US2556870A - Adjustable light source having a bimetallic support arm - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1951 D. L. CLARK ADJUSTABLE LIGHT SOURCE HAVING A BIMETALLIC SUPPORT ARM Filed Sept. 18, 1947 Inventor- David L. Clark by His Attorn e 5. I

Patented June 12, 1951 TENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE LIGHT SOURCE HAVING A BIMETALLIC SUPPORT ARM David L. Clark, Bridgeport, Cnn., assignor to General Electric Company,- a corporation of New York Application September 18, 1947, Serial No. 774,716

4 Claims.

This invention relates to mounting arrangements for lamps and more particularly to mounting arrangements for automatically adjusting the position of lamps.

It is sometimes desirable to employ a lamp which is maintained in one position when not in use and which is automatically moved to a second position when in use. For example, it may be desirable to so arrange a lamp that it is concealed from view except when actually in use and to relieve the user of the necessity of manually shifting the lamp from its concealed position each time he desires to use it.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to move a lamp automatically from one position to another upon energization.

It is another object of this invention to automatically shift a lamp between operative and concealed positions in response to the energization and deenergization of the lamp.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a lamp for a dressing table or the like wherein the lamp is automatically moved upon energization to direct its rays toward the normal position of the user of the dressing table.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For better understanding of this invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dressing table including a lamp mounting arrangement embodying this invention Fig. 2 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of the dressing table shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing details of the lamp mounting arrangement; and Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of the power supply to the lamp.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a dressing table having a base structure I and an upright reflectingsurface 2. Adjacent the top of the reflectingsurface 2 there is mounted an overhead canopy 3 for supporting a plurality of light sources. The arrangement of the light sources in combination with the dressing table is not part i Two such sources are shown at 5 and 6 in this figure. Adjacent the light source 5 there is provided a vertical light reflecting barrier l which is secured to the underside of thehorizontal surface 4, and a similar vertical light reflecting barrier 8 is provided adjacent the source S. In the recess between the barriers i and 8 there is arranged a sunlamp 9.

The lower end of the lamp 9 extends only slightly below the lower horizontal surface of the canopy 3 so that the lamp, in the position shown in Fig. 2, is substantially concealed within the overhead canopy. In order to conceal the upper portion of the lamp and the mounting structure utilized in connection therewith ashield 10 is provided. The shield it is a generally U-shaped dome-like structure which is secured to the upper side of thehorizontal surface 4. As can best be seen in Fig. 1, the shield til extends around the front and two sides of the lamp and its mounting structure so as to conceal these parts from view.

In Fig. 3 details of the mounting arrangement for the lamp are shown. In order to facilitate the supporting of the lamp mounting structure, a portion of the barrier l is bent outwardly as indicated at H. An arm I2 is secured to the portion II by a rivet or other suitable fastening means [3 and. a socket l t, which is provided with suitable threads (not shown) for engaging the base of the lamp 9, is secured to the upper end of the arm i2. The socket I4 may be secured to the arm by a bolt i5 or any other suitable fastening device.

In order to provide for the shifting of the lamp between the solid line and the dotted line positions, the arm l2 includes a section It which is composed of bimetallic material adapted to flex in accordance with changes in temperature. A source of heat for varying the temperature of the bimetallic section [6 is provided by a heating element H. The heating element !'i is composed of high resistance wire wound about the bimetallic section or strip It so as to facilitate transfer of heat generated within the wire to the bimetallic section. At normal temperatures the bimetallic element is straight as shown by the solid lines in Fig. 3. When the temperature of the bimetallic section is raised through energization of the heating element I? the section It flexes to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. This flexing of the bimetallic section effects a corresponding movement of the lamp from the solid line position to the dotted line position,

wherein the rays emitted by the lamp are directed outwardly toward the user seated in front of the dressing table.

The horizontal supportingsurface 4 is provided with an opening l8 through which the arm l2 and a portion of the lamp 9 extend. In order that the lamp 9 will be positioned at the correct angle to direct its rays toward the user, an edge l9 of the opening i8 is arranged to act as a stop for the lamp in the operative or dotted line position. As shown in Fig. 3, when the bimetallic strip l6 flexes under the influence of the heating element ll, the lamp socket l4 engages the stop l9, and further movement of the lamp is prevented.

To insure that the lamp is automatically shifted to the dotted line position when in use the wiring arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is employed. Power is supplied to the lamp 9 from any suitable source throughlines 20 and 2!, and the energization of the lamp is controlled byswitch 22. The heating element I! is arranged in series with the lamp 9 so that when theswitch 22 is closed, current is supplied both to the lamp 9 and to the heating element Ii. As explained previously, heat generated within the element l: increases the temperature of the bimetallic section 56 and effects a flexing of the bimetallic section to shift the lamp automatically to the dotted line position. Conversely, when theswitch 22 is opened to deenergize the lamp, current is cut oif from the heating element After a short time the temperature of the bimetallic section !6 returns to normal and the bimetallic section resumes its solid line position, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby moving the lamp t to the concealed, or solid line position.

While a specific form of this invention has been shown in connection with a sunlamp for a dressing table it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the particular construction employed and other applications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A mounting arrangement for an electric lamp and the like comprising a support including a recess for the lamp, means for moving the lamp between a concealed and an exposed position response to the energization of the lamp, said means including a bimetallic strip for mounting the lamp on said support, said strip comprising the en re mechanical connection between said lamp and said support, and a heating element for said bimetallic strip, said heating element being energized upon energization of the lamp to cause a flexing of said bimetallic strip for moving the lamp from its concealed to its exposed position, said heating element being deenergized when said lamp is deenergized to cause reverse flexing of said strip for moving the lamp back to the concealed position.

2. In combination with a dressing table or the like, a lamp mounted on said dressing table for movement from a first position substantially concealed within a portion of said dressing table to a second position wherein it is exposed and its rays are directed toward the normal position of a user of said dressing table, an arm including a section of bimetallic material, said arm constituting the sole mechanical support from said table for mounting said lamp, a heating element adjacent said bimetallic section, said heating element being energized upon energization of said lamp to cause a flexing of said bimetallic section and to move said lamp from said. first position to said second position, and a stop for preventing movement of said lamp beyond said second position, said element being deenergized upon deenergization of said lamp to move said lamp from said second position to said first position.

3. In combination with a dressing table or the like, an overhead lighting fixture, a lamp movable from a first position substantially concealed within said fixture to a second position wherein its rays are directed toward the normal position of a user of the dressing table, an arm constituting the sole means for mounting said lamp said fixture, said arm including a section of bi.- metallic material, and a heating element adjacent said bimetallic section, said heating element being energized upon energization of said lamp to cause said bimetallic section to move said lamp from said first position to said second position, and said element being deenergized upon deenergization of said lamp to cause movement of the lamp from said second to said first position.

i. In combination with a dressing table or the like, an overhead lighting fixture, said fixtu including a support, a lamp, an arm constituti; the sole means for supporting and for mountingsaid lamp on said support, said arm including a bimetallic strip adapted to fiex upon change in temperature to move said lamp between a concealed and an exposed operative position relative to said support, a heating element adjacent said bimetallic strip, said heating element being in series with said lamp whereby said heating element is energized when said lamp is energized to move said lamp from its concealed to its operative position and deenergized when said lamp is deenergized to move the lamp from exposed to concealed position.

DAVID L. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,861,752 Patterson June 7, 1932 2,345,235 Carter Mar. 28, 194:4

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 686,222 Germany Jan. 5, i940

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