GB2068176A

GB2068176A - Strain relief in lamp holders

Info

Publication number: GB2068176A
Application number: GB7941989A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: GOLDEN TOWN ENTERPRISES CO Ltd
Current assignee: GOLDEN TOWN ENTERPRISES CO Ltd
Priority date: 1979-12-05
Filing date: 1979-12-05
Publication date: 1981-08-05

Abstract

An electrical bulb holder of a Christmas lighting set comprises a socket 1 which comprises an inner socket part 12 for receiving the bulb, a gripping part 13, and an outer socket part 11 receiving the parts 12 and 13 which grip the leads 2 between them. The part 11 reduces smoothly in internal diameter progressing towards a hole 9, whilst the parts 12 and 13 fit together to provide a complementary outer surface, so that the further the parts 12 and 13 are pressed towards the hole 9, the more tightly they grip the leads. The parts 12 and 13 are internally formed with lands 121, 122, 131 and 132 and corresponding recesses between which the leads 2 are forced to meander. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to electrical holders According to the present invention, there is provided an electrical holder, including first and second parts for gripping an electrical lead therebetween, the first part being formed with first and second lands and a recess therebetween, and the second part being formed with first and second recesses and a land therebetween, the lands of the first part being situated opposite the respective recesses of the second part and the land of the second part being situated opposite the recess of the first part, the arrangement being such that, with the lead gripped between the first and second parts, the lands of the parts bear against opposite sides of the lead and cause at least two portions of the lead to extend transversely to the general longitudinal direction of the lead.

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 drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an exploded view of an electrical bulb holder of a Christmas lighting set, Figure 2 shows perspective views of two inner parts of the holder, and Figure 3 shows an axial section through the holder.

Referring to the drawings, the holder comprises a socket 1 of resilient plastics, two plate-form, contact terminals 14, and two electrical leads 2 crimped at 6 to the terminals 14. The socket 1 comprises a resilient plastics inner socket part 1 2 for receiving the bulb (not shown), a resilient plastics gripping part 13, and a resilient plastics outer socket part 11 receiving the parts 1 2 and 1 3 which grip the leads 2 between them. The base of the socket part 22 is formed with a central circular hole 9 through which the leads 2 extend.The inner peripheral surface of the socket part 11 reduces smoothly in diameter progressing towards the hole 9, whilst the parts 1 2 and 1 3 fit together to provide an outer peripheral surface correspondingly reducing in diameter, so that the further the parts 1 2 and 1 3 are pressed in the part 11 towards the hole 9, the more tightly they grip the leads 2 between them. The parts 1 2 and 1 3 have a substantially axial interface which extends from their end nearer the hole 9 to a substantially radial interface part-way along the part 1 2. The part 1 3 is solid to its side of the substantially axial interface and is formed with two parallel ridges 131 and 132 protruding from this interface.The part 1 2 is hollow to its side of the substantially axial interface and is formed with an intermediate wall 121 and an end wall 1 22 which interdigitate with the ridges 131 and 132. At its other end, the part 1 2 is formed with. a diametral slot 1 23 which is extended as two longitudinal diametrically opposite slots 1 24 leading to the hollow interior of the part 1 2 at its side of the axial interface. The end wall 1 22 is formed with two channels 1 25 therethrough guiding the respective leads 2.Owing to the interdigitation of the lands of the part 1 2 with the lands of the part 13, the lands bear against opposite sides of each lead 2 and cause a plurality of (in this case four) portions of the lead to extend transversely of the general longitudinal direction of the lead. The terminals 1 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 2 and the terminals 1 4 in the socket 1, the leads 2 with the terminals 1 4 already crimped to the relevant ends thereof are drawn downwardly, the terminals 14 being manually guided into the channels 5. Pulling of the leads 2 downwardly is ceased when the terminals 1 4 abut the closed lower ends of the channels 5. Then the assembler lays the leads 2 along the slots 114, over the wall 1 21 and in the channels 1 25. The assembler then places the part 1 3 in position on the part 1 2 and squeezes the two together to cause the leads to take up the meandering condition shown in Fig. 3.Thereupon, the assembler slides the part 11 over the parts 1 2 and 1 3 until the parts 1 2 and 1 3 are clamped firmly therein.

The holder shown has the advantages that it is easy to assemble and that downward pulls on the leads 2 can only with relative difficulty disconnect the leads 2 from the terminals 14, because, not only do the crimped connections 6 oppose downward movement of the leads 2 relative to the socket 1, but also the bends in each lead between the parts 1 2 and 1 3 oppose such relative movement.

1. An electrical holder, including first and second parts for gripping an electrical lead therebetween, the first part being formed with first and second lands and a recess therebetween, and the second part being formed with first and second recesses and a land therebetween, the lands of the first part being situated opposite the respective recesses of the second part and the land of the second part being situated opposite the recess of the first part, the arrangement being such that, with the lead gripped between the first and second parts, the lands of the parts bear

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

Claims

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

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to electrical holders According to the present invention, there is provided an electrical holder, including first and second parts for gripping an electrical lead therebetween, the first part being formed with first and second lands and a recess therebetween, and the second part being formed with first and second recesses and a land therebetween, the lands of the first part being situated opposite the respective recesses of the second part and the land of the second part being situated opposite the recess of the first part, the arrangement being such that, with the lead gripped between the first and second parts, the lands of the parts bear against opposite sides of the lead and cause at least two portions of the lead to extend transversely to the general longitudinal direction of the lead.

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 drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an exploded view of an electrical bulb holder of a Christmas lighting set, Figure 2 shows perspective views of two inner parts of the holder, and Figure 3 shows an axial section through the holder.

Referring to the drawings, the holder comprises a socket 1 of resilient plastics, two plate-form, contact terminals 14, and two electrical leads 2 crimped at 6 to the terminals 14. The socket 1 comprises a resilient plastics inner socket part 1 2 for receiving the bulb (not shown), a resilient plastics gripping part 13, and a resilient plastics outer socket part 11 receiving the parts 1 2 and 1 3 which grip the leads 2 between them. The base of the socket part 22 is formed with a central circular hole 9 through which the leads 2 extend.The inner peripheral surface of the socket part 11 reduces smoothly in diameter progressing towards the hole 9, whilst the parts 1 2 and 1 3 fit together to provide an outer peripheral surface correspondingly reducing in diameter, so that the further the parts 1 2 and 1 3 are pressed in the part 11 towards the hole 9, the more tightly they grip the leads 2 between them. The parts 1 2 and 1 3 have a substantially axial interface which extends from their end nearer the hole 9 to a substantially radial interface part-way along the part 1 2. The part 1 3 is solid to its side of the substantially axial interface and is formed with two parallel ridges 131 and 132 protruding from this interface.The part 1 2 is hollow to its side of the substantially axial interface and is formed with an intermediate wall 121 and an end wall 1 22 which interdigitate with the ridges 131 and 132. At its other end, the part 1 2 is formed with. a diametral slot 1 23 which is extended as two longitudinal diametrically opposite slots 1 24 leading to the hollow interior of the part 1 2 at its side of the axial interface. The end wall 1 22 is formed with two channels 1 25 therethrough guiding the respective leads 2.Owing to the interdigitation of the lands of the part 1 2 with the lands of the part 13, the lands bear against opposite sides of each lead 2 and cause a plurality of (in this case four) portions of the lead to extend transversely of the general longitudinal direction of the lead. The terminals 1 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 2 and the terminals 1 4 in the socket 1, the leads 2 with the terminals 1 4 already crimped to the relevant ends thereof are drawn downwardly, the terminals 14 being manually guided into the channels 5. Pulling of the leads 2 downwardly is ceased when the terminals 1 4 abut the closed lower ends of the channels 5. Then the assembler lays the leads 2 along the slots 114, over the wall 1 21 and in the channels 1 25. The assembler then places the part 1 3 in position on the part 1 2 and squeezes the two together to cause the leads to take up the meandering condition shown in Fig. 3.Thereupon, the assembler slides the part 11 over the parts 1 2 and 1 3 until the parts 1 2 and 1 3 are clamped firmly therein.

The holder shown has the advantages that it is easy to assemble and that downward pulls on the leads 2 can only with relative difficulty disconnect the leads 2 from the terminals 14, because, not only do the crimped connections 6 oppose downward movement of the leads 2 relative to the socket 1, but also the bends in each lead between the parts 1 2 and 1 3 oppose such relative movement.

1. An electrical holder, including first and second parts for gripping an electrical lead therebetween, the first part being formed with first and second lands and a recess therebetween, and the second part being formed with first and second recesses and a land therebetween, the lands of the first part being situated opposite the respective recesses of the second part and the land of the second part being situated opposite the recess of the first part, the arrangement being such that, with the lead gripped between the first and second parts, the lands of the parts bear against opposite sides of the lead and cause at least two portions of the lead to extend transversely to the general longitudinal direction of the lead.

2. An electrical holder, including first and second parts for gripping therebetween two electrical leads having a common general longitudinal direction, the first part being formed with first and second lands and a recess therebetween and the second part being formed with first and second recesses and a land therebetween, the lands of the first part being situated opposite the respective recesses of the second part and the land of the second part being situated opposite the recess of the first part, the arrangement being such that, with the leads gripped between the first and second parts, the lands of the parts bear against opposite sides of each lead and cause at least two portions of the lead to extend transversely to said common general longitudinal direction.

3. A holder as claimed in claim 1 or 2, and further comprising a third part having first and second internal surface portions which converge towards each other in one direction and which serve to receive said first and second parts between them in said one direction, whereby said third part has a wedging effect on said first and second parts to cause said first and second parts to grip said leads between them.

4. A holder as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first and. second internal surface portions are included in an internal surface which reduces smoothly in diameter progressing in said one direction, and said first and second parts have respective external surfaces which, when said first and second parts are in a condition fully received in said third part, are together shaped complementarily to said internal surface.

6. A holder as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein, for the or each lead, said second part is formed with a slot extending in said one direction to said first recess, which slot serves to receive an electrical terminal connected to the lead and also serves to guide the lead to said first recess, said second recess being beyond said first recess in said one direction.

7. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first part is formed with a second recess bounded by said second land, and said second part is formed with a second land bounding its second recess, said second recess of said first part being situated opposite said second land of said second part.

8. An electrical holder, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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