Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device for the power supply of lighting bars. Prior Art

Lighting bars are known which comprise one or more light sources extending along a substantially longitudinal direction and which therefore permit lighting a space that extends along such longitudinal direction.

One example of rather common lighting bar consists of LED bars, also called "strip LEDs", made up of one or more successions of LEDs encapsulated in a longitudinal sheath.

The power supply to such supply bars is ensured by means of specific connectors housing one or more electric cables terminating in corresponding perforating elements.

When the connectors are coupled to the lighting bar, the perforating elements penetrate through a perforable wall with which the lighting bar is equipped and come into contact with a conducting member which conducts the electric current to the light sources.

These connectors of known type do have several drawbacks.

They are in fact made up of a plurality of components to be assembled together which involve both a considerable structural complexity and a number of production difficulties, with the consequent increase in manufacturing and assembly costs which, inevitably, are offloaded onto the retail sales price, with the risk of making such products less interesting for customers.

Additionally, their application on the lighting bars is not always practical and easy.

Furthermore, traditional connectors are without an adequate protection at the coupling between electric cables and perforating elements and do not ensure a seal against the entry of water and dust, thus strongly limiting the fields of use. Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a device for the power supply of lighting bars which is extremely simple from a constructive and functional point of view and which can be manufactured in a practical and cheap way.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device for the power supply of lighting bars which can be used with great ease and permits reducing the difficulties of installation and coupling to the lighting bars.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for the power supply of lighting bars which is hermetically sealed and does not allow for water and dust to jeopardize its proper functioning.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for the power supply of lighting bars which allows overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art within the scope of a simple, rational, easy, efficient to use and cost-effective solution.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present device for the power supply of lighting bars, according to the characteristics described in claim 1. Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a device for the power supply of lighting bars, illustrated by way of an indicative, but non-limiting example, in the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of the device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an axonometric view of the device according to the invention prior to its application to a lighting bar;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the device according to the invention prior to its application to a lighting bar;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the device according to the invention after its application to a lighting bar.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to these illustrations, reference numeral 1 globally indicates a device for the power supply of lighting bars.

The device 1, in particular, is intended to supply with electric current at least one lighting bar B which extends along a longitudinal direction A and contains inside it one or more light sources L.

The lighting bar B consists e.g. of a LED strip, having a succession of LEDs distributed along the longitudinal direction A.

The lighting bar B has an outer protection sheath G inside which the light sources L are housed.

The outer protection sheath G has at least one perforable wall P which also extends along the longitudinal direction A and is coupled to a conducting member C which electrically connects the light sources L.

The device 1 comprises:

at least one base element 2, 3, substantially plate- shaped, from which protrudes at least one perforating element 4, 5 made of an electrically conductive material;

at least one bridge element 6, 7, 8, made in a single body piece and associable with the base element 2, 3 in a configuration of use in which the base element 2, 3 and the bridge element 6, 7, 8 surround a portion of the lighting bar B and the perforating element 4, 5 penetrates through the perforable wall P of the lighting bar B and supplies power to the lighting bar B.

In practice, after having penetrated the perforable wall P in the configuration of use, the perforating element 4, 5 comes into contact with the conducting member C thus allowing the flow of current inside the lighting bar B.

The base element 2, 3 is made of an electrically insulating material, e.g. plastic or the like.

The base element 2, 3 comprises at least a first shell-like body 2 and at least a second body 3 for closing the first body 2.

Both the first body 2 and the second body 3 are substantially plate- shaped and are associable with each other in an assembly configuration in which they define an inlet opening 9, through which enters at least one electric supply cable 10, and at least one inner space 11 for the housing of the electric cable 10 and the electrical connection of the electric cable 10 to the perforating element 4, 5. The first body 2 comprises at least one passage hole 12 crossed from side to side by the perforating element 4, 5.

In this regard, it is pointed out that the perforating element 4, 5 comprises:

an inner part 4 formed inside of the inner space 11 and associated with the electric cable 10; and

an outer part 5 formed outside of the first body 2 and penetrable in the perforable wall P.

Advantageously, the passage hole 12 is surrounded by a protruding edge 13 adapted to adhere to the perforable wall P.

The protruding edge 13, in fact, is shaped so as to present a pointed top which, on contact with the perforable wall P, penetrates at least in part inside it increasing the coupling grip of the device 1 with the lighting bar B.

In the particular embodiment shown in the illustrations, the first body 2 comprises at least two passage holes 12 crossed from side to side by two perforating elements 4, 5, in turn connected to two electric cables 10.

Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out wherein there is a different number of passage holes 12, perforating elements 4, 5 and electric cables 10.

Conveniently, the inner space 11 is filled with at least one sealing substance 18, which is applied e.g. by means of a resin finish operation through which the electric cables 10 and the perforating elements 4, 5 are dropped into the first body 2 prior to its closure by means of the second body 3.

In practice, the sealing substance 18 forms a barrier layer at the coupling of the electric cables 10 with the perforating elements 4, 5 and prevents water and dust from entering the inner space 11, thus preventing these from coming into contact with the energized components and causing short-circuits and malfunctions.

Conveniently, the bridge element 6, 7, 8 comprises a first wall 6, a second wall 7 and a third wall 8 arranged in a C pattern, in which the first wall 6 and the second wall 7 are associated with each other by means of the third wall 8.

More in detail, each of the walls 6, 7, 8 is substantially plate-shaped and extends mainly on a respective lying plane.

The first wall 6 is substantially orthogonal to the third wall 8, which in turn is substantially orthogonal to the second wall 7; the first wall 6 and the second wall 7 are substantially parallel and facing each other.

The dimensions of the walls 6, 7, 8 are substantially complementary to the dimensions of the cross section of the lighting bar B so that, in the configuration of use, the base element 2, 3 and the bridge element 6, 7, 8 are fitted over to embrace all the sides of the lighting bar B, blocking the device 1 around the bar itself.

The third wall 8 comprises an inner surface 14 which, in the configuration of use, is adapted to come into contact with the lighting bar B on the opposite side with respect to the base element 2, 3.

The inner surface 14 is convex and has a central thickened portion which, in the configuration of use, protrudes towards the base element 2, 3; this configuration is such that, in the configuration of use, the central portion is able to press the lighting bar B with greater pressure at the central portion of the base element 2, 3, where the perforating elements 4, 5 are arranged, so as to ensure their penetration in the perforable wall P.

Advantageously, the bridge element 6, 7, 8 is made at least partly of an electrically insulating material, e.g. plastic or the like, and at least partly transparent, so as not to darken the light emitted by the light sources L of the lighting bar B.

The base element 2, 3 and the bridge element 6, 7, 8 are associable in the configuration of use by interposition of mutual interlocking union means 15, 16. The mutual interlocking union means 15, 16 comprise:

at least one protruding body 15 which extends in a cantilevered fashion from at least one of the base element 2, 3 and the bridge element 6, 7, 8; and at least one fitting seat 16 formed on the other of the base element 2, 3 and the bridge element 6, 7, 8 and in which the protruding body 15 is fittable; in which the protruding body 15 and the fitting seat 16 comprise respective toothing 17 coupleable to prevent the protruding body 15 from coming out of the fitting seat 16.

More in detail, the mutual interlocking union means 15, 16 comprise:

a plurality of protruding bodies 15, of which at least one extends in a cantilevered fashion from the first wall 6 and at least one extends in a cantilevered fashion from the second wall 7; and

a plurality of fitting seats 16 formed on the base element 2, 3. In the particular embodiment shown in the illustrations, the mutual interlocking union means 15, 16 comprise two protruding bodies 15 on the first wall 6 and two protruding bodies 15 on the second wall 7, and four fitting seats 16 formed on the base element 2, 3.

Alternative embodiments cannot however be ruled out in which a different number of protruding bodies 15 and fitting seats 16 are provided, and/or in which the protruding bodies 15 are all or partly formed on the base element 2, 3 and the fitting seats 16 are all or partly formed on the bridge element 6, 7, 8.