Rail lighting fixture and its manufacturing method

Abstract

A rail luminaire for providing illumination along a rail of a railway track comprises a housing adapted for mounting to the rail and having at least one aperture, and at least one light source disposed within the housing and configured to emit a beam of light, the luminaire configured to direct the beam of light through the aperture towards an illumination direction having a component parallel to a longitudinal direction of the rail.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rail luminaire for providing illumination along a railway track, in particular along the rails of a train track, the luminaire comprising a housing adapted for mounting to the rail and at least one light source adapted to emit a beam of light. Further, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a rail luminaire. [Background technology]

[0002] Such a luminaire is known, for example, from EP 3251916, which discloses a luminaire for illuminating a portion of an I-rail railway track, which comprises an elongated housing having a mounting surface adapted for attachment to the rail body in the longitudinal direction of the rail, and an array of light sources distributed longitudinally on the housing, the light source array emitting light across the rail and away from the rail.

[0003] Often, to illuminate long lengths of track along a rail, such known luminaires are as long as 2 meters, and arrays of luminaires are mounted at intervals of about 4 meters along the rail, with the luminaires spaced apart from each other at distances of about 2 meters along the length of the rail. However, the manufacture of such bulky luminaires is material-intensive. Moreover, the installation of known luminaires is laborious, especially when installed in large numbers, and impedes the throughput of trains or other rail vehicles.

[0004] A further disadvantage of known lighting devices is that people in the vicinity of the track may be dazzled by the light. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rail luminaire, at least partially alleviating the above-mentioned drawbacks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In that regard, a luminaire is provided for providing illumination along a rail of a railway track, the luminaire comprising a housing adapted for mounting to the rail and having at least one aperture, and at least one light source arranged within the housing and configured to emit a light beam, the luminaire configured to direct the light beam through the aperture towards an illumination direction, the illumination direction having a component parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rail, e.g., the illumination direction is parallel to the longitudinal direction.

[0007] To illuminate a path along the rail, the light beam is, for example, wide and directed in an illumination direction parallel to the rail longitudinal direction, partially directed away from the rail to illuminate the path with its full width. Alternatively or additionally, the light beam illuminates a length of the rail, and the path along the rail is indirectly illuminated via the rail. In particular, in that case the path can be illuminated in a manner that is visually pleasant for a person in the vicinity of the track.

[0008] By directing the light beam in a lighting direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rail, dazzle to humans can be reduced compared to lighting fixtures that emit light across and away from the rail.

[0009] Since the light beam is directed in an illumination direction parallel to the rail longitudinal direction, it is understood that the light beam is not necessarily directed in a direction exactly parallel to the rail. It is envisioned that to illuminate a portion of the rail and / or a path along the rail, the light beam, while directed in a direction approximately parallel to the rail, may diverge and / or at least partially deviate from a direction exactly parallel to the rail.

[0010] The above-mentioned known luminaires, which emit light across and away from the rail to illuminate a long section of track along the rail, comprise an array of light sources distributed longitudinally across an elongated housing. By configuring the luminaire to direct light beams in the longitudinal direction of the rail, a compact luminaire with high material efficiency and low weight is provided, which reduces manufacturing costs and installation time relative to known luminaires. Furthermore, the small size of the luminaire facilitates installation of the luminaire at or near railway switches and / or junctions, or any curved railway section.

[0011] Furthermore, when an array of luminaires is mounted along the rail at intervals, particularly when the individual lighting distributions of successive luminaires in the array at least partially overlap in the longitudinal direction, the track can be more uniformly illuminated than an array of luminaires that radiate light in directions across and away from the rail.

[0012] To provide more uniform illumination of the track in such an array and / or to allow a reduced number of luminaires in the array, the luminaires are preferably arranged to direct the first and second light beams in opposite illumination directions parallel to the longitudinal direction. More generally, by emitting light beams in opposite directions the luminaires can effectively illuminate a long length along the rail.

[0013] For example, the housing may be provided with at least two apertures and the luminaire may comprise at least two light sources disposed within the housing and configured to emit respective light beams, the luminaire configured to direct the respective light beams through the respective apertures towards respective illumination directions. Alternatively, a single light source may be configured to emit the respective light beams.

[0014] The rail luminaire may further be configured to direct a light beam in a transverse lighting direction, the transverse lighting direction being a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the rail. In this regard, the rail luminaire may include a side light source, such as an LED, configured to emit a light beam in the transverse lighting direction. The side light source is preferably located on a side of the housing opposite the side of the housing that is attached to the rail.

[0015] In order to further reduce dazzle for humans, the housing is preferably provided with at least one recess and the at least one light source is arranged in the at least one recess. In addition, a compact rail luminaire can be obtained. Preferably, the recess is open in the lighting direction to form an opening and the light source is configured to emit a light beam in the lighting direction. In this way, an even more compact rail luminaire can be obtained.

[0016] For example, by emitting a diverging light beam, the luminaire can more efficiently illuminate the rail and / or the path along the rail. According to a preferred embodiment of the rail luminaire, the light beam directed by the luminaire has an asymmetric light distribution, where the horizontal light distribution of the light beam is wider than the vertical light distribution of the light beam. That is, if the luminaire is mounted, for example, on a horizontal rail to illuminate a horizontal path, the luminaire preferably has such an asymmetric light distribution, where the horizontal beam angle is wider than the vertical beam angle. The light distribution is, for example, elliptical in shape. By limiting the vertical beam angle compared to the horizontal beam angle, human dazzle can be further reduced.

[0017] For this purpose, the aperture is preferably provided with an optical element, which may be configured to receive the light beam emitted by the light source and generate an asymmetric light distribution. The optical element is, for example, a lens. Alternatively, in order to generate an asymmetric light distribution, the aperture may be shaped asymmetrically in a corresponding manner.

[0018] Additionally or alternatively, the optical element may be configured to receive the light beam emitted from the light source and direct the light beam in a diverging direction, i.e., the optical element may be configured to direct the light beam through the aperture such that the light beam diverges.

[0019] In order to illuminate the path along the rail more efficiently, the aperture is preferably oriented away from the rail. More specifically, the aperture preferably has an optical axis that extends at an acute angle to the longitudinal or lighting direction as viewed in a horizontal plane and that extends away from the rail along the lighting direction. Thus, the aperture is preferably oriented away from the rail as viewed in a horizontal plane. The horizontal plane can be defined as a plane extending through the longitudinal direction of the rail and the lighting direction. Similarly, if the railway track comprises two parallel rails, the plane can be defined as a plane extending across the two rails. Preferably, the acute angle is at least 10, 20, or 25 degrees and / or is less than 85, 70, 60, 50, or 45 degrees, for example about 30 degrees. Preferably, the acute angle is in the range of 30 to 70 degrees, preferably in the range of 40 to 65 degrees, for example 45 degrees or 60 degrees. The optical axis is preferably the optical axis of an optical element provided in the aperture.

[0020] According to a further preferred embodiment, the rail luminaire comprises fastening means configured for attaching the housing to the rail. Preferably, the fastening means comprises a mounting bracket configured for connecting the housing to the rail. The mounting bracket is preferably configured for coupling to the rail, wherein the mounting bracket is further configured for engaging the housing. The mounting bracket may be further configured for pressing the housing against the rail. Additionally or alternatively, the housing may be provided with a fastening opening for coupling the mounting bracket to the housing. For example, the fastening opening may be threaded or provided with an internally threaded insert, and the mounting bracket may be screwed to the housing. Additionally or alternatively, the housing may be provided with a recess configured for receiving the mounting bracket in a fixed manner.

[0021] In a further preferred embodiment the rail luminaire comprises a heat sink body arranged to cool the at least one light source, thereby making the rail luminaire more compact. The heat sink body preferably comprises aluminium. Preferably the heat sink body forms part of the side of the housing which faces the rail when the housing is mounted on the rail. In this way cooling of the light source is enhanced.

[0022] The heat sink body may be manufactured by extrusion. In this regard, the heat sink body is preferably provided with a constant cross-sectional profile. In particular, when the heat sink body is provided on the side facing the rail, the cross-sectional profile may be simplified to facilitate the extrusion process.

[0023] To simplify manufacturing of the luminaire and / or to allow customization of the luminaire, the housing is preferably modular. In this regard, according to a further preferred embodiment of the rail luminaire, the housing comprises a first housing part and at least one second housing part releasably coupled to the first housing part. Preferably, the housing parts are essentially identical in shape and each housing part is provided with an opening.

[0024] Preferably, the heat sink body is configured to join the housing parts together, in this way no additional fastening elements are required and the number of components of the luminaire can be minimized.

[0025] According to a further preferred embodiment of the rail luminaire, the housing has a width in the direction of illumination that is less than 4 cm, preferably less than 3 cm. That is, the width direction can be horizontal, perpendicular to the horizontal rail. This allows the flange of the head of a typical rail with an I-shaped cross-sectional shape to extend in the width direction at least as far as the housing of the luminaire when the housing of the luminaire is attached to the web of the rail. Thus, protection is increased.

[0026] For mounting on common rail type variations, according to a further preferred embodiment of the luminaire, the housing has a height when viewed from the lighting direction of less than 20 cm, preferably less than 10 cm, i.e. the height direction may be vertical to the horizontal rail.

[0027] To provide a compact rail luminaire, in accordance with a further preferred embodiment luminaire, the housing is preferably less than 40 centimetres in length, preferably less than 20 centimetres, and more preferably less than 10 centimetres.

[0028] In a further preferred embodiment, the rail luminaire comprises an electrical connector connected to the at least one light source and configured for connection to a power source to connect the at least one light source to the power source to provide power to the at least one light source. For example, the light source may be powered with 24V DC. Preferably, the electrical connector comprises at least one male connector and at least one female connector. Preferably, in an array of rail luminaires, the male and female connectors of each luminaire are interconnected to interconnect the male and female connectors of adjacent luminaires to electrically connect the luminaires in the array in series. This simplifies installation of the array of luminaires along the rail and allows customization of the number of rail luminaires in the array. Preferably, the connectors at both ends of the array are then configured for connection to a power source. Although the light sources may be powered with 24V DC, it is preferred to power the light sources with 36V DC or higher DC voltages to allow for coupling of rail luminaires over greater distances.

[0029] Furthermore, to allow coupling of rail luminaires over greater distances, the rail luminaires in the array are preferably electrically connected in parallel. In general, it is sufficient if the male and female connectors of the individual luminaires are provided with one another to interconnect the male and female connectors of adjacent luminaires to electrically connect the luminaires in parallel.

[0030] Preferably the housing is provided with an insulating layer arranged to insulate the interior of the housing, and in particular the electrical components within the housing, from the rails, preferably two insulating layers are provided.

[0031] For mounting to the rails of a train track, the housing is preferably constructed to withstand the forces and vibrations caused by passing trains, as well as various weather conditions, including harsh weather. According to a further preferred embodiment rail luminaire, the housing is filled with resin. In this way the luminaire can be made more waterproof, for example to protect the electrical components of the luminaire, and / or more resistant to vibrations caused, for example, by passing trains.

[0032] In particular, to obtain a more waterproof and / or more vibration resistant rail luminaire, the housing is preferably provided with a filling opening provided for filling the housing with resin.

[0033] According to another embodiment, the rail luminaire may be obtained by insert molding techniques. More specifically, it is preferred if the housing is monolithically formed by insert molding techniques on one or more components of the rail luminaire provided in the housing, including the at least one light source. That is, the housing is monolithically formed by insert molding techniques on the at least one light source and any other components of the rail luminaire, and the housing comprises a solidified material that at least partially covers the at least one light source provided in the housing and each of the other components of the rail luminaire. For example, the at least one light source may comprise a light emitting element and a printed circuit board that supports the light emitting element. By forming the housing on the components, the housing can effectively insulate the components, such as the printed circuit board.

[0034] According to another aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a rail lighting fixture, preferably according to any of the above-described embodiments, for providing illumination along a rail of a railway track, the lighting fixture comprising one or more components including a housing configured for mounting to a rail and having at least one aperture, and at least one light source disposed within the housing and configured to emit a light beam, the lighting fixture configured to direct the light beam through the aperture in an illumination direction. The method includes the steps of: providing a mold configured to manufacture a rail light housing; Providing one or more components of a rail luminaire in a mold; The injection of a liquid, such as a resin or molten material, into a mold and over one or more parts to form a housing that encapsulates the one or more parts. The component may further include a heat sink body for cooling the at least one light source.

[0035] Using insert molding techniques, the luminaire can be manufactured more efficiently compared to first manufacturing the housing or parts thereof, for example by additive manufacturing, and then assembling the housing with the rail luminaire components.

[0036] The mold is preferably a two-part mold for easy placement of the parts within the mold cavity.

[0037] Preferably, the mould is made of silicone.

[0038] In order to position the parts accurately in the mould and / or to ensure that the parts are in place during moulding in a stable manner, the parts are preferably mounted on an inner frame of the rail luminaire. By connecting the parts to the frame prior to their insertion into the mould, the parts can be efficiently positioned in the mould. Thus, it may be advantageous if the method includes the steps of providing an inner frame of the rail luminaire and mounting one or more parts on the inner frame prior to their insertion into the mould, and it is even more advantageous if the step of providing one or more parts in the mould includes inserting the parts mounted on the inner frame into the mould.

[0039] The step of providing one or more parts in the mold preferably further comprises providing at least one removable cover in the mold at the location of the at least one opening to be provided in the housing, the method further comprising the step of removing the at least one cover to form the at least one opening in the housing after injecting the liquid. By covering each opening, and in particular its optical element, during the molding process, the liquid is prevented from completely encapsulating the optical element, and more generally, the housing is effectively provided with at least one opening. Similarly, each electrical connector can be partially covered during the molding process, preventing the electrical connector from being completely encapsulated by the liquid, and after molding, the connector is directly accessible and connectable.

[0040] The housing of the rail luminaire is preferably mounted on a rail having an I-shaped cross-sectional shape. Thus, there is further provided a rail lighting system for providing illumination along a rail of a railway track, the rail lighting system comprising at least one rail luminaire, preferably according to any embodiment described herein, the luminaire comprising a housing adapted for mounting to the rail and having at least one aperture, and at least one light source arranged within the housing and configured to emit a light beam, the luminaire configured to direct the light beam through the aperture towards an illumination direction, preferably having a component parallel to the rail longitudinal direction.

[0041] According to yet another aspect, a presence detector is provided for detecting the presence of a human along the rails of a railway track, the presence detector being configured to provide a presence detection signal indicative of the presence of a human along the rail. For example, the detector may detect presence and / or movement from which an algorithm can be used to determine whether the detected presence and / or movement is that of a human or, for example, that of an animal or an object (e.g., vegetation) along the rail. In this way, the presence detection signal indicating the presence of an animal or object in the absence of a human (also referred to as a false positive) can be prevented.

[0042] When the rail lighting system is provided with such a presence detector, the system is configured to control, based on the presence detection signal, the illumination intensity of the light source of the at least one luminaire at a first illumination intensity when the presence detection signal indicates the presence of a person along the rail and at a second illumination intensity when the presence detection signal does not indicate the presence of a person along the rail, the first intensity being higher than the second intensity. For example, the second intensity may be in the range of 5 to 70 percent, preferably 10 to 50 percent, of the first intensity. To control the illumination intensity based on the presence detection signal, the rail lighting system or the presence detector may comprise a controller so configured.

[0043] By turning off or dimming the lights, the system can become more energy efficient. Depending on the environment, such as the amount of light during the day, one or more additional lighting intensities, such as a third and a fourth, can also be provided. In general, it is preferred if the path along the rail is well lit whenever a person is about to walk along the path, especially for safety reasons. For example, on a certain day, there is enough daylight, the lights are turned off, and only turned on when dusk approaches. The system can then be configured to increase the lighting of the path when a person is present. Optionally, the system is configured to dim the lighting after a predefined delay time from the time the presence of a person is detected or the time the presence of a person is no longer detected. The predefined delay time is, for example, between 10 and 100 minutes, preferably between 20 and 50 minutes. The lighting intensity can change from one intensity to another gradually or all at once.

[0044] In particular, the presence detector may comprise a transmitter configured to emit electromagnetic waves for reflection by humans, a receiver configured to receive the electromagnetic waves reflected by humans, and a processor connected to the receiver and configured to provide a presence detection signal based on the received electromagnetic waves. A controller may then be connected to the processor to receive the presence detection signal. Preferably, the electromagnetic waves are microwave or radio waves. In rail lighting systems, and more generally in any outdoor environment, it is understood that radar detection is more suitable than, for example, passive infrared sensors for presence detection.

[0045] It is preferred if the presence detector is configured to direct the emitted electromagnetic waves towards a detection area along the rail, thus ensuring that the path along the rail is illuminated when a person is present on the path along the rail, it is then even more preferred if the presence detector is configured to direct the emitted electromagnetic waves only towards the detection area, in order to further prevent the presence detection signal from indicating the presence of an animal or object that is not on the path.

[0046] The detection area may therefore preferably be limited and extend, as seen in a horizontal plane, between the rail and a detection area boundary spaced from the rail. The width of the detection area may be at least 1 meter and / or less than 5 or 2 meters. In the length direction as seen along the rail, the detection area may be at least 1 meter and / or less than 6 or 3 meters. The height of the detection area may be at least 1 meter and / or less than 3 meters.

[0047] The presence detector may comprise a sensor housing configured for mounting to a rail. The sensor housing may be separate from the housing of the rail luminaire. The transmitter, receiver and processor are preferably provided within the sensor housing. Preferably, the sensor housing corresponds to the housing of the rail luminaire. That is, the housing of the detector is preferably similarly shaped or identical to the housing of the rail luminaire described above. Briefly, the presence detector may be configured to direct emitted electromagnetic waves away from the rail towards a detection area when the sensor housing is mounted to the rail.

[0048] The rail lighting system further comprises a power supply connected to the at least one luminaire and configured to supply power to a light source of the at least one luminaire, the rail lighting system being configured to control power supplied by the power supply to the light source in response to the presence detection signal. Preferably, the power supply is further configured to supply power to the presence detector.

[0049] Like the rail luminaire, the presence detector preferably comprises an electrical connector configured for connection to a power source to connect the presence detector to a power source to power the presence detector, particularly the transmitter, receiver, and processor. For example, the presence detector may be powered with 24V or 36V DC, like the rail luminaire. Preferably, the electrical connector comprises a male connector and a female connector.

[0050] The rail lighting system may further comprise a rail having an I-shaped cross-sectional shape and a housing of the luminaire attached to the rail. Preferably, a flange at the head of the rail extends widthwise at least as far as the housing of the luminaire to protect the luminaire.

[0051] Preferably, the rail lighting system comprises an array of rail luminaires as described herein, the luminaires being mounted along the rail at intervals, preferably so mounted as to provide substantially uniform lighting along the rail. In this case, it is preferred if the rail lighting system is configured to simultaneously control the lighting intensity of each luminaire in the array. A path along the rail may be illuminated by a successive array of luminaires, each array being independently controlled by at least one individual presence detector.

[0052] A presence detector associated with a first array of luminaires may be mounted between two luminaires of the first array or at an end of the first array, for example between the first array and an adjacent second array mounted on a rail contiguous with the first array.

[0053] Preferably, in an array of rail luminaires, the male and female connectors of the presence detector are configured to individually connect the female and male connectors of adjacent luminaires on both sides for electrical connection of the presence detector to the luminaires in the array. In general, it is preferred if the presence detector can be connected via the same electrical connector cable as the luminaires for customization. The presence detector and the rail luminaires in the array, in particular their connectors, are preferably connected via a 5-pin electrical connector cable, where 4 pins of such a cable allow the luminaires and the presence detector to be easily interconnected in the array and electrically connected in parallel. The 5th pin allows the luminaires to be controlled based on the presence detection signal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0054] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 represents a front view of a train on a railway track. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a front view of a rail luminaire mounted on a rail. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the rail luminaire illustrated in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the housing of the rail luminaire of FIGS. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 depicts an exploded view of the housing depicted in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a side view of two rail luminaires mounted back to back on a rail. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a top view of the two rail luminaires shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a lens. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 illustrates a light distribution diagram associated with the lens shown in FIG. [Figure 10A] 10A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 10B] 10A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 10C] 10A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 10D] 10A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 10E] 10A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 depicts an exploded view of the luminaire shown in FIGS. 10A-E. [Figure 12A] 12A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 12B] 12A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 12C] 12A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 12D] 12A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 12E] 12A-E show various views of a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 depicts a further embodiment of a rail luminaire. [Figure 14A] 14A-B show different views of a rail lighting system with a presence detector. [Figure 14B] 14A-B show different views of a rail lighting system with a presence detector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0055] In the drawings of the different embodiments, similar elements are indicated by similar reference symbols.

[0056] FIG. 1 illustrates the front of a train 1 on a railway track 2 formed by two parallel flat-bottom rails 3. Each rail 3 has an I-shaped cross-sectional shape. Rail luminaires 10 are mounted to the rails 3 and configured to provide illumination along the train track 2. For illustrative purposes, an elliptical light distribution L illuminating a footpath 4 along the train track 2 is shown on one side of the track 2 in FIG. 1 so that dazzling of persons 5 close to the track 2 is reduced. More specifically, the light beam L emitted by the luminaire 10 diverges and is thereby partially directed away from the rails 3 to illuminate the footpath 4 over a full width of the footpath 4. In addition, the rails 3 are also partially illuminated such that the footpath 4 is indirectly illuminated via the rails 3.

[0057] Each rail luminaire 10 is attached to the web 3c of a respective rail 3, as seen in enlarged view in Figs. 2 and 3, which show the front and rear of a single rail luminaire 10. The rail luminaire 10 comprises a housing 100 which is attached to the rail 3. The width W of the housing 100 is preferably less than the projection of the head flange 3a of the rail 3 from the web 3c in the width direction, and the head flange 3a of the rail 3 extends in the width direction at least as far as the housing 100 of the luminaire 10 attached to the rail 3. To connect the luminaire 10 to the rail 3, the rail luminaire 10 comprises a mounting bracket 20 which is coupled to the foot flange 3b of the rail 3. As shown in Fig. 4, a recess 111 is provided in the side 110 of the housing 100, in which the mounting bracket 20 is received as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and a filling opening 121 is provided in the bottom surface 120 of the housing 100 for filling the inside of the housing 100 with resin. The mounting bracket 20 is provided with a screw hole 21 for screwing the mounting bracket 20 to the housing 100 by means of a threaded hole 112 in the housing 100 provided in the recess 111 and aligned with the screw hole 21 in the mounting bracket 20.

[0058] 2 and 3, at least one LED (not shown) is provided in a housing 100. A front face 130 and a rear face 140 of the housing 100 are provided with openings 131, 141, respectively, through which light beams emitted from the LED are directed in opposite lighting directions parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rail 3. The rail luminaire 10 includes electrical connectors 30, 40 electrically connected to the LED. A male connector 30 is provided on the front face 130, and a female connector 40 is provided on the rear face 140. The connectors 30, 40 are configured for connecting the LED to a power source, such as a battery (not shown), for example, via a conductive cable (not shown).

[0059] 5, the modularity of the rail luminaire 10 is shown in an exploded view. More specifically, the housing 100 comprises a front housing section 100a that comprises the front surface 130 of the housing 100 and a rear housing section 100b that comprises the rear surface 140 of the housing 100. The rail luminaire 10 comprises an aluminum heat sink body 50 configured to cool the LEDs.

[0060] The heat sink body 50 comprises a top part 51 forming part of the upper surface 150 of the housing 100. The heat sink body 50 further comprises a protrusion 52 extending from the top part 51 into the housing 100 to join the housing parts 100a, 100b by placing the protrusion 52 in a sliding manner, in particular, in a corresponding groove 101a, 101b formed inside the respective housing parts 100a, 100b. The housing 100 can be disassembled by disengaging the protrusion 52 from the groove 101a, 101b.

[0061] Figures 6 and 7 show side and top views, respectively, of two consecutive rail luminaires 10a, 10b that are part of an array of rail luminaires mounted along the rail 3 at intervals. The lighting distributions L provided by the individual luminaires 10a, 10b partially overlap in order to uniformly illuminate the walkway along the rail 3. A male connector 30a of a rail luminaire 10a in the array is provided opposite a female connector 40b of a consecutive rail luminaire 10b in the array in order to interconnect the connectors 30a, 40b, for example by a power cable (not shown), in order to electrically connect the luminaires 10a, 10b in the array in series. The connectors at both ends of the array (not shown) are adapted to connect to a power source (not shown).

[0062] To obtain the elliptical light distribution L shown in Fig. 1 and presented in combination with Figs. 6 and 7, each aperture 131, 141 is provided with an optical element 60 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to form an asymmetric light distribution L. The optical element 60 can be a non-imaging Fresnel lens as shown in Fig. 8. The lens 60 is designed to form an asymmetric light distribution as illustrated by the light distribution diagram represented in Fig. 9, where the horizontal light distribution (shown by the continuous curve) is wider than the vertical light distribution (shown by the dashed curve).

[0063] Figures 10A-E relate to an alternative embodiment of a rail luminaire 10. The luminaire 10 comprises a housing 100 configured for mounting to a rail 3 for a railway track 2 as in Figure 1. A side 110 of the housing 100 is provided with a recess 111 into which a mounting bracket can be received as described above. A bottom surface 120 of the housing 100 is provided with a fill opening 121 for filling the housing 100 with resin.

[0064] The front face 130 and the rear face 140 of the housing 100 are provided with openings 131, 141, respectively. In comparison with the embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 5, the openings 131, 141 are oriented slightly away from the rail 3 when viewed in a horizontal plane, as will be further described below. The luminaire 10 further comprises two LEDs 70 provided in the housing 100 and each associated with the two openings 131, 141, and electrical connectors 30, 40 electrically connected to the LEDs 70, as shown in Figure 10E. Each LED 70 is configured to emit a light beam. Each opening 131, 141 is provided with an optical element 60 configured to receive the light beam emitted from each LED 70 and emit a diffused light beam.

[0065] 10E depicts a top view of a horizontal cross section of the luminaire 10. The optical element 60 is configured to direct light beams in diverging directions that include illumination directions D1, D2 parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rail 3. The optical axis A of the optical element 60 extends at an angle of 30 degrees to the longitudinal direction of the rail 3. As such, the optical axis A extends away from the rail 3 at an acute angle α to the illumination directions D1, D2 when viewed along the illumination directions D1, D2. In a preferred embodiment, the optical axis A extends at an angle of 45 degrees to the longitudinal direction of the rail 3.

[0066] In Fig. 11 the rail luminaire 10 is illustrated in an exploded view. It comprises a front housing part 100a which comprises the front face 130 of the housing 100 and a rear housing part 100b which comprises the rear face 140 of the housing 100. The rail luminaire 10 comprises an aluminium heat sink body 50 configured to cool the LEDs 70. The heat sink body 50 comprises a main part 51 which forms part of the side 160 of the housing 100 which faces the rail 3 when the housing 100 is mounted on the rail 3. The heat sink body 50 further comprises a notched projection 52 which extends from the main part 51 into the housing 100. Corresponding flanges 101a, 101b are formed in the respective housing parts 100a, 100b and are coupled to the housing parts 100a, 100b by sliding the flanges 101a, 101b into the notches 53 of the projections 52.

[0067] Figures 12A-E relate to yet another embodiment of a rail luminaire 10. The luminaire 10 comprises a monolithic housing 100 configured for mounting to a rail 3 of a railway track 2 as shown in Figure 1. The front and rear faces 130 and 140 of the housing 100 are provided with openings 131, 141, respectively, and are oriented slightly away from the rail 3 when viewed in a horizontal plane, as in the embodiment shown in Figures 10A-E and 11.

[0068] In particular, Fig. 12D depicts a top view of a horizontal section of the luminaire 10. The luminaire 10 further comprises two LEDs 70 mounted on a printed circuit board 80 (or alternatively, individual printed circuit boards). The LEDs 70 are provided within the housing 100 and are each associated with two openings 131, 141. The electrical connectors 30, 40 of the luminaire 10 are electrically connected to the LEDs 70 via the printed circuit board 80. The rail luminaire 10 further comprises an aluminum heat sink body 50 configured to cool the LEDs 70 and the printed circuit board 80, on which the LEDs 70 and the printed circuit board 80 are mounted (e.g., glued). Instead of the heat sink body 50 facing the rail 3 when the housing 100 is mounted on the rail 3 forming part of a side 160 of the housing 100 (as in the embodiment shown in Figures 10A-E and 11), the heat sink body 50 is insulated by a 1 to 3 millimeter layer 161 of the housing 100 which forms part of said side 160.

[0069] The rail luminaire 10 illustrated in Figures 12A-E is manufactured by insert molding. For this, the heat sink body 50 is attached or clamped to the inner frame 90 of the luminaire 10, in particular by placing the protrusions 91 of the frame 90 in a sliding manner into corresponding grooves 54 formed in the heat sink body 50. In addition, the electrical connectors 30, 40 are bonded to the frame 90, and the printed circuit board 80 supporting the LEDs 70 and the lens 60 is glued to the heat sink body 50. The assembly of the rail luminaire parts, including the connectors 30, 40, the heat sink body 50, the lens 60, the LEDs 70, and the printed circuit board 80, all mounted on the frame 90, is inserted into the cavity of a two-part mold (not shown) shaped for the manufacture of the housing 100. Here, it is ensured that the lens 60 and the connectable parts of the electrical connectors 30, 40 are covered in the next molding step, in which molten material or resin is injected into the mold so that the lens 60 and the connectable parts of the electrical connectors 30, 40 are shielded from the molten material. The molten material injected into the mold is poured over the parts and forms the housing 100 that encapsulates the parts. When the housing 100 is formed around the parts and solidifies, the rail luminaire 10 is removed from the mold, leaving the lens 60 and the connectors 30, 40 uncovered. By covering the lens 60 and the connectors 30, 40 during the molding process as described herein, openings 131, 141 are formed in the housing 100, allowing direct access to the lens 60 and the connectors 30, 40 and allowing connection after molding.

[0070] Figure 13 relates to yet another embodiment of a rail luminaire 10, similar to the embodiment shown in Figures 12A-E. The optical axes of the optical elements 60 extend at a 45 degree angle to the longitudinal direction of the rail 3 when viewed in a horizontal plane when the luminaire 10 is mounted on the rail 3 as in Figure 1.

[0071] Furthermore, the openings 131, 141, in particular their upper areas, are defined by respective upper edges 132, 142, which are preferably part of the housing 100. The upper edges 132, 142 are configured or shaped to limit the vertical light distribution of the light beams emitted from the respective openings 131, 141. In particular, the upper edges 132, 142 limit the upwardly directed components of the respective light beams. In this way, human dazzle can be further reduced. In this case, the upper edges 132, 142 form an overhang, which covers the upper half of the optical element 60.

[0072] 14A and 14B respectively show schematic top and side views of a rail lighting system 200 comprising first and second arrays 210 of rail luminaires 10 configured to be mounted to the flat-bottom rails 3 of the railway track illustrated in FIG. 1 and to illuminate a walkway 4 along the train track (only one rail 3 is shown in FIGS. 14A-14B). Each rail 3 has an I-shaped cross-sectional shape. Each rail luminaire 10 is mounted to a web 3c of the rail 3 and configured to emit a diverging light beam to provide an asymmetric light distribution L. As such, the light beam is directed in diverging directions that include an illumination direction having a component parallel to the rail 3.

[0073] The system 200 further comprises, for each array 210, a radar sensor 220 for detecting the presence of a person 5 along the rail 3. The radar sensor 220 is mounted to the rail 3 in a manner similar to the luminaire 10 and is configured to emit radio waves for reflection by the person 5, receive the radio waves reflected by the person 5, and provide a presence detection signal based on the received radio waves. The radar sensor 220 is configured to direct the emitted radio waves away from the rail 3 and only into a detection region R along the rail 3, the detection region R having a width W of approximately 1.5 meters. R , and a length L of 2 meters R and height H R has.

[0074] The rail lighting system 200 further comprises a controller (not shown) configured to control the illumination intensity of each array 210 based on the presence detection signal provided by the individual radar sensor 220 associated with that array 210. The controller controls the luminaires 10 to illuminate at full intensity when the presence detection signal indicates the presence of a person 5 along the rail 3, and to illuminate at 20% intensity when the presence detection signal does not indicate the presence of a person 5 along the rail 3. The placement of a splitter 230 between successive arrays of luminaires 10 allows the illumination intensity of each array 210 to be controlled independently of the illumination intensity of the other arrays. The controller is further configured to dim the illumination once after a predetermined time delay of 30 minutes from the point at which the presence of a person 5 is no longer detected.

[0075] The rail lighting system further comprises a power source 240 connected to the most proximal luminaire 10 via a 5-pin electrical connector cable (not shown). Each pair of adjacent fixtures 10 is similarly interconnected by a 5-pin electrical connector cable. Similarly, each radar sensor 220 is electrically connected to an adjacent rail lighting fixture 10. Advantageously, all components of the rail lighting system 200 can be interconnected by the same type of cable. Four pins of such a 5-pin cable then allow the luminaires 10 and the presence detector 220 to be electrically connected in parallel. The luminaires 10 can be controlled based on the presence detection signal via the fifth pin.

[0076] The drawings and the above description serve to illustrate particular embodiments of the invention and do not limit the scope of protection defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A rail lighting fixture for providing illumination along the rails of a railway track, A housing provided for attachment to the rail and having at least one opening, The housing comprises at least one light source configured to emit a light beam, The rail lighting fixture is configured to direct the light beam through the aperture toward the lighting direction, and the lighting direction has a component parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rail. The aperture is provided with an optical element configured to receive the light beam and direct the light beam in a divergent direction, or the aperture has an optical axis that extends at an acute angle in the longitudinal direction and moves away from the rail along the illumination direction, as seen in the horizontal plane, as a rail lighting fixture.

2. The rail lighting fixture according to claim 1, wherein the rail lighting fixture is configured to direct the first light beam and the second light beam in opposite lighting directions parallel to the longitudinal direction.

3. The rail lighting fixture according to claim 1, wherein the light beam directed in the illumination direction has an asymmetric light distribution, and the horizontal light distribution of the light beam is wider than the vertical light distribution of the light beam.

4. The rail lighting fixture according to claim 3, wherein the optical element is configured to generate an asymmetric light distribution.

5. The rail lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the optical element is a lens.

6. The rail lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising fastening means configured for attaching the housing to the rail.

7. The rail lighting fixture according to claim 6, wherein the fastening means comprises a mounting bracket configured for connecting the housing to the rail, the mounting bracket configured for coupling to the rail, and the mounting bracket further configured to engage with the housing.

8. The rail lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a heat sink body configured to cool at least one of the light sources.

9. The housing is integrally formed by insert molding technology on the at least one light source and other components provided within the housing. The rail lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing comprises a solidifying material that at least partially covers each of the at least one light source and other components of the rail lighting fixture provided within the housing.

10. The rail lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing has a width of less than 4 centimeters, preferably less than 3 centimeters, when viewed from the direction of illumination.

11. The rail lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing is less than 40 centimeters in length, preferably less than 20 centimeters, and more preferably less than 10 centimeters.

12. The rail lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing is less than 20 centimeters, preferably less than 10 centimeters, in height when viewed from the direction of illumination.

13. A rail lighting system for providing illumination along the rails of a railway track, At least one rail lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The system includes a presence detector for detecting the presence of a person along the aforementioned rails, The presence detector is configured to provide a presence detection signal indicating the presence of a person along the rails. The rail lighting system is configured to control the illumination intensity of the light source of at least one rail lighting fixture based on the presence detection signal, with a first illumination intensity when the presence detection signal indicates the presence of a person along the rail, and with a second illumination intensity when the presence detection signal does not indicate the presence of a person along the rail, wherein the first illumination intensity is higher than the second illumination intensity.

14. The rail lighting system according to claim 13, wherein the presence detector comprises a transmitter configured to emit electromagnetic waves for reflection by a person, a receiver configured to receive the electromagnetic waves reflected by the person, and a processor connected to the receiver and configured to provide the presence detection signal based on the received electromagnetic waves.

15. The rail lighting system according to claim 14, wherein the presence detector comprises a sensor housing configured for mounting to the rail, the sensor housing being separate from the housing of the rail lighting fixture, the transmitter, the receiver, and the processor being located within the sensor housing, and the presence detector being configured to direct the emitted electromagnetic waves away from the rail toward a detection area along the rail, preferably toward only the detection area.

16. The rail lighting system according to claim 14, wherein the electromagnetic wave is a microwave or a radio wave.

17. The rail lighting system according to claim 13, further comprising a power supply connected to at least one rail lighting fixture and configured to supply power to the light source of the at least one rail lighting fixture, wherein the rail lighting system is configured to control the power supplied to the light source by the power supply in response to the presence detection signal.

18. The rail lighting system according to claim 13, wherein the second illumination intensity is in the range of 5 to 70 percent, preferably 10 to 50 percent, of the first illumination intensity.

19. The rail lighting system according to claim 13, further comprising the rail having an I-shaped cross-section, the housing of the rail lighting fixture being mounted to the rail, and the flange of the rail head extending in the width direction at a distance equal to or equal to that of the housing of the rail lighting fixture.

20. The lighting system according to claim 13, comprising an array of rail lighting fixtures as described in claim 1, wherein the rail lighting fixtures are configured to be mounted along the rail at intervals.

21. A method for manufacturing rail lighting fixtures for providing lighting along the rails of a railway track, The rail lighting fixture comprises a housing configured for mounting to the rail and having at least one opening, The housing comprises one or more components including at least one light source configured to emit a light beam, The rail lighting fixture is configured to direct the light beam through the opening toward the lighting direction, The above method includes the following steps: To provide a mold shaped for manufacturing the housing of the rail lighting fixture; To provide one or more of the rail lighting fixture components within the mold; A method for manufacturing a rail lighting fixture, comprising injecting a liquid such as resin or molten material into the mold and onto the one or more parts to form the housing that encloses the one or more parts.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the step of providing one or more parts in the mold further includes providing at least one removable cover in the mold at the location of the at least one opening to be provided in the housing, and the method further includes, after injecting the liquid, removing the at least one removable cover to form the at least one opening in the housing.

23. The process further includes providing an inner frame for the rail lighting fixture and mounting one or more components onto the inner frame prior to inserting the components into the mold, The method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the step of providing the one or more components into the mold includes inserting the components mounted on the inner frame into the mold.

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