Fluorescent lampholder
AssigneeLeviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
InventorsSteve Campolo, Paul Endres, Gerald N. King
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Lampholders to be used with cold cathode fluorescent lamps of the type that do not require heated internal filaments. A lamp pin contact to engage one of the two lamp pins at each end of the lamp provides the electrical circuit between a high voltage ballast and the gas within the lamp. A lamp retainer device engages one of the lamp pins and cooperates with one lamp pin contact to support the lamp. The device may take the form of one or more cantilever mounted insulating or conductive arms, a flat or spring wire form or may be made of compressible material. A further form of lampholder uses a spring loaded contact to engage the lamp pins of a fluorescent lamp and to make contact with a single power conductor.
Claims29
A lampholder characterized by an absence of a plurality of lamp pin contacts for electrically engaging and supporting cold cathode fluorescent lamps, which lamps include an elongated lamp envelope and two opposite end caps, each of the end caps including two lamp pins extending therethrough, the lampholder comprising:
- a) an elongated body member formed with a conductor receiving portion and a lamp receiving portion;
- b) a single electrically conductive lamp pin contact formed with a first end located in said body member conductor receiving portion for conducting electricity between a power-supplying electrical conductor and one of said lamp pin contacts, and a second end located in said body member lamp receiving portion to engage at least one of said two lamp pins;
- and
- c) a lamp retaining device in said body member lamp receiving portion for supporting a second one of the two lamp pins of the fluorescent lamp in electrical contact with said single lamp contact pin;
- d) said lampholder characterized by the absence of a need for more than one lamp pin contact as found in conventional fluorescent lampholders requiring two lamp pin contacts thereby eliminating a lamp pin contact to provide a saving in material cost of the lampholder.
A lampholder for electrically engaging and supporting cold cathode fluorescent lamps having an elongate lamp envelope and two opposite end caps, each of said two end caps having two lamp pins extending therethrough, the lampholder comprising:
- a) an elongate body member having a conductor receiving portion and a lamp receiving portion;
- b) an electric lamp pin contact having a first end located in said body member conductor receiving portion for engaging an electrical conductor to supply electrical power to said lamp pin contact and a second end located in said body member lamp receiving portion for engaging one of said two lamp pins;
- and
- c) a lamp retaining device in said body member lamp receiving portion for engaging the other of said two lamp pins whereby a fluorescent lamp will be supported between said electrical lamp pin contact and said lamp retaining device.
A lampholder for electrically engaging and supporting cold cathode fluorescent lamps having an elongate lamp envelope with two opposite end caps, each of said two end caps having two lamp pins extending therethrough, the lampholder comprising:
- a) an elongate housing member having a conductor receiving portion and a lamp receiving portion;
- b) a first contact member having a first end located in said housing member conductor receiving portion for engaging an electrical conductor to supply electrical power to said first contact member and a second end located in said lamp receiving portion of said housing member;
- c) a second contact member having a first conductive surface with at least one depression therein adapted to engage both of the lamp pins of one of said two end caps with both of the lamp pins seated within the trough of the respective depression;
- and
- d) spring means coupled at a first end to said second contact member and at a second end to said second end of said first contact member, said spring means fabricated from a conductive material whereby the electrical power applied to said first contact member is also applied to said second contact member and to the two lamp pins of a fluorescent lamp inserted adjacent said lamp receiving portion of said elongate housing member.
A lampholder electrically engaging and supporting cold cathode fluorescent lamps having an elongate lamp envelope with two end caps, one at each end of said lamp envelope, each of said two end caps having two lamp pins extending therethrough, the lampholder comprising:
- a) an elongate housing member having a conductor receiving portion and a lamp receiving portion;
- b) a contact member having a first end located in said conductor receiving portion of said housing member and a second end located in said lamp receiving portion of said housing member;
- c) said contact member first end engaging an electrical conductor to supply electrical power to said contact member;
- and
- d) said contact member second end formed to engage two contact pins of a fluorescent lamp inserted into said housing member.
A lampholder for electrically engaging and supporting cold cathode fluorescent lamps having an elongate lamp envelope with two end caps, one at each end of said lamp envelope, each of said two end caps having two lamp pins extending therethrough, the lampholder comprising:
- a) an elongate body member having a conductor receiving portion and a lamp receiving portion;
- b) an electrical lamp pin contact having a first end located in said body member conductor receiving portion for engaging an electrical conductor to supply electrical power to said lamp pin contact and a second end located in said body member lamp receiving portion to engage at least one of said two lamp pins;
- and
- c) a lamp retaining device in said body member lamp receiving portion for engaging a fluorescent lamp pin whereby said fluorescent lamp is supported by said lamp retaining device and in contact with said electrical lamp pin contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.