GB1578023A - Electrical conductor and earth means - Google Patents

Description

(54) ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR AND EARTH MEANS (71) We, BRITAX VEGA LIMITED, formerly known as VEGA AUTO PRO DUCTS LIMITED, a British Company of Berry Hill Industrial Estate, Kidderminster Road, Droitwich, Worcestershire, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to electrical conductor and earth means.

The present invention consists in electrical conductor and earth means comprising a sheet of electrically conductive metal adapted for attachment to a support in, or in association with, an electrical appliance, and in which sheet at least one conductor element is defined which has an end portion forming an integral blade contact for connection to an electrically operated article and which conductor element is separated from the body of the sheet except at spaced tags between the body and element which are severable to separate the element entirely, physically and electrically, from the body which is then capable of serving as an earth plate.

The conductor element may also be adapted to be attached to the support.so as to be carried by the support when it is separated from the body.

According to a further aspect the invention consists in a method of manufacturing an electrical appliance which includes the step of fitting electrical conductor and earth means as set forth to a support. securing the body of the sheet and the conductor element to the support. and subsequently severing the tags to separate the conductor element entirely from the body.

The body of the sheet may have a holder for an electrically operated article mounted on it, or be arranged for attachment to a holder, or the body may itself be formed to provide a holder to locate such an article directly on it.

A particular application of the invention is in a vehicle lamp. The conductor element is then adapted for connection to a light source of the lamp. The body of the sheet provides the earth connection for the light source. There may be a hole in the body into which the cap of the light source can be inserted, and the marginal portion of the body at the edge of the hole may be shaped to co-operte with the cap to retain the light source. The marginal portion may, for example, be helically twisted for engagement with a screw cap of a light source, or it may have recesses to allow the pins of a bayonet cap of a light source to be passed through the holes, and depressions at the back of the body with which the pins are engaged by twisting the light source after the pins have passed through the recesses.

The blade contact engages with a terminal of the light source.

For a lamp which has several light sources, a separate conductor element may be provided for each light source, and the body may serve as the earth connection for all the light sources.

It will be understood that the electrical conductor and earth means may be applied to other articles as well.

The or each conductor element may be arranged for connection to an electrical supply in various ways. as desired. For example it may be connected to a socketted or pinned connector mounted on the body of the sheet to which an electrical supply lead or leads can be releasably attached.

Alternatively the element may be shaped to receive a spade-type or like electrical connector of a supply lead, or it may be soldered to a lead.

The body may be arranged for connection to earth in any convenient manner too.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a front view of an electrical conductor and earth means in accordance with the invention for a multiple light source lamp for the rear of a vehicle, and Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The electrical conductor and earth means is made from an oblong generally rectangular sheet of electrically conductive metal having some resilience in which several, strip-like, conductor elements 1, one for each light source of the lamp in which the means is used, are defined by a blanking operation on the sheet. The blanking operation leaves the conductor elements 1 joined only at well spaced positions to the body of the sheet by small integral joining tags, not shown. A rearwardly-projecting peripheral flange 3 is formed from the sheet around the body 2 and gives rigidity to the body.

The conductor elements 1 all have inner ends which are grouped closely together in a row near to the centre of the body 2, and which are bent rearwards at right angles to the plane of the body to form tongues 4.

Also in the row is a similarly shaped tongue 5 on the body which is bent rearwards as well. The tongues 4, 5 engage in sockets of a connector, not shown, to which electrical supply and earth leads are attached.

Four of the conductor elements 1 extend to the four corners of the sheet and a fifth one extends to one of the longer sides of the sheet. An outer end portion of each element is arcuately curved rearwardly. as shown in Figure 2. and forms a bowed spring blade contact 6 the concavity of which is forwardly presented. A tip 7 of each blade contact 6 is curved in the opposite direction to the remainder of the blade and lies in or close to the plane of the body when the blade is unstressed.

Circular holes 8 are blanked out of the body around the tips 7 of the blade contacts 6. Each hole 8 has two diametrically opposed notches 9 in its edge. and two diametrically opposed depressions 10 are pressed into the rear of the body near to the notches 9. The holes receive and locate light sources of the type. as shown in Figure 2.

having metal caps with locating pins.

The elements remain joined to the body by the tags until after the means has been incorporated into a lamp. Only after the means has been secured in the lamp are the tags severed so that the elements become completely independent of the body, and electrically isolated from the body. The body then forms an earth plate for the lamp.

A housing 11 of the lamp in which the electrical conductor and earth means is incorporated in use is indicated in broken lines in Figures 2 of the drawings. The housing is a unitary plastics moulding having integral webs or flanges 12 to which the means is secured. The webs or flanges have integral stake formations which project through holes in the conductor elements 1 and the body 2 of the means and are heated to form their projecting ends into heads 13 which fix the elements and body to the housing..When the conductor elements and body have been so fixed the tags are severed to separate the elements from the body.

Light sources 14 are retained in the assembly by pushing their caps into the holes 8 of the body 2 until the locating pins of the caps have passed through and are rearwards of the notches 9, and then twisting the light sources to engage the pins in the depressions 10. As the caps are pushed into the holes 8, the blade contacts 6 of the conductor elements bear on the end terminals of the light sources. The blade contacts have the effect of urging the pins into tight engagement with the depressions 10, thereby ensuring that the light sources are securely retained in position. The engagement of the pins in the depressions, of course, puts the light source in earthing contact with the body.

A cover 15 also moulded from plastics and providing appropriate lenses for the light sources is fitted over the front of and is secured to the housing 11.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Electrical conductor and earth means comprising a sheet of electrically conductive metal adapted for attachment to a support in, or in association with an electrical appliance, and in which sheet at least one conductor element is defined which has an end portion forming an integral blade contact for connection to an electrically operated article and which conductor element is separated from the body of the sheet except at spaced tags between the body and element which are severable to separate the element entirely. physically and electrically, from the body which is then capable of serving as an earth plate.

2. Means according to Claim 1 wherein the conductor element is adapted to be attached to the support. thereby to be carried by the support when it is separated from the body of the sheet.

3. Means according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the body of the sheet has a holder for an electrically operated article mounted on it.

4. Means according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the body of the sheet is formed to provide a holder for an electrically operated article.

5. Means according to Claim 4 wherein the holder is adapted to receive a light source and comprises a hole in the body into

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (13)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a front view of an electrical conductor and earth means in accordance with the invention for a multiple light source lamp for the rear of a vehicle, and Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1. The electrical conductor and earth means is made from an oblong generally rectangular sheet of electrically conductive metal having some resilience in which several, strip-like, conductor elements 1, one for each light source of the lamp in which the means is used, are defined by a blanking operation on the sheet. The blanking operation leaves the conductor elements 1 joined only at well spaced positions to the body of the sheet by small integral joining tags, not shown. A rearwardly-projecting peripheral flange 3 is formed from the sheet around the body 2 and gives rigidity to the body. The conductor elements 1 all have inner ends which are grouped closely together in a row near to the centre of the body 2, and which are bent rearwards at right angles to the plane of the body to form tongues 4. Also in the row is a similarly shaped tongue 5 on the body which is bent rearwards as well. The tongues 4, 5 engage in sockets of a connector, not shown, to which electrical supply and earth leads are attached. Four of the conductor elements 1 extend to the four corners of the sheet and a fifth one extends to one of the longer sides of the sheet. An outer end portion of each element is arcuately curved rearwardly. as shown in Figure 2. and forms a bowed spring blade contact 6 the concavity of which is forwardly presented. A tip 7 of each blade contact 6 is curved in the opposite direction to the remainder of the blade and lies in or close to the plane of the body when the blade is unstressed. Circular holes 8 are blanked out of the body around the tips 7 of the blade contacts 6. Each hole 8 has two diametrically opposed notches 9 in its edge. and two diametrically opposed depressions 10 are pressed into the rear of the body near to the notches 9. The holes receive and locate light sources of the type. as shown in Figure 2. having metal caps with locating pins. The elements remain joined to the body by the tags until after the means has been incorporated into a lamp. Only after the means has been secured in the lamp are the tags severed so that the elements become completely independent of the body, and electrically isolated from the body. The body then forms an earth plate for the lamp. A housing 11 of the lamp in which the electrical conductor and earth means is incorporated in use is indicated in broken lines in Figures 2 of the drawings. The housing is a unitary plastics moulding having integral webs or flanges 12 to which the means is secured. The webs or flanges have integral stake formations which project through holes in the conductor elements 1 and the body 2 of the means and are heated to form their projecting ends into heads 13 which fix the elements and body to the housing..When the conductor elements and body have been so fixed the tags are severed to separate the elements from the body. Light sources 14 are retained in the assembly by pushing their caps into the holes 8 of the body 2 until the locating pins of the caps have passed through and are rearwards of the notches 9, and then twisting the light sources to engage the pins in the depressions 10. As the caps are pushed into the holes 8, the blade contacts 6 of the conductor elements bear on the end terminals of the light sources. The blade contacts have the effect of urging the pins into tight engagement with the depressions 10, thereby ensuring that the light sources are securely retained in position. The engagement of the pins in the depressions, of course, puts the light source in earthing contact with the body. A cover 15 also moulded from plastics and providing appropriate lenses for the light sources is fitted over the front of and is secured to the housing 11. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Electrical conductor and earth means comprising a sheet of electrically conductive metal adapted for attachment to a support in, or in association with an electrical appliance, and in which sheet at least one conductor element is defined which has an end portion forming an integral blade contact for connection to an electrically operated article and which conductor element is separated from the body of the sheet except at spaced tags between the body and element which are severable to separate the element entirely. physically and electrically, from the body which is then capable of serving as an earth plate.

2. Means according to Claim 1 wherein the conductor element is adapted to be attached to the support. thereby to be carried by the support when it is separated from the body of the sheet.

3. Means according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the body of the sheet has a holder for an electrically operated article mounted on it.

4. Means according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the body of the sheet is formed to provide a holder for an electrically operated article.

5. Means according to Claim 4 wherein the holder is adapted to receive a light source and comprises a hole in the body into

which a cap of the light source can be inserted, a marginal portion of the body at the edge of the hole is shaped to co-operate with the cap to retain the light source, and the blade contact is positioned to engage with a terminal of the light source.

6. Means according to Claim 5 wherein the marginal portion is helically twisted for engagement with a screw cap of a light source.

7. Means according to Claim 5 wherein the marginal portion has recesses to allow locating pins of a bayonet cap of a light source to be passed through the hole, and depressions at the back of the body with which the pins can be engaged by twisting the light source after the pins have passed through the recesses, and the blade contact in engaging the terminal of the light source urges the pins of the bayonet cap into tight engagement with the depressions.

8. Means according to any preceding Claim wherein the electrically conductive metal is resilient so that the blade contact is a spring blade contact.

9. Means according to an preceding Claim wherein the body of the sheet has a strengthening peripheral flange.

10. A vehicle lamp including electrical conductor and earth means as claimed in any preceding Claim. the tags between the conductor element and the body of the sheet having been severed.

11. A vehicle lamp according to Claim 10 having a housing of plastics material to which the body of the sheet and the conductor element are secured by stake formations integral with the housing engaged in holes in the body and the conductor element and formed with heads which retain the body and conductor element to the housing.

12. A method of manufacturing an electrical appliance including the steps of fitting electrical conductor and earth means as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 9 to a support, securing the body of the sheet and the conductor element to the support. and subsequently severing the tags to separate the conductor element entirely from the body.

13. Electrical conductor and earth means substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.