Illumination – Curvilinear light source
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-18
2004-09-14
Sember, Thomas M. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Curvilinear light source
C313S573000, C313S634000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06789919
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circular fluorescent lamp unit and a lighting apparatus, and more particularly to a circular fluorescent lamp unit, which uses small wattage and is suitable for illumination in a relatively narrow place and a lighting apparatus using this circular fluorescent lamp unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For example, in a relatively large place such as a lobby in a hotel or an exhibition room in an art gallery or a museum, it is often the case that a down light unit from a ceiling fixture type lighting apparatus is used as accent illumination in addition to main illumination which illuminates a wide range in order to produce the atmosphere appropriate for that place. Furthermore, the down light unit is used in general dwelling as the main illumination in a relatively narrow place such as an entrance, a hallway, stairs or a lavatory or as auxiliary illumination in, e.g., a living room. As a light source of such a down light unit, a compact fluorescent lamp unit, a krypton lamp unit or an in candescent lamp unit including a light bulb have been conventionally often used. That is because a lighting apparatus with the higher energy consumption efficiency is demanded in addition to the necessity of reduction in size.
FIG. 1
is a side cross-sectional view showing a lighting apparatus using a compact fluorescent lamp unit as a light source being embedded in a ceiling. Referring to
FIG. 1
, the compact fluorescent lamp unit
21
is a commercially available compact fluorescent lamp unit (FDL18EX-N: lamp wattage 18 W), and this is a lamp unit obtained by joining two superposed glass bulbs having a tube outer diameter d=16.5 mm which are bent in the U shape as shown in Table 1. A cap
23
is attached to the lamp unit
21
, and the lamp unit is held in a lighting apparatus
30
by this cap
23
and also electrically connected to the lighting apparatus
30
. The lighting apparatus
30
is constituted by a portion with a U-shaped cross section consisting of a bottom portion
34
to which a non-illustrated socket which bears the cap
23
of the lamp unit is provided and a portion
35
for accommodating the lamp unit therein, and a conical trapezoidal light reflector
33
which downwardly opens from the lamp accommodation portion
35
toward a ceiling surface
100
, and a lamp lighting circuit
31
is provided to the outside of the bottom portion
34
.
In the above-described compact fluorescent lamp unit, the lamp unit
21
has a length L (distance from the bottom of the apparatus
30
to the top of the lamp unit
21
) of 129 mm and an outer diameter (width of the glass bulb portion in the horizontal direction) D3 of 39 mm. Furthermore, when viewing the entire system including the lighting apparatus, a diameter D4 of the opening of the ceiling surface is 170 mm, and an attachment depth t is 175 mm. Incidentally, although not shown in particular, when a krypton lamp unit (for example, LDS100/110V57W-C-K) is used, the structure of the lighting apparatus is substantially the same as the shape of the apparatus using the compact fluorescent lamp unit.
In recent years, aging in society advances, bright illumination is demanded, and the needs for illumination with the high luminous flux in the entire living space are increasing. Moreover, the possibility of being attached in a narrower space is also demanded. In addition, improvement in the efficiency (ratio of light output/input wattage) is essential to a new commercial product in order to cope with a socially important and urgent problem, namely, energy saving.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a fluorescent lamp unit which has the higher light flux and higher efficiency than those of a conventional down light unit such as a compact fluorescent lamp unit or a krypton lamp unit and can be attached in a narrower space, and a lighting apparatus using this fluorescent lamp unit.
In a circular fluorescent lamp unit according to the present invention, a glass bulb is bent in the ring form with both ends abutting on each other. The inner wall of the glass bulb is coated with phosphor powder, and electrodes are provided at respective ends in an inner space thereof. Mercury and inert gas are sealed within the glass bulb, and a cap which has a connection pin used for electrically connecting the electrodes in the glass bulb to the outside is attached so as to cut across the both ends of the glass bulb. A tube outer diameter of the glass bulb has a range of 13 mm to 20 mm and a ring outer diameter of the ring has a range of 145 mm to 170 mm.
Additionally, according to the present invention, there is provided a lighting apparatus, which uses the above-described circular fluorescent lamp.
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Imanishi Otokazu
Takahashi Hiroyuki
Yamamura Shuji
Choi Jacob Y.
Sember Thomas M.
Whitham Curtis & Christofferson, P.C.
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