JPH0539593Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field This invention relates to a socket for a discharge lamp that is equipped with a cap having a pair of terminals protruding from the side surface.

Conventional technology The caps of straight tube discharge lamps used as light sources for document illumination in office machines such as facsimile machines, dry copying, and OCR (optical character reading devices) generally have cap pins that protrude in the axial direction. Yes, but
Such a discharge lamp has a long overall length because the cap pins protrude from both ends, and this is one factor that makes it difficult to downsize office machines. Therefore, recently, as a discharge lamp for the above-mentioned purpose, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. A discharge lamp 4 whose overall length is shortened by fixing a cap 3 with terminals 2, 2 extending in the axial direction protruding from two locations is becoming popular.

This type of discharge lamp is supported by a socket attached to the base, electrically connected, and installed in an office machine. An example of this will be explained with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. In the figure, 5 is a resin socket body, 6 is a resin socket back plate,
7, 7... are a plurality of screws or caulking pins for fixing the socket back plate 6 to the rear surface of the socket main body 5.

The socket main body 5 is approximately Y-shaped, and a pair of contact pieces 8,
8 is inserted and temporarily fixed, and a mounting hole 9 is formed in the lower part 5b of the socket body 5. The width W of the opening 10 between the opposing sides 5a, 5a of the socket body 5 is slightly larger than the diameter of the base 3, and the contact pieces 8, 8 are arranged on both sides of this opening 10 so as to be elastically deformable. . After the contact pieces 8, 8 are inserted into the socket body 5, the socket back plate 6 is fixed to the rear surface of the socket body 5 to prevent the contact pieces 8, 8 from coming off.

The base 3 of the discharge lamp 4 is inserted into the socket 11 as follows. Insert the cap 3 into the opening 10 of the socket body 5 from directly above with the terminals 2, 2 arranged vertically, and then insert the cap 3 into the opening 10 as shown by the chain-line arc arrow in FIG. Rotate 90°,
Terminals 2, 2 are pressed onto substantially central portions of corresponding contact pieces 8, 8. As a result, the contact pieces 8, 8 come into resilient contact with the terminals 2, 2, and the base 3 is electrically connected and mechanically supported within the socket 11.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention Incidentally, the socket 11, in which the socket back plate 6 is fixed to the rear surface of the socket main body 5 with screws or pins 7, 7, etc., has a complicated structure.
There were problems such as high cost due to the large number of component parts, and poor mass production due to the large number of assembly steps.

Furthermore, in recent years, office machines such as facsimile machines have been made smaller, and the space for disposing discharge lamps has also been required to be narrower.
Nevertheless, Utility Model Application No. 60-51864 and Utility Model Application No.
The discharge lamp disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 56-134667 is incorporated into equipment so that it is inserted into a socket from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the discharge lamp.

For this reason, a space for at least one discharge lamp is required on the outer periphery between the sockets, which not only impedes miniaturization of the device but also makes mounting the discharge lamp extremely troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a socket that allows a discharge lamp equipped with a cap with terminals on the side surface to be easily incorporated into equipment with limited installation space.

Means for Solving the Problems Therefore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a socket for a discharge lamp in which a base with a pair of terminals protruding from the side is fixed to the end of a straight tube bulb. a side plate having a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens only on the side, having a base housing space in the center of the front opening for receiving the base from only the axial direction of the discharge lamp, and a bottom portion forming a base housing space; a socket body having an axial notch on the outer surface of the socket body, and a pair of contact pieces disposed on both sides of the socket housing space to contact the terminals of the socket; a ring-shaped socket cover having a tongue portion integrally formed in a portion corresponding to the notch of the socket body, the socket body and the socket cover having engagement means for engaging with each other at at least two places;
At least one of the engaging means is provided at the rear of the notch and at the rear of the tongue piece.

Function The means for engaging the socket body and the socket cover in the present invention is a combination of removably engaging claws and holes, etc., and the socket cover is assembled to the socket body in a one-touch manner using this engaging means.
Socket structure and assembly work become easier. Furthermore, during assembly, the tongue piece fits into the notch and both are reliably positioned, so that the assembly work can be carried out efficiently.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. The drawings illustrate the socket 12 attached to the cap 3 of the discharge lamp 4, and FIG. 1 is a front view of the socket into which the cap 3 is inserted from the axial direction.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, reference numeral 13 denotes a socket body which has a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens only on the front side, and has a storage space m in the center of the front opening for receiving the cap 3 from only the axial direction of the discharge lamp; Reference numerals 14 and 14 designate a pair of opposing contact pieces disposed on both sides of the socket housing space m in the socket body 13, and 15 a substantially ring-shaped socket cover fitted over the front open end of the socket body 13. The socket body 13 and the socket cover 15 are resin molded products.
The socket cover 15 is made of a thermosetting resin, such as a phenolic resin, and the socket cover 15 is made of a thermoplastic resin, such as a polycarbonate resin that is easily elastically deformed. The contact pieces 14, 14 are formed of a metal plate having spring properties, such as phosphor bronze or brass. 16 and 17 are first engagement means and second engagement means provided at two locations on the upper and lower sides of the socket body 13 and the socket cover 15;
The socket cover 15 is fixed to the socket main body 13 in a one-touch manner as will be described later by these two engaging means 16 and 17.

A specific example of the socket main body 13 will be explained based on FIGS. 4, 5, and 8. 13a is a bottom plate portion with a semicircular upper part and a rectangular lower part, and 13b is a bottom plate part 13.
13c is a socket mounting extension extending from the center of the lower side of the bottom plate 13a; 13d and 13e are contact piece support parts integrally formed on the upper and lower inner surfaces of the bottom plate 13a. The height thereof is slightly smaller than the height of the side plate portion 13b and equal to the width of the contact pieces 14, 14. A notch 18 is formed in the arcuate upper part of the side plate part 13b in the axial direction, and a socket cover engaging step part 1 is provided at the rear end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the upper contact piece support part 13d exposed in the notch 18.
6a is formed as one of the first engagement means 16. A mounting hole 19 for mounting a socket is formed approximately at the center of the extending portion 13c for mounting a socket. The upper contact piece support portion 13d and the lower contact piece 13e have inner circumferential surfaces along the outer periphery of the cap 3, and a circular cap storage space m is formed by these inner circumferential surfaces. A pair of contact pieces 14 are provided at both ends of the upper contact piece support portion 13d.
Slits 20, 20 into which the upper ends of the pair of contact pieces 14 are fitted are formed, and slits 20, 20 into which the L-shaped lower ends of the pair of contact pieces 14, 14 are fitted are formed at both ends of the lower contact piece support part 13e. 21, 21 are formed. A projection 17a projecting downward is formed as one of the second engagement means 17 at the lower center portion bordering the extension portion 13c of the lower contact piece support portion 13e, and a predetermined interval is provided behind the projection 17a. Motome extension part 1
3c, and an extending portion 13c facing the protrusion 17a.
A through hole 23, which is a die cut hole, is formed in the upper center of the hole.

The pair of contact pieces 14, 14 are bent into a substantially doglegged shape, and the center portions 14', 14' of the doglegged shape are formed into an arcuate cross section. The contact pieces 14, 14 are fitted from the front side of the socket body 13 into the slits 20, 20, 21, 21 which face each other at the top and bottom of the contact piece support parts 13d, 13e of the socket body 13. The upper end of the upper slit 2
0 and 20, and the central portion 14',
14' face each other on both sides of the cap storage space m.

Next, the socket cover 15 will be explained based on FIGS. 6 to 8. The socket cover 15 includes a side plate portion 13b of the socket body 13, a contact piece support portion 13d,
A cover main body 15a that is fitted onto the front surface of the cover 13e;
A cover extension part 15b fitted to the front surface of the extension part 13c of the socket main body 13, and a notch 18 in the upper outer periphery center of the socket main body 13, extending rearward from the outer periphery upper center part of the cover main body 15a. It is composed of a tongue piece portion 15c that is inserted into the tongue piece portion 15c. A round hole 24 is formed in the center of the cover body 15a, and fits into the socket housing space m of the socket body 13.
There are semicircular guide grooves 25, 25 on both sides of the
...is formed. The guide grooves 25, 25 have a size through which the central portions 14', 14' of the contact pieces 14, 14 can be seen. A mounting hole 26 is formed approximately at the center of the cover extension portion 15b. Further, the tongue portion 15c has a plate thickness that can be elastically deformed, and a locking pawl 16b is formed at the center of the lower surface of the tip as the remaining first engaging means 16. This locking pawl 16b engages with the stepped portion 16a at the rear of the notch 18 when the tongue portion 15c is inserted into the notch 18 of the socket body 13. Also,
A locking pawl 17b, which is the remaining second engaging means 17, is integrally provided at the center of the upper end of the cover extending portion 15b, and this locking pawl 17b is attached to the cover extending portion 15b.
when it rests on the socket body extension 13c, the protrusion 1
7a and engages with the rear end of the protrusion 17a.
In addition, the upper part 27 and the lower part 2 of the cover main body 15a
Reference numeral 8 denotes mold punching holes and grooves of the locking claws 16b and 17b.

Next, the procedure for assembling the socket 12 will be explained.
First, a pair of contact pieces 14, 14 are inserted into the socket body 13 from the front side. In addition, this contact piece 14,1
As shown in FIG. code outlet 31,
31 to the outside. Next, open the socket cover 15 on the front side of the socket body 13,
The tongue portion 15c is elastically deformed to fit along the notch 18, and the cover extension portion 15b is aligned with the socket body extension portion 1.
3c, push the socket cover 15 into the socket body 13. Then, the locking pawl 16b of the first engaging means 16 engages with the stepped portion 16a, and almost at the same time, the locking pawl 17b of the second engaging means 17 engages with the projection 17a, so that the socket cover 15 is closed to the socket. It is fitted into the main body 13 in a one-touch manner. This fitting prevents the contact pieces 14, 14 from coming off, and the assembly of the socket 12 is completed.

To attach the socket 12 to the base 3 of the discharge lamp 4, as shown in FIG.
This is done by inserting the terminals 2, 2 of the cap 3 into the guide grooves 25, 25 of the round hole 24 of No. 5, and pushing the cap 3 into the cap storage space m from the round hole 24 in the axial direction.
At this time, the terminals 2, 2 of the base 3 are connected to the guide grooves 25, 2.
5, the contact piece 14,1 is inserted.
Push the center parts 14' and 14' of 4 outward a little,
It is clamped elastically by the contact pieces 14, 14. Therefore, stable electrical and mechanical contact can be obtained between the cap terminals 2, 2 and the contact pieces 14, 14, and the cap terminals 2, 2 can be connected to the center portion 14' of the contact pieces 14, 14 having an arcuate cross section. , 14', the socket 12
Rotation of the cap 3 in the circumferential direction relative to the cap 3 is prevented.

Effects of the invention According to the invention, the socket main body and the socket cover are fixed in a one-touch manner using at least two engagement means, so that the ease of assembling the socket is further improved, and the number of component parts of the socket is reduced to the socket main body, socket cover, and socket cover. Since the number of contact pieces can be reduced, the cost of the socket can be easily reduced.

Furthermore, since the tongue piece of the socket cover is fitted into the notch of the socket body during assembly, the positioning of both parts is ensured and the ease of assembly can be further improved.

Furthermore, since the tongue piece is fitted into the notch, the outer shape of the socket body does not need to be increased, which contributes to miniaturization of the device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view with partially omitted parts showing an embodiment of a socket according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views taken along lines AA and BB in FIG. 1,
4 is a front view of the socket body of the socket shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line C-C of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a front view of the socket cover of the socket shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. The figure is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in Figure 6, Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the socket in Figure 1, and Figure 9 is a partial cross-section of the socket in Figure 1 when it is mounted on a discharge lamp. FIG. Figures 10 and 11 are a plan view and a front view of the discharge lamp, Figures 12 and 13 are for explaining the conventional example of the discharge lamp socket shown in Figure 10, and Figure 12 is a front view of the socket. 13 are side views of the socket, including a partial cross section. 1... Valve, 2... Terminal, 3... Base, 4...
...Discharge lamp, 12...Socket, 13...Socket body, m...Base storage space, 14...Contact piece, 1
5... Socket cover, 15c... Tongue piece, 1
6, 16a, 16b...Engagement means, 17, 17
a, 17b...engaging means, 18...notch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] A socket for a discharge lamp in which a cap with a pair of terminals protruding from the side is fixed to the end of a straight tube bulb, the socket having a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens only on the side. , a cap storage space in the center of the front opening for receiving the cap from only the axial direction of the discharge lamp, and a bottom portion thereof to form a cap storage space; A socket body having a pair of contact pieces disposed on both sides and in contact with the terminals of the base, and a generally ring-shaped tongue piece that is fitted into the open end of the socket body and has a tongue piece in a portion corresponding to the notch of the socket body. and a socket cover integrally formed with the socket body and the socket cover, and the socket body and the socket cover have engagement means that engage with each other at at least two places, and at least one of the engagement means is at the rear of the notch and at the rear of the tongue. A socket for a discharge lamp, characterized in that it is provided in a socket.