EP0150799B1 - Assembly unit for fluorescent lamps - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a mounting unit for fluorescent lamps with a base on one side, with an essentially oval or square base provided with contact pins, and with an incandescent lamp base and a ballast connected thereto, comprising a coil former and a coil core.

Fluorescent lamps with a base on one side have recently been known, which provide a higher luminous efficacy than normal incandescent lamps with lower power consumption. Sockets are also known for these fluorescent lamps, but these are special sockets so that these fluorescent lamps cannot be used in place of conventional light bulbs in existing lamps. In addition, a choke coil is required for operation, which must be installed and connected separately.

There have also been proposed mounting units for fluorescent lamps of this type which have an incandescent lamp base, but in this case the choke is then mounted on the incandescent lamp base and in turn carries the socket for the fluorescent lamp, so that there is a considerable overall height, which the lamp can then be used for for many purposes makes unsuitable.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mounting unit of the type mentioned at the outset, which makes it possible to use fluorescent lamps with a base on one side in luminaires which have conventional light bulb holders and which have the lowest possible structural height and a diameter such that they are not substantially larger than a bulb socket.

This object is achieved in that the incandescent lamp base receives an insert as a socket for the base of the fluorescent lamp and the ballast with a ring core concentrically surrounds the part of the base protruding from the incandescent lamp base up to approximately the glass of the fluorescent lamp and is connected to the insert.

Here, the incandescent lamp base is used as a socket for the base of the fluorescent lamp, while the ballast with its ring choke surrounds the part of the base of the fluorescent lamp that protrudes from the bulb base in such a way that the lower part of the base of the fluorescent lamp with the thermally sensitive interference suppression capacitor or Starter is located in a cool area in the bulb socket and not in the area surrounded by the coil body and its toroid.

Such an assembly unit can be easily inserted or screwed into a conventional incandescent lamp holder and at the same time carries the ballast (choke) required for operating the fluorescent lamp and, if appropriate, also the starter therefor, which can also be arranged interchangeably. The choke surrounds the section of the base from which the contact pins protrude and which is located adjacent to the glass tubes. Furthermore, it is located outside the bulb holder, is arranged concentrically to it and practically does not hinder the light emission, but rather leads to a light control. The outer diameter of the choke corresponds essentially to that of the incandescent lamp holders, so that there is also protection against contact, which is important because of the high ignition voltage when screwing in the assembly unit with a fluorescent lamp already inserted. The use of the incandescent lamp base, which receives the base of the fluorescent lamp, extends almost to the ceramic insulator of the incandescent lamp base, so that the base of the fluorescent lamp is predominantly taken up by the incandescent lamp base and thus a full use of space is achieved in addition to the cool arrangement of the thermally sensitive parts. It is expedient if the toroid has two coils arranged on opposite sides. In the case of an oval base, the coils can be arranged in the longitudinal region of the oval base. With a square base, a toroidal coil on the toroidal core can be useful.

The insert is preferably connected to a jacket that receives the ballast. In particular, the ballast is provided with the jacket by casting, for which purpose, for example, a thermoset is used which is cast with low pressure. The insert can be connected to the jacket via a snap connection. If necessary, the casing with the ballast can also be arranged such that it can be adjusted in height in relation to the insert. For this purpose, the insert can be provided with a toothing into which a latching cam of the jacket engages.

Furthermore, the jacket can have spring-loaded extensions which snap into place behind retaining cams of the base. The insert can also have spring-preloaded tongues which extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the bulb base and engage behind the base's retaining cams and clamp the base. The tongues can also be isolated metal springs which are supported in use. The extensions or tongues can also be spring-biased by spring contacts for contacting the contact pins.

In particular, the insert accommodates contact springs for contacting the contact pins in an intermediate space which is closed except for insertion openings for the contact pins and bushing openings for lines or contact plates. In this case, the space to the outside in the direction of the fluorescent lamp can be covered by a base, which is optionally formed in one piece with the jacket. The contact springs can be leaf springs, which can also be angular.

The toroidal core can consist of sheets with a section in the shape of a sector of a circle and an arcuate section, two gaps being provided in each case. The toroidal core can be at least partially attached to a coil former be arranged, wherein the arcuate sections can each be arranged in a coil body, on which the coil is wound and two units thus formed are combined to form a choke coil, in particular via a toothing, the coil bodies fixing the gaps.

In particular, the toroid consists of sheets laminated in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the incandescent lamp holder in the form of a parallelogram and can also be designed as a winding core, in particular a band for winding can be used which is provided with slots in such a way that they are arranged one above the other during winding in order to to form the air gap. The slots arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the band are delimited on the edge by narrow webs. The toroidal core as well as the coil and the jacket at the end facing away from the bulb base can be designed to widen conically outwards, wherein the conical widening of the jacket can be stepped all around and optionally mirrored.

In particular, a switchable bimetallic fuse is provided, which can be arranged in the space between the insert and the bulb socket, the bimetallic fuse can be connected to a switch arranged on the insert, which can be actuated by inserting and removing the fluorescent lamp. In particular, however, the bimetallic fuse can be switched on manually or by inserting the fluorescent lamp.

A space can be provided between the insert and the bulb socket for receiving electronic components, a preheating transformer, a capacitor or electronic components of a twilight switch. The insert can have a plug connection for a starter for the fluorescent lamp to be inserted therein.

The insert can accommodate a coupling piece, which is designed as a plug corresponding to the base and carries two sockets for fluorescent lamps in tandem and optionally a starter for this. The coupling piece can have a mounting plate which faces the two sockets towards one another and carries them offset with respect to their central axis, so that the fluorescent lamps can be inserted parallel to one another in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the mounting unit. The coupling piece can also carry a mounting plate with arms bent backwards in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the mounting unit, to which the two sockets are fastened, so that the fluorescent lamps can be inserted parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axis of the mounting unit.

Finally, the ballast can instead of a coil body with coil core made of a printed circuit, which is circular on the outside and oval on the inside with an oval base, which comprises a DC converter with push-pull circuit and pulse generator and a current limiting capacitor.

Further embodiments of the invention can be found in the description below.

• Fig. 1 zeigt eine Montageeinheit für eine einseitig gesockelte Leuchtstofflampe mit ovalem Sokkel und zwei Leuchtstoffröhren im Schnitt.
• Fig. 2 zeigt die Montageeinheit von Fig. 1 in einem demgegenüber um 180° gedrehten Schnitt.
• Fig. 3 zeigt eine Ansicht entsprechend der Linie 111-111 von Fig. 1 ohne eingesetzte Leuchtstofflampe.
• Fig. 4 zeigt eine Ansicht entsprechend der Linie IV-IV von Fig. 2 ohne eingesetzte Leuchtstofflampe.
• Fig. 5 zeigt ein Schaltbild für die Schaltung der Leuchtstofflampe und deren Drossel in der Montageeinheit.
• Fig. 6 zeigt eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Montageeinheit für eine einseitig gesockelte Leuchtstofflampe mit ovalem Sockel im Schnitt.
• Fig. 7 zeigt einen Schnitt längs der Linie VI-VI von Fig. 6 ohne eingesetzte Leuchtstofflampe.
• Fig. 8 zeigt eine Ausführungsform einer Montageeinheit für eine einseitig gesockelte Leuchtstofflampe mit etwa quadratischem Sockel im Schnitt.
• Fig. 8a zeigt eine alternative Anordnung eines Thermoschalters.
• Fig. 9 zeigt eine Draufsicht auf eine Montageeinheit von Fig. 8 bei eingesetzter Leuchtstofflampe.
• Fig. 10 zeigt einen Schnitt bzw. eine Ansicht gemäß der Linie X-X von Fig. 8.
• Fig. 11 bis 13 zeigen verschiedene Ausführungsformen für Drosselkerne.
• Fig. 14 veranschaulicht die Herstellung eines Bandes für einen Bandkern.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the attached figures.

• Fig. 1 shows a mounting unit for a fluorescent lamp with an oval base and two fluorescent tubes on one side in section.
• FIG. 2 shows the assembly unit of FIG. 1 in a section rotated by 180 °.
• Fig. 3 shows a view along the line 111-111 of Fig. 1 without a fluorescent lamp inserted.
• Fig. 4 shows a view along the line IV-IV of Fig. 2 without the fluorescent lamp inserted.
• Fig. 5 shows a circuit diagram for the circuit of the fluorescent lamp and its choke in the mounting unit.
• 6 shows a further embodiment of a mounting unit for a fluorescent lamp with an oval base and a base on one side, in section.
• Fig. 7 shows a section along the line VI-VI of Fig. 6 without the fluorescent lamp inserted.
• FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a mounting unit for a fluorescent lamp with a base that is capped on one side, with an approximately square base in section.
• 8a shows an alternative arrangement of a thermal switch.
• FIG. 9 shows a top view of an assembly unit from FIG. 8 with a fluorescent lamp inserted.
• FIG. 10 shows a section or a view along the line XX from FIG. 8.
• 11 to 13 show different embodiments for choke cores.
• 14 illustrates the manufacture of a tape for a tape core.

The assembly unit shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises an incandescent lamp base 1 with a base contact 2, which is fastened by means of an insulator 3 in an Edison thread 4, for example E 27 or E 40, and from which a line 5 leads away. Instead, a bayonet base can also be used.

The Edison thread 4 also receives an insert 6 made of plastic. The insert 6 serves to receive the lamp base 7 of a linear fluorescent lamp 8 (for example Phillips PL lamp) with a base on one side, which in the illustrated embodiment has an oval two-pin base 7 (G 23, G 32 or the like) in which the starter for the Fluorescent lamp 8, which has two glass tubes 9 arranged next to one another and connected to one another, is accommodated. The lamp base 7 is provided on two opposite sides in each case with a contact pin 10, each below a glass tube 9, which extend downward, while holding cams 11 are provided on the other opposite sides of the lamp base.

The insert 6, which projects beyond the Edison thread 4, has a base receptacle 13, which has a base 12, the receptacle thereof shaft corresponds to the dimensions of the lamp base 7 and each has an incision 14 in the area of the holding cams 11. The base receptacle 13 is connected via a circumferential web 15 to two anchoring sections 16 which anchor the insert 6 in the Edison thread 4. The anchoring sections 16 are connected in the area of the edge of the Edison thread 4 with an annular insert section 17, which forms an intermediate space 18 with the base receptacle 13, which receives two contact springs 19, the leaf springs in the illustrated embodiment, which are guided by web-shaped guides 20 and in the area of opposite corners of the base receptacle 13 are arranged in the intermediate space 18.

The contact springs 19 are connected via lines 23 to two coils 24, one of which is connected to line 5 and the other is connected to the Edison thread 4 via a line 25. The circuit results from FIG. 5, 26 being the heating filaments of the fluorescent lamp 8, 27 the starter and 28 the interference suppression capacitor for the fluorescent lamp 8. 15 openings are provided in the web for the implementation of the lines 5 and 25.

The choke coils 24 have a ring-shaped core 29 which essentially consists of two sectors 30 in the form of a circle in plan view, which are connected to one another by arcuate sections 31, around which the two coils 24 are wound, so that the choke thus formed practically has the shape of a outside circular cylinder section. The coils are located on the opposite long sides of the oval section 7 'of the lamp base 7 and surround the latter when the fluorescent lamp 8 is inserted. The sections in which the windings are arranged are somewhat higher than the areas in which there are no windings . In this embodiment, the sheets of the core 29 are layered one above the other in the axial direction.

The throttle is surrounded by a plastic jacket 32, which is open on its underside and is provided in the area below the sections 30 with snap lugs 33 which are snapped into two anchoring parts 34 of the insert 6, as a result of which the jacket 32 is held on the throttle. Slits 35 are provided in the jacket 32 in the upper side thereof, which result from the formation of the undercuts of the snap noses 33 during spraying and can optionally be used for fastening a reflector. Furthermore, slots 36, 37, which extend in the axial direction, are optionally provided on the outer and inner circumference of the jacket 32, so that the jacket 32 springs better. On the inside, the jacket 32 is provided in the region of the incisions 14 with tongues 38 which are extended inwards and which cover the spring contacts 19 to the outside. The spring contacts 19 press the tongues 38 inwards, so that when a fluorescent lamp 8 is used, the tongues 38 are first pressed inward against the force of the spring contacts 19 by the holding cams 11, then snap behind the holding cams 11 and thereby hold the fluorescent lamp 8 . In the area adjacent to the base receptacle 13, the jacket 32 has a bottom 39 with openings 40 for the insertion of the contact pins 10. By inserting the socket 7 and thus inserting the contact pins 10 into the insert 6, a stiffening thereof also takes place, which leads to the additional Securing the snap lugs 33 with the anchoring parts 34 leads.

In those areas on the underside of the casing 32, in which there are no anchoring parts 34, the casing 32 overlaps corresponding radially extending sections 41 of the insert 6, which carry the anchoring parts 34, so that the throttle is encompassed and protected on all sides.

The core 29 preferably consists of metal sheets which have at least one air gap 42. In particular, two air gaps 42 are provided diagonally opposite one another in the area where the sections 30, 31 adjoin one another, so that two packages can be formed. The sections 31 are expediently arranged in each case within a very thin-walled bobbin (not shown) made of plastic and wrapped with the corresponding coil 24. The two coil units formed in this way can then be glued together to form the choke coil or can be joined together via corresponding extensions or toothings 22 on the metal sheets or coil bodies, which engage in corresponding incisions in the other. The bobbins are expediently used to fix the column 42 by filling the column 42.

For thermal reasons, it may be appropriate to wikkein the coils 24 on the parallelogram-shaped cores 29, so that there are corresponding chokes, which have an increased heat dissipation area, but are not enlarged in scope, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is shown. The core 29 is hereby produced in the form of a band core, the turns of which are staggered towards one another outwards and are then provided with a corresponding incision to form a gap 42. In this way, much more iron can be accommodated, and the funnel then formed by the jacket 32 around the fluorescent lamp 8 offers advantages in terms of lighting technology. The tape core is wound essentially in an elliptical shape, while the coils 24 in the central region preferably have more windings than the edge region, as can be seen from FIG. 7.

In addition, the free space between the Edison thread 4 and the insert 6 can be used to hold electronic components, such as those for increasing the mains frequency, interference suppression and other capacitors, switchable bimetallic fuses, electronic components for twilight switches or the like.

According to Fi ^g . 6 is, for example, a switchable bimetal fuse in this free space below brought, which has a plastic insert 50, on which a bimetallic spring 51 and a counter contact 52 are attached. In addition, the bottom 12 is designed as a flap by providing a groove 53 extending over three sides thereof. Normally, the bimetallic spring 51 is in contact with the mating contact 52. However, at the end of the life of the fluorescent lamp 8, when it begins to generate more heat, the bimetallic fuse switches the fluorescent lamp 8 off by the bimetallic spring 51 jumping away from the mating contact 52. Before a new fluorescent lamp 8 is inserted, the flap-like base 12 is simply pressed down by the user with a corresponding object, as a result of which the bimetallic spring 51 comes into contact with the counter contact 52 again. After inserting the new fluorescent lamp 8, it can then be put into operation.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the insert 6 serves to receive a lamp base 7 of a linear fluorescent lamp 8 with a base on one side, which has four glass tubes 9, which are arranged on the approximately square lamp base 7, which has two contact pins which are located diagonally opposite one another 10 is provided, although this embodiment - adapted accordingly - can also be used in a fluorescent lamp 8 with two glass tubes 9 in accordance with the previous exemplary embodiments.

Here, the base receptacle 13 is anchored via an anchoring section 16, by means of which the base receptacle 13 is screwed into the Edison thread 4, and thus the insert 6 in the Edison thread 4, the insert 6 being fixed to the circumferential bottom web 15 of the ring-shaped and pot-shaped insert section 17 is supported on the upper edge of the Edison thread 4. The contact springs 19 are supported by pin-shaped lugs 20 on the bottom web 15.

The intermediate space 18 receiving the contact springs 19 is closed off by a cover 60 inserted into the insert section 17 to the underside of the approximately square section 7 ′ of the lamp base 7. A sliding contact 23 is connected on the one hand via a thermal switch 62 to the Edison thread 4 and on the other hand via a sliding contact 61 to the winding 24, which is also connected via a sliding contact 61 and a sliding contact 23 to one of the contact springs 19, the second contact spring 19 being connected to the Line 5 is connected. The sliding contacts 23 are led out through openings in the insert section 17 below the cover 60 on opposite sides. Openings are provided in the bottom web 15 for carrying out the line 5 or the spring contact of the thermal switch 62. While one of the sliding contacts 23 with a resilient end engages with one of the contact springs 19 in the intermediate space 18 under prestress, the other sliding contact 23 is supported with its free end in the intermediate space 18 on the base web 15 and is in operation with a contact rivet a corresponding contact rivet at the free end of the spring contact of the thermal switch 62 in engagement.

The throttle is surrounded by a plastic jacket 32 which is open on its underside, with slots 23 being provided adjacent to the sliding contacts for inserting the sliding contacts 23. The jacket 32 is closed on the underside by an annular base 63, two sliding contacts 61 being arranged opposite one another on the base 63 with upwardly directed legs which are in line with the sliding contacts 23.

The insert section 17 has, on opposite sides in the area comprising the section 7 'of the lamp base 7, a toothing 64 approximately in the form of a toothed rack, while the respectively facing side of the jacket 32 is provided with a locking cam 65 such that the jacket 32 with the throttle with respect to the insert section 17 and thus with respect to the lamp base 7, the contacting being ensured via the legs of the sliding and sliding contacts 23, 61 which extend in the direction of adjustment and are in engagement with one another. The toothing 64 is limited at the top and bottom by a stop section. The adjustability enables adaptation to different frame heights and spotlight dimensions.

The jacket 32 rises obliquely outwards from its inner edge in order to reflect radiation and in particular also heat radiation so that the choke is not additionally heated by radiation from the fluorescent lamp 8. Rather, this results in a larger radiating area of the choke, as a result of which the fluorescent lamp 8 remains cooler and its efficiency is thereby improved. For this purpose, circumferential steps 66 can be formed on the conically widening surface 65a of the casing 32 and, if necessary, a metallization can be provided.

The base receptacle 13 has a resilient tongue 67 opposite each other in the area of the sliding contacts 23. When the fluorescent lamp 8 is inserted, its holding cams 11 press the tongues 67 outwards. To make this possible, the sliding contact 23 which is not coupled to the thermal switch 62 is provided with a resilient free end adjacent to the tongue 67. By inserting the spring contact of the thermal switch 62, which was in the dashed position, is brought into contact with the associated sliding contact 23 by the adjacent tongue 67 in the position shown in solid lines. At the end of the life of the fluorescent lamp 8, the thermal switch 62 then interrupts this contact and returns to the dashed position as a result of the heating that occurs.

The thermal switch 62 can also, as shown in Fig. 8a, be arranged on the upward edge of the jacket 32 so that it can be actuated manually via a corresponding tongue 68 in the jacket 32.

On the upper edge of the casing 32, fastening devices such as insertion holes 69 for a light-directing attachment can also be provided, if necessary. The jacket 32 with the throttle can also be provided on its upper side with slots for the sliding contacts 23, so that it can be mounted rotated through 180 °.

The core 29 can, as shown in FIG. 8, consist of several concentric sections with increasing height, which consist of stamped ferrite sheets, the necessary gap being punched if necessary, cf. 11. Instead, it is also possible to use a core 29 which is wound and manufactured as a tape core by separating a strip in the form of an elongated rectangle from a corresponding tape material and then stretching it along a line 70, see diagonally to the central longitudinal axis. 14, is cut through, so that two identical halves are formed, from each of which a core 29 is wound, the gap of which is possibly produced by stamping, FIG. 13. Also, a body made of a ferrite material (iron and at least one other metal and Oxygen) and an iron material (mixture of insulated iron powder and hardenable plastic as a binder) can be used as the core 29.

In particular, the band-shaped strip from which the core 29 is wound can be provided with slots 71 during punching in such a way that they come to lie one above the other during the winding and form the required air gap. If necessary, two air gaps can also be provided. The narrow webs remaining at the edge when punching the slots 71 are insignificant for the throttle operation.

It is also possible to use a ballast that does not have a choke coil, but consists of a printed circuit, which is oval and externally substantially elliptical in shape with an oval base 7 and has a DC-DC converter, through which the mains voltage is rectified and by means of a push-pull circuit and Pulse generator is converted to a high frequency (eg 10 kHz). At the same time, the output voltage is increased to the ignition voltage. After ignition, the current is limited by a capacitor which is connected in series with the transformer of the DC converter and the fluorescent lamp.

Claims (11)

1. A mounting unit for fluorescent lamps (8) having a base at one end, the base (7) being substantially oval or square and having contact pins (10), and further comprising an incandescent lamp base (1) and, connected thereto, a ballast unit consisting of a coil (24) and a core (29), characterised in that the incandescent lamp base (1) receives an insert (6) as a holder for the base (7) of the fluorescent lamp (8) and an annular core (29) of the ballast unit surrounds that part (7') of the base (7) which projects from the incandescent lamp base (1), the said core (29) surrounding said part (7') concentrically to the incandescent lamp base (1) and approximately as far as the glass (9) of the fluorescent lamp (8), said ballast unit being connected to the insert (6).

2. A mounting unit according to claim 1, characterised in that in the case of an oval base (7) the windings of the coil (24) are disposed in the longitudinal zone of the oval base (7).

3. A mounting unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the insert (6) is connected to a casing (32) for receiving the ballast unit.

4. A mounting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the insert (6) has tongues (67) which extend transversely of the longitudinal axis of the fluorescent lamp (8) and which engage behind retaining lugs (11) of the base (7).

5. A mounting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the insert (6) receives contact springs (19) for contacting the contact pins (10) in an intermediate chamber (18) which is closed except for entry apertures (40) for the contact pins (10) and passage apertures for leads or contact laminations (5, 23, 25).

6. A mounting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the annular core (29) consists of laminations which in section are stacked parallelogram fashion in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the incandescent lamp holder (1) and is more particularly a wound core.

7. A mounting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the annular core (29) and the coil (24), together with a casing (32) receiving the same, are constructed so as to widen out conically at the end remote from the incandescent lamp base.

8. A mounting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the insert (6) receives a coupling member which is constructed to match the base (7) and carries two holders for fluorescent lamps (8) in a tandem circuit and, if required, the starters for the same.

9. A mounting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the annular core (29) consists of an iron material of a mixture of iron powder particles insulated from one another and interconnected by a plastics binder.

10. A mounting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that instead of a coil with a core the ballast unit consists of a printed circuit which, in the case of an oval base (7), is externally circular and internally elliptical, said printed circuit comprising a DC converter with a push-pull circuit and pulse generator, together with a current limiting capacitor.

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