Electric lamp and discharge devices – With envelope – Having base and connector
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-08
2001-05-29
Patel, Vip (Department: 2879)
Electric lamp and discharge devices
With envelope
Having base and connector
C313S318010, C313S318120, C313S493000, C313S634000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239540
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a compact low-pressure discharge lamp comprising a discharge vessel with electrodes and supply leads, and a base assembled from a cap, housing and mounting plate with a ballast arrangement, the mounting plate with the ballast arrangement being installed in the interior of the base housing and having terminals for the electric connection of the supply leads to the mounting plate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known low-pressure discharge lamps are increasingly replacing the incandescent lamp in the domestic sector. In the known low-pressure discharge lamps, the discharge vessel mostly consists of a singly or multiply bent tube which is arranged in a base. In this arrangement, a mounting plate constructed as a printed circuit board and on which an electronic ballast arrangement is soldered, is integrated in the base. The production costs for these compact low-pressure discharge lamps are relatively high, since many complicated fabrication steps are required in the production. One of these fabrication steps is making the electric connection between the supply leads of the discharge vessel and the corresponding terminals of the ballast arrangement. To date, the appropriate connecting wires have been brought together and, for example, crimped with a metal sleeve in order to produce this connection. A development of this simple connection is described in EP-A-0 452 743. This printed publication discloses a low-pressure discharge lamp of the type mentioned at the beginning which has holding pins with the aid of which the ends of the supply leads are aligned perpendicular to the U-shaped connecting wires of the ballast arrangement. During the assembly of the base housing and mounting plate with the base cap, the respective wires with which contact is to be made are arranged one behind another approximately at a right angle and pressed resiliently against one another with the aid of the holding pin and the inner wall of the base housing so that an electric connection is produced between the electrodes of the discharge vessel of the ballast arrangement.
A disadvantage of this prior art is that such an electrical connecting system is very complicated. This increases the production costs. Moreover, because it is necessary to ensure that the elements make contact reliably, the rate of production is not very high for such low-pressure discharge lamps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a compact low-pressure discharge lamp of the type mentioned at the beginning, in which the design required for electrically connecting the supply leads of the discharge vessel to the corresponding terminals of the ballast arrangement can be produced simply, quickly and cost-effectively while ensuring optimum contact making.
The features of the independent claim serve to achieve this object.
Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.
In a compact low-pressure discharge lamp according to the invention, the supply leads of a discharge vessel are connected to the electrical terminals of a mounting plate with a ballast arrangement via a spring element in each case, which presses the supply lead against the terminal. Using a spring element which exerts pressure on the supply lead, ensures reliable contact is made. Consequently, according to the invention, in an advantageous way, only one element is required to connect the supply leads of the discharge vessel to the corresponding terminals of the mounting plate and/or of the ballast. There is a consequent substantial reduction in the production costs. In addition, a substantial increase in the rate of production advantageously results, since when the base of the low-pressure discharge lamp is assembled, the base housing and base cap need only be pressed on to one another.
According to the invention, before the assembly of the base the spring element is held in a spring receptacle constructed on the inner circumference of the cap. For this purpose, the spring receptacle has a cavity for holding at least a part of the spring element, and is usually constructed with a rectangular cross section. As a result, the spring elements can be mounted independently of the final mounting of the lamp, and this contributes to simplifying the production process, and thereby lowers the production costs.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the low-pressure discharge lamp according to the invention, a shoulder for supporting a region of the spring element is constructed in the cavity of the spring receptacle. In addition, a gap for holding one end of the supply lead is constructed between the inner circumference of the housing and the outer circumference of the cap. According to the invention, these features also contribute to simplifying the production process of the lamp.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, the supply lead and the spring element and the terminal of the mounting plate are constructed in one piece. Since the number of required elements is reduced in this case, it is further possible to simplify the production process. In a further advantageous embodiment of the low-pressure discharge lamp according to the invention, the mounting plate is fastened in the interior of the housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the lamp. In this case, the mounting plate is situated on ribs constructed on the inner circumference of the housing and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lamp. In an advantageous way, the mounting plate is constructed as a printed circuit board, conductor tracks being constructed on the side facing the discharge vessel, and circuit elements of the ballast arrangement being constructed on the side averted from the discharge vessel. In this case, at least one terminal is constructed as a soldering eyelet for making electric contact between the supply leads and the mounting plate. In a further advantageous embodiment, at least one terminal for making electric contact between the supply lead and the mounting plate consists of one or more flat soldering surfaces and/or strips. This simple and space saving design of the lamp base ensures that the latter can be kept small overall and can also be produced cost-effectively.
It is advantageous to construct positioning devices for correctly positioning the cap and the housing of the base.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5627433 (1997-05-01), Fulop et al.
patent: 6011347 (2000-01-01), Wittmann
patent: 6075318 (2000-06-01), Noll et al.
patent: 6089887 (2000-07-01), Ozaki
patent: 0 452 743 B1 (1991-04-01), None
Bessone Carlo S.
Guharay Karabi
Patel Vip
Patent-Treuhand-Gesselschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
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