EP0223077B1 - Lamp holder for fluorescent lamps - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a lamp holder for fluorescent lamps, in particular for use in the passenger cabin of aircraft, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

The usual fluorescent lamps are used in their sockets by inserting the side contact pins into a guide slot and by pressing while rotating the lamps. This "screwing-in process" is not very comfortable. When installing such fluorescent lamps in the passenger cabin of aircraft with very limited space, the insertion of the fluorescent lamps is tedious.

It is also known to secure the fluorescent lamps in their sockets against falling out when used in aircraft by a locking lever.

From the German design document DE-B-1 028 686 a fluorescent tube holder with one or two insertion slots for fluorescent lamps is already known. For the contact pins of the fluorescent lamps, a locking device is provided which serves to secure the contacts. A release element designed as a pressure slide is actuated for unlocking.

Starting from the aforementioned prior art, it is an object of the invention to provide a socket for fluorescent lamps of the type mentioned in the introduction, in which the insertion of the fluorescent lamps into the socket is possible easily and without turning and an automatic locking takes place. As a further training option, it should also be possible to provide a simple ejection safeguard for the fluorescent lamp when it is unlocked in the socket.

To achieve this object, the invention proposes a version of the version according to the characterizing features of claim 1.

With the inventive design of the lamp holder, it is possible to place the fluorescent lamp with its lateral contact pins on the insertion slots of the holder and only to press the fluorescent lamp into the holder. The contact pins are automatically adjusted into the appropriate insertion position and the lamp is automatically locked after being fully pressed in. At the same time, there is an ejection protection for the fluorescent lamp after it has been unlocked, as is particularly desirable in aircraft.

The guide channel provided allows the fluorescent lamp to be automatically moved by spring force to the ejection position for removal from the socket, where it is then held securely.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention result from the further subclaims.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawing using an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 1

eine Vorderansicht der Lampenfassung mit den Einführungsschlitzen;

Fig. 2

eine Ansicht der Lampenfassung von oben;

Fig. 3

eine Ansicht der Lampenfassung von hinten, wobei der Entriegelungsknopf gestrichelt dargestellt ist.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a front view of the lamp holder with the insertion slots;

Fig. 2

a view of the lamp holder from above;

Fig. 3

a view of the lamp holder from behind, the unlocking button is shown in dashed lines.

In the drawing, a molded plastic part is designed as a socket 1 for one end of a fluorescent lamp. This has a guide channel 2, the walls 2a and 2b of which are at a distance which is only slightly larger than the diameter of the fluorescent lamp, so that it can be inserted smoothly into the guide channel.

In the area of the guide channel and forming part of the same, two resilient tabs 3a and 3b are provided, which have knobs 4a and 4b at their upper end, which grip behind the inserted lamp and also the lamp in the ejection position and prevent it from falling out. A fluorescent lamp inserted into the lamp holder is indicated in dashed lines in FIG. 1 in its normal working position.

In contrast to the usual lamp sockets, the insertion slots 5a and 5b for the contact pins of the fluorescent lamp are located next to one another in parallel and separated from one another by a web 6. The metallic contact pieces in the socket are not shown for the sake of clarity and since they are not necessary for understanding the invention. Retaining pins 7a and 7b protrude into the insertion slots, which are arranged on a locking plate 8 and can be moved sideways with this, against the spring force, in the drawing to the right.

In the version 1, an unlocking button 9 is provided, which can be pressed into the version against a spring force. This unlocking button is mounted in guide rails 10a and 10b. In Figure 3, the back of this release button is shown, the side facing the guide slots with their functional training is shown in dashed lines.
It can be seen that the unlocking button has an inclined plane 11 which cooperates with a nose 12 with a correspondingly designed inclined plane on the locking plate 8. This locking plate 8 is laterally displaceable against the force of a resilient tab 19. The release button can be moved downward against the force of a spiral spring 13. To limit the lateral displacement of the locking plate 8, this carries a recess 14 in which a nose 15 of the Unlocking button 9 moves.

FIG. 2 shows an ejection plate 16 with an insert 17 made of soft plastic, on which the fluorescent lamp rests against spring force when pressed into the working position. When the fluorescent lamp is unlocked, the spring (not shown in the drawing) below the ejection plate 16 is sufficient to push the fluorescent lamp upwards to the extent that it rests on the resilient tabs with the knobs 4a and 4b and is secured against falling out.

Finally, FIG. 2 shows a screw socket 18 which serves to receive a screw for fastening the lamp socket.

The lamp holder described has several advantages over the previously usual. To insert a fluorescent lamp, the contact pins do not need to be inserted exactly into the guide slots, but instead center themselves when the lamp is inserted. The contact pins of the fluorescent lamp move the retaining pins 7a and 7b outward and reach the bottom of the insertion slots 5a and 5b. After the contact pins have passed the holding pins 7a and 7b, they return to their basic position shown in the drawing due to the spring force of the spring part 19 and lock the contact pins there. Simultaneously with the insertion of the fluorescent lamp, the ejection plate 16 was pressed down against a spring force. If the fluorescent lamp is now to be removed, it is sufficient to press the release button 9, which pivots the retaining pins sideways via the inclined plane 11 and the knob 12 on the locking plate 8. Due to the spring force of the ejection plate 16, the fluorescent lamp is in the insertion slot which is now open at the top pressed up until it rests on the knobs 4a and 4b of the resilient tabs and is secured against falling out. The holding pins 7a and 7b remain pressed to the side by the contact pins of the fluorescent lamp even after the release button has been released. Now the fluorescent lamp can be easily removed from the holder by hand.

With the above-described design of the lampholder, it is therefore no longer necessary to screw it into the working position when inserting a fluorescent lamp, which is a significant advantage in particular in the very limited installation space in aircraft cabins. The inserted lamp is secured against falling out and is held against falling out even after unlocking in the ejection position, but can be easily removed by hand.
The presence of a guide channel prevents possible misplacement of the fluorescent lamp, namely that both contact pins can get into an insertion slot.

Claims (4)

1. A lamp holder for fluorescent lamps, in particular for use in the passenger cabin of aircraft, with two insertion slots (5a, 5b) lying side by side and a locking mechanism for the lateral contact pins of the fluorescent lamp, in the case of which into the introduction slots (5a, 5b) there project retaining pins (7a, 7b) which are displaceable against spring force and on which an unlocking button (9) acts, characterised in that the retaining pins (7a, 7b) are arranged on a locking plate (8) which is displaceable laterally against spring force (19), in that for the guidance of the fluorescent lamp present parallel to the introduction slots (5a, 5b) is a guide channel (2), in the region of which resilient lugs (3a, 3b) with knobs (4a, 4b) positioned at their ends are provided parallel to the introduction slots (5a, 5b) for the retention of the unlocked fluorescent lamp in the ejection position, and in that at the end a resiliently mounted ejection plate (16) for the fluorescent lamp is arranged.
2. A lamp holder according to claim 1, characterised in that the unlocking button (9) can be pushed into the lamp holder against spring force (13) and has a foot part, displaceable in the direction parallel to the introduction slots (5a, 5b), with an inclined plane (11) which cooperates with a correspondingly designed inclined plane (12) on the locking plate (8).
3. A lamp holder according to claim 2, characterised in that the foot part of the unlocking button (9) is displaceable against a spring (13).
4. A lamp holder according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide channel (2) has laterally fixed walls (2a, 2b) at a spacing corresponding to the diameter of the fluorescent lamp.

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