Semiconductor Lamp

Abstract

A semiconductor lamp (1) comprises a housing (2) in which a driver (3) is accommodated and at least one contact pin (6) protruding from the housing (2) outwards, wherein the contact pin (6) is tubular and riveted to the housing (2) and the driver (3) is connected to the contact pin (6) via an electrically conductive connection element (12) which is inserted into a cavity (13) of the contact pin (6). A method serves for producing a semiconductor lamp (1), wherein at least one tubular contact pin (6) is inserted into a feedthrough (5) of a housing (2) from outside till the contact pin (6) abuts the housing (2), the contact pin (6) is next riveted with the housing (2) on the inside and a driver (3) is inserted into the housing (2), whereby an electrically conductive connection element (12) is inserted into the contact pin (6). The invention is particularly applicable to LED retrofit lamps for replacing bipin halogen lamps, in particular MR16 lamps.

Claims

1. A semiconductor lamp, comprising a housing in which a driver is accommodated, and at least one contact pin protruding from the housing outwards, wherein the contact pin is a tubular contact pin riveted to the housing, and the driver is connected to the contact pin via an electrically conductive connection element which is inserted into a cavity of the contact pin.

2. The semiconductor lamp according to claim 1, wherein the contact pin comprises a laterally protruding flange which rests on the outside of the housing.

3. The semiconductor lamp according to claim 1, wherein the cavity of the contact pin is formed like a funnel at the driver side.

4. The semiconductor lamp according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive connection element is a contact wire.

5. The semiconductor lamp according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive connection element is fastened on the contact pin.

6. The semiconductor lamp according to claim 1, wherein the contact pin comprises at least one hole laterally leading to the cavity at its portion arranged outside the housing.

7. The semiconductor lamp according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a respective feedthrough provided for each contact pin and the feedthrough is widened at an inside portion.

8. The semiconductor lamp according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor lamp has a bipin base.

9. The semiconductor lamp according to claim 8, wherein the semiconductor lamp is a MR16 replacement lamp.

10. A method for producing a semiconductor lamp according to claim 1, wherein inserting at least one tubular contact pin into a feedthrough of a housing from the outside till the contact pin abuts the housing, riveting the contact pin with the housing on the inside, and inserting a driver into the housing, whereby an electrically conductive connection element is inserted into the contact pin.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising fastening the connection element inserted into the contact pin to the contact pin.

Description

[0027] The above-described characteristics, features and advantages of this invention as well as the way in which these will be achieved become more obvious and clearer in connection with the following schematic description of embodiments which will be explained in more details in connection with the drawings. Same elements or elements with the same effects may be provided with the same reference numbers for the sake of clarity.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a section of a retrofit lamp according to the invention in a cross-sectional side view;

[0029] FIG. 2A shows a contact pin of the retrofit lamp according to the invention according to a first embodiment in an oblique view;

[0030] FIG. 2B shows the contact pin according to the first embodiment in a cross-sectional oblique view;

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a contact pin of the retrofit lamp according to the invention according to a second embodiment in a cross-sectional oblique view;

[0032] FIG. 4A shows a section of a driver of a conventional LED MR16 retrofit lamp with two contact pins in an oblique view; and

[0033] FIG. 4B shows a section of the conventional LED MR16 retrofit lamp with inserted driver in a cross- sectional oblique view.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a section of a LED MR16 retrofit lamp 1 according to the invention in a cross-sectional side view. The retrofit lamp 1 comprises a housing 2 in which a driver 3 is accommodated. At a rear end face 4 of the housing 2 two feedthroughs 5 are provided into which respective contact pins 6 are inserted. The contact pins 6 have been inserted into the feedthroughs 5 from the outside and protrude from the housing 2 outwards. Hence, a bipin base is formed there.

[0035] The contact pins 6 have a tubular or pin-like basic shape. Namely, the contact portions 7 protruding outwards have a hollow cylindrical shape which is compatible with conventional MR16 contact pins 102. A widened portion 8 inserted into the feedthroughs 5 follows at the housing side. The widened portion 8 comprises a ring-shaped lateral projection or flange 9 at the transition to the contact portion 7. The flange 9 serves as a stop during inserting the respective contact pins 6 into the feedthroughs 5 and abuts the outside of the housing 2.

[0036] Afterwards, the contact pins 6 are riveted with the housing 2, for example by compressing the widened portions 8 in longitudinal direction. An inside or driver side edge 10 of the widened portion 8 can for example be reshaped such that it is pressed laterally outwards. In order to allow such a produced collar (not shown) to be particularly effectively supported against the housing 2, the feedthroughs 5 are widened at an inside portion 11 into which the displaced material of the respective contact pins 6 or the collar can at least partially spread. If the retrofit lamp 1 is inserted into a socket, the force thereby exerted on the contact pins 6 and acting towards the driver 3 is diverted to the housing 2. The flange 9 thus causes a form fit of the related contact pin 6 with the housing 2. The collar produced by the riveting at the inside portion 11 causes in an analogue manner that the contact pins 6 do not slide out of the housing 2 during unplugging the retrofit lamp 1 from the socket. The riveting furthermore causes a lateral pressing of the contact pin 6 against the housing 2 and therefore an additional press fit.

[0037] The driver 3 is connected to the two contact pins 6 via respective electrically conductive connection elements in form of contact wires 12 which are introduced into cavities 13 of the contact pins 6. FIG. 2A shows the contact pin 6 with the contact wire 12 inserted therein in an oblique view. FIG. 2B shows the contact pin 6 with the contact wire 12 inserted therein in a cross-sectional oblique view.

[0038] The cavity 13 extends along a longitudinal direction or a longitudinal axis L of the contact pin 6 and is formed in a circular cylindrical form in the region of the contact portion 7. In the widened portion 8 the cavity 13 is widening inwards like a funnel which facilitates inserting the contact wire 12. Extending from the contact portion 7, the cavity 13 is in particular widening initially conically, next cylindrically and then like a truncated cone at the edge 10. An outside or an outer contour of the widened portion 8 is cylindrical after the flange 9. The widened portion 8 can in particular be riveted by reshaping its section or edge 10 in the form of a truncated cone .

[0039] The contact wire 12 can be inserted by introducing the driver 3 into the housing 2 after riveting of the contact pins 6 and thereby plugging the contact pins 12 into the cavities 13 from the inside. In this embodiment the contact wire 12 is plugged through the cavity 13 and its free end portion protrudes rearwards beyond the contact pin 6.

[0040] For fastening the contact wire 12 in the related contact pin 6, the contact wire 12 can, for example, be soldered to or welded with the contact pin 6. Alternatively or additionally, the contact portion 7 can be crimped to hold the contact wire 12 in a clamping or press fit.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a contact pin 14 in cross-sectional oblique view which can also be used with the retrofit lamp 1. The contact pin 14 is formed similar to the contact pin 6, but laterally, in particular vertically, comprises holes 16 in its contact portion 15 leading to the cavity 13. These holes can for example facilitate soldering the contact wire 12 or crimping the contact portion 15.

[0042] Here, the contact wire 12 ends in the cavity 13 and does therefore not protrude rearwards beyond the cavity.

[0043] Although the invention was illustrated and described in detail by the shown embodiments, the invention is not limited thereto, and other variations can be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention.

[0044] Generally, “a”, “an” etc. may be understood as singular or plural, in particular in terms of “at least one” or “one or more” etc., as long as this is not excluded explicitly, e.g. by the term “exactly one” etc.

[0045] Numerical data may also include the given number exactly as well as a usual tolerance range as long as this is not excluded explicitly.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0046] retrofit lamp 1 [0047] housing 2 [0048] driver 3 [0049] end face 4 [0050] feedthrough 5 [0051] contact pin 6 [0052] contact portion of the contact pin 7 [0053] widened portion of the contact pin 8 [0054] flange 9 [0055] edge 10 [0056] inside portion of the feedthrough 11 [0057] contact wire 12 [0058] cavity of the contact pin 13 [0059] contact pin 14 [0060] contact portion 15 [0061] hole 16 [0062] conventional LED MR16 retrofit lamp 100 [0063] driver 101 [0064] conventional MR16 contact pin 102 [0065] housing 103 [0066] feedthrough 104 [0067] housing 105 [0068] longitudinal axis of the contact pin L [0069] insertion force F