MXPA97005679A - Compact fluorescent lamps for lamps - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lamp housing for holding and supplying a compact dual fluorescent or quad tube fluorescent lamp. A portion of the body with a central cavity receives the base of the lamp and selectively retains it using a retained metal clamp, the contacts mounted in the separate cavities receive the lamp cables at the first and at the second end the end bare of an electrical conductor inserted in a clutch lever contact of the one-way type to apply the Alternating Current (AC) power to the lamp wires. The lever contact is bifurcated to independently occupy more than one conductor. The lamp housing can be mounted on the panel by using fasteners that extend their openings in the base's mounting brackets, or by using flexible mounting tabs to hold the underside of a mounting panel or a combination of flexible mounting tabs and flexible arms to allow the lamp holder to be mounted on panels of different thickness

Description

LAMPS FOR COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The invention relates to a combined receptacle and support for a fluorescent lamp and, more particularly, to a combined receptacle and mounting bracket for compact fluorescent lamps.

Description of the Prior Art Widely used fluorescent lamps are generally straight and have two pins at each end for coupling with a receptacle. In order to wire both sets of pins, the conductors have to be directed along the reflector, either in front of or behind said reflector. The arrival of the U-shaped fluorescent lamp simplified the wiring to some degree, since both sets of pins were on the same end of the lamp. These U-shaped lamps, although shorter for a given light output, were more than twice the width of an equivalent straight tube, which limited their usefulness. The fluorescent lamps were developed, which used two parallel tubes joined at one end and having at their opposite ends a single pin or cable. This type of lamp is called a double-tube fluorescent lamp, which can be obtained from Twin Tube Lamp Center, 24500 Solon Road, Bedford Heights, Ohio 44116. Since only one pin or cable is required at each end of the lamp, and Since both pins are adjacent to each other, the wiring of said lamps is absolutely simple. However, since the lamps themselves must be supported and placed in, for example, a lampholder, the provision of a receptacle and support device is required. Some lamps of the prior art are fitted to a screw type base similar to a normal light bulb base, which can be screwed into a large lamp holder receptacle. Where the receptacle is supported on a panel or a reflector, additional support is required, making the assembly very large.

C O MPENDIO OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to overcome all the above-noted disadvantages of the prior art, by providing a small, simple, easy to use device, which can be mounted to a mounting panel, to a reflector or a similar device and which provides a support for the compact fluorescent lamp with a releasable latch to hold the lamp in place and electrical contacts to provide the AC power to the lamp to turn it on.

A central cavity in the base contains a pressure clamp, which will couple the base of the lamp and keep it in place and combined with the base will support the lamp. The contact cavities are fixed adjacent to the central cavity of the base and contain contacts, which are wired to AC power lines and which couple the pins or wires of the lamp to make the lamp turn on. The contacts have tabs that couple holes in the base walls to prevent the removal of the contacts after they have been installed. Two contact tips facing towards, couple the pin of the lamp placed between such extremities. At the rear end of the contact, there are two cantilevered members inclined inward towards the contact ends. The bare ends of conductors, one for each member, are pushed between the free ends of the lever and an adjacent portion of the contact. The members act as one-way clutches, which allow the conductors to be inserted between the member end and the adjacent portion of the contact, but prevent it from being removed. By providing multiple conductor coupling points on each contact, the contacts can be serially linked or otherwise wired without additional connectors. In a quad tube device, two or four contacts are provided to couple the two or four pins, depending on the type of lamp used. Only one pressure clamp is required to couple the quad tube base. A pair of flexible bolt members depend on the base and each has a first end tapered outward, which ends in a cutting portion. The bolt members are bent inward when they are pushed through a suitable opening in a mounting panel and return to their original positions when the cutting portions are adjacent to the bottom surface of the panel. The flexible bolt members can be confined by flexible arms that end in hemispherical protuberances. These arms will flex to accommodate a wide range of thicknesses between the protuberances and the cut of the bolt members. Four openings are provided in the bases of the base to receive fasteners to mount the lampholder on a panel. It is an object of the present invention to provide a non-transparent lens holder for compact fluorescent lamps. It is another object of the present invention to provide an innovative socket for compact fluorescent double tube lamps. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a noved bear lampholder for fl uorescent lamps with a quad tube. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel lampholder for compact fluorescent lamps, which can be mounted within an opening in a panel or upper part of the panel. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel lampholder for compact fluorescent lamps having a pressure clamp, which can selectively retain a compact fluorescent lamp therein. It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel lampholder for compact fluorescent lamps, which employs a contact that can independently terminate in one or more conductors. Other objects and aspects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims in the attached drawings, which describe, only by way of example, the principles of the invention, and the best modes, which are currently contemplated to carry them out. .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, where similar elements are given similar reference characters: Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a light fixture employing a fixture for compact fluorescent lamps constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a double tube of the type sold by Twin Tube Lamp Center, as identified above.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the double tube of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a rear elevation view of the double tube of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a top plan view of a quad tube as shown in FIG. sold by Twin Tube Lamp Center. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of a lamp holder for compact fluorescent lamps, according to the concepts of the invention. Figure 7 is a front perspective view of one more embodiment of a lamp holder for compact fluorescent lamps, according to the invention. Figure 8 is a rear perspective view of the lampholder of Figure 6. Figure 9 is a top plan view of the lampholder of Figure 6, with the pressure clamp and contacts removed to appreciate the internal details of the housing.

Figure 10 is a rear plan view of the lampholder of Figure 7. Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the lampholder of Figure 7, installed on a mounting panel. Figure 12 is a perspective view of the pressure clamp of the lampholder of Figure 6. Figure 13 is a rear perspective view of a lampholder contact of Figure 6.

Figure 14 is a top plan view of the contact of Figure 13. Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view of a lampholder constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention for accepting quad tube lamps. Figure 16 is a side elevational view of the quad tube of Figure 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Returning to Figure 1, a lamp 20 having a reflector 22 and end walls 24 and 26 is shown. A mounting panel 28 extends across the width of the reflector 22 parallel with the end walls 24 and 26. A lampholder 90 it is mounted to the mounting panel 28 through arms 260 and 270, which extend through an opening (not shown) in the mounting panel 28 and couple the rear surface of the mounting panel 28 around the opening. The lamp holder 30 is coupled to the end wall 26 and extends towards a base or clamp (not shown). The conductors 32, 34 extend from a shutter (not shown) through a voltage booster 36 to the lamp holder 90. Inserted in the lamp holder 90 is a double-tube fluorescent lamp 40, having two parallel tubes 42, 44 attached to each other. 46, Junction 46 allows gas in tubes 42 and 44 to mix and allow current to pass between the tube wires through the gas in tubes 42 and 44. As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 , the double tube fluorescent lamp 40 has a base 50 having a generally oval ring 52 of plastic, rubber or ceramic, or other insulating material held in place through a metal band 47 fastened to the ring 52 of the base 50 in the positions such as 48 shown in Figure 4. The remainder of the base 50 is a rectangular portion 54, on which a pair of raised ribs 56 appear on the upper side 58 and the lower side 60. As best seen in FIG. Figure 3, the raised ribs 5 6 have an upward sloping front surface 62 and a downward sloping back surface 66 attached to the surface 62 at the high point 64. The raised ribs 56 will be used, as will be described later, to engage the pressure clamp and retain the double tube fluorescent lamp 40 in the socket 90. Extending through the ring 52 are the cables or pins 68, one for each of the tubes 42 and 44. Figures 5 and 6 show a fluorescent lamp of quad tube 70, which is made of four tubes. The tube 73 and the tube 72, positioned collaterally, are interconnected as in 46, adjacent their free ends in the same way as the tubes 42 and 44. The tube 72a and the tube 73a, below the tubes 72 and 73 and not visible in the figures, they are similarly joined as in 46 (not shown). In addition, tube 72 and tube 72a are interconnected at 49 (shown in a faded line) so that all four tubes are connected in series. The base 86, of insulating material, has a generally rectangular band 84 held in place through a metal or plastic band 84, attached to the base 86. The remainder of the base 86 is a rectangular potion 88, over the which are placed two raised ribs 80 on the upper side 110 and the additional raised ribs 80 on the bottom side 112, both raised ribs 80 extending to a length portion of the respective surfaces 110, 112. The ribs 80 are contoured from the same as the ribs 56 of Figure 3. The pins 76 and 78 for the tubes 72, 72, respectively, shown in a solid line in Figure 16, are stacked one on top of the other and generally separated by the portion Rectangular 88. If four pins are required by the fluorescent lamp of 70-meter tube, as it does not contain an internal initiator or the 70-meter tube lamp will be used with a device voltage regulator, four pins are required. The ribs 80 couple a pressure clamp (not shown) to lock the fluorescent lamp of the quad tube 70 in the lamp holder 300, as will be discussed below with reference to Figure 15. Returning to Figure 12, a clamp of pressure 92 made of an elastic metal such as stainless steel having a base 94 with two straight arms 96, which together generally describe a U. Each of the arms 96 is thrown to provide a tongue 98, whose free end 100 is will engage with the lampholder body, as will be described below, to prevent unwanted removal of the bracket 92 from the lampholder 90. Adjacent to the free ends of each of the arms 96, a curved inward portion 102 is placed, which has a front section 104. The curved sections 102 expand the space between the arms 96 as they travel over the rear surfaces 66 of the raised ribs 56. L as curved sections 102, each end with a rear section 106, which couples the front surfaces 62 of the raised ribs 56 to lock the double tube fluorescent lamp 40 in the socket 90, while the curved sections 102 will couple the surfaces of the portion rectangular in front of the anterior surfaces 62 of the raised ribs 56. Removal of the lamp 40 from the lamp holder 90 causes the rear sections 106, and then the curved sections 102, to travel over the anterior surfaces 62 to expand the space between the arms 96, to allow the total removal of the lamp 40. Referring now to Figures 13 and 14, the details of the contact 120 are established. The contact 120 is made of a conductive, elastic metal such as a copper alloy and, for example, it can be beryllium copper. The contact 120 is made of an individual metal template bent as at edges 124 and 122 to make a side box type connector body 126, having a base 128, a side 130 perpendicular to the base 128 and an upper part 1 32 perpendicular to the side 130. The base 128 and the upper part 132, each have reduced width portions, 134 and 136, respectively, the free ends of which are formed with inwardly directed sections 138 and 140, which extend towards the longitudinal axis of contact 120. Sections 138 and 140 are followed by curved sections 142 and 144, respectively, and end directed outward, with respect to the longitudinal axis, in sections 146, 148. When a cable or pin 68 engages sections 146, 148 of the cable, portions 134 and 136 will separate until the cable or pin 68 rests between the curved sections 142, 144, which make the leading end of the contact 120. The tongue 150, formed when the base 128 is cut to provide the portion 136, is inclined at an acute angle with respect to the plane of the base 128. and acts as a separator in the contact cavity, which will be discussed below, and to limit the possible compression of the contact 120. An outwardly directed tongue 152 is formed in the free end of the side 130. The tongue 152 will engage a groove in a wall of the housing cavity to prevent contact 120 from being removed from said housing. At the second free end, of the upper part 132 is a tab 154 inclined at an acute angle towards the plane of the upper part 132. The tongue 154 is divided into two tabs 158 and 160 separately operable through the slot 156. The tabs 158 and 160 are tensioned and made stiffer by the ribs 162 and 164 formed in the tabs 158 and 169, respectively. Tabs 158 and 160, which make the conductor end, operate as one-way clutches. When the bare end of a conductor (not shown) is placed on the base 128 and advances forward, for example, the tongue 158, the tongue 158 will pivot inward toward the tongue 150 until the bare conductor is able to pass between the free end of the tongue 158 and the base 128. The electrical connection established between the contact base 128 and the tongue 158. Any attempt to pull the lead out of the contact 120 will cause the tongue 158 to rotate in a clockwise direction, which jams the free end of the tongue 158 in the bare portion of the inserted conductor and both the tongue 158 and the conductor against the base 128. This action prevents the removal of the finished conductor. The availability of two tabs 158 and 160 means that the two conductors can be terminated at each contact 120 by making links in series or as complex as possible wiring just at the same contact 120. Returning now to Figures 6 to 11, it is described and the details of the housing 180 of the lamp holder 90 are shown. The housing 180 has a rectangular central cavity 182 having an upper wall 184, a first side wall 186, a second side wall 188 and a bottom wall 190, In summary, they can extend support walls 192 towards the central cavity 182 at the midpoints of the side walls 186 and 188 by dividing them respectively into side walls 186a, 186b, and 1888a, 188b.

The ends of the support walls 192 extend towards the slots between the pairs of raised ribs 56 towards the portion 54 of the lamp 40 to assist in the positioning of the lamp 40 in the lamp holder 90. The support walls 192 also contain a the pressure clamp 92 and prevent any lateral displacement along the internal surfaces of the walls 186 and 188. However, if desired, the support walls 192 may be omitted as shown in the embodiment of Figure 7. If desired, the short slots 189 (shown in Figure 7) can be placed on the free ends of the walls 186a, 186b, 188a, and 188b to assist in insertion of the pressure clamps 92. The cavity 182 extends generally from an open front surface 194 towards a substantially closed rear surface 196. A slot 198 is formed in the side wall 186a adjacent the adjacent rear surface 196 and terminates at an extreme face 200, which joins a shelf 199, which extends into the central cavity 182. The end face 200 and / or the shelf 199 is engaged by the free end 100 of one of the two tabs of the pressure clamp 92. A second groove 202 is placed in side wall 188a adjacent to rear surface 196 as shown in Figure 7. End face 204 of groove 202 or shelf 203, which attaches end face 204 and extends towards the central cavity 182, is coupled by the free end 100 of the second of the two tongues 98. The coupling of the free ends 100 of the tongues 98 with the end face 200 and / or shelf 199 and the end face 204 and / or the shelf 203 retains the pressure clamp 92 in its intended position against the inner surface of the end surface 196 and prevents unwanted removal of the pressure clamp 92. A contact support 206, with a contact cavity 208 therein, extends outward from the exteri of the bottom wall 190 and a similar support 210 with the contact cavity 212 therein, extends outwardly from the top wall 184. Shaped on the exterior of the bottom wall 190, within the contact support 206, a depression 214 extends from the front surface 194 towards the rear surface 196 to receive the tab 152 to guide the contact 120 towards its final position after being inserted into the contact support 206 from the front surface 194. A similar depression 214 is positioned on the outside of the top wall 184, inside the contact support 210. A groove, similar to the groove 350 in Figure 15, but not shown in Figures 6 to 11, extends upwardly from the rear surface 196 towards the front surface 184 within the depression 214 of the contact support 206, but ends short of the front surface 194 to provide a surface, similar to the surface 52, which will be coupled by the tongue 152. The contact 120 is placed in the contact support 206, from the front surface 194, with the tongue 152 placed in the depression 214. The contact 120 is then pushed down towards the rear surface 196, until the tab 152 enters slot 350, and the tab moves below surface 353, which prevents removal of contact 120 from contact support 206 by engagement of tab 153 with abutment surface 353 of the slot 350. A similar slot, such as 350 with a stop surface 352, is positioned in the depression 214 of the contact support 210. Once seated, the contact 120 inserted through the front surface 194 towards the contact cavity 212 and is advanced downward toward the rear surface 196, is also prevented any movement of a contact 120 towards the front surface 194, by the engagement of the tongue 152 with the abutment surface 352. Mounting hardware is placed in the four corners of the lamp holder 90. The bearing 240 is mounted between the bottom wall 190 and a wall of the contact support 206 and has a thickness so that the rear surface 196 sits on the panel to which it is mounted (See Figure 1). The exposed corner of the bearing 240 is rounded and a hole 244 (see Figure 9) extends through the bearing 240 parallel with the walls 186, 188. The lower surface of the bearing 240 is flat as shown in Figure 8. In a similar way, the bearing 230 is mounted between the bottom wall 190 and a second wall of the contact support 206 and has a hole 234 a through it. The inserts 220 and 250 each are mounted between the upper wall 184 and one of the walls separated from the contact support 210 and have holes 224 and 254, respectively. Fasteners (not shown) can be passed through one or more of the holes 224, 234, 244 and 254 to anchor the lamp holder 90 to a panel, such as the mounting panel 28 of the reflector 22 shown in Figure 1. A modification can be made to the mounting plugs of the lamp holder 90 to allow the lamp holder 90 to be mounted on panels of various thicknesses. As shown in Figures 7, 10 and 11, the lampholder 901 has modified mounting hardware, which includes a flexible arm, the bottom surface of which is generally an extension of the bottom surface of the rest of the mounting bearing. At the end of the flexible arm, on the underside thereof, is a projection with hemispherical shape. The upper surface of the arm is generally flat and the cross section of the arm is generally rectangular, although any of these aspects can be changed to improve or control the flexing of the flexible arms. The mounting bearing 2401 has a flexible arm 246 and a hemispherical shaped protrusion 248 extending from the underside of said arm 246. The mounting bearing 2501 has a flexible arm 256 that terminates on its underside at its free end in a projection hemispherical shape 258. Similarly, the bearing 2201 has an arm 226 and a projection 228, while the bearing 2301 has an arm 236 with a projection 238. The flexible arms 226, 236, 246 and 256 will flex to different degrees depending on the thickness of the mounting panel. The flexible latch arms 260 and 270 extend from the rear surface 196 and terminate below the mounting touches 220, 230, 240 and 250. The arm 260 becomes more flexible by separating the arm 260 from the mounting pads 230 and 340. The arm 270 is also separated from the mounting hardware 220 and 250. The arm 270 has an inclined front portion 272, which when engaging the edge of an opening in a panel to which the lamp holder 90 is to be installed, makes that the entire arm 270 is bent inwardly until the horizontal surface 274 is adjacent to the backing surface of the panel, at which time the arm 270 can return to its initial position and the panel 28 will be retained between the horizontal surface 274 of the arm 270 and the bottom surfaces of the mounting inserts. In a similar manner, the forward inclined portion 262 causes the arm 260 to flex inwardly until the horizontal surface 264 of the arm 260 is below the rear face of the panel 28, and the panel will be retained between the horizontal surface 264 of the 260 arm and the bottom surfaces of the mounting inserts. The flexible arms and their hemispherical projections can take any space between the surface of the mounting panel and the lower surfaces of the mounting hardware due to the installation of the lampholder 901 on a thinner panel than the lampholder 901 that is intended to be used with or where different portions of the panel are of different thicknesses. The flexible latch arms 160 and 170 could be placed in a mounting aperture with the horizontal surfaces 264 and 174 on the underside of the panel and the flexible arms and protrusion could act on the upper surface of the panel to make the horizontal surfaces 264 and 274 intimately attach the bottom of the panel. Placed in the contact cavity 208 between the open front surface 194 and the substantially closed rear surface 196 of the housing 180, and generally parallel with the rear surface 196, is a wall 280 in which two openings 282 are formed (see Figures 9 and 10). The wall 280 is spaced inward from the open front surface 194 sufficiently to allow the entire length of the contact 120 to be accepted in the contact cavity 208 and have ends 146 and 148 spaced apart from the front surface 194 so that the contacts 120 When activated, they can not be touched inadvertently. The openings 282 are thus placed on the wall 280 that the space between the tabs 158, 160 and the base 128 is immediately accessible to the bare end of a conductor inserted through any of the openings 282. In a similar manner, a wall 284 is formed in the contact cavity 212 and two openings 286 extend therethrough, to allow access to the contact 120 placed in the contact cavity 212, as described above. Turning now to FIG. 15, a lampholder 300 is shown to support and supply AC power to a quad tube 70 of the type shown in Figure 5. The housing 302 of the lampholder 300 has four mounting hardware, only three which are shown in the Figure, the mounting bearing 304 with the opening 306, the mounting bearing 308 with the opening 310 and the mounting bearing 312. Screws or bolts can be passed through two or more of these openings for fastening the lampholder 300 to a mounting panel. Two flexible latch arms extend below the bottom surfaces of the mounting inserts 304, 308, 312, only the arm 326 is visible in the Figure and are employed as described above with respect to the arms 260, 270. The rectangular central cavity 328 is of the same size as the central cavity 182 of the housing 180 of Figure 6. A dual contact support 333, having contact cavities 340 and 342, is formed on the external surface of the upper wall 320 and a second dual contact support 336, having cavities 34 and 346 is formed on the external surface of the bottom wall 322. A groove 350 extends over the interior of the top wall 320 from the bottom surface 354 to the surface upper 332 to approximately half the height of the upper wall 320 and aligned with the contact cavity 342. The upper end of the groove 350 provides a surface 352 to be engaged by the tongue 152 directed outward. A similar slot and surface are provided for each of the contact cavities 340, 344 and 346 to retain the contacts 120 in their associated contact cavities. A depression 330 in one of the side walls between the upper wall 320 and the bottom wall 322 and the depression 334 in the opposite side wall is made wide enough to accept the arms 96 of a pressure clamp 92. Shelves (not shown) ) similar to the shelves 199 and 203 in Figure 10 are placed through the depressions 330 and 334 and are spaced apart from the rear surface 354 to be engaged by the free ends 100 of the tabs 98 to retain the pressure clamp 92 in your desired position. The lamp holder 300 can be provided with flexible arms extending from each of the inserts 304, 308, 310, 312, each arm having a hemispherical shaped projection on its lower surface adjacent to its free end in a similar manner to that shown in FIGS. Figures 7, 10 and 1 1. Since the fundamental novel aspects of the invention have been shown and described and as they are applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation can be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims (2)

1. CLAIMS 1. - A lampholder for compact fluorescent lamps having a base with at least two locking tongues and at least two wires comprising: a) a body portion having a base cavity to receive the base of a compact fluorescent lamp in the same; b) an elastic clamp in the base cavity for coupling said at least two locking tabs on the base of a compact fluorescent lamp inserted in said base cavity and removably locking said lamp to the body portion; c) said body portion having at least two contact cavities; and d) at least two contacts, one in each of the two contact cavities, each of said contacts coupling an associated one of at least two of the cables, whereby the AC current can be applied to said compact fluorescent lamp to light it.
2. 2. A lampholder according to claim 1, wherein the body portion has a first open end and a second end substantially closed, said base cavity and at least two contact cavities, each extending from the first end open to the second end substantially closed. 3. - A lampholder according to claim 2, further comprising: a) at least two mounting hardware coupled to the body portion adjacent said second substantially closed end; and b) an opening through which each of the at least two mounting inserts in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said body portion, to allow fasteners, one for each of the two mounting inserts, to pass to through its associated opening and towards a mounting panel for mounting said lampholder on the front surface of each mounting panel. 4. - A lampholder according to claim 2, wherein: a) said body portion has an external base surface at the second substantially closed end; and b) elastic locking tabs below said external base surface, said elastic locking tongues adapted to pass through an opening in a mounting panel, the front surface of which is to be placed in lamp holders, and coupling the rear surface of said mounting panel adjacent to the opening. 5 - A lampholder according to claim 2, wherein the body portion has an external base surface at the second substantially closed end; and further comprising: a) at least two mounting inserts coupled to the body portion, each of at least two of the mounting hardware having a bottom surface aligned with the external base surface of the body portion; b) an opening through which said at least two mounting inserts in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the body portion allow fasteners, one for each of the two mounting inserts, to pass through an associated aperture and towards a mounting panel for mounting the lamp holder on the front surface of said mounting panel; and c) elastic locking tabs below said outer base surface, said locking tabs adapted to pass through an opening in a mounting panel to which said lamp holder is to be mounted and coupled to the rear surface of the mounting panel adjacent to the opening, so that said lampholder can be selectively mounted through the use of fasteners or said locking tongues. 6. A lampholder according to claim 4, wherein: a) said body portion has a plurality of flexible limbs extending from the same parallel with the external base surface; and b) a raised protrusion at the free end of each of the ends for coupling the front surface of a mounting panel, whereby a thickness scale of the mounting panel can be placed between the raised protuberances of the flexible ends and Elastic locking tongues. 7. A lampholder according to claim 1, wherein: a) each of at least two of the contacts has a cable end for coupling one of the two lamp cables and a conductive end for coupling at least one electrical conductor inserted in said contact. 8. A lampholder according to claim 7, wherein each of the two contacts has a conductive end for coupling two electrical conductors. 9. A lampholder according to claim 7, wherein each of the two contacts has a connector body with said cable end at a first end and said conductive end at a second end; said conducting end of each of the two contact comprises a cantilevered member inclined towards the connector body, the free end of each of the cantilevered members adapted to couple an inserted conductor and acts as a one-way clutch to prevent removal of a driver inserted. 10. A lampholder according to claim 8, wherein said conducting end of each of the two contacts comprises two cantilevered members, each inclined towards the connector body, the free end of each of the cantilever members adapted for coupling a conductor inserted in it and acting as a one-way clutch to prevent the removal of an inserted control. 1 - A lampholder according to claim 1, wherein: a) each of the two contact cavities has an opening in one of the walls defining said contact cavity; and b) each of the contacts has a tongue on them for coupling said opening in the contact cavity wall and to prevent the removal of each of the two contacts from the associated contact cavity. 12. A lamp holder for compact fluorescent lamps with a quad tube having a base with at least two locking tongues and at least four wires comprising: a) a body portion having a base cavity for receiving the base of a compact fluorescent lamp with a quad tube; b) an elastic clamp in said base cavity for coupling at least two of the two locking tongues on the base of a compact fluorescent lamp with a quad tube inserted into the base cavity and removably locking said lamp in the body portion; c) the body portion further having at least four contact cavities; and d) at least four contacts, one in each of the four contact cavities, each of the four contacts coupling an associated one of at least the four wires, so that the AC power can be applied to the compact fluorescent lamp with a quad tube to turn it on. 13. A lampholder according to claim 12, wherein said body portion has a first open end and a second substantially closed open end, said base cavity and said at least four contact cavities, each extending from the first open end towards said second end substantially closed. 14. A lampholder according to claim 13, further comprising: a) at least two mounting inserts coupled to the body portion adjacent to the second substantially closed end; and b) an opening through each of at least two mounting inserts in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the body portion, to allow fasteners, one for each of said at least two mounting inserts, to pass to through its associated opening and towards a mounting panel for mounting said lampholder on the front surface of said mounting panel. A lamp holder according to claim 13, wherein: a) said body portion has an external base surface at the second substantially closed end; and b) elastic locking tabs below said outer base surface, said elastic locking tabs adapted to pass through an opening in a mounting panel, the front surface from which said lamp holder is to be placed, and to engage the surface rear of said mounting panel adjacent to the opening. 16. A lampholder according to claim 13, wherein said body portion has a base surface external to the second substantially closed end; and further comprising: a) at least two mounting inserts coupled to the body portion, each of the two mounting hardware having a bottom surface aligned with the external base surface of the body portion; b) an opening through which each of at least the two mounting inserts in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the body portion to allow fasteners, one for each of at least the two mounting hardware, to passes through an associated opening and towards a mounting panel, for mounting said lampholder on the front surface of said mounting panel; and c) elastic locking tabs extending below the outer base surface, said locking tabs adapted to pass through an opening in a mounting panel to which said lamp holder is to be mounted and to engage the rear surface of said adjacent mounting panel at opening, whereby said lampholder can be selectively mounted through the use of fasteners or locking tongues. 17. A lampholder according to claim 15, wherein: a) said body portion has at least two flexible limbs extending therefrom parallel with the external base surface; and b) a raised protrusion at the free end of each of the two flexible ends for coupling the front surface of a mounting panel on which said lamp holder is to be placed, whereby a thickness scale of the mounting panel can be placed between the raised protuberances of at least two flexible limbs and the elastic locking tongues. 18. A lampholder according to claim 12, wherein: a) each of the four contacts has a cable end for coupling one of said four lamp cables and a conductive end for coupling at least one inserted electrical conductor in that contact. 19. A lamp holder according to claim 18, wherein each of the four contacts has a conductive end for coupling two electrical conductors. A lampholder according to claim 18, wherein each of the four contacts has a body connected to the cable end at a first end and said conducting end at a second end; said conducting end of each of the four contacts comprises a cantilevered member inclined inward towards said connector body, the free end of each of the cantilever members adapted to engage an inserted conductor and acts as a one-way clutch to avoid the removal of an inserted conductor. 21. A lampholder according to claim 19, wherein said conducting end of each of the four contacts comprises at least two cantilevered members, each inclined inward toward the connector body, the free end of each one. of the cantilever members adapted to couple a conductor inserted therein and acts as a one-way clutch to prevent the removal of an inserted conductor. 22. A lampholder according to claim 12, wherein: a) each of the four contact cavities has an opening in one of the walls defining said contact cavity; and b) each of the contacts has a tongue on it to engage said opening in the contact cavity wall and to prevent the removal of at least each of the two contacts from an associated contact cavity. 23. An electrical contact comprising: a) a contact body having a first end and a second end; b) coupling means on the first contact body end to engage with the first conductive member; c) conductor coupling means in the second contact body end for coupling with the second conductor member; d) said conductor coupling means comprising at least one cantilever member having a first end coupled to said contact body and inclined inward toward said contact body in the direction toward the first end of the contact bodysaid cantilevered member having a second free end separated from the contact body and adapted to engage the bare end of a conductor inserted between the free end of the cantilever member and said contact body, said cantilevered member acting as a clutch of a single direction to avoid the removal of an inserted conductor. 24. An electrical contact according to claim 23, wherein the conductor coupling means comprises two cantilevered members, each having a first end coupled to the contact body in the direction towards the first contact body end, said cantilevered members each having a second free end separated from the contact body and each adapted to independently engage the bare end of a conductor inserted between the free end of one of the cantilevered members and the contact body, each of the cantilevered members acting as a one-way clutch to prevent the removal of inserted conductors. 25. - An electrical contact according to claim 23, wherein said cantilevered member has a reinforcing ribs. 26. - An electrical contact according to claim 24, wherein said cantilevered member has a reinforcing ribs.