Rail-Mounted Lighting Fastener With Quick-Release Latching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional profile lighting systems face challenges in the cumbersome assembly and disassembly of lighting inserts, particularly due to complex cabling and rigid installation methods, which hinder flexibility and ease of use during construction.
Innovation Solution
A fastening device with latching elements and an actuating mechanism that allows for easy insertion and removal of lighting assemblies into elongate rail profiles, featuring a body that overlaps the lighting assembly from the rear and engages with the rail profile's edges or undercuts, enabling quick and flexible placement and removal from any point along the rail.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional construction methods are used for assembling lighting inserts into profiles, then the structural connection is secure, but the assembly and disassembly process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening device employs dynamic latching elements that can transition between locked and released states through actuation. The latching elements are designed to engage with the rail profile's edge or undercut in a latched state, and can be easily released by actuating the actuating element, enabling quick assembly and disassembly without damaging the lighting assembly or profile
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening device is extracted as a separate, removable component that can be attached to the lighting assembly and then quickly engaged with the rail profile. This separation allows the lighting assembly to be easily inserted into the profile with the fastening device, and subsequently removed by actuating the release mechanism, significantly reducing installation and maintenance time
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fixed installation methods are used, then the lighting assembly is securely positioned, but flexibility for repositioning and maintenance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening device provides a dynamic connection that transitions from a secure latched state during operation to an easily releasable state during maintenance. The latching elements engage reliably with the rail profile's edge or undercut to ensure secure positioning, while the actuating element enables quick release for repositioning or maintenance without compromising the reliability of either state
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening device enables self-service installation and maintenance by allowing operators to easily attach and detach lighting assemblies from the rail profile using the actuating element. The body overlapping the lighting assembly from the rear provides automatic alignment and engagement, reducing the need for specialized installation tools or procedures
3Strength
If the fastening device uses multiple latching elements for secure engagement, then the holding strength increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating element serves multiple functions: it simultaneously actuates multiple latching elements to release them from the rail profile, and provides a single access point for the operator. This multi-functionality allows the fastening device to achieve strong holding through multiple latching points while maintaining operational simplicity and reducing overall device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A fastening device fastens a lighting assembly in an elongate rail profile open on one longitudinal side. The fastening device is set up to be mechanically coupled to the lighting assembly and has a body through which the lighting assembly can be overlapped in sections from a rear side area of the same, which is facing away from a light output side of the lighting assembly. The fastening device has latching elements which are formed to engage behind an edge or undercut running along the rail profile in a latching manner. The fastening device has an actuating element that, when the fastening device is holding the lighting assembly inserted into the rail profile in this position, can be actuated by an operator from the open longitudinal side in order to move each of the latching elements into a release position.