JPS61185911A - Production process for choke - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the field of lighting devices, and more particularly to a process for manufacturing a generally annular ballast choke and a process for manufacturing a generally annular ballast choke. and a winding machine suitable for use.

As is well known, lighting devices intended for use with fluorescent bulbs and other bulbs of the pallast choke type are often larger than lighting devices for relatively large incandescent bulbs. It is often desirable to reduce the dimensions of fluorescent and similar devices as significantly as possible, either to save space, or for cost saving or aesthetic reasons.

It is also preferred to obtain a device using a fluorescent bulb that can be used with a regular incandescent lampholder - preference 1. I-
Adapters designed in such a way as to obtain fluorescent lamps specifically designed for use in incandescent lamp installations have been proposed. For example, in U.S. Pat. 551,736 (Toner (Dos)
Hner) discloses a fluorescent lamp configured such that the fluorescent bulb is locked onto a ballast unit and has electrical connector pins that extend through passages provided within the ballast. The ballast unit also receives electrical connector pins from the terminal contact base. The base is externally threaded to screw into a conventional incandescent lamp screw socket. In that patent, the ballast unit includes a toroidal ballast choke and the connector pin passages extend through arcuate holes. A starter and a capacitor are located within the screw base unit.

Common methods for manufacturing such devices are expensive. This is because it is difficult to mass-produce toroidal chokes, and in particular, it is difficult to form windings on a toroidal core.

It would be desirable to provide a process for manufacturing toroidal chokes that is convenient, simple, reliable, and inexpensive.

It would also be desirable to provide a simple winding machine for use in the process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple, reliable, convenient and inexpensive method for producing a generally annular choke suitable for use in socket adapters or other lighting devices. It is about providing a process.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, reliable and suitable to be used for manufacturing a generally annular choke suitable for use in socket adapters or other lighting devices. The purpose is to provide a convenient winding machine.

681,002, filed December 13, 1984, co-pending and co-assigned with the present application; The device includes a housing having a recess for receiving the base of the light bulb, an electrical circuit including a pallast choke disposed within the housing, and electrical contact elements for connecting the electrical circuit to an external power source. Equipped with. If the device is a socket adapter, the device has an external fixation device for fixing itself to the socket. Preferably, the external circuit at least partially surrounds said recess, more preferably the parasto choke is annular and surrounds the recess.

According to the process of the invention, such a pallast choke provides a core made of magnetic material, a layer of electrically insulating material is formed on the core, and the core is divided into two layers each having a portion of the insulating coating. It is divided into pieces and each of the two pieces is covered with a winding of a conductor such that the covering insulates between the winding and the core.

Preferably, the insulating layer is formed by injection molding or by placing the core in a mold of flexible material, introducing the insulating material into the mold and allowing the insulating material to solidify before bending the mold to remove the core. , formed on the core.

The dividing step is preferably carried out after the step of providing the insulating layer, although this is not absolutely necessary. The two resulting chokes can be used separately or connected in series by mechanical bonding or other methods to effectively form a single choke with the shape of the original core. .

According to another aspect of the invention, means for supporting a curved magnetic core are supported filamentally around a portion of the core disposed in a predetermined position relative to a base supporting said winding means. A wire winding machine is provided comprising means for moving the core along a curved path through said predetermined location.

These and other objects, as well as the features of the invention, will be more clearly and fully understood from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments set forth below, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the examples, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a socket adapter 10 with a toroidal choke of the type that may preferably be manufactured by the process of the present invention. One type of typical fluorescent bulb is shown for illustrative purposes only and is compatible with an adapter. The figure illustrates the use of the valve. As shown in the figure, the adapter 10 has a single housing 12. The housing 12 of this embodiment shown in the same figure has a cylindrical main part 14 and a cylindrical main part 14 and a cylindrical main part 14. -I11 Japanese cypress J 2 2-hi→Misaki SE Tetsuni: 1-j15--Co-1-F18 Hollow 1 formed at the top of the main part 14 of the housing
The shape of 8 is determined so that the valve 200 base can be removably received therein. The illustrated bulb 20 is a fluorescent unit with a U-shaped glass enclosure in which light is generated by fluorescence. Both ends of the enclosure are mounted on a base. The base has a T-shaped shape when viewed from the side and has two electrical connector pins extending from the arms of the base. The recess 18 is shaped to receive substantially the entire base of a valve of the type for which the adapter in question is designed.

The palast choke used in fluorescent bulbs and other types of bulbs is provided within the cylindrical portion 14 of the housing 12 and is manufactured in the first illustrated adapter in an annular shape surrounding the recess 1B. The starting device and capacitor for the electrical circuit of the adapter 10 are preferably mounted on a cylindrical base 1
'6. A cylindrical conductive sleeve 22 matingly secured over the lower end of the cylindrical base 16 in a suitable manner.
is provided. Sleeve 22 is threaded on its exterior surface to allow adapter 10 to be screwed into a standard threaded socket of the type used for incandescent lamps. Sleeve 22 serves to achieve electrical contact with such sockets. Additional electrical contacts 24 are provided at the lower tip of the cylindrical base 10 and project through an opening in the sleeve 22. Contacts 24 are spaced apart from the conductive material of sleeve 22. In use, contact 24 makes electrical contact with another contact of the socket.

The recess 1B is formed to have a hole for receiving the connector pin of the valve 20. In the recess 1B, a hole is provided to allow the contact piece to contact the bottle.

The electrical connection of the aforementioned circuit elements (chokes, starters, capacitors, sleeves, tip contacts and contacts for the contact pins of the valves) is well known to those skilled in the art. An externally threaded sleeve 22 is connected to the winding of the choke and the other end of the choke is connected to the valve 20.
One of the connector pins is connected to a contact piece that is inserted into the socket. The other connector pin is received to engage a similar contact piece 21, which is connected to one terminal of each of the capacitor and starter. The other terminal of the capacitor and starter is connected to a tip contact 24 on the outside of the housing 12.

The toroidal ballast choke 30 used in the socket adapter of FIG. 1 is shown in FIGS. 2-4 and has conductive windings 32 on two magnetic cores 34, each winding 32 being shown in FIGS. In the embodiment, it forms approximately half of the ring. Each winding 32 is insulated from its respective core 34 by a layer 36 of insulating material, the reason for which the layer 36 remains as shown throughout the wire 340, as will be explained below.

One obstacle to the practical use of toroidal cores in pallast chokes has been the difficulty in manufacturing toroidal chokes reliably and at reasonably low cost. However, the illustrated choke can be manufactured easily, simply, reliably, and inexpensively (see FIGS. 5-10). First, a toroidal core of suitable conventional magnetic material is provided.

A steel tape-wrapped core is suitable. The toroidal core 34A is provided with a coating 36 of electrically insulating material,
The coating covers the tip, bottom, inner and outer surfaces of the ring.

However, only one surface is coated around the entire circumference of the ring, such as the inner surface 38 or perhaps more preferably the outer surface. The other three surfaces are coated in their entirety except for two preferably opposite locations 40. In its position 40, the core is exposed to the inner surface 38 or M!, as the case may be. Bn 1E W;'+ t-rut yi'U
If desired, the core can be left exposed on the entire surface at location 40.

Insulating layer 36 is preferably provided by injection molding. However, any other suitable method of formation may be substituted.

The most preferred method of forming the insulating sheath 36 is by injection molding an insulating material, suitably nylon, purely by way of example, into a molded shape that leaves exposed areas 40 at the desired locations around the core.

Another method is to pour the material into a mold that contains the core inside and is open at the top. In the latter case, the mold 64 is made of a flexible material, such as silicone, and is bent by some suitable means after the insulating material has solidified to release the core 34A and the insulating layer from the mold. Examples of such molds are illustratively shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In this figure, the mold part 41 for forming the exposed area 4° can be seen. Portion 41 also supports the core on the lower part of the mold. When using the preferred injection mold, the mold used is similar to that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, with modifications apparent to those skilled in the art.

According to another method, which is not preferred but is within the scope of the invention, the insulating layer is formed by immersing the original core in a bath of insulating material;
The resulting layer may be applied, for example, by drying in an oven and blowing off excess liquid. After cutting the core, spray insulating material powder onto the core,
During this time the core is heated to a high temperature and the edges are rounded to prevent damage to the windings as the core is formed.

The toroidal core then passes through the exposed position 40 to the 2
cut into two semicircular cores 34 as shown in the third figure.
Can be done. The cut is preferably accomplished by a milling machine. It has been discovered that this milling machine can make the cuts efficiently and at relatively low temperatures.

However, all other preferred methods may be substituted and are widely contemplated within the scope of the present invention. core 3
4 are then individually provided with their respective windings 32. Each of the cores 34 has an arcuate shape (as described above). That is, it has a centerline that defines a portion of a semicircle or other circle. The winding is applied in a very simple and economical manner. The arc 34 is supported by holding one end and rotated in the plane of the arc around an axis defined by the center of the arc, ie along the length of the core itself. While this movement is taking place, the wire is wound around the core to produce the desired winding 32. The ends of wire 50 are secured during the wire winding process by any suitable method known in the art. After the winding 32 is wound, the winding 3
The two terminals are permanently fixed in place by known means to provide two semicircular chokes. If desired, the cores of the two semicircular chokes can be joined by foil paper or other suitable known materials to again form a complete ring.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a preferred embodiment 60 of a winding machine preferably used to carry out the process of the invention supports as a basic element a curved, in particular semicircular, magnetic core 34. A support device 62, a base 6 for
core 34 placed in position 68 relative to 9;
Means 66 mounted on base 69 for winding winding 50 around a portion of
means TO for moving it along the path indicated by . The passageway 72 has a similar shape to the portion of the core 34 on which the winding is to be formed. In the example shown, the core is the passage 7
Like 2, it is semicircular.

Support 62 has a grip mounted on a vertical bar 74 . Vertical bar 74 is mounted to horizontal bar 76.

Horizontal bar 76 forms part of core moving means 70 . These will be explained below. The grip includes a first rod 78 fixed to rod 74 and a second L-shaped rod latched to rod T8 for movement along the length of rod 78, indicated by arrow A in FIG. It consists of 80 rods. For example, rod 80 is inserted into rod 7 by screw 82 passing through slot 84.
8. By loosening the screw 82,
Rod 80 is now movable in the direction of arrow A, thereby disengaging objects between rods 78 and 80 or sandwiching objects therebetween. By tightening the screw 82, the wedged object is held in place. In use, one end of core 34 is releasably clamped between rods 78 and 80.

The winding device 66 has an arm 90 that is mounted at one end on a base 92 and is rotatable about a horizontal axis.

The wire is drawn out from its source (not shown) through an opening 94 provided in the hollow interior of the arm 90 and at the free end of the arm 90. The free end of the heel 50 is preferably held by a support 62 which is secured to one end of the core by any suitable known means. Rotation of arm 90 by a motor system, shown schematically at block 96, winds the wire around a portion of the core located at position 6B.

To form a winding on a portion of the core along the length of the core, the support 62 is rotated about a vertical axis 98 while the arm 90 rotates, causing the portion of the core to rotate to position 68. It passes through and takes the wire from the arm 90. As shown, rod 7
6 supports the vertical shaft 74 at one end and supports the vertical shaft 9 at the other end.
Mounted to rotate around 8. Bar 7
The length of 6 is substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the semicircular core. A motor system 96 powers the movement of rod 76. Motor system 96 is within the skill of the art to
98 in either direction.

The linear density of the winding formed on the core (here, it means the number of turns of wire per unit length of the core) is determined by other factors as well, such as the rotational speed of the arm 90 and the core movement 76.
is determined by the ratio of the rotation speed around axis 98. Although this ratio is permanently set in the machine,
The machine can be used not only to form windings of different linear densities on cores of a given size and shape, but also to form windings on cores that differ in shape, size, or both. In order to achieve this, it is preferable to make the ratio variable. Such mounts may be provided by a variety of methods. First, the motor 96
It consists of two equally controllable motors, at least one of which has variable speed.
卆pu /lL ^ →-6 and hshi
= Using a single motor, such as a variable speed motor, and a variable ratio system consisting of cams and gears or the like. Using both strategies, a number of control systems can be provided if it is desired to control the motor speed and the start and stop points of each movement of rod 76 and arm 90. Suitable control and gear systems and similar systems are within the purview of those skilled in the relevant art. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is not essential to the invention that the choke 30 be designed to be substantially radially symmetrical. Various less convenient but still practical changes are possible based on design convenience and aesthetic reasons. In particular, the choke may not only be strictly toroidal but also annular, ie polygonal or elliptical or have other shapes.

Also, the two exposed parts 40 of the original toroidal core
Although it is not essential to the invention that the cores are radially opposed, their location makes it particularly easy to divide the core into two pieces. And by making the two pieces of the original core substantially the same size and shape, the wire winding process is simplified. However, either or both of the two cores 34 created by cutting the original core can define a circle of less than 180°, if desired, to facilitate manufacturing complexity. Similarly, one core can be cut by 180 degrees or less, and the other core can be cut by 180 degrees or more.

Also, separating the original toroidal core into two pieces is preferably done after applying the insulating layer, and this sequence is necessary in order to maintain its integrity in the tape-wound core. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to reverse this order.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, various changes and modifications thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto and not by the details of the embodiments described above.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a socket adapter of the type to which a fluorescent bulb preferably manufactured by the process of the present invention can be fitted, and the second factor is a front view of a toroidal ballast choke used in the socket adapter of FIG. , FIG. 3 is a plan view of the choke shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the pallast choke shown in FIG. 6 is a plan view of a mold containing the core of FIG. 5 to illustrate forming an insulating coating on the core according to an example of the process of the present invention; FIG. For example, after forming the insulating layer on the surface, the fifth
7 is a cross-sectional view of the mold of FIG. 6 taken along line 7--7 in FIG. 6; FIG.
Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the cores shown in Figure 6 divided into two. Figure 8 is a plan view of the two-part core of Figure 7 after winding. 10 is a side view of one embodiment of a winding machine used in a preferred embodiment of the process of the invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in FIG. [Explanation of symbols of main parts]

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. providing a layer of insulating material on a core of magnetic material; dividing said core into at least two pieces; and applying a conductive wire material to each said piece to form a respective winding. The manufacturing process of chiyoke includes the process of winding the wire. 2. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: 2. connecting each of the windings in series. 3. The process of claim 2, wherein the core is toroidal and the process further includes mechanically joining the pieces to form a complete ring. . 4. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of providing the layer is carried out before the step of dividing. 5. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of dividing is carried out before the step of providing the layer. 6. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the layer includes injection molding an insulating material to form the layer. 7. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the layer includes introducing an insulating material into a flexible mold to form the layer. 8. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the dividing step is carried out by milling. 9. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the core is annular. 10. The step of winding the wire includes winding the filament around a portion of the core supported by a base, a support portion that supports the core, and the support portion that is in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the base. a winding device supported on said base for rotating said core, for passing sequentially through predetermined positions all points along at least a given segment of the core while said winding device is in operation; a core movement system for moving the core supported by the support so as to move the core along a curved path; and a motor system for powering the winding device and the core movement system; 2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that: is carried out by means of a device moved by a core movement system in conjunction with the operation of the winding device. 11. The core movement system moves the core along an arcuate path having a radius of curvature that is the same as the radius of curvature of a predetermined segment of the core, and the curvature of the path when the core is supported by the support. 11. Process according to claim 10, characterized in that the center of the core substantially coincides with the center of the predetermined segment of the core. 12. The process of claim 10, wherein the support releasably holds one end of the core. 13. The motor system consists of two motors,
11. The process of claim 10, wherein one motor powers the winding device and the other motor powers the core movement system. 14. The process of claim 10, wherein the motor system powers both the winding device and the core movement system. 15. The process of claim 11, wherein at least one of the core movement system and the winding device operates at a controllably variable speed relative to the other.