reduce power consumption.

Various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments describe without departing from the present invention. The embodiments described are to be by way of illustration only, and are non- limiting to the invention.