WO2008026147A1

WO2008026147A1 - Watertight lighting module

Info

Publication number: WO2008026147A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/053409
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joris M. Bessemans
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Priority date: 2006-08-31
Filing date: 2007-08-27
Publication date: 2008-03-06
Also published as: CN101512221B; CN101512221A; JP2010503146A; BE1016480A6; EP2059719A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a watertight lighting module comprising a substantially cylindrical translucent housing, a support structure that is to be placed in the housing and that is provided with contact terminals and current conductors for an electric lamp, a closing arrangement for the housing with the lamp and the support structure placed therein, which closing arrangement has a seal of elastic material capable of sealing off the contents of the housing from the environment in a watertight manner when pressed against said housing, wherein the closing arrangement comprises an elastic ring and cooperating pressure-exerting members that act on the elastic ring such that said ring is radially stretched so as to form a watertight seal against the housing; more in particular, such a lighting module in which the cooperating pressure-exerting members constitute two clamping parts which are mutually movable, which extend conically, and between which the elastic ring can be clamped in such that said ring is radially stretched, wherein said conically extending clamping parts can be displaced relative to one another by means of a setscrew so as to stretch the elastic ring radially through a tightening of said setscrew in a screw thread at one of the conically extending pressure-exerting members in the direction of the other conically extending pressure- exerting member.

Description

Watertight lighting module

The invention relates to watertight lighting modules, and more in particular to a novel construction for achieving the watertight seals of such lighting modules.

The problem of the watertight closure of lighting modules that are used in a potentially humid environment has long been known. Numerous solutions have been suggested in the course of time, among which the use of a bell jar of translucent material, such as in particular glass (but also various synthetic resin materials), and an elastic seal that is pressed against the bell jar edge, is most commonly found.

Such constructions are generally known from the patent literature. Examples thereof are GB patents 135,734, 163,367, 183,884, 351,850, and 603,900, all of which relate to electric lighting modules with a substantially cylindrical translucent bell jar, a support structure to be placed in the bell jar with contact terminals and current conductors for an electric lamp, and a closing arrangement for the bell jar and the lamp and support structure placed therein, comprising a seal of elastic material capable of sealing off the contents of the bell jar from its surroundings in a watertight manner when it is pressed against the bell jar. The elastic seal is pressed against the bell jar more in particular by means of a support frame for the bell jar, which support frame is provided with nuts, or a screw ring that is screwed against the bell jar (GB 135,734), or by means of a support frame for the bell jar that is to be screwed into a support structure of the module (GB 163,367), or by means of bayonet or lever structures between the bell jar and a support structure (GB 183,884), or by means of two rings screwed against one another with the bell jar rim and the elastic seal between them (GB 351,850), or by means of a support frame that is screwed with bolts and nuts to a support structure via a support ring (GB 603,900).

Such known constructions for clamping in elastic seals of lighting modules in a watertight manner, however, are found to have various disadvantages, for example as regards the shape of the seal and the correct placement thereof, as regards the comparatively complicated design of certain components, and most of all as regards the comparatively laborious manipulations necessary when a lamp is to be replaced (especially the fact that various components have to be removed in that case, which involves the risk of loss, etc.). The invention has for its object to provide an improved construction of a watertight seal for such lighting modules which avoids the disadvantages of the known constructions.

To achieve this object, the invention presents a watertight lighting module comprising a substantially cylindrical translucent housing, a support structure that is to be placed in the housing and that is provided with contact terminals and current conductors for an electric lamp, a closing arrangement for the housing with the lamp and the support structure placed therein, which closing arrangement has a seal of elastic material capable of sealing off the contents of the housing from the environment in a watertight manner when pressed against said housing, wherein the closing arrangement comprises an elastic ring and cooperating pressure-exerting members that act on the elastic ring such that said ring is radially stretched so as to form a watertight seal between the housing (in particular the inner wall / inner surface of the housing) and said cooperating members of the closing arrangement.

According to further characteristics of the invention, more in particular, said cooperating pressure-exerting members comprise two mutually movable components by means of which the elastic ring can be radially stretched, preferably two clamping parts between which the elastic ring can be clamped in such that said ring is radially stretched.

In a preferred embodiment of the lighting module according to the invention, the cooperating pressure-exerting members constitute two clamping parts between which the elastic ring can be clamped in such that said ring is radially stretched, more in particular two cooperating (annular / cylindrical) conically extending clamping parts. According to a further, supplementary characteristic of the invention, the pressure-exerting members can be displaced relative to one another by means of a screw arrangement, a pivot arrangement, or the like, so as to act on the elastic ring. Preferably, such a screw arrangement comprises a setscrew that, through rotation in a screw thread at one of the pressure-exerting members, can be displaced in the direction of the other pressure- exerting member.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the lighting module according to the invention, the cooperating pressure-exerting members more in particular constitute two clamping parts which are mutually movable, which extend conically, and between which the elastic ring can be clamped in such that said ring is radially stretched, while said conically extending clamping parts can be displaced relative to one another by means of a setscrew so as to stretch the elastic ring radially through a tightening of said setscrew in a screw thread at one of the conically extending pressure-exerting members in the direction of the other conically extending pressure-exerting member. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the lighting module is further provided with a watertight closure for the current conductors that are passed through the support structure, i.e. in the form of an elastomer wire support, a separation disc, and a threaded bolt that can be tightened against the support structure such that the current conductors are clamped in in the support structure in a watertight manner. Further features and particulars of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is an exploded view of a lighting module according to the invention, in a preferred embodiment thereof.

The watertight lighting module, referenced (1) in its totality, comprises a cylindrical glass housing (2), such as more in particular a glass bell jar, and a support structure (3) for a lamp (such as a halogen lamp, of which only the porcelain supporting lamp base (4) is visible in the drawing).

This support structure (3) for the lamp is essentially built up from: a base part (5) provided with a first conically extending clamping part (6), with a cylindrical portion without screw thread (7), and with a threaded portion (8); a holder (9) for the lamp base (4) mounted to the base part (5); an elastic ring (11); a second conically extending clamping part (12) that fits and is freely movable over the cylindrical portion (7) of the base part (5); - a setscrew (13) for urging the conically extending clamping parts (6) and (12) towards one another in order to cause the elastic ring (11) to stretch radially (against the inner wall of the cylindrical housing (2)).

The electrical connection wires (10) project through a silicone elastomer wire support (14) that is clamped in in the cylindrical portion (7 - 8) by means of a threaded bolt (15) in a watertight manner, while a small disc (16) of synthetic resin material, with two holes for the connection wires (10), is provided between the elastomer wire support (14) and the threaded bolt (15) so as to prevent the elastomer wire support from creeping to the outside through the inner opening of the threaded bolt (15). To mount the lamp in the housing (2) in a watertight manner, first the complete support structure (3) is assembled together as indicated above, but without tightening of the setscrew (13), so that the elastic ring (11) is not stretched and can accordingly be easily introduced into the housing. Then the setscrew (13) is tightened so that the elastic ring (11) is clamped in between the clamping parts and extends radially so as to form a watertight seal against the inner wall of the housing. If the lamp is to be replaced, it suffices to loosen the setscrew a few turns until the housing (2) can be removed from the support (3) (without the necessity of removing the setscrew or any other component). Lamp replacement is considerably simplified thereby.

It is expressly stated here that the details given in the above description and the accompanying drawing do not imply any restriction as to the scope of the invention and that those skilled in the art will certainly be able to devise many alternatives to and modifications of said details without departing from the scope of the invention as described above and as defined in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A watertight lighting module (1) comprising a substantially cylindrical translucent housing (2), a support structure (3) that is to be placed in the housing and that is provided with contact terminals and current conductors (10) for an electric lamp, and a closing arrangement for the housing with the lamp and the support structure placed therein, which closing arrangement has a seal (11) of elastic material capable of sealing off the contents of the housing from the environment in a watertight manner when pressed against said housing, characterized in that the closing arrangement comprises an elastic ring (11) and cooperating pressure-exerting members (6, 12) that act on the elastic ring (11) such that said ring (11) is radially stretched so as to form a watertight seal between the housing (2) and said cooperating members (6, 12) of the closing arrangement.

2. A lighting module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said cooperating pressure-exerting members comprise two mutually movable components by means of which the elastic ring can be radially stretched.

3. A lighting module as claimed in one of the claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the cooperating pressure-exerting members comprise two clamping parts between which the elastic ring can be clamped in such that said ring is radially stretched.

4. A lighting module as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said clamping parts between which the elastic ring can be clamped such that said ring is radially stretched constitute two cooperating conically extending clamping parts.

5. A lighting module as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said pressure-exerting members can be displaced relative to one another by means of a screw arrangement, a pivot arrangement, or the like, so as to act on the elastic ring.

6. A lighting module as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said screw arrangement comprises a setscrew that, through rotation in a screw thread at one of the pressure-exerting members, is displaced in the direction of the other pressure-exerting member.

7. A lighting module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cooperating pressure-exerting members constitute two clamping parts which are mutually movable, which extend conically, and between which the elastic ring can be clamped in such that said ring is radially stretched, and in that said conically extending clamping parts can be displaced relative to one another by means of a setscrew so as to stretch the elastic ring radially through a tightening of said setscrew in a screw thread at one of the conically extending pressure- exerting members in the direction of the other conically extending pressure-exerting member.

8. A lighting module as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is further provided with a watertight closure for the current conductors (10) that are passed through the support structure (3), said closure comprising an elastomer wire support (4), a separation disc (16), and a threaded bolt (15) that can be tightened against the support structure (3) so as to clamp in the current conductors in the support structure in a watertight manner.