Illumination – Housing – With mounting means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-22
2001-02-06
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Housing
With mounting means
C362S374000, C362S375000, C362S287000, C362S455000, C362S427000, C362S362000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183116
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a lamp retainer ring and a lampholder assembly, for example, for individual lamps in a multilamp lighting system, such as a high intensity approach lighting system for an airport. More particularly, the invention relates to such a retainer ring and lampholder assembly which are effective in securing the lamp in the lamp housing even under severe storm conditions, and preferably in maintaining desired alignment even in the presence of jet blasts and high winds.
Many airports today, particularly those having Category II runways under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) classification criteria, are equipped with a dual mode high intensity approach lighting system. Such a system provides visual approach lighting patterns to landing aircraft, and typically has a first high intensity approach lighting system mode and a second simplified short approach lighting system mode. The typical system is capable of providing 3000 foot patterns with any needed glide slope angle restrictions, and also shorter 2400 foot patterns for use on other domestic Category II runways, and includes both steady burning approach lights and sequenced flashing lights to provide directional guidance to the approaching aircraft. The steady burning approach lights are connected in a number of constant current lighting loops, and may be operated at several, for example, five, distinct brightness levels. Switching between the modes may be locally controlled from an adjacent substation, or remotely controlled from the air traffic control tower via a control subsystem.
In the first high intensity approach mode, the typical system includes approximately 100 lamps of the 300 to 500 watt type, connected in series in each of a plurality, for example, three, constant current loops. Additionally, fifteen flashers are active in a typical embodiment, so that the sequence will begin with the flasher farthest from the threshold of the runway and proceed toward the flasher closest to the runway threshold. Of course, the actual number of lamps and lamp wattage may vary for each loop of steady burning lights, and the number of flashers may vary for a specific application.
Such lighting systems are described in more detail in Manson U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,963, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
The individual lamps of such multilamp lighting systems should be properly positioned initially and should maintain such proper positioning over time to provide highly effective system performance. In addition, the individual lamps should be easily and rapidly replaced when necessary to insure effective continuous operation.
Prior designs have stressed this rapid lamp change out feature. One such prior design employed a lamp housing holding a lamp. Compression loaded spring fasteners, secured to the housing, were passed through a plurality of individual spaced apart tabs which contacted the lamp and held it in the housing. Although this design allowed quick replacement of the lamp, it had a substantial problem. During severe storm conditions, which cannot be avoided because of the out-of-doors service in which such lamps are used, the lamps had an unacceptable tendency to fall out of the housings.
It would be advantageous to provide retainer systems and lampholder assemblies which are effective to hold a lamp in or to a housing and allow the lamp to be rapidly and easily replaced, when necessary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
New apparatus for use in retaining lamps in housings and combinations or assemblies including such apparatus have been discovered. Such apparatus are straightforward in construction, easy and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and are effective in maintaining lamps in their housings, even under severe storm conditions. Importantly, these benefits are achieved while providing for rapid and easy replacement of the lamps from their housings, when necessary, for example, in the event of a malfunctioning of the lamp.
In one broad aspect of the present invention, apparatus for use in retaining a lamp in a housing comprise a ring member having a central opening, a first sidewall facing the central opening, a substantially opposing sidewall facing away from the central opening, a front wall extending between the first and second sidewalls, and a substantially opposing back wall extending between the first and second sidewalls. A plurality, preferably in the range of 2 to about 6 or more, of spaced apart through holes pass through the ring member from the front wall to the back wall. Each of these through holes includes joined first and second openings of different sizes. The first opening is located closer to the first sidewall and the second opening is located closer to the second sidewall. Preferably, the first opening of each of the through holes is larger than the second opening.
The present ring member can be very rapidly positioned on the lampholder, in proximity to the lamp face, to at least assist in holding the lamp in or to the lampholder. The configurations of the present ring members, as described herein, provide for rapid placement on the lampholder and rapid removal from the lampholder, as well as performance effectiveness in facilitating holding the lamp in or to the lampholder. The configurations and orientations of the through holes of the ring member, for example, allow the ring holder to be placed on/removed from the lampholder substantially without being rotated relative to the lampholder and/or without requiring additional tools for such placement/removal.
In a very useful embodiment, the ring member is generally circular in configuration. However, it should be understood that other configurations, such as oval, rectangular, polygonal and the like, may be employed with regard to the member in accordance with the present invention. The configuration of the ring member should be compatible with the configuration of the lamp to be held in or to the housing.
The ring member has a center through which a central axis passes. The through holes preferably are oriented in the ring member so that the first and second openings of each of the through holes are radially aligned between the center of the member and the second or outer sidewall of the member. Although it is preferred that the entire first opening be located closer to the first sidewall and the second opening be located in its entirety closer to the second sidewall, the orientation of the first and second openings of each of the through holes can be varied without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Preferably the shortest distance between the center and the first sidewall is greater than the shortest distance between the first and second sidewalls of the ring member. More preferably, the shortest distance between the center of the ring member and the first sidewall is in the range of about 2 to about 5 times the shortest distance between the first and second sidewalls. Thus, it is preferred that the central opening defined by the ring member be relatively large in relation to the distance between the first and second sidewalls of the ring member. This is advantageous because the lamp face through which light is provided or emitted by the lamp is to be exposed through the central opening. The present retaining apparatus allows such light to be provided while, at the same time, providing enhanced retention of the lamp in or to the housing, as described herein.
The through holes preferably are spaced apart from both the first and second sidewalls. In other words, the through holes preferably do not extend to either the first sidewall or the second sidewall. Thus, the through holes preferably are surrounded by the solid material, and more preferably the metal, of the ring member.
In one useful embodiment, the member further includes a plurality of spaced apart regions which extend rearwardly relative to the back wall of the member. These spaced apart regions preferably act to contact the lamp face with the ring member in place and performing i
Harter Kenneth J.
Kanaan Antoine
Alavi Ali
New Bedford Panoramex Corporation
O'Shea Sandra
Stout, Uxa Buyan & Mullins, LLP
Uxa Frank J.
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