Screw-in type lighting unit having a convoluted tridimensional fluorescent lamp
First Claim
1. An electric lamp unit adapted for use in lighting apparatus that requires a compact light source and includes socket means, said lamp unit comprising, in combination;
- an electric discharge lamp comprising a sealed tubular envelope of light-transmitting vitreous material and convosingle-ended construction and of such physical size that it is suitable for use in said lighting apparatus and the socket means thereof.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fluorescent lamp having a triple-U-bent tubular envelope is combined with circuit means, a translucent protective cover and a threaded base member to provide an efficient screw-in type lamp unit of high brightness and long life that is compact enough to be used as a direct replacement for incandescent type lamps in fixtures designed for residential and commercial lighting. Various structural arrangements for including the ballast and starter components of the energizing circuit as integral parts of the compact lamp unit, despite the stringent space limitations, and also venting the cover and base structures to provide convection cooling of the compacted electrical components are also disclosed. Additional cost-saving advantages are afforded by making the triple-U-bent fluorescent lamp a plug-in type component that can be readily removed from the lamp unit and replaced with a new fluorescent lamp, thus permitting the lamp unit to be retained as a permanent part of the lighting fixture and be periodically relamped at minimal expense as required to maintain the optimum amount of illumination from the electrical energy which is consumed.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An electric lamp unit adapted for use in lighting apparatus that requires a compact light source and includes socket means, said lamp unit comprising, in combination;
an electric discharge lamp comprising a sealed tubular envelope of light-transmitting vitreous material and convosingle-ended construction and of such physical size that it is suitable for use in said lighting apparatus and the socket means thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28)
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27. The compact lamp unit of claim 27 wherein said apertures are of slot-like configuration and disposed in circumferentially spaced relationship around the end wall portion of the sleeve, the portions of the sleeve extending along the upper edges of the apertures being flared outwardly and providing louvers for the respective apertures.
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29. An electric lamp unit adapted for use in lighting apparatus that requires a compact light source and includes socket means that is connected to circuit means which constitutes an integral part of said lighting apparatus, said lamp unit comprising, in combination;
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a low-pressure type electric discharge lamp comprising a sealed tubular envelope of light-transmitting vitreous material and convoluted configuration that contains an ionizable medium and a pair of electrodes and has a plurality of conjoined generally U-shaped sections which define a single discharge channel, said generally U-shaped sections being disposed in different planes and oriented so that the substantially straight leg segments of the generally U-shaped sections are in tridimensional array and two of said leg segments are positioned adjacent one another and terminate the discharge channel, said electrodes being located within the channel-terminating leg segments of the convoluted tubular envelope and connected to lead-in conductors that extend therefrom, a protective housing of light-transmitting material disposed in protective enclosing relationship with the discharge lamp and having a vent opening therein that allows heated air to escape from the housing, and a base structure having terminal means adapted to effect electrical contact with the socket means of said lighting apparatus, said base structure being coupled to the channel-terminating leg segments of the convoluted tubular envelope and together with said discharge lamp and housing constituting a compact lamp unit of such physical size that it is suitable for use in said lighting apparatus and the socket means thereof, said circuit means being of a type that permits said discharge lamp to be operated on an alternating current power source.
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30. An electric lamp unit adapted for use in lighting apparatus that requires a compact light source and includes socket means, said lamp unit comprising in combination;
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a low-pressure type electric discharge lamp comprising a sealed tubular envelope of light-transmitting vitreous material and convoluted configuration that contains an ionizable medium and a pair of electrodes and has a plurality of conjoined generally U-shaped sections which define a single discharge channel, said generally U-shaped sections being disposed in different planes and oriented so that the convoluted envelope is of compact tridimensional configuration and two of said leg segments are disposed adjacent one another and terminate the discharge channel, said electrodes being located within the channel-terminating leg segments of the convoluted tubular envelope and connected to lead-in conductors that extend therefrom, and said discharge lamp being of a type that inherently exhibits a decrease in light output when operated in an environment that causes the lamp to become overheated, a base structure having terminal means adapted to effect electrical contact with the socket means of said lighting apparatus, said base structure having at least one vent opening therein and being coupled to the channel-terminating leg segments of the convoluted tubular envelope and together with said envelope constituting a compact unitary assembly, and a light-transmitting cover disposed in protective enclosing relationship with said discharge lamp and having vent means which cooperates with the vented base structure and permits air to pass through the operating lamp unit and convection cool the discharge lamp.
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Specification