EP0395514A1 - High safety connector and high tension lamp assembly, particularly for car lighting - Google Patents

Abstract

The lamp (100) and the connector (200) comprise at least two connection elements (130a, 130b; 220a, 220b) which are electrically conductive and complementary for supplying the lamp. The assembly is characterised in that there is provided, in a not immediately accessible region (216) of the connector, a conductive component (270) which, in the absence of external stress, establishes a mutual electrical contact between the said connection elements of the connector, and in that the lamp carries at least one actuating element (140a, 140b) which, when the said lamp is correctly installed in the connector, stresses the said conductive component in such a way as to interrupt the electrical contact between the said connection elements of the connector. Application to the improvement of safety during handling of headlight arc lamps. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a connector and high-voltage lamp assembly, in particular for a motor vehicle headlamp, which comprises means to avoid any risk of electric shock to the user when the lamp is removed from the connector or incorrectly positioned on it. -this.

Arc lamps, which have an excellent light output, currently tend to be used in vehicle headlights as a replacement for conventional filament lamps.

The use of this type of lamp is however disadvantageous in that they require for their power high electrical voltages, and more precisely a voltage of the order of ten thousand volts for their ignition, and a voltage of the order of 80 volts for maintaining the arc once established.

It is therefore understood that these lamps and their associated connectors must be handled with the greatest care to avoid any risk of electrocution, for example if the user's fingers accidentally come into contact with the metal parts carrying the supply current.

In this respect, the major risk is, for a user who has not been informed and who has been accustomed for a very long time to filament lamps with very low voltage, that he will take no particular precaution for the handling of this new type of lamp and its connector. .

There is therefore a need to ensure that such a user will in no case incur a risk of electric shock.

The present invention aims to propose an original solution to this problem. Thus, it offers a set of connector and high-voltage lamp, in particular for automobile lighting, the lamp and the connector comprising at least two electrically conductive and complementary connection elements for supplying the lamp, characterized in that there is provided in a region not immediately accessible from the connector a conductive member which, in the absence of external stress, establishes mutual electrical contact between said connector connection elements, thereby shorting said elements connection, and in that the lamp carries at least one actuating element which, when said lamp is correctly placed in the connector, urges said conductive member so as to break the electrical contact between said connector connection elements.

Preferably, the conductive member, when it is stressed, deforms elastically. It advantageously comprises an elastic blade, one end of which is permanently fixed to a first conductive element for supplying current to the lamp and the other, free end of which is opposite a second conductive element d 'current feed, the actuator or members exerting their stress on a surface of the blade located between said ends.

The actuating element at least provided is preferably constituted in this case by an electrically insulating rigid rod extending parallel to the direction of the lamp positioning movement, and said region not immediately accessible is then advantageously an internal cavity of a body of the connector and in that there is provided at least one passage for introducing the rigid rod at least provided in said cavity.

Advantageously, the lamp of said assembly is an arc lamp of a motor vehicle headlamp.

The invention also relates to a motor vehicle lighting device, characterized in that it comprises a connector and lamp assembly as defined above as well as a lamp supply circuit comprising protection means against short circuits.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe verticale axiale d'un ensemble connecteur/lampe dont le connecteur est conçu conformément à l'invention, dans une première position relative,
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe verticale axiale de l'ensemble de la figure 1, dans une seconde position relative, et
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe transversale de l'ensemble des figures 1 et 2.

Other aspects, aims and advantages of the present invention will appear better on reading the detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of nonlimiting example and made with reference to the attached drawing, on which :

• FIG. 1 is a view in axial vertical section of a connector / lamp assembly, the connector of which is designed according to the invention, in a first relative position,
• FIG. 2 is a view in axial vertical section of the assembly of FIG. 1, in a second relative position, and
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of all of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, there is partially shown an arc lamp 100 which comprises a sealed envelope 110 and a base 120. Two electrical connection pins 130a and 130b carried by two studs 132a, 132b integral with the base extend parallel towards the back of the base. Two rigid electrically insulating rods 140a and 140b also extend rearward, parallel to the pins 130a and 130b, over an axial extent substantially greater than said pins. The purpose of these rods is to ensure a stable positioning of the lamp and possibly, by providing an asymmetrical arrangement, to take the place of polarizers to ensure that the lamp is placed in its correct orientation.

In the present example, the pins and the rods are essentially cylindrical, and their respective axes are respectively contained in two axial planes, vertical for the pins and horizontal for the rods.

The connector 200 comprises a body 210 of insulating material such as plastic, which has a generally cylindrical shape. At the front of the body 210 are provided, at the bottom of a cavity 212 for receiving the studs 132a, 132b, two cylindrical passages 214a, 214b for the reception of pins 130a, 130b, as well as two cylindrical passages (not visible) for rods 140a, 140b. These passages comprise, as female connection elements intended to cooperate with said pins, two metal sleeves 220a, 220b flared forward (to the right in FIGS. 1 and 2) to facilitate the introduction of pins 130a, 130b during the fitting of the lamp 100.

A first conductive element 230a has a generally L-shaped profile, the first branch of which extends radially, is fixed to the respective sheath 220a, for example by welding, and the second branch of which extends axially and defines at its end. free a male terminal 232a able to receive a female terminal 240a constituting a first current supply to the lamp and connected to a suitable supply by a first flexible conductor 250a.

Similarly, a second conductive element 230b is substantially symmetrical with the first with respect to the horizontal axis A and provides the electrical connection between the second sheath 220b and a second female terminal 240b for supplying current, by defining for this purpose at l free end of its axial branch a complementary male terminal 232b. The female terminal 240b is connected to the second terminal of an appropriate supply by a second flexible conductor 250b.

The conductors 230a, 230b and the lugs 232a, 232b and 240a, 240b are housed in an interior space 216 of the connector body 210, this space being practically inaccessible to the user, in order to avoid any risk of electrocution by voltages. high conveyed by the various conductive parts for the supply of the arc lamp. The cylindrical passages of pins and rods, mentioned above, pass through the body to the cavity.

A suitable plug 260, produced for example using a hot-cast insulating material, virtually inviolably closes the internal cavity 216 by the rear, by simply letting the flexible conductors 250a, 250b pass.

According to the invention, means are provided in this lamp / connector assembly for establishing a short circuit between the two current leads provided in the connector as soon as the lamp 100 is withdrawn from said connector or improperly positioned thereon.

In the embodiment described and shown, these means comprise a metallic short-circuiting member 270, made in one piece and which extends inside the cavity 216. In practice, the electrical connection between the sheath 220b and the current supply is provided both by the conductive element 230b and by a part of this member, as will be seen below.

In terms of mechanical construction, the short-circuiting member 270 has a "U" shaped profile comprising two radial branches extending from a base which extends parallel to the axis A. More specifically, a first branch 270a constitutes the radial branch of the conductive element 230b, and is welded to the sheath 220b at its upper end. The base 270b of the "U" is applied tightly against the conductive element 230b, which is here limited to its only axial branch, by means of a screw 280 which passes through the elements 230b and 270 and cooperates with a thread formed in said base 270b. The screw, capable of being brought to a high potential, is masked by an insulating cap 290.

o Element 230b extends to the left until the male terminal 232b. Thus the current path between the sheath 220b and the terminal 232b is provided here, permanently, by the branch 270a of the member 270, the base 270b and the conductive element 230b, these last two parts being joined one to the other. the other at screw 280.

The second branch of the short-circuiting member 270 has, as shown in FIG. 3, a part main 270c of generally triangular shape, which is connected to the base 270b by a tab 270d.

The regions of the two vertices of the triangle which are adjacent to the tab 270d constitute support zones for the free ends of the rods 140a, 140b of the lamp 100. The region of the third vertex, opposite to said tab 270d, is located in screws -vis the radial branch of the first conductive element 230a and is in the form of a recess 270e directed towards said branch.

The shape of the part 270 without solicitation is such that, when it is placed in the cavity 216 as shown in FIG. 1 and fixed with the screw 280, its recess 270e comes to apply elastically against the radial branch of the element 230a and the underlying sheath 220a, thereby short-circuiting the two current leads within the connector. This can be obtained for example by ensuring that in the absence of stress, the main plane of the tab 270d and of the part 270c makes an angle slightly less than 90 ° with the plane of the base 270b.

The lamp / connector assembly as described above behaves as follows: when the lamp 100 is not placed in its connector 200 (FIG. 1), then the member 270 as just indicated ensures a short circuit between the two current leads in the connector, and therefore between the two sleeves 220a, 220b forming female connectors. The difference in potential between these two elements is therefore zero and there is no risk of electric shock if, accidentally, the user's fingers come into contact with the accessible ends of said sleeves.

When the lamp 100 is placed in its connector 200, then the two rods, after having entered the cavity 216 through their respective passages, play the role of actuating or biasing elements of the conductive member, their free ends coming press against the triangular blade 270c which then deforms elastically in the direction of arrow F, against the elastic force which previously ensured the short circuit. FIG. 2 illustrates the situation in which the lamp has almost reached its final position, and it can be observed that, under the effect of the aforementioned stress, the recess 270e has left the conductor 230a, the two current leads being now isolated from each other. The lamp 100 can therefore be supplied normally.

It is clear that, in order to obtain the desired behavior over an extended period, the short-circuiting member 270 must be made of a metal or alloy endowed with good elasticity qualities, to avoid any permanent deformation liable to harm the restoration of the short circuit when the lamp is removed again.

It can be noted here that with the arrangement described, the short circuit is maintained at least until the two pins 130a, 130b, already in electrical contact with the associated female elements, are no longer accessible to the fingers of the user, being masked by the beginning of the penetration of the studs 132a, 132b in their associated cavities of the body 210 of the connector.

It may further be noted that the short circuit which ensures the safety of the user is established not only when the lamp is completely removed, but also when it is incorrectly positioned on the connector.

Of course, a lamp / connector assembly according to the present invention must be used in conjunction with a power supply comprising specific means for its protection when its two output terminals are short-circuited. It is indeed imperative that, when the lamp 100 is removed or comes to occupy an incorrect position while the power is on, the latter does not undergo any degradation due to the establishment of the short circuit within the connector.

Advantageously, means of protection against short circuits can be used as described in the French patent application filed on the same day as the present application by the Applicant and entitled "Motor vehicle lighting device comprising means of protection against short circuits ".

Of course, the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, but a person skilled in the art will know how to make any variant or modification in accordance with his spirit. Thus, given the high degree of security offered by the invention, it is possible without prejudice, contrary to what is described, to provide the male connection elements on the connector and the female connection elements on the lamp.

Thus the pins of the connector, although very easily accessible, will be short-circuited in the event of removal of the lamp and therefore devoid of any danger.

Claims (7)

1. High voltage connector and lamp assembly, in particular for automotive lighting, the lamp (100) and the connector (200) comprising at least two connection elements (130a, 130b; 220a, 220b) electrically conductive and complementary for the supply of the lamp, characterized in that there is provided in a region (216) not immediately accessible from the connector a conductive member (270) which, in the absence of external stress, establishes mutual electrical contact between said elements connection of the connector, thus short-circuiting said connection elements, and in that the lamp carries at least one actuating element (140a, 140b) which, when said lamp is correctly inserted in the connector, urges said conductive member so as to break the electrical contact between said connector connection elements. 2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductive member (270), when it is stressed, deforms elastically. 3. An assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the conductive member (270) comprises an elastic blade (270c, 270d, 270e) of which a first end (270d) is permanently fixed to a first conductive element (230b) d '' current supply to the lamp and the other end (270e), free, is vis-à-vis a second conductive element (230a) for supplying current, the actuating member or members exercising their stress on a surface of the blade situated between said ends. 4. Assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the actuation element at least provided is constituted by a rigid rod (140a, 140b) electrically insulating extending parallel to the direction (A) of the positioning movement of the lamp. 5. Assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that said region which is not immediately accessible is an internal cavity (216) of a body (210) of the connector and in that at least one passage for introducing the rigid rod at least provided in said cavity. 6. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lamp (100) is an arc lamp of a motor vehicle headlamp. 7. A motor vehicle lighting device, characterized in that it comprises a connector and lamp assembly according to claim 6 as well as a lamp supply circuit comprising means for protection against short-circuits.

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