Connecting device and lamp

Abstract

A connecting device is used for electrically connecting a power supply and a power consumption module. The connecting device comprises a female end base and a male end base. The female end base is provided with opposite surfaces, and comprises a wheel flange arranged on the surfaces and two wiring terminals exposed on the surfaces. The wiring terminals are respectively connected with a live wire and a zero wire of a power supply. The male end base comprises a fastener, two conductive sheets and a grounding sheet. The fastener is used for fastening the rim so as to fix the male end base to the female end base. The conducting strips are used for being connected with the wiring terminals of the female end base respectively, and the end face of each conducting strip protrudes out of the surface of the male end base. The grounding piece comprises a grounding face protruding out of the end face of the conductive piece.

Description

Connecting devices and lamps Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connecting device for conductive connection, and more particularly to a connecting device for electrically connecting a power source and a power consumption module using a rotating fastener, and a lamp including the connecting device. Background Art

[0002] In response to market demand, lamps are becoming more and more diverse, and among them, hanging lamps are more difficult to install. Therefore, various types of quick-release structure designs have been developed to meet the installation requirements of hanging lamps. The existing quick-release structure design is to first fix the base to the ceiling, and then use the push-type buckle on the lamp body to buckle the lamp holder connected to the lamp body to the base, wherein the lamp body may also include a light guide plate. However, when the push-type buckle is set in a central position relative to the light guide plate, it is difficult for the operator to touch the push-type buckle in the central position with both hands, making it difficult to complete the buckling action. In other words, once the position of the base connector is blocked by the light guide plate or the lamp body, it will be difficult to install smoothly. Therefore, the push-type buckle is not suitable for lamps with exposed light guide plates or other large and heavy lamps.

[0003] Furthermore, quick-release designs often utilize plastic housings, failing to consider grounding during installation, raising concerns about electrical safety. Furthermore, plastic housings lack structural strength and are unable to support the weight of heavier lamps.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a connection device that can be quickly assembled and disassembled to complete the electrical connection between the power supply and the power consumption module, thereby improving the convenience and safety during installation.

[0006] The connecting device provided by the present invention is used to electrically connect a power supply and a power consumption module, and the connecting device includes a female end base and a male end base. The female end base has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, and includes a rim arranged on the first surface and two terminal blocks for connecting a live wire and a neutral wire of the power supply respectively. The terminal blocks are exposed on the second surface of the female end base. The male end base includes a fastener, two conductive plates and a grounding plate, wherein the fastener is used to fasten the rim to fix a third surface of the male end base to the female end base facing the second surface of the female end base. The conductive plates are used to respectively connect the terminal blocks of the female end base, and one end face of each conductive plate protrudes from the third surface of the male end base. The grounding plate includes a grounding surface, and the grounding surface protrudes from the end face of the conductive plate.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the female end base further includes two opposing first arcuate grooves and two opposing second arcuate grooves. The first arcuate groove and the second arcuate groove are located on the second surface, wherein one terminal is exposed at the bottom of the first arcuate groove and the other terminal is exposed at the bottom of the second arcuate groove. The first arcuate groove and the second arcuate groove are concentric circular arcs, and the arc length radius of the second arcuate groove is different from the arc length radius of the first arcuate groove. When the male end base is fixed to the female end base, the conductive sheet of the male end base and the terminal of the female end base are connected to each other in the first arcuate groove and the second arcuate groove.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the arc length of the wheel rim extends along the arc length of the first arc-shaped groove.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the female base further includes a structural plate, and the structural plate is located on the second surface and overlaps with the rim in a direction normal to the second surface. When the male base is secured to the female base, the rim of the female base and the fastener of the male base overlap in a direction normal to the second surface.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the connecting device further includes a plurality of fixing members, and the structural plate is fixed to the second surface of the female end base via the fixing members.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the structural strength of the structural plate is greater than the structural strength of the rim of the female end base.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the structural plate is separated from the connecting terminals.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the spacing between the connection terminals is greater than 6 mm.

[0014] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a lamp, comprising the aforementioned connecting device, a power strip, and a lamp body.

[0015] In another embodiment of the present invention, when the male base is fixed to the female base, the grounding surface of the grounding plate contacts and presses against the surface of the power board, causing the grounding plate to generate elastic deformation.

[0016] Based on the above, the connection device of the present invention utilizes a female end base and a male end base, which not only achieves the convenience of quick connection of the electrical connection power supply and power consumption module, but also facilitates the installation of priority grounding by protruding the grounding surface of the grounding plate from the end surface of the conductive plate, thereby improving the safety of the installation process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The aspects of the present invention will be understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It should be noted that various features are not drawn to scale as is standard in industry practice. In fact, the dimensions of various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion.

[0018] FIG1 is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of a connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a female base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 2B is a partial top view of a connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a female end base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a male terminal base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In the following text, in order to clearly present the technical features of this case, the dimensions (e.g., length, width, thickness, and depth) of the elements (e.g., layers, films, substrates, and regions) in the drawings will be enlarged in a non-proportional manner, and the number of some elements will be reduced. Therefore, the description and explanation of the embodiments below are not limited to the number of elements in the drawings and the dimensions and shapes presented by the elements, but should cover the dimensions, shapes, and deviations from the two caused by actual processes and / or tolerances. Therefore, the elements presented in the drawings of this case are mainly for illustration and are not intended to accurately depict the actual shapes of the elements, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the patent application of this case.

[0025] Secondly, the words "about," "approximately," or "substantially" that appear in the present case encompass not only the numerical values ​​and numerical ranges explicitly stated, but also the permissible deviation ranges that can be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention relates, wherein such deviation ranges can be determined by errors in measurement, which may be due to limitations of the measurement system or process conditions, for example. In addition, "about" can mean within one or more standard deviations of the aforementioned numerical value, such as ±5%, ±3%, or ±1%. The words "about," "approximately," or "substantially" that appear in this text may select an acceptable deviation range or standard deviation based on the optical properties, etching properties, mechanical properties, or other properties, and do not apply a single standard deviation to all properties such as the aforementioned optical properties, etching properties, mechanical properties, and other properties.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 1 , the connection device 100 of the present disclosure can electrically connect a power source and a power-consuming module. For example, the connection device 100 can be used to electrically connect a power-consuming module, such as a lamp or fan, to a mains power source. Specifically, the connection device 100 can be used to connect the power-consuming module to a mains power line on a building's ceiling to power the module (e.g., to illuminate the lamp).

[0027] The connecting device 100 includes a female base 120 and a male base 140. As shown in FIG1 , the female base 120 has a first surface 120 f and a second surface 120 s that oppose each other. It also includes a flange 122 and two terminals: terminal 124 a and terminal 124 b. The flange 122 of the female base 120 is disposed on the first surface 120 f. Terminals 124 a and 124 b are used to connect to the live and neutral wires (not shown), respectively, of a power source (e.g., a mains supply). Terminals 124 a and 124 b are exposed on the second surface 120 s of the female base 120.

[0028] The male base 140 includes a fastener 142, two conductive plates: a conductive plate 144a and a conductive plate 144b, and a grounding plate 146. The conductive plates 144a and 144b of the male base 140 are used to connect to the terminal 124a and the terminal 124b of the female base 120, respectively. In addition, the end surface 144e of each conductive plate of the male base 140 (i.e., the conductive plate 144a and the conductive plate 144b) protrudes from the third surface 140s of the male base 140. In addition, the grounding plate 146 of the male base 140 includes a grounding surface 146g, which protrudes from the end surfaces 144e of the conductive plates 144a and 144b. In other words, the height of the grounding surface 146g above the third surface 140s is greater than the height of the end surface 144e above the third surface 140s. Based on this design, when the male base 140 is rotated and fastened to the female base 120, before the conductive pieces (e.g., conductive pieces 144a and 144b) contact the connection terminals (e.g., connection terminals 124a and 124b), the grounding piece 146 will first protrude from the first surface 120f of the female base 120. This allows the grounding piece 146 to contact a conductive object (e.g., a metal contact plate) outside the connection device 100 before the conductive pieces 144a and 144b contact the connection terminals 124a and 124b, thereby achieving grounding. This facilitates grounding of the connection device 100.

[0029] 1 , 2A , and 2B , a surface 122s of the rim 122 is recessed from the first surface 120f and extends along the sidewall 120w of the female base 120. The fastener 142 of the male base 140 is configured to engage the rim 122, thereby securing the male base 140 to the female base 120 with the third surface 140s thereof facing the second surface 120s thereof.

[0030] It is worth noting that in this embodiment, the fastener 142 is rotationally fastened to the rim 122. Specifically, after the third surface 140s of the male base 140 is mated with the second surface 120s of the female base 120, the fastener 142 is aligned with the sloped area 122c of the rim 122. The male base 140 is then rotated relative to the female base 120 about the central axis A1. This allows the fastener 142 to move from the sloped area 122c along the sidewall 120w of the female base 120 to the flat area 122p of the rim 122, where it stops at the end surface 122e of the rim 122.

[0031] As can be seen from the top view of Figure 2B, in this embodiment, the female end base 120 includes two rims 122, and the two rims 122 are located at opposite ends of the first surface 120f (marked in Figure 1) (i.e., 180 degrees apart). The male end base 140 also includes two fasteners 142, and the two fasteners 142 are located at opposite ends of the third surface 140s. This design prevents uneven force on the two ends of the connecting device 100 during the rotational fastening process and improves the fastening strength of the connecting device 100. However, in other embodiments, the number of rims 122 and the number of fasteners 142 are not limited to two, and can also be any number of more than one, such as three.

[0032] Referring to Figure 3 , the female base 120 further includes two opposing first arcuate grooves 126a and two opposing second arcuate grooves 126b, both of which are located on the second surface 120s. The connection terminals 124a of the female base 120 are exposed on the bottom surfaces (not labeled) of the first arcuate grooves 126a, while the connection terminals 124b are exposed on the bottom surfaces (not labeled) of the second arcuate grooves 126b.

[0033] It is worth noting that the first arc-shaped groove 126a and the second arc-shaped groove 126b are concentric arcs, and the arc radius R1 of the first arc-shaped groove 126a is different from the arc radius R2 of the second arc-shaped groove 126b. For example, the arc radius R1 of the first arc-shaped groove 126a can be smaller than the arc radius R2 of the second arc-shaped groove 126b. In other words, the first arc-shaped groove 126a is closer to the central axis A1 than the second arc-shaped groove 126b.

[0034] Referring to Figures 1 and 4 , to enable the rotational engagement between the female housing 120 and the male housing 140, the arc length (not shown) of the rim 122 extends along the arc length of the first arcuate groove 126a. This allows the conductive strip 144a of the male housing 140 to move along the arc length of the first arcuate groove 126a when the female housing 120 is rotationally engaged with the male housing 140, without being blocked by the sidewalls of the first arcuate groove 126a.

[0035] Referring to Figure 4 , because the end surface 144e protrudes from the third surface 140s and the connection terminals 124a and 124b are exposed at the bottom surfaces of the first and second arcuate grooves 126a and 126b, respectively, when the male base 140 is secured to the female base 120, the conductive pads of the male base 140 and the connection terminals of the female base 120 can be interconnected within the first and second arcuate grooves 126a and 126b, respectively. Specifically, the conductive pads 144a and the connection terminals 124a are interconnected within one of the first arcuate grooves 126a, while the conductive pads 144b and the connection terminals 124b are interconnected within one of the second arcuate grooves 126b. In another embodiment, the connection terminals 124a and 124b are located at different heights within the first and second arcuate grooves 126a and 126b, respectively. This height difference creates a greater creepage distance for improved electrical safety.

[0036] Generally speaking, the ground terminal of the power connection device (e.g., power strip) of a lamp (or similar electrical equipment) is usually located on the first surface 120f of the female base 120. Therefore, after the grounding plate 146 protrudes from the female base 120, it directly contacts and electrically connects to the ground terminal, achieving the purpose of preferential grounding and thereby improving the safety of the installation process.

[0037] In this embodiment, the material of the rim 122 of the female end base 120 may include, for example, PBT or a similar material containing glass fiber to increase structural strength, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be formed by injection molding. Therefore, the structural strength of the rim 122 is limited by the mechanical strength (e.g., tensile strength) of the material.

[0038] To enhance the structural strength of the connection device 100, the female base 120 further includes a structural plate 128 (shown in Figures 1 and 3 ), and the structural strength of the structural plate 128 is greater than the structural strength of the rim 122 of the female base 120. Similarly, in the male base 140, the structural strength of the fastener 142 is greater than the structural strength of the male base 140 itself. For example, the material of the structural plate 128 and the fastener 142 can include stainless steel or a similar alloy material. Because the structural strength of the structural plate 128 and the fastener 142 is greater than the structural strength of the rim 122 and the male base 140 itself, it helps to improve the load-bearing capacity of the connection device 100 along the aforementioned normal direction.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the structural plate 128 is located on the second surface 120s and overlaps with the rim 122 in the direction normal to the second surface 120s (overlapping with the central axis A1, so not marked). When the male base 140 is fixed to the female base 120, the rim 122 of the female base 120 and the fastener 142 of the male base 140 overlap with each other in the direction normal to the second surface 120s. Generally speaking, the load-bearing direction of the connecting device 100 extends along the normal direction of the second surface 120s, so arranging the structural plate 128 in the above manner can improve the load-bearing capacity of the connecting device 100. Taking the connecting device 100 of this embodiment as an example, arranging the structural plate 128 on the connecting device 100 can improve its load-bearing capacity. In one embodiment, the structural plate 128 is a metal plate such as iron or stainless steel, and the fastener 142 can also be a metal plate such as iron or stainless steel. Compared to conventional hanging lamps with load-bearing structures made of plastic, the structural plate 128 and fastener 142 in this embodiment do not pose safety issues such as brittleness and disintegration after use. For example, in this embodiment of the present invention, the female end base 120 can be formed on the exterior of the structural plate 128 through plastic injection molding, and the main body of the male end base 140 can also be formed by plastic injection molding, with the fastener 142 bonded to the main surface of the male end base 140.

[0040] In addition, the connection device 100 may further include a plurality of fixing members 160, wherein the structural plate 128 is fixed to the second surface 120s of the female base 120 via these fixing members 160. The fastener 142 may also be fixed to the male base 140 via these fixing members 160. Specifically, the fixing members 160 may be screws or similar fastening elements. To further enhance the structural strength of the junction between the structural plate 128 and the second surface 120s, the fixing members 160 may be made of a metal alloy such as stainless steel.

[0041] It is particularly noteworthy that the structural plate 128 is separated from the terminal blocks 124a and 124b to prevent the structural plate 128 from electrically connecting to the terminal blocks 124a or 124b and causing a short circuit. Furthermore, since the terminal blocks 124a and 124b are used to connect to the live and neutral wires of the power supply, respectively, the spacing between the terminal blocks 124a and 124b is greater than 6 mm to prevent contact between the terminal blocks 124a and 124b and causing a short circuit. Specifically, referring to FIG. 1 , there is a minimum spacing d1 between the terminal blocks 124a and 124b, and this minimum spacing d1 must be greater than 6 mm.

[0042] Compared to conventional connection devices, the present invention utilizes a flange 122 and fasteners 142 to rotatably secure the male base 140 to the female base 120, thereby simplifying the installation of the connection device 100. Furthermore, the provision of the structural plate 128 and fasteners 160 enhances the structural strength of the connection device 100, thereby increasing its upper load-bearing capacity.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 5 , another embodiment of a lamp 50 of the present invention includes a connecting device 100, a power strip 502, and a lamp body 504. The power strip 502 is disposed on the female end base 120 of the connecting device 100, wherein the grounding plate 146 of the male end base 140 is electrically connected to the power strip 502. The lamp body 504 is disposed on the male end base 140 of the connecting device 100 and is electrically connected to the connecting device 100 via conductive plates 144a and 144b. In this embodiment, the lamp body 504 is the aforementioned power consumption module. For example, the lamp body 504 of the present invention may include a lamp holder 504a and a light guide plate 504b, wherein the lamp holder 504a is located in the center of the light guide plate 504b, and the male end base 140 is located in the center of the lamp holder 504a. By relatively rotating the female end base 120 and the male end base 140 of the connecting device 100 to connect them, the lamp 50 can be installed, thereby achieving the effect of convenient installation.

[0044] Referring to Figures 1 and 5 , because the grounding plate 146 is elastic, when the male base 140 is secured to the female base 120, the grounding surface 146g of the grounding plate 146 contacts the surface (not shown) of the power strip 502, thereby causing the grounding plate 146 to elastically deform. In this embodiment, because the first surface 120f of the female base 120 can conform to the surface of the power strip 502, when the grounding surface 146g of the grounding plate 146 contacts the surface of the power strip 502 and causes the grounding plate 146 to elastically deform, the grounding surface 146g will align with the first surface 120f of the female base 120. This ensures that when the lamp body 504 is mounted on the power strip 502, the grounding plate 146 remains in contact with the surface of the power strip 502 as the male base 140 rotates relative to the female base 120, ensuring a safe grounding connection. Similarly, the conductive sheets 144 a and 144 b also utilize the characteristics of elastic deformation to press against the connection terminals 124 a and 124 b to ensure electrical conduction.

[0045] In summary, because the grounding surface of the grounding lug in the connector protrudes from the end surface of the conductive lug, during installation, the grounding lug on the male connector base will first contact the grounding terminal of the connector, achieving grounding. Subsequently, the conductive lug on the male connector base will contact the terminal block on the female connector base, energizing the entire fixture. This ensures that the fixture is grounded before power is applied, enhancing installation safety.

[0046] In addition, a structural plate is provided in the connection device, and the structural plate and the wheel rim overlap in the normal direction of the second surface of the female end base. When the male end base is fixed to the female end base, the fastener also overlaps with the structural plate in the normal direction of the second surface.

[0047] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to the embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0048] [Explanation of symbols] 100: Connecting device 120: Female end base 120f: First surface 120s: Second surface 120w: Side wall 122: Rim 122c: Slope area 122p: Plane area 122e, 144e: End surface 122s: Surface 124a, 124b: Connection terminal 126a: First arc-shaped groove 126b: Second arc-shaped groove 128: Structural plate 140: Male end base 140s: Third surface 142: Fasteners 144a, 144b: Conductive plate 146: Grounding plate 146g: Grounding surface 160: Fixing part 50: Lamp 502: Power strip 504: Lamp body 504a: Lamp holder 504b: Light guide plate A1: Center axis d1: Shortest distance R1, R2: Arc length radius.

Claims

1. A connecting device for electrically connecting a power supply and a power consumption module, the connecting device comprising: The female end base has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, and comprises: a rim disposed on the first surface; and Two wiring terminals, used to respectively connect the live wire and the neutral wire of the power supply, wherein the two wiring terminals are exposed on the second surface of the female terminal base; and Male terminal base, including: A fastener, used for fastening the rim, so as to fix the third surface of the male end base to the female end base facing the second surface of the female end base; Two conductive sheets, used to respectively connect the two connection terminals of the female end base, and an end surface of each of the two conductive sheets protrudes from the third surface of the male end base; and The grounding sheet includes a grounding surface, and the grounding surface protrudes from the end surfaces of the two conductive sheets.

2. The connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the female end base further comprises: Two opposite first arc-shaped grooves are located on the second surface, wherein one of the two connecting terminals is exposed at the bottom surfaces of the two first arc-shaped grooves; and Two opposite second arc-shaped grooves are located on the second surface, wherein the other of the two connecting terminals is exposed at the bottom surfaces of the two second arc-shaped grooves; The two first arc-shaped grooves and the two second arc-shaped grooves are concentric arcs, and the arc length radius of the two second arc-shaped grooves is different from the arc length radius of the two first arc-shaped grooves; When the male end base is fixed to the female end base, the two conductive sheets of the male end base and the two connection terminals of the female end base are connected to each other in the two first arc-shaped grooves and the two second arc-shaped grooves. 3 . The connecting device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the arc length of the rim extends along the arc length of the two first arc-shaped grooves.

4. A connecting device as described in claim 1, wherein the female end base further includes a structural plate, and the structural plate is located on the second surface and overlaps with the rim in the normal direction of the second surface, wherein when the male end base is fixed to the female end base, the rim of the female end base and the fastener of the male end base overlap with each other in the normal direction of the second surface.

5. The connection device according to claim 4, further comprising: A plurality of fixing members, wherein the structural plate is fixed to the second surface of the female end base by the plurality of fixing members.

6. The connection device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the structural strength of the plurality of structural plates is greater than the structural strength of the rim of the female end base.

7. The connection device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the structural plate is separated from the two connecting terminals.

8. The connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the two connecting terminals is greater than 6 mm.

9. A lamp, comprising: The connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A power board, disposed on the female end base of the connection device, wherein the grounding plate of the male end base is used to be electrically connected to the power board; and The lamp body is arranged on the male end base of the connecting device, wherein the lamp body is electrically connected to the connecting device through the two conductive sheets of the male end base. 10 . The lamp as claimed in claim 9 , wherein when the male end base is fixed to the female end base, the grounding surface of the grounding plate contacts and presses against the surface of the power board, so that the grounding plate generates elastic deformation.

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