Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
LD-5833
m e invention is in the field o~ gas discharge lamps,
such as fluorescent lamps, having an elongated bulb which
usually is either straight or arcuate. The invention also
is in the field of complete lamp units comprising a lamp,
ballast means, and starting means.
There are numerous application~ for elongated lamps,
such as fluorescent lamps, where it i5 desired to arrange
a plurality o~ lamps close togather, such as in a long
straight line configuration, and/or angled or curved con-
figurations. Such configurations are useful ~or lighting
shelves, countertops, mirrors, etc. U.S. Patent No.
2,344,935 dated March 21, 1944 to Whittaker describes an
arrangement of elongated lamp fixtures, each comprising a
channel member containing a starter and control unit and
provided with a pair of spaced apart sockets, at the
ends of the channel me~ber, for receivin~ a replaceable
fluorescent lamp. The two sockets are respectively provided
with male and female cOnneCtQrS~ so that one fixture can be
plugged into another to form a straight line of fixtures.
Also, angle-blocks are described for connecting the fixtures
together at different angles. U.S. Patent No. 2,652,483
dated September 15, 1953 to Laidig et al describes arrange_
ments of semicircular fluorescent lamps connected together
in various conigurations by means of connector blocks.
U.S. Patent ~o. ~,814,787 dated November 26, 1957 to
Jessup describes a conn0ctor socket for coupling together
in series ~luorescent lamps having filaments which have
deteriorated so as to cease functioning
Objects of the invantion are to provide a conven~ent,
compact, and slender elongated gas discharye lamp unit which
can be conneoted to other lamp units to provide a multiple
lamp installation.
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The invention comprises, briefly and in a pre~erred
embodiment~ a compact integral permanently assembled lamp
unit comprising an elongated gas discharge lamp containing
electrodes therein near the ends thereof, first and ~econd
connector means permanently attached to ~irst and second
ends, respectively, of the discharge lamp9 the first con-
nector means being adapted to receive operating electrical
power for the lamp unit and the second connector means
being adapted to supply operating electrical power to
another lamp, an elongated resistor ballast arranged along-
side the gas discharge lamp and connected to ballast the
lamp when operating~ starter means positioned in a housing
of one of the connector means and connected to cause starting
of the lamp, and electrical connections between said
first and second connector means to supply operating
electrical power at said second connector means for operating
another lamp~ said electrical connectios and resistor
ballast being positioned alongside the discharge lamp to
function as a starting aid and to provide a slender con-
figuration for the lamp unit.
FIG. 1 is a view of a plurality o fluore~cent lamps
connected together in accordance with the inventio~.
FIG 2 is a bottom view of a fluorescent lamp in
accordance with this invention.
FIG 3 is an electrical ~chematic diagram o~ an em-
bodiment of the invention
FIG. 4 is a bottom view, partly broken away; of two
lamps connectecl together in accordance with the invention.
FIG 5 is a perspective view of two lamp~ having end
connectors in accordance with an-alternative embodiment
of the invention.
FIG 6 i~ an electrical schematic diagram of circuit
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wiring in the end caps of FIG. 5.
In ~IG. 1, a plurality of lamp units 11, 12, and 13
are connected together end to end, the lamp units 11 and 12
being arranged in a straight line and the lamp unit 13 being
at an angle with respect to lamp unit le. Each of the lamp
unit~ 11, 12, and 13 comprises an elongated lamp 14, such
as a fluorescent lamp, having permanently attached to the
ends thereof an input power connector 15 and an output
electrical power connector 16. An electrical power cord
17 is attached by means of a cord connector 18 to the
input power connector 15 of the first lamp unit 11. Each
of the lamps 14 is provided with a pair of electrodes 21
and 22 located respectively near the ends of the elongated -
lamp and connected across lead-in wires 21a~ 21b, and 22a,
22b, as shown schematically in FIG. 3, Each lamp also is
provided with means for providing a gaseous vapor, such
as mercury vapor, in conventional manner,
As shown in FIG. 2, the power input connector 15 i5
provided with a pair o~ male electrical terminal prongs 23
and 24g and tha power output connector 16 is provided with
a pair of female electrical receptacles 26 and 27. Each
of the power connectors 15 and 16 may be provided with a
keyhole opening 28~ for attaching the lamp unit at its
~onnectors to a sur~ace by mean~ of screws, nail~, or -
slotted studs~ The surfaces 2~ of the connectors to which
the mounting means 28 is applied pref~rably is flat a~
more clearly shown in FIG, 5, ~he connectors 15 and 16
: preferably comprise cupshaped hollow plastic members
which are permanently attached to the ends of the lamp 14
by means of suitable adhesive.
Extending adjacent to and le~gthwise alongside the
; lamp 14 are a starting conductor 31, a ballast resis~or 32,
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and a pair of electrical power conduckors 33, 34. Pre-
ferably, the elongated member~ 31_34 extend alongside the
lamp 14 at a region thereof in alignment with and between
the mounting surfaces 29 of the end connectors, so that
they will be substantially unnoticed and will not sub-
stantially interfere with use~ul output light from the :~
lamp 14. The elongated me~bers 31-34 may be attached
to the surface of the glas~ bulb of the lamp 14, such as
by means of an adhesive, or by plating or otherwise for-
min~ them directly on the glass surface Alternatively~
the elongated members 31-34 may be carried on or in an
elongated hou~ing member, preferably of plastic materialJ
extending alongside or attached to the lamp 14 such as
by means of an adhesive material. It is preferred that ths
elongated members 31-34 be at or close to the lamp 14,
preferably no further than one-fourth of an inch, so as
to aid in starting of the discharge in the lamp and also
to provide a slender compact size of the unit~
As shown in FIG. 3, the input terminal 23 is elec-
trically connected via a fuse 36 to an end of the ballast
resistor 32) the other end o~ which is connected to and end
i of the electrode 22 The input terminal 23 is also elec-
trically connected via the fuse 36 to an end of the elec-
trical power conductor 34, the other end of which is elec-
trically connected to the output terminal 26. Alternatively
a fuse 36 of suitable rating can be connected in series
with the conductor 33 or 34. The input terminal 24 is
electrically connected to an end of the electrode 21, the
other end of which is connected to an end of the starting
conductor 31. The other end of the starting conductor 31
is connected to the remaining end o~ the electrode 22S via
starting switch 37 which may be conventional well-known
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glow_starter switch, shunted by the usual capacitor 38.
The input terminal 2~ al50 iS electrically connected to an
end o~ the electrical power conductor 33, the other end of
which is electrically connected t:o the output electrical
terminal 27 The ballast resistor 32 may have a value of
between 100 ohms to 2000 ohms, for example, if the lamp 14
is a conventional 20-watt fluorescent lamp3 and may be made
in the form of a wire arranged in a zig-zag shape or wound
around a ~lat support ribbon of suitable plastic material
or in the form of a stripe of resi~tance material such as
can be fired on the glas~ bulb or by metalic vapor de-
position. The exact optimum value of resistance for the
ballast 32 depends in part on the par~icular gas and fill
pres~ure in the lamp 14, and must, o course, have sufficient
wattage dissipation rating ~or the intended operating con-
ditions
The circuit of ~IG. 3 operates in conventional well- -
known manner, as follows. When electrical power is applied
to the input terminals 23, 24, the starter switch 37 closes,
applying current through both electrodes 21 and 22 (w~ich
electrodes are coated with electron emissive material), via
the ballast resistor 32, thereby heating the electrodes 21 .
and 22 to a temperature whereby they can emit electrons
without destroying the emissive material. Thereupon, after
a few second~, the starter switch 37 opens, whereby an
electrical discharge occurs in the lamp 14 between the el-
ectrodes 21 and 22, the electrode 21 now being connected
to input terminal 24 and the electrode 22 being connected :
to input terminal 23 via the ballast resistor 32 which re-
gulates the current flow to a safe and desired value. me
same starting and operating procedure also occurs for sub- ~ :sequent lamps connected to the output terminals 26 and 27
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The fuse 36 is for preventing overloading of the electrical
input power circuit if more than a safe number of lamps
are connected together in tandem. For example, twelve 20-
watt lamp units connected in tandem would draw-- a total
current of approximately four amperes from a 120-volt power
source9 and i~ this were deemed the maximum total safe
number of such lamps to operate simultaneou~ly from a
single power outlet, the fuse 36 could be a five-ampere
fuse. If the circuit is overloaded by too many lamp~ being
connected to it, only the fuse 36 in the ~irst lamp unit
(closest to the power source) would "blow", and the fuses
in the remaining lamp units would be unaffected. The
starting conductor 31, switch 37, and capacitor 38 can be
omitted if the lamp 14 is an instant start type.
FIG 4 shows details of the end connectors lS and 16.
For electrical safety, the end connector 15 is provided
with a recess or well 41 in which the connector terminals
23 and 24 are positioned, and the end connector 16 is
provided with a projection 42 in which the connector rs_
ceptacles 26 and 27 are located. Metal tabs 43 are soldered
or otherwise electrically connected to the starting con-
ductor 31, the ballast resistor 32, and the power conductors
33 and 34, a~ the end of the lamp 14 which i5 attached to
the connector 16. Within the hollow end connector 16, the
fuse 36 is electrically connected between the tab 43 of
conductor 349 and the receptacle 26 a wire ~6 i~ electrically
connected between the tab 43 of conductor 33 and the re-
ceptacle 27; an individual lamp fuse 36' i5 electrically
connected between the tab 43 of the ballst resi~tor 32,
and a lead-in wire or the lamp electrode 22; and the tab
43 of conductor 31 is connected electrically by a wire 47
to the starting device 37, the other terminal of which is
~0889'~9 LD_5833
connected by wiring 48 to the remaining lead-in wire of . .
the lamp electrode 22,
Metal tabs 51 are soldered or otherwise electrically
connected to the starting conductor 31, the ballast re-
sistor 32, and the power conductors 33, 34 at the end of
the lamp 14 which is attached to the input power ~onnector
15. A wire 52 is electricall connected from the tab 51
which is attached to tha power conductor 34, to the con-
nector terminal 23, and also to the tab on the resistor
32 a wire 53 is electrically connected between the tab
51 at the power conductor 33, and the connector terminal
24 and also is electrically connected to a lead-in wire
54 of the lamp electrode 21; and the lead-in wire 56
~or the lamp electrode 21 is connected to tab 51 at the
starting conductor 31. Since the connector projection 42
fits into the connector recess 41 when lamps are being
plugged or unplugged into or ~ro~ each other, and since
the terminals 23 a~d 24 do not project ~eyond the end .
surface of the connector member 153 it is impos~ible for
an object to come into contact with the terminals ~3 7' or
24 and cause shorting of these terminals~ or electrical
shock to a person, when these terminals are el~ctrically
energized by baing in contact with the receptacla members
26, 27.
In the modification of FIG. 5, the input power con-
nector 15 i~ provided with a recess 41 for the terminals
23 and 24, as shown in FIG, 4, and t~e output power con-
nector 16 is provided with a projection 42 for the re-
ceptacles 26 and 27, as shown in FIG. 4. ~he input power
connector 15 also is provided with recesses 41a and 41b at
the sides thereof~ containing additional input power ter-
minals J and the output power connector 16 is pxovided with
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~ 939 LD-5833
additional projections 42a and 42b containing additional
pairs of power receptacles. Thu~;, the two lamp units 12
and 13 can be connected together by plugging any of the
projections 42, 42a, and 42b into any one of the recesses
41, 41a, or 41b of the lamp unit 13. This achieves the
versatility of connecting the tws~ lamps together in a
straight line linear configuration, or at a right angle
configuration with a side o~ the connector 15 against the
end of the connector 16, or with a side of the connector
16 against the end of the connector 15. The electrical
schematic diagram of FIG. 6 shows how the receptacles are
wired in the connector 16 of lamp unit 12 in FIG. 5, the
end receptacle 26 being electrically connected to the side
receptacle 26a and the ~ide receptacle 26b, and the end
receptacle 27 being electrically connected to the side
receptacles 27a and 27b. The end terminals 23 and 24 in
the connector 15 of lamp unit 13 in FIG. 5 are similarly
respectively electrically connected to the side terminals
23a, 23b and 24a, 24b.
The invention achieves its objects of providing lamp
units which are integral and permanently assembled units
having compact and slender shapes and w~ich can be connected
together in a variety of conigurations without the need for
providing the customary heavy9 clumsy, and space-consuming
and expensive ~ixture member as has been required i~ prior
art lamp units~
While pre:Eerred embodiments and modifications of the
invention have be~n shown and described, various other
embodiments and modifications thereof will become apparent
to persons skilled in the art and will fall within the
scope oE the invention as de~ined in the ~ollowing claims.
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