A work light system

Abstract

1. A work light (100) comprising a light source (110), a base housing (150) and an elongated body (120), where the elongated body defines a longitudinal axis (A) of the work light (100), where the elongated body (120) extends between the light source (110) and the base housing (150),where the light source (110) comprises a plurality of light units (115) attached to a hub (300), where at least one of the light units (115) is arranged to rotate relative to the hub (300) about a respective light axis (L),where the hub (300) is pivotably attached to the elongated body (120) to rotate about a hub axis (H) extending transversal to the longitudinal axis (A),where the hub axis (H) lies in a hub plane (Z), representing an extension plane of the hub (300),where the hub (300) is arranged to rotate about the hub axis (H) from a first position where the longitudinal axis (A) extends out from one side of the hub plane (Z) to a second position where the longitudinal axis (A) extends out from the other side of the hub plane (Z).

Description

The present disclosure relates to work light systems, i.e., transportable rugged electrical lighting systems for use at construction work sites and other places where temporary illumination of the work site is needed. There are disclosed portable work light systems that can be conveniently deployed at a work site and powered by battery and / or by electrical mains.BACKGROUNDIt is important that construction work sites are well-lit, since otherwise it may be difficult to perform construction work and other tasks at the work site. However, lighting systems may not be available at the work site, e.g., since there is no functional electrical mains or because permanent lighting systems are yet to be installed at the site.Portable work light systems are known, e.g., from US20230110944A1. These systems can be deployed temporarily at a work site in order to light up the work site until more permanent lighting systems are available.There is a need for further improvements in portable work light systems. There is also a need for methods to conveniently and efficiently deploy one or more work lights at a work site.SUMMARYIt is an object of the present disclosure to provide improved portable work lights and work light systems. This object is at least in part obtained by a work light according to claim 1.Aspects of the disclosure also relate to a work light comprising a light source, a base housing, and an elongated body, where the elongated body defines a longitudinal axis of the work light. The elongated body extends between the light source and the base housing, and the longitudinal axis of the work light aligns with a vertical direction when the work light is in use. A collar is coupled to the elongated body and arranged to move along the elongated body between an upper end point and a lower end point. A plurality of legs are coupled to the collar at respective proximal leg ends. The legs are configurable in a transport position where they are collapsed against the elongated body, and in an operating position where they are extended out from the elongated body. The plurality of legs are arranged to move towards alignment with the longitudinal axis and into the transport position when the collar is moved towards the upper end point, and distal leg ends are arranged to move out from the elongated body and into the operating position when the collar is moved towards the lower end point. The legs comprise respective non-selective attachment mechanisms arranged to non-selectively secure the legs in the transport position. The non-selective attachment mechanism of the legs are convenient to use since the position of the legs do not have to be selected by an operator to be in the transport position. The legs will be automatically retained in the transport position without any specific selection action by an operator or user of the work light. The non-selective attachment mechanisms may, e.g., comprise any of; a magnetic arrangement, an interference fit mechanism, a friction attachment, and a hook-and-loop based fastener. Magnetic arrangements add the additional benefits of the legs snapping into the transport position in a nonselective manner, i.e., without the need for any selection by the operator of the work light.The work light may also comprise a locking mechanism arranged to lock the collar at a locking position along the elongated body, in which locking position the distal leg ends define an operating position support plane of the work light. A gap is formed between the operating position support plane and the base housing of the work light. This means that the base housing is suspended from the elongated body in the operating position, i.e., distanced from the surface supporting the work light. This is an advantage since it makes it easier to obtain a stable deployment position of the work light, due to that only the distal leg ends contact the supporting surface and not the base housing. There are preferably three legs, forming a tripod when extended into the operating position.The base housing of the work light preferably comprises a support arrangement, such as a set of rubber feet, which defines a transport position support plane of the work light. The work light may thus be placed in an upright position even if the legs are not extended into the operating position. This upright transport position simplifies deployment of the work light, as will be discussed in more detail below. The upright transport position can also be used as an active position if the light source is activated, allowing the work light to light up a work site also when in the upright transport position. This may be useful if surface space is scarce at the deployment site.The base housing is at least partly enclosed by sheet metal and may define a battery compartment arranged to receive a replaceable battery accessible via a hatch arranged in the base housing. This way a replaceable battery can be inserted into the base housing where it is protected by the walls of the base housing. The work lights described herein can be used together with relatively heavy replaceable batteries, i.e., batteries weighing on the order of several kilograms. Since the battery compartment is located in the base housing, which is at the bottom of the elongated body of the work light, the weight of the battery promotes stability of the work light, both when in the operating position with the legs extended, and when in the upright transport position when the work light is supported by the support arrangement of the base housing.Feet can be attached to the distal leg ends. The feet may be formed in a friction promoting material such as silicone or rubber, in order to prevent the work light from sliding around on the support surface. The feet can also be arranged to support respective pegs or bolts configured to secure the legs to a ground surface. The pegs or bolts allow deployment of the work light on non-horizontal support surfaces, which is an advantage. The pegs or bolts also make the work light more robust against, e.g., strong winds and the like.At least one of the legs may comprise an arrangement for holding a power supply unit (PSU). The PSU can be used to connect the work light to electrical mains via cable, which is an advantage since then the rechargeable battery is not needed, or not discharged if installed. A control unit in the work light can be arranged to automatically switch from using the PSU as power source to using an installed battery as power source in case of power outage in the electrical mains connection. The power drawn via the PSU can also be used to charge a rechargeable battery installed in the battery compartment in the base housing of the work light. Thus, the work light can be configured to draw power from electrical mains if and when available, and also charge a battery if installed, and then switch to using power from the battery when the electrical mains is not available. At least one of the legs may comprise an arrangement for holding an electrical cable coil. The cable coil then follows with the work light in a convenient manner and can be used if and when needed at a work site.An elongated handle is preferably configured to extend along the elongated body, such that the work light can be carried in a convenient manner. The handle preferably extends along the entire elongated body, or at least 80% of the elongated body, which means that the work light can be balanced by the handle with and without a battery installed in the battery compartment.The elongated body preferably comprises a telescopic mast portion that can be extended along the longitudinal axis of the work light in order for the light source to be deployed at a height above the ground surface. The telescopic mast portion may comprise at least a first segment and a second segment. A spiral cable may extend inside the telescopic mast portion up to the light source. The spiral cable allows the telescopic mast portion to be extended without loosing power to the light source.The light source of the work light preferably comprises a plurality of light units, such as three light units, attached to a hub, where at least one of the light units is arranged to rotate relative to the hub about a respective light axis, which allows the direction of the emitted light to be adjusted. The hub is pivotably attached to the elongated body to rotate about a hub axis extending transversal to the longitudinal axis. The hub axis lies in a hub plane (Z), which represents an extension plane of the hub. The hub is arranged to rotate about the hub axis from a first position where the longitudinal axis extends out from one side of the hub plane to a second position where the longitudinal axis extends out from the other side of the hub plane. This means that the hub can be flipped “up-side-down” such that the light units face downwards instead of upwards. This way the work light can be configured in a position where it resembles a street-lamp post, where it efficiently illuminates a large portion of the ground surface that support the work light. The hub can for instance be arranged to rotate about 180 degrees about the hub axis from the first position to the second position, or at least more than 160 degrees. According to a preferred embodiment, the hub comprises a cut-out portion extending perpendicularly out from the hub axis, where the cut-out portion is arranged to allow passage by the elongated body through the hub plane as the hub is rotated from the first position to the second position.According to some aspects, the hub and / or the light source can be automatically rotated by motors such as electric servo motors or other electric actuators, based on a control signal. This allows an operator to adjust the illumination pattern even if the operator cannot reach the hub or the light source due to the telescopic mast being extended.The work light may comprise a rechargeable battery having a nominal voltage of at least 90V, and preferably about 94V. The rechargeable battery received in the battery compartment of the work light may be configured to have a weight of at least 3kg, and preferably more than 5,0kg, and more preferably about 5,1kg. This relatively heavy rechargeable battery promotes stability of the work light (since the battery compartment is arranged low on the work light), and also allows for an extended operating time of the work light.Aspects of the present disclosure also relate to a method for deploying a work light. The method comprises an initial step of providing a work light according to the above discussion, i.e., a work light with an elongate body and a base housing that can supported on a ground surface in an upright transport position and in an operating position. The method comprises placing the work light in the upright position supported by the support arrangement on a ground surface, operating the nonselective attachment mechanisms and moving the distal leg ends out from the elongated body to a position where the distal leg ends rest on the ground surface, and lifting the base housing up from the ground surface along the longitudinal axis of the work light, to automatically move the collar towards the lower end point and the work light into the operating position.Methods are also disclosed herein, as well as power supply units for work light systems, which are associated with the same advantages as discussed above in connection to the work light systems.Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a / an / the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc." are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated. Further features of, and advantages with, the present invention will become apparent when studying the appended claims and the following description. The skilled person realizes that different features of the present invention may be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following, without departing from the scope of the present invention.The present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, where:Figures 1 A-C illustrate an example portable work light system;Figures 2A-B illustrate details of an example work light system;Figures 3A-C shows an example light source for a work light device;Figure 4 shows a non-selective leg attachment mechanism;Figures 5A-B show details of a collar on an example work light;Figure 6 shows an exploded view of a work light part;Figure 7 shows an exploded view of an example base housing part;Figure 8 shows an exploded view of an example collar part;Figure 9 shows an exploded view of an example elongated body part; andFigure 10 is a flow chart that illustrates a method for operating a work light.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONAspects of the present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The different devices and methods disclosed herein can, however, be realized in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the aspects set forth herein. Like numbers in the drawings refer to like elements throughout.The terminology used herein is for describing aspects of the disclosure only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.Figures 1A-C illustrate an example portable work light 100. The work light 100 comprises a light source 110, a base housing 150 and an elongated body 120. The elongated body 120 defines a longitudinal axis A of the work light 100, which is aligned with a vertical axis when the work light is in use. The elongated body 120 extends between the light source 110 and the base housing 150 and defines a longitudinal axis A of the work light 100.In the examples the light source 110 comprises three light units 115 symmetrically arranged on a central hub 300 which will be discussed in more detail below in connection to Figures 3A-C. However, fewer, or more light units can be used.The light units 115 may be arranged to emit light at a luminous flux strength of about 24000 lumen (Im). The work light 100 may for example be arranged to carry light units 115 arranged to emit luminous flux strengths of between 20000-35000 Im, i.e., relatively intense light.Figure 1 A shows the work light 100 in an operational mode, i.e., an active mode which will be referred to herein generally as an operating position of the work light. In this position the legs 140 of the work light are extended to support the work light 100 on a ground surface 101 in a stable manner. There are preferably three legs, forming a tripod when extended into the operating position.A user interface 102 allows an operator to activate the light source 110, i.e., to turn the light units on and off, and also to set the light intensity of the light source 110.According to some aspects the work light 100 comprises a control unit 103 (not explicitly shown in the Figures) that is arranged to remember the last configured light intensity setting, i.e., the light intensity setting that was configured when the work light was turned off. The same light intensity setting that was used the last time the light source was activated is then automatically configured by the control unit 103 when the work light is turned on.The light source 110 is arranged on a telescopic mast 170 which can be extended upwards U and downwards D to provide better light coverage. The example telescopic mast 170 in Figure 1A comprises a first telescopic segment 171 and a second telescopic segment 172. A spiral cable 600 may be arranged extending inside the telescopic mast portion, as illustrated in Figure 6. The telescopic mast 170 extends out from an interior volume of the elongated body 120 and is received in this interior volume when the telescopic mast 170 is not extended.An elongated handle 160 extends along the elongated body 120. This elongated handle is relatively long compared to many other work lights. An advantage of having this long handle is that the work light can be balanced by an operator carrying the work light with and without a heavy battery held in the base housing 150.Figures 1 B and 1 C illustrate the work light 100 in a transport position, which is a mode of the work light 100 where the legs 140 are folded in towards alignment with the elongated body 120, in other words collapsed against the elongated body. The telescopic mast 170 is retracted in the transport position, although there is nothing that prevents the telescopic mast from being extended when the legs are collapsed against the elongated body 120.The light units 115 are protected by light unit protection shields 180 in the transport position. These protection shields 180 are not in contact with the light units 115, and do not cover the light units 115. This means that light can radiate out from the light units also in the transport position, which is an advantage. The portable work light 100 can be positioned on the support arrangement 155 underneath the base housing 150 in an upright position as illustrated in Figure 1C, and the light units 115 can be activated to illuminate a work site. This mode of operation can be used if there is not enough space to extend the legs 140, i.e., not enough room at the work site to configure the work light 100 in the operating position. The protection shields 180 still provide a degree of protection for the light units. The protection shields will, for instance, protect the light units 115 if the work light falls over from the position shown in Figure 1C. The telescopic mast 170 can be extended along the longitudinal axis A also when the work light 100 is supported by the support arrangement 155.The base housing 150 comprises a battery compartment which will be discussed in more detail below in connection to Figures 2A-B and Figure 7. The battery compartment may be arranged to support a battery having a weight of at least 3kg, and preferably more than 5,0kg, and more preferably about 5,1 kg. This weight positioned close to the ground surface 101 provides additional stability to the work light 100, which is beneficial in particular when the legs 140 are not extended as in Figure 1C.To summarize, there is disclosed herein a work light 100 comprising a light source 110 with a plurality of light units 115, e.g., three light units, a base housing 150 and an elongated body 120, where the elongated body defines a longitudinal axis A of the work light 100. The elongated body 120 extends between the light source 110 and the base housing 150, and preferably encloses at least part of a telescopic mast 170. A plurality of legs 140 is coupled to the elongated body 120, e.g., via a collar 130, at respective proximal leg ends 141. The legs 140 are configurable in a transport position in which the legs are collapsed against the elongated body 120 and in an operating position in which the legs are extended out from the elongated body 120 to support the work light on a ground surface 101. The base housing 150 comprises a support arrangement 155, such as rubber feet or the like, that is configured to support the work light 100 on the ground surface 101 in an upright position when the legs are in the transport position, which is an advantage since it allows the work light to be used also when the legs are collapsed against the elongated body 120. Each light unit 115 is protected by a respective protection shield 180 separated from the light unit 115 by a distance so as to not contact the light unit 115. The light unit 115 is not covered by the protection shield 115, i.e., the light unit is at least partially exposed when protected by the protection shield 180 to allow light to pass the protection shield 115 when the work light is in the transport position and supported on the ground surface 101 by the support arrangement 155.The legs 140 may comprise lightening holes or cut-outs, i.e., apertures that reduce the total weight of the leg. The lightening cut-outs can be seen clearly in the exploded view of the example elongated body 120 in Figure 9.The telescopic mast 170 is, as mentioned above, comprised in the elongated body 120 and located inside the elongated body 120 in the transport position. The telescopic mast 170 is extracted from its position inside the elongated body when the telescopic mast is extended, as illustrated in the drawings, of. Figure 1A and 1C.A collar 130 is coupled to the elongated body 120 for movement along the elongated body between an upper end point and a lower end point. The collar 130 has been moved downwards in Figure 1A, and upwards in Figure 1 B and Figure 1C. The plurality of legs 140 are coupled to the collar 130 at respective proximal leg ends 141. The legs preferably but not necessarily comprise feet 143 at respective distal leg ends 142. Figures 5A-B show some example details of the collar 130. Figure 9 is an exploded view showing an example elongated body 120 with legs 140.Each leg 140 is pivotably attached to the collar 130 at its proximal end 141. A pivotably attached bracing arm 144 extends from a position on the elongated body close to the base housing to a position between the proximal and distal ends of the leg 140. The bracing arms 144 can be seen in the exploded view in Figure 9 and assembled in Figure 5A. The bracing arm 144 is pivotably attached to its respective leg and to the elongated body. The bracing arms 144 may comprise metal bars or metal profiles which are sturdy in order to provide durable support for the legs when in the operating position. The pivotable attachment between the bracing arm 144 and the elongated body is indicated by the dash-dotted axis 410 in Figure 4.The pivotable attachment between the legs 140 and the collar 130 is indicated by the dash-dotted axes 520 in Figures 5A-B.As the collar is moved downwards D, the bracing arm 144 pushes the leg 140 away from longitudinal axis A and out into the operating position. The same bracing arm pulls the leg towards alignment with the longitudinal axis A and into the transport position as the collar 130 is moved upwards U towards the upper end point. The plurality of legs 140 are thus arranged to move towards alignment with the longitudinal axis A and into the transport position when the collar 130 is moved upwards towards the upper end point, while the distal leg ends 141 move out from the elongated body 120 and into the operating position when the collar 130 is moved downwards towards the lower end point.The optional feet 143 arranged at the distal leg ends 142 are arranged to support respective pegs or bolts configured to secure the legs 140 to a surface supporting the work light 100, such as a ground surface 101. This way an operator can secure the work light more stably if necessary, e.g., if the ground surface is not sufficiently even, or if the work site has strong vibration or strong wind which could otherwise overturn the work light despite the legs being in the operating position. Pegs or bolts may be held in special pockets on the elongated body or one or more of the legs 140. A tool such as a hammer or the like for attaching the pegs or bolts may also be held on the elongated body 120, or elsewhere on the work light 100.At least one of the legs 140 optionally comprises an arrangement for holding a power supply unit (PSU) 190, as exemplified in Figure 1C. This PSU allows the work light to be powered from electrical mains instead of, or in addition to, a rechargeable battery held in the base housing 150. At least one of the legs 140 optionally comprises an arrangement for holding an electrical cable coil 195 for connecting the PSU to electrical mains. A power input port 191 can be arranged on the work light, in order to allow the light source 110 to be powered from an external power source such as the PSU or some other external power connection.According to some aspects the work light comprises a control unit 103 which is arranged to automatically select power source between electrical mains and battery. The control unit 103 is then configured to detect when electrical mains power is available and switch the light source from being powered by rechargeable battery to being powered by electrical mains. The control unit 103 immediately switches back to drawing power from the rechargeable battery in case of electrical mains power outage or if a user disconnects the PSU from electrical mains. This way the work light 100 remains operational in the event of electrical mains power outage.According to other aspects, the control unit 103 is arranged to analyze the power from electrical mains, and switch to the rechargeable battery in case the voltage is not within a predetermined acceptable voltage range, and / or if the frequency is not within a predetermined acceptable frequency range of operation. Unreliable and / or unsuitable electrical mains connections that may potentially damage the light source is thus avoided, which is an advantage.According to some aspects, the control unit 103 is arranged to monitor a current drawn by the work light from electrical mains and store the magnitude of the current in a memory device of the control unit in case of power outage. An operator can then retrieve the current magnitude data in order to analyze the cause of the power outage.With reference to Figure 4, the legs 140 comprise respective non-selective attachment mechanisms 400 that are arranged to non-selectively secure the legs 140 in the transport position, i.e. , collapsed against the elongated body 120. Known leg securing mechanisms for work lights normally implement selective attachment mechanisms, i.e., attachment mechanisms that use manually operated locking pins, excentre locks, latches, and the like. A non-selective attachment mechanism has been found to be more efficient and easier to use compared to selective fastening means, in particular at work sites where operators often use gloves that make it difficult to operate selective attachment mechanisms.Examples of non-selective attachment mechanisms that can be used together with the work lights described herein comprise magnetic arrangements, interference fit mechanisms, friction attachments, and a hook-and-loop based fasteners. The example non-selective attachment mechanism 400 illustrated in Figure 4 comprises a permanent magnet arranged on the elongated body to cooperate with a piece of magnetic material, such as iron, arranged on the distal end 142 of the leg 140.The work light 100 also comprises a locking mechanism 135 arranged to lock the collar 130 at a locking position along the elongated body 120, in which locking position the distal leg ends 141 define an operating position support plane P of the work light 100, as shown in Figure 1A. According to a preferred aspects, a gap G is formed between the operating position support plane P and the base housing 150. I.e. , the base housing is suspended from the ground in the operating position. This has several advantages. Figure 5B and Figure 8 shows an example of the locking mechanism 135 on the collar 130. In this example the locking mechanism comprises a pin 800 which is arranged to enter into a hole formed in the elongated body 120. An example of this hole 900 can be seen in Figure 9. The pin 800 may be spring biased to the locked position.A first advantage of suspending the base housing 150 from the ground in the operating position of the work light 100 is that it becomes much easier to find a stable operating position of the work light when only the feet 143 of the legs 140 contact the ground surface 101, compared to if the work light had also been supported by the base housing (resulting in four support points instead of three).A second advantage of suspending the base housing 150 from the ground in the operating position of the work light 100 is that the base housing 150 is not as affected by water and dirt on the ground as it would be if it rested on the ground in the operating position. According to preferred aspects, the base housing 150 comprises a battery compartment for receiving a rechargeable battery, and since the battery housing is suspended from the ground in the operating position, this battery has a reduced risk of becoming wet, or even drenched by, e.g., water on the floor of a work site. The rechargeable battery may also be cooled better if the base housing is suspended from the ground, since an air gap is then formed under the base housing 150.Figure 7 illustrate example ventilation grates 710, 720 formed in the battery compartment 200. These ventilation grates, more generally ventilation apertures, allow a cooling air flow to pass through a battery received in the battery compartment 200The base housing 150 comprises a support arrangement 155 that defines a transport position support plane T of the work light 100. This means that the base housing can be used as temporary support for the work light when it is being transported. It is also more convenient to deploy the work light if it can be temporarily supported by the base housing 150. The battery compartment may be arranged to support a battery having a weight of at least 3kg, and preferably more than 5,0kg, and more preferably about 5,1 kg. This relatively large weight positioned close to the ground surface 101 provides additional stability to the work light 100, which is beneficial in particular when the legs 140 are not extended as in Figure 1C.According to an example deployment operation, the work light 100 is first raised up in horizontal position as illustrated in Figure 1C, where the work light 100 rests on the ground supported by the support arrangement 155. The legs 140 can then be partially deployed (not shown in the Figures) to a position where the collar is partly moved downwards to a position where both the feet 143 and the support arrangement 155 contact the ground surface 101 to support the work light 100 in the upright position. The operator can now lift the elongated body 120 and the light source upwards U, which means that the base housing 150 is lifted up from the ground while at the same time the collar 130 moves downwards by force of gravity and the legs enter into the operating position. A method for deploying a work light in this manner is illustrated by the flow chart in Figure 10.In other words, aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method for deploying a work light 100 by placing the work light in an operating position. The work light 100 of the method comprises a light source 110, a base housing 150 and an elongated body 120, where the elongated body defines a longitudinal axis A of the work light 100, where the elongated body 120 extends between the light source 110 and the base housing 150, where the base housing 150 comprises a support arrangement 155 arranged to support the work light 100 in an upright position on a ground surface 101. The work light 100 comprises a collar 130 coupled to the elongated body 120 for movement along the elongated body between an upper end point and a lower end point, and a plurality of legs 140 coupled to the collar 130 at respective proximal leg ends 141, where the legs 140 are configurable in a transport position and in an operating position. The plurality of legs 140 are arranged to move towards alignment with the longitudinal axis A and into the transport position when the collar 130 is moved towards the upper end point, and where distal leg ends 141 are arranged to move out from the elongated body 120 and into the operating position when the collar 130 is moved towards the lower end point. The method comprises:placing S1 the work light 100 in the upright position supported by the support arrangement 155 on a ground surface 101,operating S2 the non-selective attachment mechanisms 400 and moving the distal leg ends 141 out from the elongated body 120 to a position where the distal leg ends 141 rest on the ground surface 101, andlifting S3 the base housing 150 up from the ground surface 101 along the longitudinal axis A of the work light 100, to automatically move the collar 130 towards the lower end point and the work light 100 into the operating position.The collar 130 comprises locking mechanism 135 which secures the legs 140 in the operating position. This locking mechanism 135 may comprise a bolt which enters into a hole formed in the elongated body 120, or some other type of fastening mechanism that keeps the legs 140 in the operating position and prevents the legs from inadvertently being folded back towards alignment with the longitudinal axis A. An example locking mechanism operating device 135 is illustrated in Figure 5B. Figure 5A shows a handle 510 arranged on the collar 130 to facilitate moving the collar up and down along the elongated body 120.Figures 2A-B show details of the base housing 150. The base housing 150 may be configured to define a battery compartment 200, i.e., an at least partly enclosed volume, which is arranged to receive a replaceable battery accessible via a hatch 210 arranged in the base housing 150. In this context, replaceable means that the battery can be removed from the compartment 200 and replaced by another battery in a convenient manner without significant effort, such as without the use of special tools or the like. The base housing encloses the battery compartment on at least four sides, and preferably on all six sides of a cuboid bounding box of the battery. I.e., a cuboid volume which encloses a battery received in the battery compartment snugly.The hatch 210 is in this example hinged at the lower edge of the opening in the base housing. A battery locking mechanism inside the battery compartment 200 comprises stops 210 that are operable by a control device 220, in this case a button. A user operating the control device 220 will release a battery held inside the battery compartment 200 such that it can be replaced by a fresh battery. The hatch 210 can also be seen in the exploded view in Figure 7, where a hatch aperture seal 730 is also shown.The battery compartment 200 comprised in the base housing 150 is preferably at least partly enclosed by sheet metal 250, to protect a replaceable battery held inside the base housing 150. Examples of the sheet metal parts 250 can be seen in the exploded view in Figure 7. The sheet metal parts 250 may comprise lightening cut-outs to reduce the weight of the parts, while maintaining structural integrity.The base housing 150 is, according to some aspects, arranged to support a heavy replaceable battery, i.e., a rechargeable battery having a weight of at least 3kg, and preferably more than 5,0kg, and more preferably about 5,1kg. Towards this end, the battery compartment 200 may comprise a support rail 230 arranged to carry at least a part of the weight of a battery received in the battery compartment 200.A ventilation grate 240 is preferably arranged inside the battery compartment 200 to cool a replaceable battery arranged inside the battery compartment. A matching grate may be arranged at the upper end of the battery compartment. The ventilation grates are illustrated in Figure 7, but not shown in Figure 2A.The rechargeable battery may have a nominal voltage of at least 90V, and preferably about 94V.Figures 3A-C illustrate some details of an example light source 110 that can be used together with the work lights described herein. This example light source 110 comprises a plurality of light units 115 attached to a hub 300. In this case the hub has a triangular planar form, although other hub shapes can also be used. At least one of the light units 115, and preferably all of the light units 115, are arranged to rotate relative to the hub 300 about a respective light axes L. This way the direction of the light can be adjusted by an operator in a convenient manner. The locking mechanisms which hold the light units 115 in place is preferably a non-selective locking mechanism, such as a friction-based locking mechanism. One of the light units 115 may, e.g., be directed generally at the floor of a work site, while another can be directed at a ceiling or at some wall of the work site. The hub 300 is pivotably attached to the elongated body 120 to rotate about a hub axis H extending transversal to the longitudinal axis A, which means that an operator can rotate the hub and the light units attached to the hub, as illustrated in Figures 3A-C. The hub axis H lies in a hub plane Z, as shown in Figure 3A. The hub plane H is often an extension plane of the hub. According to some examples the hub 300 is elongated or oblate in the hub plane. The light axes L may span a plane that is parallel or even aligned with the hub plane Z.In Figure 3A the light source 110 is configured in a nominal position, which is also the position the light source assumes in the transport position of the work light 100, where the light units 115 are protected by the light unit protection shields 180 illustrated in Figure 1 A.In Figure 3B the hub 300 has been rotated by about 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis A. Note that the longitudinal axis A has a direction upwards in the examples of Figures 3A-C. In this position all light sources can be directed towards one side, transversal to the longitudinal axis A, e.g., to illuminate a wall at a work site.In Figure 3C, the hub has been rotated further about the hub axis H. In this position the hub 300 is upside-down and the light units 115 can thus be directed at the ground, similar to a streetlamp. To realize this streetlamp feature, the hub 300 is arranged to rotate about the hub axis H from a first position where the longitudinal axis A extends out from one side of the hub plane Z (as in Figure 3A) to a second position where the longitudinal axis A extends out from the other side of the hub plane Z (as in Figure 3C). In this example the hub 300 is arranged to rotate 180 degrees about the hub axis H from the first position to the second position, although a rotation of, say 160 degrees may give a similar technical effect. The hub 300 may, generally, be arranged to rotate more than 160 degrees about the hub axis H from the first position to the second positionThe hub 300 preferably comprises a cut-out portion 310 that extends perpendicularly out from the hub axis H. The cut-out portion is arranged to allow passage by the elongated body 120 through the hub plane Z as the hub 300 is rotated from the first position to the second position.According to some aspects, the work light 100 comprises a motor arranged to rotate the hub 300 about the hub axis H in response to a hub position control signal. This allows the orientation of the hub to be adjusted remotely, which is an advantage, e.g., if the telescopic mast is extended such that the hub is not reachable from the ground. The motor is preferably an electric motor such as a servo motor, a stepper motor, or the like arranged to rotate the hub 300 about the hub axis. Any electric actuator suitable to induce rotation of the hub 300 about the hub axis H can be used.The work light 100 may also comprise motors, such as electric stepper motors, configured to control the orientation of the light source, e.g., the rotation angle of the light units 115 about the light axes L, in response to a light source position control signal.The hub position control signal and / or the light source position control signal can be generated by the control unit 103, e.g., based on user input received via the interface 102 or from a remote control device arranged to trigger generation of the hub position control signal and / or the light source position control signal. A remote control device is a device which can be physically separated from the light source by a distance. The remote control device can be connected, e.g., to the user interface 102 and / or to the control unit 103 via wireless link or via signaling cable. The remote control device can be integrated into a remote control device for controlling other construction equipment, such as machinery for processing concrete.The optional motors allows an operator to adjust the illuminated area even if the operator cannot reach the hub or the light units to adjust the illumination direction manually. In case of a remote control device, the operator can also adjust the illuminated area from a distance.The interface 102 and / or the remote control device may comprise buttons, knobs, or other control input devices that allow an operator to adjust the size of an illuminated area, as well as the angle of the hub. The control unit may also implement predefined illumination patterns that the operator can select. Such predefined illumination patterns may comprise, e.g., a spotlight mode, a wide illuminated area mode, a streetlight mode (where the hub is rotated to be upside down as in Figure 3C, and so on.It is appreciated that many of the technical features discussed herein are applicable as stand-alone features with associated technical advantages that do not depend on any of the other features discussed herein. In other words, many of the technical features discussed herein are not inextricably linked to each other but can be implemented separately from each other.Thus, to summarize the disclosure above, which has been provided in connection to Figures 1-9, there is disclosed herein.A work light 100 comprising a light source 110, a base housing 150 and an elongated body 120, where the elongated body defines a longitudinal axis A of the work light 100, where the elongated body 120 extends between the light source 110 and the base housing 150. The light source 110 comprises a plurality of light units 115 attached to a hub 300, where at least one of the light units 115 is arranged to rotate relative to the hub 300 about a respective light axis L. This means that the direction of the light emitted by the light unit can be adjusted in different angles, by rotating the light unit about the light axis. The hub 300 is also pivotably attached to the elongated body 120 to rotate about a hub axis H extending transversal to the longitudinal axis A. The hub axis H lies in a hub plane Z, which may be an extension plane of the hub 300. The hub 300 is arranged to rotate about the hub axis H from a first position where the longitudinal axis A extends out from one side of the hub plane Z to a second position where the longitudinal axis A extends out from the other side of the hub plane Z. This means that the hub can be rotated relative to the elongated body 120 to “flip” the hub upside down. In the examples illustrated in the drawings, this means that the light units can be directed downwards akin to a streetlamp post. According to an example, the hub 300 can be arranged to rotate about the hub axis H by at least 160 degrees, and preferably about 180 degrees from a first position where the light axis L is aligned with the ground surface 101 to a second position where the light axis L is aligned with the ground surface 101.Aspects of the disclosure also relate to work light 100 comprising a light source 110, a base housing 150 and an elongated body 120 that defines a longitudinal axis A of the work light 100, where the elongated body 120 extends between the light source 110 and the base housing 150, where the base housing 150 comprises a battery compartment 200 arranged to at least partly enclose a cuboid bounding box of a battery received in the battery compartment 200 on at least four sides. This way the battery is better protected at the work site, where it otherwise may be subject to damage. The base housing 150 preferably comprises a battery compartment 200 arranged to at least partly enclose the cuboid bounding box of the battery received in the battery compartment 200 on all six sides.According to some aspects, the battery compartment 200 comprises a support rail 230 arranged to carry at least a part of the weight of a battery received in the battery compartment 200. This allows for more heavy replaceable batteries to be received by the battery compartment.The battery compartment 200 preferably comprises an electrical interface 700 for connecting the work light 100 to a battery received in the battery compartment 200. The electrical interface is arranged on a vertical side of the battery compartment 200.According to some aspects, the base housing 150 is arranged to be suspended from the elongated body 120 in the operating position.According to some aspects, the battery compartment 200 comprises a hatch 210 through which a battery received in the battery compartment 200 may be accessed.According to some aspects, the base housing 150 comprises a support arrangement 155 arranged to support the work light 100 in an upright position on a ground surface 101.There is also disclosed a work light 100 comprising a light source 110 with a plurality of light units 115, a base housing 150 and an elongated body 120 that defines a longitudinal axis A of the work light 100, where the elongated body 120 extends between the light source 110 and the base housing 150, a plurality of legs 140 coupled to the elongated body 120 at respective proximal leg ends 141, where the legs 140 are configurable in a transport position in which the legs are collapsed against the elongated body 120 and in an operating position in which the legs are extended out from the elongated body 120, where the base housing 150 comprises a support arrangement 155 configured to support the work light 100 on a ground surface 101 in an upright position when in the transport position, where each light unit 115 is protected by a respective protection shield 180 separated from the light unit 115 by a distance, where the light unit 115 is exposed when protected by the protection shield 180 to allow light to pass the protection shield 115 in the transport position.

Claims

1. A work light (100) comprising a light source (110), a base housing (150) and an elongated body (120), where the elongated body defines a longitudinal axis (A) of the work light (100), where the elongated body (120) extends between the light source (110) and the base housing (150),where the light source (110) comprises a plurality of light units (115) attached to a hub (300), where at least one of the light units (115) is arranged to rotate relative to the hub (300) about a respective light axis (L),where the hub (300) is pivotably attached to the elongated body (120) to rotate about a hub axis (H) extending transversal to the longitudinal axis (A),where the hub axis (H) lies in a hub plane (Z), representing an extension plane of the hub (300),where the hub (300) is arranged to rotate about the hub axis (H) from a first position where the longitudinal axis (A) extends out from one side of the hub plane (Z) to a second position where the longitudinal axis (A) extends out from the other side of the hub plane (Z).

2. A work light (100) comprisinga light source (110), a base housing (150) and an elongated body (120), where the elongated body defines a longitudinal axis (A) of the work light (100), where the elongated body (120) extends between the light source (110) and the base housing (150),where the work light (100) is arranged to be supported on a ground surface (101),where the light source (110) comprises a plurality of light units (115) attached to a hub (300), where at least one of the light units (115) is arranged to rotate relative to the hub (300) about a respective light axis (L),where the hub (300) is pivotably attached to the elongated body (120) to rotate about a hub axis (H) extending transversal to the longitudinal axis (A),where the hub (300) is arranged to rotate about the hub axis (H) by at least 160 degrees, and preferably 180 degrees from a first position where the light axis (L) is aligned with the ground surface (101) to a second position where the light axis (L) is aligned with the ground surface (101).