Holder for discharge lamp

• US 20030038572A1
• Filed: 08/23/2001
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EGL Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: EGL Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Kiermaier, Ludwig P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,666,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/11 Resilient sockets carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/53 Bases or cases for heavy duty; Bases or cases for high voltage with means for preventing corona or arcing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/0836 characterised by the lamp holding means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/36 Conductive members located under tip of screw

Abstract

A lamp holder that can receive a discharge lamp has an insulating body that can work with an electrically conductive junction box. The junction box has a bottom, an opening opposite the bottom, and one or more sidewalls circumscribing the opening. The insulating body is sized to fit at least partially into the box, and has a flange sized to surmount and circumscribe the sidewalls that circumscribe the opening. The insulating body has (a) a cavity with a lamp entryway, and (b) a wire passageway providing access into the cavity. The wire passageway may travel partly underneath the cavity, or through a portion of the wall having a relatively greater wall thickness (or may travel otherwise.) A lamp contact is mounted in the cavity for electrically engaging the discharge lamp.

Claims

1. A lamp holder for receiving a discharge lamp, comprising:

an electrically conductive box having a bottom, an opening opposite said bottom, and one or more sidewalls circumscribing said opening; and

an insulating body sized to fit at least partially into said box, said insulating body having a flange sized to surmount and circumscribe the one or more sidewalls that circumscribe said opening, said insulating body having (a) a cavity with a lamp entryway, and (b) a wire passageway providing access into said cavity; and

a lamp contact mounted in said cavity for electrically engaging said discharge lamp.

2. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said lamp entryway and said flange are on the same side of said insulating body.

3. A lamp holder according to claim 2 wherein said flange has two pairs of opposite parallel edges.

4. A lamp holder according to claim 2 wherein said box has a spaced pair of landings transverse to and integral with said one or more sidewalls, said landings each having a threaded hole, said flange having screw holes with a spacing matching that of said threaded holes in said landings.

5. A lamp holder according to claim 2 wherein said insulating body has a cup-shaped receptacle depending from said flange.

6. A lamp holder according to claim 5 wherein said cup-shaped receptacle is offcentered on said flange toward a predetermined side.

7. A lamp holder according to claim 6 wherein said cup-shaped receptacle has a non-symmetrical wall thickness.

8. A lamp holder according to claim 6 wherein said cup-shaped receptacle has a smaller wall thickness on said predetermined side.

9. A lamp holder according to claim 8 wherein said wire passageway travels in a direction toward said predetermined side into said cavity.

10. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said wire passageway travels partly underneath said cavity.

11. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said cavity has a nonsymmetrical wall thickness, said wire passageway traveling through a region having above average wall thickness.

12. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said cavity has a recess sized to receive and hold a portion of said lamp contact.

13. A lamp holder according to claim 12 wherein said cavity comprises an opposing pair of grooves, said lamp contact comprising a U-shaped clip with a pair of flared tips mounted in said pair of grooves.

14. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said cavity has a well sized to receive and hold a portion of said lamp contact.

15. A lamp holder according to claim 14 wherein said wire passageway emerges inside said well.

16. A lamp holder according to claim 14 wherein said lamp contact comprises:

a U-shaped clip; and

a block attached to said clip and mounted in said well, said block having a wire channel for holding a wire, said wire passageway emerging inside said well at said wire channel.

17. A lamp holder according to claim 16 wherein said block has a threaded hole transversely intersecting said wire channel and a wire-securing screw threaded in said threaded hole, said wire channel having a funnel-shaped mouth.

18. A lamp holder according to claim 1 comprising:

a fitting attached to said box for providing a portal for routing wire into said box.

19. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said cavity and said lamp contact is sized to receive two discharge lamps.

20. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said cavity is sized to receive two discharge lamps, said holder comprising:

a cap secured over said cavity to cover about half of said lamp entryway.

21. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said cavity is sized to receive two discharge lamps, said holder comprising:

a dividing wall secured in said cavity.

22. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said insulating body has a spaced pair of cup-shaped receptacles depending from said flange, each having said cavity with said lamp entryway and said lamp contact, so that said insulating body can receive two lamps.

23. A lamp holder according to claim 1 wherein said insulating body has a spaced pair of cup-shaped receptacles depending from said flange, each having said cavity with said lamp entryway and said lamp contact, said cavity and said lamp contact being sized to receive two lamps, so that said insulating body can receive four lamps.

24. A lamp holder adapted to fit at least partially into a standard metal junction box having a bottom, an opening opposite said bottom, and one or more sidewalls circumscribing said opening, said lamp holder comprising:

an insulating body sized to fit at least partially into said box, said insulating body having a flange sized to surmount and circumscribe the one or more sidewalls that circumscribe said opening, said insulating body having (a) a cavity with a lamp entryway, and (b) a wire passageway providing access into said cavity; and

a lamp contact mounted in said cavity for electrically engaging said discharge lamp.

25. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said lamp entryway and said flange are on the same side of said insulating body.

26. A lamp holder according to claim 25 wherein said flange has two pairs of opposite parallel edges.

27. A lamp holder according to claim 25 wherein said box has a spaced pair of landings transverse to and integral with said one or more sidewalls, said landings each having a threaded hole, said flange having screw holes with a spacing matching that of said threaded holes in said landings.

28. A lamp holder according to claim 25 wherein said insulating body has a cup-shaped receptacle depending from said flange.

29. A lamp holder according to claim 28 wherein said cup-shaped receptacle is offcentered on said flange toward a predetermined side.

30. A lamp holder according to claim 29 wherein said cup-shaped receptacle has a non-symmetrical wall thickness.

31. A lamp holder according to claim 29 wherein said cup-shaped receptacle has a smaller wall thickness on said predetermined side.

32. A lamp holder according to claim 31 wherein said wire passageway travels in a direction toward said predetermined side into said cavity.

33. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said wire passageway travels partly underneath said cavity.

34. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said cavity has a nonsymmetrical wall thickness, said wire passageway traveling through a region having above average wall thickness.

35. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said cavity has a recess sized to receive and hold a portion of said lamp contact.

36. A lamp holder according to claim 35 wherein said cavity comprises an opposing pair of grooves, said lamp contact comprising a U-shaped clip with a pair of flared tips mounted in said pair of grooves.

37. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said cavity has a well sized to receive and hold a portion of said lamp contact.

38. A lamp holder according to claim 37 wherein said wire passageway emerges inside said well.

39. A lamp holder according to claim 37 wherein said lamp contact comprises:

a U-shaped clip; and

a block attached to said clip and mounted in said well, said block having a wire channel for holding a wire, said wire passageway emerging inside said well at said wire channel.

40. A lamp holder according to claim 39 wherein said block has a threaded hole transversely intersecting said wire channel and a wire-securing screw threaded in said threaded hole, said wire channel having a funnel-shaped mouth.

41. A lamp holder according to claim 24 comprising:

a fitting attached to said box for providing a portal for routing wire into said box.

42. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said cavity and said lamp contact is sized to receive two discharge lamps.

43. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said cavity is sized to receive two discharge lamps, said holder comprising:

a cap secured over said cavity to cover about half of said lamp entryway.

44. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said cavity is sized to receive two discharge lamps, said holder comprising:

a dividing wall secured in said cavity.

45. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said insulating body has a spaced pair of cup-shaped receptacles depending from said flange, each having said cavity with said lamp entryway and said lamp contact, so that said insulating body can receive two lamps.

46. A lamp holder according to claim 24 wherein said insulating body has a spaced pair of cup-shaped receptacles depending from said flange, each having said cavity with said lamp entryway and said lamp contact, said cavity and said lamp contact being sized to receive two lamps, so that said insulating body can receive four lamps.

47. A lamp holder for receiving a discharge lamp, comprising:

an insulating body having (a) a cavity with a lamp entryway, and (b) a wire passageway formed in said insulating body and partly traveling underneath said cavity for providing access into said cavity; and

a lamp contact mounted in said cavity for electrically engaging said discharge lamp.

48. A lamp holder according to claim 47 wherein said lamp entryway and said flange are on the same side of said insulating body.

49. A lamp holder according to claim 48 wherein said flange has two pairs of opposite parallel edges.

50. A lamp holder according to claim 48 wherein said insulating body has a cup-shaped receptacle depending from said flange.

51. A lamp holder according to claim 50 wherein said cup-shaped receptacle is offcentered on said flange toward a predetermined side.

52. A lamp holder according to claim 51 wherein said cup-shaped receptacle has a non-symmetrical wall thickness.

53. A lamp holder according to claim 51 wherein said cup-shaped receptacle has a smaller wall thickness on said predetermined side.

54. A lamp holder according to claim 53 wherein said wire passageway travels in a direction toward said predetermined side into said cavity.

55. A lamp holder according to claim 47 wherein said wire passageway travels partly underneath said cavity.

56. A lamp holder for receiving a discharge lamp, comprising:

an insulating body having a base, and one or more walls emerging from said base to circumscribe a cavity that is open through a lamp entryway, said insulating body having formed therein a wire passageway passing through a portion of said wall having a wall thickness greater than that existing across said cavity opposite said passageway; and

a lamp contact mounted in said cavity for electrically engaging said discharge lamp.

57. A lamp holder for receiving a discharge lamp, comprising:

an electrically conductive box having a bottom, an opening opposite said bottom, and one or more sidewalls circumscribing said opening; and

an insulating body sized to fit at least partially into said box, said insulating body having a flange sized to surmount and circumscribe the one or more sidewalls that circumscribe said opening, said insulating body having a cavity with a lamp entryway; and

a lamp contact mounted in said cavity for electrically engaging said discharge lamp.