JPH1125721A - Lighting fixture coupling device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] The present invention provides a connecting device for lighting fixtures that can accurately align the main bodies of the lighting fixtures and that can easily be connected. A coupling device has a substantially U-shaped cross-section with an open lower surface along the outer shape of an end of an adjacent appliance body, and a shaft having an effective screw portion at both ends of the coupling body. A cylindrical member 25 made of an elastic material is inserted into the portion 37, and a screw 35 temporarily screwed from below is provided. The top surface 2 at the end of the adjacent appliance body is temporarily screwed to the connecting device by a screw. The tubular body is provided with an engaging hole 8 into which the tubular body is inserted, and the temporarily fixed screw is tightened, whereby the tubular body swells outward and deforms to fix the connected body to the instrument body. .

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lighting device connecting device for connecting lighting devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG.
Are generally known. This coupling device,
The connecting device connects linearly arranged appliance bodies to a mounting surface such as a ceiling, and the coupling device has a substantially U-shaped cross section with an open lower surface along an outer shape of an adjacent appliance body end. A connecting body 5 having screw holes 7 each having a hole cut down toward the upper side and having taps cut at both ends thereof, and a screw 10 having a head screwed into the screw hole 7 of the connecting body 5. doing. Engagement holes 3, 3 into which screws 10 for attaching the connecting body 5 are inserted are formed on both sides of the top surface 2 of the end of the device body.

[0003] A method of connecting adjacent instrument bodies using a connecting device will be described.

[0004] A fixture body 1, 1 is mounted on a ceiling surface (not shown) in advance.
Adjacent to each other, they are temporarily fixed linearly to the ceiling surface with mounting screws (not shown). Then, a connecting body 5 having a substantially U-shaped cross section
Is mounted on the top surface 2 of the instrument body, and the screw holes 7, 7 of the connecting device on one side are provided with locking holes 3, 3 provided at the end of the instrument body.
, The screw 10 is inserted from below the instrument body 1 into the locking hole 3 of the instrument body, and the screw 10 is screwed into the screw hole 7 of the coupling device using a tool such as a screwdriver. By fastening the screw, the connector is fixed to the instrument body. Similarly, on the other side, the connecting body is screwed and fixed to the appliance main body with a screw, and the adjacent appliance main bodies are connected to each other.

[0005]

As described above, in the conventional lighting device connecting device, when connecting the lighting device main bodies 1 and 1 to each other, first, the connecting device having a substantially U-shaped cross section is connected to the top surface portion 2 of the lighting device main body. After the body 5 is placed, the locking hole 3 formed in the instrument body and the screw hole 7 of the connector are visually aligned from the lower surface side of the instrument body, and then the screw 10 is attached to the instrument from the lower surface. Since the connector 5 is inserted into the locking hole 3 of the main body and tightened into the screw hole 7 of the connector to fix the connector 5 to the instrument body 1 and the adjacent instrument bodies are connected by the connector, the connecting work is performed. It takes time and effort, leading to an increase in cost.

Further, when a large number of lighting fixtures are connected, the connection work is performed in an unreasonable posture, so that there is a problem that work efficiency is reduced and time is required for construction.

The locking hole 3 formed in the instrument body is visually aligned with the screw hole 7 of the connecting body. Is formed to be considerably larger than the diameter. For this reason, the positioning of the instrument bodies could not be accurately performed, and there was a problem in appearance.

[0008] Further, since the connecting operation is performed by hand with the screw, the screw is dropped during the operation, the screw as the connecting device may be lost, and there is a problem that the connecting operation is interrupted. Was.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting fixture connecting device which can accurately position fixture main bodies and can easily perform a connecting operation.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a luminaire connecting apparatus for connecting luminaire bodies linearly arranged on a surface to be mounted. In the connecting device, the connecting device is a connecting body having a substantially U-shaped cross section with an open lower surface along the outer shape of the end of the adjacent appliance body, and a shaft having an effective screw portion at both ends of the connecting body. A screw which is temporarily screwed from below by inserting a cylindrical body made of an elastic material into the portion, and a pipe temporarily screwed to the connecting device at the end of the top surface of the adjacent appliance main body. By providing an engagement hole into which the body is inserted, and tightening the temporarily fixed screw, the tubular body expands outward and deforms to fix the connecting body to the instrument body. It is a feature.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the lighting device connecting device according to the present invention, a dowel projecting downward is formed on a back surface of the connecting member.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lighting device connecting apparatus according to the present invention, wherein a spacer shorter than the length of the tubular body is attached to the inside of the tubular body, and the screw is inserted.

[0013] In the structure of the first aspect, the cylindrical body made of an elastic material such as rubber is first temporarily fixed to the connecting device with a screw. The tubular bodies temporarily fixed with screws at both ends of the connecting device are aligned with the engaging holes of the instrument body, and the tubular bodies of the connecting apparatus are engaged with the engaging holes of the instrument body, and connected. The instrument bodies are temporarily fixed with the device. Then, when the screw of the connecting device is tightened, the tubular body made of the elastic body of the connecting device spreads to the engaging hole of the instrument body, and the connecting device is fixed to the instrument body by the tubular body. You.

[0014] In the structure of the second aspect, a dowel projecting downward is formed on the back surface of the connecting body. Therefore, when connecting the appliance bodies with the coupling device, even if there is a gap between the back surface of the coupling body of the coupling device and the upper end of the cylindrical body made of the elastic body, the coupling device does not enter the appliance body. Absent.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since a spacer shorter than the length of the cylindrical body is attached to the inside of the cylindrical body and the screw is inserted, the screw is prevented from being tightened more than necessary.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the same components as in the prior art will be described with the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the ends of the instrument body are connected to each other by a connecting device. As shown in FIG. 2, a connecting device 11 includes a connecting member 15 and a cylindrical member made of an elastic material such as rubber. Body 25 and spacer 4 attached inside the cylindrical body
0 and a screw 35 having an effective screw portion for attaching the tubular body and the spacer to the connecting body.

FIG. 3 shows a connecting member of the connecting device. The connecting member 15 is formed by bending an iron plate or the like by a press, and has a lower surface along an outer shape of an end portion of an instrument main body 1a to be described later. Has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, and has a rectangular back portion 16 and guide reinforcing pieces 17, 17 which are bent at right angles downward from both sides of the back portion. Further, at the center of both ends along the longitudinal direction of the back surface portion 16, there are screw holes 18 and 18, which are formed by tapping holes formed by sinking upward, and on both sides of the screw holes, Dowels 19 are formed so as to project toward. In addition, the lower surface of this dowel is a flat surface 20.
Is formed. Further, the height H1 of the dowel 19 is, for example, equal to or slightly higher than the thickness B of a flange portion 27 of a tubular body described later.

FIG. 4 shows a cylindrical body made of an elastic material such as a rubber material. The cylindrical body 25 has an inverted substantially conical cylindrical main part 26 whose outer shell expands upward. In addition, a disc-shaped flange portion 27 is integrally provided at the upper end of the cylindrical body main portion. Further, a screw insertion hole 28 is formed below the center of the cylindrical body 25 in the longitudinal direction, and above the screw insertion hole 28, the diameter of the screw insertion hole is larger than the diameter of the screw insertion hole. A spacer mounting hole 29 is formed.

FIG. 5 shows a spacer to be attached to the spacer mounting hole of the cylindrical body. The spacer 40 is made of a ring-shaped material such as metal and is formed in the spacer mounting hole 29 of the cylindrical body. Mating and inserting and mounting
At the center in the longitudinal direction, a screw insertion hole 28a having the same diameter as the screw insertion hole 28 of the cylindrical body is formed. The height H2 of the spacer is equal to or slightly lower than the depth D of the spacer mounting hole of the cylindrical body.

The cylindrical body 2 to which the spacer 40 is attached
5, a screw 35 is inserted into the screw insertion holes 28 and 28a. The screw 35 includes a head 36 and a shaft 37 as shown in FIG. And a cut screw portion 38.

A method of assembling the connecting device will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the spacer mounting hole 29 of the cylindrical body 25
After fitting and inserting a ring-shaped spacer 40 into the cylindrical body 25, the screw 35 is inserted into the screw insertion holes 28 and 28a of the tubular body 25 from below. Then, the tip screw portion 38 of the screw 35 is screwed from below into the screw hole 18 of the connecting body 15, and the screw 35 is screwed until the flange portion 27 of the cylindrical body contacts the lower surface of the connecting body 15.
To complete the coupling device.

A method for connecting adjacent appliance bodies using the above-mentioned connecting device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 6 and 7. FIG.

In the center of the end of the top surface portion 2 of the instrument body, the instrument bodies 1a, 1a having an engaging hole 8 into which the tubular body 25 of the connecting device is inserted are placed adjacent to a ceiling surface (not shown). Then, it is temporarily fixed linearly to the ceiling surface with a mounting screw (not shown). The diameter d1 of the engagement hole 8 of the instrument main body is usually equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter d2 of the upper portion of the tubular main body 26. When the diameter d3 of the flange 27 of the tubular body is small, the engaging hole 8d1 of the instrument body may be formed to be larger than the outer diameter d3 of the flange 27 of the tubular body.

Next, when the connecting device 11 is disposed on the upper side of the top surface portion 2 of the instrument main body, the guide reinforcing pieces 17, 17 formed on both sides of the connecting device, respectively, are attached to the side portions 4 provided on both sides of the instrument main body. , 4 and the screw head 36 of the connecting device 11 is placed in contact with the top surface 2 of the instrument body.

When the connecting device 11 placed on the top surface portion 2 is moved in the front-rear direction, when the screw heads 36 of the connecting device match the engaging holes 8, 8 of the adjacent instrument body, the connecting device 11 The tubular body main parts 26, 26 fall into and engage with the engagement holes 8, 8 of the instrument body.

Then, when the connecting device 11 is pressed lightly downward, as shown in FIG.
25 are fitted into the engaging holes 8 of the instrument body, respectively, and at the same time, the flat surface 20 of the dowel 19 of the connecting device is placed with the flat surface 20 of the dowel 19 abutting against the top surface 2 of the instrument body. A gap 45 is formed between the device main body 1a. In addition, since the cylindrical body main part 26 of the coupling device 11 expands upward, the outer periphery of the cylindrical body main part 26 has a function as a guide part with respect to the engagement hole 8, Coupling device 11
Are easily fitted into the engagement holes 8, 8 of the instrument body.

Since the tubular body 25 of the connecting device is formed of an elastic body, the tubular body 25 of the connecting device 11 is formed.
Even if the positional relationship between the device and the engagement hole 8 of the device main body is slightly displaced, if the connecting device is strongly pressed downward,
The tubular bodies of the coupling device are fitted into the engagement holes of the instrument body, respectively.

Finally, as shown in FIG.
Using a screwdriver or other tool from underneath, screw 35
Is rotated in the tightening direction, the cylindrical body 2 made of an elastic material is rotated.
5 bulges outward, closes the engagement hole 8 of the instrument body, and closely adheres and deforms to the top surface lower surface 2a of the instrument body. Further, at this time, the tubular body contained in the engagement hole 8 also swells outward and comes into close contact with the engagement hole. For this reason, it is possible to easily perform the alignment between the instrument bodies and to perform the accurate alignment.

The cylindrical body 25 has a back portion 16 of the connected body.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the connecting body 25 is pressed by the screw 35 to deform the connecting body, the pressing force of the screw is supported by the flange 27 because the flange 27 is As a result, the connected body can be surely deformed. Further, the spacer 40 attached inside the tubular body prevents the screw 35 from being tightened more than necessary.

Since a dowel 19 projecting downward is formed on the back surface 16 of the connecting member 15, a gap 45 is formed between the top surface of the instrument body and the connecting device. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, even when a gap 50 is formed between the connecting body 15 and the flange portion 27 of the tubular body, it is possible to prevent the appliance body from entering the gap 50. it can.

FIG. 8A shows a screw used in the first embodiment. The screw 35 has a threaded portion 38 formed over the entire length of a shaft portion 37 of the screw. 3
The whole 7 forms an effective thread portion.

FIG. 8B shows another screw. The screw 35a is composed of a head 36 and a shaft 37, and a screw 38a is formed at the end of the shaft 37. On the head side, there is provided a shaft portion having no screw portion, and the screw portion 38a formed on the end side forms an effective screw portion.

FIG. 9 shows a state in which the tool bodies are connected to each other by the connecting device using the screws 35a.
The right side of FIG. 9 shows a state of the connecting device 11a before the screw 35a is tightened, and the left side of FIG. 9 shows a state in which the screw 35a is fixed to the instrument main body by the tubular body of the tightening connecting device 11a. The shaft portion 37 of the screw shows a state in which it abuts against the lower surface of the connecting body 15. A screw 35a having a screw portion 38a which is an effective screw portion at the tip of the shaft portion is similar to the spacer 40 attached to the connecting body. The function is to prevent the screw from being tightened more than necessary. Therefore, when the screw 35a is used, the screw 35a has the same operation and effect as the spacer even if the spacer is not used for the connecting body.

FIGS. 10 to 12 show a state in which the instrument bodies are connected to each other using another connecting device. The right side shows the connecting device before screw tightening, and the left side shows the connecting device after screw tightening. Things.

The connecting device 11b shown in FIG.
5 has a flange portion 27 in the screw hole 18, and a spacer mounting hole 29 a is drilled over the entire center in the longitudinal direction, and a spacer 40 a is engaged in the spacer mounting hole 29 a, and the cylindrical body 2.
5 a is screwed with a screw 35. After the screw 35 is tightened, the spacer 40a comes into contact with the rear portion 16 of the connecting body and the head 36 of the screw.

The connecting device 11c shown in FIG. 11 is a cylindrical body 25b having no flange shown in FIG. 4, in which the spacer 40 is fitted and inserted into the spacer mounting hole 29 of the cylindrical body 25b, and then the screw 35 is screwed. In the cylindrical body 25b which is inserted into the insertion holes 28 and 28a and screwed into the screw hole 18 of the connecting body 15 and has no flange portion, the gap 45 formed between the connecting device 11c and the instrument body 1a is , Connecting body 15 and cylindrical body 25
b When the gap 50 is formed between the gap and the upper surface, it is possible to effectively prevent the appliance body from entering the gap 50.

The connecting device 11d shown in FIG. 12 is a cylindrical body 25c having no flange portion and having a spacer mounting hole 29a formed throughout the center in the longitudinal direction. The spacer 40a is engaged with the spacer mounting hole 29a. , And is screwed into the screw hole 18 of the connecting body 15 with a screw 35.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

In the structure of the first aspect, a tubular body made of an elastic body such as rubber is temporarily fixed to the connecting device with a screw first. The tubular bodies temporarily fixed with screws at both ends of the connecting device are aligned with the engaging holes of the instrument body, and the tubular bodies of the connecting apparatus are engaged with the engaging holes of the instrument body, and connected. The instrument bodies are temporarily fixed with the device. then,
When the screw of the connecting device is tightened, the tubular body made of the elastic body of the connecting device spreads over the engaging hole of the instrument body,
The connecting device is fixed to the instrument body by the tubular body.

As described above, since the cylindrical body and the screw made of the elastic body of the connecting device for connecting the tool bodies are attached to the connecting device from the beginning, the connecting operation for connecting the tool bodies during the connecting operation is performed. In addition, by dropping or losing a tubular member or a screw, which is a connecting member for fixing the connecting member of the connecting device to the instrument body, the connecting operation can be efficiently performed without interrupting the connecting operation.

When the cylindrical bodies attached to both ends of the connecting device for connecting the appliance bodies are engaged with the engagement holes formed at the end of the appliance body, the connecting device is moved back and forth. When the position of the tubular body of the connecting device and the engagement hole of the instrument body match, the tubular body of the connecting device falls into the engaging hole of the instrument body, and the instrument bodies are temporarily fixed by the connecting device. For this reason, the alignment of the instrument bodies can be easily performed by the connecting device.

Further, when the screw of the connecting device is tightened, the tubular body made of the elastic body of the connecting device is spread and fixed to the engaging hole of the instrument body, so that the accurate positioning is achieved. Can be.

In the structure according to the second aspect, when connecting the instrument bodies having the dowels projecting downward to the back surface of the connecting body by the connecting device, the connecting device is connected to the back surface of the connecting body by the elastic body. Even if there is a gap between the upper end of the cylindrical body, the connecting device is prevented from entering the instrument body.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since a spacer shorter than the length of the tubular body is attached inside the tubular body and inserted into the screw, the screw is prevented from being tightened more than necessary.

[0047]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the tubular member and the screw made of the elastic body of the connecting device for connecting the instrument bodies are attached to the connecting device from the beginning. Therefore, during the connection operation for connecting the appliance bodies, the connection operation is performed by dropping or losing the tubular member or the screw, which is the connection member for fixing the connection body of the coupling device to the appliance body. The connection work can be efficiently performed without interruption.

Further, when the cylindrical bodies attached to both ends of the connecting device for connecting the appliance bodies are engaged with the engagement holes formed at the end of the appliance body, the connecting device is moved back and forth. When the position of the tubular body of the connecting device and the engagement hole of the instrument body match, the tubular body of the connecting device falls into the engaging hole of the instrument body, and the instrument bodies are easily temporarily fixed with the connecting device. . For this reason, the alignment of the instrument bodies can be easily performed by the connecting device.

Further, when the screw of the connecting device is tightened, the cylindrical body made of the elastic body of the connecting device is spread and fixed to the engaging hole of the instrument body, so that accurate positioning can be performed. Can be.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when connecting the tool bodies having the dowels projecting downward to the rear part of the connecting body by the connecting device, the connecting body of the connecting device is connected with the elastic body. Even if there is a gap between the upper end of the cylindrical body, the connecting device is prevented from entering the instrument body.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since a spacer shorter than the length of the tubular body is attached to the inside of the tubular body and inserted into the screw, it is possible to prevent the screw from being tightened more than necessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing a state in which instrument main bodies are connected by a connecting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional front view showing a state in which the components and the tubular body of the connecting device according to the embodiment are temporarily fixed to the connecting body with screws.

FIG. 3 is a top view showing a connected body of the connecting device according to the embodiment. (B) is the front view which made abcd a partial cross section.

FIG. 4A is a front view showing a cylindrical body of the connecting device according to the embodiment, and FIG. (B) is a top view.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a part of a cross section of the spacer of the coupling device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a front sectional view showing a state in which the connecting device according to the embodiment is inserted into an engagement hole of the instrument main body.

FIG. 7 is a front sectional view showing a state in which the connecting device according to the embodiment is temporarily fixed to an engaging hole of the instrument main body.

FIG. 8A is a front view showing a screw of the connecting device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 8A is a front view showing the screw according to the first embodiment. (B) is a front view showing a screw according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a front sectional view showing a state in which the instrument bodies are connected to each other by a connecting device having another screw.

FIG. 10 is a front sectional view showing a state in which the instrument bodies are connected to each other by the connecting device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a front sectional view showing a state in which the instrument bodies are connected to each other by the connecting device according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state in which the tool bodies are connected to each other by a connecting device according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which instrument bodies are connected to each other by a connection device according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a: instrument body, 2: top surface of instrument body end, 8: engagement hole of instrument body, 11: coupling device, 15: coupling body, 19: dowel of coupling body, 25: tubular body made of elastic material , 35 ... screw, 37 ... screw shaft part, 38 ... effective screw part, 40 ... spacer, 40a ... spacer.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A lighting device connecting device for connecting fixture bodies arranged linearly on a surface to be attached, wherein the connecting device has a cross section with an open lower surface along the outer shape of an end of the adjacent fixture body. A substantially U-shaped coupling body, and at both ends of the coupling body, screws each having a cylindrical body made of an elastic material inserted into a shaft portion having an effective screw portion and temporarily screwed from below, and At the end of the top surface of the adjacent appliance body, an engagement hole is provided for inserting a tubular body temporarily fixed to the connection device with a screw, and the temporarily fixed screw is tightened to form the cylindrical shape. A lighting device connecting device, wherein a body expands outwardly and deforms to fix the connected body to the device main body. 2. The lighting device connecting device according to claim 1, wherein a dowel projecting downward is formed on a back surface of the connecting member. 3. The lighting device connecting device according to claim 1, wherein a spacer shorter than the length of the tubular body is attached to the inside of the tubular body, and the screw is inserted.