Patent ID: 7883237

Claim:
A heat extractor device for a fluorescent lighting fixture having at least one fluorescent lamp with a metallic cold spot end and at least one cold spot end lamp socket for holding the metallic cold spot end of the fluorescent lamp, said heat extractor device comprising a base portion for mounting the device to a heat conductive portion of the lighting fixture proximate the at least one cold spot end lamp socket of the lighting fixture, an extended sleeve end portion having a contacting surface for contacting the metallic cold spot end of a fluorescent lamp held by said cold spot end lamp socket so as to allow heat transfer from the metallic cold spot end of the lamp to said sleeve end portion, said extended sleeve end portion having a narrow width wherein the sleeve end portion substantially only contacts the metallic cold spot end of the fluorescent lamp, and a connector portion thermally interconnecting said extended sleeve end portion and said base portion, and positioning said extended sleeve end portion relative to said base portion to allow the contacting surface of the sleeve end portion to contact the metallic cold spot end of the lamp held in the lighting fixture by the cold spot end lamp socket, said base portion, extended sleeve end portion and connector portion having substantially the same width and being a unitary part fabricated of a thermally conductive material, whereby at least a portion of the heat transferred from the lamp to the extended sleeve end portion is conducted away from the contacted metallic cold spot end of the fluorescent lamp through the connector portion and base portion to the heat conductive portion of the lighting fixture to which the heat extractor device is mounted.