Electrical connectors – Coupling part to receive fluorescent or neon lamp
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-15
2001-10-30
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part to receive fluorescent or neon lamp
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309236
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a reflector lamp unit of a bilaterally based discharge lamp and lamp holder whereby the reflector lamp has a lamp bulb which is closed off enclosing two electrodes lying opposite each other in the direction of the long bulb axis on its front side ends by means of crimping members from which in each case a lead-in bushing is passed out for electrical contacting of the electrodes and is connected to a terminal post, whereby each crimping member is surrounded at least partially by a base of an electrically insulated material through which the free end of the respective terminal post extends, and engages into the holder in which the discharge lamp is insertable in a plug-in direction running perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bulb, whereby the holder has a first and a second mounting element for accommodating the terminal posts which is provided with a contact element of electrically conducting material on which the respective terminal post lies.
2. Discussion of the Background
A reflector lamp unit with a bilaterally based discharge lamp and lamp holder is known from DE-A 39 34 348, With the discharge lamp described therein, two electrodes lie within a tube-like quartz glass bulb opposite the longitudinal axis of the bulb which are connected to an external power supply conductor through a sheet of metal crimped in the bulb end. The power supply conductors include a contact pin of nickel, brass, copper or a nickel base alloy with a specified outside diameter. The contact pins extend through a base casing of aluminum oxide ceramic or of plastic whereby they are arranged on, a common axis. The holder for a discharge lamp includes a left and a right mounting element which is arranged on both sides of the discharge lamp and contains a metal contact spring in which the free end of tile respective contact pin is clamped.
Such reflector lamp units are used, for example, in an application such as UV reflector lamps in the area of cosmetics for the purpose of tanning, or in the medical area for therapeutic treatment of diseased skin areas.
Health problems can result from confusing various types of lamps and performance classes, and with technical applications, costly consequences result from faulty manufacturing processes. In order to avoid such confusions, it is proposed in DE-A 41 33 614 to admix to the gas mixture contained in the lamp bulb a characteristic radiation emitting substance whose emission spectrum can be established by a detector. The detector does not, however, recognize such unsuitable lamp types and performance classes where the characteristic emission spectrum is present. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,019, providing the base of a discharge lamp with projections which correspond to slots in the holder is proposed. Here it proves to be problematic that bases without projections of this type also fit into this holder, so that even with this proposed solution, confusion cannot be ruled out.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is therefore to perfect a reflector lamp with a bilaterally based discharge lamp such that the confusion characterized in the known lamps can be ruled out with a high degree of certainty.
This objective is accomplished on the basis of a reflector lamp unit wherein at least one of the terminal posts has, in the region of at least one predetermined coding site viewed in the plug-in direction, a slotted or tapered portion of its lateral pin width with (as viewed in the direction of the lamp longitudinal axis) a specified tapered length and (as viewed in a direction perpendicular to such axis) a specified lateral residual width, and wherein at least one of the mounting elements is closed off with a coding element which has, in the region of the coding site, a coding slot open in the plug-in direction and running in the direction of the lamp longitudinal axis which corresponds to the tapered portion of the terminal post such that the slot length thereof is shorter than the tapered length, and such that it has a minimal slot width which is adjusted to a value which is between the lateral pin width and the residual width.
The bilaterally based discharge lamp is inserted into the bilateral mounting elements of the holder in the plug-in direction, thus in a direction perpendicular to the lamp longitudinal axis. With the reflector lamp of the invention, at least one of the mounting elements is closed off with a coding element. The coding element is for preventing insertion of an unsuitable discharge lamp into the holder. For this purpose, the coding element has a coding slot which corresponds to the cross sectional tapered portion of the terminal post of the discharge lamp in the manner of a look and key. The tapered portion of the terminal post in the region of the coding site can, for example, be constructed as a rectangular groove, a V-shaped groove or as a concave internal arch. It is essential that the cross section of the terminal post be appropriately tapered as viewed in the plug-in direction. The cross sectional tapered portion results in a residual width of the terminal post which is smaller than the width of the coding slot so that the coded terminal post can fit the coding element and can be inserted into the mounting element. Only in this manner can electrical contact be produced with the contact element. Terminal posts which lack the appropriate “coding” can neither be inserted into the holder nor can an electrical contact be set up with the contact element within a mounting element of the holder.
So that the terminal post can be introduced in the plug-in direction, it is necessary that the coding slot be open in the insertion direction and that it run in the direction of the lamp longitudinal axis. The coding slot has a minimal slot width which is adjusted to a value in the region between the lateral width of the terminal post and the residual breadth in the region of tapering. Viewed in the plug-in direction, the slot width of the coding slot can be constant. Otherwise, the minimal slot width exists in an upper area of the coding slot, whereby the slot breadth of the coding slot can be greater in a lower lying, lower region, as viewed in the plug-in direction.
A reflector lamp unit is preferred in which at least one terminal post has several coding sites which correspond to one or several coding elements. Several coding sites permit a greater number of variations of coding, thus make possible a finer classification of unsuitable discharge lamps and consequently increased safety in relation to the use of unsuitable discharge lamps. The respective coding sites can be provided on a common side of the respective terminal post or on inherently opposite sides.
In this respect, it has also been demonstrated that both terminal posts have at least one coding site and that the front and the second mounting elements are closed off with an appropriate coding element which has a coding slot in the area of the respective coding site.
One embodiment of the reflective lamp unit has proven suitable in connection with which the tapered portion is constructed as a circular groove. Such a circular groove is especially easily producible with a terminal post with a round cross section.
In an alternative and equally suitable embodiment, the tapered portion is constructed as a long slot running in the plug-in direction. Such a slot is especially to be preferred in connection with a terminal post with rectangular cross section.
An embodiment of the reflector lamp unit of the invention has proved particularly effective in connection with which the tapering is constructed as a groove with a shallow bottom region, and whereby the coding slot (as viewed in the plug-in direction) has an expansion region below an area with minimal slot width the opening breadth of which is at least as large as the diameter which an envelope describes around the cross section (as viewed in the direction of the lamp long axis) of the terminal post in the region of the coding site, and whereby
Heraeus Noblelight GmbH
Nguyen Phuong
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Paumen Gary
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