Reflector fluorescent lamp unit

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a compact reflector fluorescent lamp unit having a small beam angle for concentrated and directional illumination. The reflector fluorescent lamp unit comprises a lamp cap, a housing, a circuit board, an intermediate plate, a reflection cup, a lamp tube, and a transparent plate, and is an improvement of the prior art in that a segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light is arranged at the inner wall adjacent to the open end of the reflection cup. Such a segment is formed as an annular sleeve which has an annular diameter and a taper matchable with a diameter and a taper of the corresponding inner wall of the reflection cup or as a layer of coating which is sprayed directly on the inner wall at the open end at the bottom of the reflection cup. The lamp unit of the present invention possesses the features of high optical reflection efficiency, good heat dispersion, concentrated light beam of small angle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a reflector fluorescent lamp unit, and more particularly relates to a compact reflector fluorescent lamp unit having a small beam angle for directional illumination.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Presently, halogen reflector lamps are commonly used in occasions that require concentrated and directional illumination such as malls, exhibitions, offices and homes. These halogen reflector lamps are formed with a tungsten filament as a light source, and have been widely used at present because they are characterized by a relatively small filament and a light lamp body. However, the halogen reflector lamps have a drawback that the surface of their lamp bodies can reach a temperature of 300 C in use, thus cause a safety problem. Moreover, this type of halogen reflector lamps have a relatively low luminous efficacy which is only 10-20 lm/W and a relatively short lifespan which is only 1000-3000 hours.

[0003] In view of the above drawbacks of the halogen reflector lamps, a Chinese Utility Model Patent No. ZL200720000768.4 issued to the applicant of the present invention has disclosed a compact reflector fluorescent lamp unit that has simple and easy assembling structures and good heat dispersion to overcome the problems of the halogen reflector lamps and to replace the current halogen reflector lamps. However, Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union states that "a reflector lamp is a lamp having at least 80% light output of its final light output within a solid angle (corresponding to a cone with angle of 120 )", which means that the reflector lamp should have at least 80% light output of its final light output within the beam angle of 120 of the reflector cup. The compact reflector fluorescent lamp disclosed in the Chinese Utility Model Patent No. ZL200720000768.4 emits relatively wide-angle light, and therefore does not meet the requirement for directional lamp under Directive 2005/32/EC.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides a new compact reflector fluorescent lamp unit which can concentrate a beam of light within a relatively small beam angle for the sake of directional illumination.

[0005] According to the invention, the reflector fluorescent lamp unit comprises a lamp cap, which is inserted onto a lamp holder and is connected to a power supply; an electronic ballast assembly having an input end coupled with the lamp cap through wire connection; a housing having a top on which the lamp cap is arranged; a circuit board having a plurality of electrical connection insertion holes, and the electronic ballast assembly being mounted on the circuit board so that the circuit board and the electronic ballast assembly are jointly installable in the housing; an intermediate plate having an upper surface on which a plurality of electrical connection pins are mounted, and having a lower surface on which protrusions and a hollow protrusion are mounted, the number of the electrical connection pins corresponding to the number of the electrical connection insertion holes; a lamp tube having a plurality of legs which are inserted into the electrical connection pins of the intermediate board so as to be coupled electrically with an output end of the electronic ballast assembly, and having an end which is snap-fitted into the hollow protrusion of the intermediate plate and held in the intermediate plate; a reflection cup having a cavity in which the lamp tube is received, a top surface of the reflection cup having a plurality of assembly holes and a notch, the reflection cup being fixed at the lower surface of the intermediate plate by coupling the assembly holes and the protrusions of the intermediate plate together and by coupling the notch and the hollow protrusion of the intermediate plate together, and the reflection cup further having an open end, the open end having an annular recess arranged at an edge of an inner wall thereof; and a transparent plate having an annular boss at an edge thereof, the transparent plate being fixed to the reflection cup by engaging the annular boss with the annular recess arranged at the edge of the inner wall at the open end of the reflection cup; wherein a segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light is arranged at the inner wall adjacent to the open end of the reflection cup.

[0006] Preferably, the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light is of annular configuration. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, arranging the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light at the inner wall adjacent to the open end of the reflection cup can be achieved in the following two ways.

[0007] In the first way, an annular sleeve having an annular diameter and a taper matchable with a diameter and a taper of the corresponding inner wall of the reflection cup is arranged on the inner wall adjacent to the open end of the reflection cup, such that the annular sleeve is snugly attached onto the inner wall of the reflection cup. The annular sleeve is formed to have black or dark color. Due to the fact that black or dark objects have the ability of light absorption, the arrangement of the annular sleeve does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light at the open end of the reflection cup, with the result that the reflector fluorescent lamp unit emits narrow-angle light to achieve the purpose of concentrated and directional illumination.

[0008] In the second way, a layer of black or dark coating material is directly applied onto the inner wall of the open end of the reflection cup to form the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light at the open end of the reflection cup. This can also achieve the same effect as the above first way.

[0009] Various components of the reflector fluorescent lamp unit of the present invention can be fixed securely by glue dispensing, snap fitting or coupling. The reflection cup preferably has an internal surface having a high degree of fineness, and an external surface having a high degree of roughness.

[0010] With the arrangement of the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light on the inner wall of the open end at the bottom of the reflection cup, the reflector fluorescent lamp unit of the invention enables the light emitting from the fluorescent lamp tube to be reflected by the inner wall of the reflector cup which is positioned above this segment only, thereby providing a reflection light output of small beam angle. This achieves the concentrated and directional illumination. Furthermore, the reflector fluorescent lamp unit of the present invention is an improvement relating to the compact reflector fluorescent lamp unit of the Chinese Utility Model Patent No. ZL200720000768.4, and therefore is also good in heat dispersion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a reflector fluorescent lamp unit constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the reflector fluorescent lamp unit of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an exploded partial view of the reflector fluorescent lamp unit of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is another exploded partial view of the reflector fluorescent lamp unit of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the reflector fluorescent lamp unit of Fig. 1, with a transparent plate being removed and a layer of coating which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light being coated on an inner wall of an open end of a reflection cup.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a reflector fluorescent lamp unit 1 of the present invention. The reflector fluorescent lamp unit 1 comprises a lamp cap 10, an electronic ballast assembly 20, a housing 30, a circuit board 40, an intermediate plate 50, a reflection cup 60, a lamp tube 70 and a transparent plate 80.

[0013] The lamp cap 10 is inserted onto a lamp holder (not shown) and is connected to a power supply. The lamp cap 10 may adopt a two-pin type lamp cap or a screwed type lamp cap, and in the present embodiment, a two-pin type lamp cap, such as a GU10 lamp cap, is used as the lamp cap.

[0014] The electronic ballast assembly 20 has an input end coupled with the lamp cap 10 through wire connection, and can be used in combination with lamp tubes of various standards and model numbers.

[0015] The housing 30 is generally in the form of a step sleeve made of plastic material, which is composed of three superimposing step-tiers. The upper and middle tiers are in a cylindrical shape, and the upper tier has a diameter smaller than that of the middle tier. The lower tier is in a trumpet shape. The lamp cap 10 is arranged atop the upper tier.

[0016] The circuit board 40 has four electrical connection insertion holes, each of which is formed by a hollow rivet made of a conducting material. The electronic ballast assembly 20 is mounted on the circuit board 40 via fastenings or other coupling arrangements. After the mounting of the electronic ballast assembly 20 on the circuit board 40, they are jointly mounted into the housing 30.

[0017] The intermediate plate 50 is provided with electrical connection pins on an upper surface thereof, and the number of the electrical connection pins corresponds to the number of the electrical connection insertion holes of the circuit board 40, i.e. four electrical connection pins in this embodiment. Two protrusions in axial symmetry and a hollow protrusion are arranged on a lower surface of the intermediate plate 50. The hollow protrusion has a bore matchable with an end of the lamp tube. The electrical connection pins of the intermediate plate 50 are plugged into the electrical connection insertion holes of the circuit board 40, respectively, such that an output end of the electronic ballast assembly 20 is coupled electrically to the lamp tube. In addition, the intermediate plate 50 has four snap-fit legs arranged at an edge thereof which are coupled with four snap-fit members arranged on an inner wall of the bottom of the trumpet shaped lower tier of the housing, allowing the trumpet-shaped open end of the housing to be sealed by the intermediate board.

[0018] The reflection cup 60 is made of metal, preferably aluminum alloy materials. An internal surface of the reflection cup has a high degree of fineness by means of polishing or chemical treatment, and an external surface of the reflection cup has a high degree of roughness by means of frosted finishing. The reflection cup 60 has a cavity in which the lamp tube is received, and the cavity is shaped and sized such that it is matchable with the lamp tube to be used. A top surface of the reflection cup 60 is provided with two assembly holes in axial symmetry and a notch, and the reflection cup 60 is fixed at the lower surface of the intermediate plate 50 by coupling the two assembly holes and the protrusions on the lower surface of the intermediate plate together and by coupling the notch and the hollow protrusion of the intermediate plate together. As shown in Fig. 4, the reflection cup further comprises an open end, the open end has an annular recess 601 arranged at an edge of an inner wall thereof.

[0019] The lamp tube 70 can adopt any kind of small fluorescent lamp tube, and is preferably selected from a 2SL type, 2WL type, or 4SL type compact fluorescent tube. In the present embodiment, a 2SL2U type lamp tube is employed. The end of the lamp tube is snap-fitted into the hollow protrusion of the intermediate plate 50 and held in the intermediate plate by glue dispensing. The four legs at both ends of the lamp tube are inserted into the four electrical connection pins of the intermediate plate 50, respectively.

[0020] The transparent plate 80 has an annular boss at an edge thereof. The transparent plate is fixed to the reflection cup by engaging the annular boss with the annular recess 601 arranged at the edge of the inner wall at the open end of the reflection cup and by glue dispensing.

[0021] The improvement of the present invention is that a segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light is arranged at the inner wall adjacent to the open end of the reflection cup. This segment can be implemented in the following two ways.

[0022] Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show the first implementation of the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light. As can be seen, the segment is of annular configuration and formed as an annular sleeve 90. The annular diameter and the taper of the annular sleeve 90 are matchable with the diameter and the taper of the corresponding inner wall of the reflection cup 60, such that the annular sleeve 90 is snugly attached onto the inner wall of the bottom of the reflection cup 60. The annular sleeve 90 has a boss 901 arranged at a bottom thereof which protrudes radially and outwardly. The boss 901 can be engaged with the annular recess 601 at the edge of the inner wall of the open end of the reflection cup, and the boss and the transparent plate 80 are then jointly fixed on the inner wall of the reflection cup. The annular sleeve 90 is made of a black or dark plastic material. Also, the annular sleeve 90 can be made of a metal material selected from iron, aluminum or alloy thereof having black or dark color. In addition, a layer of black or dark coating 902 may be applied onto the inner surface of the plastic or metal annular sleeve 90 to provide the same purpose. The annular sleeve 90 has a longitudinal vertical height of 2-30 mm.

[0023] Fig. 5 shows the second implementation of the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light. As can be seen, the segment is of annular configuration and formed as a layer of coating 100 positioned on the inner wall of the open end of the reflection cup. The layer of coating 100 can be formed by directly spraying a black or dark coating material to the inner wall of the open end at the bottom of the reflection cup 60. The layer of coating 100 has a longitudinal vertical height of 2-30 mm.

[0024] As discussed above, a snap-fit and coupling mechanism or glue dispensing is respectively provided between the intermediate plate 50 and the housing 30, between the intermediate plate 50 and the circuit board 40, between the intermediate plate 50 and the reflection cup 60, and between the reflection cup 60 and the annular sleeve 90 together with the transparent plate 80, thereby allowing the reflection cup 60, the intermediate plate 50, the housing 30 and the annular sleeve 90 to be easily, reasonably, tightly and reliably assembled together. Furthermore, the reflection cup 60 is made of aluminum alloy, and has an internal surface of high degree of fineness which facilitates the concentration of light beam of relatively high intensity at its center within a relatively small angle and an external surface of high degree of roughness which allows the heat to be effectively conducted and dissipated through the reflection cup. In addition, the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light is arranged at the inner wall adjacent to the open end of the reflection cup 60, therefore, only an extremely small portion of light emitting from the lamp tube is refracted and reflected outwardly from the bottom of the reflection cup 60, thereby achieving the narrow-angle light output. Obviously, the compact reflector fluorescent lamp unit of the present invention possesses the features of high optical reflection efficiency, good heat dispersion, concentrated light beam of small angle. Thus, the present invention provides a concentrated and directional fluorescent lamp unit.

[0025] While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described above, numerous improvements and alternative embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without departing from the design conceptions and teachings of the present invention shall all fall into the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit, comprising:

a lamp cap, which is inserted onto a lamp holder and is connected to a power supply;

an electronic ballast assembly having an input end coupled with the lamp cap through wire connection;

a housing having a top on which the lamp cap is arranged;

a circuit board having a plurality of electrical connection insertion holes, and the electronic ballast assembly being mounted on the circuit board so that the circuit board and the electronic ballast assembly are jointly installable in the housing;

an intermediate plate having an upper surface on which a plurality of electrical connection pins are mounted, and having a lower surface on which protrusions and a hollow protrusion are mounted, the number of the electrical connection pins corresponding to the number of the electrical connection insertion holes;

a lamp tube having a plurality of legs which are inserted into the electrical connection pins so as to be coupled electrically with an output end of the electronic ballast assembly, and having an end which is snap-fitted into the hollow protrusion of the intermediate plate and held in the intermediate plate;

a reflection cup having a cavity in which the lamp tube is received, a top surface of the reflection cup having a plurality of assembly holes and a notch, the reflection cup being fixed at the lower surface of the intermediate plate by coupling the assembly holes and the protrusions of the intermediate plate together and by coupling the notch and the hollow protrusion of the intermediate plate together, and the reflection cup further having an open end, the open end having an annular recess arranged at an edge of an inner wall thereof; and

a transparent plate having an annular boss at an edge thereof, the transparent plate being fixed to the reflection cup by engaging the annular boss with the annular recess arranged at the edge of the inner wall at the open end of the reflection cup;

characterized in that a segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light is arranged at the inner wall adjacent to the open end of the reflection cup.

2. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 1, wherein the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light is of annular configuration.

3. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 1, wherein the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light is formed as an annular sleeve having an annular diameter and a taper matchable with a diameter and a taper of the corresponding inner wall of the reflection cup.

4. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 3, wherein the annular sleeve has a boss arranged at a bottom thereof which protrudes radially and outwardly to be engaged with the annular recess at the edge of the inner wall of the open end of the reflection cup.

5. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 3, wherein the annular sleeve is made of a black or dark plastic material.

6. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 3, wherein the annular sleeve is made of a material selected from iron, aluminum or alloy thereof, and formed to have black or dark color.

7. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 3, wherein the annular sleeve has a layer of black or dark coating on an inner surface thereof.

8. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 3, wherein the annular sleeve has a longitudinal vertical height of 2-30 mm.

9. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 1, wherein the segment which does not permit light reflection or permits reflection of a small portion of light is formed as a layer of coating positioned at the inner wall adjacent to the open end of the reflection cup.

10. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 9, wherein the layer of coating has a portion which is made of black or dark coating material.

11. A reflector fluorescent lamp unit of claim 9, wherein the layer of coating is positioned away from the edge of the open end of the reflection cup at a longitudinal vertical distance of 2-30 mm.

Drawing