US2254222A - Fluorescent lamp socket - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2,'1941. H. HUBBELL ETAL i 2,254,222

FLUORESCENT LAMP SOCKET Filed Dec. 22, 1939 l conditions;v

Patented Sept. l1 941 v .FLUORESCENT LAMP SOCKET- Harvey Hubbell, Long Hill, and Joseph F. Healy,

J r., Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to Harvey Hubbell, Incorporated, Bridgeport, Conn., Aa'corporation of Connecticut Application December 22, 1939, Serial No. 310,600 I 12 claims. (cina-32s) This invention relates tov electric lamp sockets, particularly a socket for mounting fluorescent tubular lamps in which a pin .type of mounting is used, that is, the external contacts are usually,

a pair of parallel pntype contacts projecting from the end oi' the tube. In this type of lamp the usual type of mounting requires a turning movement to the lamp in inserting it in and removing it from the socket, which on account of the limited space availableis often difiicult to accomplish, They are also often mounted in a suspended position and it is'lmportant that the lamp to permit its removal from or mounting y it in the socket, but that should it become accidentally released is will be held against dropping from the socket. y

It is also-an object to provide such a mounting vsocket which hasincidental switch operation, or, in o her words, in which the lamp may be par y released' and-this operation will open the circuit to the lamp.

Another vobject isto provide a construction in which the lamp is locked in the socket and released in two :stages so that should one stage of the lock be accidentally released the lamp would still be retained in the socket because of the second stage.

With the foregoing and other objects in view we have devised a construction Aillustrated in the Fig. 4 .is a similar view showing the socket reversed so that the lamp is vlocated above the support instead of being suspended from it;

Figs. 5 and 6 are a side and end elevation respectively of one end portion of a standard type of fluorescent lamp;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation contact in the socket;

. Fig. 8 is anV edge elevation contact; and

"Fig, `9 is a. view looking from the right of'Fig. 8 with partsbroken .away to more clearly show the construction.

lIn Fig. 1 the uorescenttubulai" lamp I0 is shown suspended by the sockets II from a base I2 ofany suitable type or constructionwhich ordinarily would be in any' suitable type of enclosing casing, not shown, forgood appearance and on which may be mounted theusual booster orxcontrol unit I3 properly connected by the wires I4 with the contacts in the sockets II, and through them and the pin contacts I5 and I6 projectingirom the ends of the lamp, with the electrodes in the lamp. These leads may be connected. with a suitable attachment plug cap I'I for plugging into any suitable type of of the inner spring of the `outer spring outlet or receptacle connected to the house wirbut that various changes and modifications. may

be employed within thev scope ,of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mounting showing how our improved socket may be employed in supporting tubular fluorescent lamps;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the socket on an enlarged scale looking toward the outer side thereof with the`cover`plate removed and showlng the lamp contacts in normal position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing one stage of the locking operation released and showing the position a suspended lamp occupiesunder these ing system.

The socket II is shown in detail in Figs. and 4. It comprises an insulating body I8 having a lbase I9 by which it may be mounted on the support I2. This body Ahas in its inner side and extending from the end edge 20 thereof a slot 2| for insertion of the pin cont-acts I5, I6 by a lateral movement. 'I'he opposite side of the body 'is open and closed by an insulating plate 22 seated at its edges on the shoulders 23 andv 2i surrounding the recess in the body and fasy 3l is composed of a strip of resilient metal se- Acured at its inner end to 'a plate 33 which is mounted in the body by seating at itsfedges in'notches .3l and carries a binding screw 35 A for connection to a lead wire 36. At its opposite 30 and is secured. at its inner end to a plate.

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with the contact 3|. Thus the circuit throughy the lamp is broken and we secure the incidental switch action in this arrangement of the socket the same as we did with the socket arranged as in Figs. 2 and 3. -We also have .the locking and releasing of the contacts by two stages as in the first arrangement. It will further be evident that the socket can be used in the horizontal position if desired and will function in the same manner. Although contacts 3| and 32 are shown as resilient or spring contacts they could be rigid or ilexible contacts mounted for lateral movement under action of separate springs.

It will be evident from the above that we have 'provided a simple socket for this type of -lamp into which the lamp contacts may be inserted and from which they may be removed quickly and easily with simple sliding movements, but that the contacts are effectively heldA inthe socket. Also thatjthe two stage locking and unlocking feature greatly reduces the liability of the lamp being accidentally released from the socket, but permits quick and easy removal from the socket if desired. Further, this double release feature gives incidental switch operation.

Having thus set forth the nature of our invention, what we claim is: i

1.".In a socket support for lamps with apair of spaced parallel pin contacts, said' support including a body having a slot to receive both of said contacts by lateral movement in the plane of the contacts only, a pair of spaced spring contacts extending across said slot 4and each arranged whenthe lamp is in the socket to engage one p in contact on the side thereof opposite the parallel pin contacts, an insulating body having other pin contact, and both spring contacts tend- Y slot entrance and forming spaced'seats facing A in opposite directions to receive the pin contacts, and said outer spring contact having an inclined cam surface outwardly of its seat toward the slot entrance for engagement by a. pin contact `as it moves inwardly in the slot to move said.

spring contact laterally toV permit passage of the pin contacts to said seats.

5. In a socket support for lamps having spaced parallel pin contacts,'an insulating body having a Aslot leading from one edge' for insertion of the lamp contacts by a 4lateral vmovement in the4 plane of the contacts, a spring contact forming a seatto receive the inner pin contact and tending to force said pinV contact outwardly toward the entrance to the slot, a rsecond spring contact extending across' the slot and forming a seat for the outer pin contact to retain it in the slot. and means for moving the" second spring contact to one side to permit passage of the pin contacts 4in the slot.

j 6. In asocket support for lamps having spaced a slot leadingfromone edge for iisertion of the lamp contacts by .a lateral movement in .the plane of the contacts, a spring contact forming a seat to receive'the inner pin contact and tending to force said pin contact outwardly through the slot, a second spring contact extendingv across the slot and forming a seat for the outer pin contact to retain itin the slot, and said second spring contact having an inclined portion out- .wardly of said seat to coactwith the pin contacts as they move into' the slot to shift said spring contact laterally to permit passage o! the pin contacts.

7. In a socket support for lamps having spaced parallel pin contacts, Yan insulating bodyhaving r a slot leading from one edge for insertion of the lamp contacts by a lateral movement in the plane of these contacts, a spring contact forming a seat to receive the inner pin contact when the pin contacts are inserted in the slot and tending to force said pin contact outwardly toward the slot entrance, a second spring contact extending across the slot and forming a seat for' the outer the said slot between the spring contacts, and

one of the spring contacts being movable laterally to` permit the pin contacts to move into and out of the slot by movements in the plane of the contacts only.

3. In a socket support for lamps having spaced V parallel pin' contacts, an insulating body having a slot leading from one edge for vinsertion of the lamp contacts by a latral movement, a pair of spring contacts carried by the body respectively spaced inwardlydiierent distances from the entrance to the slot and having seats'for the respectivepin contacts facing in opposite directions to retain the pin contacts, the outer springV contact being movable laterally to permit movement of the pin contacts into and from the slot,

and said latter spring contact also having an inclined portion outwardly of the seat thereon toward the slot entrance for engagement by a pin contact as it is inserted in the slot to force said spring contact laterally.

4`. In a socket support for lamps having spaced parallel pin'contacts, an insulating bodyhaving a slot leading from one edge for insertion of the lamp contacts by a lateral movement, a pair of spaced spring contacts in the body respectively located inwardly diierentdistances from the pin contact to retain it in the slot, said second spring contact Ihaving an inclined cam surface outwardly of its seat to coact with the pin contacts as they move into the slot to shiftA theY second spring contact laterally, a manually operable means to shift said second spring contact laterally to permit passage of the pin contacts, and saidseat and cam surface on the second spring Contact being so spaced from the rst. spring contact that when the outer pin contact is outwardly of the second spring contact the inner pin contact is separated from the first spring contact to open the circuit through rthe lamp.

8. In a socket support for lamps having spaced parallel pin contacts, an insulating body having a slot leading from one edge for insertion of the lamp contacts by a lateral movement, a first spring contact forming a seat t receive the inner pin contact and tending to force said pin contact outwardly toward the slot entrance, a second spring contact to engage thev outer pin Contact to retain the lamp in the socket, va manually operable. means to shiftvthe second spring contact laterally to permit passage of vthe outer pin contact under action of the 'rst spring contact and to permit the inner pin to move away from the i'lrst spring contact,- and means operable after such movement` to retain the inner pin conmmmnerponmnmfurmmvnh the Athlllllli spaced both the lmnp contacts by c lateral movement with' one contactr-Ioeatedinm'dlyfrom theother. amstspringcontsct forming e seat to receive the'mnerpincontsctand tendtngtoforeesctd 1o snringcontecttoreleuethepineontsctstoperpin contact outwardly toward the slot entrance.

mitpesngeoftbeseplncontectltrcmthebody asecondspringoontectengagingtheouterpin permittherstmentionedpincontectto contacttoretainitinthesiotandtendingto moveoway'fromxenrstspringcontlct.end move to this holding position, manual means to means on the second spring contact to one oi' the pin contacts citer release oi' the second` shift the second spring contact to permit outward 15 movement oi the outer pin contact, and seidV pin contact to retain thenrst pincontsct in its second spring contact having means to engage new position out of enactment with the iirst @tins-contact.

support ior lomp: hxving one of the pin contacts otter such movement to supportV the lomp with the inner pin contact 12. In c nocht spaced pcrcllei pin contsckeninmietingbody.-

out of'ensccmentwitix the first spring contact. 20 10. In a socket support for lamps having spaced parallel pin contlcts, an insulating body having e slot to receive said contacts. a. rst

cpairofsnrinseontlctlinthebodxerrengedto pineontects. oneo! the tending and the other hoidins them against theiirstspringeontectmanml means te thesecondsprinxcontcct torelease engage the respective con toiorcetiiepinsirom 4spx-ing contact in the body to engage one of the action o! to o pin contacts and tend to force said pin contacts -2 trom the body. a second Vspring operated contact to englse the other pin contact andV retain it f thepins, end mccnsopereble otter release of one in the body against the action of the rst spring contact. and a. manual means for shifting'l the second spring contact to permit passage of the pin contacts-from the of the pins to retain the other pin' in the body.

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