US 5,800,212 AGranted

Plug-in type light bulb

OwnerMin-Hsun Hsuinventor

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Abstract

An improved plug-in type light bulb including a light bulb with a plug unit and an electrical socket for receiving the light bulb. The socket is comprised of two symmetrical halves each of which includes an upper portion and a lower portion. A cover plate with a notch is disposed inside at the upper portion, while a plurality of grooves are formed at the lower portion. A plurality of electrically conductive plates are disposed in the grooves and each of which has an angular contact terminal. The plug unit has two side walls each of which has an integrally formed raised block and two lateral walls against which the corresponding contact terminals of the lead wires rest. The lateral walls are further provided with a respective half round groove across which the contact terminal is disposed. When the light bulb is inserted into the socket, the angular contact terminals of the conductive plates will fit into the insert grooves of the plug unit of the light bulb and cause a part of the respective contact terminals of the lead wires to fit into the same insert grooves to achieve firm electrical contact.

Claims1

Dependent claims

An improved plug-in type light bulb and socket assembly, comprising:

a socket formed by two symmetrical halves, each half having (a) an upper portion and a lower portion with a plurality of grooves formed therein, (b) a cover plate having a notch formed therein disposed in said upper portion, and (c) a pair of electrically conductive plates at least partially received in a respective pair of said plurality of grooves, each of said pair of conductive plates having an elastic curved contact terminal formed at an upper end thereof;
and,
a light bulb having a plug unit formed on a lower end thereof received in said socket, said light bulb having a pair of lead wires respectively terminated to a pair of contact terminals, said plug unit having a pair of opposing side walls extending longitudinally a first predetermined distance, each of said pair of side walls having a raised block integrally formed thereon and dimensioned to be received in said cover plate notch of a respective socket half, said plug unit having a pair of laterally extending end walls spaced one from another by said first predetermined distance, each of said end walls extending laterally a second predetermined distance, said second predetermined distance being less than said first predetermined distance, each of said end walls having a half round groove formed therein for at least partially receiving a respective one of said contact terminals of the plug unit therein for positioning each of said contact terminals of the plug unit for contact with said elastic curved contact terminal of a respective conductive plate of said socket.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.