MXPA99006867A - Light fixture - Google Patents

Abstract

A lighted system is designed to replace incandescent lighting by alternatively adapting existing recessed incandescent fixtures to accept more efficient lamps such as fluorescent (26), or using specially designed recessed lamp fixtures (40). In either case the invention addresses the problem of overheating of the on-board power stabilizing circuitry which universally occurs when an enclosed fixture designed for incandescent lamps is fitted with fluorescent replacements. Rather than installing the power stabilizer in the enclosure with the hot lamp, the power stabilizing circuitry is physically removed from the interior of the lamp housing and isolated at a remote position. The preferred embodiments house these electronics in a separate insulated ballast housing (25).

Description

PORTALAMPERS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention is mainly designed to be used with one or more fluorescent lamps, due to its widespread popularity, however it admits any type of lamp that requires an auxiliary power stabilization circuit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In addition to fluorescent lamps, alternative lighting of this type that is commonly used includes low voltage halogen lamps and high intensity discharge lamps (HID), of which both are more compact and efficient than incandescent lamps. All these lamps require a circuit device to condition the power, since they do not work with the normal current of the United States of 110 volts and 60 Hz. In this specification, the lamps will be described as "fluorescent" and the energy stabilization circuit as "inductor or ballast" but, it will be understood that the term "fluorescent" refers generically to any lamp that requires a device or circuit internal (or auxiliary) to stabilize the current or voltage or both and said circuit or device is covered by the term "coil of P1439 / 99MX inductance or ballast. "The inductance coil, commonly known in the medium as ballast, converts local energy, regardless of whether it is AC, DC, 110 Volts, 277 Volts or any other, to the form for the which the lamp and the system were designed, so that the same lamp is used in any place, the electronic components being the adaptation factor.With the advantage of greater efficiency, these lamps come equipped with the auxiliary circuit requirement and, Consequently, with an inherent problem of overheating of the circuit, as a result of the continuous exposure to the hot cathodes of the lamp, thermal damage will occur, especially if the circuit is contained in the same housing as the lamp. They are more efficient than incandescent lamps by a factor of up to eight or ten to one, however up to 75% of the energy consumed umen dissipates as heat. While manufacturers recommend that the ambient temperature is not higher than 40 degrees Celsius and never higher than 50 degrees, studies have shown that in a tin embedded in the roof, temperatures around the upper area where the ballast would be, exceed 70 degrees centigrade in a room at 25 degrees, using a fluorescent lamp of 27 watts. A P1439 / 99MX higher power or wattage means proportionally higher temperatures. In that temperature range, the life of the circuit is reduced by half for each 10 degrees of increase in temperature, due to the deterioration of the insulation induced by cumulative heat. This revelation focuses specifically on ceiling-mounted lampholders, which include "cans" embedded behind the roof panels. The modernization of these cans to accept fluorescent lighting or other lighting that is more efficient than the incandescent, presents several problems. On the one hand, compact fluorescent lamps and adapters that are designed to replace light bulbs, are usually too long to fit inside the can and extend slightly beyond the housing in the ceiling mount installations with lamps vertical The translucent diffusion covers of the can can be removed, which results in the creation of both aesthetic problems and annoying direct light, which presents obstacles to improve the corridors, halls and rooms in hotels and other large commercial establishments, whose multiplicity of can installations require conversion to low-energy lighting. If the roof can is of the type used P1439 / 99MX for side mounting, designed to use a horizontally extending incandescent bulb, the compact adapter and compact fluorescent lamp, designed for modernization, will not be adjusted at all, since the tube does not have the option to extend beyond the can limit. There are cans specifically designed to house fluorescent spares, but making these installations as modernization conversions is very laborious and expensive. The worst thing is that, when the work is finished, the ballasts are still at the hot end of the can, still being subject to premature failures due to the continuous exposure of the heat coming not only from the lamp, but from the hot ducts and from another team that is between the roof rafters. Frequently, the improvement can not be economically justified by reducing the charges on the electricity bills, even without considering the reduced life expectancy of the lamp and the ballast. Most of the heating problem is caused by the practice of using normal, compact fluorescent adapters, which have ballasts around the base. Ballasts also generate heat, although this heat is made small by the emission or heat output of the lamp. These units mounted on the P1439 / 99MX base work well for floor and ceiling lamps, where there is adequate ventilation and the base of the lamp that houses the electronic components is below, not above, the hot lamp. However, an inverted can, even when provided with ventilation holes, accumulates heat to destructive levels. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that electronic ballasts, which replace old ballast wire-wound ballasts, are much more sensitive to heat than traditional ballasts. The newest design has advantages of reduced efficiency, volume and weight and an inherent packing versatility that originates from the ability to separate the components in different areas of the lampholder to make it more compact. These advantages lead to the use of electronic ballasts in applications for which they are not suitable. It is probably relatively uncommon for a construction industry vendor to warn the owner of the building, responsible for authorizing the improvement, of these problems, which further tilts the balance of the economy against replacement. Due to these problems, although hotels and other commercial establishments are slowly converting to energy-efficient lighting, they are still actually being implemented P1439 / 99MX only a small fraction of the possible conversions. With the clear disadvantage of the cost of improving some facilities, it is difficult for the establishment to justify to the shareholders the change only as part of their duty as citizens of the world. There is a need for a simple modernizing unit that allows the type of lighting mounted on cans to obtain the full advantage of the economy of fluorescent tubes, by preventing the premature melting of electronic ballasts. There is also a need for concealed or concealed lamp holders of recent design, which use fluorescent bulbs and / or which require a power stabilization circuit, such as, for example, a ballast.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention satisfies the above-stated need by providing specially designed recessed lampholders which come in various variants, but which in all cases have a ballast compartment housed separately from the housing for the lamp. In addition to separating the ballast from the lamp housing, several other design features keep the ballast cool. In one embodiment, the passage between the ballast and the lamp, preferably, is the home of an air curtain in P1439 / 99MX movement that continuously sucks cold air along the ballast, driven by the thermal convection induced by the lamp. In this mode, the ballast is below the lamp, if possible, therefore, it is practically wind upstream of the hot air flow generated by the electrodes or the filament, instead of being immersed in it, immediately above the part Warmer than the lamp, as is the traditional. The cooling air passes first around the ballast, before it reaches the lamp and then towards the can, accumulating in the upper part, where it is dissipated by conduction, radiation and convection through the ventilation holes. A built-in tin design has a ballast compartment that is separate from the rest of the socket and that is mounted on an annular ring flush with the bottom surface of the ceiling around the opening for the lamp. This circuit mounted on the ring connects to the fluorescent base that mounts to the receptacle, diverting the incoming energy coming from the light company and supplying the lamp in usable form. This version incorporates the essential features of the invention, where the ballast is separated from the lamp and, in fact, does not even share housing with the lamp, and a runner is established for the air curtain the ballast and the P1439 / 99MX lamp. Other forms of recessed lamp holders specifically designed for use with electronic ballast lamps have a separate ballast housing, made of a thermal insulating material and whose only opening is in the bottom wall. The ballast housing is located away from the interior of the housing of the light source and / or the reflector housing. A heatsink structure is mounted in the lower opening of the ballast housing to extract heat away from the energy stabilizing circuitry. The heat sink structure may take the form of a lining cover member for aesthetic purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates a compartment containing the ballast or other energy stabilization circuitry, wherein the annular cover is shown in exploded view; Figure 2 illustrates, in exploded view, the adapter receptacle of a fluorescent tube designed to be used in the replacement of incandescent bulbs; Figure 3 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of a complete ceiling tin assembly, as would be observed P1439 / 99MX practically in place, using a ballast compartment that is separated from the receptacle and connected to it with wires; Figure 3a is an isometric view of the ballast housing ring of the lamp holder illustrated in Figure 3, shown in isolation from the rest of the lamp housing structure; Figure 4 is an exploded isometric view of a first alternative embodiment of a recessed socket, where for clarity portions have been removed; Figure 5 is an elevation view of the first alternative embodiment mounted on a roof filled with insulation; Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the first alternative embodiment, with a ballast housing configured in a different manner; Figure 7 is a partial top plan view of a first alternative heat dissipation lining; Figure 8 is a partial isometric view of a second alternative thermal dissipation lining; Figure 9 is an isometric view of a deflector that can be used with the heat dissipation liner, illustrated in Figure 10; P1439 / 99MX Figure 10 is an exploded view of a third alternative heat dissipation liner having a flat lens; Figure 11 is an isometric view of a fourth thermal dissipation lining alternative having a globe-shaped lens; Figure 12 is an exploded isometric view of a second alternative embodiment of a recessed socket; and Figure 13 is an exploded isometric view of a third alternative embodiment of a recessed socket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The lamp holder of the invention comes in two basic styles: the can upgrade models for roof and the newly designed embedded lampholder model. The can modernization design is provided with a separate ballast compartment and a lamp mounting receptacle. All models remove the ballast from the lamp housing and a model creates a circulating air space between the ballast and the lamp housing. In a primary implementation of the concept of the invention, the ballast is configured as an annular ring around the face of the lamp, where the ballast housing serves as an element P1439 / 99MX reflector and decorative, while it is placed securely under the hot lamp and removed from it. This ring does not need to be round, since there are square cans, as well as round and other polygonal shapes. Because the ballast is protected, as a result of the invention, all the lamps used in the disclosed lampholders would be of the type that does not integrate the ballast as a disposable structure together with the tube. The ballast mounting compartment is shown in isolation in Figure 1, for a typical two-part configuration can assembly, in which the ballast and the lamp receptacle are separated. The compartment 10 is formed by an annular trough 11, which, together with the annular cover plate 12, encloses the ballast or another signal processing device forming the circuitry 14, which connects to the supply of power supply with the conductors 16 and emits a processed energy signal, ready for use by the lamp through the wires 18. The cover plate 12 has notches 20 to accept the clamps 22 which are used to engage the packing wires 23 in the typical Tin design with ceiling mounting. The unit in Figure 1 can be attached by means of an existing incandescent receptacle or connected P1439 / 99MX directly to ordinary household power wires. The energy processing is achieved entirely by the ballast in the annular compartment and the lamp receptacle, as shown in Figure 2 in 24, is a mechanical assembly that physically supports the spike structure of the fluorescent lamp with a receptacle for existing incandescent lamp. It also houses the internal wiring, not shown, which diverts the energy from the mounting receptacle in the can to the processing circuitry 14. The compartments 10 and 25 for annular ballast of Figures 1 and 3, respectively, are representative of some of the compartments for any of the configurations that have an annular ballast ring. Figure 2 illustrates a typical replacement fluorescent lamp 26, shown in an exploded view or separate from the receptacle 24 for fluorescent lamp assembly. This type of receptacle is very small to house the ballast as shown, and is the second piece of the two-piece system of Figure 3, in which the other part is the compartment ring 25 of the ballast, which is similar to the annular compartment of Figure 1, which is mounted facing the ceiling. Figure 3 also illustrates a replacement tube having a reflector 32, representative of a line of lamps P1439 / 99MX commercially available. A cover 34 on the face of the lamp extends into the interspace internally to the annular compartment 25. Note that the reflector 32 and the cover 34 resemble both a concentrated beam lamp and the extended can length effected by the use of housing 25 for ballast allows the fluorescent replacement to be used, without extending beyond the structure of the can. In the embodiment of Figure 3, a passage 36 of air between the reflector 32 and the ballast compartment 25 can be observed. This passage is practically continuous and is vertical and sufficiently wide so that the air flows freely upwards towards the can 37 and out of the ventilation holes in the upper part of the can. Even though the flow is relatively slow, because the ballast ring is located under the lamp, it is not exposed to the accumulated heat as it would be if it were on the inside of the can, so the effects of the placement Thermally preventive and cold air flow are adequate to prevent overheating of the ballast, which would not be much hotter than ambient air temperature. It can be seen, from Figure 3, that housing 25 for the ballast makes much more P1439 / 99MX that only hide the ballast. The cylindrical inner wall of the housing defines the continuation of the concentrated beam reflector 32 and acts in itself as a reflector for channeling the light. It also has the effect of extending the overall length of the can, so that the most exposed part of the lamp is still properly recessed and will not dazzle off the side nor be visible to the naked eye from the other side of the room. This advantage is applicable to all variants of the lamp that are practically elongated, such that the fluorescent lamp 26 of Figure 2, even with electronic components separated from the base of the lamp unit, reduces its overall length and does not represent the problem that would be otherwise. However, lamps of higher wattage or power come in longer sizes and the cooling characteristics of the improvements of the invention set forth herein make it practical to use longer lamps with higher power capabilities. As indicated, although fluorescent lamps and other efficient lamps produce more light than incandescents per unit of power consumed, they still dissipate the largest portion of their energy as heat. The thermal problem encountered when replacing incandescent lamps with fluorescent lamps in the enclosures, generally P1439 / 99MX does not mention the buyer who makes the decision to improve. There is no doubt that in many cases the owner of a building, which seeks to save money on electricity bills, is shocked to find that the replacement cost of ballasts and fluorescent lamps has an eroding rather than any effect. savings that may have been achieved by the reduction in energy consumption. And what about the non-commercial consumer, such as the owner of a house or the lessor of a small apartment, who are not fortunate enough to have all the technical support. The first alternative mode of a lampholder of novel design is illustrated in Figures 4-6. In general it is designated by the number 40. It has a housing 41 for the light source which has, in general, a cylindrical shape. The lower end of the housing 41 of the light source has a reduced diameter to form an annular lip 42. Enclosed within the housing of the light source is a receptacle 43 and a lamp 44. The annular lip 42 is secured to the interior of the housing 46 for annular ballast by friction adjustment or by the use of conventional mechanical fasteners. The ballast housing 46 is hollow and has the lower end open. It can be formed as a single camera or it can have a pair of wall partitions 47 that P1439 / 99MX divide into the chambers 48 and 49. The ballast housing 46 has an outer annular wall 50 and internal detent projections 52 on its inner surface which engage with the clamps 54, which extend upwardly from the upper surface of the heat dissipation lining 56. The openings 57 and 58 are formed in the upper wall 60 of the ballast housing 46. The wires 62 have one of their ends connected to the receptacle 43 and pass through the opening 57 and connect to the wires 64 of the ballast. The ballast 65 is formed of a printed circuit board where its electrical components are mounted therein. A pair of fingers 67 extend upwardly from the upper surface of the printed circuit board of the ballast 65.. The tweezers 68 join the fingers 67 with the annular wall 69 extending upwardly from the inner edge of the thermal dissipation liner 56, to secure these two members. The power emission wires 70 pass through the opening 58 and are connected to the ballast 65. As an option, a detector, such as a photocell 72, can be connected to the printed circuit board and mounted to the opening 74 Figure 5 shows a recessed lampholder 40, mounted on the roof 76, filled with insulation 77. A housing 46 for ballasting P1439 / 99MX configured in a different manner is illustrated in Figure 6. It has separate annular vertical walls 79 and 80 which are connected at their lower end by an annular disk portion 81. This structure requires a different thermal dissipation liner 56 ', but somehow the rest of its structure is the same as that illustrated in Figure 5. Figure 7 illustrates another thermal dissipation liner 83 having openings 84 on its surface horizontal to allow additional cooling of the electrical components of the ballast. Another thermal dissipation liner 86 is illustrated in FIG. 8 and has a plurality of flanges or skates 88 extending downward and providing an additional surface area for cooling the thermal dissipation lining. Figure 10 illustrates another thermal dissipation liner 90 having an annular flange 91 extending inwardly, within its vertical wall 92. A lens 93 may be supported therein and / or a baffle 94 may be supported on the same Figure 11 shows a balloon screen 96 having fingers 97 to support it from the inner annular flange 91. The recessed lampholder 100 is an alternative embodiment that would be mounted on top of P1439 / 99MX an opening 101 in the roof 76. It has a horizontal panel 102 that extends through the diameter of the opening. Both the opening and the panel can have any desired configuration or shape. A pair of mounting rails 104 are secured to the upper surface of the panel 102 which is made of thermal insulating material. The opposite ends of the mounting rails 104 can be secured to the wooden beams (not shown), which form the structure of the roof panel 76. The opening 105 is configured to mate with the external shape of the metal reflector 106. These two structures They can be round, rectangular or some other desired shape. A discharge type lamp 108 requiring a ballast is received in a threaded form in the receptacle 109 and the collar 110 of the metal reflector 106 projects onto the outer surface of the receptacle 109 to form a friction fit. The wires 112 are connected between the receptacle 109 and the ballast 113. The wires 115 connect the ballast 113 to the electric power source. The ballast housing 116 is made of thermally insulating material and can be formed integrally with the panel 102. Its bottom wall is open to form an opening 117. Extending downwardly from the interior of the ballast housing 116 may be one or more mounting posts 119 to receive the screws 120 P1439 / 99MX securing thereto the heat sink 121. The ballast 113 is mounted on the heatsink 121 and is held by clamps 68 in the same manner as illustrated in Figure 4. Since the only opening in the housing 116 for Ballast is the opening 117 formed by lacking a bottom wall, all the heat generated by the electrical components of the ballast 113 can only escape in a downward direction. The thermal dissipation is measurably aided by the heat sink 121. The trim panel 123 would be mounted on the underside of the roof 76 and supported thereon by the packing wire 124 passing up through the slots 125 in the mounting panel 102. The opening 126 would normally be configured to engage the aperture 105. The trim panel 123 may have a pattern of perforations 128 immediately below the heatsink 121, to improve heat transfer from the ballast 113 and its electric components. A third alternative recessed socket 130 is illustrated in Figure 13. It is mounted above the opening 131 in the ceiling 76. The baluster housing 133 has a pair of diametrically opposed mounting springs 134, the upper ends of which are rigidly secured to the ceiling. upper wall 136 of housing 133 for ballast. The whole unit is installed P1439 / 99MX by pushing it up through the opening 131 and once it is up, the bottom ends of the springs 134 expand outwards and prevent it from falling down through the opening 131. The lining member 138 has a pair of packing wires 139 secured to its upper surface and pass upwards through the slots 141 of the ballast housing 133. The reflector 142 has a receptacle 143 mounted on its upper end, which receives a lamp 144. A bracket 146 secures the reflector 142 and the housing 133 for ballast. The bracket 148 is pivotally secured to the bracket 146 which in this way allows the reflector 142 to rotate. The pivot pins 149 allow the reflector 142 to pivot about a horizontal axis. It will be understood that most of the structure illustrated in the different figures and modalities can be used in any other modality where they are performing similar functions.

P1439 / 99MX

Claims (19)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property: 1. A recessed socket for mounting at least one lamp that requires an energy stabilizing circuit. to operate and which defines a base and illuminates a target area through an opening in a roof panel, through which a beam of light passes from the lamp that is through it, comprising: a) at least a lamp mounting device that defines a receptacle connectable to a source of electric power available to physically and electrically receive the energization of the base of the lamp, when inserted into the receptacle; b) the lamp when inserted into the receptacle has an upper end and a lower end; c) a lamp housing having vertically oriented side walls surrounding the lamp, the lamp housing has a lower end that is open to allow the light beam from the lamp to exit the lamp housing; the lower end of the lamp housing will be located in a manner not greater than the lower end of the lamp; the P1439 / 99MX side walls have an internal surface and an external surface; d) a ballast housing having walls defining an enclosure having a lower end; e) an energy stabilizing circuit device for processing the available energy, the circuit device is practically comprised of components housed in the ballast housing and operatively interconnected between the receptacle and the power source, to intercept and stabilize the energy coming from the energy source and supplying energy stabilized in this way and useful for the lamp, taking it to the receptacle; f) means for supporting the ballast housing in substantial thermal insulation with the lamp and the lower end of the lamp housing; g) the socket is of the built-in type, which mounts a separate lamp behind a surface of the room and the opening is defined on the surface of the room; and h) means for supporting the lamp housing above the opening in said surface.
2. 2. A lampholder according to claim 1, wherein the internal surface of P1439 / 99 X lamp housing is reflective to act as a beam reflector. A lampholder according to claim 1, wherein the means for closing the upper end of the side walls of the lamp housing is an upper wall having a lower surface to which the lamp mounting device is secured. A lampholder according to claim 1, further comprising a metal thermal dissipation panel that practically covers the opening in the roof panel to extract heat away from the energy stabilizing circuit device. A lampholder according to claim 4, further comprising means for supporting the heat sink in its intended position. A lampholder according to claim 1, wherein the ballast housing is mounted on a support panel covering the opening in the surface of the room; the support panel has a top surface. A lampholder according to claim 6, wherein the support panel has an aperture for light transmission and a collar extending upwardly from the upper surface of the support panel, to receive the P1439 / 99MX lower end of lamp housing. A lampholder according to claim 1, further comprising a plastic trim panel positioned below the opening in the roof panel and a means for releasably securing the plastic trim panel in position; the trim panel has a plurality of openings located below the lower end of the ballast housing, to help eliminate heat from the ballast. 9. A lampholder according to claim 1, wherein the ballast housing is formed practically in the form of an annular ring. A lamp holder according to claim 9, further comprising a ring-shaped lining panel and a means for securing it to the lower end of the ballast housing. 11. A lampholder according to claim 10, wherein the trim panel is made of metal, so that it functions as a heat sink to extract heat from the energy stabilizing circuit device. 12. A lamp holder according to claim 10, wherein the trim panel is made of plastic material and has a plurality of openings to help remove heat from the ballast. P1439 / 99MX 13. A lampholder to mount at least one lamp that requires a power stabilizer circuit to operate and which defines a base and which illuminates a target area through an aperture that passes a beam of light from the lamp through it, comprising: a) a lamp mounting device that defines a receptacle connectable with a source of electrical energy, available to physically receive the base of the lamp and electrically energize it, when inserted in the receptacle; b) a ballast housing having a plan dimension similar to the dimensions of the housing, which serves to house the energy stabilizing circuit device; c) the energy stabilizing circuit device for processing the available energy, the circuit device is practically comprised of the components housed in the ballast housing and operatively interconnected between the receptacle and the power source to intercept and stabilize the energy coming from the source of energy and deliver the energy stabilized in this way and useful for the lamp, towards the receptacle; and d) a means for supporting the ballast housing in substantial thermal insulation with P1439 / 99MX the lamp, like a ring around the opening, in such a way that the ballast housing is practically separated from the accumulated heat generated by the lamp; and e) the lampholder is of the built-in type, which mounts a separate lamp behind the surface of the room and the opening is defined on the surface and the ballast housing acts as a fitting for said opening. A lampholder according to claim 13, wherein the ballast housing defines a substantially cylindrical and inwardly directed inner surface which is generally parallel to the light beam and the inner surface is reflective to act as a reflector of the light beam. A lampholder according to claim 13, wherein the surface of the room comprises a ceiling and the lamp mounting device is embedded in the ceiling and the ballast housing is practically coplanar with the ceiling and defines a lining strip that surrounds the opening. 16. A lampholder according to claim 15, wherein the ballast housing extends a significant distance away from the ceiling and acts as an extension of enclosed space to conceal a large portion. P1439 / 99MX of the lamp mounted in the receptacle, in order to reduce glare and that the lamp is barely visible. A lampholder according to claim 13, wherein the lamp mounting device and the ballast housing are separate units and comprise a modernization conversion for a recessed ceiling can, of existing installation, and the circuit device The power stabilizer is interconnected with the receptacle by wires and the means for supporting the ballast housing comprises wire clamps for coupling the standard coupling seals with the wire clamp of the roof can. A lampholder according to claim 13, wherein the ballast housing includes at least one integral detector therewith which is interconnected with the energy stabilizing circuit device to at least derive energy therefrom and which is exposed to the ambient environment . 19. A lamp holder according to claim 1, wherein the ballast housing includes at least one integral detector therewith and interconnected with the energy stabilizing circuit device to derive at least energy therefrom and which is exposed to the ambient environment. P1439 / 99MX