Electric lamp with rotatable base including compressed contacts

Details Electric lamp with rotatable base including compressed contacts Electric lamp with rotatable base including compressed contacts

1999-08-23

2001-04-03

Cariaso, Alan (Department: 2875)

Illumination

Plural light sources

Diverse light generators

C362S368000, C313S318010, C439S056000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06210021

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to an electric lamp and particularly to a motor vehicle lamp, and more particularly to a motor vehicle lamp with a twist mount base.
1. BACKGROUND ART
An electric lamp with twist mounts bases are known, for example, in German Utility Model 296 16 116. The lamp described in the abovementioned Utility Model is an incandescent lamp which is intended to be used in a motor vehicle for generating the brake light, tail light or indicator light functions. In this lamp, depending on the use desired, the lamp cap is designed either as a plug connector or is equipped with sliding contacts for mounting on printed circuit boards.
2. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide an electric lamp which has an improved lamp cap making it easier to fit the lamp in the lamp holder.
The electric lamp according to the invention has a luminous means which is enclosed by a lamp bulb, a lamp cap, in which the lamp bulb is secured, and electrical cap contacts, as well as supply conductors for supplying power to the luminous means. According to the invention, the cap has at least two tabs which are of resilient design and are each provided with a latching lug, and an annular disc which is mounted so that it can rotate about the ring axis, the annular disc possessing an inner wall which faces towards the ring axis and has wall areas which are at different distances from the ring axis, and the at least two tabs bearing against the inner wall of the disc. By rotation of the annular disc, the inner wall of the disc exerts a greater or lesser pressure on the at least two tabs, so that these tabs, depending on the position of the disc, are bent further or less far towards the ring axis. In this way, the latching connection between the latching lugs which are connected to the at least two tabs and the lamp holder is either released or brought about depending on the angle of rotation of the annular disc. In this way, the design according to the invention makes it easy to fit the lamp in the lamp holder.
Advantageously, the annular disc has a plurality of slots which are in the form of ring segments, are arranged parallel to the circumference of the annular disc and in each of which one guide web, which is formed integrally on the cap, engages. The guide webs and the slots define stops for the rotary movement of the annular disc and improve the anchoring of the disc in the cap. Advantageously, the latching lugs each have an underside which is arranged parallel to the plane of the annular disc, in a common plane. In addition, the cap advantageously has at least three spread-open spring elements which are designed as counter-bearings to the latching lugs. The abovementioned features allow the lamp according to the invention to be mounted on a printed circuit board or on a mounting plate, the undersides of the latching lugs bearing against the top side of the printed circuit board or mounting plate, and the spread-open spring elements being supported on the underside of the printed circuit board or mounting plate. Moreover, the cap of the electric lamp according to the invention advantageously has a cutout for accommodating a pin-like holder part or plug-connector part. As a result, the lamp according to the invention is also suitable for mounting on a lamp holder which is designed as a plug connector. The electrical cap contacts are advantageously designed as contact tabs, the contact tabs particularly advantageously each having an end which is spread open from the cap and also delimiting part of the cutout for accommodating the plug. The abovementioned features of the cap contacts ensure an optimum electrical connection between the cap contacts and the holder contacts for the various mounting options of the lamp according to the invention.


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