GB1603601A - Electrical holders - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO ELECTRICAL HOLDERS (71) We, UNIVERSAL DISTRIBUT ING COMPANY LIMITED, a British company of 40 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3LH, and ASIA ELECTRIC IN DUSTRIES CORPORATION, a corporation of Taiwan of 13/3 Hsiang Yang Road, 5th Floor, Taipes, Taiwan, Republic of China, 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: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical holder, comprising an inner member, an outer member for encircling said inner member, and a groove formed in one of the outer peripheral surface of said inner member and the inner peripheral surface of said outer member for receiving an electrical lead therealong, said groove following a tortuous path extending partly circumferentially of said one of said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface for thus causing said electrical lead to follow said tortuous path.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical holder, comprising an inner member, an outer member for encircling said inner member and first and second grooves formed diametrically opposite each other in one of the outer peripheral surface of said inner member and the inner peripheral surface of said outer member for receiving respective electrical leads therealong, said grooves following respective tortuous paths each extending partly circumferentially of said one of said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface for thus causing said electrical leads to follow said tortuous paths.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawing, in which: - Figure 1 shows a known electrical bulb holder of a Christmas lighting set, and Figure 2 shows an electrical bulb holder constituting an example of the present invention and forming part of a Christmas lighting set.

Referring to Figure 1, the holder comprises a tubular socket 1 of resilient plastics in the base of which is formed a widenedended slot 2 through which extend electrical leads 3. Crimped at 6 to those ends of the leads 3 within the socket 1 are plate-form contact terminals 4 (of which one has been omitted for the sake of clarity). The terminals 4 are arranged diametrically opposite each other with respect to the socket 1 and extend in respective planes approximately parallel to the axis of the socket 1. Their edges which are parallel to the axis of the socket 1 are guidingly received in channels 5 in the socket 1. The upper ends of the channels 5 are open and the lower ends thereof are closed. To mount the leads 3 and the terminals 4 in the socket 1, the leads 3 with the terminals 4 already crimped to the relevant ends thereof have their other ends inserted downwardly through the widened ends of the slot 2. Then the leads 3 are drawn downwardly, the terminals 4 being manually guided into the channels 5. Pulling of the leads 3 downwardly is ceased when the terminals 4 abut the closed lower ends of the channels 5.

The holder shown in Figure 1 has the disadvantage that the crimped connections 6 are relatively easily broken by a strong downward pull on the leads 3, since there is nothing other than the crimped connections preventing movement of the leads 3 axially relative to the socket 1.

Referring to Figure 2, the holder again comprises two plate-form, contact terminals 4, and two electrical leads 3 crimped at 6 to the terminals 4. However, the holder also includes a resilient plastics inner socket 7 for receiving the bulb (not shown) and a resilient plastics outer socket 8 for receiving the inner socket 7. The base of the socket 8 is formed with a central circular hole 9 through which the leads 3 extend. The outer peripheral surface of the socket 7 is formed with diametrically opposite grooves 10 of which one is hidden in Figure 2. Each groove 10 includes a portion 10' extending longitudinally of the socket 7 followed by a portion 10" extending circumferentially of the socket 7, and a portion 10"' again extending longitudinally of the socket 7, so that the groove follows a tortuous path in the form of a right-angled double bend.

Slots 11 continue upwardly from the groooes 10 to the upper end face of the socket 7 and extend from the outer peripheral surface of the socket 7 to the inner peripheral surface thereof. The upright edges of the plates 11 are received in channels 12 of the same form and serving the same purpose as the channels 5 of Figure 1.

In assembling the holder of Figure 2, the assembler first inserts the free ends of the leads 3 downwardly through the socket 8, then inserts the terminals 4 downwardly into the channels 12, and then lays the leads 3 along the grooves 10. The holder is now in the condition shown in Figure 2. The assembler then slides the socket 8 over the socket 7, the socket 8 so closely receiving the socket 7 and the grooves 10 being of such a depth that the portions of the leads 3 in the grooves 10 are frictionally gripped between the sockets 7 and 8. With the socket 7 completely home in the socket 8 the flange-form base of the socket 8 causes the leads 3 to be formed with respective other double bends.

The holder shown in Figure 2 has the advantage that downward pulls on the leads 3 can only with relative difficulty disconnect the leads from the terminals 4, because, not only do the crimped connections 6 oppose downward movement of the leads 3 relative to the socket 7, but also the two double bends in each lead and the frictional gripping of that lead between the sockets 7 and 8 oppose such relative movement.

The Complete Specification of our copending Patent Application 8023961 (Serial No. 1603602) has been divided out of the present Specification.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An electrical holder, comprising an inner member, an outer member for encircling said inner member, and a groove formed in one of the outer peripheral surface of said inner member and the inner peripheral surface of said outer member for receiving an electrical lead therealong, said groove following a tortuous path extending partly circumferentially of said one of said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface for thus causing said electrical lead to follow said tortuous path.

2. An electrical holder, comprising an inner member, an outer member for encircling said inner member and first and second grooves formed diametrically opposite each other in one of the outer peripheral surface of said inner member and the inner peripheral surface of said outer member for receiving respective electrical leads therealong, said grooves following respective tortuous paths extending partly circumferentially of said one of said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface for thus causing said electrical leads to follow said tortuous paths.

3. A holder as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the arrangement is such that, with said electrical lead(s) received in said groove(s) and said inner member closely encircled by the outer member, the other of said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface presses against said electrical lead(s) and thus said electrical lead(s) is/are frictionally gripped between the inner and outer members.

4. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each groove is formed in said outer peripheral surface.

5. A holder as claimed in claim 4, and further comprising a slot which continues from the or each groove and is formed through said inner member from said outer peripheral surface to an internal space of said inner member for having arranged inwardly thereof a contact terminal attached to the lead and contactable from said internal space of said inner member.

6. A holder as claimed in claim 5, and further comprising channels arranged at respective opposite sides of the or each slot, formed inwardly of the or each slot, extending towards the or each groove and opening towards each other for guidingly receiving respective opposite edges of the or each contact terminal.

7. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each tortuous path is in the form of a right-angled double bend.

8. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim, and further comprising an inwardly directed flange of said outer member for co-operating with an end face of said inner member to provide a tortuous path for the or each electrical lead.

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

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the terminals 4. However, the holder also includes a resilient plastics inner socket 7 for receiving the bulb (not shown) and a resilient plastics outer socket 8 for receiving the inner socket 7. The base of the socket 8 is formed with a central circular hole 9 through which the leads 3 extend. The outer peripheral surface of the socket 7 is formed with diametrically opposite grooves 10 of which one is hidden in Figure 2. Each groove 10 includes a portion 10' extending longitudinally of the socket 7 followed by a portion 10" extending circumferentially of the socket 7, and a portion 10"' again extending longitudinally of the socket 7, so that the groove follows a tortuous path in the form of a right-angled double bend. Slots 11 continue upwardly from the groooes 10 to the upper end face of the socket 7 and extend from the outer peripheral surface of the socket 7 to the inner peripheral surface thereof. The upright edges of the plates 11 are received in channels 12 of the same form and serving the same purpose as the channels 5 of Figure 1. In assembling the holder of Figure 2, the assembler first inserts the free ends of the leads 3 downwardly through the socket 8, then inserts the terminals 4 downwardly into the channels 12, and then lays the leads 3 along the grooves 10. The holder is now in the condition shown in Figure 2. The assembler then slides the socket 8 over the socket 7, the socket 8 so closely receiving the socket 7 and the grooves 10 being of such a depth that the portions of the leads 3 in the grooves 10 are frictionally gripped between the sockets 7 and 8. With the socket 7 completely home in the socket 8 the flange-form base of the socket 8 causes the leads 3 to be formed with respective other double bends. The holder shown in Figure 2 has the advantage that downward pulls on the leads 3 can only with relative difficulty disconnect the leads from the terminals 4, because, not only do the crimped connections 6 oppose downward movement of the leads 3 relative to the socket 7, but also the two double bends in each lead and the frictional gripping of that lead between the sockets 7 and 8 oppose such relative movement. The Complete Specification of our copending Patent Application 8023961 (Serial No. 1603602) has been divided out of the present Specification. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An electrical holder, comprising an inner member, an outer member for encircling said inner member, and a groove formed in one of the outer peripheral surface of said inner member and the inner peripheral surface of said outer member for receiving an electrical lead therealong, said groove following a tortuous path extending partly circumferentially of said one of said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface for thus causing said electrical lead to follow said tortuous path.

2. An electrical holder, comprising an inner member, an outer member for encircling said inner member and first and second grooves formed diametrically opposite each other in one of the outer peripheral surface of said inner member and the inner peripheral surface of said outer member for receiving respective electrical leads therealong, said grooves following respective tortuous paths extending partly circumferentially of said one of said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface for thus causing said electrical leads to follow said tortuous paths.

3. A holder as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the arrangement is such that, with said electrical lead(s) received in said groove(s) and said inner member closely encircled by the outer member, the other of said outer peripheral surface and said inner peripheral surface presses against said electrical lead(s) and thus said electrical lead(s) is/are frictionally gripped between the inner and outer members.

4. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each groove is formed in said outer peripheral surface.

5. A holder as claimed in claim 4, and further comprising a slot which continues from the or each groove and is formed through said inner member from said outer peripheral surface to an internal space of said inner member for having arranged inwardly thereof a contact terminal attached to the lead and contactable from said internal space of said inner member.

6. A holder as claimed in claim 5, and further comprising channels arranged at respective opposite sides of the or each slot, formed inwardly of the or each slot, extending towards the or each groove and opening towards each other for guidingly receiving respective opposite edges of the or each contact terminal.

7. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each tortuous path is in the form of a right-angled double bend.

8. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim, and further comprising an inwardly directed flange of said outer member for co-operating with an end face of said inner member to provide a tortuous path for the or each electrical lead.

9. An electrical holder, substantially as

hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.

10. In a lighting set, an electrical holder as claimed in any preceding claim.