Lighting fixture and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

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

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the assembly of lighting fixtures, and more particularly to the automated assembly of roadway lighting fixtures. [Background technology]

[0002] The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is a concept that encompasses the rapid changes in technology that have occurred in recent years, including the increasing trend toward automating the manufacturing and assembly of parts.

[0003] For example, automated robots are used to manufacture products, but in order for the robots to be able to manufacture the products accurately and consistently, these products must often be designed with the robots' manufacturing capabilities in mind.

[0004] Roadway lighting fixtures are recognized as products that benefit from automated manufacturing. However, the problem with this is that roadway lighting fixtures have many components (e.g., light sources, light drivers, sensors, etc.), which all need to be interconnected using wires. Using automated robots for the wiring process can be difficult because it is difficult to predict the precise positioning of the wires as the robot moves them during manufacturing. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Thus, there is a need for improved lighting fixture designs to facilitate automated manufacturing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention is defined by the claims.

[0007] According to an example according to one aspect of the present invention, an outer housing; a main circuit board attached to the inside of the outer housing; a luminaire driver mounted on the main circuit board; a light source attached to the outer housing from outside the outer housing; a pluggable connector plugged into the luminaire driver and into the main circuit board to provide an electrical connection between the luminaire driver and the main circuit board; A lighting fixture comprising: A lighting fixture is provided in which the light source includes a first push-fit connector portion that extends into the main housing, and the main circuit board includes a second push-fit connector portion that engages with the first push-fit connector portion when the main circuit board, outer housing, and light source are assembled, providing an electrical connection between the main circuit board and the light source.

[0008] The pluggable connector is a push fit component and thus can be installed by a robotic arm (in the same orientation as the light source and main circuit board assembly), eliminating the need to route and connect wires between the luminaire driver and the main circuit board.

[0009] Product manufacturing / assembly using robotic arms and the like provides for faster and more efficient assembly of products. However, in the case of roadway luminaires, the components used and the way they are connected make it difficult for robotic arms to assemble the product. It has been found that the wiring process of roadway luminaires makes robotic assembly difficult. In particular, while it is easy to achieve product placement along one axis on the circuit board (i.e., the z-axis direction if the circuit board is in the x-y plane), more complex robotic movements are required, for example, to thread wires through openings that are not aligned with the z-axis direction.

[0010] Thus, it is proposed to use a main circuit board to connect all components instead of wires. The connection between the light source and the main circuit board is achieved by a push-fit connection, such as a male and female push-fit pin connection. This can be more easily achieved using a robotic arm to handle the wires. Similarly, other components within the outer housing can be connected to the main circuit board by push-fit connectors that can be attached by robotic placement.

[0011] The only wires that need to be routed are the external power lines to supply power to the main circuit board.

[0012] Thus, the use of a main circuit board allows a robotic arm to quickly and efficiently assemble a street lighting fixture, the mechanical assembly automatically creating the electrical connections between the light source and the main circuit board.

[0013] By mounting the light source from outside the outer housing, without the need to pre-assemble the light source to the main circuit board, the housing assembly itself provides the electrical connection between the main circuit board and the light source.

[0014] Furthermore, the use of a main circuit board may also make it easier to maintain the lighting fixture, as there is no longer a mix of wires connecting all the different components, avoiding confusion during maintenance.

[0015] For example, the first push-fit connector part includes one or more pins and the second push-fit connector part includes a socket.

[0016] The pin and socket arrangement allows the light source to be precisely aligned with the main circuit board when the pin is aligned with the socket. The pin may extend through a hole that passes through the housing, allowing the pin to pass through the housing and connect to the main circuit board.

[0017] For example, the main circuit board is attached to a first surface inside the outer housing, and the light source is attached to a second surface outside the outer housing. The main circuit board and the light source are attached, for example, in opposite directions, and the robotic assembly system enables component placement in these two opposite directions (e.g., in the positive and negative z-axis directions when the main circuit board is in the xy plane).

[0018] The lighting fixture may further include a motion sensor within the outer housing, the motion sensor connected to the main circuit board, the motion sensor configured to sense motion outside the outer housing.

[0019] The motion sensor can be used to sense nearby activity and turn on a light if such activity is detected. The motion sensor is located within the housing and connected to the main circuit board, while sensing motion outside the housing.

[0020] The motion sensor may be mounted on the first surface of the outer housing when the lighting fixture is assembled. The motion sensor may be connected to the main circuit with a push-fit coupling. The lighting fixture may further include a pluggable connector that plugs into the motion sensor and the main circuit board to provide an electrical connection between the motion sensor and the main circuit board.

[0021] For example, the main circuit board further includes a radio signal receiver, for example, for receiving a coded optical signal.

[0022] The wireless signal receiver may be attached to a first surface of the outer housing when the lighting fixture is assembled. In this manner, the wireless signal receiver can be positioned in a window in the outer housing or project through the outer housing.

[0023] For example, the lighting fixture further includes a pluggable connector that plugs into the wireless signal receiver and into the main circuit board to provide an electrical connection between the wireless signal receiver and the main circuit board.

[0024] For example, the outer housing includes a housing body and a housing cover, and the main circuit board is attached to the housing body. The housing body may be considered as the base portion.

[0025] For example, an O-ring is provided between the housing body and the housing cover to make the housing waterproof.

[0026] The luminaire may be a road luminaire.

[0027] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a lighting fixture, the method comprising the steps of: disposing a main circuit board within an outer housing; Positioning the luminaire driver on the main circuit board before or after placing the main circuit board within the outer housing; attaching a light source to the outer housing from outside the outer housing; controlling the robotic arm to follow manufacturing instructions including A method is provided in which the light source is attached by a push-fit connection between a first push-fit connector portion of the light source extending into the outer housing and a second push-fit connector portion of the main circuit board, providing an electrical connection between the light source and the main circuit board.

[0028] The use of push-fit connections eliminates the need to run wires between the light source and the luminaire driver, as the main circuit board acts as an intermediate section where push-fit connections can be made. All of these push-fit connections can be made using robotic arm movement along one axis.

[0029] For example, the main circuit board is mounted on a first surface inside the outer housing, and the light source is mounted on a second surface outside the outer housing.

[0030] Mounting the main circuit board and light source on opposite sides of the outer housing means that they can be consistently vertically aligned by a robotic arm, and this is in a way that allows the push-fit connector portion of the main circuit board to be precisely aligned with the push-fit connector portion of the light source.

[0031] For example, manufacturing instructions are placing a main circuit board within the outer housing and then attaching a lighting fixture driver to the main circuit board; applying a pluggable connector to electrically connect the luminaire driver to a main circuit board; Includes.

[0032] Thus, the main circuit board may be first positioned within the outer housing, and then other components may be mechanically attached to the main circuit board or to the housing, and pluggable electrical connectors may be used to make the electrical connections.

[0033] For example, the manufacturing instructions may further include aligning the first and second push-fit connector portions prior to attaching the light source. For example, the manufacturing instructions may include aligning one or more pins of the first push-fit connector portion with a socket of the second push-fit connector portion. After such alignment, the connection can be made with a single-axis movement.

[0034] For example, the manufacturing instructions may further include: disposing a motion sensor within the outer housing, the motion sensor configured to sense motion outside the outer housing; applying a pluggable connector to electrically connect the motion sensor to a main circuit board; Includes.

[0035] The manufacturing instructions further state: disposing a wireless receiver within the outer housing; applying a pluggable connector to electrically connect the radio receiver to a main circuit board; may include:

[0036] For example, the outer housing includes a housing body and a housing cover, and the manufacturing instructions further include closing the housing by fastening the housing cover to the housing body and waterproofing the housing.

[0037] The positioning of the luminaire driver on the main circuit board, the positioning of the main circuit board within the outer housing, and the mounting of the light source to the outer housing may each include arranging components in a direction perpendicular to the main circuit board, with different components being oriented in opposite directions, e.g., in the +z and -z directions.

[0038] A pluggable connector may also be applied in the same z-axis direction.

[0039] The present invention also provides a computer program comprising computer program code means adapted to perform the above method when the computer program is run on a computer of a robotic arm controller.

[0040] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0041] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which: [Figure 1] 1 shows the first step in manufacturing a luminaire. [Figure 2] 1 shows a second step in manufacturing the luminaire. [Figure 3] 1 shows a second step in manufacturing the luminaire. [Figure 4] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a roadway luminaire during a second step of manufacture. [Figure 5] 1 shows the third step in manufacturing the luminaire. [Figure 6] 1 shows the third step in manufacturing the luminaire. [Figure 7] 4 shows a fourth step in manufacturing a luminaire. [Figure 8] 4 shows a fourth step in manufacturing a luminaire. [Figure 9] 5 shows a fifth step in manufacturing a lighting fixture. [Figure 10] An exploded view of a road lighting fixture is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0043] It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating exemplary embodiments of the devices, systems, and methods, are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the devices, systems, and methods of the present invention will become better understood from the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are merely schematic and are not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar parts throughout the drawings.

[0044] The present invention provides a lighting fixture including an outer housing, a main circuit board mounted inside the outer housing, a lighting fixture driver mounted on the main circuit board, and a light source mounted to the outer housing from outside the outer housing, wherein the light source includes a first push-fit connector portion extending into the main housing, and the main circuit board includes a second push-fit connector portion that engages with the first push-fit connector portion when the main circuit board, outer housing, and light source are assembled to provide an electrical connection between the main circuit board and the light source.

[0045] Luminaires can be advantageously manufactured / assembled using automated robots. The advantages of automated manufacturing are particularly evident in the manufacture of roadway luminaires. Therefore, the following examples are described in terms of roadway luminaires. However, the same steps and design features can be applied to any type of luminaire.

[0046] Figure 1 shows the first step in manufacturing a roadway luminaire. The first step involves attaching a main circuit board 102 to an outer housing, in particular a housing body 104, which may be considered a housing base, to which a cover is later applied.

[0047] The main circuit board is mounted on a first, inner, surface 110 of the housing body 104 and is later covered by a housing cover for mounting within the outer housing. The housing body 104 includes a first through-hole 106 for mounting a sensor (not shown) and a second through-hole 108 for a power wire (not shown).

[0048] The main circuit board is intended to replace most of the wires typically used in roadway luminaires, allowing the robotic arm to accurately and consistently manufacture the roadway luminaires. The robotic arm can easily attach the main circuit board 102 to the housing body 104 (e.g., by fastening the main circuit board 102 to the housing with screws).

[0049] 2 and 3 illustrate a second step in manufacturing the street lighting fixture. The second step involves mounting a light source 202 in the housing body 104. The light source may be, for example, one or more LED panels. Specifically, the light source 202 is mounted on a second, outer, surface 206 of the housing body 104. The second surface 206 is opposite the first surface 110 shown in FIG. 1. In this manner, the light source 202 can be mounted on the outside of the housing body while being aligned with a main circuit board (not shown) inside the outer housing.

[0050] In this way, the housing body is sandwiched between the light source and the main circuit board, and the electrical connections between the light source and the main circuit board pass through the housing body, rather than all connections being fully internal to the outer housing. This design facilitates robotic assembly of the lighting fixture.

[0051] The main circuit board and the light source are positioned by movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the main circuit board, for example, the main circuit board may be considered to be in the xy plane, in which case the movement of the parts required to perform the assembly is in the z-axis direction, and in particular the movement of different parts is in one or the other of opposite z-axes (i.e., +z or -z).

[0052] Additionally, the first through-hole 106 allows the sensor to be mounted inside the housing at the first surface, while the sensing portion of the sensor can extend beyond the second surface 206, for example, to sense movement outside the housing body. The sensing portion may alternatively be positioned against a sensing window in the outer housing.

[0053] 2 shows the roadway lighting fixture before the light source 202 is attached to the housing body 104. The second surface 206 of the housing body includes two through holes so that two push-fit connector portions 204 of the main circuit board are visible from the second surface 206. These two push-fit connector portions 204 are intended to align with push-fit connector portions (not shown) of the light source 202. This allows the light source 202 to be electrically connected to the main circuit board by a simple push-fit connection along the z-axis direction, without the need for wires.

[0054] The robotic arm aligns the light source 202 with the through-hole 204, and thus with the main circuit board, before attaching it (e.g., using screws) to the housing body 104. The robotic arm can precisely attach the light source 202 to the housing body 104 using only z-axis direction placement (i.e., aligning and moving the light source 202 towards the housing body 104).

[0055] 3 shows the roadway lighting fixture after the light source 202 has been mounted in the housing body 104. In this case, the push-fit connector portion of the light source 202 is connected to the push-fit connector portion 204 of the main circuit board shown in FIG.

[0056] 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the street lighting fixture during a second step of manufacture. The top cross-sectional view shows the main circuit board 102 mounted on the first face 110 of the housing body 104 and the light source 202 mounted on the second face 206 of the housing body 104.

[0057] The lower cross-sectional view shows an enlarged view of a portion of the upper cross-sectional view. In particular, the lower cross-sectional view shows the push-fit connector portion 204 of the main circuit board 102 and the push-fit connector portion 402 of the light source 202. The push-fit connector portion 402 of the light source 202 is a pin, and the push-fit connector portion 204 of the main circuit board 102 is a female socket connector. The pin 402 can be pressed into the female connector 204 to provide an electrical connection between the light source 202 and the main circuit board 102. The pin 402 is provided through a through-hole in the housing 104.

[0058] 5 and 6 illustrate a third step in manufacturing a roadway luminaire. In this third step, additional components are added to the roadway luminaire. These components are electrically connected to the main circuit board 102, including, among other things, a light driver 502, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor 504, a wireless receiver 506, and a surge protection device 508. These components are connected to the main circuit board 102 using pluggable connectors (e.g., connector 510 for the PIR sensor 504). The wireless receiver is for receiving, for example, a coded light signal. However, the wireless receiver may instead be for receiving other wireless signals, such as short-wave RF signals (e.g., Bluetooth or Wi-Fi), to enable wireless remote control of the luminaire functions.

[0059] The components are also preferably mounted in the z-axis direction. They may be mounted to the main circuit board or to the housing body. The initial mounting is, for example, mechanical only. Once mechanically mounted, electrical connections may be provided as pluggable electrical connectors. These pluggable electrical connectors also plug in in the z-axis direction. This is seen in FIG. 5 for pluggable connector 510. In this way, all, or nearly all, components can be mechanically positioned and electrically connected using only z-axis (+z or −z) component movement. However, the mechanical positioning of some components also implements electrical connections using push-fit electrical connectors, such as those used between the light source and the main circuit board.

[0060] In this particular example, the PIR sensor 504 is mounted to the housing body 104, with the sensing portion of the PIR sensor 504 extending beyond the first through-hole 106 in the housing body 104, while the wireless receiver and surge protection device are mounted to the main circuit board. However, the components may be mounted with different components secured to the outer housing and different components secured to the main circuit board.

[0061] In this example, the power wire 512 is shown as the only part that may need to be manually connected, as it may be difficult for the robotic arm to thread the power wire 512 through the second through-hole 108.

[0062] Figure 5 shows the components before they are connected to the main circuit board 102. Figure 6 shows the components after they have been connected to the main circuit board 102. As can be seen, all of the components except for the power wires 512 can be connected to the main circuit board by a robotic arm (i.e., by aligning each component, placing the component on the housing body 104 or main circuit board 102, and connecting the component to the main circuit board 102 using a pluggable connector, such as connector 510 for the PIR sensor 504).

[0063] The connector may use a relatively short cable with male / female connectors on the ends, as a relatively short cable is easier for the robotic arm to handle. Alternatively, the component may include a single block connector, with male / female connectors that align with corresponding female / male connectors on the main circuit board 102.

[0064] 7 and 8 illustrate the fourth step in manufacturing the roadway luminaire. The fourth step involves adding a housing cover 702 with an O-ring (or gasket) 704 between the housing body 104 and the housing cover 102. The O-ring 704 ensures that the inside of the housing (formed by the housing body 104 and the housing cover 702) is sealed and waterproof. The inside of the housing includes the main circuit board 102 mounted on a first side of the housing body, as well as components (i.e., the light driver 502, the PIR sensor 504, the coded receiver 506, the surge protection device 508, and the power wire 512). In this way, the electrical components of the roadway luminaire are protected from the environment (e.g., rain, dust, etc.). The housing cover 702 can be attached to the housing body 104 with screws to form the housing of the roadway luminaire.

[0065] Of course, a robotic arm could easily assemble the O-ring 704 and housing cover 702 by aligning them with the housing body 104 and securing them to the housing body with, for example, screws.

[0066] Figure 7 shows the housing cover 702 and O-ring 704 before they are assembled to the rest of the street luminaire. Figure 8 shows the street luminaire after the housing body 104, housing cover 702 and O-ring have been assembled.

[0067] Figure 9 shows the fifth step in manufacturing a roadway luminaire, which involves adding a mounting bracket 902 to the roadway luminaire so that it can be attached to, for example, a pole near the road.

[0068] Figure 10 shows an exploded view of the roadway luminaire showing all the components mentioned above.

[0069] The above assembly method includes five steps. However, there is no reason that these steps must be performed in the exact order presented. For example, some of the components added in the third step may be attached to the main circuit board 102 before the main circuit board 102 is attached to the housing body 104.

[0070] The robotic arm manufactures / assembles the street lighting fixture according to manufacturing instructions, which may be provided to a processor / controller configured to direct the robotic arm to execute the manufacturing instructions.

[0071] Those skilled in the art will be able to readily develop a controller to perform any of the methods described herein. The controller can be implemented in a variety of ways using software and / or hardware to perform the various functions required. A "processor" is an example of a controller that employs one or more microprocessors, which may be programmed using software (e.g., microcode) to perform the required functions. The controller may be implemented with or without a processor, or as a combination of dedicated hardware to perform some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry) to perform other functions.

[0072] Examples of controller components that may be employed in various embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, conventional microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0073] In various implementations, a processor or controller may be associated with one or more storage media, e.g., volatile and non-volatile computer memory, such as RAM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM. The storage media may be encoded with one or more programs that, when executed on the one or more processors and / or controllers, perform the desired functions. The various storage media may be fixed within the processor or controller, or may be portable such that one or more programs stored on the storage media can be loaded into the processor or controller.

[0074] Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood by those skilled in the art, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, and can be implemented in practicing the claimed invention. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.

[0075] The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0076] It should be noted that when the term "adapted to" is used in the claims or the specification, it is intended to be equivalent to the term "configured to." It should be noted that when the term "arrangement" is used in the claims or the specification, it is intended to be equivalent to the term "system," and vice versa.

[0077] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. An outer housing; a main circuit board attached to the inside of the outer housing; a lighting fixture driver mounted on the main circuit board; a light source attached to the outer housing from outside the outer housing; a pluggable connector that plugs into the luminaire driver and into the main circuit board to provide an electrical connection between the luminaire driver and the main circuit board; A lighting fixture comprising: the light source includes a first push-fit connector portion that extends into a main housing, and the main circuit board includes a second push-fit connector portion that engages with the first push-fit connector portion when the main circuit board, the outer housing, and the light source are assembled, providing an electrical connection between the main circuit board and the light source.

2. 10. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the first push-fit connector portion includes one or more pins and the second push-fit connector portion includes a socket.

3. 3. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board is mounted on a first surface inside the outer housing, and the light source is mounted on a second surface outside the outer housing.

4. 4. The lighting fixture of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor within the outer housing, the motion sensor connected to the main circuit board, the motion sensor configured to sense motion outside the outer housing.

5. 5. The lighting fixture of claim 1, further comprising: a wireless signal receiver mounted on the main circuit board; and a pluggable connector plugged into the wireless signal receiver and into the main circuit board to provide an electrical connection between the wireless signal receiver and the main circuit board.

6. The lighting fixture of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing includes a housing body and a housing cover, and the main circuit board is attached to the housing body.

7. 7. A luminaire according to any preceding claim, comprising a road luminaire.

8. 1. A method for manufacturing a lighting fixture, the method comprising: disposing a main circuit board within an outer housing; Positioning a light fixture driver on the main circuit board before or after placing the main circuit board within the outer housing; attaching a light source to the outer housing from outside the outer housing; controlling the robotic arm to follow manufacturing instructions including The method wherein the attachment of the light source provides an electrical connection between the light source and the main circuit board by a push-fit connection between a first push-fit connector portion of the light source that extends into the outer housing and a second push-fit connector portion of the main circuit board.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the main circuit board is mounted on an interior first surface of the outer housing and the light source is mounted on an exterior second surface of the outer housing.

10. The manufacturing instructions include: placing the main circuit board within the outer housing and then attaching the light fixture driver to the main circuit board; applying a pluggable connector to electrically connect the luminaire driver to the main circuit board; 10. The method of claim 8 or 9, comprising:

11. The manufacturing instructions further include: disposing a motion sensor within the outer housing, the motion sensor configured to sense motion outside the outer housing; applying a pluggable connector to electrically connect the motion sensor to the main circuit board; 11. The method of any one of claims 8 to 10, comprising:

12. The manufacturing instructions further include: disposing a wireless receiver within the outer housing; applying a pluggable connector to electrically connect the wireless receiver to the main circuit board; 12. The method of any one of claims 8 to 11, comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 8, wherein positioning the luminaire driver on the main circuit board, positioning the main circuit board within the outer housing, and mounting the light source to the outer housing each include component placement along opposite directions perpendicular to the main circuit board.

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

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