DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a lighting apparatus and more particularly, to lighting apparatuses having a detachable driver unit.

BACKGROUND

Lighting apparatuses such as battens usually include a light source and a driver connected with the light source. The driver is adapted to control the operation of the light source. Both the light source and the driver usually form a single integrated unit in the existing lighting apparatuses. Out of these two components, the drivers are usually more prone to damage, for example, owing to fluctuations in voltage. Further, in case of damage to any of the light source or the driver, the entire integrated unit having the light source and the driver is to be replaced by a user. Therefore, the user does not have the option to replace only the damaged component and end up replacing the entire unit only. Moreover, it is inconvenient for the user to replace either of the component on his/her own, for example, due to complexities associated with constituent wiring connections. Therefore, it would need a skilled labor personnel to repair the lighting apparatus. As a result, an overall operational cost of the existing lighting apparatuses is also high.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a lighting apparatus is disclosed. The lighting apparatus includes a housing having a slot at a bottom surface, a light source disposed on the housing, and a driver unit detachably disposed in the slot of the housing and adapted to control the operation of the light source. The driver unit includes a cover forming a top portion, and a lid forming a bottom portion and adapted to be snap-fitted in the slot of the housing, securing the driver unit within the housing.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a lighting apparatus is disclosed. The lighting apparatus includes a housing, a light source disposed on the housing, and a driver unit disposed in the housing and adapted to control the operation of the light source. The housing includes a slot at a bottom surface to receive the driver unit, and a lid to secure the driver unit within the housing in a detachable manner.

To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of a lighting apparatus having a detachable driver unit, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the lighting apparatus depicted without wiring connections, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 3 illustrates various views of a housing of the lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4A illustrates a front view of a diffuser of the lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4B illustrates various views of an end cap of the lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4C illustrates another front view of the diffuser depicting positioning of a Light Emitting Diode (LED) Printed Circuit Board (PCB) therein, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 5A illustrates various views of a cover of a driver unit of the lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 5B illustrates various views of a lid of the driver unit of the lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 6 illustrates an exploded view of a lighting apparatus having a detachable driver unit, according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

For example, the term “some” as used herein may be understood as “none” or “one” or “more than one” or “all.” Therefore, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would fall under the definition of “some.” It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and therefore, should not be construed to limit, restrict, or reduce the spirit and scope of the present disclosure in any way.

For example, any terms used herein such as, “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and similar grammatical variants do not specify an exact limitation or restriction, and certainly do not exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated. Further, such terms must not be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated, for example, by using the limiting language including, but not limited to, “must comprise” or “needs to include.”

Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more...” or “one or more element is required.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person ordinarily skilled in the art.

Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of explaining one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

Use of the phrases and/or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure.

For the sake of clarity, the first digit of a reference numeral of each component of the present disclosure is indicative of the Figure number, in which the corresponding component is shown. For example, reference numerals starting with digit “1” are shown at least in Figure 1. Similarly, reference numerals starting with digit “2” are shown at least in Figure 2.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of a lighting apparatus 100 having a detachable driver unit 102, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the lighting apparatus 100 depicted without wiring connections, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the lighting apparatus 100 may include, but is not limited to, a housing 104, a light source disposed on the housing 104, the driver unit 102 detachably disposed in the housing 104, and a diffuser 106 adapted to be disposed on the housing 104. The driver unit 102 may be adapted to control the operation of the light source. In an embodiment, the driver unit 102 may be adapted to convert AC voltage to DC voltage. Further, the diffuser 106 may be adapted to diffuse the light emitted by the light source into the surroundings.

The housing 104 may include, but is not limited to, a slot 108 at a bottom surface 126. The driver unit 102 may be disposed in the slot 108 of the housing 104. The driver unit 102 may include, but is not limited to, a cover 110 and a lid 112. The cover 110 and the lid 112 may form a top portion and a bottom portion of the driver unit 102, respectively. In an embodiment, the driver unit 102 may include a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 114 disposed between the cover 110 and the lid 112. The lid 112 may be adapted to be snap-fitted in the slot 108 of the housing 104, thereby securing the driver unit 102 within the housing 104. Therefore, the driver unit 102 may be detachable from the housing 104 by removing the lid 112.

In an embodiment, the driver unit 102 may include an input connector 116 and an output connector 118 adapted to receive respective connecting wires. The input connector 116 and the output connector 118 may be disposed on the PCB 114. In an embodiment, the input connector 116 and the output connector 118 are positioned opposite to each other. The input connector 116 may be adapted to receive an external wire 120, for example, for the mains supply. Further, the output connector 118 may be adapted to receive an internal wire 122 connecting the load of the light source, for example, of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), with the driver unit 102. In an embodiment, the light source may be disposed on a PCB, referred to as an LED PCB (shown in Figure 4C).

In an embodiment, the lighting apparatus 100 may also include a first end cap 124-1 and a second end cap 124-2 positioned opposite to the first end cap 124-1. The first end cap 124-1 and the second end cap 124-2 are adapted to close the assembly of the housing 104 and the diffuser 106 from opposite ends.

Figure 3 illustrates various views of the housing 104, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Particularly, Figure 3 illustrates a front view 302, a side view 304, and a top view 306 of the housing 104, respectively. As illustrated in the front view 302, the housing 104 may include a pair of edges 308, individually referred to as 308-1 and 308-2. The edges 308 may be adapted to receive the diffuser 106 to be disposed on the housing 104. Further, the housing 104 may include a hole 314 for guiding the wires.

Figure 4A illustrates a front view of the diffuser 106, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4B illustrates various views of the end cap 124, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Particularly, Figure 4B illustrates a front view 402 and a side view 404 of the end cap 124, respectively. Figure 4C illustrates another front view 406 of the diffuser 106 depicting positioning of the LED PCB 408 therein, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The LED PCB 408 may include one or more LEDs 410 as the light source. The LEDs 410 may be disposed on the LED PCB 408 as an array. The diffuser 106 may include a channel 412 adapted to receive the LED PCB 408. The light emitting from the LED PCB 408 may be incident on surfaces 414 of the diffuser 106, which will diffuse light into the surroundings for smooth glare-free light output. Further, the diffuser 106 may include a surface 416 adapted to receive the end cap 124. In an embodiment, the diffuser 106 may be disposed on the housing 104 through a channel 418.

Referring to Figure 4B, an edge 420 of the end cap 124 may contact the diffuser 106. Further, an edge 426 may be adapted to be in contact with the housing 104 upon assembly. The end cap 124 may include a plurality of first protrusions 422 adapted to provide a locking effect with the diffuser 106. The end cap 124 may also include a plurality of second protrusions 424 adapted to restrict the movement of the LED PCB 408 in the channel 412 of the diffuser 106.

Figure 5A illustrates various views of the cover 110 of the driver unit 102, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Particularly, Figure 5A illustrates a side view 502 and a top view 504 of the cover 110.

Figure 5B illustrates various views of the lid 112 of the driver unit 102, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Particularly, Figure 5B illustrates a side view 506 and a top view 508 of the lid 112. The lid 112 may include, but is not limited to, a pair of locking pins 510 and a latch portion 512 formed on an edge opposite to the edge of the positioning of the pair of locking pins 510. Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 5B, the pair of locking pins 510 and the latch portion 512 may be adapted to engage with a pair of first slots 310 and a second slot 312, respectively, of the housing 104 for accommodating the driver unit 102 in the housing 104. In an embodiment, the cover 110 and the lid 112 may be adapted to be snap-fitted to form the assembly. Owing to the detachable engagement, the driver unit 102 can be easily replaced.

Therefore, in case of any damage to the driver unit 102, the driver unit 102 along with the lid 112 can be conveniently replaced by the user, for example, by simply pulling the latch portion 512. In an embodiment, the user may press the latch portion 512 in a direction of the locking pins 510 for unhooking the driver unit 102 from the lighting apparatus 100. Due to such easy and simple-to-use latch structure, the user can conveniently replace the driver unit 102. In fact, the user may not even require any tool, such as a screwdriver for this operation. Further, the risk of electric shock to the user may also be reduced due to simple operation for the replacement. Particularly, the driver unit 102 may be adapted to be replaced by being re-inserted in the housing 104 through the slot 108. Further, the lid 112 of the driver unit 102 closes the slot 108 to secure the driver unit 102 in the housing 104.

Figure 6 illustrates an exploded view of a lighting apparatus 600 having a detachable driver unit (not shown), according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the constructional and operational characteristics of the housing 104, the light source, the diffuser 106, the first end cap 124-1, and the second end cap 124-2 may remain the same as the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the driver unit 102 may be a single piece component and therefore may not have the lid 112 as its constituent component.

Instead, the lid 112 may form a part of the housing 104. The lid 112 may be adapted to secure the driver unit 102 within the housing 104 through the slot 108 in a detachable manner. In the present embodiment, the driver unit 102 may be attached to the lid 112 when disposed within the housing 104. Further, the housing 104 may include a pair of stoppers 602, individually referred to as 602-1 and 602-2, for limiting the movement of the driver unit 102 within the housing 104. The stoppers 602 may be formed on edges of the slot 108, thereby restricting the movement of the driver unit 102. As a result, the driver unit 102 would remain on the lid 112. Further, the operational characteristics of the driver unit 102 may remain the same as that of the first embodiment.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in case of any damage to the driver unit 102, the driver unit 102 can be conveniently replaced by the user by opening the lid 112 of the housing 104. Particularly, the driver unit 102 may be adapted to be replaced by being re-inserted in the housing 104 through the slot 108. Further, the lid 112 of the housing 104 closes the slot 108 to secure the driver unit 102 between the pair of stoppers 602.

As would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, the present disclosure is explained for detachability of the driver unit 102 with respect to the lighting apparatuses 100, 600. However, in other embodiments, the aspect of the detachability of the driver unit 102 is equally applicable for any other similar apparatus, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the application of the present invention is not limited to the lighting apparatuses 100, 600 and can be achieved in any other device having a driver unit.

As would be gathered, the lighting apparatus 100, 600 of the present disclosure offers a convenient replacement of the driver unit 102. Owing to the provision of the lid 112 in the driver unit 102 of the first embodiment and the housing 104 of the second embodiment, the driver unit 102 can be easily replaced by the user. Owing to the snap-fitted construction, the user will have to simply remove the lid 112 to replace the driver unit 102.

Moreover, the user will not have to remove the input connector 116 and the output connector 118. Each of the connectors 116, 118 may include a plug adapted to operate on a spring-based action. When the plug is pressed, a hole inside the respective connector 116, 118 is opened for receiving a wire for establishing metal contact. In an embodiment, each connector 116, 118 may include 2 such plugs that are electrically isolated from each other. Therefore, the user will not even need to handle any wiring connections while replacing the driver unit 102.

In addition, skilled labor is not required to perform the replacement and associated cost is thereby eliminated. This would lead to significant reduction in an operational cost of the lighting apparatus 100, 600. Moreover, this would lead to less wastage as the light source does not have to be replaced now, any time the driver unit 102 is damaged. Therefore, the lighting apparatus 100, 600 is cost-effective, operation-effective, and easy to use.

While specific language has been used to describe the present subject matter, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment.
,CLAIMS:1. A lighting apparatus (100) comprising:
a housing (104) comprising a slot (108) at a bottom surface (126);
a light source disposed on the housing (104); and
a driver unit (102) detachably disposed in the slot (108) of the housing (104) and adapted to control the operation of the light source, the driver unit (102) comprising:
a cover (110) forming a top portion; and
a lid (112) forming a bottom portion and adapted to be snap-fitted in the slot (108) of the housing (104), securing the driver unit (102) within the housing (104).

2. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver unit (102) is detachable from the housing (104) by removing the lid (112).

3. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver unit (102) comprising an input connector (116) and an output connector (118) adapted to receive respective connecting wires.

4. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a diffuser (106) adapted to be disposed on the housing (104) to diffuse the light emitted by the light source into the surroundings.

5. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 4, comprising:
a first end cap (124-1); and
a second end cap (124-2) positioned opposite to the first end cap (124-1),
wherein the first end cap (124-1) and the second end cap (124-2) are adapted to close the assembly of the housing (104) and the diffuser (106) from opposite ends.

6. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver unit (102) is adapted to be replaced by being re-inserted in the housing (104) through the slot (108) such that the lid (112) of the driver unit (102) closes the slot (108) to secure the driver unit (102) in the housing (104).
7. A lighting apparatus (600) comprising:
a housing (104);
a light source disposed on the housing (104); and
a driver unit (102) disposed in the housing (104) and adapted to control the operation of the light source,
wherein the housing (104) comprising:
a slot (108) at a bottom surface (126) to receive the driver unit (102); and
a lid (112) to secure the driver unit (102) within the housing (104) in a detachable manner.

8. The lighting apparatus (600) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the housing (104) comprising a pair of stoppers (602) formed at edges of the slot (108) to limit the movement of the driver unit (102) in the housing (104).

9. The lighting apparatus (600) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lid (112) is snap fitted with the housing (104) to close the slot (108).

10. The lighting apparatus (600) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the driver unit (102) is attached to the lid (112) when disposed within the housing (104).