IL94319A - Adaptor for fluorescent lamps - Google Patents

Description

ADAPTOR FOR FLUORESCENT LAMPS η·ρΐΊΊΝΊΪ>£) ηΐΊ.Ί-li? οκηη Jhe present invention relates to an adaptor for miniature fluorescent lamps.

Because of their comparatively low power consumption and high yield, use of these lamps is increasing and would be far more widespread if it were not for the fact that these lamps operate in conjunction with ballasts that are relatively bulky and heavy, which makes their use in lighting fixtures designed for incandescent lamps somewhat problematic.

Attempts were made to solve this problem by providing various kinds of adaptors. The solutions proposed were, however, too specific to be a viable alternative to the basically simple incandescent lamp: A special adaptor for pendant lamps that was unsuitable for desk and wall lighting fixtures, an adaptor for wall fixtures that could be used neither for desk lamps nor for pendants or ceiling fixtures, and so forth.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior-art devices and to provide a multi-purpose adaptor that will adequately serve all the above applications, thus reducing the stock of different adaptor types to be kept by dealers, while permitting users to enjoy a variety of applications.

According to the invention, this is achieved by providing an adaptor for a fluorescent light source, comprising a multi-part housing having a neck portion and a body portion, a socket member attachable to said body portion and serving for the electrical connection and the mechanical retention, in said socket member, of said light source, a space in said body portion for accommodating a ballast, Input connector means at least partly located in said neck portion, and output connector means located in said socket member.

The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures so that it may be more fully understood.

With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 1s an exploded view of a first embodiment of the adaptor according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a front view of the first housing half; Fig. 3 is a side view, in cross section, as seen in direction of arrow A; Fig. 4 is a partial rear view of the first housing half; Fig. 5 is a front view, to an enlarged scale, of the neck portion of the first housing half; Fig. 6 is a view in cross section along plane VI-VI in Fig. 2; Fig. 7 shows a top view of the first housing half in assembly with the second neck-portion half; Fig. 8 is a rear view of the second neck-portion half; Fig. 9 is a side view in direction of arrow B in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 represents a top view of the second neck-portion half; Fig. 11 is a schematic drawing illustrating the wiring of an adaptor according to the invention having an Edison-type base cap; Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a ceiling socket for the adaptor according to the invention; Fig. 13 illustrates a wall mount for the adaptor as well as a cover for the fluorescent lamp; Fig. 14 represents a variant of the wall mount, with the lamp socket on top, and Fig. 15 shows a socket for the adaptor when used as a pendant lamp.

Referring now to the drawings, there is seen in Fig. 1 a first half 2 of a multi-part or split housing, which half consists of a body portion half 4 and a first half 6 of a neck portion. Further seen is a second half 8 of the split housing, the body portion half 10 of which complements the body portion half 4, except for the detached second half 12 of the neck portion.

A choke or ballast 14 is accommodated partly in the body-portion half 4 and partly in the body-portion half 10. Upon assembly, the second half 12 of the neck portion is attached to the first half 6 by means of a screw 16.

Further provided is a socket portion 18 which accommodates the fluorescent lamp (not shown). The socket portion 18 has a flange-like rim 20 by means of which it is retained in an appropriate groove 22 in the lower ends of the body-portion halves 4 and 10.

Also shown are a pair of input connectors 24 seated in appropriate recesses in the neck-portion half 6 and a pair of output connectors 26 seated in recesses provided in the socket member 18.

Also provided is a retaining spring 28, fixedly seated in the socket member 18, which serves to securely retain the plug-in fluorescent lamp.

After the adaptor has been fully assembled, including the internal wiring, the two halves 2 and 8 are ultrasonically welded to one another.

In the following are more detailed descriptions of the above-mentioned components of the adaptor according to the invention.

The first housing half 2, illustrated in Figs. 2 to 7, is seen to comprise a ledge 30 which is designed to support the ballast 14. Laterally, the location of the ballast is defined by two upright strips 32 and towards the rear, by two ribs 34. Upwards, the ballast 14 abuts against two canti levering strips 36.

The second housing half 8 is substantially identical with the first half 2, except that, as already mentioned, it has no neck portion.

For proper alignment of the housing halves 2 and 8 after assembly of the adaptor and prior to the above-mentioned welding operation, dowel pins 38 are provided which, in Fig. 1, are seen projecting from the face of the housing half 8. Four holes 40 are provided in the housing half 2 for these pins to fit into. Two additional dowel-pin holes are seen to be located in the neck portion 6 and serve for proper register, upon assembly, of the second neck-portion half 12.

In the rear view of Fig. 4 there is seen an elongated projection 42 (see also Fig. 3). Further seen are three bosses 44 located at the lower end of the neck portion 6. The function of the projection 42 and the bosses 44 will be explained further below.

The neck portion 6 is seen to better advantage in the enlarged view of Fig. 5, showing a central projection 46 (see also Fig. 3), which serves for the attachment, by means of a screw 16 (Fig. 1), of the second neck-portion half 12. Seen are also two recesses 48 on either side of the projection 46 which serve to accommodate the input connectors 24 (Fig. 1), indicated by dash-dotted lines. A groove 49 is provided which passes from the outside of the neck portion 6 into one of the recesses 48, the purpose of which groove will become apparent further below.

When the adaptor according to the invention is used for a pendant light fixture, a way must be found to take its relatively heavy weight (which is due to the ballast) off the ends of the electrical leads retained in the input connectors 24 by screws only. This is effected by means of relatively sharp-edged clamping fingers 50 (Fig. 6) which include between them a tapering gap 52 into which, upon assembly, is wedged the plastic insulation of the pendant cable. The pressure required for this wedging action is supplied by a finger 54 which is part of the second neck-portion half 12 shown in Fig. 7 in the assembled position.

Another feature of the adaptor according to the invention, illustrated in Fig. 7, is an elongated opening 56 formed on the top surface of the adaptor between the neck portion half 6 of the first housing half 2 and the second neck portion half 12. This elongated opening is formed by cutouts 58 and 60, aligned upon assembly, in the first neck-portion half 6 on the one hand, and in the second neck portion half 12, on the other. As can be seen in Figs. 5 and 9, these cutouts are undercut, and the elongated opening serves as the female member of a bayonet joint whereby the adaptor is connected to various attachments to be discussed further below.

The second neck-portion half 12 is illustrated in Figs. 8-10.

In Figs. 8 and 9 there is seen an elongated projection 62, which is the counterpart of the projection 42 in Figs. 3 and 4, with two important distinctions: First, while the height of the projection 42 above a given reference plane is h, the height of the projection 62 above the same reference plane is H, where h Also seen are a countersunk hole 64 for the screw 16 which enters the projection 46 in the first neck-portion half 6 to join the two neck halves 6 and 12, and the finger 54 (Fig. 10) which, as already mentioned, pushes the electric cable into the wedge-like gap 52.

The dowel pins 38 are advantageously made an integral part of the plastic molding of the neck-portion half 12.

The bosses 66 are the counterparts of the bosses 44 of the neck-portion half 6.

The important details of the socket for the miniature fluorescent lamp are clearly discernible in Fig. 1.

The internal features of the socket are standardized to fit the commercially available lamps. The output terminals 26 snap-fit into the recesses 27 and accommodate lamps with different types of contact-pin locations.

The flange 20 is provided with two notches 29 which match small ribs 23 in the peripheral grooves 22 in the lower ends of the body-portion halves 4 and 10, and is thus angularly defined relative to these halves. Not seen in the socket member 18 of Fig. 1 are a number of ventilation slots spaced along the periphery of the socket.

To substitute the adaptor according to the invention for an incandescent lamp in a standard socket, a lamp base cap 68 is provided (Fig. 11), carrying the standard Edison 27 thread. The cap, which is made of thin sheet metal and, therefore, has a similar thread also on its inside, is mounted on the assembled neck portions 6 + 12, utilizing the elongated projections 42,62 (Figs. 4,8). It will be remembered, that these projections are located at different heights (h, H) from a reference plane. This difference equals half the pitch of the Edison 27 thread, which pitch is 1/7", half of it being approximately 1.8mm. The two projections 42,46 thus serve as a partial male thread onto which the cap 68 can be threaded with its internal, female thread.

The electrical connections are illustrated in Fig. 11. A first lead a connects one of the input connectors 24 with the top contact 70 of the base cap 68. Another lead b leads from the same input connector 24 to one of the ballast terminals 15; a third lead c connects the other input connector 24 to one of the output connectors 26; a fourth lead d connects the other ballast terminal 15 to the other output terminal 26, and a fifth lead e electrically connects one of the input connectors 24 with the base cap sleeve 72. This particular lead must obviously be brought out from the interior of the adaptor, which is achieved by utilizing the above-mentioned groove 49 in the first neck-portion half 6 (Fig. 5). Emerging from under the rim of the cap sleeve 72, the lead e is advantageously soft-soldered to this rim.

To prevent relative rotation between the base cap 68 and the combined neck-portion halves 6, 12 after the connection of leads a and e, the rim zone of the sleeve 72 is advantageously crimped onto the assembled neck-portion halves 6, 12, utilizing the above-mentioned bosses 44 and 66.

The invention, however, also envisages components to be used in conjunction with the adaptor, which obviate the need for the Edison base cap and are also more appealing, aesthetically.

One such component is the ceiling socket 74 shown in Fig. 12. This socket has a dish-like body member 76 and a socket member 78. At its inside, this socket member is provided with a male member (not shown) of a bayonet-type joint, which matches the female member 56 that, it will be remembered, was described in conjunction with Fig. 7. The body member 76 is attached to the ceiling by means of two screws and, after the electrical leads have been attached to the input connectors 24 (Figs. 1, 5), the adaptor neck portion is inserted into the socket member 78, aligned by "feel" with the male bayonet member, pushed in as far as it will go, and given a clockwise turn. Stop means provided limit this turn to 90°, at which the bayonet joint is fully effective. Simultaneously, the projections 42,62 in conjunction with matching grooves in the socket (not shown) provide an additional bayonet joint. The orientation of the neck is uniquely determined due to the difference in length of the projections, whereas the difference in their heights helps to lock the joint.

Fig. 13 illustrates a wall bracket 80 comprising the above described bayonet joint arrangement. Also seen is a transparent or translucent cover 82 for the fluorescent lamp. To attach the cover to the body member of the adaptor, both halves 4 and 10 (Fig. 1) are provided with elongated recesses 45, into which snap elastic catches 84 provided at the rim of the cover 82.

While the cover 82 shown is substantially cylindrical, other geometries are also possible, e.g., the pear-like shape indicated in a dashed line, achievable by a combination of injection-molding and blow-molding.

The bracket-mounted adaptor of Fig. 14 is different inasmuch as it has no neck portion (the cap 86 serves for aesthetic purposes only) and is attached to the bracket 88 at the cylindrical surface of its body portion, with the socket portion pointing upwards.

To this end a hole 90 is provided in one of the body-member halves (see dash-dotted circle in Fig. 2), into which fits a hollow pin (not shown) in the concave end of the bracket 88. After wiring (the leads pass through the hollow pin), the bracket 88 is ultrason-ically welded to the body member.

Clearly, both wall-mounted embodiments can be used both in the lamp-down position as shown, as well as in the lamp-up position.

When used as a pendant lamp (Fig. 15), with the weight of the adaptor carried by the wire insulation in the above-explained manner, it is preferable from the aesthetic point of view to cover up the neck portions 6, 12 by means of a sleeve-like socket 92 which, advantageously, may also have the male bayonet-joint member mentioned in conjunction with Fig. 12.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (12)

- 14 - 94319/2 WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An adaptor for a fluorescent light source, comprising: a multi-part housing having a neck portion and a body portion; a socket member attachable to said body portion and serving for the electrical connection and the mechanical retention in said socket member of said light source; a space in said body portion for accommodating a ballast; input connector means at least partly located in said neck portion, and output connector means located in said socket member, characteriEed in that said neck portion is split in half, one half being integral with a part of said housing, the other half being fixedly attachable to said one half, and that said body portion is a split portion consisting of two halves which, after the mounting therein of said ballast, the attachment thereto of said socket member and the connection of said leads, are permanently and sealingly joined to one another.

2. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said ballast has two coil terminals, further comprising electrical leads for connecting one of said coil terminals to one of said input connector means and a second one of said coil terminals to one of said output connector means, and a third lead for connecting another one of said input connector means to another one of said output connector means. - 15 - 94319/2

3. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a threaded base cap fixedly mountable on said neck portion, electrically connectable to said input connector means and fitting standard threaded sockets for incandescent lamps.

4. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said neck portion halves carry at least one elongated projection each, adapted to engage the threaded inside of said threaded base cap.

5. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said neck portion has a top surface provided with an undercut recess, constituting the female member of a bayonet-type joint.

6. The adaptor as claimed in claims 3 and 4, further comprising a pendant socket provided with a male member adapted to engage said female member of said bayonet joint.

7. The adaptor as claimed in claims 3 and 4, further comprising a ceiling socket attachable to a ceiling and provided with a male member adapted to engage said female member of said bayonet joint.

8. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wall bracket to which said adapto is attachable. - 16 - 94319/ 3

9. The adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body portion is provided with at least one elongated recess close to the lower edge thereof for the connection thereto of an at least translucent cover for said fluorescent lamp.

10. An adaptor for a fluorescent light source, comprising: a multi-part housing including a body portion having a hole in a peripheral, cylindrical portion thereof; a socket member attachable to said body portion and serving for the electrical connection and the mechanical retention, in said socket member, of said light source; a space in said body portion for accommodating an electrical ballast having two coil terminals, and output connector means located in said socket member, characterized in that said body portion is a split portion consisting of two halves which, after the mounting therein of said ballast, the attachment thereto of said socket member and the connection of said leads, are permanently and sealingly joined to one another.

11. The adaptor as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a wall bracket having a concave end face substantially matching said peripheral surface of said body portion and a hollow, pin-like projection arising from said concave end face, which projection fits into said hole in said body portion. - 17 - 94319/1

12. An adaptor for a fluorescent light source according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings. for the Applicant: