Tube lamp and its manufacturing method

Details Tube lamp and its manufacturing method Tube lamp and its manufacturing method

2000-10-23

2002-12-03

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With vitreous-type envelope

Connector of the type having only concentric annular...

Reexamination Certificate

active

06488538

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tube lamp and its manufacturing method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional tube lamp, for example, a bulb type fluorescent lamp comprises an enclosure comprising a globe
1
and a case
37
, a fluorescent tube
4
, a lighting circuit
38
for lighting the fluorescent tube
4
, the fluorescent lamp and the lighting circuit both being housed in the enclosure, as shown in FIG.
16
.
The case
37
has a base
41
screwed on one end thereof and having an eyelet
39
and a shell
40
.
The lighting circuit
38
has two leads
42
and
43
for supplying power. One
42
of the leads is led out from a through-hole formed in the eyelet
39
and is electrically connected to an outer surface of the eyelet
39
by means of soldering.
The other lead
43
is led to an exterior of the case
37
and electrically connected to an outer surface of the shell
40
by means of soldering.
In such a conventional tube lamp, however, the lighting circuit
38
and the base
41
are connected via the leads
42
and
43
, that is, the conventional tube lamp requires the following operations: The one
42
of the leads is straightened and passed through the through-hole
44
in the eyelet
39
, the other lead
43
is bent and led to the exterior of the case
37
, and the leads
42
and
43
are then brought into contact with the outer surface of the shell and their unwanted portions are cut off for the soldering. These operations must be manual, thereby reducing productivity and increasing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is provided to solve these problems, and it is an object thereof to provide a tube lamp and its manufacturing method which allow a lighting circuit and a shell to be easily and reliably connected together, which enable automation of a step of connecting the lighting circuit and the shell together, and which require low costs while achieving a high production efficiency.
A tube lamp according to the present invention comprises a case including a base portion having a shell at an end thereof, and a lighting circuit housed in the case and comprising a printed circuit board with a circuit part mounted thereon, the shell and the lighting circuit being connected together without leads.
Additionally, a tube lamp manufacturing method according to the present invention manufactures a tube lamp comprising a case including a base portion having a shell at an end thereof, and a lighting circuit housed in the case and comprising a printed circuit board with a circuit part and terminals mounted thereon, the shell and the terminals being connected together, the method comprising connecting the terminals to the shell at the same time when the lighting circuit is housed in the case.
The tube lamp and its manufacturing method eliminate the needs for leads and soldering thereof to enable the shell and the lighting circuit to be easily and reliably connected together, enable automation of a step of connecting the lighting circuit and the shell together instead of depending on manual operations, improve production efficiency due to the omission of the soldering step, and reduces costs because of a reduction in maintenance costs for facilities required for the soldering step and in material costs for leads, solders, and the like. The omission of solders also contributes to environment protection.


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