Portable light

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable light having a handle and a lighting strip protruding herefrom. In order to propose a portable light that permits better illumination of the working region onto which the light is directed when used as intended, according to the invention the lighting strip is formed elastically at least in sections, and therefore the lighting strip changes its form under the application of an external force and takes on its original form as soon as the application of force disappears.

Description

[0001] Portable lamp

[0002] The invention relates to a portable lamp with a handle and a light bar protruding therefrom.

[0003] Luminaires of this type are known as state-of-the-art inspection luminaires. An inspection luminaire, for example, is

[0004] RCD 4070035-0005, which concerns a registered Community design. The light bar, which protrudes coaxially from the handle of the inspection light, has one or more light sources arranged in a row / line such that, in operation, they emit light essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inspection light. Such inspection lights are used particularly in workshops because, on the one hand, they allow for large-area illumination of the work area and, on the other hand, they can be inserted deep into narrow areas of an engine or similar.

[0005] Conventional inspection lights are suspended from a hook or similar device during intended use and move even with the slightest vibration, resulting in undesirable flickering illumination of the work area. Regardless of the existing advantages of conventional inspection lights, practical experience has shown that the illumination of the work area is in need of improvement.

[0006] Based on this, the object of the invention is to propose a portable lamp, in particular an inspection lamp, which allows improved illumination of the work area to which the lamp is directed during its intended use.

[0007] This object is achieved by the portable lamp according to claim 1. According to the invention, the light bar is designed to be elastic at least in sections, so that the light bar changes its shape under the effect of an external force and assumes its original shape as soon as the force disappears. Due to the elastic design of the light bar, the light bar can be bent even during intended use and the lamp can be clamped between two contact points on a support, such as within the body of a vehicle, so that the work area is surrounded by the lamp in an arc. The work area is thus optimally illuminated. The clamped mounting of the lamp also contributes to improving the illumination, as it is thus held between the contact points in a vibration-resistant manner.

[0008] Advantageous further developments of the invention are described below and in the subclaims.

[0009] Preferably, the elastic section of the light bar is deformable exclusively along a curvature-free plane. Deformations of the light bar at an angle, particularly at right angles, to the (imaginary) curvature-free plane are thus excluded, which has a beneficial effect on the stability of the clamped mounting of the luminaire.

[0010] For the elastically deformable design of the light bar, an advantageous development of the invention provides that the light bar has a spiral spring designed as a support for at least one light source, wherein the spiral spring is embedded in a casing made of a flexible and transparent material. The flexible and transparent material of the casing is preferably silicone or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The at least one light source can have a plurality of LEDs or be designed, for example, as an OLED.

[0011] Within the scope of an advantageous development of the luminaire, it is provided that the spiral spring is made of spring steel. To limit the elastic deformability of the light bar along a curvature-free plane, it is also preferably provided that the spiral spring is designed as a leaf spring having a rectangular cross-section with two long sides and two narrow sides, wherein the at least one light source of the light bar is arranged on one or both long sides of the leaf spring. With such a geometry, bending of such a leaf spring and thus bending of the light bar is possible without exception perpendicular to the long sides, which is why the deformability is limited to a curvature-free plane.

[0012] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the spiral spring is designed as a heat sink, which is designed to dissipate the heat generated by the light sources when the luminaire is in operation. The preferred design of the spiral spring made of spring steel has also proven advantageous for this purpose, because spring steel has a comparatively high thermal conductivity, which effectively dissipates the resulting heat.

[0013] Preferably, the handle has a ball joint with a ball axis and a magnetic base plate at the end facing away from the light bar, so that the portable light can be secured to a magnetizable support in any orientation. It is also preferably provided that the light bar has a contact surface and / or a receiving eyelet at its end facing away from the handle. Both fastening means, which are arranged at the tip of the light bar and at the end of the handle, allow the light to be clamped between two points. In this state, the light has a curvature that depends essentially on the length of the light and the distance between the contact points.

[0014] Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the handle accommodates a rechargeable battery which is designed to supply power to the at least one light source of the light bar, wherein regulators and / or switches which are designed to actuate the portable light are arranged on the handle.

[0015] According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the at least partially formed light bar is adjusted such that the light bar, with a length L of 15 cm to 40 cm, in particular of 20 cm to 30 cm, has a bending constant c for which the following applies: 0.3 / Nm 2 < c < 2.4 / Nm 2 , preferably 0.41 / Nm 2 < c < 0.91 / Nm 2 , particularly preferably 0.551 / Nm 2 < c < 0.81 / Nm 2For a cuboid light bar with length L, width b, thickness d and elastic modulus E, the force-dependent deflection is given by:

[0016] This allows the length-dependent bending constant c to be defined by:

[0017] A luminaire with the described elastic properties of the light sheet is particularly advantageous when used as intended, because the elastic behavior allows sufficient bending of the luminaire by hand, whereby the restoring forces are designed in such a way that the luminaire is held in a stable position in the clamped / tensioned state even under normal vibrations.

[0018] Specific embodiments of the present invention are explained below with reference to the figures. They show:

[0019] Fig. 1a-c different cross-sectional views of a luminaire,

[0020] Fig. 1d a cross-sectional view of a light bar,

[0021] Fig. 2a-c cross-sectional views of a ball joint on a handle, Fig. 3 a perspective exploded view of a ball joint on a handle, Fig. 4a a light bar clamped on one side and Fig. 4b, c two diagrams.

[0022] Fig. 1a shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a luminaire 1 with a handle 2 and a light bar 3 protruding therefrom. The light bar 3 is elastic along its entire length, so that the light bar 3 is reversibly deformable under the action of an external force F. Fig. 1a shows the force-free or unloaded state in which the light bar 3 is not bent and extends along a longitudinal axis Li. Fig. 1b shows that the light bar 3 deforms as a result of a force F acting parallel to the drawing plane. The deformation also follows a curvature-free plane that coincides with the drawing plane. As soon as the force F disappears, the luminaire 1 returns to the force-free / unloaded state (original state) according to Fig. 1a. The deformation of the luminaire 1 or the deformation of the light bar 3 by the force F is therefore reversible.

[0023] Fig. 1c shows the cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional plane AA, so that the curvature-free plane, within which the deformation of the luminaire 1 occurs in the loaded state, is aligned perpendicular to the drawing plane.

[0024] Fig. 1d shows a cross-sectional view of the light bar 3 along the cross-sectional planes BB.

[0025] The light bar 3 has a spiral spring 4, which is designed as a carrier for several light sources 5 in the form of LEDs 51. In Figs. 1a-c, only three of the light sources 5, 51 are numbered. The other 21 rectangular LEDs are not numbered for the sake of clarity. The spiral spring 4 is embedded in a casing 6 made of a flexible and transparent material. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible and transparent material of the casing 6 is silicone. The spiral spring 4, which allows reversible bending of the light bar 3, is made of spring steel in the illustrated embodiment. Furthermore, the spiral spring 4 is designed as a leaf spring 41 with a rectangular cross-section, wherein the cross-section has two long sides 71, 72 and two narrow sides 81, 82, wherein the light sources 5 of the light bar 3 are arranged exclusively on the long side 71 of the leaf spring 41.Because the spiral spring 4 in the present embodiment is made of spring steel with a high thermal conductivity, the spiral spring 4 is also simultaneously designed as a heat sink, which is designed to dissipate the heat generated by the light sources 5 in the operating state of the luminaire 1.

[0026] Within the scope of a specific embodiment of the invention, the handle 2, at the end facing away from the light bar 3, is provided with a ball joint 9 with a ball axis 10 and a magnetic base plate 11, so that the portable light 1 can be secured to a magnetizable support in any orientation. Specific embodiments of this ball joint are explained in detail with reference to Figs. 2a-c, 3. Furthermore, the light bar 3 has, at its end facing away from the handle 2, a contact surface 12 and a receiving eyelet 13, both of which are designed so that the light 1 can be clamped between two contact points.

[0027] The handle 2 accommodates a rechargeable battery 14, which is designed to supply power to the light sources 5 of the light bar 3. A controller 15 is arranged on the handle 2, which is designed to operate the portable light 1. Furthermore, the handle 2 has a wired interface 16, in particular a USB interface, with which the rechargeable battery 14 can be charged.

[0028] Fig. 2a-c each show the rear end of the handle 2 of the portable lamp 1. The lamp 1 can be pivotally mounted by means of the ball joint 9. For this purpose, the lamp 1 has a ball receptacle 17 designed to captively accommodate a joint ball 18. The joint ball 18 is connected to the ball axis 10, which has the magnetic base plate 11 on the side facing away from the joint ball 18. The magnetic base plate 11 is connected to the ball axis 10 by means of a screw connection 21 and has a contact surface 22 designed to bear against a support (not shown) made of magnetizable material for magnetically fixing the lamp 1. The lamp 1 can be pivoted by a conical angle of 90° with respect to its own longitudinal axis Li and with respect to the longitudinal axis L2 of the ball axis 10.Because the ball axis 10 is in turn inclined by an angle ß of 45° relative to the contact surface 22 of the base plate 11 and the base plate 11 can be aligned as desired, the overall pivotability of the luminaire 1 is achieved by a cone angle a of 180°.

[0029] Fig. 2a shows the adjustment of the luminaire 1, in which the luminaire 1 is aligned with its longitudinal axis Li perpendicular to the contact surface 22. Fig. 2b, in contrast, shows the luminaire 1 pivoted upwards by 90°. Fig. 2c shows the luminaire 1 pivoted downwards by 90°. Any orientation of the luminaire 1 is adjustable within the cone angle a of 180°.

[0030] Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of the ball joint 9, wherein the ball socket 17 has two detachable housing parts 231, 232, which have respective contact surfaces 241, 242 for contact with the joint ball 18. The housing parts 231, 232 of the ball socket can be connected to one another by means of a threaded connection 25. The threaded connection 25 allows the housing parts 231, 232 of the ball socket 17 to be connected in such a way that the joint ball 18 is not only captively mounted, but also non-positively mounted against rotation within the ball socket 17.

[0031] Fig. 4a shows a cuboid light bar 3 clamped at one end with a length L, a width b, and a thickness d. The elastic modulus E of the light bar 3 is adjusted by the choice of the material or material combination and the geometry of the light bar 3 such that the light bar 3 deflects by a distance s under the influence of a force F acting on the free end. Fig. 4b shows the deflection s for two light bars 3 with lengths of 20 cm and 30 cm as a function of test masses attached to the free ends of the light bars 3. The following measured values ​​were obtained:

[0032] Fig. 4c shows, in a comparable manner, the deflection s of two light bars 3 with lengths of 20 cm and 30 cm as a function of the length-dependent bending constant c. For a light bar 3 with a length of L = 20 cm, the bending constant c is 0.73, and for a light bar 3 with a length of L = 30 cm, the bending constant c is 0.6.

[0033] List of reference symbols

[0034] 1 light

[0035] 2 handles

[0036] 3 light bar

[0037] 4 spiral springs

[0038] 41 leaf spring

[0039] 5 Light source

[0040] 51 LED

[0041] 6 coat

[0042] 71 Long side

[0043] 72 long side

[0044] 81 narrow side

[0045] 82 narrow side

[0046] 9 ball joint

[0047] 10 Ball axis

[0048] 11 Base plate

[0049] 12 contact surface

[0050] 13 Mounting eyelet

[0051] 14 Accumulator

[0052] 15 controllers

[0053] 16 wired interface

[0054] 17 Ball mount

[0055] 18 joint ball

[0056] 21 Screw connection

[0057] 22 contact surface

[0058] 231 Housing part

[0059] 232 Housing part

[0060] 241 contact surface

[0061] 242 contact surface

[0062] 25 Threaded connection F force

[0063] Li Longitudinal axis of the luminaire

[0064] L2 Longitudinal axis of the ball axis s Deflection d Thickness b Width

[0065] L length a cone angle ß cone angle

Claims

Claims 1. Portable lamp with a handle (2) and a light bar (3) projecting therefrom, characterized in that the light bar (3) is designed to be elastic at least in sections, so that the light bar (3) changes its shape under the action of an external force F and assumes its original shape as soon as the force disappears.

2. Portable lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic section of the light bar (3) is deformable exclusively along a curvature-free plane.

3. Portable lamp according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the light bar (3) has a spiral spring (4) which is designed as a support for at least one light source (5), wherein the spiral spring (4) is embedded in a casing (6) made of a flexible and transparent material.

4. Portable lamp according to claim 3, characterized in that the flexible and transparent material of the casing (6) is silicone or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

5. Portable lamp according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the spiral spring (4) consists of spring steel.

6. Portable lamp according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the spiral spring (4) is designed as a leaf spring (41) with a rectangular cross-section, wherein the leaf spring (41) has two long sides (71, 72) and two narrow sides (81, 82) in cross-section and the at least one light source (5) of the light bar (3) is arranged on one or both long sides (71, 72) of the leaf spring (41). Portable light according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the spiral spring (4) is designed as a heat sink, which is configured to dissipate the heat generated by the light sources (5) when the light (1) is in operation. Portable light according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the handle (2) has, at the end facing away from the light bar (3), a ball joint (9) with a ball axis (10) and a magnetic base plate (11), so that the portable light (1) can be fixed to a magnetizable support in any orientation. Portable light according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the light bar (3) has, at its end facing away from the handle (2), a contact surface (12) and / or a receiving eyelet (13).Portable light according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the handle (2) accommodates a rechargeable battery (14) which is designed to supply power to the at least one light source (5) of the light bar (3), wherein regulators (15) and / or switches which are designed to actuate the portable light (1) are arranged on the handle (2). Portable light according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the at least partially elastic design of the light bar (3) is adjusted such that the light bar (3), with a length (L) of 15 cm to 40 cm, in particular of 20 cm to 30 cm, has a bending constant (c) for which the following applies: 0.3 / Nm. 2 < c < 2.4 / Nm 2 , preferably 0.41 / Nm 2 < c < 0.91 / Nm 2 , particularly preferably 0.551 / Nm 2 < c < 0.81 / Nm 2 Portable lamp according to claim 11, characterized in that the bending constant (c) of a cuboid light bar (3) with the length (L), the width (b), the thickness (d) and the material-dependent elastic modulus (E) is given by: 4 C ~ Ibid 3

Images