29/141,175,29/141,189 & 29/141,174, each filed May 1,2001, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to electric lamps and has particular reference to an improved lamp shade adapted for use in residential and commercial lighting fixtures which are designed for use with either an incandescent-type lamp unit or a compact fluorescent-type lamp unit.

Fluorescent lamp units that are specially constructed for use in conventional lighting fixtures having screw-type, or plug-type, sockets are well known in the art. A lamp unit of this type having a triple-U-bent fluorescent lamp that is mounted on a base structure along with circuit means and is protected by a cover component which has one or more vent openings which cooperate with similar vent openings in the base structure to permit air to circulate through the lamp unit during operation and provide convection cooling is disclosed in U. S. Pat.

No. 4,300,073 issued Nov. 10,1981 to Skwirut et al. as well as U. S. Pat. No. 5,627,432 issued May 6,1997 to Balazs et al., which patents are hereby incorporated by reference.

It is also well known to provide a compact plug-in type fluorescent lamp unit with a base module that contains a miniaturized solid-state electronic circuit which permits the fluorescent lamp to be operated in a direct-current mode from an AC power source. A fluorescent lamp unit having such an integral DC-operating circuit is disclosed in U. S. Pat. No.

4,173,730 issued Nov. 6,1979 to Young et al.

A fluorescent lamp operates by converting ultraviolet energy into visible light. A fluorescent lamp is provided with a glass tube whose inner surface has a phosphor coating adapted to absorb radiant energy of a given wavelength and to reradiate it at a longer wavelength.

Contained in the glass tube are electrodes and a small amount of mercury. The. electrodes provide a source of electrons to initiate an arc discharge which vaporizes the mercury to produce ultraviolet energy that excites the phosphors. A fluorescent lamp produces visible light at several times the efficiency of an incandescent bulb having a filament heated by current passing therethrough. Hence a 26 watt fluorescent lamp yields substantially the same light as a 100 watt incandescent bulb.

However, despite the advantages to using such a compact fluorescent type lamp, users still tend to use incandescent bulbs over the compact fluorescent-type bulb. One reason why the compact fluorescent-type bulbs are not used is believed to be that its geometry makes it harder to install and remove in a conventional light socket. Thus, there is a need for a lamp environment that makes it easy to screw, or plug, a compact fluorescent-type bulb in and out of a conventional light socket.

Additionally, because compact fluorescent-type bulbs are typically used in lamps designed for an incandescent bulb, the lamp shade does not accommodate the geometry of the compact fluorescent type bulb and thereby reduces the benefit of this bulb. Rather, most shades heretofore available have been designed with the geometry of the incandescent bulb in mind.

Thus, there is a need for a lamp shade that accommodates the geometry of a compact fluorescent-type bulb and concurrently make maximum use of the illumination generated by the compact fluorescent-type bulb.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present lamp shade permits one to readily change a compact fluorescent-type bulb by allowing the user to easily slide the shade off over the bulb. Once the shade is removed, the bulb can be readily changed. Additionally, as the axis of rotation of the shade is coincident with the axis of the compact fluorescent-type bulb, the shade, no matter what position it is put in, is always in position to reflect the light generated by the bulb to the maximum extent.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the invention comprising a housing having a shape that approximates half of an ellipse. In this embodiment, the housing is basically a thin, but stable, shell. At a first end of this housing, a substantially cylindrical cavity extends into said housing at least the length of a conventional compact fluorescent-type bulb so as to accommodate such a bulb. Additionally, at a first side at said first end of said housing, said substantially cylindrical cavity traverses the housing shell and forms a substantially circular aperture in said housing.

The lamp shade desirably has a plurality of vents.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the lamp shade of the present invention has, on the interior surface of its circular aperture, a lip for engaging a retaining latch.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a latch, is mounted on the lamp that interfaces with the shade, which latch extends into the shade and retainingly engages the lip on the interior surface of the shade's circular aperture. Such a latch retains the shade in a movable engagement with the lamp until the user applies a slight pressure on the latch to release the shade.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a modification of an otherwise conventional lamp to more readily accommodate a compact fluorescent-type bulb. For instance, starting with a conventional lamp base, such as a base that sits on a work surface, a base that attaches to a work surface, or a base that attaches to a vertical surface in the vicinity of a work surface, a conventional lamp arm--or arms--is mounted thereon and a bulb-socket mechanism is mounted on the end of the lamp arm away from the base. The bulb-socket mechanism used in the lamp of the present invention desirably departs from conventional bulb- socket mechanism in that it is adapted to have a shade removably mounted on said bulb-socket mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, the bulb-socket mechanism has a latch mechanism that releasably retains the shade on the bulb-socket mechanism. However, it is desired that in all embodiments of the lamp of the present invention, the shade can be rotated at least 180 degrees about its axis.

Another feature of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is that the rocker switch that turns the lamp on and off can be conveniently located substantially adjacent to the shade.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lamp showing an embodiment of a lamp using a shade of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a rear view of a lamp showing an embodiment of a lamp using a shade of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a first side view of a lamp showing an embodiment of a lamp using a shade of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a front view of a lamp showing an embodiment of a lamp using a shade of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a second side view of a lamp showing an embodiment of a lamp using a shade of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a top view of a lamp showing an embodiment of a lamp using a shade of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a view of a lamp showing an embodiment of a lamp and a removed shade of the present invention ; Fig. 8 is a view of the top of a shade of the present invention; Fig. 9 is a view of the side of a shade of the present invention showing the aperture through which the bulb is inserted; Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the underside of a shade of the present invention; and Fig. 11 is a view of a lamp with the shade of the present invention showing the relationship of the bulb and shade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a lamp shade and a lamp employing said lamp shade that is adapted for use with a compact fluorescent-type bulb. The present invention provides a shade that is small in size and yet permits one to readily change bulbs in a lamp employing this shade. Additionally, the present invention allows the user to rotate the shade so as to direct the light to where it is needed.

Figs. 1 through 6 illustrate several views of a lamp and shade of the present invention. Lamp 110 has switch 140 and shade 120 and shade extension 130.

In general, the shade of the present invention has a housing, the shape of which corresponds roughly to half of an elliptical cylinder. For instance, turning to Fig. 7, looking at the side of shade 120 removed from bulb-socket mechanism 700 labeled 800 one can see the generally elliptical cylinder shape of the shade. However, the shade ends at what would be the long axis of the elliptical cylinder, hence, the shape of the shade 120 is only half of an elliptical cylinder.

Typically, the housing of shade 120 is a thin shell made on any conventional shade material for a shade that is in close proximity to bulb 720. Generally, the housing of shade 120 is between about 1/8 and 1/32 inches thick, and preparedly, the housing of shade 120 is about 1/16 inches thick. Useful materials for the manufacturer of the housing include suitable plastic for strength and heat.

Additionally, it is preferred that the under side of shade 120 has a plurality of vents 150. Desirably, vents 150 are baffled so that the bulb is not visible from the top of shade 120. Vents 150 permit hot air to exit from the shade housing. Typically, vents 150 are about 1/8 inch wide and the length of vents 150 desirably is approximately 1/3 of the perimeter of an imaginary cylinder surrounding the bulb.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, shade 120 has a lip 170 having a plurality of raised dots 160. Raised dots 160 provide the user of the lamp with tactile feedback as to the whereabouts of the proper position to hold shade 120 when repositioning shade 120.

It is also preferred that the under side of shade 120 is coated with a conventional light reflective material suitable for use in close proximity to bulb 720. Examples of such reflective material include white or reflective metallic layer that is either integral to the shade, or alternatively is a film applied to the interior of the shade.

An important geometric aspect of shade 120 is that one side of shade 120 has a substantially circular aperture 740 that communicates with substantially cylindrical cavity 900.

Substantially cylindrical cavity 900 is of sufficient length to accommodate a conventional compact fluorescent-type bulb and socket, i. e. preferably at least about 1.5 inches long.

Additionally, it is also desirable that the substantially cylindrical cavity 900 has a diameter of between about 1.5 and 2.0 inches, and preferably about 1.85 inches.

Substantially circular aperture 740 is also desirably of a size so that it will slide onto bulb-socket mechanism 700 snugly, but not so tight that the interaction of substantially circular aperture 740 and bulb-socket mechanism 700 prevents shade 120 from rotating about bulb-socket mechanism 700. Rather, it is desired that shade 120 is able to freely rotate about bulb-socket mechanism 700.

In some embodiments of the present invention, substantially circular aperture 740 is with tubular extension 750 of shade 120. Typically, tubular extension 750 is of a length corresponding to bulb-socket mechanism 700.

To prevent freely rotatable shade 120 from disengaging with bulb-socket mechanism 700, desirably bulb-socket mechanism 700 has a mechanism to retain shade 120. In one embodiment of the present invention, the retaining mechanism is latch 760. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, latch 760 engages a lip 920 inside shade 120.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, bulb-socket mechanism 700 is mounted on arm 780. Desirably, arm 780 is connected to a lamp structure 110 at pivot joint 790, which permits at least about 300° of rotation about pivot joint 790. It is also desired that latch 760 and rocker switch 140 are mounted on the combination of bulb-socket mechanism 700 and arm 780, and that any wiring is via a concealed wire path within these parts..

While the embodiments of the various aspects of the present invention that have been described are the preferred implementation, those skilled in the art will understand that variations thereof may also be possible. Therefore, the invention is entitled to protection within the full scope of the appended claims.