U.S. patent number 3,611,009 [Application Number 04/834,048] was granted by the patent office on 1971-10-05 for fluorescent light fixture.
Invention is credited to William J. McNeil.
United States Patent |
3,611,009 |
McNeil |
October 5, 1971 |
FLUORESCENT LIGHT FIXTURE
Abstract
A fluorescent lighting fixture composed of a drum-shaped globe
with an internal phosphor coating and composed of upper and lower
walls, interjoined by a central glass core and an outer annular
wall to provide a hermetically sealed chamber. A ballast-containing
chamber is provided above and integral with the globe and has
provision thereon for connection to a conventional incandescent
light socket. Provided in the globe are cathode and anode filaments
and a mercury gas. The cathode and anode filaments are connected to
the ballast.
Inventors: |
McNeil; William J. (Davenport,
IA) |
Family
ID: |
25265961 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/834,048 |
Filed: |
June 17, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
315/37; 313/485;
313/609; 315/DIG.5; 315/57; 315/62; 313/318.04 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01J
61/56 (20130101); H01J 61/103 (20130101); Y10S
315/05 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01J
61/04 (20060101); H01J 61/10 (20060101); H01J
61/56 (20060101); H01J 61/02 (20060101); H01j
007/44 () |
Field of
Search: |
;315/57,1U,DIG.5,62
;313/109,204,220,318 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lake; Roy
Assistant Examiner: Hostetter; Darwin R.
Claims
I claim:
1. A fluorescent lighting fixture comprising a lower sealed
compartment having upper and lower walls, and an outer wall joining
the upper and lower walls, said sealed compartment being filled
with a chargeable vapor gas for effecting fluorescence and coated
internally with a phosphor coating, and an upper compartment
composed of upper and lower separable parts, the lower part being
rigid with the lower compartment and the upper part having an
upwardly projecting connection for an incandescent fixture; divider
walls fixed internally of the lower compartment for dividing the
lower compartment into adjoining sections in communication with one
another and for providing a tortuous path for electrons to flow; a
drum-shaped ballast within the upper compartment having positive
contact points at its upper and lower ends, a negative contact ring
around its girth, and a negative discharge ring at its lower end;
spaced positive and negative filaments within the lower compartment
for charging the gases; electrical conductor means extending from
the connection to the upper compartment and including a central
conductor extending between the upwardly projecting connection and
upper positive contact point and a negative conductor extending
from the negative contact of said incandescent connection and the
ring around the girth; and electrical conductor means extending
between the upper compartment and lower compartment in contact with
and carrying current through the ballast to the respective
filaments including contact points between the positive point and
negative ring at the lower end of the ballast.
2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which said separable
parts are threadedly joined and when threadedly joined a
predetermined amount will place the ballast in proper position to
receive and transmit current from the incandescent connection to
the filaments.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a fluorescent light fixture that may be
used in a conventional screw-type incandescent light fixture. It is
composed of upper and lower gas chambers with the lower chamber
having upper and lower parallel glass panes joined at their outer
edges by an annular pane and at their centers by a glass core. The
lower chamber has the elements and ingredients for providing
fluorescent lighting. The upper chamber is separable into parts and
supports a ballast therein. The upper of the two parts has a
screw-type connection for an incandescent light fixture.
It is the object of the invention to provide a fluorescent globe
adapted for connection to a screw-type incandescent light
fixture.
Specifically it is the object of the invention to provide a globe
structure composed of a lower chamber having a pair of glass panes
spaced apart and sealed at their edges to form a sealed chamber.
The glass panes have a phosphor coating on their inner surfaces and
the chamber is filled with a mercury gas. Suitable electrical
filaments for exciting the gas are provided adjacent the panes and
serve to illuminate the surfaces. The globe structure also includes
an upper ballast-containing chamber with a screw-type connection to
an incandescent light fixture. The upper chamber has therein
electrical connections extending from the screw-type connection to
the ballast, and from the ballast to the electrical filaments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of the light fixture.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the fixture mostly in
section.
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the fixture with part thereof being in
section to show internal structure.
FIG. 4 is a top and side perspective view of the ballast.
FIG. 5 is a bottom and side perspective view of the ballast.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a juncture in the
upper ballast chamber.
The fixture 10 is composed of a lower chamber portion 11 having a
pair of upper and lower horizontal glass panes 16, 17 spaced
vertically apart. The panes 16, 17 are provided with and are
integrally interconnected by a central vertical glass core 15 and
an outer annular glass wall or pane 18 so as to create or define a
hermetically sealed lower chamber or compartment 19. The inner
surfaces of panes 15-18 are provided, at least in part with a
lining or coating 20 of a phosphor material. Retained in the
chamber 19 adjacent the upper and lower panels adjacent the core 15
and outer wall 18 respectively are a pair of filament panels 22,
23. The upper panel 16 has a downwardly projecting wall 24 outward
of the upper inner filament 22 and the lower wall 17 has an
upwardly projecting round wall 25 inward of the outer filament
23.
The fixture 10 also includes an upper chamber portion 30 that has a
ballast control member 31 contained therein. The chamber 30 is
constructed of two separable pieces 32, 33. The piece 32 is of cap
shape having an outer wall portion 34 of a hard insulating type of
material and an internal metal and conducting liner 35 of a copper
or conducting material. The piece 33 is of a ceramic material
suitably cemented to the upper surface of the glass wall 16. The
liner 35 necks down and projects upwardly through the ceramic cap
34 and has an outer threaded wall 36 that may be received in an
incandescent lighting fixture. The wall 36 has an internal ceramic
core 37 with a central electrical conductor 38 having an external
contact plate 39 and an internal plate conductor 40 that holds a
spring-type contact 41. The wall 36 and contact plate 39 are of
conventional type, the wall 36 being a conductor of the negative
electric pole and the plate 39 being the conductor for the positive
pole. The lower part 33 has an integral upwardly projecting
embossment 45 that is hollow and upwardly opening to receive the
lower end of the ballast 31. The embossment is provided with an
externally threaded metal ring 41 that threadedly receives the
lower end of the cover 32 to thereby hold the cover on and to form
therewith the ballast chamber. An electrical contact 42 or
conductor passes through the wall 45 internally of the wall 45.
The ballast 31 is of a conventional type with the exception of its
contact points. The ballast 31 has an upper U-shaped contact 50
that is positioned to contact the conductor plate 40 and an annular
conductor ring or collar 51 that is adapted to engage the contact
42. The lower horizontal wall of the ballast 32 includes a
downwardly facing surface conductor ring 53 and a central inner
contact plate 54. Thus, the ballast 32 has input contacts 50, 51
and output contacts 53, 54. The upper pane 16 also has on its base
portion 45 an upwardly facing surface with a central electrical
contact point 56 embedded in the glass and outer spring contacts 57
spaced from and adapted to contact the ring 53. The central point
56 is adapted to engage the contact plate 54. A wire connection 58
extends from the contact point 56 to the lower filament 23, the
wire being embedded in the glass core 15 and the lower wall 17. A
wire connection 59 extends from the contacts 57 to the upper
filament 22, such wire being embedded in the upper wall 16.
A self-hardening plug 60 that is capable of maintaining the globe
sealed is provided in the upper pane 16 and it is through the
opening which the plug 60 fills that a mercury vapor gas of a type
used in fluorescent lighting is introduced into the lower chamber
19.
In operation electricity is introduced into the ballast 32 through
the metal liner 35, 36 and the conductor 38. When the cap 32 is
fully screwed down on the embossed portion 45 and its threaded
metal wall 36, the ring 51 and contact 50 are positioned to engage
the contact 46 and plate 40 respectively. Also, the ring 53 and
contact 54 of the ballast engage the contacts 56, 57 of the base
portion 45. Thus, the electricity transmitted through a
conventional-type incandescent fixture is transmitted first through
the ballast 32 and from thence to the filaments 22, 23. One
filament becomes the anode and the other the cathode for the
fluorescent circuit. A starter switch, if desired, may be inserted
in the present circuit although one is not designed into the
circuit. The ballast 32 is not of the type requiring a separate
starter switch.
In order to give a brighter light in the room, the internal
surfaces of the panes 16, 17 and 18 are internally serrated as at
61.
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