US3111353A - Fluorescent lamp socket - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 19, 1963 e. A. NELSON FLUORESCENT LAMP SOCKET Filed June 5, 1961 INVENTOR 6252222 AJVZson l BY @M-JQM- ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,111,353 Patented Nov. 19, 1963 3,111,353 FLUQRESCENT LAMP SGCKET Glenn A. Neison, Stockton, Caliii, assignor to Electric Lighting, Inc, tockton, Calii, a corporation of California Filed June 5, 1961, Ser. No. 114,950 3 Claims. (Cl. 339-il) This invention relates to sockets for the ends of fluorescent light tubes or lamps, and particularly to sockets designed for outdoor use, where they are exposed to the elements.

A major object of the invention is to provide a socket for the purpose so constructed that all moisture and dampness is prevented from passing between the lamp end and the socket, and which would settle on the bare current-carrying contacts of the lamp and socket.

Another object of the invention is to construct the socket so that there is positive electrical contact between the lamp and ballast leads, and which socket has no springs-included in the current carrying partswhich would tend to cause voltage drop.

A further object of the invention is to construct sockets which will support fluorescent tubes and withstand severe vibration without arcing between the socket and lamp contacts.

lt is also an object of the invention to provide a fluorescent lamp socket which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable fluorescent lamp socket, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a foreshortened elevation of a conventional fluorescent light tube or lamp as mounted in the new sockets, and with the latter mounted in their supports; said supports being shown in section.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of one of the sockets, and the adjacent lamp end engaged therewith.

FIG. 3 is a cross section on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a similar view on line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the fluorescent light tube or lamp 1 is of a conventional and standard type, and includes end heads or bases 2 adapted to be connected to and supported by the special sockets 3, which are described in detail hereinafter.

Each base 2 is formed with a relatively small sized extension or neck 4 which is of generally oval form in section, as shown in FIG. 3; the neck having an opening 5 therethrough symmetrical to the neck, orin other wordsof elongated oval form.

Contact strips 6 for the lamp electrodes extend lengthwise of the opening 5, parallel to the lamp and neck, at the top and bottom, or at the widest part, of said opening in facing relation to each other. This is standard lampbase construction, and I do not alter the same in any way.

The sockets 3 are designed to cooperate with the lamp bases and contacts 6 therein, and since the two sockets are of identical construction, a description of one will sufiice for both.

Each socket comprises a body 7 of dielectric material having an enlarged flange 8 at its forward lamp-facing end. The body at said end is formed with a central cavity 9 symmetrical to and only slightly larger than the base extension 4 to receive the same in substantially non-turnable relation. The body 7 at said end is also formed with a circular annular groove 10 located between the cavity 9 and the periphery of the flange 8.

A rubber or similar sealing ring 1 1 of any suitable cross sectional form is seated in the groove and projects from said end of the body to engage the adjacent face of the lamp base 2 when the base neck 4 is inserted for substantially its full extent into cavity 9, as shown in FIG. 2. A water or moisture tight seal is thus made between the interior of the socket and the lamp base.

A relatively large chamber 12 in the socket body opens to the rear end of the same; the chamber and cavity 9 being separated by a transverse wall 13. Projecting forwardly from chamber 12 into cavity 9 centrally thereof through an opening 14 in wall 13 is a core 15, also of dielectric material. This core is an elongated member of rectangular form in section and when the neck 4 of the lamp base 2 is projected into the cavity 9, the core then extends some distance into the opening 5 of said neck. The core from its forward end 16 to a point relatively close to its rear end is slit to provide a longitudinal slot 17, the opposed Walls of which are parallel to the contacts 6.

At the rear end of the slot a mounting pin 18, parallel to the walls of slot 17, projects through the core and is supported in the walls of the body 7 to the sides of chamber 12; said walls having pin-surrounding sleeves 19 which extend to the opposite sides of the core 15, as shown in FIG. 4, and which prevent lateral shifting of the core.

The forward portions of the opposed faces of the core which are parallel to the walls of slot 17 are longitudinally grooved, as at 2%, to seat contact strips 21 which project from said core faces to slidably engage the lamp base contacts 6 when the base neck is engaged in the socket, as shown in FIG. 2. The contact strips 21 at their forward ends are formed with rounded tips 22 projecting toward each other and into recesses 23 in the core.

The core and contact strips are proportioned relative to the neck opening 5 so that when unrestrained, the direct distance between the contact strips 21 at their forward ends is slightly greater than the direct distance between the base contacts 6. As a result, when the neck 4 is inserted into the socket cavity 9 and over the core, the cooperating contacts 21 and 6 become firmly and frictionally engaged with each other, the resilient core yielding to the extent necessary as such engagement is effected.

The contact strips 21 terminate in chamber 12 just back of the wall :13, where they are connected to or integral with wider strips #24. These strips 24 first extend away from each other in adjacent and parallel relation to the wall 13 for some distance, and are then bent, as at 25, to extend toward the rear end of chamber 12, but terminate well short of such end.

The strip portions are formed with clamping sleeves 2.6 for the exposed ends of the current conducting wires 27. These wires may extend in any direction from the chamber 12, but in the event that the socket abuts at its rear end against a flat surface, the wires are deflected in opposite directions through recesses 28 in the rim of the chamber.

The core within the chamber 12 is preferably formed with opposed pairs of fins or vanes 29 which extend from the rear end of the core to and substantially abutting against the contact strip portions 24 and thus preventing any pull on Wires 27 from deforming said strip portions. At the same time, the vanes terminate, in a radial direction short of the strip portions 25 so as not to interfere with the wire connecting operations. The vanes of each pair are spaced apart in parallel relation, the spacing being the same as the width of the core grooves 20.

It should here be noted that after all the parts of the socket have been assembled, the rear end portion of the chamber is substantially filled and closed with a mastic sealant of suitable type.

Each socket is supported from an end plate 31 of the lamp housing 31, the socket body 7 projecting through a symmetrical fitting opening 32 in the plate 34 the enlarged end flange 8 being in front of the plate and incapable of passing through the opening 31. One socket is disposed with its flange 8 against plate 38, being removably held in such position by a spring keeper 33 behind the plate and engaged in opposed grooves 34 in the socket body 7.

The other socket is engaged by a helical compression spring 35 extending between the flange S of such socket and the front face of the adjacent plate 3i), so that said socket is yieldably pressed against the adjacent lamp base. Escape of this socket from the plate 3% is prevented by a keeper 33a which then engages other opposed grooves 36 the socket body adjacent its rear end; said grooves being disposed in a plane at right angles to the wire recesses 23 so that the keeper does not interfere with the wires.

By reason of the above described features of construction and arrangement of pants I have provided the only fluorescent recessed double-contact lamp socket which, to my knowledge, meets UL outdoor-use standards.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A socket for cooperation with a fluorescent lamp base, the base comprising a main member having a reduced size neck projecting outwardly of the lamp therefrom, said neck having an opening therein extending to the outer end thereof, and opposed contacts in the neck exposed Within the opening; the socket including a body having a cavity open to the forward end of the body to receive the neck in substantially non-turnable relation, a core mounted in the socket position to project into the neck opening when the neck is in the cavity, opposed contacts supported on the core then engaging the neck contacts, extensions on the rear ends of said last named contacts projecting radially out therefrom and terminating in longitudinally extending rear-end portions within ll the socket, wire clamps on the rear ends of such portions, and means removably mounting the core in the socket for withdrawal therefrom as a unit with the last named cont-acts and extensions.

2. A socket, as in claim 1, in which the last named contacts at their forward ends are formed with tips turned toward and seated in recesses in the core.

3. A socket for cooperation with a fluorescent lamp base, the base comprising a main member having a reduced size neck projecting outwardly of the lamp therefrom, said neck havin an opening therein extending to the outer end thereof, and opposed longitudinally extending contact strips in the neck exposed in the opening and extending lengthwise of and parallel to the axis of the base; the socket comprising a body having a cavity open to the forward end of the body to receive the neck upon relative longitudinal movement of the base and socket, a core mounted in the body and extending lengthwise thereof and into the cavity in position to project into the neck opening when the neck is moved into the cavity, longitudinally extending opposed contact strips supported on the core slidaoly engaging the neck strips, a transverse partition wall in the socket at the rear end of th cavity through which the core and last named contact strips project with a sliding fit, and providing a chamber in the socket rearwardly of the wall, extensions projecting rear-wardly from said last named contact strips and adapted at their rear ends for connection to currentcarrying wires; the extensions including forward-end portions projecting radially out from the core immediately back of said wall, and opposed vanes on and projecting radially out from the core rearwardly of said forward end portions of the extensions and confining the same between the wall and vanes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,296,114 Mueller et al. Sept. 15, 1942 2,475,243 Irrgang July 5, 1949 2,715,216 Howenstine Aug. 9, 1955 2,746,620 Pistey Apr. 17, 1956 2,781,497 Sheskier c Feb. 12, 1957 2,793,354 Heimbach May 21, 1957 2,919,420 Snodgrass et al. Dec. 29, 1959 3,005,175 Pistey Oct. 17, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 961,275 Germany Apr. 4, 1957 1,063,643 France Dec. 16, 1953

Claims (1)

1. A SOCKET FOR COOPERATION WITH A FLOURESCENT LAMP BASE, THE BASE COMPRISING A MAIN MEMBER HAVING A REDUCED SIZE NECK PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF THE LAMP THEREFROM, SAID NECK HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN EXTENDING TO THE OUTER END THEREOF, AND OPPOSED CONTACTS IN THE NECK EXPOSED WITHIN THE OPENING; THE SOCKET INCLUDING A BODY HAVING A CAVITY OPEN TO THE FORWARD END OF THE BODY TO RECEIVE THE NECK IN SUBSTANTIALLY NON-TURNABLE RELATION, A CORE MOUNTED IN THE SOCKET IN POSITION TO PROJECT INTO THE NECK OPENING WHEN THE NECK IS IN THE CAVITY, OPPOSED CONTACTS SUPPORTED ON THE CORE THEN ENGAGING THE NECK CONTACTS, EXTENSIONS ON THE REAR ENDS OF SAID LAST NAMED CONTACTS PROJECTING RADIALLY OUT THEREFROM AND TERMINATING IN LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING REAR-END PORTIONS WITHIN THE SOCKET, WIRE CLAMPS ON THE REAR ENDS OF SUCH PORTIONS, AND MEANS REMOVABLY MOUNTING THE CORE IN THE SOCKET FOR WITHDRAWAL THEREFROM AS A UNIT WITH THE LAST NAMED CONTACTS AND EXTENSIONS.

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