Line illumination device

• US 5,775,797 A
• Filed: 12/09/1996
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Henstra, Greald
• Primary Examiner(s): Dority, Carroll B.
• Application Number:
  US08/762,643
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 362/217, 362/225, 362/219, 362/222, 362/151
• US Class Current: 362/225
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/104 using feather joints, e.g. tongues and grooves, with or without friction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/107 using hinge joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/164 the parts being subjected to bending, e.g. snap joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/00 Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources

Abstract

The line-illumination device has a carrier (1), a plurality of tubular lamps (2) and a screen (5). Mounting brackets (7), which may be mounted to the screen (5) in any area of its length, are coupled to the screen (5) and to suspension brackets (6), which are coupled to the carrier (1) in a free area thereof. The suspension brackets (6) have a first hole (60) which extends up to the circumference of the bracket, and which may have a narrowed portion adjacent said circumference. A first pin (73) of the mounting brackets (6) is supported in said hole (60) and may be unround so as to be able to pass through the narrowed portion of the hole (60) in a rotational position which is different from rotational positions in which the pin (73) is supported in the hole (60). The construction of the device allows for an easy and fast assembling.

Claims

1. A line illumination device comprising:

a carrier (1);

a plurality of tubular lamps (2) arranged in a line and each having end portions (20) with respective lamp caps (21);

lampholder pairs (3a, b) which are connected to the carrier (1) and in which respective tubular lamps (2) are accommodated with their lamp caps (21);

a screen (5) having a longitudinal direction parallel to the tubular lamps (2) and having a side (50) facing the carrier (1), which screen (5) is suspended from suspension brackets (6) fastened to the carrier (1), while the tubular lamps (2) are present at said side (50) of the screen (5) facing the carrier (1),

characterized in that mounting brackets (7) capable of being fastened to any screen locations as desired in longitudinal screen direction are fastened to the screen (5), each mounting bracket (7) is coupled to a respective suspension bracket (6), the suspension brackets (6) each have a first hole (60) extending into its circumference, and each mounting bracket (7) has a first pin (73) which is supported in said first hole (60).

2. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first hole (60) has a throat (61) adjacent the circumference of the suspension bracket (6) and the first pin (73) is unround, such that the first pin (73) can only pass the throat (61) in a rotational position which is different from rotational positions in which said pin is supported in the first hole (60).

3. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the suspension brackets (6) each have a second hole (62) which extends into the circumference of the bracket, and the mounting brackets (7) each have a second pin (74) which is supported in the second hole (62).

4. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that means are present for locking the coupling between the mounting brackets (7) and the suspension brackets (6).

5. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the mounting brackets (7) each have a cavity (75) in which a locking member (76) is present which blocks a displacement of the first pin (73) of the mounting bracket (7) in the first hole (60) of the suspension bracket (6).

6. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the suspension brackets (6) each have a projection (63) which cooperates with the screen (5) and which prevents an uncoupling of the screen (5) and the mounting brackets (7).

7. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the carrier (1) has mutually facing U-shaped portions (10), and the suspension brackets (6) each have a transversely flanged rim (64) which is fixed into the U-shaped portions (10) by a bayonet movement.

8. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the suspension brackets (6) each have an elongate hole (66) which extends in longitudinal direction of the bracket and is circumferentially bounded in order to facilitate a deformation of the bracket (6) laterally of the hole (66).

9. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that a first hook (70) is present at each mounting bracket (7) and a first strip (51) is present at the screen (5), extending in longitudinal direction thereof, and the hook (70) grips behind the strip (51).

10. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the mounting brackets (7) each have a second hook (71) which is similarly directed as the first (70), and the screen (5) has a second strip (52) behind which the second hook (71) grips.

11. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that at least one of the hooks (70, 71) has a snap connection with the associated strip (51, 52).

12. A line illumination device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the suspension brackets (6) each have recesses (68, 69) at their circumference between the carrier (1) and the screen (5), which recesses face away from one another and are each formed along a fluent line.