EP4585852A1

EP4585852A1 - A support member

Info

Publication number: EP4585852A1
Application number: EP25151266.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Torben Dahl
Original assignee: Daxtor AS
Current assignee: Daxtor AS
Priority date: 2024-01-11
Filing date: 2025-01-10
Publication date: 2025-07-16

Abstract

The invention relates to a fixture for fixation of a downlight in an hole in a ceiling or a wall. The fixture comprises an annular flange, having a centre axis, an inner side and an outer side, said annular flange being for abutment around the hole so that the annular flange lies substantially coaxially with the hole while the flange encloses the hole, which flange comprises means for attaching e.g. a ceiling lamp in the form of a spot. The fixture also comprises, a support member having a centre axis, an inner side and an outer side, said support member being for abutment on the other side of the hole, said support member having fastening means being mutually adapted for complementary fastening means on the annular flange. The support member is configured to form at least two configurations, the first configuration being as an annular member having a flat bottom that defines a - essentially - circular unbroken surface with a first outer circumference. The first configuration being for abutment around the hole such that the annular member is substantially coaxial with the hole. The second configuration being as an element defining a second outer circumference smaller than the first outer circumference, the first and second configurations being adapted such that the support member can be passed through a hole when it forms the second configuration and at least partially encircles the same hole when it forms the first configuration as an annular element.

Description

Technical field of the invention

This invention relates to a support member for use in a fixture for fixation of e.g., a downlight in a hole in a ceiling or a wall, which fixture comprises an annular flange, having a center axis, an inner side and an outer side, said annular flange being for abutment on one side of the ceiling or wall around the hole so that the annular flange lies substantially coaxially with the hole while the annular flange encircles the hole; the support member has a centre axis, an inner side and an outer side, said support member being for abutment on the other side of the ceiling or wall around the hole; the support member is manipulatable between a first and a second configuration, the first configuration being as an annular member having a flat bottom that defines an essentially circular unbroken surface, the first configuration being for abutment on one side of the ceiling or wall around the hole so that the support member lies substantially coaxially with the hole while the support member encircles the hole, the first and second configurations being adapted such that the support member can be passed through an hole when it forms the second configuration and encircles the same hole when it forms the first configuration as an annular member.
There are various types of fixtures available, and fixtures can be used to attach many types of items, including lamps, spotlights and downlights. Downlights are very popular for multiple reasons including aesthetics, options available for lighting arrangements, as well as amount of light output.
The downlights fixtures heretofore known suffer from several disadvantages which include being difficult to use, being difficult to install, being unduly complex, being limited in application and being difficult to remove.
Downlights fixtures are usually designed with a circular support member (but it may well be, for example, square) which is inserted into a hole in a ceiling designed for that purpose. The support member is designed for this with a flange facing the ceiling when the support member is inserted into the hole. The support member is attached to the ceiling structure by means of the flange, which engages firmly with the one side of the ceiling/ceiling structure, and a "unfoldable tab" that engages with the other side. Usually, there are two tabs on a support member.
When lamps, such as spotlights, are to be installed in the ceilings of buildings, this is done by drilling a hole/opening in the ceiling and then attaching the lamp in the hole. In modern buildings, the upper side of the ceilings are covered and protected by an airtight membrane and this membrane is pierced when drilling holes.
In the known systems, these membranes are not fixed/patched at the holes and thus leaks are often created when lamps/spots are installed. This has a negative influence on the indoor climate, as the leaks often lead to moisture problems and unintentional heat transport.

Background of the invention

It is the object of the invention to remedy one or more problems and / or to create an alternative solution.

Summary of the invention

This is achieved in that, the support member comprises two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material, each defining a plane and each comprising end pieces that have complementary coupling parts being adopted to enable the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material to be joined and thereby form the support members first configuration as an - essentially - unbroken circle that can encircle a hole/opening, said coupling parts also being adapted to enable the second configuration as also being adapted to function as two hinges about which the two semicircular identical rigid pieces may rotate such that the two planes defined by the same performs the same rotation.
The barriers on the top of ceilings are usually made as a plastic/rubber membrane. By making the support member with a flat bottom extending all the way around the hole, this bottom can thus be laid on top of the membrane whereby the membrane is pressed down against the upper side of the ceiling when the annular flange and the support member are clamped against each other.
By making a support member which includes two rigid parts that are movably connected by two hinges it is achieved that the two rigid parts may be manipulated to its second configuration that enables them to go through an opening and thereafter unfold it back" into its first configuration. This entails that the support member does not necessarily have to be manipulated in a complicated way to its first configuration once the fixture has been passed through an opening. This increases the security of correct placement of the fixture, and it is also labor-saving as it reduces the complexity of the work to be done when a fixture is to be fixed in an opening.
In an embodiment, the two pieces of rigid material is mutually adapted to the at least one piece of resilient material in that the support members two pieces of rigid material is made with a recess, in which the at least one piece of resilient material can lie such that the at least one piece of resilient material forms an essentially unbroken resilient contact surface when the support member - with said at least one piece of resilient material inserted in the recess - is placed on a planar surface with the inserted resilient material placed against the planar surface. By adapting the rigid parts of the support member with a recess in which the resilient material can be placed, it is achieved that the resilient material is retained better in its intended position in the fixture when this is manipulated. This entails a fluid tight connection and thus a better seal is also achieved between the fixture and a membrane when the fixture is mounted around an opening in a ceiling provided with a membrane.
In an embodiment of the invention, the depth of the recess is mutually adapted to the resilient element so that the resilient element can be deformed up into the recess when the support member is pressed against a planar surface with the resilient material placed against the planar surface, whereby the majority of the pressure forces that are between the support member and the planar surface is taken up by the rigid material of the support member via the edges of the recess. By making a recess and the resilient material so that the resilient material can be pressed into the recess, it is achieved that the pressure forces - which arise between the support member and the opening - when the support member is used to fasten, for example, a downlight in an opening, are taken up between the opening's hard parts and the rigid parts of the support member, rather than between the hard parts of the opening and the resilient part of the support member. This entails a strong and fluid tight connection between the support member and a membrane surrounding a hole in a planar ceiling.
By making the support member with a resilient member, a very tight connection is obtained as the elastically deformable support member can also absorb small irregularities that may occur on the upper side of a ceiling. Thereby an increased chance of air tightness of the membrane seal at the hole is obtained even when the ceiling is irregular.
Other embodiments are recited in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1 shows in perspective an embodiment of a support member installed around a hole in a ceiling.
Figure 2 shows in perspective an embodiment of a support member having two rigid parts, each provided with a recess.
Figure 3 shows in perspective an embodiment of a support member having two connected rigid parts.
Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a hinge mechanism.
Figure 5 shows an embodiment of a support member provided with a locking hinge.
Figure 6 shows the same support member as shown in figure 5, however in its first configuration.

Detailed description of the invention

It should be noted that embodiments and features described in the context of one of the aspects of the present invention also apply to the other aspects of the invention.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail in the following with references to the figures.
In figure 1 is shown a support member 1 for fixation of a downlight in a hole in a ceiling or a wall. This figure shows the ceiling from its upper side.
The support member 1 surrounds a hole/opening 30. Support members are used for fixation of e.g. spots in a ceiling and usually ceiling is covered with a fluid-tight membrane. However, the plate/surface 100 which the opening 30 penetrates is not covered with such a membrane. On the underside of the hole 30 (cannot be seen in the figures) there may be an annular flange situated. The annular flange and the support member are connectable with the support member, so that they form a well -anchored fixture that a spot can be attached to/in. Normally, a support member and an annular flange are connected by using screws as explained in European Patent Application with publication number EP4075056 A1 .
The fixture according to the invention comprises: an annular flange, having a center axis, an inner side and an outer side, said annular flange being for abutment on one side of the ceiling or wall around the hole so that the annular flange lies substantially coaxially with the hole while the annular flange encircles the hole. Such annular flanges are well known to the person skilled in the art and it is also well known to the person skilled in the art that such annular flanges and support members are made for abutments on each side of a hole in a ceiling or a wall such that the support member and the annular flanges can be assembled in a releasable manner, see e.g. EP4075056 A1 . Accordingly, annular flanges and their connection with a support member will not be described in further details in this application.
The support member has an inner side and an outer side and the support member is manipulatable between a first and a second configuration, the first configuration being as an annular member having a flat bottom (the inner side) that defines an essentially circular unbroken surface, the first configuration being for abutment on one side of the ceiling or wall around the hole so that the support member lies substantially coaxially with the hole while the support member encircles the hole, the support member is adapted such that the support member can be passed through an hole when it forms the second configuration and encircles the same hole when it forms the first configuration as an annular member. The support member 1 is shown in figure 1 with its outer/upper side facing upwards and the inner/under side facing the surface 100. The support member shown in the figure comprise two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material 12, 11, each defining a plane and each semi-circular pieces comprise end pieces that have complementary coupling parts 5, 5', which enable two identical rigid pieces to be joined and thereby form an - essentially - unbroken circle that can encircle a hole/opening. The coupling parts shown comprise a projecting insertion flange 5 and a thereto complementary slot 5'. The insertion flange 5 and the slot 5' are preferably adapted to function as a hinge such that they allow mutual bending/angulation between the two planes defined by each of the rigid pieces.
The support member 1 is thus configured to form at least two configurations. The first configuration - as shown in figure 1 - is as an annular member having a flat bottom that defines a circular essentially unbroken surface with a first outer circumference. The first configuration being for abutment around the hole such that the annular member is substantially coaxial with the hole.
The coupling assembly shown in Figure 1 is one of many examples of how a coupling assembly that allows mutual bending between the two rigid parts can be achieved. When the two rigid parts are mutually angled/bent, the circumference they expand becomes smaller, whereby the support member goes from the first configuration towards its second configuration where it has a second outer circumference being smaller than the circumference in its first configuration. The support member is thus by the coupling parts and its rigid members being adapted such that the support member may be passed through a hole when it forms the second configuration and at least partially encircles the same hole when it forms the - "bigger" - first configuration as an annular member.
In figure 2 is shown the same two pieces of semicircular rigid pieces as shown in figure 1, however, now seen from their underside. As can be seen here, the underside of the two similar rigid pieces is provided with a recess 6. This recess is mutually prepared for a soft (resilient) part 4 (as seen in Figure 3). The resilient part and the recess are preferably mutually adapted such that the resilient part can be pressed into (absorbed in) the recess. As explained above, the support member is usually mounted against a gasket/membrane on the top of a ceiling and the support member is normally pressed/tightened against the ceiling. Thereby the resilient part may be pressed into the recess, whereby the hard parts (the edges of the recess) absorb the majority of the pressure forces between the support member and the ceiling/membrane. This entails both a solid fastening and a fluid tight connection between the support member and the ceiling/membrane.
Figure 2 shows a marking: A around the coupling parts. Figures 4, 5, 6 show how such coupling parts can be made with a locking mechanism.
In the embodiment shown in figure 3, the two circular pieces are held together by the elastic/resilient part 4 such that the support member will be in its second configuration when the two circular pieces are not affected by external forces. Thereby the support member can be folded so that in its folded state (second configuration) it may pass through an opening, after which it will of itself assume its first configuration, where it may encircle the same opening.
Although the support member 1 is shown with the flexible part mounted in the recess, the actual mounting of the support member in a ceiling or other building parts can take place by performing the following steps/actions, which do not necessarily have to be in the order described below:

1) the two rigid parts are first brought through a suitable opening/hole in the ceiling, and this is done by bringing them through the opening while they are coupled together and bent around their pivotable couplings/joints;
2) the two rigid parts are placed together on the upper side of the opening/hole, so that they surround this and with its underside resting against the flat surface that surrounds the opening/hole (the upper side of the ceiling);
3) the underside of the support member (the side with the recess) is pressed in a sealing engagement against the upper side of the ceiling.

The coupling parts 5.5' of the rigid parts may be provided with magnetic means that pull the protruding flange 5 (shown in figure 2) towards its complementary designed slot. 5' (best shown in figure 1).
In figure 4 is shown an embodiment wherein, the two sets of complementary coupling parts 5, 5'on two rigid members are kept in mutual hinge-engagement by use of a hinge, and the complementary coupling parts comprise stop means. This embodiment of the support member may be provided with a resilient part. However, this is optional. In the embodiment shown in figure 4, the hinge 10 is arranged such that the projecting flange 5 and slot 5' function as stopping means, as the projecting flange 5 hits the bottom 11 of the slot 5' when the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material are turned in the hinge 10, so that they form a circle. This arrangement ensures a tight joint against the upper side of a ceiling, as the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material cannot be "overturned" in relation to each other.
Figure 5 shows an embodiment of a hinge mechanism 10 between the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material, each having two complementary end parts, one end part includes a projecting part 24 while the other end part includes a notch 23 complementary to this.
These parts 24, 23 function as a locking mechanism and in figure 6, at the top of the figure, it is shown how these parts lock against further rotation when the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material 11, 12 are turned (R) in the hinge 10, so that the support member form a circle. As is best seen in figure 5, the embodiment shown in figures 5 and 6 can be provided with a recess 6 on its underside 20 and this may be provided with a flexible element.
In all the figures, a notch 3 is visible. This notch 3 serves as an attachment point for, for example, a piece of tape. As shown best in figure 1, this can facilitate the assembly of the support member, as the tape 3' can be mounted in the notch 3 and passed through the hole and attached to the sides of this. This is particularly advantageous when the support member is to be mounted on the upper side of a ceiling, because this usually takes place from below, which in the situation shown means from the side we cannot see in figure 1. Here, tape 3'and notches 3 ensure that the support member does not accidentally moves under installation but held in place by the tape 3'attached to the sides of the opening 30.

Claims

A support member for use in a fixture for fixation of e.g., a downlight in a hole in a ceiling or a wall, which fixture comprises an annular flange, having a center axis, an inner side and an outer side, said annular flange being for abutment on one side of the ceiling or wall around the hole so that the annular flange lies substantially coaxially with the hole while the annular flange encircles the hole; the support member has a centre axis, an inner side and an outer side, said support member being for abutment on the other side of the ceiling or wall around the hole; the support member is manipulatable between a first and a second configuration, the first configuration being as an annular member having a flat bottom that defines an essentially circular unbroken surface, the first configuration being for abutment on one side of the ceiling or wall around the hole so that the support member lies substantially coaxially with the hole while the support member encircles the hole, the first and second configurations being adapted such that the support member can be passed through an hole when it forms the second configuration and encircles the same hole when it forms the first configuration as an annular member, characterized in that, the support member comprises two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material, each defining a plane and each comprising end pieces that have complementary coupling parts being adopted to enable the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material to be joined and thereby form the support members first configuration as an - essentially - unbroken circle that can encircle a hole/opening, said coupling parts also being adapted to enable the second configuration as also being adapted to function as two hinges about which the two semicircular identical rigid pieces may rotate such that the two planes defined by the same performs the same rotation.
A support member according to claim 1, wherein the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material is mutually adapted to at least one piece of resilient material in that the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material is made with a recess, in which the at least one piece of resilient material can lie such that the at least one piece of resilient material forms a resilient base when the support member - with said at least one piece of resilient material inserted in the recess - is placed on a planar surface with the inserted resilient material placed against the planar surface.
A support member according to claim 2, wherein, the resilient material forms an essentially fluid tight connection between the support member and the planar surface when the support member placed on a fluid tight planar surface with the inserted resilient material placed against the planar surface.
A support member according to any of the claims 1-3, wherein, the coupling parts are adapted such that they form hinges containing blocking means that only allows a rotation between 1 and 180 degrees between the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material, preferably between 10 and 180 degrees, more preferably between 30 and 180 degrees or between 60 and 180, and even more preferably between 90 and 180 degrees.
A support member according to any of the claims 2-4, wherein that the depth of the recess is mutually adapted to the resilient element so that the resilient element can be deformed up into the recess when the support member is pressed against a planar surface with the resilient material placed against the planar surface, whereby the majority of the pressure forces that are between the support member and the planar surface is taken up by the rigid material of the support member via the edges of the recess.
A support member according to any of the claims 1-5, wherein the coupling parts in the end pieces of the two identical semicircular pieces of rigid material comprise a protruding flange in one end and a thereto adapted complementary coupling part in the other end.
A support member according to any of the claims 1-6, wherein the coupling parts include magnetic means which are placed in its end parts so that two identical support members when placed to form a circle are held in this position by the magnetic means.