Patent Application
20100133982
The invention relates to an assembly of a lamp and a lamp holder. The invention also relates to a lamp for use in such an assembly. The invention further relates to a lamp holder for use in such an assembly.
Fluorescent lighting technology has been available for over 50 years and has been gradually supplanting conventional light bulbs, also known as incandescent bulbs, owing to their huge energy saving and four to six times higher efficiency to produce the same lumens as compared to the incandescent lamp. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) typically have a standardised lamp base acting as interface to connect the lamp to a lamp holder. The existing lamp base is relatively voluminous, in particular relatively long, which is detrimental to the optical efficiency of a luminaire surrounding the connected lamp. Moreover, since the known lamp base has a rectangular cross-section, connection of the lamp to a lamp holder will commonly be complex as two connection possibilities will be available for a user, while commonly merely a single orientation of the lamp with respect to the lamp holder will lead to a proper position of said lamp with respect to said lamp holder, and in particular of the electrodes of both the lamp and the lamp holder. Hence, there is a need to simplify proper installation of a lamp, in particular of a CFL, into a lamp holder.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved assembly of a lamp and a lamp holder, wherein said lamp and said lamp holder can be connected to each other in a relatively user-friendly manner.
This object can be achieved by providing an assembly according to the preamble, said lamp comprising at least one light-transmissive vessel being sealed at one single end by a lamp base, said lamp base being provided with a substantially annular flange enclosing an accommodating space for multiple current-supply conductors connected to said vessel, the annular flange being provided with coupling means, said lamp holder comprising at least one protruding portion being provided with counter-coupling means, and electrical contact members adapted to be electrically connected to the current-supply conductors of the lamp, the protruding portion of the lamp holder being adapted to engage the annular flange of the lamp for allowing the coupling means of the lamp to cooperate with the counter-coupling means of the lamp holder in a predefined mutual orientation of the lamp and the lamp holder. By applying an annular flange having a circularly-cylindrical shape (ring-shape), a rotational sliding engagement of the annular flange and the protruding portion will be allowed to position the lamp in the predefined orientation with respect to the lamp holder, which will facilitate installation of the lamp in a substantial manner. An inner surface and/or an outer surface of the annular flange will act as sliding surface for at least a part of the protruding portion during mutual displacement (rotation) of the lamp and the lamp holder. During engagement of the annular flange to the protruding portion, the lamp may be rotated along its longitudinal axis until the (at least one) predefined orientation of the lamp with respect to the lamp holder is obtained in which the coupling means and the counter-coupling means will be able to cooperate, leading to a proper coupling of the lamp to the lamp holder. Hence, by simply positioning the lamp base, in particular the flange, against the protruding portion of the lamp holder, and (in case the lamp has not yet been positioned in the predefined orientation) by subsequently axially rotating the lamp to the predefined orientation, a connection between the lamp and the lamp holder may be established. Since the lamp base provided with the annular flange, and the protruding portion may be constructed in a relatively compact manner, a relatively compact construction of the assembly may be achieved, which will enhance the optical efficiency of a (less open) luminaire in which the lamp holder may be incorporated. The exposed parts of the current-supply conductors are preferably fully positioned within the accommodating space defined by the flange to prevent or at least counteract damaging of the current-supply conductors.
In a preferred embodiment, the coupling means and the counter-coupling means are adapted to realise a coupling between the lamp and the lamp holder by (commonly linearly) translating the lamp with respect to the lamp holder along a longitudinal axis of the lamp followed by axially rotating the lamp. In this manner a solid and durable connection between the lamp and the lamp holder can be established in a relatively efficient manner. More in particular, the coupling means and the counter-coupling means together form at least one bayonet fitting, in which a translational and subsequent rotational movement have been incorporated. To improve the stability of the connection between the lamp and the lamp holder, the coupling means and the counter-coupling means together preferably form multiple bayonet fittings, in particular at least five bayonet fittings. It has been shown that the application of five (or more) bayonet fittings will facilitate locating the predefined orientation of the lamp, and hence will relatively easily lead to a relatively durable connection between the lamp and the lamp holder, such that a reliable contact between the current-supply conductors and the electrical contact members can be secured.
The coupling means preferably comprises multiple coupling elements being applied to the annular flange according to an at least partially irregular coupling means pattern. Thus, the coupling elements are distributed irregularly over the annular flange to define the orientation of the lamp in which the lamp can be connected to the lamp holder. Hence, the pattern of the positioning of the coupling elements provides in fact a locating means defining how to connect the lamp to the lamp holder. The counter-coupling means preferably comprises multiple counter-coupling elements being applied to the protruding portion according to a counter-coupling means pattern corresponding to the coupling means pattern. The number of coupling elements and counter-coupling elements may differ, but are preferably equal. In a particular preferred embodiment, the counter-coupling means comprises multiple cams (or projections), and the coupling means comprises multiple slots for receiving said cams. By applying slots and cams, a bayonet fitting may easily be realised. However, also kinds of fittings other than bayonet fittings, such as e.g. a snap fitting, may be used to connect the lamp to the lamp holder. In an alternative and opposite embodiment, the coupling means comprises multiple cams (or projections), and the counter-coupling means comprises multiple slots for receiving said cams.
The protruding portion will commonly be in sliding contact with the annular flange in case of axial rotation of the lamp during installation of the lamp. The shape and dimensioning of the protruding portion can be very arbitrary. Preferably, the protruding portion comprises a protruding (cup-shaped) collar adapted to enclose the annular flange at least partially after installation of the lamp. According to this embodiment, the protruding collar of the lamp holder will be adapted to receive, and hence shield, the annular flange. According to the embodiment, the coupling means of the flange will commonly be positioned at an outer surface of the flange, while the counter-coupling means of the protruding collar will commonly be positioned at an inner surface of the collar to be able to establish a connection between the lamp and the lamp holder. In another embodiment, the protruding portion may (possibly in addition to the protruding collar) comprise a central protruding portion, which is preferably cylindrically shaped, in which case the accommodating space defined by the annular flange is adapted to receive said central protruding portion at least partially. According to this latter embodiment, an inner surface of the annular flange of the lamp is preferably adapted to engage an outer surface of the protruding portion of the lamp holder. More preferably, an inner surface of the annular flange is provided with the coupling means, while an outer surface of the central protruding portion is provided with the counter-coupling means.
The annular flange may be integrated with the lamp base. However, in a preferred embodiment the annular flange is formed by a separate element being coupled, more preferably releasably coupled, to the lamp base. An advantage of applying a separate annular flange is that the annular flange preferably displays information related to at least one lamp characteristic, as a result of which a standard and simple lamp base can be manufactured after which the lamp-identifying flange is applied to the lamp base, which will commonly be advantageous from both a logistic and a financial point of view. The lamp characteristic can be exhibited by colour differentiation of the flange. It is also possible to display characteristic (technical) information onto the flange to indicate one or more lamp characteristics.
In the assembly according to the invention, multiple types of lamps may be applied. However, preferably, a discharge lamp, more particularly a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), is applied in the assembly according to the invention. Advantages of the CFLs are generally known.
The invention also relates to a lamp for use in an assembly according to the invention, said lamp comprising at least one light-transmissive vessel being sealed at one (single) end by a lamp base, said lamp base being provided with a substantially annular flange enclosing an accommodating space for multiple current-supply conductors connected to said vessel, the annular flange being provided with coupling means, and said annular flange of the lamp being adapted to engage a protruding portion of a lamp holder for allowing said coupling means of the lamp to cooperate with the counter-coupling means of the lamp holder in a predefined mutual orientation of the lamp and the lamp holder.
The invention also relates to a lamp holder for use in an assembly according to the invention, said lamp holder comprising at least one protruding portion being provided with counter-coupling means, and contact members adapted to be electrically connected to current-supply conductors of a lamp, said protruding portion of the lamp holder being adapted to engage an annular flange of the lamp for allowing coupling means of the lamp to cooperate with the counter-coupling means of the lamp holder in a predefined mutual orientation of the lamp and the lamp holder. Advantages and preferred embodiments of both the lamp and the lamp holder have already been described above in a comprehensive manner.
The invention is illustrated by way of the following non-limitative examples, wherein:
a-3c show comparative sketches comparing a known lamp and a lamp according to the invention.
a-3c show comparative sketches comparing a known lamp 26 and a lamp 27 according to the invention.
It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb “comprise” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07102174.5 | Feb 2007 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2008/050455 | 2/8/2008 | WO | 00 | 2/2/2010 |
