WHOLLY ENCLOSED ARMATURE ARRANGEMENT FOR FLUORESCENT TUBES

Abstract: A wholly enclosed armature for fluorescent tubes, which is designed for outdoor use, has a transparent, cylindrically tubular cover member (18) which supports at the one end a permanent coupling housing (23) and at the opposite end supports an easily detechable end cover (22). A fluorescent tube-carrying support arrangement (24) is axially displaceably received in the cover member (18) between the coupling housing (23) and the end cover (22). The inner end of the support arrangement (24) is provided with guide members (42, 43) of a first type which cooperate with guide members (47-49) of an equivalent second type on the coupling member. The support arrangement and the coupling member are provided with their respective contact members which form a current connection between the support arrangement and the coupling member and which are relatively moveable inwardly into and outwardly from engagement with each other guided by the said guide members (42, 43; 47-49).

Description: MENT FOR FLUORESCENT TUBES 1 The present invention relates to a wholly enclosed armature arrangement for fluorescent tubes, designed for outdoor use, where a transparent or translucent, cylindrical tubular cover member supports at the one end a secured coupling housing and at the opposite end supports an easily detachable end cover and where a fluorescent tube-carrying support arrangement is axially displaceably received in the cover member between the coupling member and the end cover. In armatures for fluorescent tubes, designed for outdoor use, there is a need to be able to replace the fluorescent tubes in a ready manner, as required, and also during relatively unfavourable weather conditions, if this is necessary, without thereby allowing moisture to gain access to a substantial degree to the electri-' cal coupling means. In many instances it can be necessary to have to exchange fluorescent tubes in the dark and if necessary during work on a ladder or under similarly complicated working conditions. There is also a need to produce a double- ■ insulated armature which is convenient to manufactu're and at the same time is simple to use, that is to say which has a simple construction and which at the same time is sufficiently tight and reliable on use and which is readily accessible for replacement of fluore¬ scent tubes and remaining parts, without the danger of coming into contact with current-conducting leads. The arrangement according to the invention is characterised in that the inner end of the support arrangement is equipped with one or more eccentrically arranged, axially extending first type guide members which cooperate with one (or more) equivalent, eccentrically arranged axially extending second type guide members on the coupling housing, and that the support arrangement and the coupling housing are pro¬ vided with a pair or a set of equivalent electrical contact members which form a current connection between the coupling housing and the support arrange¬ ment and which are relatively moveable inwardly- into and outwardly from engagement with each other over an axial distance of movement which is defined within the guide-engagement-forming movement zone of the guide members of the support arrangement and the coupling member. According to the invention there is obtained a possibility of being able to draw out from the cover member the support arrangement-- with associated fluorescent tubes and other fittings, as a coherent unit and after replacing the fluorescent tubes or other fittings to place the support arrangement back in position in a ready manner by a simple axial dis- placement of the support arrangement relative to the cover member. By means of the guide members of the support arrangement and the coupling member it is possible to ensure a correct angular adjustment of the support arrangement relative to the cover member before the electrical contact members are pushed axially together during simultaneous axial pushing in of the support arrangement into the cover member. By this one ensures that the contact members are brought without the danger of being damaged into precise engagement with each other and are guided in a con¬ trolled manner relative to each other during the dis¬ placement of the contact members, and one is able to ensure that the contact members are first brought into engagement with each other after the guide members have consolidated an accurate guiding engage¬ ment with each other. In this way it will also be possible to break the current supply and establish the current connection between the support arrangement and the coupling member within the zone of movement of the guide members where they have a cooperating guiding engagement and thereby be able to ignite (or extinguish) the fluorescent tubes immediately the contact means come into engagement with each other (or are brought out of engagement with each other) . By this the coupling (or uncoupling), can take place in a shielded manner and with an effective simultaneous control that the fluorescent tube functions as intended. Further features of the invention will be evident from the following description having regard to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows the armature according to the invention fixed to a base, seen from above. Fig. 2 shows a portion of the one end of the armature shown in section with certain parts drawn out of engagement with each other. Fig. 3 shows a portion of the other end of the armature with the current connection disconnected be¬ tween the parts. Fig. 4 shows an end view of one end component of the support arrangement. In Fig. 1 there is shown a fluorescent tube arma- ture 10 which is fixed at two opposite ends via ring- forming support means 11, 12 and associated fastening bolts 13 / 14 to fastening ears 15, 16 ' on a base 17. The exhibited suspension arrangement is shown as an illustrating embodiment, the suspension being able to be effected in arbitrary ways known per se for different types of fastening members or different types of bases without this being shown further herein. The fluorescent tube armature 10 comprises a transparent or translucent, sylindrically tubular cover member 18 of plastic, glass or other suitable material and manufactured in arbitrary lengts. At oppo¬ site ends of the cover member there are pushed in and secured socket members 19 and 20 which are provided with an inner fastening portion 19a, 20a (see Fig. 2 and 3) and an outer, externally threaded portion 19b, 20b together with a central collar portion 19c, 20c projecting radially outwards. The collar portion 19c, 20c can form end stops for an adjacent ring-forming support means 11 and 12 at each end of the armature. The ring-forming support means (11) is adapted to be clamped via fastening means 12a, 12b (11a, lib) on the outer side of the cover member radially outside fastening portion 20a of the socket member, fastening portion 20a of the socket member being able to support and brace the cover member 18 in the region where the support means 12 (11) is most loaded, that is to say where it is adapted to be clamped to the cover member 18. To threaded portions 19b, 20b of the socket members 19 and 20 there can be secured in a ready manner an end cover 21 and 22 respectively, so that there can be provided optional access to one end of the armature, which is equipped with a coupling housing 23 secured for this purpose, and to the other end of the armature, which receives a support arrangement 24 (Fig. 2 and 3) axially moveable relative to the coupling housing 23 and the cover member 18. The support arrangement 24 carries a pair of fluorescent tubes 25, 26 and a pair of discharge igniters fixed to two opposite end compo¬ nents 31, 32 and an impedance coil and the like fixed to a light reflector shield 30, which in turn is fixed to the two opposite end components 31, 32. The end components 31, 32 are permanently secured via support pins 33 to the light reflector shield 30 to form a support arrangement rigid to bending. To the end components 31, 32 there are fastened contact-for-αing holding means 34, 35 for the fluorescent tubes 25, 26 together with a contact-forming holding means 36 for the respective discharge igniters. At the periphery of the end components 31, 32 ther are arranged support lugs 38 which are adapted to form support and guide members for the end component against the cover member on axially displacing the support arrangement relative to the cover member. The coupling housing 23 is combined in the illu- strated embodiment with the one socket member 19 and comprises an essentially square housing member 19d which is inserted between the externally threaded portion 19b and the collar portion 19c. To the coupling housing there is connected a transverse base member 19e which is arranged just by the collar portion 19c. To the housing member 19d there is fixed an in¬ sertion nipple 39 for an electrical lead 39a which is coupled to one or more contact means 40 (Fig. 3) fastened to a holder 41 on the base member 19e. The contact means 40 has a series of contact points sepa¬ rately located on the side of the base member 19e which faces inwardly into the hollow space of the cover member 18. On the same side of the base member 19e there project axially inwards into the hollow space of the cover member three eccentrically arranged guide pins, of which only two guide pins 42, 43 are shown in the drawing. On one, inwardly facing end component 31 of the support arrangement there is fastened a contact means 45 with a jseries of contact pins 46 projecting endways outwards which are adapted to be threaded into engage¬ ment with their respective contact point on the contact means 40 on pushing in the support arrangement 24 into the cover member 18. In order to ensure a correct, accurate joining of the contact pins 46 into contact points of the contact means 40 provision is : made for guiding the end component axially along the guide pins 42 and 43, the guide pins engaging with three equiva- lent socket members 47, 48, 49 (Fig. 4) in the end component 31. Provision is made that- the guide members 42 and 43, and 47, 48, 49 in the region for establishing electrical contact via the contact means 40 and 45, via the contact- pins 46 and associated contact points,' ensure a precise parallel displacement of the support arrangement 24 relative to the cover, while the guide members axially outside this region can ensure a centering of the support arrangement relative to the cover member. In this connection the guide pins 42, 43 are provided at the outer end with somewhat pointed pin ends 42a and 43a, so that the guide pins 42-43 can be readily threaded into place in the guide sockets 47-49, while front edges of the guide sockets 47-49 are arranged flush with the front side of the end component 31. According to the invention there is achieved a double-insulated armature, where the assembly and dis¬ assembly of the support arrangement 24 with associated fluorescent tubes 25 and 26 can take place in an ade¬ quate manner without the danger of comrng into contact with .current-conducting leads, thanks to the co- operating guide members 42, 43 and 47, 38, 49. Further¬ more there is obtained an especially simple construc¬ tion by firstly allowing the support arrangement or support beam to consist of a coherently rigid unit of the end components 31, 32 and the reflector shield 30, the reflector shield 30 as a consequence of its profile form giving great rigidity and strength at the same time as it shields the fluorescent tubes 25, 26, in the associated hollow space on the one side, and impedance coil, lead connections and the like in an associated hollow space on the opposite side of the reflector shield 30. The end components 31, 32 for their part support in an easily accessible -way all necessary fastenings for fluorescent tuces-, contact means and the like. Secondly the remaining., outer construction of the armature can have a simple, design due to the tubular cover member at the ends forming supports for the socket members 19, 20 and at the same time fastenings for the ring-forming support means 11, 12 and due to the one socket member 19' being combined with the coupling housing 23. By utilising an end cover 21 and 22 respectively on each of the socket members 19, 20 access can be easily provided as re- quired to the vital parts of the coupling housing 23 and to the support arrangement 24 and its vital parts. Between the socket member 19 (20) and the end cover 21 (22) there is inserted a sealing ring 50, and between the outer end component 32 of the support arrangement and the adjacent end cover 22 there is inserted a compression spring 51 which rests in a spring holder 52 in the end component 32 and rests in a cavity 53 in the end cover 22. By means of the spring 51 one can ensure that the support arrangement 24 is axially in place in an abutment against the inner end of the cover member independently of the seal between the socket member 20 and the end cover 22. The different dimensions of fluorescent tubes of current interest can be adapted in a ready manner according to the invention by quite simply adapting correspondingly the lengths of the reflector shield 30 and the cover member 18.

Claims: CLAIMS i 1. Wholly enclosed armature for fluorescent tubes (25, 26), designed for outdoor use, where a transparent or translucent, cylindrically tubular cover member (18) supports at the one end a permament coupling housing (23) and at the opposite end supports an easily de¬ tachable end cover (22) and where a fluorescent tube- carrying support arrangement (24) is axially displace- ably received in the cover member (18) between the coupling housing (23) and the end cover (22), characte- rised in that the i'nner end of the support arrangement (24) is equipped with one or more eccentrically arranged, axially extending first type guide members (47, 48, 49) which cooperate with one or more equiva¬ lent eccentrically arranged axially extending second type guide members (42, 43) on the coupling housing (23), and that the support arrangement (24) and the coupling housing- (23) are provided with electrical contact members (46) which form a current connection between the coupling housing (23) and the support arrangement (24) and which are relatively moveable inwardly into and outwardly from engagement with each other over an axial distance of movement which is de¬ fined within the guide engagement-forming region of movement of the guide members of the support arrange- ment and the coupling member. 2. Arrangement in accordance with claim 1, charac¬ terised in that the support arrangement (24) consists of two end components (31, 32) which extend trans- versely of and are separately rigidly fastened to an intermediate, support member braced by means of a profile shape designed as a reflector shield (30), said end components (31, 32) forming a fitting and coupling for the fluorescent tubes (25, 26), while the reflector shield (30) forms a fitting for trans¬ formers and the like, and that the one, inner end com¬ ponent (31) forms a support for contact members and guide members (47-49) which cooperate with the contact members and the guide members (42, 43) in the coupling member (23) of the cover member (18). 3. Arrangement in accordance with claim 2, charac¬ terised in that the coupling housing (23) is formed by a housing component (lOe) fixed to the end of the cover member (18) with at the one end an associated fastening portion (19b) for an easily detachable end 'cover.(20) and at the opposite end with a base member (19e) which forms a support for contact members and guide members (42, 43) of the coupling member.

Inventors: HAFSTAD BJOERN, HAFSTAD, BJOERN
Applicants: HAFSTAD BJORN, HAFSTAD, BJOERN
Application year: 1986
Main classification: F21S3
IPC codes: F21S8, F21V31, F21Y103, H01R33