Luminaire and method of manufacturing luminaire

Abstract

A luminaire includes a housing, a main circuit board mounted inside the housing, a luminaire driver mounted on the main circuit board, and a light source attached to the housing from an outside of the housing. The light source includes a first push-fit connector portion extending into the main housing, and the main circuit board includes a second push-fit connector portion that engages with the first push-fit connector portion to provide an electrical connection between the main circuit board and the light source when the main circuit board, the housing, and the light source are assembled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the assembly of luminaires. In particular, the present invention relates to the automated assembly of road luminaires. Background Art

[0002] The Fourth Industrial Revolution (or Industry 4.0) is a concept that encompasses the recent rapid changes in technology. One such change involves the increasingly popular trend towards automated manufacturing and assembly of parts.

[0003] For example, automated robots are being used in product manufacturing. However, in order for robots to accurately and consistently manufacture products, these products must often be designed in a way that takes into account the manufacturing capabilities of the robots.

[0004] Roadway lighting has been identified as a product that would benefit from automated manufacturing. However, a problem associated with this is that roadway lighting has many components (e.g., light sources, lighting drivers, sensors, etc.) that all need to be interconnected using wires. It can be difficult to use automated robots in the wiring process because it is difficult to predict the exact position of the wires as the robot moves the wires during manufacturing.

[0005] Therefore, there exists a need to improve the design of luminaires to facilitate automated manufacturing. Summary of the invention

[0006] The invention is defined by the claims.

[0007] According to an example according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a luminaire comprising:

[0008] shell;

[0009] A main circuit board mounted inside the housing;

[0010] an illuminator driver mounted on the main circuit board;

[0011] a light source attached to the housing from outside the housing; and

[0012] a pluggable connector inserted into the illuminator driver and the main circuit board for making an electrical connection between the illuminator driver and the main circuit board;

[0013] The light source includes a first push-fit connector portion extending into the main housing, and the main circuit board includes a second push-fit connector portion, and when the main circuit board, the housing and the light source are assembled, the second push-fit connector portion engages with the first push-fit connector portion to provide an electrical connection between the main circuit board and the light source.

[0014] The pluggable connector is a push-fit component which can therefore be installed by a robotic arm (in the same orientation as the assembly of the light source and main circuit board), thereby avoiding the need to route and connect wires between the luminaire driver and the main circuit board.

[0015] Product manufacturing / assembly using a robotic arm or the like provides for faster and more efficient product assembly. However, for road luminaires, the components used and the way they are connected make it difficult for a robotic arm to assemble the product. It has been recognized that the wiring process for road luminaires is what makes robotic assembly difficult. In particular, product placement along one axis on the circuit board (i.e., the z-axis direction, in the case where the circuit board is located in the xy plane) is easy to achieve, while more complex robotic movements will be required to, for example, feed wires through openings that are not aligned with the z-axis direction.

[0016] Therefore, it is recommended to use a main circuit board instead of wires to connect all the components together. The connection between the light source and the main circuit board is then achieved by a push-fit connection (such as a male and female push-fit pin connection). This can be more simply achieved using a robotic arm that handles the wires. Similarly, other components within the housing can be connected to the main circuit board by push-fit connectors, which can be mated by robotic placement.

[0017] The only wires that need to be routed then are the external power wires that provide power to the main circuit board.

[0018] Thus, the use of a master circuit board enables a robotic arm to quickly and efficiently assemble the roadway luminaire, and the mechanical assembly automatically creates the electrical connections between the light sources and the master circuit board.

[0019] By mounting the light source from outside the housing, assembly of the housing itself provides the electrical connection between the main circuit board and the light source, rather than having to pre-assemble the light source with the main circuit board.

[0020] Additionally, the use of a main circuit board may also make the luminaire easier to maintain as there is no longer a mix of wires connecting all the different components, which avoids confusion during maintenance.

[0021] The first push-fit connector part comprises, for example, one or more pins and the second push-fit connector part comprises a socket.

[0022] The arrangement of the pins and sockets enables the light source to be properly aligned with the main circuit board when the pins are aligned with the sockets. The pins may extend through holes through the housing, which allows the pins to pass through the housing and connect to the main circuit board.

[0023] The main circuit board is mounted on the inner first side of the housing, for example, and the light source is attached to the outer second side of the housing. The main circuit board and the light source are mounted in opposite directions, for example, and the robotic assembly system enables the placement of components in these two opposite directions (for example, the positive z-axis direction and the negative z-axis direction, where the main circuit board is located in the xy plane).

[0024] The luminaire may also include a motion sensor within the housing and connected to the main circuit board, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion outside the housing.

[0025] The motion sensor can be used to sense when there is activity nearby and turn on the lights when such activity is detected. The motion sensor senses motion outside the housing while being placed inside the housing and connected to the main circuit board.

[0026] When the luminaire is assembled, the motion sensor can be mounted to the first side of the housing. Additionally, the motion sensor can be connected to the main circuit by a push-fit coupling. The luminaire can also include a pluggable connector inserted into the motion sensor and the main circuit board for making an electrical connection between the motion sensor and the main circuit board.

[0027] The main circuit board, for example, further includes a wireless signal receiver, which is used to receive coded optical signals.

[0028] When assembling the luminaire, the wireless signal receiver can be mounted to the first face of the housing. In this way, the wireless signal receiver can be located at the window of the housing, or extend through the housing.

[0029] The luminaire, for example, further includes a pluggable connector inserted into the wireless signal receiver and the main circuit board, for electrically connecting the wireless signal receiver and the main circuit board.

[0030] The housing comprises, for example, a housing body and a housing cover, and wherein the main circuit board is mounted to the housing body. The housing body can be regarded as a base part.

[0031] For example, an O-ring is provided between the housing body and the housing cover for making the housing waterproof.

[0032] The luminaire may be a road luminaire.

[0033] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a luminaire, the method comprising controlling a robot arm to follow a manufacturing instruction, the manufacturing instruction comprising:

[0034] Place the main circuit board inside the housing;

[0035] positioning the illuminator driver on the main circuit board before or after the main circuit board is placed in the housing; and

[0036] Attach the light source to the housing from the outside of the housing,

[0037] Wherein the attachment of the light source provides an electrical connection between the light source and the main circuit board by a push-fit connection between a first push-fit connector part of the light source extending into the housing and a second push-fit connector part of the main circuit board.

[0038] The use of push fit connections avoids the need to route wires between the light source and the luminaire driver, as the main circuit board serves as an intermediate part to which the push fit connections can be made. These push fit connections can all be achieved using movement of the robotic arm along a single axis.

[0039] The main circuit board is, for example, mounted on an inner first face of the housing, and the light source is attached to an outer second face of the housing.

[0040] Having the main circuit board and the light source mounted / attached to opposite sides of the housing means that they can be aligned vertically consistently by the robot arm. Additionally, this is a way to enable the push-fit connector portion of the main circuit board to be precisely aligned with the push-fit connector portion of the light source.

[0041] Manufacturing instructions include, for example:

[0042] After the main circuit board is placed within the housing, attaching the illuminator driver to the main circuit board; and

[0043] A pluggable connector is applied to electrically connect the illuminator driver to the main circuit board.

[0044] Thus, the main circuit board is first positioned within the housing, and then the other components are mechanically attached to the main circuit board or housing, and electrical connections may be made using pluggable electrical connectors.

[0045] The manufacturing instructions also include, for example, aligning the first and second push-fit connector parts before attaching the light source. For example, the manufacturing instructions may include aligning one or more pins of the first push-fit connector part with the socket of the second push-fit connector part. After these alignments, connection can be made by a single-axis movement.

[0046] Manufacturing instructions also include, for example:

[0047] placing a motion sensor within the housing, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion external to the housing; and

[0048] A pluggable connector is applied to electrically connect the motion sensor to the main circuit board.

[0049] Manufacturing instructions may further include:

[0050] placing a wireless receiver within the housing; and

[0051] A pluggable connector is applied to electrically connect the wireless receiver to the main circuit board.

[0052] The housing comprises, for example, a housing body and a housing cover, and the manufacturing instructions further comprise closing the housing by fastening the housing cover to the housing body and making the housing waterproof.

[0053] The positioning of the illuminator driver on the main circuit board, the positioning of the main circuit board in the housing, and the attachment of the light source to the housing can each include component placement in a direction perpendicular to the main circuit board. Different components can be placed in opposite directions, such as in the +z and -z axis directions.

[0054] Pluggable connectors can also be used in the same z-axis direction.

[0055] The invention also provides a computer program comprising computer program code means adapted to implement the above method when said program is run on a computer of a robot arm controller.

[0056] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] For a better understanding of the invention, and to show more clearly how the same may be put into practice, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0058] Figure 1 A first step in manufacturing a luminaire is shown;

[0059] Figure 2 and Figure 3 shows a second step in manufacturing a luminaire;

[0060] Figure 4 shows a cross section of a road lighting device during a second step of manufacturing;

[0061] Figure 5 and Figure 6 shows a third step in manufacturing a luminaire;

[0062] Figure 7 and Figure 8 shows a fourth step in manufacturing a luminaire;

[0063] Fig. 9 shows a fifth step in manufacturing a luminaire; and

[0064] Fig.10 An exploded view of a road luminaire is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, although indicating exemplary embodiments of the apparatus, system and method, are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the apparatus, system and method of the present invention will become better understood based on the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are merely schematic and are not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that in all drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts.

[0067] The present invention provides a luminaire, which comprises a housing, a main circuit board mounted inside the housing, a luminaire driver mounted on the main circuit board, and a light source attached to the housing from the outside of the housing. The light source comprises a first push-fit connector portion extending into the main housing, and the main circuit board comprises a second push-fit connector portion, which engages with the first push-fit connector portion when the main circuit board, the housing and the light source are assembled to provide an electrical connection between the main circuit board and the light source.

[0068] The luminaire can be advantageously manufactured / assembled using automated robots. The advantages of automated manufacturing are particularly evident in the manufacture of road luminaires. As such, the following examples will be given for road luminaires. However, the same steps and design features can be applied to any type of luminaire.

[0069] Figure 1 A first step in manufacturing a road luminaire is shown. The first step comprises mounting the main circuit board 102 to the housing, in particular to a housing body 104 which can be considered as a housing base, and subsequently applying a cover over the housing body 104 .

[0070] The main circuit board is mounted on the inner first face 110 of the housing body 104 and will be covered by the housing cover later so that it is mounted in the housing. The housing body 104 includes a first through hole 106 for mounting a sensor (not shown) and a second through hole 108 for a power supply wire (not shown).

[0071] The main circuit board is intended to replace most of the wires typically used in road luminaires, thereby enabling the robotic arm to accurately and consistently manufacture road luminaires. The robotic arm can easily mount the main circuit board 102 on the housing body 104 (e.g., fasten the main circuit board 102 to the housing with screws).

[0072] Figure 2 and Figure 3FIG. 2 shows a second step in manufacturing a road lighting device. The second step includes attaching a light source 202 to the housing body 104. The light source is, for example, one or more LED panels. In particular, the light source 202 is attached to an outer second face 206 of the housing body 104. The second face 206 is connected to the housing body 104. Figure 1 As such, the light source 202 can be attached to the exterior of the housing body while being aligned with a main circuit board (not shown) within the housing.

[0073] In this way, the housing body is sandwiched between the light source and the main circuit board, and the electrical connections between the light source and the main circuit board pass through the housing body, rather than all connections being completely inside the housing. This design facilitates robotic assembly of the luminaire.

[0074] The main circuit board and the light source are positioned by movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the main circuit board. For example, the main circuit board can be considered to be located in the xy plane, and then the movement of the components required to perform the assembly is in the z-axis direction, especially where the movement of different parts is in one or the other of the opposite z-axis directions (i.e., +z or -z directions).

[0075] Additionally, the first through hole 106 enables the sensor to be mounted on the first face inside the housing, while the sensing portion of the sensor can extend beyond the second face 206 to sense movement, for example, outside the housing body.The sensing portion can alternatively be located against a sensing window of the housing.

[0076] Figure 2 The road lighting device is shown before the light source 202 is attached to the housing body 104. The second face 206 of the housing body comprises two through holes, so that two push-fit connector parts 204 of the main circuit board are visible from the second face 206. These two push-fit connector parts 204 will be aligned with the push-fit connector parts (not shown) of the light source 202. This enables the light source 202 to be electrically connected to the main circuit board without the need for wires and by a simple push-fit connection along the z-axis direction.

[0077] The robotic arm aligns the light source 202 with the through hole 204 and thus with the main circuit board before attaching (e.g., using screws) to the housing body 104. The robotic arm can precisely attach the light source 202 to the housing body 104 using only z-axis placement (i.e., aligning the light source 202 and moving it toward the housing body 104).

[0078] Figure 3 The road lighting device is shown after the light source 202 is attached to the housing body 104. In this case, the push-fit connector portion of the light source 202 is now connected to the housing body 104. Figure 2 The push-fit connector portion 204 of the main circuit board shown in FIG.

[0079] Figure 4 A cross section of a road lighting device during a second step of manufacturing is shown. The top cross section shows the main circuit board 102 mounted on the first face 110 of the housing body 104 and the light source 202 mounted on the second face 206 of the housing body 104 .

[0080] The bottom cross section shows an enlarged view of a portion of the top cross section. In particular, the bottom cross section shows the push-fit connector portion 204 of the main circuit board 102 and the push-fit connector portion 402 of the light source 202. The push-fit connector portion 402 of the light source 202 is a pin, and the push-fit connector portion 204 of the main circuit board 102 is a female socket connector. The pin 402 can be pushed into the female connector 204 to provide an electrical connection between the light source 202 and the main circuit board 102. The pin 402 is arranged to pass through a through hole of the housing 104.

[0081] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The third step in manufacturing a road luminaire is shown. In the third step, additional components are added to the road luminaire. In particular, these components are electrically connected to the main circuit board 102. These components include a lighting driver 502, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor 504, a wireless receiver 506, and a surge protection device 508. These components are connected to the main circuit board 102 using a pluggable connector (e.g., a connector 510 for the PIR sensor 504). The wireless receiver is used, for example, to receive a coded light signal. However, it can be used instead to receive other wireless signals, such as shortwave RF signals (e.g., Bluetooth or Wifi), to enable wireless remote control of the luminaire functions.

[0082] The components are preferably also mounted in the z-axis direction. They can be mounted to the main circuit board, or they can be mounted to the housing body. The initial mounting is, for example, only mechanical. Once mechanically mounted, the electrical connections can be provided as pluggable electrical connectors. These pluggable electrical connectors are also pluggable in the z-axis direction. This can be Figure 5 As can be seen in the pluggable connector 510 of FIG. Thus, all or nearly all components can be mechanically positioned and electrically connected using only z-axis (+z or -z) component movement. However, the mechanical position of some components has also achieved electrical connection, but using a push-fit electrical connector, such as that used between the light source and the main circuit board.

[0083] In this particular example, the PIR sensor 504 is mounted to the housing body 104, wherein the sensing portion of the PIR sensor 504 extends through the first through hole 106 of the housing body 104, and the wireless receiver and surge protection device are mounted on the main circuit board. However, these components can be mounted so that different components are fixed to the housing, and different components are fixed to the main circuit board.

[0084] In this example, the power supply wire 512 is the only component shown that may need to be manually connected, as the robotic arm may find it difficult to feed the power supply wire 512 through the second through-hole 108 .

[0085] Figure 5 The components are shown before they are connected to the main circuit board 102 . Figure 6 The components are shown after they are connected to the main circuit board 102. As can be seen, all components except the power leads 512 can be connected to the main circuit board by the robotic arm (i.e., aligning each component, placing it on the housing body 104 or the main circuit board 102, and connecting the components to the main circuit board 102 using pluggable connectors (such as connector 510 for the PIR sensor 504)).

[0086] The connector may use a relatively short cable with a male / female connector at the end, since a relatively short cable is manageable for a robotic arm. Alternatively, the component may have a male / female connector that aligns with a corresponding female / male connector on the main circuit board 102, and then comprise a single block connector.

[0087] Figure 7 and Figure 8 The fourth step in manufacturing the road luminaire is shown. The fourth step includes adding a housing cover 702 with an O-ring (or gasket) 704 between the housing body 104 and the housing cover 104. The O-ring 704 ensures that the interior of the housing (formed by the housing body 104 and the housing cover 702) is sealed and waterproof. The interior of the housing has the main circuit board 102 and components (i.e., the lighting driver 502, the PIR sensor 504, the encoding receiver 506, the surge protection device 508, and the power supply wire 512) mounted on the first side of the housing body. In this way, the electrical components of the road luminaire are protected from environmental influences (e.g., rain, dust, etc.). The housing cover 702 can be attached to the housing body 104 with screws to form the housing of the road luminaire.

[0088] Of course, the robotic arm will be able to easily assemble the O-ring 704 and housing cover 702 by aligning the O-ring 704 and housing cover 702 with the housing body 104 and fastening them to the housing body with, for example, screws.

[0089] Figure 7The housing cover 702 and the O-ring 704 are shown before they are assembled to the rest of the roadway luminaire. Figure 8 The roadway lighting is shown after the housing body 104, housing cover 702 and O-ring are assembled together.

[0090] Fig. 9 The fifth step in manufacturing a road luminaire is shown.The fifth step comprises adding a mounting bracket 902 to the road luminaire so that it can be mounted, for example, to a pole near a road.

[0091] Fig.10 An exploded view of a roadway luminaire is shown showing all the components discussed above.

[0092] The described assembly method includes five steps. However, there is no reason to complete these steps in the exact order provided. For example, some components added in the third step can be attached to the main circuit board 102 before the main circuit board 102 is mounted to the housing body 104.

[0093] The robotic arm follows the manufacturing instructions to manufacture / assemble the road luminaire. These instructions can be provided in a processor / controller that is configured to instruct the robotic arm to execute the manufacturing instructions.

[0094] Those skilled in the art will be able to easily develop a controller for performing any of the methods described herein. The controller can be implemented in many ways using software and / or hardware to perform the various functions required. A processor is an example of a controller that employs one or more microprocessors that can be programmed using software (e.g., microcode) to perform the desired functions. However, the controller can be implemented with or without a processor, and can also be implemented as a combination of dedicated hardware that performs some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuits) that performs other functions.

[0095] Examples of controller components that may be used in various embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, conventional microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0096] In various embodiments, a processor or controller may be associated with one or more storage media, such as volatile and non-volatile computer memory, such as RAM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM. The storage media may be encoded with one or more programs that perform the desired functions when executed on one or more processors and / or controllers. The various storage media may be fixed within a processor or controller, or may be transportable so that one or more programs stored thereon may be loaded into a processor or controller.

[0097] Variations of the disclosed embodiments may be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention based on a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.

[0098] The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0099] If the term "suitable for" is used in the claims or the specification, it should be noted that the term "suitable for" is intended to be equivalent to the term "configured to". If the term "arranged" is used in the claims or the specification, it should be noted that the term "arranged" is intended to be equivalent to the term "system", and vice versa.

[0100] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising: Housing (104, 702); A main circuit board (102) installed inside the housing; an illuminator driver mounted on the main circuit board; a light source (202) attached to the housing from outside the housing; and a pluggable connector inserted into the illuminator driver and the main circuit board for making an electrical connection between the illuminator driver and the main circuit board; The light source includes a first push-fit connector portion (402) extending into the main housing, and the main circuit board includes a second push-fit connector portion (204), and when the main circuit board, the housing and the light source are assembled, the second push-fit connector portion (204) engages with the first push-fit connector portion (402) to provide an electrical connection between the main circuit board and the light source.

2. The luminaire according to claim 1, wherein the first push-fit connector part (402) comprises one or more pins and the second push-fit connector part (204) comprises a socket.

3. A luminaire according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main circuit board is mounted on an inner first face (110) of the housing and the light source is attached to an outer second face (206) of the housing.

4. The luminaire according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a motion sensor (504) within the housing (104, 702) and connected to the main circuit board (102), wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion outside the housing.

5. The luminaire according to any one of claims 1 to 4 further includes a wireless signal receiver mounted on the main circuit board, and a pluggable connector inserted into the wireless signal receiver and the main circuit board for making an electrical connection between the wireless signal receiver and the main circuit board.

6. The luminaire according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the housing comprises a housing body (104) and a housing cover (702), and wherein the main circuit board (102) is mounted to the housing body (104).

7. A luminaire according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a road luminaire.

8. A method for manufacturing a luminaire, the method comprising controlling a robotic arm to follow manufacturing instructions comprising: Placing the main circuit board (102) in the housing (104, 702); positioning the illuminator driver (502) on the main circuit board before or after the main circuit board is placed in the housing; and attaching a light source (202) to the housing from outside the housing, The attachment of the light source provides an electrical connection between the light source and the main circuit board via a push-fit connection between a first push-fit connector portion (402) of the light source extending into the housing and a second push-fit connector portion (204) of the main circuit board.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the primary circuit board is mounted on an interior first side (110) of the housing and the light source is attached to an exterior second side (206) of the housing.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the manufacturing instructions include: After the main circuit board is placed within the housing, attaching the illuminator driver to the main circuit board; and A pluggable connector is used to electrically connect the luminaire driver to the main circuit board (102).

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the manufacturing instructions further comprise: placing a motion sensor (504) within the housing, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion outside the housing; and A pluggable connector is used to electrically connect the motion sensor to the main circuit board (102).

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the manufacturing instructions further comprise: placing a wireless receiver (506) within the housing; and A pluggable connector is used to electrically connect the wireless receiver to the main circuit board (102).

13. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the positioning of the illuminator driver (502) on the main circuit board, the positioning of the main circuit board within the housing, and the attachment of the light source (202) to the housing each include component placement along two opposite directions perpendicular to the main circuit board.

14. A computer program comprising computer program code means adapted to implement the method according to any one of claims 8 to 13 when said program is run on a computer of a robot arm controller.

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