EP0488924A1 - Signal lamp and process for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Signal lamp intended in particular to be mounted on boards or cards or serving as luminous indicators, the said lamp comprising essentially: - a miniature incandescent bulb (1) with an output through conductive wires (2); - a bulb-receiving body (3) comprising electrical contacts (8) for connection with the supply circuits; - means of connecting between the conductors and the electrical contacts, consisting of a crimping and solder, characterised in that the crimping (10) and the solder (11) are effected at different locations. <IMAGE>

Description

• une ampoule miniature à incandescence avec sorties par fils conducteurs,
• un corps récepteur d'ampoule, comportant des contacts métalliques pour la liaison avec les circuits d'alimentation,
• des moyens de liaison entre les conducteurs de la lampe et les contacts métalliques consistant en un sertissage et une soudure.

The present invention relates to an improvement made to signaling lamps intended in particular to be mounted on plates or cards and serving as indicator lights, said lamps essentially comprising:

• a miniature incandescent bulb with outputs by conductive wires,
• a bulb receiving body, comprising metal contacts for connection with the supply circuits,
• connecting means between the lamp conductors and the metal contacts consisting of crimping and soldering.

The invention also relates to a method for the manufacture of such lamps. Lamps of this type and their receiving body (or base) are in themselves well known in particular from patent EP 310,792.

At the connection between the conductors and the electrical contacts, it is customary to carry out a crimping between the wire coming from the bulb and the electrical contact of the receiving body on the one hand, as well as a complementary welding at the level precise crimping.

This design has the disadvantage that the welding, once carried out, does not allow to visualize the effectiveness of the crimping.

On the other hand, the soldering can sometimes call into question the crimping itself. Thus, it has already been proposed to perform the soldering and crimping at separate locations as in US Patent 2,794,176. However, the result obtained cannot be transposed to the specific field of signaling lamps, because there is a risk of ruptures of wire. The invention aims to remedy these drawbacks.

• une ampoule miniature à incandescence avec une sortie par fils conducteurs,
• un corps réducteur d'ampoule, comportant des contacts électriques pour la liaison avec les circuits d'alimentation,
• des moyens de liaison entre les conducteurs et les contacts électriques consistant en un sertissage et en une soudure, caractérisé en ce que le sertissage et la soudure sont opérés à des endroits différents, une courbure étant donnée aux fils à la base du sertissage sur le contact.

In accordance with the invention, an improvement is proposed to this end for signaling lamps intended in particular to be mounted on boards or cards or serving as indicator lights, said lamps essentially comprising:

• a miniature incandescent bulb with an output by conducting wires,
• a bulb reducing body, comprising electrical contacts for connection with the supply circuits,
• connecting means between the conductors and the electrical contacts consisting of crimping and soldering, characterized in that the crimping and soldering are carried out at different locations, a curvature being given to the wires at the base of the crimping on the contact .

We can thus visualize the effectiveness of each of the operations

The subject of the invention is also the general method consisting in carrying out, on lamps of this type, soldering and crimping at separate locations.

• la figure 1 est une vue de dessus d'une ampoule et de son support ;
• la figure 2 est une coupe selon A-A de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une coupe selon B-B de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 4 est une vue de dessous du support d'ampoule ;
• la figure 5 est une vue en élévation latérale de la lampe de la figure 1, au niveau des ergots de blocage ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en élévation latérale de la lampe de la figure 1, au niveau des contacts électriques extérieurs du support.

The invention will be better understood using the description given below of a preferred embodiment, given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a top view of a bulb and its support;
• Figure 2 is a section along AA of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a section along BB of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is a bottom view of the bulb holder;
• Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the lamp of Figure 1, at the locking pins;
• Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the lamp of Figure 1, at the external electrical contacts of the support.

The lamp according to the invention is intended in particular, but not limited to signaling by mounting on printed circuit boards, lamp cards or to serve as indicator lights.

It consists of a miniature filament light bulb with wire exit with a luminescent body (1) which is housed in place without being subjected to maintenance constraints (which can come from metal contacts or from the plastic body).

Conductors (2) are used to supply the current, which support the luminescent body (1) and hold it in place, themselves being possibly caught in an adhesive. They come out at the base of the lamp bulb.

It also includes a plastic body (3) with a means for receiving the bulb (chamfered housing at the entrance allowing penetration and installation of the bulb without tightening).

A rib (4) at the bottom of the body allows a clear separation of the two wire outputs of the bulb thus avoiding the risks of short circuit.

A circular flange (5) makes it possible to come to bear on the printed circuit during the fitting of the lamp support.

Two diametrically opposed lugs (6) allow, once that the rotation in abutment against the supports (7) has been carried out, to maintain the support in place on its plate and in its housing, thanks to the holding force applied by the contacts (8).

An ergonomically shaped base (9) facilitates manual mounting of the assembly on the card as well as selection for automatic mounting.

Electrical contacts (8) made of a metallic and elastic material are axially aligned and inserted in housings provided for this purpose in the plastic body (3).

They allow the electrical connection between the printed circuit board and the wire outputs of the bulb. According to the invention, each of the contacts is fixed, for this reason, to one of the wire outputs by a crimping (10) then a solder (11), which are carried out so that they are offset one with respect to the other, this in order to avoid any harmful interaction between the two operations.

A curvature (12) is given at the base of the crimping on the contact in order to avoid any risk of cutting the wire outlets on the contacts at this location due to their curvature.

• une paire d'ergots de retenue (13) permettant l'engagement des contacts dans le corps et empêchant leur sortie grâce à l'orientation de leur pliage.

The contacts are held inside the plastic body by two different elements:

• a pair of retaining pins (13) allowing the engagement of the contacts in the body and preventing their exit thanks to the orientation of their folding.

A resin is optionally injected into the bottom of the support through an orifice which may be provided on the bottom of the latter, after insertion of the "contact bulb" assembly into the body, or else, injected through the top of the support before insertion of the whole, all this in order to meet a possible specification, as regards the resistance to the extraction forces applied to the bulb.

A vertical fold (14) is made on the contact in order to avoid contact with the glass of the bulb, and therefore the stresses which may result.

An elastic beam (15) completed with a spherical stamp gives the necessary contact pressure on the circuit where the lamp is placed in order to ensure the electrical connection between the two.

Claims (2)

Signaling lamp intended in particular to be mounted on plates or cards and serving as indicator lights, said lamp essentially comprising: - a miniature incandescent bulb (1) with outputs by conductive wires (2), - a bulb receiving body (3), comprising metal contacts (8) for connection with the supply circuits, - connecting means between the lamp conductors and the metal contacts, consisting of a crimping and a soldering, characterized in that the crimping (10) and the soldering (11) are carried out at different places, a curvature ( 12) being given to the wires at the base of the crimping on the contact. Method for producing a signal lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists in carrying out crimping and welding of the conductive wire at places offset from one another, with a curvature at the base of the crimp.

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