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.

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.

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.