Miniature lamp assembly having external interlocking device

• US 6,048,074 A
• Filed: 04/21/1998
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyo Electric Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Toyo Electric Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Wang, Jessica
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAWHNEY, HARGOBIND S
• Application Number:
  US09/063,709
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 362/226, 362/227, 362/249, 362/238, 362/382, 439/617, 439/616
• US Class Current: 362/655
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/001 being candle-shaped with varying lighting effect of simulating flames F21S10/04; string of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0005 of sources having contact pins, wires or blades, e.g. pinch sealed lamp F21V19/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6272 comprising a single latching arm
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/09 for baseless lamp bulb
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

A miniature decorative electric lamp assembly includes an electric bulb inserted into a lampbase member, with the lampbase lower end being received in the upper end of a central longitudinal passageway in a socket member which contains dual electrical contacts each connected to an insulated wire. The lamp assembly also includes an external interlocking device for which the lampbase upper portion includes an elongated semi-flexible radial extending tongue element which has an outer biased elastic detent portion, and the socket member includes a rigid radial frame element having a central opening. During lamp assembly the lampbase member is inserted into the socket member and the internal electric contacts are made and the tongue detent portion is hooked into the frame element, so that the two members are locked firmly together so as to preclude any inadvertent separation and electric disconnect during handling or use.

Claims

1. A miniature electric lamp assembly having an external integral interlocking device, comprising:

a lampbase member having a cylindrical-shaped upper portion surrounding a central cylindrical-shaped upper cavity, said lampbase member having a lower portion with an inner channel having dual spaced-apart openings provided at the channel lower end;

said lampbase member having an elongated semi-flexible tongue element extending radially outwardly from its upper portion, said tongue element including a biased elastic detent portion provided at the tongue element outer end;

an electrical bulb having dual bare wires extending from the bulb lower end, said bulb being received in the lampbase member central upper cavity with each said bare wire outer end being inserted through one of the dual openings in the lampbase lower end; and

a holder socket member having a central passageway upper portion shaped for receiving said lampbase member, said holder socket member containing dual electrical metal contactors each connected to an insulated wire extending from the socket member lower end, said socket member having an integral rigid frame element extending radially outwardly, said frame element having a central opening;

whereby the lampbase member lower portion is inserted into the socket member central passageway so that the bulb dual bare wires are each in electrical contact with one of the dual electrical contactors and the elongated semi-flexible tongue element is being and automatically inserted into said rigid frame element central opening, so that the tongue element biased elastic detent portion is engaged firmly within the rigid frame element central opening so as to prevent inadvertent separation of the lampbase and socket members.

2. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said lampbase member elongated tongue element includes a biased elastic hinge portion located near the lampbase member.

3. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said tongue element biased elastic detent portion has a rectangular shape.

4. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said socket member rigid frame element central opening is rectangular-shaped.

5. The lamp assembly of claim 3, wherein the biased elastic detent portion upper surface contacts a lower surface of the rigid frame element.

6. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said elongated tongue element is located in alignment with a narrow side of said lampbase member lower extension portion.

7. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said biased elastic detent portion has an upper surface which is biased outwardly sufficiently to engage an outer bar portion of said rigid frame element.

8. The lamp assembly of claim 7, wherein said biased elastic detent portion upper surface normally extends outwardly from the tongue element outer surface by a distance equal to at least 50% of the detent portion thickness.

9. A miniature electric lamp assembly having an integral external interlocking device, the lamp assembly comprising:

a lampbase member having a cylindrical-shaped upper portion surrounding a central cylindrical-shaped upper cavity, said lampbase member having an elongated lower portion with flat sides and an inner channel having dual spaced apart openings provided at the channel lower end;

said lampbase member having an elongated semi-flexible tongue element including an elastic hinge-portion and a rectangular-shaped biased elastic detent portion provided at the tongue element outer end;

an electric bulb having dual bare wires extending from the bulb lower end;

said bulb being received in the lampbase member central upper cavity and with the bare wire outer ends each being inserted through one of the dual openings in the lampbase channel lower end;

a holder socket member having a central longitudinal passageway with an upper portion shaped for receiving the lampbase upper portion and a lower passage shaped for receiving said lampbase lower extension portion, said socket member containing dual electrical metal contact plates each connected to an insulated wire extending from the socket member lower end, said socket member having an integral rigid frame element extending radially outwardly from the socket member upper portion, said frame element having a central rectangular-shaped opening;

whereby the lampbase member lower portion is inserted into the holder socket member central upper passageway so that the bulb dual bare wires are each arranged in electrical contact with one of the dual electrical contact plates; and

the elongated semi-flexible tongue element is bent downwardly and automatically inserted into the rectangular-shaped opening in the rigid integral frame element so that the biased elastic detent portion is engaged firmly within the rigid frame element central opening so as to prevent inadvertent separation of the lampbase and socket members.

10. In a miniature electrical lamp assembly, including:

a lampbase member having a cylindrical-shaped upper portion surrounding a central cylindrical-shaped upper cavity, the lampbase member having a lower portion with an inner channel having dual spaced-apart openings provided at its lower end;

the lampbase member having an electrical bulb with dual bare wires extending from the bulb lower end, the bulb being received in the lampbase member central upper cavity with the bare wires outer ends each being inserted through one of the dual openings in the lampbase lower end; and

a socket member having a central upper passageway shaped for receiving the lampbase upper portion and a lower passage shaped for receiving the lampbase lower extension portion, said socket member containing dual electrical metal contactors each connected to one electrical insulated wire extending from the socket member lower end, the improvement wherein;

an elongated semi-flexible tongue element extends outwardly from the lampbase upper portion, said tongue element including a biased elastic detent portion provided at the tongue outer end; and

an integral rigid frame element extending radially outwardly from said socket member upper end;

said frame element having a central opening sized for receiving the tongue element therein, whereby the lampbase member lower end portion is inserted into the socket member central passageway, and the semi-flexible tongue element is automatically inserted into the central opening in the rigid frame element so that the tongue element elastic detent portion is engaged firmly with the rigid frame element central opening so as to prevent any undesired separation of the lampbase and socket members.

11. The lamp assembly of claim 10, wherein said elongated semiflexible tongue element has an elastic hinge portion located near the lampbase member;

and said biased detent portion is rectangular-shaped.

12. The lamp assembly of claim 11, wherein said tongue hinge portion and said detent elastic hinge portion together have sufficient outward bias to maintain the detent portion upper surface hooked below a transverse bar of the rigid frame element.

13. The lamp assembly of claim 12, wherein said detent portion upper end normally extends outwardly from the tongue element outer surface by a distance equal to at least about 50% of the detent portion thickness.

14. The lamp assembly of claim 10, wherein said rigid frame central opening is rectangular-shaped.