GB2332570A

GB2332570A - Lamp socket

Info

Publication number: GB2332570A
Application number: GB9726809A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter K H Huang
Original assignee: Shining Blick Enterprises Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shining Blick Enterprises Co Ltd
Priority date: 1997-12-19
Filing date: 1997-12-19
Publication date: 1999-06-23
Also published as: EP0930460A3; GB9726809D0; GB2332570A9; EP0930460A2; DE29800637U1

Abstract

A lamp socket and electric wire arrangement which includes a lamp socket (10) holding a bulb (20), a socket cap (30) fastened to the lamp socket (10) at a bottom side, an electric wire (40) retained between the lamp socket (10) and the socket cap (30), and a shell (90) molded on the socket cap (30) and the lamp socket (10) over the electric wire (40), wherein the lamp socket (10) has two downward coupling plates (17;18) raised from a bottom side thereof, a wire mounting space (19) defined between the downward coupling plates (17;18) which receives the electric wire (40), and two hooked portions (171;181) respectively raised from the downward coupling plates (17;18) at an outer side; the socket cap (30) has two upright coupling plates (31;32) raised from two opposite sides thereof and respectively attached the downward coupling plates (17;18) at an outer side, the upright coupling plates (31;32) of the socket cap (30) having a respective hook hole (33;34) respectively forced into engagement with the hooked portions (171;181) on the downward coupling plates (17;18).

Description

2332570 LAMP SOCKET AND ELECTRIC WIRE ARRANGEMENT The present invention

relates to a lamp socket and electric wire arrangement which comprises a lamp socket holding a bulb, a socket cap fastened to the lamp socket at the bottom to hold an electric wire, and a shell molded on the socket cap and the lamp socket over the electric wire.

A regular lamp bulb for a Christmas tree light assembly is generally comprised of two lead-in wires respectively extended from ring contact and tip contact on a lamp base, and a tungsten filament connected between the lead-in wires. When the lamp bulb is installed in an electric wire of a Christmas tree light set, the ring contact and tip contact are respectively connected to a respective conductor in the electric wire by soldering. This installation procedure is complicated. There is known a lamp socket adapted for holding a lamp bulb on an electric wire. This structure of lamp socket comprises a socket body adapted holding hold a lamp bulb, and a socket cap fastened to the socket body to hold an electric wire therebetween, permitting pointed metal contact to be forced into contact with a respective conductor in the electric wire. However, this structure of lamp socket is still not satisfactory in function. Because gaps exist between the socket body and the socket cap around the pointed metal contact plates, an i electric leakage tends to occur when rain water passes through gaps to wet the pointed metal contact plates.

The present invention provides a lamp socket and electric wire arrangement which eliminates the aforesaid problem.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the lamp socket and electric wire arrangement comprises a lamp socket holding a bulb, a socket cap fastened to the lamp socket at a bottom side, an electric wire retained between the lamp socket and the socket cap, and a shell molded on the socket cap and the lamp socket over the electric wire, wherein the lamp socket has two downward coupling plates raised from a bottom side thereof, a wire mounting space defined between the downward coupling plates which receives the electric wire, and two hooked portions respectively raised from the downward coupling plates at an outer side; the socket cap has two upright coupling plates raised from two opposite sides thereof and respectively attached the downward coupling Plates at an outer side, the upright coupling plates of the socket cap having a respective hook hole respectively forced into engagement with the hooked portions on the downward coupling plates. According to another aspect of the present invention, the socket cap comprises an upward flange forced into engagement with the electric wire at a bottom side; the lamp socket comprises a downward flange raised 2 from a bottom wall in the wire mounting space and forced into engagement with the electric wire at a top side.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the assembly shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional assembly view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is sectional view of the lamp socket shown in Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1, the present invention comprises a lamp socket 10 which holds a bulb 20, a socket cap 30 fastened to the lamp socket 10 at the bottom, an electric wire 40 retained between the lamp socket 10 and the socket cap 30, and a shell 90 molded on the socket cap 30 and the lamp socket 10.

Referring to Figure 2 and Figure I again, the lamp socket is injection-molded from plastics, comprising a top flange 11, and a packing ring 12 mounted on the top flange 11. The packing ring 12 has an inward flange 121 forced into engagement with ribs Ill raised from the outside wall of the top flange 11. An inner thread 13 is provided at the inside of the lamp socket 10 for 3 engagement with the threaded ring contact 21 of the bulb 20.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 and Figure 2 again, the lamp socket 10 further comprises an inside chamber 14 below the inner thread 13, two downward coupling plates 17;18 extended from the bottom wall 15 of the inside chamber 14, and two hooked portions 171;181 respectively raised from the downward coupling plates 17;18 at an outer side. Further pointed metal contact plates are mounted in holes on the bottom wall 15 of the inside chamber 14, and adapted for connecting the ring contact and tip contact of the bulb 20 to a respective conductor in the electric wire 40. A wire mounting space 19 is defined between the downward coupling plates 17;18. The socket cap 30 comprises two upright coupling plates 31;32, two hook holes 33;34 respectively defined within the upright coupling plates 31;32 for engagement with the hooked portions 171;181 on the coupling plates 17;18, a transverse partition wall 36, and two open chambers 35 separated by the partition wall 36.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4 again, an upward flange 351 is raised from the border of the open chambers 35. The upward flange 351 protrudes over the elevation of the top side 300 of the socket cap 30. A downward flange 192 is raised from the bottom wall 191 of the wire mounting space 19 corresponding to the 4 upward flange 351 on the socket cap 30. When the socket cap 30 and the lamp socket 10 are fastened together with the electric wire retained therebetween, the hooked portions 171;181 of the coupling plates 17;18 are respectively forced into engagement with the hook holes 33;34 on the upright coupling plates 31;32, and the upward flange 351 of the socket cap 30 andthe downward flange 192 of the lamp socket 10 are respectively forced into engagement with the insulator 41 of the electric wire 40 (see Figures 3 and 5).

When assembled, the assembly of the lamp socket 10, the electric wire 40 and the socket cap 30 are put in a mold, permitting a shell to be molded on the socket cap 30 and a part of the lamp socket 10. Further, the lamp socket 10 can be made having annular flanges 101 around the periphery for securing the molded shell 90.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that the drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention disclosed.

What the-invention claimed is:

I - A lamp socket and electric wire arrangement, comprising a lamp socket (10) holding a bulb (20), a socket cap (30) fastened to said lamp socket (10) at a bottom side, an electric wire (40) retained between said lamp socket (10) and said socket cap (30), and a shell (90) molded on said socket cap (30) and said lamp socket (10) over said electric wire (40), wherein said lamp socket (10) comprises two downward coupling plates (17;18) raised from a bottom side thereof, a wire mounting space (19) defined between said downward coupling plates (17;18) which-receives said electric wire (40), and two hooked portions (171;181) respectively raised from said downward coupling plates (17;18) at an outer side; said socket cap (30) comprises two upright coupling plates (31;32) raised from two opposite sides thereof and respectively attached said downward coupling plates (17;18) at an outer side, said upright coupling plates (31;32) of said socket cap (30) having a respective hook hole (33;34) respectively forced into engagement with the hooked portions (171;181) on said downward coupling plates (17;18).

2. The lamp socket and electric wire arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said socket cap (30) comprises an upward flange (351) forced into engagement with said electric wire 6 (40) at a bottom side; said lamp socket (10) comprises a downward flange (192) raised from a bottom wall (191) in said wire mounting space (19) and forced into engagement with said electric wire (40) at a top side.

3. The lamp socket and electric wire arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said lamp socket (10) comprises a plurality of flanges (101) raised around the periphery and embedded in said shell (90).

4. A lamp socket and electric wire arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings of Figures from 1 to 5.

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