Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – With automatic shunt and/or cutout
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-14
2001-06-12
Philogene, Haissa (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
With automatic shunt and/or cutout
C315S118000, C315S158000, C362S410000, C362S418000, C362S414000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06246176
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to safety means, and more particularly to a tipover-safe switch and correspondingly to an electronic circuit unit which can cut off the power supply of a lighting circuit to comply with a tipover-safe requirement of new UL Standard (153) effective in Jan. 1999 when the lamp is tipped over.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Chinese Patent Application No. 97120142.0 (US pending application Ser. No. 08/872,416) disclosed a fire-safe Halogen Torchiere Lamp with a grid, a thermal sensor, a photo sensor, an electronic circuitry to provide automatic cut-off function of the power supply when the above sensors sensing a preset value, and a mechanical switch for cutting off the power supply when the lamp is tipped over to a preset angle.
The first disadvantage of the prior art tipover switch is a follows. Since such a mechanical switch is located on the under-side of the base, and must positively contact the floor surface, it is always an offense against any safety law to install a power switch in this location. Besides, if the switch is used directly to cut-off the power supply, since one conductor of the power cord must be cut in such a low position for connecting the switch, then strain relieves must be put on both sides of the switch. The connecting means (which are also very near the floor surface) should be insulated with water proof grade materials because the floor surface is always splashed with water.
The second disadvantage of prior art mechanical switch is that, even if the above switch is used for cutting off the signal circuit, since the stroke of the mechanic switch plunger has fixed value, one design can not be used for all lamps. For example, even if the switch is located in the center of the base, if the base diameter is changed, since the stroke of the switch plunger is a constant, the tipover angle will change the accordingly.
The third disadvantage is that, if the torchicere lamp equipped with a prior art switch is successively pushed-pulled by a child to cause the switch to turn ON and OFF successively in a very short time period, the switch will break down at once. The reason is that the majority of the switches are designed to turn ON and OFF less than 50 times in one hour, not in one minute. Accordingly, it always causes trouble in manufacturing a new torchiere lamp or to reform an old torchiere lamp for complying with the tipover-safe requirement of new UL-153 with a prior art tipover-safe switch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the deficiencies of the circuit construction of the prior art tipover switch, it is thus a main object of the present invention to provide a safety means wherein the improved safety switch can be activated while the lamp is tipped over, regardless of the position of the switch itself at any portion of the lamp.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a safety means wherein the electronic circuit unit not only increases the safety of the lamp fixture but also avoids reducing the life of the lamp fixture as it is successively pushed-pulled.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved safety means wherein the improved safety switch an be activated while the lamp is being tipped over wherever the switch itself is provided at any portion of the lamp.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a safety means wherein an electronic circuit unit can automatically cut-off the power supply of a lamp while the lamp is being tipped over.
According to the present invention, a tipover-safe switch for a lamp is provided, wherein the switch comprises a lower conical cavity electrode with a tapered face, an upper cylindrical cup electrode with an internal wall, both of which having equal diameters and being placed with a spacing in a vertical direction, and a metal ball there between acting as a connecting means to cause the two electrodes to be connected or disconnected.
The present invention provides an electronic circuit unit for the above tipover-safe switch which comprises a step-down unit, a rectifying unit and a regulation unit, wherein the electronic circuit unit further comprises a transistor; a tipover-safe circuit unit, the two contact terminals of the tipover-safe switch being connected with the regulation unit and a base of the transistor after being connected in series with a resistor, respectively; and a relay for acting as an electronic switch in accordance with an ON/OFF signal from the tipover-safe switch, a coil of the relay being connected in series with a collector circuit of the transistor and a relay normally-closed contact being connected in series with the lighting lamp.
The present invention further provides a tipover-safe switch for a torchiere lamp wherein it includes two conical cavity electrodes, each of the two electrodes having a taper face, being placed with a spacing in a horizontal direction, which the external form of the two electrodes being the same each other, and a metal ball there between acting as a connecting means to cause the two electrodes to be connected or disconnected.
The present invention provides an electronic circuit unit for a tipover-safe switch, which includes a high-powered thyristor acting as an electronic switch, wherein the tipover-safe switch is connected in series with a low-power thyristor crossing over between the power supply and the base of the high-power thyristor.
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Catalina Lighting Inc.
Philogene Haissa
Sheets Kendal M.
Zito Joseph J.
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