Lighting system

Claim 2

A lighting system including a plurality of modular components comprising a plurality of elongate strips of different finite lengths, each strip including having an elongate lighting circuit extending along the strip, which lighting circuit provides at least one pair of voltage supply lines extending along the length of the strip and a plurality of separate electrical connecting lines for connecting at least one illuminating device in parallel between said at least one pair of voltage supply lines, each of said connecting lines of at least one of said strips being adapted to connect at least one predetermined resistor in series with said at least one illuminating device thereof so that the total electrical resistance of said at least one illuminating device and said at least one resistor of the corresponding electrical connecting line associated with each of the strips is substantially the same to provide a set of corresponding voltage compatible electrical connecting lines provided on the plurality of elongate strips; connector means for engaging juxtaposed ends of said strips to connect the strips end to end, said connector means comprising at least one connector element for location between a pair of adjacent strips and having means for resiliently gripping each of said juxtaposed ends of the strips and means for making an electrical connection between adjacent ends of said respective electrical lighting circuits associated with the strips; and a voltage supply connector means for connecting to one end of one of said strips to provide an electrical connection between the voltage supply lines associated with that particular strip and at least one voltage supply.

Claim 3

A lighting system according to claim 11, wherein each strip is in the form of a printed circuit board.

Claim 4

A lighting system according to claim 2, wherein each printed circuit board is sealed within a respective outer tubular housing with electrical connecting terminals for said elongate lighting circuits being accessible at each end of said housing for engagement by said connector means and said voltage supply connector means.

Claim 5

A lighting system according to claim 1 including flexible connecting means for electrically connecting a pair of strips which can be set at different angular positions with respect to one another, said flexible connecting means comprising connector portions each adapted to be resiliently gripped by a respective one of a pair of said connector members which are to be resiliently engaged with adjacent ends of said pair of strips, respectively; flexible means connecting said connector portions; and electrical connecting means for making an electrical connection between the electrical connection means of said pair of connector members.

Claim 6

A lighting system according to claim further including a pair of ring circuit voltage supply lines for extending along the length of a set of said strips, when connected end to end, to connect ends of the respective voltage supply lines of said series of strips, remote from said voltage supply connector means, directly to said voltage supply.

Claim 7

A lighting system according to claim 5, wherein said ring circuit voltage supply lines are provided directly on each of said strips; said connector means being adapted to connect electrically the ring circuit voltage supply lines on said adjacent strips, and including a further connector element for location at said remote end of said series of strips and adapted to connect electrically the ring circuit voltage supply lines to the respective voltage supply lines at said remote end.

Claim 8

A lighting system according to claim 1 further including at least one control electric line for extending along the length of a set of said strips, when connected end to end, and switching means provided in said elongate lighting circuits associated with the strips or associated with ancillary equipment, said control line being capable of transmitting control signals to said switching means to control the operation thereof.

Claim 9

A lighting system as claimed in claim 7 wherein sections of said at least one control electric line are provided directly on each of said strips, and said connector means are adapted to connect electrically the control line sections on said adjacent strips.

Claim 10

A lighting system according to claim 1, further including an elongate tubular container having a translucent or transparent wall or wall portion, for receiving said plurality of elongate strips when connected by said connector means.

Claim 11

A lighting system according to claim 9 wherein said tubular container has a removably mounted wall section extending along its length.

Claim 12

A lighting system in including a plurality of modular components comprising a plurality of elongate strips of different finite lengths, each strip having an elongate lighting circuit extending along the strip, which lighting circuit provides at least one pair of voltage supply lines extending along the length of the strip and at least one electrical connecting line for connecting at least one illuminating device in parallel between said pair of voltage supply lines, said lighting circuit of at least one of said strips being adapted to connect at least one predetermined resistor in series with said at least one illuminating device thereof so that the total electrical resistance of said at least one illuminating device and said at least one resistor of each of the strips is substantially the same to provide a set of voltage compatible elongate strips; connector means for engaging juxtaposed ends of said strips to connect the strips end to end, said connector means comprising at least one connector element for location between a pair of adjacent strips and having means for resiliently gripping each of said juxtaposed ends of the strips and means for making an electrical connection between adjacent ends of said electrical lighting circuits associated with the strips; and a voltage supply connector means for connecting to one end of one of said strips to provide an electrical connection between the voltage supply lines associated with that particular strip and a voltage supply, wherein there is further provided a pair of ring circuit voltage supply lines for extending along the length of a set of said strips, when connected end to end, to connect ends of the respective voltage supply lines of said series of strips, remote from said voltage supply connector means, directly to said voltage supply.

Claim 13

A lighting system in including a plurality of modular components comprising a plurality of elongate strips of different finite lengths, each strip having an elongate lighting circuit extending along the strip, which lighting circuit provides at least one pair of voltage supply lines extending along the length of the strip and at least one electrical connecting line for connecting at least one illuminating device in parallel between said pair of voltage supply lines, said lighting circuit of at least one of said strips being adapted to connect at least one predetermined resistor in series with said at least one illuminating device thereof so that the total electrical resistance of said at least one illuminating device and said at least one resistor of each of the strips is substantially the same to provide a set of voltage compatible elongate strips; connector means for engaging juxtaposed ends of said strips to connect the strips end to end, said connector means comprising at least one connector element for location between a pair of adjacent strips and having means for resiliently gripping each of said juxtaposed ends of the strips and means for making an electrical connection between adjacent ends of said electrical lighting circuits associated with the strips; and a voltage supply connector means for connecting to one end of one of said strips to provide an electrical connection between the voltage supply lines associated with that particular strip and a voltage supply, wherein there is further provided a pair of ring circuit voltage supply lines for extending along the length of a set of said strips, when connected end to end, to connect ends of the respective voltage supply lines of said series of strips, remote from said voltage supply connector means, directly to said voltage supply.

Claim 14

A lighting system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said ring circuit voltage supply lines are provided directly on each of said strips; said connector means being adapted to connect electrically the ring circuit voltage supply lines on said adjacent strips; and including a further connector element for location at said remote end of said series of strips and adapted to connect electrically the ring circuit voltage supply lines to the respective voltage supply lines at said remote end.

Claim 15

A lighting system according to the claim 11, further including an elongate tubular container having a translucent or transparent wall or wall portion, for receiving said plurality of elongate strips when connected by said connector means.

Claim 16

A lighting system including a plurality of modular components comprising a plurality of elongate strips of different finite lengths, each strip having an elongate lighting circuit extending along the strip, which lighting circuit provides at least one pair of voltage supply lines extending along the length of the strip and at least one electrical connecting line for connecting at least one illuminating device in parallel between said pair of voltage supply lines, said lighting circuit of at least one of said strips being adapted to connect at least one predetermined resistor in series with said at least one illuminating device thereof so that the total electrical resistance of said at least one illuminating device and said at least one resistor of each of the strips is substantially the same to provide a set of voltage compatible elongate strips; connector means for engaging juxtaposed ends of said strips to connect the strips end to end, said connector means comprising at least one connector element for location between a pair of adjacent strips and having means for resiliently gripping each of said juxtaposed ends of the strips and means for making an electrical connection between adjacent ends of said electrical lighting circuits associated with the strips; and a voltage supply connector means for connecting to one end of one of said strips to provide an electrical connection between the voltage supply lines associated with that particular strip and a voltage supply, wherein there is further provided at least one control electric line for extending along the length of a set of said strips, when connected end to end, and switching means provided in said elongate lighting circuits associated with the stripsor associated with ancillary equipment, said control line being capable of transmitting control signals to said switching means to control the operation thereof.

Claim 17

A lighting system including a plurality of modular components comprising a plurality of elongate strips of different finite lengths, each strip having an elongate lighting circuit extending along the strip, which lighting circuit provides at least one pair of voltage supply lines extending along the length of the strip and at least one electrical connecting line for connecting at least one illuminating device in parallel between said pair of voltage supply lines, said lighting circuit of at least one of said strips being adapted to connect at least one predetermined resistor in series with said at least one illuminating device thereof so that the total electrical resistance of said at least one illuminating device and said at least one resistor of each of the strips is substantially the same to provide a set of voltage compatible elongate strips; connector means for engaging juxtaposed ends of said strips to connect the strips end to end, said connector means comprising at least one connector element for location between a pair of adjacent strips and having means for resiliently gripping each of said juxtaposed ends of the strips and means for making an electrical connection between adjacent ends of said electrical lighting circuits associated with the strips; and a voltage supply connector means for connecting to one end of one of said strips to provide an electrical connection between the voltage supply lines associated with that particular strip and a voltage supply, wherein there is further provided at least one control electric line for extending along the length of a set of said strips, when connected end to end, and switching means provided in said elongate lighting circuits associated with the stripsor associated with ancillary equipment, said control line being capable of transmitting control signals to said switching means to control the operation thereof.

Claim 18

A lighting system as claimed in claim 14, wherein sections of said at least one control electric line are provided directly on each of said strips; and said connector means are adapted to connect electrically the control electric line sections on said adjacent strips.

Claim 19

A lighting system according to the claim 14, further including an elongate tubular container having a translucent or transparent wall or wall portion, for receiving said plurality of elongate strips when connected by said connector means.

Claim 20

A lighting system including a plurality of modular components comprising a plurality of elongate strips of different finite lengths, each strip having an elongate lighting circuit extending along the strip, which lighting circuit provides at least one pair of voltage supply lines extending along the length of the strip and at least one illuminating device in parallel between said pair of voltage supply lines, and lighting circuit of at least one of said strips being adapted to connect at least one predetermined resistor in series with said at least one illuminating device thereof so that the total electrical resistance of said at least one illuminating device and said at least one resistor of each of the strips is substantially the same to provide a set of voltage compatible elongate strips; connector means for engaging juxtaposed ends of said strips to connect the strips end to end, said connector means comprising at least one connector element for location between a pair of adjacent strips and having means for resiliently gripping each of said juxtaposed ends of the strips and means for making an electrical connection between adjacent ends of said electrical lighting circuits associated with the strips; and a voltage supply connector means for connecting to one end of one of said strips to provide an electrical connection between the voltage supply lines associated with that particular strips and a voltage supply, wherein each strip is sealed within an outer tubular housing with electrical connecting terminals for said elongate lighting circuits being accessible at each end of said housing for engagement by said connector means and said voltage supply connector means.

Claim 21

A lighting system including a plurality of modular components comprising a plurality of elongate strips of different finite lengths, each strip having an elongate lighting circuit extending along the strip, which lighting circuit provides at least one pair of voltage supply lines extending along the length of the strip and at least one illuminating device in parallel between said pair of voltage supply lines, and lighting circuit of at least one of said strips being adapted to connect at least one predetermined resistor in series with said at least one illuminating device thereof so that the total electrical resistance of said at least one illuminating device and said at least one resistor of each of the strips is substantially the same to provide a set of voltage compatible elongate strips; connector means for engaging juxtaposed ends of said strips to connect the strips end to end, said connector means comprising at least one connector element for location between a pair of adjacent strips and having means for resiliently gripping each of said juxtaposed ends of the strips and means for making an electrical connection between adjacent ends of said electrical lighting circuits associated with the strips; and a voltage supply connector means for connecting to one end of one of said strips to provide an electrical connection between the voltage supply lines associated with that particular strips and a voltage supply, wherein each strip is sealed within an outer tubular housing with electrical connecting terminals for said elongate lighting circuits being accessible at each end of said housing for engagement by said connector means and said voltage supply connector means.

Claim 22

A lighting system according to claim 17, further including an elongate tubular container having a translucent or transparent wall or wall portion, for receiving said plurality of elongate strips when connected by said connector means.

Claim 23

A lighting system including a plurality of modular components comprising a plurality of modules of different finite lengths, each module including at least one elongate lighting circuit extending along the module, which lighting circuit includes a series connected plurality of illuminating devices and resilient terminals for said circuit, protruding from the module and the lighting circuit of at least one of said strips being adapted to connect at least one predetermined resistor in series with said series connected plurality of illuminating devices thereof so that the total electrical resistance of said series connected plurality of illuminating device and at least one resistor of each of the modules is substantially the same to provide a set of voltage compatible elongate strips; an elongate base section provided with at least one pair of voltage supply lines running along its length and means for locating a selected series of modules on the base section in an end to end relationship with said terminals of each lighting circuit of each module making electrical contact with said voltage supply lines to apply a voltage across said series connected plurality of illuminating devices associated with the modules.

Claim 24

A lighting system including a plurality of modular components comprising a plurality of modules of different finite lengths, each module including at least one elongate lighting circuit extending along the module, which lighting circuit includes a series connected plurality of illuminating devices and resilient terminals for said circuit, protruding from the module and the lighting circuit of at least one of said strips being adapted to connect at least one predetermined resistor in series with said series connected plurality of illuminating devices thereof so that the total electrical resistance of said series connected plurality of illuminating device and at least one resistor of each of the modules is substantially the same to provide a set of voltage compatible elongate strips; an elongate base section provided with at least one pair of voltage supply lines running along its length and means for locating a selected series of modules on the base section in an end to end relationship with said terminals of each lighting circuit of each module making electrical contact with said voltage supply lines to apply a voltage across said series connected plurality of illuminating devices associated with the modules.

Claim 25

A lighting system according to claim 19, further including an elongate tubular container having a translucent or transparent wall or wall portion, for receiving said plurality of elongate strips when connected by said connector means.