MXPA99008641A - Mounting of multiple lamps for lighting bands in miniat - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multiple lamp assembly for a lighting strip including an elongated housing of which a plurality of separate lamp contact housings extend. Each lamp contact housing includes at least one opening that receives the free upper end of an electrical contact mounted at its lower end to a printed circuit board that is received within the interior of the elongated housing. The contacts of the lamps connected in series are inserted into the openings of the contact housings of adjacent lamps, whereupon a coupling of electrical contacts is coupled within them.

Description

ASSEMBLY OF MULTIPLE LAMPS FOR MINIATURE LIGHTING BANDS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally related to a multi-lamp assembly, and more particularly to a multi-lamp assembly to use a lighting band accessory. A lighting band accessory in which a plurality of lamps, usually miniature high intensity lamps, are mounted along an elongated fitting and electrically connected in series, are commonly used to provide decorative lighting effects, such as part under kitchen cabinets, in office reception areas, and in restaurants. Other areas where multiple lamp fixtures are used include interior details of vaults and behind housing doorways. The accommodation in a typical lighting strip is not deep, so that it does not protrude below a shallow panel strip and is hidden from view at normal viewing angles. Another characteristic of such lighting bands is the use of a plurality of separate, low voltage lamps, arranged along a line that distributes light uniformly without creating a concentrated heat area anywhere, thereby significantly reducing it. the risk of fire and the formation of burn marks on furniture. As noted, since the lamps used in the lighting bands are typically connected in series, if one or more of the lamps is removed or melted, the serial circuit connection is broken and all remaining active lamps stop operating . It has been proposed to include an internal deviator circuit, which simulates the load of a lamp that is removed or fused, thereby maintaining the connection of the series between the remaining lamps and allowing them to continue operating. A plurality of low voltage lamps (for example 12 volts or 24 volts) can thus be reliably connected in series through a conventional higher AC power source of 120 volts, without the need for a voltage reducing transformer. . Known lighting bands containing such a diverter circuit, such as a circuit developed by Leviton Manufacturing Company, require end-to-end wiring between lamp holders and / or mechanical assemblies for each lamp, which adds cost and manufacturing complexity to the multi-lamp lighting band. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple lamp assembly for a lighting band that is simpler and less expensive to manufacture. It is another object of the invention to provide a lighting band lamp assembly, which reliably operates with a plurality of low voltage lamps connected in series. It is a more general object of the invention to provide a low-cost, low-profile compact lamp assembly for use in a multi-lamp lamp strip accessory. Up to this point, the multi-lamp assembly of the invention includes an elongated housing that includes a plurality of separate lamp sockets extending from its upper surface. The interior of the housing receives a printed circuit board to which the lower ends of the separate contacts are fixed. The free upper ends of these contacts are received respectively within the lamp contact housings and are thus accessible to make contact with the lamp contacts that are inserted between the adjacent lamp housings. The components of a bypass circuit which simulates a lamp load in the case of lamp removal or lamp failure can be mounted and interconnected on the printed circuit board.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The aforementioned objects and other objects and other features of the present invention will be better understood when taken into consideration in conjunction with the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention., as well as considered together with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a multiple lamp assembly for use in a lighting band accessory according to an embodiment of the invention, with a lamp installed and another lamp partially installed; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the multi-lamp assembly of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a series connection of a plurality of lamps in the multiple lamp assembly of Figure 1. As in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the multi-lamp assembly of the present invention, generally designated 10, it includes an elongate housing 12 made of any suitable insulation material such as, for example, polycarbonate. The housing 12 includes end walls 14, side walls 16, and an upper surface 18.

Extending upwardly from the upper surface 18 of the housing 12, into the board of its opposite ends, there is a plurality of longitudinally spaced double-ended lamp contact housings. A pair of double ended lamp contact housing ferrules 22 extends upwardly from each end of the upper surface 18 of the housing 12. The housing 20 includes a pair of vertical side walls 24 and a transverse upper wall 26 extending between the walls 24.

The U-shaped side cutouts 28 provided at each end of the wall 26, extend to the vertical openings 30 formed along each end of the ferrules 20. The end ferrules 22 similarly include separate parallel vertical walls 32 and a transverse top wall 34 including a single U-shaped cutout 35 extending to a vertical opening 36 in the end wall of the housing 22. As shown in Figure 1, the opposite end contacts of the low voltage lamps miniature 38 are respectively inserted into vertical openings 30 or 36 of adjacent housing 20 or 22 to receive the appropriate operating voltage in a manner described in detail below with reference to Figure 2. In this way, for example, a end contact of a lamp 38a is inserted into the opening 36 of the end housing 22a, and the other lamp contact 38a is inserted inside the left vertical opening 30 of the adjacent bushes 20a in the same manner. A lamp 38b is shown with a contact inserted into the left vertical opening 30 of the housing 20b and its other contact about to be inserted into the right vertical opening 30 of the adjacent housing 20a. The multi-lamp assembly shown in Figure 1 is capable of accommodating five lamps connected in series in this manner. Referring now to Figure 2, an elongated printed circuit board 40 is shown, which is inserted into the interior of the housing 12 to form the assembly of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the circuit board 40 it includes a plurality of vertical elastic metal electrical contacts 42, each of which is secured at its lower end to the circuit board 40 and terminates at its upper free end in a 44-shaped section. The contacts 42 are arranged in pairs , a pair of contact is provided for each lamp 38 to be included in the assembly. In this way, five contact pairs 42a-42e are shown secured to the circuit board 40 shown in Figure 2. When the circuit board 40 is received within the housing 12, as in Figure 1, a pair of relatively separate contacts 42 is received inside the interior of each of the double-ended contact housings 20, and a single contact, such as the left contact 42a, is received inside said single-ended contact housing 22. The contacts 42, as are the contacts 42a, then they are received within the confronted vertical openings 30 of the adjacent housings 20, or between an opening 30 of a housing with double inner end 20 and an opening 36 of an end housing 22. For example , the left contact 42a extends within the vertical opening 36 of the end housing 22a, and the right contact 42a extends within the confronted left opening 36 of the housing. ento 20a. In this way, the contacts 42 are received within the housings 20 or 22, as the case may be, so that the upper ends 44 to the contacts 42 extend within the openings 30 to 36 of the housing in which the contact within the opening is accessible and thus is able to make electrical contact with the contact of the lamp inserted within that housing opening. An Alternating Current voltage, typically at 120v, is applied to the circuit board 40 via cables 46. As illustrated in the schematic diagram of Figure 3, the contact pairs 42a-42e are connected in series just like the inserted lamps 38a-38e respectively between the adjacent housings 20, 22 and connected there to the contacts 42 and to the Alternating Current voltage on cables 46. As described above, in order to be able to maintain the operation of the lamps connected in series mounted on the lighting band assembly, even when one of the lamps is removed or fails, the distant lamps remain lit by deflecting the contacts of the removed or decomposed lamp to a resistive load connected in parallel 48. The interrupting components and resistive charging circuits, which they are designated schematically in Figure 2 at 48, they are mounted on the circuit board 40 at the positions of each lamp. A deviation circuit such as that developed by Leviton Manufacturing Company can be used as an advantage for this purpose. It should be understood that the details of the particular arrangements of the resistive load deviation and the interruption circuit are not themselves the subject of the present invention, and that no specific circuit for performing these functions is described here. It should also be understood that although the present invention has been described above with respect to a currently preferred embodiment, modifications may be made to it, such as the use of more or fewer lamps connected in series, without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (5)

1. CLAIMS 1. A mounting for use in a lighting strip characterized in that it comprises an elongated housing having an upper and an interior surface, a plurality of lamp contact housing longitudinally spaced apart in such an upper surface, a circuit board inserted into the housing elongated inside, a plurality of separate electrical contacts secured at their lower ends to the circuit board, the upper free ends of such electrical contacts respectively extend within the lamp housings and are accessible therein to make electrical contact with a contact of lamp. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the lamp housing includes single-ended housings located at the opposite ends of the elongate housing upper surface and at least one double-ended housing on the upper housing surface elongated interposed in the accommodation of a single end. . 3. The assembly in accordance with the claim 2, characterized in that the lamp contact housing includes an opening in at least one side thereof, the upper free ends of such contact are respectively received within said lamp contact housings and are accessible to the lamp contact by means of of such openings. The assembly according to claim 3, further characterized in that it comprises means including such contacts for connecting a plurality of lamps in a series circuit. 5. The assembly according to characterization 3, characterized in that a pair of lamp contacts are respectively inserted into the openings in adjacent to said lamp contact housings, whereby an electrical connection is achieved with the contacts within or of such lamp contact housings through the openings.