AU612061B2 - Lamp housing - Google Patents

Description

COMNMONW E AL T H O UTA 0 F A U S T R A L I A PATENT ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 642061

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE CLASS INT. CLASS Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art-: *0 eq.

*0 0 0 @000 o 0 0 00t0#0 a, 0 0 NAME OF APPLICANT: ADDRESS OF APPLICANT: o 0 0 p-b P o Pt o 00 a." Pt 0* 0 A.C.E. PTY. LTD.

6 Wembley Close, Mooroolbark 3138 Victoria Australia Thomas Roff BARWICK NAME(S) OF INVENTOR(S) 00 0 U 0400 DAVIES COLLISON, Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

ADDRESS FOR SERViCE: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: "LAMP HOUSING" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us-

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AJLrlkIN lL alu11 u ul(ua L L-.C4 jji-- Davies Collison, Melbourne and Canberra.

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LAMP HOUSING '4 4: 0 4 4*4 4 9 .9,9 9994*9 0499 0 0 4 It e I t t4 t This invention relates to a lamp housing.

More particularly, the invention relates to a lamp housing particularly, but not exclusively, for use in a dishwashing machine.

The general object of the invention is to provide a substantially waterproof lamp housing, the major components of which can be moulded from plastics material and which is provided with ventilation openings for keeping the housing relatively cool.

In the manufacture of dishwashing machines, it is sometimes the practice to include lamps mounted near the internal top wall of the dishwashing machine in order to illuminate the interior when the door is opened. It has been customary to use a lamp and lamp holder similar to those used for illuminating the interior of domestic ovens. This arrangement is not entirely satisfactory because the lamp holders are designed for use with much higher temperatures and are consequently quite costly.

altestation required) Noe Initial all alterations.

DAVIES COLLISON MELBOURNE and CANBERRA.

-7 2 An object of the invention is to provide a lamp holder for use in a dishwashing machine which is relatively inexpensive to produce.

According to the present invention there is provided a housing for a lamp for a dishwashing machine, said housing comprising a first portion including sealing means for sealing against the interior wall of a dishwashing machine, a second portion which holds, in use, the first portion in sealing contact with the interior wall of the dishwashing machine, the first portion including a chamber in which in use a lamp is located, said a, housing including at least one ventilation passage from said chamber to the external side of said dishwasher wall.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: a SFigure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in4 section of a lamp housing of the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view partly in section of components of the housing; Figure 3 is an end view taken along the line 3-3; r Figure 4 is an end view taken along the line 4-4; Figure 5 is a side view of a lamp holder; and Figure 6 is an end view of the lamp holder.

Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a dishwasher side wall 2, a top wall 4 and an inclined 1 i i 4.

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4 44 4444 4 4 4f '(ft *0* *0 4 44 4 *4 3 wall 6 therebetween. A lamp housing assembly 8 constructed in accordance with the invention is mounted through an opening 10 in the inclined portion 6.

As best seen in Figure 2, the assembly 8 includes a main body portion 12, cap portion 14 and nut 16. The portions 12 and 14 are preferably injection moulded from transparent plastics material such as polycarbonate and the nut 16 is preferably moulded from A.V.S. The main body portion 12 includes a front part 18 of hollow cylindrical shape and a rear part 20 also of a hollow cylindrical shape but of narrower diameter. The rear part 20 includes threads 22 upon which the nut 16 is in use mounted.

An O-ring 24 is located on a shoulder 26 adjacent to the junction of the front and rear parts 18 and The rear end wall 28 of the rear part 20 is annular in shape and has a pair of flats 30, as best seen in Figures 3 and 4. The rear part 20 includes a plurality of axially extending slots 32 which pass through the side wall of the rear part 20 and also communicate with the interior of the front part 18.

The side wall of the front part 18 includes a pair of diametrically opposed slots 34. Each slot has associated therewith a shallow groove 36 which extends to the front edge 38 of the part 18.

The cap portion 14 comprises a curved front wall 68 and a cylindrical body 40 which is formed with four longitudinally extending flanges 42. The rear part of the wall 40 is formed with a pair of ribs 44 and 46 which between them define a groove for receipt of an O-ring 48. Projecting outwardly from 4 the rib 44 and adjacent ribs 42 are two projections which are used to interlock the front portion 14 with the portion 12 of the assembly. In the assembled arrangement, the cylindrical body 40 of the cap portion 14 is inserted within the front part 18.

In order to assemble the two components together, the projections 50 are aligned with the recesses 36 to permit insertion and the parts are subsequently rotated so that the projections 50 enter the recesses 34. The orientation of the recesses 34 are inclined relative to the circumferential direction in order to firmly grip the projections 50 and hold the portions 12 and 14 together. The O-ring 48 engages the inner wall of the front part 18 and forms a substantially e water tight seal with the inner wall. The cap "O~o portion 14 may include projections or serations (not shown) which extend outwardly from the flange located adjacent to the front wall 68 to facilitate eoo° removal and replacement of the cap portion.

Figures 5 and 6 show a conventional form of lamp holder 52 which is suitable for use with the n housing assembly 8 of the invention. The holder .o ,includes a threaded body 54 upon which are mounted two threaded rings 56 and 58. The body 54 has a I bayonet connector 60 at one end for forming a connection with a lamp 62 (see Figure The other end of the body 54 is provided with terminal blocks r rt64 and 66 for forming electrical connections between leads (not shown) and the bayonet connector 60. The lamp holder 52 has flats 69 which are generally complementary to the flats 30 provided in the end wall 28 of the portion 12. This enables the holder to be mounted in the portion 12 and held in position

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by clamping the threaded rings 56 and 58 against opposed faces of the end wall 28, as seen in Figure i.

Turning again to Figure i, it will be seen that the lamp 62 is located closely adjacent to the curved front wall 68 of the body portion 14. The nut 16 bears against the inclined portion 6 of the dishwasher wall in order to firmly clamp the assembly in position. In this clamped position, the 0-ring 24 bears against the inner face of the inclined portion 6 to form a water tight seal therewith. Once mounted in the dishwasher, the cap portion 14 can be removed from the interior of the dishwasher to replace the 4 4 olamp 62, if necessary.

ib- ~It will be appreciated that the filament of the lamp 62 is located generally within the chamber formed between the body parts 12 and 14. The F slots 32 provide ventilation openings to permit air to flow into and out of the chamber 70 so as to assist in cooling the chamber and hence prevent overheating of the body parts 12 and 14. In order to facilitate the flows of air through the passages 32, the nut 16 is provided with a plurality of openings 72 which communicate with passages 74 which extend to Sthe front edge of the nut 16. The openings 72 and passages 74 permit streams of ventilating air to circulate through the chamber 70 by natural convection. In addition, the rear portion 20 of the body part 12 includes two comparatively large openings 76 and 78 which also facilitate circulating air currents into and out of the chamber 70. The width of each of the openings 72 is wider than the wall portions between adjacent slots 32 in the part I so that there will always be a path for air through each of the openings 72 to the interior of the part The components of the invention can be moulded from plastics materials which need only have moderate resistance to heat owing to the ventilating currents described above. A prototype, 47mm outer diameter and length of about 70mm (assembled length of the portions 12 and 14) functions quite satisfactorily with a 15 watt 240V lamp. Other sizes o 0 are possible. In addition, the housing could be modified so that it can be used for other applications such as a general purpose light. For 04'" instance, a cover could be mounted on the part 20 to cover the terminal blocks 64 and 66. Such a cover could replace the nut 16 or be threaded onto the holder body 52 to cover the terminal blocks 64 and 66.

oo :Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

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Claims (9)

1. A housing for a lamp for a dishwashing machine, said housing comprising a first portion including sealing means for sealing against the interior wall of a dishwashing machine, a second portion which holds, in use, the first portion in sealing contact with the interior wall of the dishwashing machine, the first portion including a chamber in which in use a lamp is located, said housing including at least one ventilation passage oi from said chamber to the external side of said *dishwasher wall. S o'oI

2. A housing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the *teW first portion comprises a hollow body which includes means for supporting a lamp holder and threads on its outer surface and wherein the second portion Scomprises a nut which meshes with said threads. o0

3. A housing as claimed in claim 2 wherein the o hollow body is cylindrical and includes a relatively wider diameter portion which defines at least a substantial portion of said chamber.

4. A housing as claimed in claim 3 wherein the sealing means comprises an O-ring adjacent to a shoulder located at the inner end of said wider diameter portion of the body.

A housing as claimed in claim 3 including a cap portion which is sealingly mounted in the free end of said wider diameter portion of said body. 8

6. A housing as claimed in claim 5 wherein the cap is removable from the interior side of the interior wall of the dishwasher.

7. A housing as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein said hollow body includes first openings which, in use, are not covered by said nut when it is mounted on the threads to hold the first portion in sealing contact with said interior wall to thereby provide one said ventilation passage.

8. A housing as claimed in claims 4 and 7 wherein said hollow body includes second openings located between the threads and said shoulder end wherein the nut includes third openings which communicate with the second openings to thereby provide another said ventilation passage. *o

9. A housing as claimed in claim 8 wherein the 'second openings are located in a ring about said body and the wall portions of said body between adjacent b second openings, as measured in the circumferential direction, are shorter than the length of the third openings as measured in the same direction. A housing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 6th day of September, 1989 A.C.E. PTY. LTD. By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON