GB2132827A

GB2132827A - Adapter for arranging a discharge lamp in a holder

Info

Publication number: GB2132827A
Application number: GB08334336A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wallace Thomas Macdonald; Frank Michael Latassa
Original assignee: US Philips Corp; North American Philips Corp
Current assignee: Philips North America LLC; US Philips Corp
Priority date: 1983-01-03
Filing date: 1983-12-23
Publication date: 1984-07-11
Also published as: GB2132827B; CA1228391A; GB8334336D0; JPS59134579A; DE3346397A1; JPH0330276B2

Abstract

An adapter for arranging a discharge lamp with a base (4) on one side in a holder suitable for lamp bases of incandescent lamps, comprises a housing (2) which accommodates a holder (3) for receiving the base of the discharge lamp, an incandescent lamp base (4) and means for connecting an electrical stabilization ballast (5) to both lamp base (4) and holder (3). Means (6) rotatable with respect to the incandescent lamp base (4) are provided on the housing for detachably securing the ballast. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Adapter for arranging a discharge lamp in a holder The invention relates to an adapter for arranging a discharge lamp with a base on one side in a holder suitable to receive lamp bases of incandescent lamps, which adapter comprises a housing which accomodates a holder for receiving the discharge lamp and which is provided not only with an incandescent lamp base, but also with connection means for an electrical stabilization ballast, on the side wall with the aid of which the ballast is electrically connected both to the lamp base and to the holder for the discharge lamp. Such an adapter is known from German Patent Specification 837,893.

It is proposed in this Patent Specification to accomodate,when a discharge lamp should be arranged in an incandescent lamp holder, the discharge lamp in a holder in an adapter which is provided with an incandescent lamp base (such as an Edison lamp base). The stabilization ballast required for the operation of the lamp is in the known device connected to the adapter by means of a connection cable manufactured speciallyforthis purpose. A special opening is opening in the side wall of the housing of the adapter for receiving the end of the cable. When the ballast is connected, the electrical connection between the incandescent lamp base and the base of the discharge lamp arranged in the holder is then established at the same time.Such a construction has the disadvantage that a special space has to be reserved in or near the luminaire for the ballast. This requires an additional amount of space and often special means.

Moreover, the use of the loose connection cable is annoying for a user.

The invention has for its object to provide an adapter which obviates the aforementioned disadvantages.

For this purpose, according to the invention, an adapter of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph is characterized in that the housing of the adapter is provided with means for mechanically detachably securing the ballast, which means are rotatable with respect tothe incandescent lamp base of the adapter.

In an adapter according to the invention, the stabilization ballast can be directly secured to the side wall of the housing (which preferably consists of synthetic material). The use of a loose cable for establishing the conection between these two parts is avoided. No special accomodation for the ballast is required in or near the luminaire. The overall length of the lamp with the ballast and the adaptor is comparatively small.

Due to the fact that the connection means for securing the ballast are rotatable with respect to the incandescent lamp base of the adapter, the adapter with the ballast can be also arranged in a holder which is present in a luminaire one wall of which is located in the immediate proximity of this holder. In fact, afterthe adapter has been arranged in the incandescent lamp holder, the user rotates the said means into such a position with respect to the base that the ballast can be secured to the adapter, for example, on a side remote from the wall. The electrical connection is then established at the same time.

In a preferred embodiment of an adapter according to the invention, at least the wall of the housing of the adapter is rotatable with respect to the incandescent lamp base. For example, the side wall of the housing is provided with sleeves arranged to co-operate with electrical plug-in members of the ballast.

The ballast and the housing are secured according to one embodiment by means of a dovetail connection between the side wall of the housing and the outer wall of an envelope which accomodates the ballast. The ballast can then be slipped by a user onto the housing in a simple manner.

The invention can be used for discharge-lamps with a base on one side, especially low-pressure mercury vapour discharge lamps, as described inter alia in German Offenlegungsschrift 3121077 (PHN 9764). Such lamps are provided with a lamp base which can be inserted into a special holder. A starter is also incorporated in the lamp base of the said discharge lamp. Since these lamps cannot be screwed into a holder for Edison lamp bases without further expedients, an adapter according to the invention has proved to be very suitable.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to a drawing, which shows an embodiment of the adapter according to the invention. In the drawing: Figure 1 is an elevation of the adapter with a ballast situated in an envelope, Figure 2 shows a circuit diagram of the electric wiring in the housing of the adapter and Figure 3 shows, partly in sectional view and partly in elevation, the adapter at the area of the transition between the housing and the incandescent lamp base.

In Figure 1, reference number 1 denotes the adapter. It comprises a housing 2 of synthetic material which accomodates a holder 3 suitable to receive the base of a low-pressure mercury vapour discharge lamp with a base on one side. Such a lamp with an associated holder is described interalia in DE-OS 3121077 mentioned earlier. The housing 2 further has at its end an Edison lamp base 4 (for example, an E 27 cap). However, the use of a bayonet base is alternatively possible. Thus, the adapter with E-27 cap can be screwed into a holder for incandescent lamps. The housing 2 is rotatable with respect to this lamp base 4 (see Fig. 3).

Connection means for detachably securing an electrical stabilization ballast are provided on the side wall of the housing. This ballast is present in an envelope 5 of synthetic material. The envelope is shaped so that it can be slipped onto the housing by means of a projecting wall portion 6 in the side wall of the housing 2. In this case, a dovetail connection is formed by the profile 7 of the wall portion 6 and the edge 8 of the envelope 5 co-operating with it. The envelope 5 is provided with electrically conducting plug-in members 9 and 10 arranged to co-operate with sleeves which are located in the upper part of the wall portion 6. These sleeves are not visible in the drawing.If now the envelope 5 is secured on the wall portion 6 of the housing 2 by a user, an electrical connection is established between the lamp holder 3, the ballast and the base 4, which is shown diagramatically in Fig. 2.

In this Figure, the ballast is shown in the form of a coil (11), which is located in the envelope 5 (shown in dotted lines). The two electrical connection terminals 9 and 10 co-operate with sleeves 9a and 10a in the housing. The sleeve 1 0a is electrically connected to an electrical conductor 3b in the holder 3 for the discharge lamp. The sleeve 9a is connected to the conductor 4a in the cap 4; the conductor 3a is connected to the conductor 4b, likewise located in the cap. The mains voltage is applied between 4a and 4b.

In Fig. 3, the housing of the adapter is again designated by reference numeral 2 and the Edison lamp base by reference numeral 4. This lamp base is secured to a disk-shaped wall portion 12 with an upright edge, which engaged a circular groove 13 on the lower side of the housing 2. Thus, it is achieved that the housing 2 is rotatable with respect to the wall portion 12 with the lamp base 4. By means of measures known per se, a rotation of the wall portion 12 through, for example, less than 360 is obtained. It is alternatively possible to obtain a rotation through the full range of 360 , whereby special sliding contacts for the electrical supply wires 14 and 15 can be provided on the inner wall of the housing 2.

In the embodiment shown, the housing is in the form of a cube and the wall consists of synthetic material, for example polycarbonate. The ballast envelope also consists of the same synthetic material. The disk-shaped wall portion 12 is likewise made of the said synthetic material. In a special embodiment, the wall portion 12 is frictionally rotatable in the circular groove 13.

Claims

1. An adapterforarranging a discharge lamp with a base on one side in a holder suitable for lamp bases of incandescent lamps, which adapter comprises a housing which accomodates a holder for receiving the base of the discharge lamp and which is provided not only with an incandescent lamp base on the side wall, but also with connection means for an electrical stabilization ballast, with the aid of which the ballast is electrically connected both to the incandescent lamp base and to the holder for the base of the discharge lamp, characterized in that the housing of the adapter is provided with means for mechanically detachably securing the ballast, which means are rotatable with respect to the incandescent lamp base of the adapter.

2. An adapter as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that at least the wall of the housing is rotatable with respect to the incandescent lamp base.

3. An adapter as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ballast is arranged in an envelope whose outer wall forms a dovetail connection with the outer wall housing.

4. An adapter as claimed in Claim 1,2 or 3, characterized in that the housing is provided on the lower side with a wall portion which is rotatable in the housing and to which the incandescent lamp base is secured.

5. An adapter for arranging a discharge lamp in a holder substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.