MXPA97000814A - Assembly system of portalamp - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lampholder assembly system, comprising: a lampholder having a housing, electrical contacts and electrical means for interconnecting the contacts and the housing, wherein at least two stop tongue slots and thus less two bending tongue grooves are disposed on an outer surface of the housing, and a mounting bracket comprising a mounting portion and a lamp holder portion, wherein the mounting portion includes at least one joint groove, and wherein the lamp support portion includes a circuit breaker for receiving the lamp holder, the circuit breaker includes at least two flaps of overturned flexure and at least two stop tabs for complementary engagement with the grooves in the outer surface of the lamp housing. lampholder so that the lampholder can be efficiently fiin the circuit breaker and at least one tongue A flexure can be folded to lock the lamp holder fito the mounting bracket

Description

MOUNTING SYSTEM OF PORTALAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a lampholder assembly for use as a wiring device, and more particularly, it relates to a lockable lampholder mounting system for use with depressed incandescent lighting installations. It is well known that the installation assemblies include one or more receptacles, which are riveted to a mounting panel to secure receptacles thereto. However, the use of rivets to secure the lampholders to a mounting panel can be quite expensive both in the assembly time and in the cost of the material. Mountable lampholder mounting systems are also well known for use in a variety of wiring devices, receptacles, and lamp holders, in particular. For example, the patent of E. U.A. No. 4,661, 885, issued to Brenner et al., Commonly recognized and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a lampholder system, which utilizes preformed and resilient fastening means secured to a receptacle / lampholder, in order to assemble the receptacle to a panel or similar. The fastening means are formed in a particular configuration to mount and support the receptacle to the mounting surface, including at least three spaced-apart bearing surfaces, which, in a connected manner, act as an elastic spring member. Since the fastening means make the rivets unnecessary as means for securely mounting said lampholders, the parts and work required to construct the actual lampholders or assemblies can become a cumulatively huge expense. Therefore, it would be desirable to develop an assembly or lampholder system, which does not require a receptacle / lampholder to utilize the fastening means, a complicated mounting spring arrangement, and / or rivets to attach a receptacle / lampholder to a panel of assembly, or both, so that the cost of both labor and material for the system would be reduced to a minimum.

OBJECTS AND COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lampholder mounting system, which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. It is another object of the present invention to provide a lampholder assembly system, which does not require a receptacle / lampholder that includes a mounting spring for mounting the receptacle / lampholder to a panel or bracket. It is another object of the present invention to provide a lampholder mounting system, which does not require the use of rivets to mount a receptacle / holder for a panel or bracket.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a system of m? Í < < lampholder assembly, which includes a receptacle / lampholder arranged to be fixed to a circuit breaker located inside a lampholder mounting bracket to securely attach the receptacle / lampholder to it. Accordingly, the present invention describes a lampholder mounting system, which provides a receptacle / lampholder and a lampholder mounting bracket that includes a receiving portion for receiving and securing the receptacle / lampholder. The mounting bracket includes at least one ear or bend tab in the receiving portion, and the receptacle / lamp holder includes one or more slots for contact with the ears. The ear is preferably turned and / or bent inward to lock, securely, the receptacle / lampholder in place after it is placed over / by attachment to the mounting bracket. Concomitantly, the receptacle / lampholder can be quickly, easily and securely locked in place on the mounting bracket, presenting considerable savings in both the material and the cost of the complete assembly and the labor required to prepare it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figures 1A and 1B comprise perspective, alternative views of a lockable fixture mounting system of the prior art; Figures 2A and 2B comprise perspective, alternative views of a lampholder mounting system of the present invention; and Figures 3A and 3B are a top plan view and a side cut view, respectively, of one embodiment of the invention, shown in Figures 2A and 2B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Figure 1 A shows a conventional lampholder assembly 10, used in a light installation commonly known as "Top Hat". The assembly 10 includes a lampholder 12, a mounting bracket 14, a receiving portion or opening 16, within the mounting assembly 14, to receive the lampholder, and a spring 18, which is attached to the lampholder 12 and fixed in place within the receiving portion 16. In one form, the mounting bracket is formed of two flat sheets, which are joined contiguously along one edge, in a substantial and mutually perpendicular arrangement. The assembled spring 18 securely holds the lamp holder 12 in the receiving portion 16 of the mounting bracket 14, after the lamp holder is placed in the opening. On the mounting surface 14B, of the bracket 14, a slot 20 is included, to securely mount the bracket, at a fixed position, at several points in the groove. However, problems can be presented in the physical handling of the upper / lampholder combination of lamp to arrange its placement within the bracket of the prior art. Now, with reference to Figures 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B, a preferred embodiment of a lampholder mounting system 20 of the present invention will be described. However, it should be noted that the description provided herein is for illustrative purposes only and does not mean that it narrows or limits the scope and spirit of the invention. In the Figures, the lampholder mounting system 20 of this invention is shown to include a mounting bracket 30, to which the lampholder 44 can be securely attached. The mounting bracket 30, as well as the bracket of the prior art assembly, described above, may be formed of two sheets or flat portions, which are joined contiguously along an edge in a substantial and mutually perpendicular arrangement. Alternatively, the mounting bracket may comprise a single flat sheet, which is bent to form a perpendicular arrangement. The two portions may be referred to hereinafter as "lamp support portion 32" and "mounting portion 34." The mounting portion 34 includes at least one lateral attachment groove 36; the lamp support portion 32 includes at least one reception circuit breaker 38, as well as at least one flexing tongue 54, 56. In addition, at least two stop tabs 40, 42 are contiguously joined to a section of a mounting portion 34 of the bracket relative to the reception circuit breaker 38. The reception circuit breaker 38, the flexing tabs 54, 56, and the stop tabs 40, 42, may be formed by a punch or any known cutting means by those skilled in the art. In the Figures, it is also shown that the lamp holder 44 includes at least one stop groove 46, 48, for receiving or contacting at least one of the tabs 40, 42, and at least one tongue groove of the tongue. flexion, 54 ', 56', through which the flexing tongues 54, 56, from the bracket 44, slide to secure the lamp holders. The improved joining ability of the system 20 of the present invention will now be explained. The lampholder 44"is fixed" on the reception circuit breaker 38, inside the lampholder portion 32 of the lampholder mounting bracket 30, after the bending tabs 40, 42 slide, engageable, towards the bending tongue grooves 54 ', 56'. respective. After the lamp holder is "fixed" in place on the bracket 30, the flexing tabs 54, 56 are preferably bent or folded to solidly secure the lamp holder 44 to the mounting portion 32 of the bracket 30. Concomitantly, the tabs stop 40, 42 are locked in place within the slots 46, 48. Mounting and locking, as described herein, is quick and easy, and leads to a very secure connection. Accordingly, using the present invention, the mounting spring mechanisms or rivet means, normally required to secure a lampholder, such as a lampholder 44, to a mounting bracket, such as a mounting bracket, are minimized. 30, and the labor required to assemble them. Lampholder tongues 40, 42, 54, and 56, and corresponding slots 54 ', 56', 46, and 48, provided in the complementary lampholder and mounting bracket, of this invention, provide a tongue-and-folder locking adjustment. of tongue to secure the bracket to the lamp holder. Therefore, the invention is a less expensive, labor-saving solution to the lamp holders and lower costly and expensive lampholder mounting and locking systems and methods of the prior art. It should be noted, however, that due to the step of folding the flexure tabs 54, 56, the lampholder 44 can not stand on its own, but must be replaced as an assembly, which includes the bracket 30, if one or more of its parts becomes non-functional. The above embodiment has been described solely for the purpose of illustration and does not mean that it limits the scope and spirit of this invention.

Claims (5)

1. - A lampholder mounting system, comprising: a lampholder having a housing, electrical contacts and electrical means for interconnecting said contacts and said housing, wherein at least one stop tongue groove and at least one tongue groove of flexure are disposed on an outer surface of said housing; and a mounting bracket comprising a mounting portion and a lamp support portion, wherein said lamp support portion includes a circuit breaker for receiving said lamp holder, said circuit breaker including at least one flipped tongue, and at least one a stop tab for the complementary coupling with said grooves on said outer surface of the housing of the lamp holder, so that said lamp holder can be efficiently fixed in said circuit breaker, and said at least one flexure tongue can be folded to lock said lamp holder fixedly to said mounting bracket.

2 - The lamp holder defined by claim 1, wherein said mounting bracket comprises a flat shape.

3. The lamp holder defined by claim 1, wherein said mounting portion and the lamp support portions are formed of two different flat sections of a contiguous flat sheet.

4. - The lamp holder defined by claim 3, wherein said planar sections are substantial and mutually perpendicular.

5. A mounting assembly comprising: a panel assembly including cutting and mounting means for securely attaching said panel to a mounting location; and an electrical device for attachment to said panel, said device including a housing, electrical contacts supported by said housing, electrical means interconnected with said housing for electrically connecting said contacts to a source of electrical power, and at least one bending slot and at least one bending tongue groove disposed on an outer surface of said housing, wherein said device is placed inside said circuit breaker, so that the joining means, included within the circuit breaker, securely join, said device to said mounting panel.