BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to Christmas lights and more particularly to a foldable half sockets to form complete sockets for Christmas lights which is capable of making varied shapes.
Prior art socket 1 (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) includes an integrated socket 2, a bulb 3 in the top of a base 4 with a pair of lead-in wires attached to the base 4, a pair of copper plate connected to a pair of electric wires respectively. However, this type of Christmas light is looked too dull without any variation.
Although the producers try to make combined double socket in order to present some variation, but could not integrally configurated due to that the mold is always difficult to rise. So most of them to make two individual sockets. Then combine them together or make stepwise combined sockets, nevertheless, whatever they do. Thy couldn't solve the problem that the assembly of the other parts such as the contact plate and the lamps is not accurately positioned. Nowadays, every one still carries on the study. But no body gets break through.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention has a main object to provide a foldable half sockets to form complete sockets for Christmas lights which is capable of making V-shaped, W-shaped or X-shaped combined sockets. Besides, they are easy to assembly and the contact plates provide excellent conductivity.
Accordingly, the foldable half sockets to form complete sockets for Christmas lights of the present invention comprises generally a X-shaped configuration which is integrally molded into two pairs of symmetrical half sockets. Each pair of relevant half sockets having identical inner structure. Their connecting ends have the voids and thin membranes which facilitates them to fold into a complete V-shaped combined sockets. Each of the sockets has a sleeve as a reinforcement respectively wrapped on their body, other necessary parts such as the contact plates, the electric wires, and the lamps are all of the conventional which will describe in the following content.
The present invention will become more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description thereof when read in conjunction with the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a prior art Christmas light,
FIG. 2 is a perspective view to show the assembly of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view to show the first embodiment of the foldable sockets according to the present invention,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view where the X-shaped halves are ready to fold away,
FIG. 5 is a sectional view to show the assembly of the first embodiment,
FIG. 6 is a perspectively of FIG. 5,
FIG. 7 is a sectional view to show a second embodiment of the present invention where the six halves are ready to fold away,
FIG. 8 is a sectional view to show the assembly of FIG. 7,
FIG. 9 is a sectional view to show a third embodiment of the foldable half sockets of the present invention, and
FIG. 10 is a sectional view to show the assembly of FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, the first embodiment of the foldable half sockets to form complete sockets of the present invention comprises a main body 10, a pair of sleeves 13 and 14, a pair of lamps 15 and a pair of electric wires 16 and each having contact a plate 161 and 171. The main body 10 is of a X-shaped configuration including two pair of corresponding half sockets which are integrally molded, all of which are separated into two upper halves 11a and 12a and two lower halves 11b and 12b, between them is a void 18 at center and a pair of thin membranes 19 so that they are capable of folding away. The upper half 11a has an inner periphery for engaging the contact plate 161 (or make a groove to receive the plate 161), whereas the contact plate 171, a V-shaped groove 101 formed in the neighboring inner periphery of the upper halves 11a and 12a, for engagement of a V-shaped common contact plate 102. Both of the upper halves 11a and 12a has a longitudinal positioning slit 111 and 121 formed in a central inner periphery and an indentation 112 and 122 in lower outer ends for permitting the electric wires 16 and 17 to extend outward. The lower halves 11b and 12b each has also a positioning slit 113 and 123 (as shown in FIG. 4) made in registry with the positioning slits 111 and 121, an indentation 114 and 124 made in registry with the indentations 112 and 122, a V-shaped groove 103 in the neighboring inner periphery made in registry with the V-shaped groove 101. So that when the upper and lower halves 11a, 11b, 12a and 12b are folded away, every details are engaged each other to achieve a complete V-shaped combined sockets. Meanwhile, the sleeves 13 and 14 are respectively wrapped onto the sockets for reinforcement purpose and each having a large oblique indentation in inner side of the lower periphery and a small indentation in outer side of the lower periphery engaged with the indentations 112 and 122 of the sockets. The pair of lamps 15 respectively insert into the upper rim of the sockets each having a base, a bulb 151 in the top of the base, a wider longitudinal positioning extension 154 inserted into the longitudinal positioning slits 111 and 121, 113 and 123, and a pair of lead-in wires attached on the base respectively engaged with contact plates 161 and 171 and the V-shaped common contact plate 102. The providing of the extension 154 in cooperation with the longitudinal slits 111 (113) and 121 (123) insures the lamp more secure in the sockets.
This embodiment is provided more facilitate in the integral configuration, readily to assembly, good conductivity, and the enable to make a V-shaped combination which is previously not to do. There feature is helpful to mass production and the result must be uniformly beautiful.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a second embodiment 20 of the foldable half socket of the present invention is provided. This embodiment comprises three bottom combined sockets which is structurally and functionally most similar to that of the first embodiment as described in FIGS. 3 to 6, the above discussions are applicable in the most instances and which is integrally molded three upper halves 21a, 22a and 23a and three lower halves 21b, 22b and 23b in an opposing symmetrical arrangement, their bottoms are connected by a pair of thin membranes 208 and left a hexagon void therebetween. Both the upper and lower halves have a longitudinal slit 211, 221, 231, 212, 222 and 232 in a central inner periphery. The left and right ones of the upper and lower halves have an indentation 213, 233, 214 and 234. Each conjunction between adjacent halves have in their inner peripheries a V-shaped groove 201, 203, 205 and 206 for engagement of a pair of V-shaped common contact plate 202 and 204, a pair of electric wires 28 and 29 each has a contact plate 281 and 291 engaged in an outer inner periphery of the upper halves 21a and 23a, the electric wires 18 and 19 are bent over and extruded from the indentations 213 and 233 respectively. When the lower halves 21b, 22b and 23b are folded to their corresponding upper halves 21a, 22a and 23a, a complete combined triple sockets 20 is therefore achieved (as shown in FIG. 8). Three sleeves 24, 25 and 26 respectively wrapped onto the three socket. Wherein, the sleeve 24 has the structure equal to the sleeve 26 and each of which has a large oblique indentation above the bottom of the inner lower periphery, a through hole above the bottom of the outer lower periphery engaged with indentations 213 (214) and 233 (234). The central sleeve 25 is shorter the others. Three identical lamps 27 respectively inserted into each of the three sockets and each has a base, a bulb 271 in the top of the base, a longitudinal flat extension 274 projected downward from the center of the base and a pair of lead-in wires 272 and 273 attached to the opposing outer peripheries of the base and engaged with the V-shaped common contact plate 202 or 204 and a contact plate 281 or 291. However, the lead-in wires in the central socket engaged with both V-shaped common contact plate 202 and 204. So that an electric circuit is therefore accomplished in the three sockets.
Referring FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings, a third embodiment of the foldable halve sockets of the present invention is provided. Although this embodiment has been made a shape variation, But basically the structure and function of the individual socket is most similar to that of the above embodiment as described in FIGS. 3 to 8 and the above discussions are applicable in the most instances, too. This embodiment present a X-shaped combination of the sockets 30. So it has to integrally mold an upper halves and a corresponding lower halves connected by a pair of thin membranes 308 and forming a parallelogram void 307 thereinbetween. The upper halves as well as the lower halves each includes four half sockets 31a, 32a 33a, 34a and 31b, 32b, 33b, 34b to form a double X-shaped configuration. Each of the those half sockets has a longitudinal positioning slit 311, 321, 331, 341, 321, 322, 332 and 342 in the central inner periphery. The half socket 31a has an indentation for passing through an electric wire 315 which has a single contact plate 316 on the top engaged with an outer inner periphery of the half socket 31a. Whereas, the half socket 33b has also an indentation 334 in a lower outer periphery for passing through an electric wire 335 which has a single contact plate 336 engaged with the outer inner periphery of the half socket 33b. Each conjunction between the half sockets 31a and 32a, 33a and 34a, 33b and 34b, and 31b and 32b has a V-shaped groove 301, 304, 303 and 306 in their inner peripheries for engaging within a pair of V-shaped common contact plates 302 and 305. The conjunction between the half sockets 32a and 34a has a large V-shaped groove 310 for engage within a large V-shaped common contact plate 309. When the lower halves 31b, 32b, 33b and 34b are folded on the upper halves 31a, 32a, 33a and 34a to achieve four complete sockets, four sleeves 35, 36, 37 and 38 for reinforcement suppose are respectively wrapped on the sockets. All the sleeves 35, 36, 37 and 38 have a deep outer peripheries and the shallow inner peripheries, where the sleeve 35 and 37 each has a through hole in the lower portion of the outer periphery engaged with the indentations 313 and 334. Four identical lamps 39 respectively inserted into the four sockets and each has a bulb 391 in the top of the base, a flat longitudinal extension 394 projected downward from the center of the base and respectively engaged with the longitudinal slits 311 and 312, 321 and 322, 331 and 332, and 341 and 342 of the four sockets, and a pair of lead-in wires 392 and 393 attached to the opposing outer peripheries of the base respectively engaged with the single contact plates 316 and 336 and the V-shaped common contact plates 302, 305 and 309 (as shown in FIG. 10), an electric circuit is therefore accomplished in the X-shaped arrangement four sockets.
Note that the specification relating to the above embodiment should be construed as an exemplary rather than as a limitative of the present invention, with many variations and modifications being readily attainable by a person of average skill in the art without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Patent Application
20060264105
