Deep submersible light assembly

• US 4,683,523 A
• Filed: 06/13/1986
• Issued: 07/28/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brock J. Rosenthal, Mark S. Olsson, William H. Hagey
• Original Assignee: Brock J. Rosenthal, Mark S. Olsson, William H. Hagey
• Inventors: Olsson, Mark S., Hagey, William H., Rosenthal, Brock J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hart, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US06/874,271
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 362/267, 362/158, 362/307, 362/347
• US Class Current: 362/477
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 45/06 the devices being intended to illuminate vessels' decks or interior
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/00 Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements

Abstract

An elongate metal cylindrical body has a plurality of internal annular grooves for adjustable positioning of a lamp socket. A cylindrical metal sleeve screws over the forward end of the metal body. A quartz-halogen lamp extends through the forward end of the sleeve and tube and its contacts are received in corresponding receptacles in the socket. A cylindrical heat sink is screwed inside the metal sleeve and surrounds the base of the lamp, closely spaced therefrom. A relatively small protective glass envelope fits over the lamp and heat sink. The tapered rearward end of the glass envelope is held within a cavity in the forward end of the metal sleeve by a special radial seal, including an O-ring and a spiral retaining ring. The special seal also minimizes cracking of the envelope while providing a barrier to the entry of water under high pressure. A readily removable reflector assembly fits over the forward ends of the cylindrical metal body and sleeve and includes a perforated dome-shape protective cover. The rear end of the cylindrical metal body accommodates a variety of standard bulkhead electrical connectors.

Claims

1. A submersible light assembly, comprising:

a hollow body having at least one opening;

a lamp socket;

means for holding the lamp socket in a predetermined position within the body;

a lamp having contacts removably inserted in the socket and a bulb extending through the opening and having a base connectable with the socket;

a transparent cylindrical envelope enclosing a portion of the lamp and having a closed forward end an an open rearward end with a radially outwardly projecting shoulder, the shoulder having a flat rearward face extending perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the envelope, a cylindrical outer surface extending forward from the rearward face, and a radially tapered outer surface forward of the cylindrical surface and decreasing in diameter moving in a forward direction; and

means for holding the rearward end of the transparent envelope to the body including means connected to the body for defining a cylindrical cavity adjacent the opening, the rearward face of the transparent envelope being abutted against a rearward wall of the cavity, an O-ring radially seated in the cavity surrounding the cylindrical outer surface of the shoulder of the transparent envelope, and means for engaging the tapered outer surface of the shoulder and pressing the O-ring and the rearward face of the shoulder against the rearward wall of the cavity.

2. A light assembly according to claim 1 wherein the body is cylindrical and the holding means includes a tapered cylindrical sleeve that screws over a forward externally threaded end of the body defining the opening.

3. A light assembly according to claim 2 wherein the cavity is formed in a forward end of the cylindrical sleeve.

4. A light assembly according to claim 3 wherein the sleeve has a radially inwardly projecting lip forward of the rearward wall of the cavity and the engaging means includes a spiral retaining ring.

5. A light assembly according to claim 2 wherein the cylindrical body has an elongate cylindrical bore formed with a plurality of axially spaced annular grooves and a pair of rings removably seated in corresponding ones of the grooves for holding the socket in a predetermined longitudinal position within the cylindrical body, and a second O-ring is positioned between one of the rings and the socket.

6. A light assembly according to claim 4 and further comprising a reflector assembly removably attached to the sleeve and having a reflecting surface surrounding the lamp.

7. A light assembly according to claim 6 wherein the reflector assembly includes a perforated transparent cover extending across a forward end thereof.

8. A light assembly according to claim 1 wherein the inside diameter of the transparent envelope is less than or equal to twice a width dimension of the lamp.

9. A light assembly according to claim 2 and further comprising a bulkhead electrical connector removably attached to a rearward end of the cylindrical body.

10. A light assembly according to claim 2 and further comprising a cylindrical heat sink surrounding a rearward end of the bulb and screwed into the cylindrical sleeve.