Safety warning lamps for adverse or hazardous atmospheres

Claim 1

A warning lamp for use in hazardous atmospheres comprising a hollow base member having an open end, a plate member connected to the base member across the open end thereof, said plate member having a centrally-disposed aperture therethrough, being circular, and having peripheral surfaces with a first screw threaded portion and a second screw threaded portion, a hollow housing having an open end and having a screw threaded portion adjacent its open end engaging said first screw threaded portion of said plate member within the hollow base member and defining a first air filled volume between the housing and the base member, a plug for receiving a light-emitting, said plug being mounted within said hollow housing and projecting into the aperture in the plate member, a light-emitting element in the form of a xenon gas-discharge lamp secured to said plug and projecting to the other side of the plate member from said hollow housing, a transparent light-magnification dome mounted on said plate member and surrounding said gas-discharge lamp to define a second air filled volume between the lamp and the dome, a generally cylindrical transparent protective dome formed of polycarbonate and surrounding the light focusing dome to define a third air filled volume between the magnification dome and the protective dome, electrical control means encapsulated in a potting compound within said hollow housing and connected to said plug to cause said light-emitting element to flash intermittently, said protective dome having a screw threaded portion on its outer surface adjacent its open end, and the hollow base member being cylindrical and having a screw-threaded portion on its inner surface adjacent its opening end engaging the screw-threads of the second screw threaded portion on said peripheral surface of the circular plate member and the screw-threads on said protective dome, said screw-threads forming a passageway for escaping hot gases wherein a temperature reduction occurs, whereby in the event of an explosion each of said volumes stores a quantity of explosive gases prior to permitting escape thereof along said passageway.