Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6570306
-
Patent Number
6,570,306
-
Date Filed
Friday, December 15, 200023 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 27, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Dubno; Herbert
- Wilford; Andrew
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 313 31801
- 439 437
- 439 438
- 439 439
- 439 440
- 439 441
- 361 360
- 361 395
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A lamp holder has a socket housing forming a seat centered on an axis, and a contact fitted to the seat and formed unitarily with a pair of opposite generally axially extending sides flanking the axis. A front finger extending generally axially from one of the sides has a pair of opposite edges and therebetween a face directed radially toward the axis and pressing the lamp contact pin transversely of the axis against the other side. A back finger extending from the other side offset laterally from the front finger has an outer edge juxtaposed with the one side. The conductive core is pinched between the outer edge and the one side laterally adjacent the front finger and bears laterally against one of the edges of the front finger.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lamp-socket contact. More particularly this invention concerns the conductive element that is fitted in a seat of a lamp holder or socket and that makes the electrical connection between the contact pins of a lamp fitted to the holder and a supply or connecting wire.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,433 of Oesterheld, a standard lamp-socket contact is formed of a flat blank of sheet bronze or copper-coated steel that is bent into a complex shape having two opposite longitudinally extending and parallel but transversely spaced sides joined by a bight. Each side is formed at a front end with a forwardly extending pin-gripping finger between which the respective contact pin of a normally fluorescent bulb is inserted. At its rear end one side has another inwardly projecting but oppositely angled finger that presses a stripped wire end against the other side of the contact. The rear end is formed with a bent-in tab having a hole through which the wire is inserted. The fingers that grip the lamp pin are offset longitudinally from the finger that grips the feed wire. This item is mass produced and is provided with other formations that ensure that once it is pushed down into a seat in an elastomeric housing it will remain in place.
Such a contact is of relatively complex construction, in particular with respect to the complex bending job needed to make it from a flat blank, so that it is not cheap to manufacture. Furthermore it is relatively long as the wire inserted in the rear of the contact must be kept out of the way of the pin inserted into its front.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved lamp-socket contact.
Another object is the provision of such an improved lamp-socket contact which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which is of simple and inexpensive construction, and that is longitudinally particularly short.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A lamp holder has according to the invention a socket housing forming a seat centered on an axis, and a contact fitted to the seat and formed unitarily with a pair of opposite generally axially extending sides flanking the axis. A front finger extending generally axially from one of the sides has a pair of opposite edges and therebetween a face directed radially toward the axis and pressing the lamp contact pin transversely of the axis against the other side. A back finger extending from the to other side offset laterally from the front finger has an outer edge juxtaposed with the one side. The conductive core is pinched between the outer edge and the one side laterally adjacent the front finger and bears laterally against one of the edges of the front finger.
Thus with this arrangement the conductive core is out of axial line with the pin so that the core and pin can axially overlap each other, that is the front end of the conductive core is axially forward of the rear end of the lamp pin. As a result the lamp holder can be made very short. This shortness further increases the proximity of the conductive wire core and the lamp pin, ensuring low-loss flow of current between them. Furthermore the contact itself is of fairly simple construction, easily formed by stamping a blank and folding it into a three-sided shape that is snapped into the seat in the socket housing.
The contact further is formed unitarily with a bight extending between the sides offset from the axis. The conductive core is captured between the bight and the one side edge of the front finger. In addition the contact has another back finger extending from the other side offset laterally from the front finger and having an outer edge juxtaposed with the one side. The back fingers laterally flanking the front finger. A conductive core of another wire is pinched between the outer edge of the other back finger and the one side and bears laterally against the other of the edges of the front finger. Thus when two conductors are fitted to the holder, one of them is captured on all four sides by the contact and the other on three sides, once again ensuring excellent electrical contact.
The back in accordance with the invention tabs are laterally adjacent and parallel to each other. Furthermore the socket housing is formed with a hole parallel to the axis and of a diameter sufficient to pass only the conductive core of the wire. The contact is further formed with a second front finger extending from the other side and having a face directly confronting the face of the first-mentioned front finger and holding the lamp pin therewith. The edges of the front finger extend parallel to each other in planes spacedly flanking the axis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of the contact according to the invention;
FIG. 2
is a side view taken in the direction of arrow II of
FIG. 1
;
FIGS. 3 and 4
re end and side views taken n the direction of respective arrows III and IV of
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 5
is a plan view of a blank from which the contact of this invention is made;
FIG. 6
is a longitudinal section through a lamp holder with the contact according to the invention connected to a feed wire;
FIGS. 7 and 8
are front end views of the contacts in the direction of respective arrows VII and VIII of
FIG. 6
;
FIG. 9
is a view like
FIG. 6
but with the a lamp as well as a feed wire fitted to the lamp holder; and
FIG. 10
is a section along line X—X of FIG.
9
.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
As seen in
FIGS. 1 through 5
a lamp-socket contact
10
according to the invention is formed from a planar metal blank
11
having a pair of opposite sides
32
and
31
′. The side
32
forms a forwardly extending pin-holding finger
12
, a pair of forwardly bent contact-engaging fingers
18
having edges
20
, and a forwardly projecting retaining tab or barb
16
. The other side
32
′ forms another forwardly extending pin-holding finger
12
′ and has an inner surface
12
″ that confronts and cooperates with the edges
20
. A bight
15
connects the two sides
32
and
32
′ when the blank
11
is folded to form three sides of a square-section tube centered on a longitudinal axis L, the region opposite the bight
15
being laterally open.
The entire contact
10
is fitted as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 9
to a respective square-section seat or cavity
31
of a dielectric (e.g. porcelain or plastic) lamp holder or socket
17
having a forwardly open seat
29
for a bulb
30
having contact pins
14
. The two front fingers
12
and
12
′ of each contact
10
converge centrally at
13
so as to grip the respective pin
14
of the lamp
30
inserted the seat
29
of the socket
17
. The barbs
16
engage under rearwardly facing edges
23
of the seats
31
of the socket
17
to retain the elements
10
in the seats
31
.
The socket
17
has a rear wall
24
formed at each seat somewhat offset from the respective axes L with a pair of rearwardly open holes
25
having restricted front ends
26
and each adapted to receive a wire
28
comprised of a conductive core
19
and insulation
27
. Each conductive core
10
is gripped between the edge
20
of the respective finger
18
and the surface
12
″ with the restricted end or shoulder
26
engaging the end of the insulation
27
and limiting how far the wire
28
can be poked into the hole
25
. The wire core
19
is laterally guided on an inner side by a side edge
21
of the finger
12
′ and on an outer side either by the wall of the socket
31
or by the bight
15
. The edges
21
therefore keep the wire
19
out of the way of the pin
14
received in the same socket hole
31
so that the wire
19
can longitudinally overlap the pin
14
at a region
22
.
Instead of two back fingers
18
mounted on the side
32
, one such finger could be mounted on the side
32
and the other on the side
32
′ for diagonal opposite positioning of two conductors
19
.
Claims
- 1. In combination with a wire having a conductive core and a lamp having a contact pin, a lamp holder comprising:a socket housing forming a seat centered on an axis; and a contact fitted to the seat and formed unitarily with a pair of opposite generally axially extending sides flanking the axis, a front finger extending generally axially from one of the sides and having a pair of opposite edges and therebetween a face directed radially toward the axis and pressing transversely of the axis against the lamp contact pin, and a back finger extending from the other side offset transversely of the axis from the front finger and having an outer edge juxtaposed with the one side, the conductive core being pinched between the back-finger outer edge and the one side laterally adjacent the front finger and bearing laterally against one of the edges of the front finger.
- 2. The lamp holder defined in claim 1 wherein the contact further is formed unitarily with a bight extending between the sides offset from the axis, the conductive core being captured between the bight and the one side edge of the front finger.
- 3. The lamp holder defined in claim 2 wherein the contact is further unitarily formed withanother back finger extending from the other side offset laterally from the front finger and having an outer edge juxtaposed with the one side, the back fingers laterally flanking the front finger, a conductive core of another wire being pinched between the outer edge of the other back finger and the one side and bearing laterally against the other of the edges of the front finger.
- 4. The lamp holder defined in claim 3 wherein the back tabs are laterally adjacent and parallel to each other.
- 5. The lamp holder defined in claim 1 wherein the socket housing is formed with a hole parallel to the axis and of a diameter sufficient to pass only the conductive core of the wire.
- 6. The lamp holder defined in claim 1 wherein the contact is further formed with a second front finger extending from the other side and having a face directly confronting the face of the first-mentioned front finger and holding the lamp pin therewith.
- 7. The lamp holder defined in claim 1 wherein the edges of the front finger extend parallel to each other in planes spacedly flanking the axis.
- 8. The lamp holder defined in claim 1 wherein the pin and core axially overlap each other.
- 9. In combination with a wire having a conductive core and a lamp having a contact pin, a lamp holder comprising:a socket housing forming a seat centered on an axis; and a contact fitted to the seat and formed unitarily with a pair of opposite generally axially extending sides flanking the axis, a front finger extending generally axially from one of the sides and having a pair of opposite edges and therebetween a face directed radially toward the axis and pressing the lamp contact pin transversely of the axis against the other side, a back finger extending from the other side offset laterally from the front finger and having an outer edge juxtaposed with the one side, the conductive core being pinched between the outer edge and the one side laterally adjacent the front finger and bearing laterally against one of the edges of the front finger, a bight extending between the sides offset from the axis, the conductive core being captured between the bight and the one side edge of the front finger; and another back finger extending from the other side offset laterally from the front finger and having an outer edge juxtaposed with the one side, the back fingers laterally flanking the front finger, a conductive core of another wire being pinched between the outer edge of the other back finger and the one side and bearing laterally against the other of the edges of the front finger.
- 10. In combination with a wire having a conductive core and a lamp having a contact pin, a lamp holder comprising:a socket housing forming a seat centered on an axis; and a contact fitted to the seat and formed unitarily with a pair of opposite generally axially extending sides flanking the axis, a front finger extending generally axially from one of the sides and having a pair of opposite edges and therebetween a face directed radially toward the axis and pressing the lamp contact pin transversely of the axis against the other side, and a back finger extending from the other side offset laterally from the front finger and having an outer edge juxtaposed with the one side, the conductive core being pinched between the outer edge and the one side laterally adjacent the front finger and bearing laterally against one of the edges of the front finger, the pin and core axially overlapping each other.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
199 60 627 |
Dec 1999 |
DE |
|
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4596433 |
Oesterheld |
Jun 1986 |
A |
4740175 |
Stumpff et al. |
Apr 1988 |
A |
5207587 |
Hamill et al. |
May 1993 |
A |
6039597 |
Getselis et al. |
Mar 2000 |
A |
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2517465 |
Oct 1976 |
DE |
0865105 |
Sep 1998 |
EP |
0908966 |
Apr 1999 |
EP |