EP3719385B1 - Electric candle - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an electric candle which is made up of a lamp base and a cylindrical lamp body. The cylindrical lamp body is aligned vertically and determines the appearance of a candle, which lights up at its upper end and merges into a lamp base at the lower end to accommodate and hold the electric candle.

Such electric candles can be used in a chain of lights, which can be used in general, for example, for the festive lighting of Christmas trees or decorative objects. The electric candles are preferably used to illuminate star-shaped lampshades and decorative objects.

Various configurations of electric candles are already known in the prior art.

From the DE 20 2005 018 998 U1 For example, an electric candle with an on/off switching function emerges. A non-contact proximity switch is provided to switch the candle on or off. Furthermore, the candle body has a cylindrical shape, which has a flame-like configuration at its upper end in order to produce the character of a candle-like illumination.

Furthermore, from the DE 20 2006 005 111 U1 an electric candle with an inductive charger. The electric candle has a flame-shaped, transparent luminous body at the upper end of the cylindrical hollow body, in which a lighting device with an LED and a rechargeable battery is housed as energy storage.

A candle with a rechargeable battery or battery-powered electrical supply is also out of the DE 203 06 723 U1 out. This battery or accumulator-operated candle is designed as a replacement for ordinary candles in such a way that it can be accommodated by a commercially available Christmas tree candle holder and the Christmas tree can thus be electrically illuminated as a safer alternative to burning candles.

the US 2015/285 487 A1 relates to an incandescent bulb, and in particular to an incandescent bulb of the type that includes one or more energy efficient lighting devices such as light emitting diodes. A problem to be solved is that the amount of heat generated by the lighting means, such as light-emitting diodes, is quickly conducted away from the lighting device. For this purpose, a combination of a lightbulb and a lamp holder is provided, in which the lightbulb comprises a number of light-emitting diodes which are mounted on a mounting platform which is arranged in a globe of the lightbulb. The mounting platform is mounted on and in thermally conductive engagement with a heat transfer element that is within and in thermally conductive engagement with an Edison screw-threaded first-coupling element also made of thermally conductive material so that the heat generated by the light emitting diodes is conducted through the mounting platform, the heat transfer element and the first coupling element is guided into the bulb holder.

From the US 2010/177 522 A1 an LED lamp is known which has a base, a tube conductor, a light bulb and at least one LED. The base is metallic and has an electrical connection. The tubular conductor is with filled with a liquid and mounted on the base and has a distal end and a proximal end. The bulb is transparent and connected to the base. The at least one LED is attached to the distal end of the tubing and is electrically connected to the terminal of the base. The fluid in the tubular conductor can vaporize near the operating temperatures of the LED, so that heat is transported away from the LED quickly and efficiently, so that high-power LEDs or multiple LEDs can be implemented, thereby improving the brightness of the LED lamp and commercial applications will.

The electric candles according to the prior art have various disadvantages depending on their design. Often the lamps used, which are mainly based on LED lighting technology, cannot be used optimally in terms of their electrical connection values. In addition, the electrical energy stores, the batteries and accumulators, lead to a restriction in the use of the electric candles due to their weight. The object of the invention is therefore to provide an electric candle that can be used in commercially available light chains and with common electrical connection values and that can also take advantage of the use of LED lighting technology. The advantages of LED lighting technology are seen in particular in the fact that the lamps get by with very little electrical energy and are also very light thanks to the use of electronic components. Furthermore, LEDs have a very long service life with a correspondingly high number of switching operations and high energy efficiency.

The object is achieved by an electric candle with the features according to patent claim 1. Further developments are specified in the dependent patent claims.

The appearance of the candle is created in particular by the arrangement and concentration of the luminous area at an upper end of the cylindrical candle, which is usually arranged vertically, whereas the non-luminous lamp base is designed to be accommodated in a corresponding lamp socket at the other lower end.

The shaft inside the candle body is particularly advantageously designed as a circular cylinder in its extension area and as a cuboid in the lighting area, with the cuboid having two square end faces. With a square face, the cuboid transitions into the extension area at the end and the other face forms the distal boundary of the shaft, which is equipped with the light sources as a light area.

The lighting means are preferably evenly distributed on the side surfaces of the cuboid and also arranged on the distal end surface of the lighting area of the shaft.

Two lamps are particularly preferably arranged on each side face of the cuboid and on the distal end face.

Advantageously for the candle-like effect of the electric candle, the lighting area is shorter than the extension area, so that the lighting effect occurs in the upper area at the end, where the flame is designed with the lighting effect of conventional candles.

An alternative configuration (not according to the invention) is that the shaft with the lighting area for accommodating the lighting means is made in one piece and is made of aluminum or plastic. The one-piece configuration of the shaft achieves good heat absorption and dissipation from the lighting means, which are arranged on the surface of the lighting area of the shaft and are in thermal contact with it.

The shank according to the invention is designed in two parts, with the shank having a core made of aluminum, which is encapsulated with plastic. In the lighting area, the aluminum is preferably not encapsulated by plastic, so that the lighting means are applied to the aluminum core and are in thermally conductive contact with it in order to dissipate the heat. The lighting means are particularly preferably in the form of LEDs which are glued onto the lighting area of the shaft. The use of LEDs represents a particularly energy-efficient light source for the electric candle, and gluing the LEDs to the shaft is an advantageous manufacturing arrangement and fixation of the illuminants in a lamp, which also leads to good thermal contact.

According to an advantageous embodiment, at least one feed groove is formed in the extension area of the shaft for feeding electrical lines from the lamp base to the electrical lamps, which are located in the lighting area at the opposite end of the shaft and must be electrically contacted from the lamp base.

According to the invention, the end region of the lamp envelope opposite the lamp base is rounded and closed at the end, so that the parts of the lamp carrying electrical current are protected from external influences, such as moisture and dust.

Especially with regard to the mechanical strength and resilience of the electric candle, the lighting area with the lighting means is surrounded in the longitudinal direction by a transparent fixing layer, which surrounds the lighting means in a form-fitting manner and holds it to the lighting area.

Equally advantageously, the lengthening area is surrounded by a decorative fixing layer in the longitudinal direction, in order to ensure the mechanical strength of the entire upper and, moreover, with the decorative fixing layer, the possibility of an attractive aesthetic design is achieved as a side effect.

Preference is given to the fixing layers, the transparent fixing layer, which of course has to let the light generated by the lighting means pass through to the outside in the lighting area, and the decorative fixing layer in the form of a shrink tube.

The lighting means on the distal end face of the lighting area of the shaft are designed with only 70% of the luminous flux of the lighting means on the side surfaces of the lighting area. By dimming the lamps on the A uniform result of the light emission is achieved on the front surface, which on the one hand reduces the glare effect for the viewer of the electric candle and on the other hand contributes to a more uniform illumination when used in star-shaped lampshades.

The electric candle is operated with a voltage of 6.0 volts to 6.3 volts and an output of 0.5 watts to 0.6 watts and has a luminous flux of 50 lumens to 70 lumens.

The lamp envelope is preferably made of polycarbonate, the lamp envelope being particularly preferably clear in the lighting area of the shaft and provided with a frosted finish over the extension area of the shaft.

The lamp base is preferably designed as a so-called E10 base, as a result of which the electric candle can be used in conventional lamp sockets for light chains and the like.

Fig. 1:

Seitenansicht einer elektrischen Kerze,

Fig. 2:

Schaft der elektrischen Kerze in der Seitenansicht und

Fig. 3:

Draufsicht auf die Stirnfläche des Schaftes.

Further details, features and advantages of embodiments of the invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the associated drawings. Show it:

Figure 1:

side view of an electric candle,

Figure 2:

Shaft of the electric candle in side view and

Figure 3:

Top view of the face of the shank.

In 1 an electric candle 1 is shown in a side view.

The electric candle 1 consists essentially of a lamp body 3 and a lamp base 2, on which the lamp body 3 is placed and connected to it. A base of the type E10 is designed as the lamp base 2 . The lamp body 3 is surrounded on the outside by the Lamp envelope 4, which is designed as a hollow cylinder. The lamp envelope is transparent, at least in the area of the illuminants 9, in order to emit the light generated to the outside. The lamp envelope 4 is made of polycarbonate in the illustrated embodiment.

The lamp envelope 4 is connected to the lamp base 2 on one side and has an end region 6 on the other side, which is rounded and closed and thus delimits the electric candle 1 at the top.

Inside the lamp envelope 4 there is a shaft 5 which extends essentially over the entire length of the lamp envelope 4 and is arranged coaxially with the lamp envelope 4 and which can be functionally divided into two areas. The area of the shaft 5 from the lamp base 2, or placed on the lamp base 2, upwards is referred to as the extension area 7, which then merges into the lighting area 8 at the end. The luminous area 8 of the shaft is arranged in the end area 6 of the lamp envelope 4 . The arrangement of the lamps 9 in the lighting area 8 of the shaft 5 and thus their local concentration in a partial area of the electric candle 1, namely the area of the electric candle 1 opposite the lamp base 2, leads to the candle-like appearance of the lamp.

The light sources 9 are arranged in the lighting area 8 in such a way that the light is emitted outwards through the lamp envelope 4, whereby, depending on the specifics of the LED light sources 9 used, there is also emission not only in the radial direction, but also obliquely upwards and downwards he follows. The transparent or at least opaque lamp envelope 4 allows the decorative fixing layer 12 that surrounds the extension region 7 of the shaft 5 to shine through.

In 2 the shaft 5 of the electric candle 1 is shown separately in side view. The shaft 5 is divided into the extension area 7 and the Illuminated area 8, where the illuminated area 8 is generally designed to be smaller than the extension area 7 in the axial extent. The luminous area 8 serves to accommodate the luminous means 9 and the illustration shows that the luminous area 8 in the region of the luminous means 9 is surrounded by a layer, the transparent fixing layer 11, which is shown in dots. The transparent fixing layer 11 surrounds the lighting means 9 and holds them in a form-fitting manner on the lighting area 8 of the shaft 5 . In addition, the lighting means 9 are designed as LEDs, preferably glued onto the shaft 5 in the lighting area 8 . The extension area 7 is surrounded by a decorative fixing layer 12 which, in addition to its function of decorative and aesthetic design, also enables the electrical connection lines to be fixed in place. The electrical connecting lines, not shown, in the extension area 7 of the shaft 5 are laid in a feed groove 10 and are used to supply the lighting means 9 with electrical energy from the lamp base 2 . The shaft 5 is received and held on one side by the lamp base 2 and the electrical connections extend from the lamp base 2, guided in the feed groove 10, over the extension area 7 to the lighting area 8, where the lighting means 9 are contacted with the lines. The decorative fixing layer 12 envelops the shank 5 in the extension area 7 and thus stabilizes the position of the electrical lines in the feed groove 10. In the extension area 7, the shank 5 is preferably designed as a circular cylinder made of solid material. The shaft 5 made of plastic (not according to the invention) is produced in an injection molding process in a particularly preferred and cost-effective manner. The lighting area 8 is designed in a special way to accommodate the lighting means 9 . For this purpose, it is particularly favorable to provide a flat surface for thermal contact, with which the LEDs can be connected over the entire surface as the lighting means 9 . This serves to dissipate heat as much as possible from the LEDs into the shaft 5 .

The design according to 2 is in plan view of the distal end face of the shaft 5 according to 3 shown. The representation according to 3 shows the design of the luminous area 8 in cross section as a square. Whereby according to the design of the thermal management of the electric candle 1, other shapes of the polygon than a pentagon or hexagon can also be advantageously designed. It is decisive in each case that the lighting means 9 are connected to the lighting area in a thermally conductive manner over their entire surface.

The shaft 5 is designed as a heat sink, which absorbs and dissipates the waste heat from the lamps 9 in the lighting area 8 with appropriate thermal contact with the lamps 9, in order to then partially radiate it via the extension area 7 or transfer it to the lamp base 2 by means of heat conduction and heat transfer derive. A very efficient embodiment is that the shaft 5 is made of aluminum, which realizes excellent heat conduction. For reasons of cost, the shaft is made of an aluminum core which can be contacted directly with the lighting means 9 in the lighting area 8 . The extension area 7 is overmoulded with a plastic. The solid material of the shaft 5 itself already absorbs a large part of the heat and distributes it within the shaft so that local overheating in the area of the lighting means 9 cannot occur.

Reference List

1

Electric candle

2

lamp base

3

lamp body

4

lamp shell

5

shaft

6

end area

7

extension area

8th

luminous area

9

bulbs

10

feed groove

11

Transparent fixing layer

12

Decorative fixing layer

Claims (13)

1. An electric candle (1), consisting of a lamp base (2) and a cylindrical lamp body (3), wherein the lamp body (3) is composed of an at least partially transparent outer hollow cylindrical lamp envelope (4) with a rounded distal end area (6) closed at the end and an inner shaft (5) essentially extending across the length of the lamp envelope (4), wherein the shaft (5) has an extension area (7) and a light-emitting area (8) with light-emitting means (9) at the end, and the light-emitting area (8) of the shaft (5) is arranged in the end area (6) of the lamp envelope (4), and the shaft (5) is formed of a solid material as a heat sink for absorbing heat from the light-emitting means (9) and is in thermally conductive contact with the lamp base (2), wherein the shaft (5) is formed in two parts with a core made of aluminum which is insert-molded with a plastic material, wherein the light-emitting area (8) consists of aluminum.
2. The electric candle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the shaft (5) is formed as a circular cylinder in the extension area (7) and as a cuboid with two square end faces in the light-emitting area (8).
3. The electric candle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the light-emitting means (9) are arranged on the side surfaces of the cuboid and on the distal end face of the light-emitting area (8) of the shaft (5).
4. The electric candle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the light-emitting area (8) is shorter than the extension area (7).
5. The electric candle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the light-emitting means (9) are formed as LEDs and the LEDs are bonded to the light-emitting area (8) of the shaft (5).
6. The electric candle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one feed groove (10) is formed in the extension area (7) of the shaft (5) for guiding electrical lines from the lamp base (2) to the electric light-emitting means.
7. The electric candle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the lamp base (2) is formed as an E10 base.
8. The electric candle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the light-emitting area (8) with the light-emitting means (9) is surrounded by a transparent fixing layer (11) in the longitudinal extension.
9. The electric candle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the extension area (7) is surrounded by a decorative fixing layer (12) in the longitudinal extension.
10. The electric candle (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the fixing layer (11, 12) is formed as a shrink tube.
11. The electric candle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the light-emitting means (9) on the distal end face of the light-emitting area (8) of the shaft (5) are formed with 70% of the luminous flux of the light-emitting means (9) on the side surfaces of the light-emitting area (8).
12. The electric candle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the light-emitting means (9) have a voltage of 6.0 V to 6.3 V, a power of 0.5 W to 0.6 W and a luminous flux of 50 Im to 70 Im.
13. The electric candle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the lamp envelope (4) is formed of polycarbonate.

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