Receptacle for wedge base lamps

Abstract

 A terminal receptacle assembly is disclosed for use with wedge base lamps having two side portions, each having a wire coupled to a filament wire of the lamp, positioned thereon. Each receptacle of the assembly is made to receive one of the side portions and contains a member which engages and positions the wire upon said side portion in order to make an effective electrical contact therewith. The scraping characteristic is maintained even after the side portion is repeatedly inserted and removed front the receptacle. The receptacle further contains another member which engages the side portion so as to firmly position the side portion within the receptacle.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a receptacle for a lamp and more particularly to a terminal receptacle adapted to receive and retain an extended side portion of a lamp having a filament wire and wedge shaped base.

[0002] Such wedge base type lamps are used in a plurality of applications, such as in automobiles as they provide a good source of light without requiring a great amount of mounting space therein.

[0003] These lamps usually contain a filament wire which is heated so that it produces light, and two extended side portions. Such heating is usually accomplished by the application of electrical energy, by an external source, to the filament. The electrical energy is usually coupled to a pair of coupling wires which are themselves coupled to the filament. The coupling wires serve as a conduit for the coupling of the electrical power from the external source to the filament wire. These coupling wires are usually exposed and are made to fold over separate side extending portions of the lamp.

[0004] One method for mounting and imparting electrical power to these coupling wires of said lamps is by use of a terminal receptacle. These terminal receptacles are coupled to a source of electrical power and are thereby energized. A single extended side portion of the lamp is usually made to be inserted into such a receptacle such that it is securely mounted therein and the coupling wire contained thereon engages an energized portion of the terminal.

[0005] If, however, the coupling wire is initially skewed relative to its placement on the side portion prior to insertion into the receptacle, adequate electrical contact may not be made within the receptacle. This faulty engagement precludes the heating of the filament wire contained within the lamp and precludes the emission of light therefrom.

[0006] Attempts have been made to construct a terminal receptacle which will ensure proper coupling wire alignment upon insertion of the lamp therein so as to allow for adequate electrical contact between the terminal receptacle and the coupling wire.

[0007] One such approach is disclosed in United States Patent 4,630,880 issued to Durand, which discloses the use of guides, within the receptacle, to scrape along a side portion of the lamp as the lamp is inserted into the receptacle. This scraping causes the wires contained upon the lamp's side portions to be aligned such that an energized portion of the terminal receptacle can make adequate electrical contact therewith.

[0008] A disadvantage of the approach disclosed in Durand is that these guides deform in shape as the side portion of the lamp is repeatedly inserted and removed from the receptacle. This shape deformation eliminates the ability of the guide to effectively scrape the lamp's side portion thereby preventing an effective engagement of the coupling wire by the energized portion of the receptacle.

[0009] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a terminal receptacle assembly having a plurality of terminal receptacles contained therein for engaging and providing electrical power to the exposed coupling wires of a wedge base lamp.

[0010] It is another object of this invention to provide an assembly body, surrounding said receptacle assembly, which defines flexible finger guides for the proper and secure positioning of the terminals contained within said assembly.

[0011] It is a further object of this invention to provide a terminal receptacle having a flexible guide which may position a coupling wire so as to allow for proper electrical contact therewith and which is capable of positioning the wire in this manner even after repeated insertions and removals of the side portion of the lamp from the terminal receptacle.

[0012] It is yet another object of this invention to provide a terminal receptacle having a wall limit portion which limits the insertion depth of the side portion of the lamp into the receptacle and having a sidewall portion which cooperates with a flexible finger defined by the assembly body so as to allow the receptacle to be securely positioned therein.

[0013] A terminal receptacle made in accordance with the teachings of the preferred embodiment of this invention contains three wall portions and a limit portion which cooperate to define a lamp side portion receiving cavity which has a depth limited by said limit portion. One of the wall portions comprises a member having a spring biasing portion, a flexible scraping portion, and a redundant contact portion. The biasing portion obliquely positions the scraping portion into the defined cavity such that the scraping portion engages a coupling wire contained upon a side portion of the lamp as the side portion is inserted into the receiving cavity. The biasing portion also causes the redundant contact portion to be protruded into the cavity.

[0014] The engagement of the wire with the scraping portion allows the scraping portion and the redundant contact portion to have an effective electrical contact with the coupling wire upon placement of the side portion within the cavity. Electrical power is coupled to the scraping and contact portions and is thereby transferred to the coupling wire. The spring biasing portion allows the scraping portion to maintain its scraping characteristics even after the side portion of the lamp is repeatedly inserted and removed from the receptacle.

[0015] An oppositely positioned wall portion comprises a member directed into the cavity which engages a lamp surface, opposite to the wire containing surface, so as to securely position the side portion within the cavity.

[0016] The third wall portion, defines an opening which cooperates with the flexible finger of the assembly body so as to allow the receptacle to be securely positioned therein.

[0017] Further objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent from consideration of the appended claims, the following description, and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] 

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a terminal receptacle assembly made in accordance with the teachings of the preferred embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, like Figure 1, illustrating the insertion of a wedge base lamp into the terminal receptacle;

Figure 3 is a view of the terminal receptacle assembly shown in Figure 1 and taken substantially along the line A-A'; and

Figure 4 is a view of the terminal receptacle assembly shown in Figure 2 and taken substantially along the line B-B'.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0019] A terminal receptacle assembly 10 containing terminal receptacles 12 and 14 which are both made in accordance with the teachings of the preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in Figures 1-4.

[0020] Terminals 12 and 14 are well suited for use with lamp 16 having a general wedge shaped base 18 and generally extending side portions 20 and 22 which themselves contain indented portions 24 and 26 respectively.

[0021] Lamp 16 contains a filament wire (not shown) to which electrical energy is normally applied and which causes the filament to heat thereby producing energy in the form of light. The electrical energy is usually coupled to the filament wire by use of coupling wires 28 and 30 which extend out of lamp 16 and fold over side portions 20 and 22 respectively. Wires 28 and 30 are normally oppositely positioned from indented portions 24 and 26 respectively as shown in Figures 2 and 4. Terminals 12 and 14 each receive a single side portion 20 and 22 of lamp 16 and couple wires 28 and 30 respectively to a source of electrical power.

[0022] Assembly 10 comprised of a body 32, which may be made of plastic material, having a top wall portion 34, a bottom portion 36, and sidewall portions 38 and 42 which cooperate to define two terminal receptacle cavities 44 (having end openings 46 and 48) and 50 into which terminals 12 and 14 are respectively placed.

[0023] Sidewall 38 contains longitudinal slots 52 and 54 which define a longitudinal resilient flexible finger guide 56 having a raised wedge shape portion 58. Sidewall 42 has a similar structure which is not shown.

[0024] Terminal receptacle 12, as shown best in Figure 1, comprises a limiting wall 60, back wall 62 having an opening 64, walls 66 and 68 and a wire crimping portion 70 shown in its crimped position. Back wall 62 and walls 68 cooperate with limiting wall 60 to define a side portion receiving cavity 72.

[0025] Wall 66 has a spring biasing portion 74, a scraping portion 76, and a redundant contact portion 78. Spring biasing portion 74 obliquely biases scraping portion 76 and also biases redundant contact portion 78 into cavity 72. Wall 68 has a protruding portion 80 which also extends into cavity 72.

[0026] In operation, terminal receptacle 12 is normally placed through opening 46 of body assembly 32 such that wedge shaped portion 58 cooperates with opening 64 thereby engaging back wall 62 and securing receptacle 12 within cavity 44. Receptacle 12 is further secured within cavity 44 by the cooperation of walls 36 and 34 with walls 68 and 66 respectively.

[0027] Wire 82, coupled to an electrical power source (not shown) is then similarly placed within cavity 44 through opening 46 and is coupled to walls 66 and 68 by crimping portion 70 thusly imparting electrical energy to walls 66 (including scraping portions 76 and redundant contact 78) and 68.

[0028] As best shown in Figure 2, side portion 22 of lamp 16 is received into cavity 72 through opening 48. Side portion 22 is initially engaged by scraping portion 76 and, due to the oblique nature of the positioning of scraping portion 76 within cavity 72, scraping portion 76 scrapes side portion 22 while engaging wire 30. Consequently, scraping portion 76 is forced to a parallel position relative to side portion 22 thereby effectively engaging wire 30. As portion 22 fully enters cavity 72 wire 30 is redundantly engaged by redundant contact portion wire 78.

[0029] Protruding portion 80 is uniquely structured to nest within and cooperate with indented portion 26 so as to secure side portion 22 within cavity 72. Spring biasing portion 74 forces this nesting by biasing indented portion 26 toward protruding portion 80 when side portion 22 is fully positioned within cavity 72 as shown in Figure 2. Electrical power is consequently coupled to wire 30 by scraping portions 76 and redundant contact portion 78 of wall 66.

[0030] Terminal 14 is structurally identical to terminal 12 and similarly couples wire 28 to an opposite polarity of the same electrical power as is coupled to wire 30. Wires 30 and 28 thereby cooperate to provide electrical energy to the filament wire of lamp 16.

[0031] As side portion 22 is removed from cavity 72, biasing portion 74 allows scraping portion 76 to regain its initial oblique position relative to cavity 72 thereby being capable of scraping side portion 22 in the above-described manner should side portion 22 be reinserted into cavity 72. Biasing portion 74 allows scraping portion 76 to maintain its characteristic scraping action even after side portion 22 is repeatedly inserted and removed from cavity 72 since these repeated insertions and removals do not deform biasing portion 74.

[0032] Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the forgoing details of the description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the scope of the subjoined claims or within the scope of the aforementioned invention.

Claims

1. A terminal receptacle for a lamp having a wedge-shaped base and a filament wire, said base having oppositely extending side portions, wherein each of said side portions has a surface having a wire connected to said flament wire and an oppositely positioned indented surface, said receptacle comprising:

(a) a sidewall;

(b) a first member coupled to said sidewall, said first member having an engagement portion for engaging said indented surface of said lamp; and

(c) a second member coupled to said sidewall, wherein said second member cooperates with said sidewall and said first member to define a side portion receiving cavity, said second member having a biasing portion and a wire scraping portion, said biasing portion biasing said wire scraping portion into said cavity, said wire scraping portion extending obliquely into said cavity in relation to said side portions such that, as said lamp is inserted into said receptacle, said wire scraping portion engages one of said side portions so as to scrape said one of said side portions while simultaneously contacting said wire, said wire scraping portion subsequently being forced into a parallel position relative to said side portions as a result of further insertion of said lamp.

2. The terminal of Claim 1 wherein said second member further comprises:
a redundant contact portion biased into said cavity by said biasing portion.

3. The terminal of Claim 1 wherein said defined cavity has a depth associated therewith and wherein said receptacle further comprises:
a wall coupled to said sidewall, said wall limiting the depth to which said one of said side portions may be inserted into said cavity.

4. The receptacle of Claim 1 wherein said receptacle may be housed in an assembly body wherein said body defines a longitudinal guide finger having a raised wedge shaped portion at the end thereof and wherein said receptacle further comprises:
an opening for engaging said wedge shaped portion, thereby securing said receptacle within said assembly body.

5. The receptacle of Claim 1 further comprising:
a connector for connecting a source of electrical power to said second member.

Drawing