Decorative lighting device

Details Decorative lighting device Decorative lighting device

2001-12-03

2003-02-04

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Plural-contact coupling part

C362S229000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06514105

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a decorative lighting device, more particularly to a decorative lighting device that is easy to assemble, that ensures good electrical contact, and that has an enhanced waterproof effect.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional decorative lighting device. As shown, the conventional decorative lighting device includes a lamp holder
10
, a miniature incandescent lamp
11
mounted in the lamp holder
10
, and a housing
12
having a hole
121
. Two lead-in wires
111
,
112
of the miniature incandescent lamp
11
pass into and extend outwardly of the lamp holder
10
. After electrically connecting the lead-in wires
111
,
112
of the miniature incandescent lamp
11
to contact ends
151
of leads
15
that are pre-disposed in and that extend out of the hole
121
in the housing
12
, the lamp holder
10
is inserted into the hole
121
via a top portion of the housing
12
to complete the assembly.
Although the housing
12
can conceal the electrical contacts in the hole
121
to prevent occurrence of short-circuit due to strong winds, during assembly, since the part of the lamp holder
10
that is inserted into the hole
121
is cylindrical, the contact ends
151
of the leads
15
have to pass through the housing
12
to be electrically connected to the lead-in wires
111
,
112
of the lamp
11
before the lamp holder
10
can be fitted into the hole
121
in the housing
12
. As such, the contact ends
151
of the leads
15
will not slant to one side, which may result in interrupted electrical connection. Assembly is therefore time- and labor-consuming.
Furthermore, since the hole
121
in the housing
12
has a consistent bore and a rear end thereof is provided with an opening
122
of a consistent bore, the other end of each of the two leads
15
that are connected to the lead-in wires
111
,
112
can extend outwardly of the housing
12
, leaving a relatively large space in the hole
121
that only accommodates a part of the lamp holder
10
. When the decorative lighting device is installed outdoors and is subjected to rain, the rain water may penetrate thereinto via the opening
122
at the rear end of the housing
12
, which will affect the electrical connection between the leads
15
and the lead-in wires
111
,
112
and result in short-circuit. It can therefore be seen that such a conventional decorative lighting device does not have any waterproof effect, and the housing thereof does not provide good protection.
Furthermore, since the leads
15
are electrically connected to their respective lead-in wires
111
,
112
and are not secured by any means, they may become detached easily when subjected to an external force, so that electrical connection is affected, and the service life of the decorative lighting device is accordingly shortened.
In the conventional lighting device described above, due to the configuration of the lamp holder
10
and the miniature incandescent lamp
11
, a light transmissive member
16
can only be fitted externally of the housing
12
to enclose and conceal the miniature incandescent lamp
11
therein. However, the light transmissive member
16
that is fitted externally of the housing
12
is likely to become detached when subjected to an external force.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a decorative lighting device that ensures positive electrical contact and that prevents entrance of rainwater thereinto.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a decorative lighting device that includes a light transmissive member having an annular edge portion that can abut against a plug-in base holding a miniature incandescent lamp when the light transmissive member is coupled with a housing, thereby ensuring good electrical contact.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a decorative lighting device that facilitates lamp replacement.
According to the present invention, the decorative lighting device includes a miniature incandescent lamp, a plug-in base, a partition member, right and left urging lugs, and a housing. The miniature incandescent lamp includes upper and lower portions opposite to each other in an axial direction, and first and second lead-in wires extending downwardly and outwardly of the lower portion. The plug-in base is disposed to receive the lower portion therein, and includes a bottom wall that is disposed distal to the upper portion in the axial direction, and that extends in a first direction transverse to the axial direction. The bottom wall has right and left through holes spaced apart from each other in the first transverse direction. The second and first lead-in wires respectively pass through the right and left through holes to extend downwardly and outwardly of the bottom wall. The partition member has an upper end integrally formed with the bottom wall of the plug-in base and interposed between the right and left through holes, a lower end extending downwardly from the upper end in the axial direction, and right and left facing walls that are opposite to each other in the first transverse direction, and that are respectively proximate to the second and first lead-in wires. The partition member further has front and rear abutting walls opposite to each other in a second direction transverse to both of the first transverse direction and the axial direction. Each of the right and left facing walls and the front and rear abutting walls extends from the upper end to the lower end. The right and left urging lugs are respectively disposed on the right and left facing walls to permit the second and first lead-in wires led out of the bottom wall to be disposed outboard to the right and left urging lugs in the first transverse direction. The housing includes an upper end wall, a lower end wall, and an inner intermediate circumferential wall. The upper end wall confines an opening for passage of the plug-in base. The lower end wall is opposite to the upper end wall in the axial direction, and includes an inner peripheral portion defining a slot that is adapted to receive two insulated electric leads inserted therein. Each of the insulated electric leads has a contact end that extends through the slot towards the upper end wall. The inner intermediate circumferential wall defines a passageway extending in the axial direction to communicate the opening with the slot. The inner peripheral portion includes front and rear grip surfaces that are spaced apart from each other in the second transverse direction by a distance such that when the plug-in base is inserted into the housing via the opening, the partition member is guided along the passageway with the front and rear abutting walls thereof oriented to mate with and to be retained by the front and rear grip surfaces, respectively, so as to divide the slot into two separate inserting holes adapted for passage of the insulated electric leads therethrough. The inner intermediate circumferential wall and each of the right and left facing walls confine a receiving channel for accommodating each of the contact ends extending thereinto. The right and left urging lugs respectively urge the second and first lead-in wires outwardly in the first transverse direction such that the second and first lead-in wires abut against the contact ends extended into the receiving channels and such that the second and first lead-in wires and the contact ends are clamped between the intermediate circumferential wall and the right and left urging lugs.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2032451 (1936-03-01), Tighe
patent: 4914345 (1990-04-01), Suster et al.
patent: 5752765 (1998-05-01), Liou
patent: 5795189 (1998-08-01), Liou
patent: 5816862 (1998-10-01), Tseng
patent: 5820419 (1998-10-01), Liao
patent: 5989068 (1999-11-01), Shu
patent: 6123433 (2000-09-01), Chen

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