GB2264401A - Lamp holders for fluorescent lamps. - Google Patents

Abstract

A lampholder contains a converter for converting mains supply into a supply for a low-power fluorescent lamp, and may be embodied as a pendant (fig. 1), batten (figs 4, 11) or self-standing lamp. The holder may incorporate a skirt which holds a lampshade or forms a lampshade. <IMAGE>

Description

LAMP HOLDERS This invention relates to lamp holders, and to a method of reducing the cost of illuminating a room.

For very many years there have been two main ways of lighting a room: with an incandescent filament lamp, or with a fluorescent lamp. Filament lamps are cheaper to make, but have higher operating costs because they use more power, and are likely to burn out faster.

Conventionally fluorescent lamps have been several feet long, however, small low-power fluorescent lamps have been known for several years. These low-power fluorescent lamps are about the same size as a conventional household filament lamp, but have to have an associated package of electronics integral with each lamp connector adapted to convert 240 volt mains electricity to a much higher voltage supply suitable for powering a fluorescent lamp. It is also known to provide a separate convertor or adaptor unit adapted to be plugged or screwed into a conventional mains light socket adapted to receive an incandescent filament lamp and adapted to convert the supply to a suitable high voltage supply for a fluorescent lamp.Of course the low-power fluorescent lamps used in association with a convertor unit interposed between the lamp holder and the lamp do not need their own electronic convertor package.

According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a lamp holder which has integral with it an electronics conversion unit adapted to convert mains electricity supply to an electricity supply suitable to power a low-power fluorescent lamp.

Thus the invention allows low-power fluorescent lamps to be used in domestic situations without the need to incorporate a convertor in each lamp (which is wasteful because when the lamp fails the entire unit, including the expensive electronics, has to be thrown away), and without having bulky intermediate convertor units interposed between an existing lamp holder and the fluorescent lamp (this is unsightly).

Low-power fluorescent lamps are typically of 10 watts, or of 13 watts. Mains supply is 240 v at 50 Hz in the UK, but of course is different in other countries.

The lamp holder preferably includes a body portion having a conversion unit adapted to connect to an input supply of electricity and provide an output supply of electricity to coupling means adapted to connect a low-power fluorescent lamp releasably to the body portion.

The body portion may have a lamp holder skirt which surrounds the coupling means. The lamp holder skirt may have an axial length such that it extends axially to or beyond the axial extent of the coupling means. Alternatively, the coupling means may project beyond the axial extent of the lamp holder skirt. The lamp holder skirt may be releasably connectable to a skirt ring. The skirt ring is usually adapted to hold a lamp shade to the lamp holder, and the lamp holder skirt and the skirt ring are usually screw-threaded.

The skirt ring may be cylindrical, or it may be flared.

The skirt ring could take the place of a lampshade.

The lamp holder may be a pendant lamp holder adapted to hang from an electrical cable, or a batten lamp holder adapted to be fastened to a surface, such as the ceiling, or a lamp holder adapted to be part of a table, standard, or reading lamp or the like.

We may supply a kit comprising a lamp holder body, and one or more skirt rings. The kit may also include one or more low power lamps.

According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a light unit having a lamp holder in accordance with the first aspect of the invention and a low power fluorescent lamp releasably connected to the lamp holder, the lamp having no power supply conversion electronics.

According to a third aspect of the invention we provide a method of reducing the cost of lighting comprising providing a lamp holder in accordance with the first aspect of the invention and using in the lamp holder low power fluorescent lamps which have no associated power supply conversion electronics.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a pendant lamp holder; Figure 2 shows the lamp holder of Figure 1 in an assembled condition; Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of a body member of the lamp holder of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows an exploded view of a batten lamp holder; Figure 5 shows the lamp holder of Figure 4 in an assembled condition; Figure 6 shows an alternative skirt ring for use with the lamp holders of Figures 1 and 4; Figures 7 and 8 show low-power fluorescent lamps of two different kinds; Figure 9 shows a schematic representation of a body member of the lamp holder of Figure 4; Figure 10 shows a rear plan view of a body member of the lamp holder of Figure 4; and Figure 11 shows an alternative construction of a batten lamp holder.

A pendant lamp holder 1 in Figure 1 comprises a body member 2, a top cover 6 and a releasable skirt ring 8. The body member has an upper externally screw threaded portion 3 and a lower externally screw threaded portion (a skirt) 4.

In use an electrical power supply flex 5 extending downwards from a conventional light fitting, from for example a ceiling (not shown), is joined to the body member 2 to provide an electrical power supply to the lamp holder. The flex 5 passes through a hole in the top of the cover 6, which is internally screw threaded and which is slidably held upon the flex 5. The cover 6 can be screwed onto the upper portion 3 of the body member 2 to isolate electrical connections 7 between the flex 5 and the body member 2. The skirt 4 of the body member is received in the skirt ring 8 (as shown in Figure 6) its external threaded surface co-operating with a complementary screw thread on the inside surface of the skirt ring 8.In the fully assembled pendant lamp holder 1 shown in Figure 2 the body member 2 is connected to the flex 5, and the cover 6 and the skirt ring 8 are screwed onto the upper and lower threaded portions. A part of a lamp shade is usually interposed between the skirt ring 8 and a shoulder of the body member and held there by the skirt ring 8.

The body member 2 is shown schematically in Figure 3 and comprises a central enclosure 9 between the upper portion 3 and skirt 4. Protruding out of upper portion 3 is an electrical connector 10 which is shown joined to the end of flex 5 in Figure 1. The connector 10 passes through the upper portion 3 and into the enclosure 9. Shown schematically inside enclosure 9 is a convertor 11 which is a package of electronics capable of converting 240 volt mains electricity into a power supply at a much higher voltage suitable for powering a fluorescent lamp. The skirt 4 has a socket 12 which is adapted to receive a connector region or fitting of a fluorescent lamp. The lamp could be of any suitable design, for example of PL, PLC, or 2D design. An electrical connector 13 extends from the convertor 11 inside the enclosure 9 into the skirt 4. Examples of fluorescent lamps 14 and 15 are shown in Figures 7 and 8 respectively. The lamp 14 has a plug 16 at one end which can mate releasably with the socket 12. When the lamp 14 is joined to the socket 12 the connector 13 makes electrical contact with contacts 17 at the end of the lamp 14. The lamp 15 is similar to the lamp 14, but of a different configuration. A plug 19 of the lamp 15 mates with the socket 12 in a manner similar to that described above for lamp 14 and a discharge tube 20 is disposed in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the pendant lamp holder 1.

An alternative embodiment of a lamp holder is shown in Figures 4 and 5 and is a batten lamp holder 21. A body member 22 has a screw threaded portion (a skirt) 25 extending from a plate 26. A flat cover 24 with a central aperture that is large enough for the skirt 25 to fit through is placed over the body member 22 such that the cover 24 covers the plate 26 and the skirt 25 extends through the aperture in the cover 24. The cover 24 can be fixed to a wall or ceiling (not shown) by means of screws 23 thus holding the body member 22 between the cover 24 and the wall.

Once the skirt 25 is extending through the aperture a decorative washer 27 is screwed onto the skirt 25 to be adjacent to the cover 24 to hold the body member 22 firmly against the cover 24. Assembly of the lamp holder 21 is complete when an internally screw threaded skirt ring 28, is screwed onto the skirt 25.

The body member 22 contains within the plate 26 a convertor 29 (as shown in Figure 9) suitable for converting mains power to a power supply suitable for running a fluorescent lamp. Electrical connections 30 lead from the convertor into a socket 34 formed in the skirt 25. Further detail of the batten lamp holder is shown by the rear plan view in Figure 10. This shows the rear of the plate 26 surrounded by the cover 24.

The screws 23 are adapted to fit in two holes 23' in the plate. Further electrical connections lead to the rear of the plate 26 and form three holes 31, each adapted to receive an individual wire from an electrical power supply flex (not shown). The individual wires are held in the holes 31 by means of grub screws 32. Each of the holes 31 resides between two arms 33 of a three finned connector 10'. Batten lamp holders may be of an angled design such that a lamp held within the socket 34 is at a non-perpendicular angle to the wall or ceiling in which the lamp holder is fixed. Such a lamp holder is shown in Figure 11 and is basically similar in construction to that shown in Figures 4 and 5 and corresponding reference numerals have been applied to corresponding parts. A batten type lamp holder is capable of holding either of the lamps 14 and 15.

In the two embodiments described above a lamp holder is constructed with an integral electronics convertor capable of converting mains electricity to a power supply that can power fluorescent lamps. Thus fluorescent lamps which do not have their own integral convertor unit can be used providing a cheap, low power and long lasting alternative to a filament lamp. The lamp holder as described is suitable to be used in a domestic or office environment running from a conventional mains supply.

Claims (18)

1. A lamp holder which has integral with it an electronics conversion unit adapted to convert mains electricity supply to an electricity supply suitable to power a low-power fluorescent lamp.

2. A lamp holder according to claim 1 which includes a body portion having a conversion unit adapted to connect to an input supply of electricity and provide an output supply of electricity to coupling means adapted to connect a low-power fluorescent lamp releasably to the body portion.

3. A lamp holder according to claim 2 in which the body portion has a lamp holder skirt which surrounds the coupling means.

4. A lamp holder according to claim 3 in which the lamp holder skirt may have an axial length such that it extends axially to or beyond the axial extent of the coupling means.

5. A lamp holder according to claim 3 in which the coupling means projects beyond the axial extent of the lamp holder skirt.

6. A lamp holder according to any one of claims 3 to 5 in which the lamp holder skirt is releasably connectable to a skirt ring.

7. A lamp holder according to claim 6 in which the skirt ring is adapted to hold a lamp shade to the lamp holder.

8. A lamp holder according to claim 6 or claim 7 in which the skirt ring is flared.

9. A lamp holder according to any one of claims 6 to 8 in which the skirt ring takes the place of a lampshade.

10. A lamp holder according to any preceding claim which is a pendant lamp holder adapted to hang from an electrical cable.

11. A lamp holder according to any one of claims 1 to 9 which is a batten lamp holder adapted to be fastened to a surface.

12. A lamp holder according to any one of claims 1 to 9 which is adapted to be part of a table, standard, or reading lamp or the like.

13. A lamp holder substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 3; or Figures 4 and 5; or Figures 1 to 3 or 4 and 5 as modified by Figure 6; or Figures 9 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A kit comprising a lamp holder according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and one or more skirt rings.

15. A kit according to claim 14 which includes one or more low-power lamps.

16. A light unit having a lamp holder in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 13 and a low-power fluorescent lamp releasably connected to the lamp holder, the lamp having no power supply conversion electronics.

17. A method of reducing the cost of lighting comprising providing a lamp holder in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 13 and using in the lamp holder low-power fluorescent lamps which have no associated power supply conversion electronics.

18. A method of reducing the cost of lighting substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures of the drawings.