Lighting fixtures

Abstract

With respect to lighting fixtures equipped with multiple lamps, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the lighting fixture and to suppress the increase in the complexity of the lighting fixture's structure. [Solution] The lighting fixture 1 comprises a fixture body 10 having a plurality of sockets 22, a plurality of lamps 30 attached to each of the plurality of sockets 22, and a thermal protector 40 that cuts off the power supplied to the lamps 30 when the lamps 30 reach a predetermined temperature or higher, wherein the thermal protector 40 is positioned between the plurality of lamps 30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technology of lighting fixtures.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various technologies related to lighting fixtures including an appliance body provided with a socket, a lamp attached to the socket, and a thermal protector that cuts off the power supplied to the lamp when the lamp reaches a predetermined temperature or higher are known.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a lighting fixture including a metal socket holder attached to the inner part of the body, a socket supported by the socket holder, a lamp attached to the socket, and a thermal protector that controls the lamp in response to a temperature of the socket attached to the socket holder being higher than a predetermined value. By configuring it in this way, even if an unauthorized lamp is installed in the appliance, it is possible to suppress abnormal temperature rise of the body and the socket, prevent fires, and prevent damage to the lamp due to temperature rise of the lamp contact part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in lighting fixtures with multiple lamps, it is conceivable to provide a thermal protector for each lamp. Thus, in lighting fixtures with multiple lamps, the number of thermal protectors would correspond to the number of lamps, potentially leading to an increase in the size of the lighting fixture. Furthermore, with multiple thermal protectors in the lighting fixture, the number of wires connecting the thermal protectors to the terminals that connect to the external commercial power supply would also likely increase in proportion to the number of thermal protectors. In this way, the presence of multiple thermal protectors and the increase in wires connected to them could potentially complicate the structure of the lighting fixture.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a lighting fixture equipped with multiple lamps that can suppress the increase in size of the lighting fixture and suppress the increase in the complexity of the lighting fixture's structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The problems that this invention aims to solve are as described above, and the means for solving these problems will now be explained.

[0008] In other words, the lighting fixture disclosed in this application comprises a fixture body having a plurality of sockets, a plurality of lamps attached to each of the plurality of sockets, and a thermal protector that cuts off the power supplied to the lamps when the lamps reach a predetermined temperature or higher, wherein the thermal protector is positioned between the plurality of lamps.

[0009] The lighting fixture disclosed herein can take the following forms based on the above configuration. In the lighting fixture disclosed herein, it is preferable that the lamp is a bulb-type lamp having a bulb, and that the thermal protector is arranged between the bulbs of a plurality of lamps.

[0010] In the lighting fixture disclosed herein, it is preferable that the lamp is arranged such that the bulb faces the center of the fixture body, and the thermal protector is located in the center of the fixture body.

[0011] In the lighting fixture disclosed herein, it is preferable that the fixture body has a first placement surface on which the thermal protector is arranged, and that the thermal protector is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first placement surface.

[0012] In the lighting fixture disclosed herein, it is preferable that the fixture body has a second mounting surface on which the socket is arranged, and that the socket is inclined with respect to the second mounting surface such that the lamp protrudes away from the fixture body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The present invention provides the following effects. Specifically, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of lighting fixtures equipped with multiple lamps, and to suppress the increase in the complexity of the structure of lighting fixtures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] A bottom view showing the overall configuration of a lighting fixture according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of line BB in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] A lighting fixture 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The lighting fixture 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a mounting surface such as a ceiling surface (including an inclined surface). In the following description, the side of the lighting fixture 1 that emits light will be described as the illumination surface side of the lighting fixture 1, and the side of the lighting fixture 1 that faces the mounting surface will be described as the mounting surface side of the lighting fixture 1 (opposite side of the illumination surface side). The mounting surface side of the lighting fixture 1 is the back side (rear side) of the lighting fixture 1. Furthermore, when the lighting fixture 1 is mounted on a mounting surface, if the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface is described as the vertical direction of the lighting fixture 1, the mounting surface side of the lighting fixture 1 will be described as the upper direction, and the direction directly below the illumination surface side of the lighting fixture 1 will be described as the lower direction. The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the lighting fixture 1 will be described as the radial direction of the lighting fixture 1. Furthermore, in the following description, the state in which the lighting fixture 1 is viewed from below will be described as a plan view. The state in which the lighting fixture 1 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction will be described as a side view. The state in which the cross-sectional shape of the lighting fixture 1 is viewed will be described as a cross-sectional view.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the external shape of the lighting fixture 1 is configured to be roughly disc-shaped. However, the external shape of the lighting fixture 1 is not limited to this embodiment, and in addition to a roughly disc shape, it can also be, for example, elliptical, square, rectangular, polygonal, or sector-shaped in plan view, or a combination thereof.

[0017] The lighting fixture 1 mainly comprises a fixture body 10, a plurality of lamps 30 (two in this embodiment), a thermal protector 40, and a globe 50.

[0018] The fixture body 10 is configured in a substantially disc shape with the vertical direction as its axis. The lamp 30 and thermal protector 40 are arranged on the lower surface of the fixture body 10. The fixture body 10 includes a first mounting surface 10a, a second mounting surface 10b, a bottom portion 11, a side portion 12, an opening 13, a protruding portion 14, a holding member 21, and a plurality (two in this embodiment) of sockets 22.

[0019] The first placement surface 10a of the appliance body 10 is configured such that the thermal protector 40 is placed thereon. The second placement surface 10b is configured such that the socket 22 and the lamp 30 are placed via the socket 22.

[0020] The bottom 11 of the appliance body 10 is configured in a flat and substantially disc shape. The side portion 12 protrudes downward from the edge of the bottom 11 and is configured to surround the bottom 11. The opening 13 is an opening formed substantially at the center of the bottom 11. An electric wire of an external power source is inserted through the opening 13. The protrusion 14 protrudes downward from substantially the center of the bottom 11. The protrusion 14 is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 13. The protrusion 14 is configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The lower surface of the protrusion 14 is configured as the first placement surface 10a. The thermal protector 40 is placed along the first placement surface 10a on the lower surface (first placement surface 10a) of the protrusion 14.

[0021] The holding member 21 is a flat member made of a metal material and is fixed to the bottom 11 of the appliance body 10 by a fixture such as a screw. The holding member 21 has a notch, and the protrusion 14 is positioned within the notch and configured to surround the protrusion 14. The protrusion 14 protrudes below the holding member 21. The lower surface of the holding member 21 is configured as the second placement surface 10b. The socket 22 is attached to the lower surface (second placement surface 10b) of the holding member 21 by a fixture such as a screw via the socket mounting base 23 to hold the socket 22. The socket mounting base 23 of the present embodiment is created by bending a plate-like member made of a metal material in consideration of thermal conductivity and rigidity. Part of the heat generated from the lamp 30 is transmitted to the socket 22, and further part is transmitted to the socket 23 and the holding member 21. When the temperature of the surrounding air is lower than these members, the heat is transmitted from these members to the surrounding air and dissipated.

[0022] The socket 22 is configured to removably hold the lamp 30. The socket 22 is configured in a substantially cylindrical shape. The socket 22 is configured such that its base end is fixed to the holding member 21 via the socket mounting base 23 and protrudes from the holding member 21. An opening into which the lamp 30 is inserted is formed at the tip end (the protruding side end) of the socket 22. A female screw that can be screwed with the male screw at the base of the lamp 30 is formed. Note that the instrument body 10 is not limited to a configuration including two sockets 22, and may have a configuration including three or more sockets 22.

[0023] The lamp 30 is a bulb-type lamp and has a bulb 31. The lamp 30 is an LED lamp in which a light-emitting module having a plurality of LED elements arranged on the surface of a substrate is arranged in the bulb 31, or an incandescent bulb that emits light by energizing a resistance wire arranged in the bulb 31. When the lamp 30 is an incandescent bulb, the heat generated when performing the operation of irradiating light becomes higher than in the case of an LED lamp. A female screw that can be screwed with the female screw of the socket 22 is formed at the base of the lamp 30. The lamp 30 is attached to the instrument body 10 via the socket 22 by screwing the male screw of the lamp 30 with the female screw of the socket 22. Two (a plurality of) lamps 30 are attached to each of the two (a plurality of) sockets 22. Note that the lamp 30 is not limited to being composed of two, and may be in a quantity corresponding to the number of sockets 22, and may be composed of three or more.

[0024] The thermal protector 40 is attached to the holding member 21 via the thermal protector mounting portion 24 using fasteners such as screws. The thermal protector 40 is positioned along the lower surface (first placement surface 10a) of the protruding portion 14 of the fixture body 10. The thermal protector 40 is connected to the socket 22 via an electric wire. Power supplied from an external power source is supplied to the lamp 30 via the socket 22 after passing through the thermal protector 40. The thermal protector 40 is positioned near the bulb 31 of the lamp 30 and detects the heat generated when the lamp 30 performs the operation of emitting light. The thermal protector 40 cuts off the power supplied to the lamp 30 when the lamp 30 reaches a predetermined temperature or higher (for example, 70°C or higher). The thermal protector 40 also resumes the power supply to the lamp 30 when the lamp 30 returns to a predetermined temperature or lower after the power supply has been cut off. Furthermore, the temperature at which the thermal protector 40 cuts off the power supplied to the lamp 30 is not limited to 70°C, but can be set as appropriate according to the specifications. Also, since the thermal protector 40 can detect at least the internal temperature of the fixture body 10, the heat source that can be detected is not limited to the lamp 30.

[0025] The globe 50 is made of a light-transmitting resin material. The globe 50 is attached to the lower edge of the side portion 12 of the fixture body 10 and is configured to cover the lower surface of the fixture body 10, the socket 22, the lamp 30, and the thermal protector 40, etc. The globe 50 is not limited to being made of a resin material, but may be made of glass or a combination of multiple materials, for example.

[0026] The sockets 22 are located on the second placement surface 10b of the fixture body 10. The two sockets 22 are located at eccentric positions from the center of the bottom 11 of the fixture body 10. The multiple sockets 22 are arranged at approximately equal intervals with respect to the center of the fixture body 10. In this embodiment, the two sockets 22 are located opposite each other with respect to the protruding portion 14 of the fixture body 10. The lamps 30 are located on the second placement surface 10b of the fixture body 10 via the sockets 22. The multiple lamps 30 are arranged at approximately equal intervals with respect to the center of the fixture body 10. In this embodiment, the two lamps 30 are located at eccentric positions from the center of the bottom 11 of the fixture body 10. The two lamps 30 are located opposite each other with respect to the protruding portion 14 of the fixture body 10. The first placement surface 10a of the fixture body 10 is located between the two sockets 22 and between the two lamps 30, and the thermal protector 40 is located between the two sockets 22 and between the two lamps 30. The thermal protector 40 is positioned between the bulbs 31 of each of the two lamps 30.

[0027] As described above, the thermal protector 40 is positioned between multiple (two) lamps 30. Therefore, one thermal protector 40 can detect the heat generated when multiple lamps 30 are emitting light. Consequently, for a lighting fixture 1 equipped with multiple lamps 30, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the lighting fixture 1 compared to one equipped with multiple thermal protectors 40 corresponding to the number of lamps 30. Furthermore, since one thermal protector 40 detects the heat generated when multiple lamps 30 are emitting light, it is possible to suppress the increase in the number of wires connected to the thermal protectors 40 in accordance with an increase in the number of thermal protectors 40. Consequently, it is possible to suppress the complexity of the structure of the lighting fixture 1.

[0028] Furthermore, as described above, the thermal protector 40 is positioned between the bulbs 31 of multiple (two) lamps 30. In other words, the thermal protector 40 is positioned between the multiple (two) bulbs 31, which are the parts of the lamps 30 that are most likely to become hot. Therefore, a single thermal protector 40 can more reliably detect the heat generated when multiple lamps 30 are emitting light.

[0029] The lamp 30 is positioned so that the bulb 31 faces the center of the fixture body 10. The thermal protector 40 is positioned on the first mounting surface 10a of the fixture body 10, and is located in the center of the fixture body 10. In other words, the thermal protector 40 is positioned in the center of the fixture body 10, which is the part of the fixture body 10 that is most likely to become hot. Therefore, a single thermal protector 40 can more reliably detect the heat generated when multiple lamps 30 are emitting light.

[0030] The first mounting surface 10a of the fixture body 10 is located below the second mounting surface 10b. This configuration allows the thermal protector 40 to be positioned closer to the globe 31 of the lamp 30 compared to a configuration where the first mounting surface 10a is positioned at the same height as the second mounting surface 10b in the vertical direction. As a result, a single thermal protector 40 can more reliably detect the heat generated when multiple lamps 30 are emitting light.

[0031] The thermal protector 40 is positioned so that it overlaps with the globe 31 of the lamp 30 in a side view. This configuration allows the thermal protector 40 to be positioned closer to the globe 31 of the lamp 30 compared to a configuration where the thermal protector 40 does not overlap with the globe 31 of the lamp 30 in a side view. Therefore, a single thermal protector 40 can more reliably detect the heat generated when multiple lamps 30 are emitting light.

[0032] The first mounting surface 10a of the fixture body 10 is configured to be parallel to the radial direction of the lighting fixture 1. The thermal protector 40 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The thermal protector 40 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first mounting surface 10a of the fixture body 10. In this way, since the thermal protector 40 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first mounting surface 10a of the fixture body 10, the longitudinal direction of the thermal protector 40 is aligned with the first mounting surface 10a, and the amount of protrusion relative to the first mounting surface 10a is suppressed. As a result, when attaching the lamp 30 to the socket 22, it is possible to suppress contact between the lamp 30 and the thermal protector 40 compared to a case where the thermal protector 40 is positioned farther away from the fixture body 10. Therefore, the ease of attaching the lamp 30 to the socket 22 can be improved.

[0033] The second mounting surface 10b of the fixture body 10 is configured to be parallel to the radial direction of the lighting fixture 1. The socket 22 is configured to be inclined with respect to the second mounting surface 10b of the fixture body 10 via the socket mounting base 23, such that the lamp 30 protrudes away from the fixture body 10. By inclining the socket 22 with respect to the second mounting surface 10b of the fixture body 10 so that the lamp 30 protrudes away from the fixture body 10, the opening in the socket 22 into which the lamp 30 is inserted becomes easier for the worker to see when installing the lamp 30 into the socket 22. Therefore, the ease of installing the lamp 30 into the socket 22 can be improved.

[0034] The two lamps 30 are positioned at approximately the same location in the vertical direction. The two lamps 30 are positioned so that the sides of their respective bulbs 31 (the sides parallel to the radial direction of the lighting fixture 1 and perpendicular to the direction in which the lamps 30 protrude) face each other. The thermal protector 40 is positioned between the sides of the respective bulbs 31 of the two lamps 30.

[0035] As described above, the multiple lamps 30 are arranged so that the sides of their respective bulbs 31 face each other, and the thermal protector 40 is positioned between the sides of the respective bulbs 31 of the multiple lamps 30. Therefore, compared to a configuration where the tips of the respective bulbs 31 of the multiple lamps 30 face each other, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the lighting fixture 1 equipped with multiple lamps 30. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 1 Lighting fixtures 10. Main body of the device 10a First placement surface 10b Second placement surface 11 Bottom 12 Side 13 Opening 14 Protrusion 21 Retaining member 22 sockets 23 Socket mounting base 24 Thermal protector mounting section 30 lamps 31 valves 40 Thermal Protectors 50 Gloves

Claims

1. A lighting fixture comprising: a fixture body having multiple sockets; multiple lamps attached to each of the multiple sockets; and a thermal protector that cuts off the power supplied to the lamps when the lamps reach a predetermined temperature or higher, The thermal protector is positioned between the multiple lamps. Lighting fixtures.

2. The lamp is a bulb-type lamp having a bulb, The thermal protector is positioned between the bulbs of the plurality of lamps. The lighting fixture according to claim 1.

3. The lamp is arranged such that the bulb faces the center of the fixture body. The thermal protector is positioned in the center of the main body of the device. The lighting fixture according to claim 2.

4. The device body has a first mounting surface on which the thermal protector is placed, The thermal protector is positioned such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first placement surface. The lighting fixture according to claim 3.

5. The device body has a second mounting surface on which the socket is arranged. The socket is inclined with respect to the second mounting surface such that the lamp protrudes away from the fixture body. A lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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