GB2271891A

GB2271891A - Adaptor for fluorescent lampholder

Info

Publication number: GB2271891A
Application number: GB9222136A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Richard Archer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-10-21
Filing date: 1992-10-21
Publication date: 1994-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 2012-10-21
Also published as: GB2271891B; GB9222136D0

Abstract

An adaptor (100) for a fluorescent lamp holder has a male plug (102) of a first configuration, for example a PL type plug, and a female socket (104) of a second, different, configuration, for example a 2D type plug. The combination of plug and socket enables the adaptor (100) to convert a fluorescent lamp holder of a PL type which is adapted to receive connection means of a PL type fluorescent lamp into a lamp holder which is adapted to receive connection means of a 2D type fluorescent lamp. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO LIGHTING This invention relates to improvements in and relating to lighting.

Low-power fluorescent lamps are known and come in different kinds. Two common kinds are of compact fluorescent lamp the "PL" lamp and the "2D" lamp. The PL lamp has a rectangular male plug which fits into a complementary rectangular PL female socket in an appropriate lamp holder. The 2D lamp holder has a T-section male plug which fits into a complementary 2D female socket in an appropriate lamp holder.

According to a first aspect of the invention I provide an adaptor for a lamp holder comprising a male plug or a female socket of a first configuration and a female socket or a male plug of a second, different, configuration, thereby enabling the adaptor to convert a lamp holder having connection means of the first configuration adapted to receive complementary connection means of a lamp to accept and couple operatively to the lamp holder lamps having complementary connection means of the second configuration.

Thus an existing lamp holder can take lamps of different connection means fittings (eg PL or 2D) using the adaptor.

Preferably the adaptor is adapted to be carried by the lamp holder in place of a lamp.

Preferably the adaptor has a male plug of the first configuration and a female socket of the second configuration.

Preferably one of the first or second configurations is a 2D configuration and the other of the configurations is a PL configuration.

Preferably the adaptor has a body portion having a male plug extending to one side. The body portion is preferably. cylindrical, most preferably a squat, flat, cylinder. The body portion preferably has a housing formation extending to its other side, the housing formation defining a female socket. The plug and socket are of different configurations.

Preferably the male plug has a main stem portion, and at least one pin extending substantially parallel to the stem portion, but spaced from it. The plug preferably has gripping means adapted to hold it in the socket with which it co-operates. The pin may also assist in this.

According to a second aspect of the invention I provide a light unit having a lamp holder, an adaptor in accordance with the first aspect of the invention carried by the lamp holder, and a lamp carried by the adaptor.

According to a third aspect of the invention I provide a lamp holder which has integral with it an electronics conversion unit adapted to convert mains electricity supply to an electricity supply suitable to power a low-power fluorescent lamp.

Thus the third aspect of the invention allows low-power fluorescent lamps to be used in domestic situations without the need to incorporate a convertor in each lamp (which is wasteful because when the lamp fails the entire unit, including the expensive electronics, has to be thrown away), and without having bulky intermediate convertor units interposed between an existing lamp holder and the fluorescent lamp (this is unsightly).

Low-power fluorescent lamps are typically of 10 watts, or of 13 watts. Mains supply is 240 v at 50 Hz in the UK, but of course is different in other countries.

The lamp holder preferably includes a body portion having a conversion unit adapted to connect to an input supply of electricity and provide an output supply of electricity to coupling means adapted to connect a low-power fluorescent lamp releasably to the body portion.

The body portion may have a lamp holder skirt which surrounds the coupling means. The lamp holder skirt may have an axial length such that it extends axially to or beyond the axial extent of the coupling means. Alternatively, the coupling means may project beyond their axial extent of the lamp holder skirt. The lamp holder skirt may be releasably connectable to a skirt ring. The skirt ring is usually adapted to hold a lamp shade to the lamp holder, and the lamp holder skirt and the skirt ring are usually screw-threaded.

The skirt ring may be cylindrical, or it may be flared.

The skirt ring could take the place of a lampshade.

The lamp holder may be a pendant lamp holder adapted to hang from an electrical cable, or a batten lamp holder adapted to be fastened to a surface, such as the ceiling, or a lamp holder adapted to be part of a table, standard, or reading lamp or the like.

We may supply a kit comprising a lamp holder body, and one or more skirt rings. The kit may also include one or more low power lamps.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention I provide a light unit having a lamp holder in accordance with the first aspect of the invention and a low power fluorescent lamp releasably connected to the lamp holder, the lamp having no power supply conversion electronics.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention I provide a method of reducing the cost of lighting comprising providing a lamp holder in accordance with the first aspect of the invention and using in the lamp holder low power fluorescent lamps which have no associated power supply conversion electronics.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention I provide a light unit comprising a lamp holder in accordance with the third aspect of the invention, an adaptor in accordance with the first aspect of the invention carried by the lamp holder, and a lamp carried by the adaptor.

Since the adaptor does not have power conversion electronics inside it it can be axially compact.

I may provide a kit comprising a lamp holder in accordance with the third aspect of the invention and an adaptor in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a top view of an adaptor; Figure 2 is a side view of the adaptor, with part of its skirt cut away; Figure 3 is a bottom view of the adaptor; Figure 4 is a side view of the adaptor at right angles to the view of Figure 2; Figure 5 shows an exploded view of a pendant lamp holder; Figure 6 shows the lamp holder of Figure 5 in an assembled condition; Figure 7 shows a schematic representation of a body member of the lamp holder of Figure 5; Figure 8 shows an exploded view of a batten lamp holder; Figure 9 shows the lamp holder of Figure 8 in an assembled condition; Figure 10 shows an alternative skirt ring for use with the lamp holders of Figures 5 and 8; Figures 11 and 12 show low-power fluorescent lamps of two different kinds;; Figure 13 shows a schematic representation of a body member of the lamp holder of Figure 8; Figure 14 shows a rear plan view of a body member of the lamp holder of Figure 8; and Figure 15 shows an alternative construction of a batten lamp holder.

An adaptor 100 for a lamp holder (such as those shown in Figures 5 to 15) comprises a cylindrical body portion 101, a male plug portion 102 extending upwards from the body portion, a housing formation 103 extending downwards from the body portion, and a plug 104 situated in the housing formation.

The body portion 101 has an upper surface from which six metal pins 107 extend in two rows 108 of three pins, one row to each side of the plug portion 102. The plug portion 102 has a rectangular cross-section - it is a PL plug cross section (the same plug section as PL low-power fluorescent lamps have at their connection portions adapted to be plugged into lamp holders with a suitable PL socket). There are two spring connection lugs 109 provided on the plug portion 102. These help to retain the plug portion in a PL socket when it is plugged into the PL socket. The connection pins 107 also assist in holding the adaptor in a PL socket of a lamp holder.

The housing formation 103 comprises a skirt 103a extending away from the body portion 102 which surrounds and encloses a recessed valley 103b. The housing formation surrounds a T-shaped plug 104 projecting from the valley 103b. Plug 104 is a 2D type plug of the same size and configuration as to complement a 2D low power fluorescent lamp. The plug 104 has a flat plateau 110 and side walls 111.

The plateau 110 of the plug is raised above the valley but not as far as the top of the skirt 103a. Four holes 112 for receiving pins are provided in the plug 104 to correspond with complementary pins on a 2D plug of a lamp. Lugs 113 (metal or plastics) are provided to help retain a 2D lamp in the housing formation 103. The body portion 101, plug portion 102 and housing formation 103 are formed from a unitary moulding of plastic. Alternatively the adaptor may be formed from more than one moulded piece.

The body portion 101 has internal electrical connections connecting the electrical contacts of the 2D plug 104 to the electrical contacts of the PL plug 102. Thus when the adaptor 100 is plugged into a lamp holder having a PL socket power is supplied to the 2D socket of the adaptor.

The adaptor 100 is particularly suited for use with another invention - a lamp holder with its own power conversion unit built into it to convert mains power to low power suitable for a low power fluorescent lamp. Such a lamp holder is described in co-pending Patent Application No GB 9211505.4, but will be described again in this application since it is envisaged that the combination of the present adaptor and such a lamp holder may be especially advantageous.

A pendant lamp holder 1 is shown in Figure 6 and comprises a body member 2 which has an upper externally screw threaded portion 3 and a lower externally screw threaded portion comprising a skirt 4, a top cover 6, and a releasable skirt ring 8.

In use an electrical power supply flex 5 extending downwards from a conventional light fitting, from for example a ceiling (not shown), is joined to the body member 2 to provide an electrical power supply to the lamp holder. The flex 5 passes through a hole in the top of the cover 6, which is internally screw threaded and which is slidably held upon the flex 5. The cover 6 can be screwed onto the upper portion 3 of the body member 2 to isolate electrical connections 7 between the flex 5 and the body member 2. The skirt 4 of the body member is received in the skirt ring 8 (as shown in Figures 5 and 6) its external threaded surface co-operating with a complementary screw thread on the inside surface of the skirt ring 8.The fully assembled pendant lamp holder 1 shown in Figure 6 has the body member 2 connected to flex 5 and cover 6 and skirt ring 8 screwed onto the upper and lower threaded portions. A part of a lamp shade is usually interposed between the skirt ring 8 and a shoulder of the body member and held there by the skirt ring 8.

The body member 2 is shown schematically in Figure 7 and comprises a central enclosure 9 between the upper portion 3 and skirt 4. Protruding out of upper portion 3 is an electrical connector 10 which is shown joined to the end of flex 5 in Figure 5. The connector 10 passes through the upper portion 3 and into the enclosure 9. Shown schematically inside enclosure 9 is a convertor 11 which is a package of electronics capable of converting 240 volt mains electricity into a power supply at a much higher voltage suitable for powering a fluorescent lamp. The skirt 4 has a socket 12 which is adapted to receive a connector region or fitting of a fluorescent lamp. The lamp could be of any suitable design, for example of PL, PLC, or 2D design. An electrical connector 13 extends from the convertor 11 inside the enclosure 9 into the skirt 4.Examples of fluorescent lamps 14 and 15 are shown in Figures 11 and 12 respectively. The lamp 14 has a plug 16 at one end which can mate releasably with the socket 12. When the lamp 14 is joined to the socket 12 the connector 13 makes electrical contact with contacts 17 at the end of the lamp 14. The lamp 15 is similar to the lamp 14, but of a different configuration. A plug 19 of the lamp 15 mates with the socket 12 in a manner similar to that described above for lamp 14 and a discharge tube 20 is disposed in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the pendant lamp holder 1.

An alternative embodiment for a lamp holder is shown in Figures 8 and 9 and is a batten lamp holder 21. A body member 22 has a screw threaded portion comprising a skirt 25 extending from a plate 26. A flat cover 24 with a central aperture that is large enough for the skirt 25 to fit through is placed over the body member 22 such that the cover 24 covers the plate 26 and the skirt 25 extends through the aperture in the cover 24. The cover 24 can be fixed to a wall or ceiling (not shown) by means of screws 23 thus holding the body member 22 between the cover 24 and the wall.

Once the skirt 25 is extending through the aperture a decorative washer 27 is screwed onto the skirt 25 to be adjacent to the cover 24 to hold the body member 22 firmly against the cover 24. Assembly of the lamp holder 21 is complete when an internally screw threaded skirt ring 28 is screwed onto the skirt 25.

The body member 22 contains within the plate 26 a convertor 29 (as shown in Figure 13) suitable for converting mains power to a power supply suitable for running a fluorescent lamp. Electrical connections 30 lead from the convertor into a socket 34 formed in the skirt 25. Further detail of the batten lamp holder is shown by the rear plan view in Figure 14. This shows the rear of the plate 26 surrounded by the cover 24.

The screws 23 are adapted to fit in two holes 23' in the plate. Further electrical connections lead to the rear of the plate 26 and form three holes 31, each adapted to receive an individual wire from an electrical power supply flex (not shown). The individual wires are held in the holes 31 by means of grub screws 32. Each of the holes 31 resides between two arms 33 of a three finned connector 10'. Batten lamp holders may be of an angled design such that a lamp held within the socket 34 is at a non-perpendicular angle to the wall or ceiling in which the lamp holder is fixed. Such a lamp holder is shown in Figure 15 and is basically similar in construction to that shown in Figures 8 and 9 and corresponding reference numerals have been applied to corresponding parts. A batten type lamp holder is capable of holding either of the lamps 14 and 15.

In the two embodiments of a lamp holder described above the lamp holder is constructed with an integral electronics convertor capable of converting mains electricity to a power supply that can power fluorescent lamps. Thus fluorescent lamps which do not have their own integral convertor unit can be used providing a cheap, low power and long lasting alternative to a filament lamp. The lamp holder as described is suitable to be used in a domestic or office environment running from a conventional mains supply.

When such a lamp holder is used in combination with an adaptor such as is shown in Figures 1 to 4 the lamp holder can accommodate PL or 2D lamps. Clearly the same principle can be applied to any lamp (eg PLC type). The adaptor is compact axially since it requires no power electronics - this is all in the lamp holder.

Claims

1. An adaptor for a lamp holder comprising a male plug or a female socket of a first configuration and a female socket or a male plug of a second, different, configuration, thereby enabling the adaptor to convert a lamp holder having connection means of the first configuration adapted to receive complementary connection means of a lamp to accept and couple operatively to the lamp holder lamps having complementary connection means of the second configuration.

2. An adaptor according to claim 1 in which the adaptor is adapted to be carried by the lamp holder in place of a lamp.

3. An adaptor according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the adaptor has a male plug of the first configuration and a female socket of the second configuration.

4. An adaptor according to any preceding claim in which one of the first or second configurations is a 2D configuration and the other of the configurations is a PL configuration.

5. An adaptor according to any preceding claim in which the adaptor has a body portion having a male plug extending to one side.

6. An adaptor according to claim 5 in which the body portion is a squat, flat, cylinder.

7. An adaptor according to claim 5 or claim 6 in which the body portion has a housing formation extending to its other side, the housing formation defining a female socket.

8. An adaptor according to any one of claims 5 to 7 in which the male plug has a main stem portion, and at least one pin extending substantially parallel to the stem portion, but spaced from it.

9. An adaptor according to any one of claims 5 to 8 in which the plug has gripping means adapted to hold it in the socket with which it co-operates.

10. An adaptor substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A light unit having a lamp holder, an adaptor in accordance with any preceding claim carried by the lamp holder, and a lamp carried by the adaptor.

12. A light unit having a lamp holder, an adaptor carried by the lamp holder, and a lamp carried by the adaptor, the light unit being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.