Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02753624 2011-09-30
POLE MOUNTED ENCLOSURES FOR LUMINAIRES
FIELD
[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to pole mounted enclosures
for
electrical components that power light sources in luminaires.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Pole mounted luminaires are used in a variety of outdoor applications
to
illuminate parking lots, parks, sidewalks, etc. Such luminaires include one or
more
light sources (e.g., HID lamps, fluorescent lamps, light emitting diodes,
etc.) that
provide the desired illumination. Traditional pole mounted luminaires house
the
electronic components (ballast, driver, etc.) that supply power to such light
source(s)
either in the luminaire at the top of the pole or within the pole itself,
rendering it
difficult to access and service such components.
SUMMARY
[0003] Certain embodiments of the present invention provide enclosures for
housing
the electrical components of a luminaire at the base of a pole. In some
embodiments,
the enclosure is formed by two enclosure halves that are positioned around the
base of
the pole and mated together to form the enclosure.
[0004] The terms "invention," "the invention," "this invention" and "the
present
invention' used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the
subject matter of
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this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms
should not
be understood to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the
meaning or
scope of the patent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this
patent
are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-
level
overview of various aspects of the invention and introduces some of the
concepts that
are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary
is not
intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it
intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject
matter.
The subject matter should be understood by reference to the entire
specification of this
patent, all drawings and each claim.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0005] Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described in
detail
below with reference to the following drawing figures:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of an enclosure
positioned
on a luminaire pole.
[0007] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of an enclosure positioned
around a luminaire pole.
[0008] FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of an embodiment of an enclosure
half in
isolation with a power tray exploded from the enclosure half.
[0009] FIG. 3B is a rear perspective view of the enclosure half of FIG. 3A in
isolation
with the power tray exploded from the enclosure half.
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[0010] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an enclosure half with
a
power tray retained on the enclosure half.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of two enclosure halves mated together to
form
an enclosure according to an embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an enclosure half strapped to a pole.
[0013] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of enclosure halves with adapter halves
according
to an embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of adapters positioned around a pole and
an
enclosure halve positioned on the adapters according to an embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 9A is an exploded view of an adapter half and an enclosure half
according to an embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the adapter half of FIG. 9A seated in
the
enclosure half of FIG. 9A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described
here
with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not
necessarily
intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be
embodied
in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in
conjunction
with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be
interpreted as
implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or
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elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements
is
explicitly described.
[0018] Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an enclosure for
positioning around a luminaire pole, such as at the base of the pole, and in
which
electrical components of the luminaire (e.g., drivers, ballasts, batteries,
etc.) are stored.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an enclosure 10 positioned around a luminaire
pole 12
that supports a luminaire 14, which, in turn, houses at least one light source
(not
shown), such as but not limited to LEDs. Embodiments of the enclosure 10
described
herein may be used with poles 12 of any shape and are not restricted to use
with
circular poles. Moreover, the exterior shape of the enclosure 10 can vary from
what is
illustrated herein and can be designed and tailored to compliment the style or
aesthetics
of the luminaire.
[0019] The enclosure 10 preferably is formed of two enclosure halves 10a, 10b
that
are positioned on each side of the pole 12 and mated together to form the
enclosure 10
at the base of the pole 12. In some embodiments, the enclosure halves 10a, 10b
are
secured in a non-permanent fashion so that they can be removed from each
other. By
way only of example, the enclosure halves 10a, 10b may be secured together via
tamper
resistant screws 16 that are inserted into apertures 18 located in each
enclosure half 10a,
10b.
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[0020] The enclosure halves 10a, 10b may be formed from any material having
suitable strength and integrity, including metallic and polymeric materials.
In some
embodiments, the enclosure halves 10a, 10b are cast from aluminum.
[0021] In some embodiments, the enclosure halves 10a, 10b are identical but do
not
have to be. At least one interior wall 20 is provided on at least one
enclosure half 10a,
10b to define a compartment 22 sized and shaped to accommodate electrical
components 24 for powering the light source(s) in the luminaire 14. The number
of
interior walls 20 will depend on the desired shape of the compartment 22. In
some
embodiments, the electrical components 24 are simply positioned within the
compartment 22 and a door (not shown) is secured over the compartment 22 to
retain
the components 24 within the compartment 22. In other embodiments, the
electrical
components 24 are mounted on a power tray 26 which is positioned adjacent the
compartment 22 so that the electrical components 24 mounted thereon are
enclosed
within the compartment 22.
[0022] In some embodiments, the power tray 26 is mounted on the enclosure half
10a, 10b so that it can be removed to permit replacement of the power tray 26
(with
associated electrical components 24) or replacement or servicing of the
electrical
components 24 contained on the power tray 26. Any mechanical retention method
may
be used. In the illustrated embodiment, rotatable clips 28 (see FIGS. 3A and
4) are
positioned on the enclosure half 10a, 10b. The clips 28 can be rotated so that
they
engage the power tray 26 and thereby retain the power tray 26 in position to
enclose the
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compartment 22. The clips 28 can be further rotated so that they disengage
from the
power tray 26, thereby permitting its removal. A gasket 32 may be provided
around the
perimeter of the power tray 26 to seal the interface where the power tray 26
and interior
wall 20 come together and thereby render the compartment 22 watertight.
[0023] In some embodiments, the interior of both enclosure halves 10a, 10b are
provided with a compartment 22. A power tray 26 can be provided on one or both
enclosure halves 10a, 10b.
[0024] When the two enclosure halves 10a, 10b are coupled together (see FIG.
5), an
enclosure pole aperture 34 is formed through the enclosure 10. The pole 12 is
located in
the enclosure pole aperture 34 when the enclosure 10 is in situ on the pole
12.
[0025] In some embodiments, the enclosure pole aperture 34 is sized to fit the
diameter of the pole 12. In such situations, the enclosure halves 10a, 10b may
be
mounted directly on the pole 12. In some embodiments, the enclosure halves
10a, 10b
are mounted simply by aligning the enclosure halves 10a, 10b around the pole
12 and
securing them together. In other embodiments, one of the enclosure halves 10a,
10b is
mounted directly to the pole 12. By way only of example, straps 36 may be used
to
secure one of the enclosure halves 10a, 10b to the pole 12. While two straps
36 are
shown in FIG. 6, any number of straps 36 may be used. A strap 36 extends
around the
pole 12 and attaches to the enclosure half 10a, 10b, such as via screws 38
inserted into
aligned screw apertures located in both the strap 36 and the enclosure half
10a, 10b.
Note that it may not be desirable to mount an enclosure half 10a, 10b directly
to the pole
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12 (with straps 36 or otherwise) if the enclosure half 10a, 10b includes a
power tray 26,
as such mounting may render it more difficult to service the power tray 26.
However, it
is certainly contemplated herein to do so.
[0026] In some embodiments, an enclosure gasket segment 40a, 40b is positioned
in
each enclosure half 10a, 10b proximate the enclosure pole aperture 34.
Collectively, the
enclosure gasket segments 40a, 40b prevent water from entering the enclosure
10
through the pole enclosure 34 when the enclosure 10 is positioned on the pole
12.
Moreover, in some embodiments, a lip 42 (see FIG. 7) extends from one side of
each
enclosure half 10a, 10b. When the enclosure halves 10a, 10b are mated, the
lips 42 span
the seam where the two enclosure halves 10a, 10b mate to thereby prevent rain
from
entering the enclosure 10 through the seams.
[0027] In some embodiments, the enclosure pole aperture 34 of the enclosure 10
is
larger than the diameter of the pole 12 on which the enclosure 10 is to be
positioned. In
such cases, an adapter 44 may be used to narrow the size of the enclosure pole
aperture
34 of the enclosure 10 and thereby accommodate poles of different diameters.
More
specifically, the adapter 44 has an adapter pole aperture 30 having a diameter
smaller
than that of the enclosure pole aperture 34 such that the adapter 44 narrows
the size of
the enclosure pole aperture 34 when seated in the enclosure pole aperture 34.
[0028] In some embodiments, the adapter 44 is formed of two adapter halves
44a,
44b that mate to form the adapter 44 that extends around the pole (see FIGS. 7-
9). The
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illustrated embodiments show use of two adapters 44 with the enclosure 10.
However,
any number of adapters 44 (including a single adapter) may be used.
[0029] The adapter halves 44a, 44b may be formed from any material having
suitable
strength and integrity, including metallic and polymeric materials. In some
embodiments, the adapter halves 44a, 44b are cast from aluminum.
[0030] In some embodiments, the adapter halves 44a, 44b are identical but do
not
have to be. Each adapter half 44a, 44b has an inner surface 46 and an outer
surface 48.
The inner surface 46 can be shaped to conform to the pole 12. The inner
surface 46 may
(but does not have to) also include a recess for receiving an adapter gasket
segment 52
(see FIGS. 9A and 9B), which, when the adapter halves 44a, 44b are secured
around the
pole 12, prevent water from entering the enclosure 10 between the adapter 44
and the
pole 12.
[0031] The outer surface 48 can be any shape. In some embodiments, the
interior of
the enclosure half 10a, 10b is shaped to complement the outer surface 48 of an
adapter
half 44a, 44b. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to secure the adapter
half 44a,
44b directly to the enclosure half 10a, 10b, such as with screws (not shown).
Although,
if the enclosure half 10a, 10b includes a power tray 26, securing the
enclosure half 10a,
10b to the adapter half 44a, 44b can render it more difficult to remove the
enclosure half
10a, 10b and service the power tray 26 mounted thereon.
[0032] Different adapters 44 may be provided to accommodate poles 12 of
different
diameters. In use, the adapter(s) 44 may first be mounted on the pole 12. The
adapter
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halves 44a, 44b of each adapter 44 may be aligned about the pole 12 and
secured
together using any suitable mechanical retention method. In some embodiments,
the
adapter halves 44a, 44b are clamped around the pole 12 to create a compression
fit on
the pole 12. By way only of example, each adapter half 44a, 44b may include
adapter
apertures 58. The adapter halves 44a, 44b of an adapter 44 are positioned on
the pole 12
so that their adapter apertures 58 align. The adapter apertures 58 of one
adapter half
44a, 44b may be fitted with nuts (not shown) that receive screws (not shown)
inserted
through the adapter apertures 58 of the other adapter half 44a, 44b. However,
other
methods for securing the adapter halves 44a, 44b to each other around the pole
12
would certainly be readily known and contemplated by one of ordinary skill in
the art.
[0033] After the adapter(s) 44 is positioned on the pole 12, the enclosure
halves 10a,
10b are positioned around the pole 12 and secured together, as discussed
above. Each
enclosure half 10a, 10b receives an adapter half 44a, 44b of at least one
adapter 44 (and
perhaps more if more than one adapter 44 is used, as shown in FIG. 8). When so
positioned, the enclosure gasket segments 40a, 40b are positioned between the
adapter
halves 44a, 44b and the enclosure halves 10a, 10b. Thus, the adapter gasket
segments 52
prevent water from entering the enclosure 10 between the adapter 44 and the
pole 12
and the enclosure gasket segments 40a, 40b prevent water from entering the
enclosure
between the enclosure halves 10a, 10b and the adapter 44a, 44b halves.
[0034] The power tray(s) 26 is fed power by leads coming up from the pole 12
through the hand hole in the pole 12. The power leads are coupled to the power
tray 26
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(such as via a "power-in" connector 60) to supply power to the electrical
components 24
mounted on the power tray 26. Power exits the power tray via a "power-out"
connector
62. An extender harness (not shown) is coupled to the connector 62 and extends
into
the hand hole and up to the luminaire 14 on top of the pole 12 to thereby
power the
light sources in the luminaire 14.
[0035] Use of embodiments of the above-described enclosure 10 permit easy
access
to power trays 26 for servicing and/or replacement. To access a power tray 26,
the
enclosure halves 10a, 10b are simply de-coupled and the power tray 26 removed
from
the enclosure half 10a, 10b. Moreover, inclusion of the electrical components
24 within
the enclosure 10 allows for luminaires having thinner profiles or smaller
heads. The
enclosure 10 disclosed herein may be provided on new poles 12 or retro-fitted
on
existing poles 12.
[0036] The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and
describing embodiments of the present invention. Further modifications and
adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art
and may
be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Different
arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as
well
as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some
features
and subcombinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other
features and subcombinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described
for
illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will
become
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apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not
limited to
the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various
embodiments and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of
the
claims below.
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