Lamp

Abstract

A lamp includes a base, a light-permeable bulb containing at least one light source, and a driver for powering the light source. The driver is located within the base. The bulb has outwardly leading supply lines on the base side, and the driver has at least one contact element which projects in the direction of the bulb into which a free-standing section of the respective supply line is inserted to make contact. The technology is particularly applicable to lamps with LEDs as light sources, in particular for replacement of conventional lamps such as incandescent lamps.

Claims

1. A lamp comprising: a base; a light-permeable bulb, which contains at least one light source; and a driver located in the base for supplying the at least one light source with electrical operating signals, wherein the bulb has outwardly directed power supply lines on the base side, wherein the driver has at least one contact element which projects in the direction of the bulb into which a free-standing section of the respective power supply line is inserted to make contact.

2. The lamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one contact element has an insertion opening and at least one tab which stands obliquely in a direction of insertion and pivots elastically to associate with the insertion opening, and wherein the at least one tab is pushed away elastically by the inserted power supply line.

3. The lamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one contact element is a band-shaped sheet metal part, the tab is a sheet metal region bent out of the insertion opening, the at least one contact element has a further region bent round into the region of the insertion opening, and the tab bent out of the insertion opening as well as the bent-round region are pushed away elastically in opposite directions by the inserted power supply line.

4. The lamp according to claim 3, wherein the bent-round region is an end section of the contact element immediately adjoining the insertion opening.

5. The lamp according to claim 1, wherein a section of the at least one contact element including the insertion opening is bent upwards in the direction of the bulb.

6. The lamp according to claim 1, wherein the driver has, on the bulb side, an electrically insulating covering cap which is designed as a support acting in the direction of insertion for the at least one contact element.

7. The lamp according to claim 6, wherein the covering cap has at least one aperture and the insertion opening is arranged congruently with respect to the at least one aperture.

8. The lamp according to claim 6, wherein the at least one contact element has a bent-round fastening region which engages behind the covering cap.

9. The lamp according to claim 6, wherein the covering cap has, on the bulb side, at least one protruding projection on which the at least one contact element rests.

10. The lamp according to claim 6, wherein the at least one contact element is fastened to a circuit board of the driver, extends internally along a side wall of the covering cap in the direction of the bulb, extends through the covering cap, and is then bent round so that it rests at least partially on the covering cap.

11. The lamp according to claim 10, wherein the at least one contact element extends through a guide slot of the covering cap.

12. The lamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one contact element is fastened to a rear face of a circuit board of the driver facing away from the bulb.

13. A method for producing a lamp according to claim 1, the method comprising: providing the base with the driver located therein; and joining the bulb to the base and inserting the power supply lines of the bulb to make contact in a respective contact element of the base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows an oblique view of a LED retrofit lamp;

(2) FIG. 2 shows the LED retrofit lamp in the region of the base as a sectional representation in an oblique view;

(3) FIG. 3 shows a view obliquely from above of a driver of the LED retrofit lamp;

(4) FIG. 4 shows a view obliquely from below of a driver of the LED retrofit lamp;

(5) FIG. 5A shows a contact element of the LED retrofit lamp in a first oblique view;

(6) FIG. 5B shows the contact element according to FIG. 5A in a second oblique view;

(7) FIG. 5C shows a detail of the contact element according to FIG. 5A in a third oblique view;

(8) FIG. 6 shows in a sectional representation obliquely from above of the lamp without the bulb;

(9) FIG. 7 shows the lamp without the bulb in a view obliquely from above;

(10) FIG. 8 shows an exploded representation in a side view with individual parts to be joined to the base before being combined with a bulb;

(11) FIG. 9 shows an oblique view in a partially sectional representation of a covering cap with two contact elements before they are assembled;

(12) FIG. 10 shows the elements according to FIG. 9 in an assembled state;

(13) FIG. 11 shows a view obliquely from above of the covering cap with one of the contact elements during assembly;

(14) FIG. 12 shows an oblique view of the assembled elements according to FIG. 11 and a driver in a not yet assembled state;

(15) FIG. 13 shows an oblique view of the assembled elements according to FIG. 12 in an assembled state;

(16) FIG. 14 shows a view of the assembled components according to FIG. 13 obliquely from below;

(17) FIG. 15 shows a detail according to FIG. 14 in the region of the contact elements;

(18) FIG. 16 shows a view obliquely from above of the components according to FIG. 15 together with a base; and

(19) FIG. 17 shows a detail of a sectional representation in an oblique view of the components according to FIG. 16 in an assembled state;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(20) FIG. 1 shows an oblique view of a LED retrofit lamp 1 with an Edison base 2 (e.g. of the E27 type) and a light-permeable bulb 3. The LED retrofit lamp 1 serves as a replacement lamp for replacement of a conventional incandescent lamp. For this purpose, the Edison base 2 has a metallic screw-like outer contact 2a and a foot contact 2b electrically disconnected from the outer contact 2a. The bulb 3 can be made of glass or plastic. A plurality of (in this case: six) filament LEDs 4, which can be supplied with electrical power by means of two electrical busbar connections 5, are located in the bulb 3. In the bulb 3 the electrical busbar connections 5 are connected mechanically and electrically to current leads or power supply lines 6, for example soldered to one another. In this case the power supply lines 6 are designed as rectilinear wires which are directed outwards through the bulb 3 and in fact through a shaft 7 of the bulb 3 on the base side. The bulb 3 is hermetically sealed and can be filled, for example with noble gas.

(21) FIG. 2 shows the LED retrofit lamp 1 in the region of the base 2 as a sectional representation in an oblique view.

(22) A bottom region 8 of the bulb 3 facing the base 2 is designed in the manner of a plate foot and merges centrally into the upwardly directed shaft 7. An elongated projection in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube (“pump tube” 9) extends centrally from the shaft 7, so that the pump tube 9 projects into the shaft 7. The pump tube 9 is concentric and thus is also arranged parallel to the shaft 7. It is oriented in the direction of the base 2. The pump tube 9 can be used for example in order to fill the noble gas into the bulb 3. It is closed off on the underside or on the base side.

(23) A driver 10 which is illustrated in isolation in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is located in the base 2. The driver 10 has a circuit board 11 shaped like a circular disc, which purely by way of example is equipped on both sides with components 13, 14. Furthermore, the driver 10 has a first contact wire 15 for connection to the foot contact 2b of the base 2 and a second contact 16 for contacting of the outer contact 2a of the base 2. As a result, the driver 10 is electrically connected on the input side to the foot contact 2b and the outer contact 2a, so that it can be supplied with electrical power by means of the base 2. From this the driver 10 generates electrical operating signals for operating the filament LEDs 4. In order that the operating signals generated by the driver 10 can reach the filament LEDs 4, the driver 10 is electrically connected by means of two contact elements 17 (see FIG. 2) to a respective power supply line 6.

(24) Returning to FIG. 2, the driver 10 here is seated far down in the base 2, namely close to the foot contact 2b. In order to achieve this arrangement, low components 14 are arranged on the side of the circuit board 11 facing away from the bulb 3 or facing the foot contact 2b and high components 13 such as a capacitor and a coil are also arranged on the other side facing the bulb 3. Thus, the height of the components 13, 14 on a side of the circuit board 11 facing the bulb 3 is greater than the height of the components 14 on a side of the circuit board 11 facing away from the bulb 3.

(25) A cylindrical covering cap 18 made of plastic extends from a side edge 12 of the circuit board 11 in the direction of the bulb 3. The covering cap 18 serves inter alia as an electrically insulating partition wall or lining to the outer contact 2a, in order to advantageously lengthen electrical creepage and air paths. For this purpose, the covering cap 18 bears internally against the outer contact 2a and projects as far as the bulb 3. In this case, for fastening, the covering cap 18 is fitted laterally on the circuit board 11 (optionally by latching). For a correct height adjustment, the covering cap 18 can have stop regions 19 internally.

(26) The power supply lines 6 first extend outside the bulb 3 in part in the shaft 7 and extend in a straight line in the direction of the base 2 or driver 10 to before (in this case: below) the bulb 3. The power supply lines 6 with their free-standing end sections are inserted in the respective contact elements 17 and are thereby electrically contacted with the respective contact elements 17.

(27) FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C show the contact element 17 in respective oblique views. The contact element 17 is a sheet metal part in the form of a band or a strip with a lower connection end 20 for connection, for example soldering, to the circuit board 11. From the connection end 20, the contact element 17 extends upwards in a straight line and has a widened portion 22 on this (“insertion”) section 21. Further on, the contact element 17 is bent round at right angles and merges into a further (“support”) section 23.

(28) In the support section 23, the contact element 17 has a rectangular insertion opening 24 which are associated with two part-regions in the form of tabs 25, 26 which stand obliquely in a direction of insertion R of the power supply line 6 (in this case: from the top downwards) oblique upright and are elastically able to pivot. In the illustrated non-installed state, the tabs 25 and 26 have a spacing between their front edges which is smaller than a width or thickness of the power supply line 6. After insertion of the power supply line 6 both tabs 25, 26 are pushed away, namely elastically in opposite directions. Thus, the two tabs 25, 26 hold a power supply line 6 by clamping it between them. Moreover, the two tabs 25, 26 form a respective feed-in or lead-in chamfer, so that a power supply line 6 to be inserted is guided thereby between the two tabs 25, 26, which considerably simplifies insertion or feeding in. Furthermore, to accomplish this the two tabs 25, 26 clamp onto the power supply line 6 and hold it by form fitting if the power supply line 6 is moved relative to the insertion opening 24 against the direction of insertion R.

(29) While the tab 25 is a sheet metal region of the contact element 17 bent out of the insertion opening 24, the tab 26 is configured as a section of the contact element 17 which adjoins the insertion opening 24 and is bent round in the region of the insertion opening 24.

(30) The insertion opening 24 or the support section 23 which includes the insertion opening 24 is bent up in part in the direction of the bulb 3.

(31) On its section which is not raised between the insertion opening 24 and the insertion section 21 the support section 23 has a further tab 27 which is bent out of a further opening 28 in the direction of the driver 2.

(32) FIG. 6 shows, in a sectional representation obliquely from above, the lamp 1 without the bulb 3 and thus also without the power supply lines 6. FIG. 7 shows the lamp 1 without the bulb 3 in a view obliquely from above.

(33) The contact element 17 is fastened on a rear face of the circuit board 11 of the driver 10 facing away from the bulb and extends there past the side edge 12 of the circuit board 11 in the direction of the bulb 3. In this case with its insertion section 21 it extends initially internally along a side wall 29 of the covering cap 18 in the direction of the bulb 3. In this case the insertion section 21 extends in a respective guide slot 30, which is arranged at least approximately perpendicularly with respect to the circuit board 11 and is formed by means of the stop regions 19 on the inside of the side wall 29 of the covering cap 18. The guide slot 30 opens in an upper top surface 31 of the covering cap 18, so that the contact element 17 extends through the covering cap 18. Subsequently the contact element 17 lies with its bent-round support section 23 externally and facing the bulb 3 on the top surface 31 of the covering cap 18.

(34) The top surface 31 has an aperture 32, above which the insertion opening 24 is located and into which the tabs 25, 26 protrude. As a result, when the bulb 3 and the base 2 are brought together the power supply lines 6 can extend through the respective insertion opening 24 and further through the aperture 32, as also illustrated in FIG. 2. The aperture 32 and the respective insertion opening 24 are thus arranged congruently in relation to the direction of insertion R.

(35) Because the insertion opening 24 or the support section 23, which includes the insertion opening 24, is bent up in part in the direction of the bulb 3, a particularly compact design can be achieved since now a part of the shaft 7 can also be used to accommodate the contact elements 17, as likewise shown in FIG. 2. Also in this way, a spacing from the raised components 13 can be increased.

(36) With its section present between the openings 28 and 24 the support section 23 is located externally on the covering cap 18, so that it acts as a support for the contact element 17 in the direction of insertion R.

(37) FIG. 8 shows an exploded representation in a side view of the individual parts to be joined to the base 2 before being combined with the bulb 3, namely the driver 10, the covering cap 18 and the two contact elements 17. This assembly is described more precisely in the following drawings.

(38) First, as shown in an oblique view in FIG. 9 by means of a cut-away covering cap 18 and the two contact elements 17, the two contact elements 17 are inserted through the cover surface 31 with their insertion sections 21 into a respective guide slot 30 of the covering cap 18 (as indicated by the arrows), until the support section 23 rests on the top surface 31, which is shown in FIG. 10. As shown in a detail view obliquely from above in FIG. 11, the contact elements 17 are guided and retained with their widened areas 22 in the guide slot 30.

(39) The support sections 23 of the contact elements rest on a respective web 33 of the cover surface 31. In this case the webs 33 cross the aperture 32. Moreover, the tabs 27 engage behind the respective web 33 and prevent lifting off (for example by bending upwards) of the support sections 23 from the cover surface 31. For this purpose, in a variant, the tabs 27 can be bent round after introduction into the aperture 32.

(40) On its upwardly bent section the support section 23 rests on projections 34 protruding on the bulb side.

(41) As indicated by the arrow in FIG. 12, the covering cap 18 together with the contact elements 17 mounted thereon is now fitted with its open underside onto the circuit board 11 of the driver 10.

(42) These components 10, 17, 18 are shown in their assembled state in FIG. 13. In this case the contact elements 17 go past the side edge 12 of the circuit board 11 as far as the rear face thereof. Thus, the connection ends 20 of the contact elements 17 are located in the region of the rear face of the circuit board 11 facing away from the bulb 3. The stop regions 19 forming the guide slots 30 lie on an upper face of the circuit board 11 or have been stopped there.

(43) FIG. 14 shows a view of the assembled components 10, 17 and 18 obliquely from below. FIG. 15 shows a detail according to FIG. 14 in the region of one of the contact elements 17. The connection end 20 of the illustrated contact element 17 projects close to a conductive track 35 extending on the rear surface of the circuit board 11 of the driver 10. Thus, the connection end 20 can be simply contacted electrically with the conductive track 35, for example by means of a solder point (not shown).

(44) The second contact wire 16 leads, as shown in FIG. 14, externally on the side wall 29 of the covering cap 18 in the direction of the bulb 3.

(45) As indicated by the arrow in FIG. 16, the assembled components 10, 17 and 18 are inserted into the base 2, which is illustrated in the assembled state in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6. In this case the components 10, 17 and 18 are retained by clamping in the base 2.

(46) Moreover, the second contact wire 16 is pressed onto an inner face of the outer contact 2a and thus is kept in reliable contact, as shown in FIG. 17.

(47) The first contact wire 15 can be soldered to the foot contact 2b, so that the components 10, 17 and 18 are also retained by cohesion in the base 2. Furthermore, the components 10, 17 and 18 can be retained in the bulb 2 by additionally means, for example by latching, adhesion, etc.

(48) In a further step (not shown) the bulb 3 with the power supply lines 6 is fitted onto the previously assembled components 2, 10, 17 and 18 and for example adhered to the base 2. With this combination of the bulb 3 with the components 2, 10, 17 and 18 to produce the finished lamp 1 the power supply lines 6 are also introduced without further measures into the insertion openings 24 and between the tabs 25, 26 and are retained there by clamping. Therefore, the combination can take place manually or fully automatically.

(49) The illustrated lamp 1 has the further advantage that the design of the components 10, 17 and 18 and in particular 2, 10, 17 and 18 is particularly compact and robust and can be simply transported without damage. Thus, there are no components projecting over the base 2. Moreover, components which are delicate and susceptible to damage are avoided.

(50) Although the invention has been illustrated and described in greater detail by the depicted exemplary embodiment, the invention is not restricted thereto and other variations can be deduced therefrom by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

(51) Thus, the contact elements can also be attached to another point on the circuit board. They can also run in a different way. Thus, the position and the configuration of the contact elements can be chosen freely for the most part, which for example can simplify the arrangement of the components and the circuit board. For example, provision of an intermediate ring is made possible.

(52) In general “a” or “an” may be understood as a single number or a plurality, in particular in the context of “at least one” or “one or more” etc., provided that this is not explicitly precluded, for example by the expression “precisely one” etc.

(53) Also, when a number is given this may encompass precisely the stated number and also a conventional tolerance range, provided that this is not explicitly ruled out.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(54) LED retrofit lamp 1 Edison base 2 outer contact 2a foot contact 2b bulb 3 filament LED 4 busbar connection 5 power supply line 6 shaft 7 bottom region of the bulb 8 pump tube 9 driver 10 circuit board 11 side edge of the circuit board 12 high component 13 low component 14 first contact wire 15 second contact wire 16 contact element 17 covering cap 18 stop region 19 connection end of the contact element 20 insertion section of the contact element 21 widened portion 22 support section of the contact element 23 insertion opening 24 tab 25 tab 26 tab 27 opening 28 side wall of the covering cap 29 guide slot 30 top surface 31 aperture 32 web 33 projection 34 conductive track 35 direction of insertion R