Socket for a Light Bulb Inserted with Axial and/or Rotational Forces
AssigneeWintergreen Corporation
InventorsWilliam Hale, Richard Chitwood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A light bulb socket having a configuration which permits bulb insertion by application of axial force, such as required with a bayonet type bulb, and also by application of rotational forces, such as a traditional threaded bulb. The socket includes a generally cylindrical sidewall, upper or proximal flex flanges forming generally parallel ribs along the inwardly facing surface of the sidewall, and a bottom or distal flange which or may not be flexible. The socket sidewall defines, on an inwardly facing surface, a sidewall cavity positioned radially outwardly or behind at least a portion of the upper flex flanges.
Claims18
A socket for receiving a light bulb inserted with use of axial force and rotational force, the socket comprising:
- a generally cylindrical sidewall having a proximal opening wherein said sidewall defines a socket receiving cavity;
- at least one proximal flange extending a predetermined circumferential distance along said sidewall longitudinally below said proximal opening and extending radially inwardly from said sidewall within said socket receiving cavity;
- and
- a sidewall cavity defined by said sidewall adjacent said at least one proximal flange wherein said sidewall cavity extends radially outwardly from said socket receiving cavity and wherein at least a portion of said at least one proximal flange is moveable from a first position to a second position wherein said second position is radially outward from said first position and said at least a portion of said at least one proximal flange in said second position extends radially outward into said sidewall cavity under axial force.
A method of inserting a light bulb into a socket with use of axial force and rotational force, the socket comprising a generally cylindrical sidewall having a proximal opening wherein said sidewall defines a socket receiving cavity, at least one proximal flange extending a predetermined circumferential distance along said sidewall longitudinally below said proximal opening and extending radially inwardly from said sidewall within said socket receiving cavity, and a sidewall cavity defined by said sidewall adjacent said at least one proximal flange wherein said sidewall cavity extends radially outwardly from said socket receiving cavity and wherein at least a portion of said at least one proximal flange is moveable from a first position to a second position wherein said second position is radially outward from said first position and said at least a portion of said at least one proximal flange in said second position extends radially outward into said sidewall cavity under axial force, the method comprising the steps of:
- inserting the light bulb into the socket using axial forces.
A socket for receiving a light bulb inserted with use of axial force and rotational force, the socket comprising:
- a generally cylindrical sidewall having a proximal opening wherein said sidewall defines a socket receiving cavity;
- at least one proximal flange extending a predetermined circumferential distance along said sidewall longitudinally below said proximal opening and extending radially inwardly from said sidewall within said socket receiving cavity;
- a distal flange extending a predetermined circumferential distance along said sidewall longitudinally below said at least one proximal flange and extending radially inwardly from said sidewall within said socket receiving cavity. and
- wherein a portion of said cylindrical sidewall includes a longitudinal section defined between said at least one proximal flange and said distal flange which is substantially void of a flange for mating with the light bulb, wherein said longitudinal section is at least equal to, in the longitudinal direction, a flange height measured in the longitudinal direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.