Electric Lamp With Cementless Attached Base

The present invention relates to electric lamps having a glass bulb which is closed off by a press stem secured to a base without the use of base cement, and more particularly to a halogen cycle lamp which has a standard bayonet-type or screw-type base attached thereto.

Lamps having a glass press stem usually were used without a separate base by extending lead pins through the glass stem and utilizing the pins directly for engagement with a holding socket, or so formed that a box-like base was fitted to the glass press stem, the base being connected by a cement with the glass press stem, or by a clamp connection.

The multiplicity of bases which were used are undesirable in lamps since ease of interchange is impeded. Halogen cycle incandescent lamps which, usually, have a glass press stem, are used more widely in many applications, and it is desirable to be able to substitute halogen cycle incandescent lamps in places where previously filamentary incandescent lamps without halogen addition were used, the filamentary lamps being connected by bayonet or screw-type bases to standard matching sockets. Halogen cycle incandescent lamps as currently available therefore can be introduced into circuits with bayonet or screw-in sockets only if an adapter is interposed. Adapters are expensive and a large number of different types have to be stocked by supply houses to be able to match the available halogen lamps to the different sockets which are on the market in which the lamps should be introducible.

It is an object to eliminate adapters and to provide halogen incandescent lamps with lamp bases which permit direct insertion of the lamp into standard bayonet or screw-in sockets, without attaching the halogen lamp to the base by means of cement.

Briefly, a disk-shaped element of resilient material formed with an upwardly bent, notched or serrated circumferential edge is secured in a cylindrical base shell by engaging the notched edge with the lamp base shell. The cylindrical resilient disk, in turn, is mechanically engaged with the press stem which is positioned essentially centrally thereof. The lead-in wires extending from the press stem are soldered to the base contacts on the base shell.

In a preferred form, the disk-shaped element is a disk of resilient material formed with a central opening matching approximately the cross-sectional shape of the glass press stem; resilient projections extend into the opening which engage behind wedge-shaped projections formed on the press stem. In accordance with a feature of the invention, and for accurate, resilient positioning of a halogen cycle lamp, the press stem is formed with essentially spherical projections which engage in tabs or other projections formed on the resilient disk and extending into or towards the central opening, the projections on the disk having punch marks, grooves or notches or creases to receive the projections on the glass press stem, thereby improving the centered position thereof. The resilient disk engages the inner circumferential edge of the base shell which is preferably formed with creases or depressions in which the serrated or notched edge of the disk can engage. The shell can, additionally, be formed with inwardly extending depressions, lugs, or the like, to additionally secure the disk in position.

The arrangement effects positive axial positioning of the lamp with respect to the base while securely supporting the lamp within the base. The stability of the resilient disk can be increased by forming the edge only partially with serrations.

In assembly, the press stem is introduced through the opening of the disk until the depending tabs engage behind the wedge-shaped projections of the stem and the bulb of the lamp seats in the opening. The disk is then snapped into the base where it is held by engagement with the serrated or notched edge in the receiving groove or notch therefor just below the upper rim of the base shell.

Drawings, illustrating preferred embodiments, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a highly schematic longitudinal view of the lamp, with the base partly in section;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale, and showing modifications;

FIG. 3 is a plan bottom view of the disk, partly in section; and

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged detailed perspective view showing the seating of the disk against the inside of the base shell.

The lamp 1 is a halogen incandescent lamp; as shown in FIG. 1, a glass bulb 2 is formed at its external tip end with a melt-off tip 3, and at the other end with a glass press stem 4. Two or more current supply leads 5 are melted into the press stem, for example by the use of melt-in foils or strips. The current supply leads 5 project from the lower portion of the press stem 4. The bulb 2 is filled with an inert gas, for example argon, crypton, or xenon, usually with a slight addition of halogen, or may be evacuated. The press stem 4 has a generally rectangular cross section. A wedge-shaped projection 6 is formed on each of the wider sides. The projections 6 engage with a resilient disk 7 and are used to connect the disk 7 to the stem 4.

The disk 7 is made of metal which is highly resilient, for example steel, bronze, or argentan, i.e. nickel silver. The disk is formed with an upturned serrated or notched edge 8. It has a central opening 10 which matches the cross section of the press stem 4. Resilient tabs 9 extend across the opening 10. Upon pushing the lamp with the press stem through the opening, the tabs 9 engage behind the wedge-shaped projections 6 and secure the bulb to the disk 7. Disk 7, thus attached to the press stem between the bulb 1 and the projections 6, is then introduced into a metal base 11 which may be of brass, steel, or aluminum, or of any other standard base shell or socket material. The base has a generally smooth inside surface, but is formed at the inner circumference thereof with positioning projections 12, such as round or longitudinal, preferably internal creases, cut-outs, or punches in order to define the axial position of the disk 7, so that the outer circumference of the disk 7 can engage against the deformation 12, and can seat thereabove. The serrated edge 8 of the disk 7 prevents axial removal once the disk 7 has been pressed into the base shell. As can be seen, the serrated points 8' of the disk 7 will bite into the smooth inside of the base shell 11 if axial forces in the direction counter the insertion direction are applied. The current supply leads 5 of the lamp are carried through the bottom 13 of the base, insulated from each other, and connected to respective base terminals 14 and/or the base 11 itself, as determined by the socket connection specifications. The base 11 can be a bayonet base (FIG. 1) or a screw-in base, as seen at 211 in FIG. 2.

The lamp of FIG. 2, essentially, is similar to that of FIG. 1. If exact centering of the lamp 1 is additionally deemed desirable, the press stem 204 has locating projections 15 formed thereon; the projections 15 preferably have generally spherical form. The projections 15 engage locating tabs 16 secured to the disk 207. The tabs 16 are preferably formed with receiving deformations which essentially match at least in part the shape of the projections 15 on the stem or on the lamp, for example by being formed as punch marks, creases, notches or grooves or the like.

The stability of the disk 207 can be improved if the upturned edge 208 is only partially serrated as seen at 8", FIG. 3 or formed with engagement notches.

The term base as used herein is deemed to include not only an insertion base for insertion into a socket, but may further include other shell-like elements, for example a reflector, or the like; thus, the resilient disk 7 can be introduced into a reflector-like shell extending substantially around the lamp bulb 1.

In case of a two-terminal lamp, one connection of the lead wire 5 can extend to terminal 214, the other to terminal 14 at the bottom of the base. The spring disk 7 retains the halogen cycle bulb 2 of the lamp in the socket 11, 211 without cement, use of cement is undesirable, in particular, if application of a halogen cycle lamp in motor vehicle headlights is intended. The usually applied base cement is hygroscopic. The action of moisture and change of temperature can lead to detachment of cement particles. The hygroscopic action of the cement or its detached particles and the penetrated moisture are of detrimental effect upon the reflective coating of the headlight when contacting it. Detachment of the reflective coating can be the result.