Photographic lighting device with concealed locking device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a photographic lighting device (1) comprising: a housing having a front portion (3), a middle portion (5) and a rear portion (7), the middle portion (5) comprising a circumferential wall (9) extending about a longitudinal axis (11), where the front portion (3) comprises at least one first coupling means (13) for removable connection to the middle portion (5), and where the rear portion (7) comprises at least one second coupling means (13) for removable connection to the middle portion (5); and the rear part (7) comprises at least one second coupling means (15) to be removably connected to the middle part (5). The photographic lighting device (1) further comprises a locking element (19) arranged in a movable manner within the intermediate portion (5). The locking element (19) is configured to move in a direction separate from the longitudinal axis (11) between an open state in which the locking element (19) is not engaged with the first coupling means (13) and the second coupling means (15) when the front portion (3) and the rear portion (7) are mounted on the intermediate portion (5), and a locked state in which the locking element (19) is engaged with at least the second coupling means (15).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a photographic lighting device comprising a concealed locking arrangement. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the art of photography, high demands are made on photographic equipment. The equipment, such as flash devices, lamps and the like, needs to have multiple functions and be safe to use. The equipment also needs to be compact in design, to not take up too much space, and in a highly competitive market, preferably, the equipment needs to be visually pleasing in its design, to attract photographers to pick it up and use it.

[0003] Furthermore, photographic equipment, such as lighting devices, must be easy to assemble / disassemble when maintenance is required, but preferably, such assembly / disassembly should not be performed by the end user of the product, due to safety risks for the end user. It is therefore desirable to keep fasteners and arrangements belonging to the assembly / disassembly function as separate and as far away from the everyday use as possible.

[0004] Typically, such products comprise a number of complex electrical components housed within a housing, where such housing preferably can be assembled in a firm and reliable manner, and even more preferably, visually pleasing to look at. These desired goals can sometimes conflict, as a large number of assembly screws or the like can affect the end user's experience of using such a device. SUMMARY

[0005] Despite the prior art, there is still a need to develop a lighting device with a locking arrangement that can lock together the pieces of a housing, while the assembly part of the locking arrangement is as concealed as possible for the end user. There is also a need to develop such a lighting device with a locking arrangement, where only one operation is required for the final step of the assembly of the lighting device.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lighting device with a locking arrangement that can lock together the pieces of a housing, while the assembly part of the locking arrangement is as concealed as possible for the end user. It is a further object to provide such a lighting device with a locking arrangement, where only one operation is required for the final step of the assembly of the lighting device.

[0007] According to a first aspect, a photographic lighting device is provided. The photographic lighting device comprises a housing having a front portion, a middle portion and a rear portion. The middle portion comprises a circumferential wall extending around a longitudinal axis of the photographic device. The front portion comprises at least one first coupling means for removably connecting to the middle portion, and the rear portion comprises at least one second coupling means for removably connecting to the middle portion. When the three portions of the housing are assembled, they enclose the internal parts of the photographic lighting device, such as electronics and computer parts, and hold the device together in one piece.

[0008] The photographic lighting device further comprises a locking element movably arranged within the middle portion of the housing. The locking element is configured to move in a direction separate from the longitudinal axis of the photographic lighting device between an open state, in which the locking element does not engage with the first coupling means and the second coupling means when the front portion and the rear portion are mounted on the middle portion, and a locked state, in which the locking element engages with at least the second coupling means.

[0009] This has the advantage that a photographic lighting device is provided, which has a housing that can be manufactured as separate portions and then assembled to achieve a near seamless appearance. This device provides a quick and easy way of final assembly, where the end user and / or a professional service / maintenance person can quickly and easily perform the last steps of assembly or the first steps of disassembly. The lighting device is also very robust and reliable in its mechanical integrity, providing a device that is safe and reliable to use.

[0010] According to an aspect, the middle portion of the housing is manufactured as a single piece.

[0011] This has the advantage that even if the middle portion of the housing of the lighting device is manufactured as a single seamless portion, the locking element positioned inside can lock the middle portion together with the front portion and the rear portion by means of a locking mechanism positioned within said single seamless portion.

[0012] According to an aspect, the locking element is configured to be moved by an operable actuator.

[0013] This has the advantage that such an actuator can be manufactured such that the device itself is adapted to be easily assembled / disassembled using said operable actuator, and almost impossible to assemble / disassemble without such an actuator. Making it safe and reliable to operate for an end user without the correct actuator / tool for manipulating the locking mechanism.

[0014] According to an aspect, the actuator is arranged to be accessible through an aperture in the circumferential wall of the middle portion.

[0015] This has the advantage that this aperture can be the only point of access for the handling of the assembly / disassembly of the device, wherein a hidden locking mechanism positioned inside the device can lock the device together while providing a minimal point of access through the circumferential wall of the intermediate part of the housing. This provides a safe and robust device and at the same time a visually pleasing device for its end user.

[0016] According to an aspect, the actuator can comprise a screw, wherein a head of the screw is accessible through an aperture in the circumferential wall of the intermediate part.

[0017] This has the advantage that a very small aperture can be needed in the intermediate part of the housing while still being able to provide a large force inside the device in the form of a torque provided by means of the screw.

[0018] According to an aspect, the actuator comprises a nut, wherein a rotation of the screw axially moves the nut on the screw in order to move the locking element by said movement of the screw and the nut.

[0019] This has the advantage that the locking element can be operated very precisely and that the force to close / open the locking mechanism can transfer the mechanical force from the operated screw into the locking element, thereby keeping the device closed / open by means of the mechanical integrity of the locking element itself.

[0020] According to an aspect, the first and second coupling means can be configured to extend into the intermediate part when the front and rear parts are mounted to the intermediate part, respectively.

[0021] This has the advantage that as many parts of the locking element / mechanism as possible are kept inside the device and thus cannot be seen / accessed by the end user of the device.

[0022] According to an aspect, the second coupling means comprise hooks configured for engagement with the locking element in the locked state of the locking element.

[0023] This has the advantage that said hooks keep the device together by means of their mechanical strength, wherein the mechanical force provided by the operator does not need to be of a certain amount in order to keep the device together by means of said force itself.

[0024] According to an aspect, the locking element comprises a disc-shaped element which, when moved into the locked state, engages with the second coupling means such that the second coupling means are fixed in their position.

[0025] This has the advantage that the disc-shaped element can distribute the forces of the interaction between the incoming mechanical components over a larger surface area, thus providing a more robust mechanical function and reducing the risk of mechanical failure due to concentrated forces.

[0026] According to an aspect, the disc-shaped element comprises at least one aperture, wherein the second coupling means are configured to extend at least partially through said aperture.

[0027] This has the advantage that the second coupling means can be firmly guided into its correct position for locking the device, as the aperture can only allow the second locking means to pass when the different parts of the device are correctly aligned.

[0028] According to an aspect, the rear part comprises electrical contacts that couple to corresponding electrical contacts located within the intermediate part when the locking element fixes the rear part to the intermediate part.

[0029] This has the advantage that the electrical and computer components of the device can be interconnected and electrically connected between the intermediate part and the rear part without the need for external tools. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] The following is a description of embodiments by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] Figure 1 a schematic exploded view of a photographic lighting device according to an embodiment is shown,

[0032] Figure 2 a schematic exploded view of a photographic lighting device according to an embodiment is shown,

[0033] Figure 3 a schematic cross-sectional side view of a photographic lighting device is shown, wherein the locking element of the photographic lighting device is in its open state, and

[0034] Figure 4 a schematic cross-sectional side view of a photographic lighting device is shown, wherein the locking element of the photographic lighting device is in its locked state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The description of various features according to the present disclosure and modifications thereof will be described in more detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that embodiments including any of the described features or combinations of features can be assembled according to the description herein.

[0036] Figure 1A schematic exploded view of a photographic lighting device 1 according to an embodiment is shown. The photographic lighting device 1 comprises a housing having a front portion 3, a middle portion 5 and a rear portion 7. The middle portion 5 comprises a circumferential wall 9 extending around a longitudinal axis 11, wherein the front portion 3 comprises at least one first coupling means 13 for removably connecting to the middle portion 5 and the rear portion 7 comprises at least one second coupling means 15 for removably connecting to the middle portion 5. The front portion 3 further comprises a light source 17, which can be a lamp, a flash or the like. It is to be understood that the lighting device 1 further comprises electronic components therein in order to be able to operate said light source 17. However, said electronic components will only be briefly mentioned herein as these components are considered to be generic within the scope of the present disclosure. As mentioned above, the light source 17 is arranged in the front portion 3 of the device, but said light source 17 can also be positioned at the rear portion 7 of the housing without departing from the scope of protection described herein. The light source 17 is driven by the aforementioned electronic components of the device 1, which are located within the middle portion 5 of the housing when the device is fully assembled. Said components can be attached to any of the portions 3, 5, 7 of the housing or arranged so as to be positioned within the middle portion 5 without being fastened to any of the pre-assembled portions.

[0037] The photographic lighting device 1 further comprises a locking element 19 movably arranged within the middle portion 5, the locking element 19 being configured to move in a direction separate from the longitudinal axis 11 between an open state and a locked state. In the open state, when the front portion 3 and the rear portion 7 are mounted to the middle portion 5, the locking element 19 does not engage with the second coupling means 15, whereas in the locked state, the locking element 19 engages with at least the second coupling means 15. Reference will be made to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The locking element 19 is shown and explained in detail.

[0038] As depicted in Figure 1 The middle portion 5 of the housing can be manufactured as a single piece, as depicted in

[0039] The first 13 and second 15 coupling means can extend into the intermediate portion 5 when the front portion 3 and the rear portion 7 are respectively mounted to the intermediate portion 5, which is in Figure 1 depicted in the depiction of the second coupling means 15. Therefore, all the portions of either of the two coupling means 13, 15 are not accessible from the outside of the lighting device 1 when fully assembled, thus providing a firm and safe coupling of the device, wherein the mechanical integrity and the user safety are enhanced. As it should be apparent, this solution is easy to operate when assembling the intermediate portion 5 with the first auxiliary portion, in this embodiment the front portion 3. When the front portion 3 is to be mounted to the intermediate portion 5, the first coupling means 13 can be accessed through the closed internal volume defined by the circumferential wall 9 of the intermediate portion 5 when the rear portion 7 is not mounted to the intermediate portion 5. Therefore, said first coupling means 13 can comprise various different generic coupling / fastening means, such as conventional screws or the like. However, when the front portion 3 and the intermediate portion 5 are assembled to each other, the opening in the intermediate portion 5 covered by the front portion 3 cannot be used for the assembly of the rear portion 7. Then, the rear portion 7 is instead mounted and locked to the intermediate portion 5 and / or to the front portion 3 by means of the locking element 19 and the second coupling means 15, which will be explained in Figures 3-4 more detail.

[0040] As Figure 1 depicted, the second coupling means 15 of the photographic lighting device 1 can comprise a hook 21 configured for engaging with the locking element 19 in the locked condition of the latter. In Figure 1 particular, the number of said hooks 21 is shown as three, however, any other number of hooks 21 can be considered without departing from the protection scope defined herein. It should also be understood that the above-mentioned first coupling means 13 of the front portion 3 of the housing are not shown in Figure 1 or are covered by the front portion 3 itself, as depicted in Figure 1 .

[0041] Turning to Figure 2 , it is seen Figure 1mirrored to the corresponding apertures 23 seen at the inner wall 25 located in the middle portion 5 of the housing. As should be understood, the hooks 21 of the rear portion 7 will be inserted in said apertures 23 during assembly of the rear portion 7 to the middle portion 5. Turning attention to the locking mechanism and parts thereof, the locking element 19 can comprise a disc-like element which, when moved to the locked state, engages with the second coupling means 15 such that the second coupling means 15 is fixed in its position. Further, the disc-like element can comprise at least one aperture 23’ wherein the second coupling means 15 is configured to extend at least partially through said aperture 23’. Thus, the aforementioned inner wall 25 located in the middle portion 5 of the housing can be considered the actual inner wall of the middle portion 5 or in combination with the disc-like element of the locking element 19 mentioned herein. Thus, the rear portion 7 of the housing can be mounted to the middle portion 5 with the hooks 21 of the rear portion 7 passing through their corresponding apertures 23 as Figure 2 illustrated, wherein the locking element 19 is moved to hold said hooks 21 in place, thereby locking the assembly together.

[0042] The locking mechanism will now be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 3-4 the figures. Figures 3-4 An internal view of the locking element 19 during assembly of the lighting device 1 is shown, wherein Figure 3 the open state is shown, and Figure 4 the locked state of the locking element 19 is shown. Figures 3-4 is seen as a cross-sectional view, the cross-section being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 11 of the lighting device 1. The view depicts the locking element 19 located within the middle portion 5 of the housing, which middle portion 5 of the housing is also partly seen, as well as parts of the rear portion 7 and its second locking means 15, which in this embodiment has hooks 21 as previously described. As Figure 1 seen, the hooks 21 are inserted Figure 2 into the apertures 23 seen, wherein the hooks 21 are positioned as Figure 3 illustrated, passing through the apertures 23 in the inner wall 25, but not engaging the locking element 19.

[0043] The locking element 19 can comprise a disc-like element which, when moved to the locked state, engages with the second coupling means 15 such that the second coupling means 15 is fixed in its position. In Figure 3 particular, such a locking element 19 is seen positioned in alignment with the apertures 23 of the inner wall 25 such that a sliding motion of the locking element 19 can engage the hooks 21 and thus lock the hooks 21 in place for movement along the longitudinal axis 11 of the lighting device 1.

[0044] The disc-shaped locking element 19 can also comprise at least one aperture 23' wherein the second coupling means 15 are configured to extend at least partially through said aperture 23'. In Figures 3-4 particular, one sees that the exemplary embodiment depicted comprises one aperture 23' in the locking element 19 and three apertures 23 in the inner wall 25. The aperture 23' in the locking element 19 is made so as to align with one of the apertures 23 of the inner wall 25, thus ensuring the correct fitting of all the entering components when the lighting device 1 is assembled. The locking element 19 can of course be larger (compared to the depiction in Figures 3-4 particular) wherein additional apertures 23' in the locking element 19 provide the second coupling means 15 of the rear portion 7 of the housing with an entry point through the locking element 19.

[0045] As Figures 3-4 depicted, the locking element 19 can be configured to be moved by an operable actuator 27. The actuator 27 can then be arranged so as to be accessible through an aperture 29 in the circumferential wall 9 of the middle portion 5 of the housing. This solution positions said actuator 27 within the middle portion 5 of the housing, avoiding interaction during normal use of the lighting device 1.

[0046] For a simple implementation of this feature, the actuator 27 can be a mechanically rigid part of the locking element 19, wherein a suitable tool can be used to engage the locking element 19 and move it through the aperture 29 in the circumferential wall 9.

[0047] Also as depicted, the actuator 27 can also comprise a screw 31 31 wherein the head 33 of the screw 31 is accessible through an aperture 10 in the circumferential wall 9 4 of the middle portion 5 2. A suitable screw 31 driver adapted to said head 33 of the screw 31 can thus be used to control the actuator 27 and thus the locking element 19. The locking element 19 can then comprise a nut 35 in turn wherein the rotation of the screw 31 moves the nut 35 axially on said screw 31 so as to move the locking element 19 by said rotation of the screw 31 and displacement of the nut 35. By means of holding the nut 35 at a fixed position at the locking element 19, the locking element 19 can be moved back and forth along the extension of the screw 31.

[0048] The inner wall 25 can be fixed in the middle portion 5 of the housing, it can be an additional free part designed to be inserted in the middle portion 5, or it can be a part of the front portion 3 of the housing. The inner wall 25 is arranged to be positioned within the middle portion 5 of the housing and its main purpose is to hold the locking element 19 in its correct position during assembly of the lighting device 1 in order to align the actuator 27 and the aperture 23 so that they can interact with each other as intended. Thus, there are many variations of how to achieve the intended function without departing from the scope of the general concept described herein. For certain embodiments of the lighting device 1, the inner wall 25 can also be removed altogether. The first coupling means 13 of the front portion 3 of the housing can comprise a hook-like portion 21 similar to the hook-like portion 21 of the rear portion 7, wherein such similar hook-like portion 21’ can extend into the interior of the middle portion 5 so that the hook-like portions 21, 21’ of the first and second coupling means 12, 15 partially overlap each other. In Figure 3 Such hypothetical hook-like portion 21’ is shown in dashed lines in Fig. 13. The locking element 19 can then be arranged within the overlapping portion of said hook-like portions 21 so that moving the locking element 19 into its locking position engages and holds the two coupling means 13, 15 in place and thus holds the portions of the housing together.

[0049] The inner wall 25 can also be fastened in place when the front portion 3 and the middle portion 5 of the housing are coupled together by coupling the inner wall 25 to the middle portion 5, to the portion of the front portion 3 extending into the interior volume of the middle portion 5, or to both said portions of the middle portion and the front portion 3. Thus, the locking element 19 can be used as the last operation to assemble the lighting device 1, locking the rear portion 7 to the already assembled first and middle portions 5.

[0050] Turning back to Figures 1-2The rear portion 7 of the housing can also comprise electrical contacts 37 which, when the locking element 19 fixes the rear portion 7 to the intermediate portion 5, are coupled to corresponding electrical contacts 37' located within the intermediate portion 5. By means of this electrical coupling, electrical components can be located at the rear portion 7 without the need for a power supply also in the rear portion 7. Furthermore, such electrical components can also be coupled to the electronics and / or power supply within the intermediate portion 5 of the housing without the need for any wiring work between them. Still further, since the locking mechanism and its parts are designed to work properly only when the second coupling means 15 are correctly aligned with respect to the intermediate portion and the front portion 3 of the housing, such alignment ensures at the same time a reliable electrical coupling while the intermediate portion and the rear portion 7 of the housing are mechanically coupled. Therefore, the electrical coupling of the two electrical contacts 37, 37' and the mechanical coupling of the second coupling means 15 can help each other in making their individual parts correctly aligned, since it is not possible to fit one coupling without fitting the other.

[0051] The foregoing description of the implementations has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the described variants. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The implementations have been chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the application and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the application in various implementations and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The components and features specified above can be combined in different embodiments within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A photographic lighting device (1), the photographic lighting device (1) comprising: A housing having a front portion (3), a middle portion (5) and a rear portion (7), the middle portion (5) comprising a circumferential wall (9) extending around a longitudinal axis (11), wherein the front portion (3) comprises at least one first coupling means (13) for removably connecting to the middle portion (5) and the rear portion (7) comprises at least one second coupling means (15) for removably connecting to the middle portion (5), characterized in that the photographic lighting device (1) further comprises a locking element (19) movably arranged within the middle portion (5), the locking element (19) being configured to move in a direction separate from the longitudinal axis (11) between an open state, in which the locking element (19) does not engage with the first coupling means (13) and the second coupling means (15) when the front portion (3) and the rear portion (7) are mounted on the middle portion (5), and a locked state, in which the locking element (19) engages with at least the second coupling means (15).

2. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein The middle portion (5) of the housing is manufactured as a single piece.

3. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The locking element (19) is configured to be moved by an operable actuator (27).

4. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 3, wherein The actuator (27) is arranged to be accessible through an aperture (29) in the circumferential wall (4) of the middle portion (2).

5. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 4, wherein The actuator (27) comprises a screw (31), wherein a head (33) of the screw (31) is accessible through the aperture (29) in the circumferential wall (9) of the middle portion (5).

6. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 5, wherein The locking element (19) comprises a nut (35), wherein a rotation of the screw (31) moves the nut (35) axially on the screw so as to move the locking element (19) by the movement of the screw (31) and the nut (35).

7. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The first coupling means (13) and the second coupling means (15) are configured to extend into the middle portion (5) when the front portion (3) and the rear portion (7) are mounted to the middle portion (5), respectively.

8. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The second coupling means (15) comprises a hook (21) configured for engaging with the locking element (19) in the locked state of the locking element (19).

9. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The locking element (19) comprises a disc-shaped element that engages with the second coupling means (15) when moved to the locked state, such that the second coupling means (15) is fixed in position.

10. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 9, wherein The disc-shaped element comprises at least one aperture (23'), wherein the second coupling means (15) is configured to extend at least partially through the aperture (23').

11. The photographic lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein Said rear portion (7) comprises electrical contacts (37) which, when the locking element (19) fixes the rear portion (7) to the intermediate portion (5), are coupled to corresponding electrical contacts (37') located inside the intermediate portion (5).

Images