The advantages of metal halide lighting include excellent lighting characteristics, long bulb life, and low cost per lumen of light output. These advantages are well known and have been exploite in various outdoor, commercial, and industrial applications such as street lighting, sports facility lighting, floodlighting, interior retail store lighting, and interior warehouselighting.

Previously, metal halide lighting for floor and table lamps suitable for home or office illumination has been impractical due to the bulky hardware and complex electrical gear required by metal halide lighting fixtures.

Metal halide lighting fixtures require complex electrical wiring between the electrical components required to operate the bulb and the bulb socket which is critical to the proper operation of the lamp. In typical prior art metal halide floor or table lamps, the electrical components required to operate a metal halide bulb, i. e., the power supply, electronic circuitry, and associated controls, are typically located in the base of the lamp which is usually physically separated from a luminaire enclosing the metal halide socket and bulb. Because the base and luminaire are physically separated, the complex electrical wiring is usually performed during assembly of the lamp adding time and costs to the lamp assembly and requiring a much higher skilled workforce than if the wiring moere performed prior to lamp assembly.

Another disadvantage of the typical prior art metal halide floor and table lamps due to the physical separation between the electronic components and the bulb sockets is the generation of radio frequency interference ("RFI") which may affect the operation of other devices such as a television or radio. These lamps often require the inclusion of additional components to suppress the RFI which adds to the cost of the lamps.

One prior approach to eliminate the need for lamp manufacturers to perform the critical electrical wiring during lamp assembly and to reduce RFI is to include the required electrical components in an electronic control capsule in the base of the metal halide bulb. This approach, however, provides an unsightly bulb which is less efficient and more e : pensive than a standard metal halide bulb.

Metal halide floor and table lamps for home or office illumination often include one or more auxiliary light bulbs such as incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs for providing a secondary source of light. The auxiliary bulb or bulbs may be illuminated separately from or in combination with the metal _ halide bulb as desired. The auxiliary bulbs are typically arranged in a cluster which positions the auxiliary bulbs relative to the metal halide bulb and uses rigid tubing (typically referred to as S-arms) to support the auxiliary bulb sockets. Such an arrangement also requires critical electrical wiring to the auxiliary sockets during lamp assembly, thus adding time and cost to the lamp assembly.

Another important consideration in multiple bulb lamps is the relative position of each bulb to the others. It is desirous to position the bulbs to minimize shadowing which results when a bulb casts a shadow due to the light emanating from another bulb.

The mounting of the bulbs in a cluster using S-arms may reduce shadowing, however, the S-arms are susceptible to bending and do not arrange the bulbs in a space efficient manner.

The luminaire which includes the cluster of bulbs also typically includes a light diffusion device such as a lamp shade to reduce glare from the illuminated bulbs. Because the cluster arrangement using S-arms is not space efficient, i. e., the bulbs are not tightly arranged, a relatively large lamp shade is required to reduce the glare, but the shade also reduces the light output from the lamp.

As previously discussed, the advantages of metal halide lighting include excellent lighting characteristics. The metal halide bulb provides natural, full-spectrum light which is glare free making metal halide floor and table lamps an excellent light source for reading or working on a computer. There is a need for providing glare free light at a computer workstation in both the home and office. Hotels, in particular, have a need for a lamp which provides a computer workstation and glare free light source in guest rooms to accommodate the business traveller. In one aspect of the present invention, the lamp base includes a power receptacle and dataport to provide a computer workstation integral with the metal halide lighting which is suitable to meet the needs of hotels.

Many people are adversely affected by seasonal lighting changes. Such affects may be alleviated by providing natural, full-spectrum light to simulate sunlight at predetermined times of the day. Thus there is a need for a floor or table lamp providing the natural full-spectrum light from a metal halide source which may be automatically controlled to illuminate at specified times of the day. In another aspect of the present invention, the illumination of the metal halide and auxiliary lamps may be automatically controlled by a timing device.

The present invention obviates many of the deficiencies of the prior art metal halide floor or table lamp suitable for home or office illumination.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel metal halide floor or table lamp suitable for use in the home or office and a novel method of manufacture of such lamps.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel metal halide floor or table lamp and a novel method of manufacture enabling those of but ordinary skill to assemble the lamp.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel metal halide floor or table lamp with the electronic components and bulb socket within a unitary housing.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel combination metal halide and auxiliary bulb floor or table lamp which reduces RFI.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel metal halide floor or table lamp using both metal halide and auxiliary bulbs which may be selectively illuminated individually or in combination.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel combination metal halide and auxiliary bulb floor or table lamp which minimizes shadowing when multiple bulbs are illuminated.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a novel combination metal halide and auxiliary bulb floor or table lamp including a timing device in the lamp base to provide automatic illumination of the bulbs to alleviate the adverse affects of seasonal light changes.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a novel metal halide floor or table lamp including a base which provides a computer workstation.

These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a pictorial representation of a typical prior art metal halide floor or table lamp.

Figure 2 is a pictorial representation of one embodiment of the metal halide floor or table lamp of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a pictorial representation of an embodiment of the lampholder module of the lamp of Figure 2.

Figures 4a'and 4b illustrate a side view and a cross- sectional view of the embodiment of the lampholder module of Figure 3.

Figures 5a and 5b illustrate a plan view and a bottom view respectively of the embodiment of the lampholder module of Figure 3.

Figure 6 illustrates one embodiment of the lamp base of the lamp of Figure 2.

Figure 7 illustrates a second embodiment of the lamp base of the lamp of Figure 2.

DESCRIPTTON OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to Figure 1, the typical prior art combination metal halide and auxiliary light bulb floor or table lamp suitable for home or office illumination is illustrated.

Lamp 10 includes a base 12 and a laminaire 14 which is supported by a supporting member 16 from the base 12. The luminaire 14 includes a metal halide bulb socket 28 and a metal halide bulb 18 and may include one or more auxiliary bulbs 20 which are positioned in a cluster using rigid tubing 22 to support the auxiliary bulb sockets 24. Typically, the luminaire 14 includes a lamp shade 29 or other light diffusion device positioned over the cluster of bulbs. The base 12 includes the electrical components 26 required to operate the metal halide and auxiliary bulbs 18,20.

As is apparent in the typical prior art lamp illustrated in Figure 1, the electrical components 26 located in base 12 are physically separated from the bulb sockets 28,24 so that assembly of the lamp 10 includes complex electrical wiring connecting the electrical components 26 and the bulb sockets 28,24 adding time and cost to lamp assembly. A much higher skilled workforce is required to assemble the lamp than if the complex electrical wiring was not necessary during the assembly performed by the lamp manufacturer.

Further, the physical separation of the electrical components 26 and the bulb sockets 28,24 require lengths of wiring which result in the generation of RFI during lamp operation requiring the inclusion of additional interference suppressing components to minimize the RFI affects on other devices.

With reference to Figure 2, the present invention is illustrated by an embodiment suitable as either a floor or table lamp for home or office illumination. The lamp 30 includes a base 32 and a luminaire 34 which is supported by a supporting member 36 from base 32. The luminaire 34 includes a lampholder module 38 and a metal halide bulb 40. The luminaire 34 may further include one or more auxiliary bulbs 42. The luminaire 34 may also include a lamp shade 39 or other light diffusing device positioned over the module 38 and the bulbs 40,42.

With reference to Figures 4a and 4b, wherein like elements are given like reference numerals to the elements of Figure 2, the lampholder module 38 includes a housing 44 defining an internal cavity 46 and a metal halide bulb aperture 48. The housing 44 may further define one or more auxiliary light bulb apertures 50.

A metal halide bulb socket 52 is located within the cavity 46 in proximity to the metal halide bulb aperture 48 so that the power receiving end of a metal halide bulb may extend through the aperture 48 to be operatively connected into a socket 52. The socket 52 may be any conventional socket suitable for operatively and removably receiving a metal halide bulb. In the preferred embodiment, the socket 52 is a conventional socket for threadably receiving the base of a conventional edison based metal halide bulb.

In the embodiment illustrated, auxiliary bulb sockets 54 are located within the cavity 46 in proximity to an auxiliary bulb aperture 50 so that the power receiving end of an auxiliary bulb may extend through an aperture 50 to be operatively and removably connected into a socket 54. The sockets 54 may be any conventional socket suitable for operatively removably receiving an auxiliary bulb. In the preferred embodiment, the socket 54 is a conventional socket for threadably receiving the base of a conventional edison based incandescent or compact fluorescent bulb.

With further reference to Figure 4b, the electrical components for operating the metal halide and auxiliary bulbs from sockets 52,54 respectively are located within the cavity 26 and include power supply 56, ballast 58, and illumination controls 60. These components may be any conventional components suitable for operating a metal halide and auxiliary bulbs from a typical interior home or office space power receptacle.

Collocating the electrical components and bulb sockets within the cavity eliminates performing the complex electrical wiring connecting those components and the sockets during lamp assembly thus enabling a lesser skilled workforce to assemble the lamps and lowering the time and cost of lamp assembly. This arrangement also minimizes the generation of RFI during lamp operation thus further saving costs by eliminating the need for interference suppressing components. The housing 44 also provides protection of the complex electrical wiring during lamp assembly and transportation.

The lampholder module 38 may further include a switching means 62 within the cavity 46 to selectively illuminate either (i) the metal halide bulb 40, (ii) one or more auxiliary bulbs 42, or (iii) a combination of the metal halide bulb 40 and one or more auxiliary bulbs 42. In one embodiment of the lampholder module 38 using a plurality of incandescent bulbs as the secondary light source, the filament of one or more of the incandescent bulbs may be selectively included in the ballast circuit 58 operating the metal halide lamp 40 for dimming the metal halide lamp 40. When an incandescent filament is included in the ballast circuit 38, the incandescent bulb illuminates when power is applied to the ballast circuit. Less power is available to illuminate the metal halide bulb resulting in dimming of the bulb. The degree of dimming of the metal halide bulb is controlled by selectively including as many incandescent filaments in the ballast circuit as'desired.

With reference to Figure 5a illustrating a preferred embodiment of the lampholder module 38, the metal halide bulb aperture 48 is centrally positioned in the upper surface of housing 44 with the longitudinal axis of metal halide bulb socket 52 defining the vertical axis of the module 38. A plurality of auxiliary bulb apertures 50, with the auxiliary bulb sockets 54 positioned within the cavity 46 in proximity thereto, are positioned symmetrically along a circumference around the central metal halide bulb aperture 48 and socket 52. In the preferred embodiment illustrated by Figure 5a, two auxiliary bulb apertures 50 and sockets 54 are positioned on opposite sides of the central metal halide bulb aperture 48 and socket 52.

The longitudinal axes of the sockets 54 are each perpendicular to the radius of the circumference on which the sockets are positioned and are angled relative to the axis of the metal halide socket 52 which is vertical. In the preferred embodiment, the axes are angled 45 degrees from the vertical axis. The angled positioning of the auxiliary sockets relative to the metal halide socket positions the bulbs connected thereto so that neither bulb casts a shadow as a result of light emanating from another bulb, i. e., the relative positioning of the bulbs minimizes"shadowing." Module 38 provides rigid positioning the bulbs which is not susceptible to distortion such as bending and provides a cluster of bulbs which is more space efficient, i. e., tighter, than the S-arm cluster arrangement. The tighter cluster arrangement requires a smaller diffusion device (such as a lamp shade) which results in a higher light output than the S-arm cluster arrangement.

As shown in Figures 5a and 5b, the housing 44 may further define ventilation apertures in the upper and lower surfaces.

During lamp illumination, the heat generated by the illuminated bulbs above the upper surface of the housing causes a natural circulation of air to flow upward through the ventilation apertures in the lower housing surface, past the electrical components in the housing cavity, and through the ventilation apertures in the housing upper surface providing convective cooling of the electrical components. The convective cooling of the electrical components by natural circulation of air eliminates the need for a cooling fan which reduces the cost of the lamp by reducing the number of components and power consumption.

Mith reference to Figure 6, one embodiment of the lamp of the present invention may include a base 64 to combine the advantages of metal halide light with a personal workstation in the home, office or hotel room. The base 64 includes a grounded convenience receptacle 66 for providing electrical power to devices such as a personal computer or a cellular telephone recharger. The base 64 may also include a dataport 68 which is a modular ISDN fax/modem jack for connection to a telecopier or personal computer.

With reference to Figure 7, a second embodiment of the lamp of the present invention may include a base 70 to take advantage of the natural full-spectrum light emanating from a metal halide bulb in helping to alleviate seasonal affective disorders (SAD") caused by the seasonal light changes. The base 70 includes a timing device 72 which may gradually illuminate one or more incandescent auxiliary bulbs at a selected time of day. The timing device 72 may also provide gradual illumination of the metal halide bulb or provide for the illumination of the metal halide bulb when the incandescent bulb are fully illuminated.

The base 70 may also include a display 74 of the time of day.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is to be understood that the embodiments described are illustrative only and the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalence, many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those of skill in the art from a perusal hereof.