BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to Christmas lights and more particularly to a stepwise combined sockets for Christmas lights which effectively uses a common contact plate and tightly fix the lamps in the sockets that is featured in the readily assembly and good electric conductivity without structurally breakaway.
Normally, the Christmas lights is a string of plurality of lamps which is used to suspend from a Christmas tree or suitable objects to enjoy people in the Christmas eve. However, this type of Christmas lights becomes more and more out of fashion. So that the producers begin to manufacture a gang type sockets which is integrated a number of the socket together to shorten the distance between the lamps for brightening the Christmas light to delight people. Nevertheless, the combined sockets leave a small space that is usually difficult to assembly the component such as a common contact plate and the electric wires, causing a poor conductivity and a breakaway of the components. This is the reason that structure of combined socket is still unpopular in the market.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention has a main object to provide a stepwise combined sockets for Christmas lights, which is able to positioning the common contact plate, tightly fix the lamps within the sockets. The assembly is readily to present good conductivity of electricity and the components is not breakaway.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a stepwise combined sockets for Christmas lights which is stepwise combined a number of sockets together that provides more remarkable outlook than the conventional string of Christmas lights.
Accordingly, the stepwise combined sockets for Christmas lights of the present invention comprises at least a pair of socket combined stepwise on their outer peripheries, a vertical space formed therebetween, wherein, the first and second sockets each has a first inlaid groove in their connected portion.
At least a pair of lamps each has a base with a bulb in the top respectively inlaid into the sockets having their lead-in wires attached to the outer lateral sides of the base and inlaid into the socket in concert with the bases.
A wrapper ring has a downward rectangular projection. In the inner side of which is also a inlaid groove.
A pair of electric wires each has a contact plate on the top inserted into a pair of second inlaid grooves.
A bent common contact plate having upper portion inserted into the inlaid groove of the downward rectangular projection and a lower portion striding over the vertical space and positioned into a first inlaid grove of the second socket. When the common contact plate is positioned within the two sockets, the wrapper ring is wrapped on the first socket to fix the common contact plate as will as the lamps to accomplished a pair of stepwise combined sockets.
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 to show the first embodiment of the stepwise combined sockets of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a perspective view to show the assembly of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a top plane view to show the engagement of the wrapper ring onto the first socket with a downward projection locking a vertical space,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 2,
FIG. 5 is a sectional view to show that wrapper ring has a pair of downward projections,
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view to show a second embodiment of the stepwise combined sockets of the present invention,
FIG. 7 is a perspective view to show the assembly of FIG. 6,
FIG. 8 is a top plane view to show the wrapper ring and the fastening rings on the sockets, and
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the first embodiment of the stepwise combined sockets 10 of the present invention comprises a pair of the first and second sockets 11 and 12 unevenly combined together on their outer peripheries with the first socket 11 positioned higher than the second socket 12, a vertical space 111 formed in the connection portion for disposing a bent common plate 14 which strides over the bottom of the space 111 so having an upper portion 141 in the first socket 11 and a lower portion in the second socket 12, a wrapper ring wrapped on the upper rim of the first socket 11 including a downward rectangular projection 131 closed the space 111 and stopped against the transverse portion of the common contact plate 14 and having a first inlaid groove to receive the upper portion 141 of the common contact plate 14, and a pair of second inlaid grooves 112 and 121 on the inner periphery of each of the socket 11 and 12, opposite to the vertical space 111, a pair of lamps 15 and 16 each having a bulb 151 and 161 in the top of the base and a pair of lead-in wires 152 and 153, 162 and 163 respectively attached on the outer lateral sides of the base which are respectively inserted into the upper rim of the first and second sockets 11 and 12, a pair of electric wires 17 and 18 each having a single contact plate 171 and 181 engaged within the second inlaid grooves 112 and 121. The lead-in wires 152 and 153 respectively engage with the upper portion 141 of the common contact plate 14 and the single contact plate 171, whereas the lead-in wires 162 and 163 respectively engage with the single contact plate 181 and the lower portion 142 of the common contact plate 14. FIG. 5 show that if the socket 11 has two vertical spaces 111′ on opposing peripheries, a wrapper ring 13′ may has two downward rectangular projections 131′ and 133′ to respectively block the vertical spaces 111′.
Referring to FIGS. 6 to 9 of the drawings, a second embodiment of the stepwise combined sockets 20 is provided which may have a first, a second, a third and a fourth sockets 21, 22, 23 and 24 or more. The four lamps 25, 26, 27 and 28 can be more either. The first socket 21 has a vertical space 211 between the second socket 22 and a first inlaid groove 212 in an inner periphery opposite to the vertical space 211 for engaging within a single contact plate 2081 from a first electric wire 208. The fourth socket 24 has also second inlaid groove 241 in an inner periphery for engaging within a single contact plate 2091 from a second electric wire 209. A plurality of bent common contact plates 29 are stridden over the vertical spaces 211, 221 and the vertical space between the third and the fourth socket 23 and 24 having their upper portions 291 inserted into the upper portions of the first and third socket 21 and 23 and their lower portions 292 into the upper portion of the second and the fourth sockets 22 and 24. The second and the third socket 22 and 23 each has a pair of vertical protrusions 222 on upper outer peripheries adjacent the vertical space 211 and 221. A wrapper ring 204 and a pair C-shaped fastening rings 204 respectively wrapped on the upper of rim of the first, second and third sockets 21, 22 and 23 each having downward rectangular projection 202 and 205 blocked the vertical spaces 211 and 221 and so on and stopped against the transverse portion of the common contact plates 29, wherein the projections 202 and 205 each has an inlaid groove in inner side (not shown) for engaging the upper portion 291 of the common contact plates 29 and the C-shaped fastening rings each has a pair of hooked ends engaged with the vertical protrusions 222 of the second and third sockets 22 and 23. Four lamps 25, 26, 27 and 28 respectively inserted into the upper rim of the sockets 21, 22, 23 and 24 and each has a base, a bulb in the top of the base and a pair of lead-in wires attached to the outer lateral sides of the base respectively engaged with a common contact plate but the outer lead-in wire of the first and fourth lamps respectively engaged with the single contact plates 2081 and 2091. So that an electric current circulation is established within the four sockets 21, 22, 23 and 24. Based on the above discussed structure, the number of socket may be unlimited and the stepwise combined sockets of the resent invention is readily to assembly and has minor breakdown.
Note that the specification relating to the above embodiments 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.