Patent Application
20070175516
The present invention is related to a connecting structure for connecting a bulb holder with a connecting tube. The connecting structure includes a fitting seat disposed in the connecting tube and a connecting seat fixedly connected with the bulb holder. The fitting seat can be quickly assembled with the connecting seat and disassembled from the connecting seat.
The above connecting structure for connecting the bulb holder with the connecting tube has numerous components which are mainly connected with each other by screws. The manufacturing/assembling cost of such connecting structure is relatively high. In addition, the power cable is undetachably soldered when assembling the components. After assembled, the assembly has a considerably large volume, which necessitates more package material for packaging the product. Therefore, the packaging cost is also higher.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a connecting structure for connecting a bulb holder with a connecting tube. The connecting structure includes a fitting seat disposed in the connecting tube and a connecting seat fixedly connected with the bulb holder. The fitting seat can be quickly assembled with the connecting seat and disassembled from the connecting seat.
According to the above object, the connecting structure for connecting the bulb holder with the connecting tube includes a connecting tube, a fitting seat, a connecting seat and a bulb holder. The fitting seat is fitted in the connecting tube. A first end of the fitting seat is formed with multiple male stopper sections. A second end of the fitting seat has a first electric connection section. One end of the first electric connection section is connected with a power source. A first end of the connecting seat is formed with a female stopper section. A second end of the connecting seat has a fixing section. The connecting seat further has a second electric connection section. The female stopper section is engaged with the male stopper sections of the fitting seat. The second electric connecting section is electrically connected with the first electric connection section of the fitting seat. One end of the bulb holder is fixedly connected with the fixing section of the connecting seat and electrically connected with the second electric connection section of the connecting seat.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:
Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 4. The connecting structure for connecting a bulb holder with a connecting tube of the present invention includes a connecting tube 1, a fitting seat 2, a connecting seat 3 and a bulb holder 4. In this embodiment, the fitting seat 2 is a tubular member tightly fitted in the connecting tube 1. A first end of the fitting seat 2 is formed with multiple male stopper sections 21. A second end of the fitting seat 2 has a first electric connection section 22. Each male stopper section 21 is a stopper block having a guide face 211 and a stop face 212. A gap is defined between each male stopper section 21 and an outer wall of the fitting seat 2, permitting the male stopper section 21 to radially move. In addition, two sides of each male stopper section 21 are respectively spaced from an inner wall of the fitting seat 2 by two splits 214. The inner wall of the fitting seat 2 is formed with a locating trough 25. The first electric connection section 22 includes two grooves 221 formed on the inner wall of the fitting seat 2 and two conductive plates 222 respectively inlaid in the grooves 221. In addition, the wall of the fitting seat 2 is formed with two axial wire holes 23 communicating with the grooves 221. Two power wires 24 extend through the wire holes 23 to electrically connect with the conductive plates 222.
In this embodiment, a first end of the connecting seat 3 is formed with a female stopper section 31 which is an annular groove. The stopper blocks of the fitting seat 2 can be inlaid in the annular groove to engage the fitting seat 2 with the connecting seat 3. A second end of the connecting seat 3 has a fixing section 32. The bulb holder 4 is fixedly connected under the bottom end of the fixing section 32. A locating rib 33 is formed on a circumference of the connecting seat 3. The locating rib 33 can be inlaid in the locating trough 25 of the fitting seat 2 to prevent the fitting seat 2 from rotating. The connecting seat 3 has a second electric connection section 34 between the annular groove 31 and the fixing section 32. In this embodiment, the second electric connection section 34 includes two dents 341 and two conductive leaf springs 342 respectively mounted in the dents 341. The conductive leaf springs 342 respectively electrically contact with the conductive plates 222 and connect with the bulb holder 4 via two wires 343.
According to the above arrangement, when assembling the bulb holder with the connecting tube, the locating rib 33 of the connecting seat 3 is first aimed at and inlaid into the locating trough 25 of the fitting seat 2 to prevent the fitting seat 2 from rotating. The top end of the connecting seat 3 abuts against and outward stretches the stopper blocks of the fitting seat 2, whereby the stopper blocks can enter the annular groove of the connecting seat 3 to engage the fitting seat with the connecting seat. Under such circumstance, the stopper blocks prevent the fitting seat from being extracted out of the connecting seat. In addition, the power can be transmitted from the conductive plates 222 of the fitting seat 2 to the conductive leaf springs 342 of the connecting seat 3.
When the fitting seat 2 is forcedly drawn in reverse direction, the stopper blocks of the fitting seat 2 are stretched outward by the circumference of the top end of the connecting seat 3, whereby the bulb holder 4 can be quickly detached from the connecting tube 1. Accordingly, when packaged, the bulb holder 4 and the connecting tube 1 can be disassembled to minify the volume and reduce the package material. The connecting structure is simplified so that the manufacturing/assembling cost is lowered.
FIGS. 5 to 9 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a first end of the fitting seat 5 has an upper seat 51, a compression spring 52 and a male stopper section 53. One end of the male stopper section 53 has a stopper section 531, while the other end of the male stopper section 53 has a press section 532. One face of the upper seat 51 is formed with a cavity 511 facing the first electric connection section 55. Multiple hook arms 512 extend from the upper seat 51. A through hole 513 radially outward extends from the cavity 511. The connecting tube 6 has a through hole 61 corresponding to the through hole 513. The compression spring 52 is disposed in the cavity 511 to abut against the stopper section 531 of the male stopper section 53. The press section 532 of the male stopper section 53 passes through the through hole 513 of the cavity 511 and the through hole 61 of the connecting tube 6 and protrudes from the connecting tube 6.
The first electric connection section 55 is disposed on a base seat 54. The base seat 54 is formed with multiple channels 541 corresponding to the hook arms 512 of the upper seat 51. The hook arms 512 can extend through the channels 541 to latch with a bottom end of the base seat 54. In addition, one face of the base seat 54 is formed with a socket 542 distal from the upper seat 51. A through hole 543 is formed between the socket 542 and the cavity 511 of the upper seat 51. The wall face of the socket 542 is formed with two grooves 551 in which two conductive plates 552 are respectively inlaid. The upper seat 51 and the base seat 54 are formed with two axial wire holes 56 communicating with the grooves 551. Two power wires 57 extend through the wire holes 56 to electrically connect with the conductive plates 552.
The connecting seat 7 has a female stopper section 71 which is a projecting block formed with a radial insertion hole 72. The projecting block extends through the through hole 543 of the base seat 54. The stopper section 531 of the male stopper section 53 is fitted in the insertion hole 72 to engage with the female stopper section 71. The second electric connection section 73 of the connecting seat 7 includes two dents 731 and two conductive leaf springs 732 respectively mounted in the dents 731. The conductive leaf springs 732 respectively electrically contact with the conductive plates 552 of the fitting seat 5 and connect with the bulb holder 8 via two wires 74.
When assembled, the projecting block of the connecting seat 7 is first fitted into the through hole 543 of the base seat 54. At this time, the top end of the projecting block abuts against the stopper section 531 of the male stopper section 53. By means of pressing the press section 532, the compression spring 52 is compressed and the stopper section 531 is retreated, permitting the projecting block to further move upward. Then the press section 532 is released and the compression spring 52 is restored to make the stopper section 531 extend into the insertion hole 72 of the projecting block. When disassembled, the press section 532 of the male stopper section 53 is pressed to compress the compression spring 52. At this time, the stopper section 531 is retreated and extracted out of the insertion hole 72 of the connecting seat 7. Under such circumstance, the bulb holder 8 can be quickly detached from the connecting tube 6.
The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
