GB2077519A

GB2077519A - Electrical bulb holder

Info

Publication number: GB2077519A
Application number: GB8011685A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: ASIA ELECTRIC IND CORP; UNIVERSAL DISTRIBUTING CO Ltd
Current assignee: ASIA ELECTRIC IND CORP; UNIVERSAL DISTRIBUTING CO Ltd
Priority date: 1980-04-09
Filing date: 1980-04-09
Publication date: 1981-12-16
Also published as: GB2077519B

Abstract

An electrical bulb holder of a Christmas lighting set comprises an inner resilient plastics socket 1, an outer resilient plastics socket 2 co-axially receiving the socket 1, two contact terminals 3 mounted on the socket 1 and two leads 4 and 4' crimped to the terminals 2. Each lead is looped about the socket 1, and the sockets 1 and 2 clamp the loop between them. The leads 4 and 4' are received in grooves in the external peripheral surface of the socket 1, supplemented by slots 12 communicating with the space between the terminals 3. The looping of the leads 4 and 4' about the socket 1 avoids excessive strain being put on their crimped connections with the terminals 2 if the leads 4 and 4' are pulled downwards relative to the socket 2. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to electrical holders According to the present invention, there is provided an electrical holder, comprising an inner member, an outer member receiving said inner member, an electrical terminal element mounted on one of said members, and an electrical lead extending from and electrically connected to said terminal element, said lead being looped about said inner member, the loop passing between said members.

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 perspective view of an electrical bulb holder and a bulb of a Christmas lighting set, Figure 2 shows an exploded partly sectional, perspective view of the holder and bulb, and Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of an inner socket, contact elements and electrical leads of the holder.

Referring to the drawing, the holder comprises an inner resilient plastics socket 1, an-outer resilient plastics socket 2 co-axially receiving the inner socket 1, two plate-form contact terminals 3 mounted on the inner socket 1, and two electrical leads 4 and 4' crimped at 5 to the terminals 3. The socket 1 receives between its contact terminals 3 the bulb 6. The base of the socket 2 is formed with a central circular hole 7 through which the leads 4 and 4' extend. The inner peripheral surface of the socket 2 reduces smoothly in diameter progressing towards the hole 7, whilst the socket 1 has an outer peripheral surface which also reduces in diameter progressing towards the hole 7, so that the further the socket 1 is pressed in the socket 2 towards the hole 7, the more tightly the sockets 1 and 2 grip the leads 4 and 4' between them.

The terminals 3 are arranged diametrically opposite each other with respect to the socket 1 and extend in respective planes approximately parallel to the common axis of the sockets 1 and 2. Their edges which are parallel to the common axis are guidingly received in channels 8 in the socket 1. The channels of each pair of channels 8 are arranged inwards of and at respective opposite sides of an associated one of two vertical slots 9 arranged at diametrically opposite sides of the socket 1 and extending through the socket 1 from the outer peripheral surface thereof to an internal space thereof. Each slot9 continues downwards as a groove portion 10. Each groove portion 10 is followed by a groove portion 11 which extends horizontally and circumferentially through somewhat less than 1800 around the socket 1.Arranged diametrically opposite each other at an angular displacement of 90" relative to the vertical slots 9 are two vertical slots 12 which also extend through the socket 1 from the outer peripheral surface thereof to the internal space thereof. These slots 12 continue downwards as respective groove portions 13 leading to the respective groove portions 11.

At that end of each groove portion 11 further from the communicating groove portion 10, the groove portion 11 joins a vertical downwardly extending groove portion 14.

To mount the terminals 3 and the leads 4 and 4' in the socket 1 the leads 4 and 4' with the terminals 3 already crimped to the relevant ends thereof are drawn downwardly in the slots 9, the terminals 3 being manually guided into the channels 8. Pulling of the leads 4 and 4' downwardly is ceased when the terminals 3 abut closed lower ends of the channels 8.

Then the assembler lays each lead 4 or 4', the crimped end of which is in the relevant groove portion 10, along the communicating groove portion 11, along the communicating groove portion 13, through the slots 12, down the other groove portion 13, and down the groove portion 14 communicating with that other groove portion 13. Thus, each lead is looped about the inner socket 1, as can be seen from Figure 2. Thereupon, the assembler slides the socket 2 over the socket 1 until the socket 1 and the leads 4 and 4' are firmly held in the socket 2.

The holder shown has the advantages that it is easy to assemble and that downward pulls on the leads 4 and 4' can only with relative difficulty disconnect the leads from the terminals 3, because, not only do the crimped connections 5 oppose downward movement of the leads 4 and 4' relative to the socket 1, but also the clamping of the leads 4 and 4' between the sockets 1 and 2 and the looping of the leads about the socket 1 oppose such relative movement.

1. An electrical holder, comprising an inner member, an outer member receiving said inner member, an electrical terminal element, or first and second electrical terminal elements, mounted on one of said members, and an electrical lead extending from and electrically connected to the or each terminal element, the or each lead being looped about said inner member, the or each loop passing between said members.

2. A holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of said members is said inner member.

3. A holder as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said inner member and said outer member are such that they clamp the loop(s) between them.

4. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each lead is received in groove means formed in the external surface of said inner member.

5. A holder as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner member is arranged co-axially in the outer member, and the or each groove means comprises a first groove portion extending away from the or the corresponding element in one axial direction of the inner member, a second groove portion communicating with the first groove portion and extending peripherally around the inner member, a third groove portion communicating with the second groove portion and extending in the other axial direction of the inner member, and a fourth groove The drawing(s) originally filed was/were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a laterfiledformal copy.

**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, comprising an inner member, an outer member receiving said inner member, an electrical terminal element mounted on one of said members, and an electrical lead extending from and electrically connected to said terminal element, said lead being looped about said inner member, the loop passing between said members. 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 perspective view of an electrical bulb holder and a bulb of a Christmas lighting set, Figure 2 shows an exploded partly sectional, perspective view of the holder and bulb, and Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of an inner socket, contact elements and electrical leads of the holder. Referring to the drawing, the holder comprises an inner resilient plastics socket 1, an-outer resilient plastics socket 2 co-axially receiving the inner socket 1, two plate-form contact terminals 3 mounted on the inner socket 1, and two electrical leads 4 and 4' crimped at 5 to the terminals 3. The socket 1 receives between its contact terminals 3 the bulb 6. The base of the socket 2 is formed with a central circular hole 7 through which the leads 4 and 4' extend. The inner peripheral surface of the socket 2 reduces smoothly in diameter progressing towards the hole 7, whilst the socket 1 has an outer peripheral surface which also reduces in diameter progressing towards the hole 7, so that the further the socket 1 is pressed in the socket 2 towards the hole 7, the more tightly the sockets 1 and 2 grip the leads 4 and 4' between them. The terminals 3 are arranged diametrically opposite each other with respect to the socket 1 and extend in respective planes approximately parallel to the common axis of the sockets 1 and 2. Their edges which are parallel to the common axis are guidingly received in channels 8 in the socket 1. The channels of each pair of channels 8 are arranged inwards of and at respective opposite sides of an associated one of two vertical slots 9 arranged at diametrically opposite sides of the socket 1 and extending through the socket 1 from the outer peripheral surface thereof to an internal space thereof. Each slot9 continues downwards as a groove portion 10. Each groove portion 10 is followed by a groove portion 11 which extends horizontally and circumferentially through somewhat less than 1800 around the socket 1.Arranged diametrically opposite each other at an angular displacement of 90" relative to the vertical slots 9 are two vertical slots 12 which also extend through the socket 1 from the outer peripheral surface thereof to the internal space thereof. These slots 12 continue downwards as respective groove portions 13 leading to the respective groove portions 11. At that end of each groove portion 11 further from the communicating groove portion 10, the groove portion 11 joins a vertical downwardly extending groove portion 14. To mount the terminals 3 and the leads 4 and 4' in the socket 1 the leads 4 and 4' with the terminals 3 already crimped to the relevant ends thereof are drawn downwardly in the slots 9, the terminals 3 being manually guided into the channels 8. Pulling of the leads 4 and 4' downwardly is ceased when the terminals 3 abut closed lower ends of the channels 8. Then the assembler lays each lead 4 or 4', the crimped end of which is in the relevant groove portion 10, along the communicating groove portion 11, along the communicating groove portion 13, through the slots 12, down the other groove portion 13, and down the groove portion 14 communicating with that other groove portion 13. Thus, each lead is looped about the inner socket 1, as can be seen from Figure 2. Thereupon, the assembler slides the socket 2 over the socket 1 until the socket 1 and the leads 4 and 4' are firmly held in the socket 2. The holder shown has the advantages that it is easy to assemble and that downward pulls on the leads 4 and 4' can only with relative difficulty disconnect the leads from the terminals 3, because, not only do the crimped connections 5 oppose downward movement of the leads 4 and 4' relative to the socket 1, but also the clamping of the leads 4 and 4' between the sockets 1 and 2 and the looping of the leads about the socket 1 oppose such relative movement. CLAIMS

portion extending in said one axial direction.

6. A holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first and second terminal elements are arranged in first and second slots, respectively, which are aligned and communicate with the respective first groove portions of the respective groove means and which extend through said inner member from the external peripheral surface thereof to an internal space thereof, and said inner member is formed with third and fourth slots which extend through said inner member from said external peripheral surface to said internal space and alternate with said first and second slots around the external periphery of said inner member, said third and fourth slots being aligned with and communicating with the respective third groove portions, which each receive portions of both leads.

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

8. In a lighting set, a holder as claimed in any preceding claim.