Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Combined with or actuated by connector coupling – Multiple circuit control – selective
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-23
2002-05-28
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Combined with or actuated by connector coupling
Multiple circuit control, selective
C200S051170, C439S620040, C439S667000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06396009
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lamp receptacle with a multiple-stage power adjusting switch that is capable of disposing a screw bulb in one of an ON state, a DIM state, and an OFF state.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2
illustrate a conventional lamp receptacle
9
for a screw bulb
90
. The lamp receptacle
9
includes a dielectric seat
91
formed with first and second slots
911
,
912
and a central recess
913
, a multi-stage power adjusting switch
92
having a rod
921
that has one end extending into the central recess
913
and a dielectric ratchet wheel
922
connected to the end of the rod
921
, a first conductive plate
93
that is mounted in the first slot
911
, that is electrically connected to a power supply (not shown), and that has a first spring arm
931
extending inwardly to the ratchet wheel
922
, a second conductive plate
94
mounted in the second slot
912
and having a second spring arm
941
that extends inwardly to the ratchet wheel
922
, a dielectric cover
98
attached to a top end face of the seat
91
and formed with a slit
981
, a conductive annular connector
95
mounted on the cover
98
and defining a bulb receiving space for receiving a conductive threaded portion
97
of the screw bulb
90
, a conductive linking plate
94
′ that is attached to the cover
98
and that has a third spring arm
942
extending inwardly to the ratchet wheel
922
and a fourth spring arm
943
extending through the slit
981
and into the bulb receiving space in the conductive annular connector
95
so as to resiliently contact the screw bulb
90
, a ground terminal
96
mounted on the seat
91
and electrically connected to both the conductive annular connector
95
and the power supply, and a resistor
99
having two opposite ends that are respectively and electrically connected to the conductive linking plate
94
′ and the second conductive plate
94
.
The ratchet wheel
922
has first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth ratchet teeth
9221
,
9222
,
9223
,
9224
,
9225
,
9226
which are equiangularly spaced apart, and each of which has a radial side
9227
and an inclined side
9228
.
The multiple-stage power adjusting switch
92
further includes a conductive bridging shroud
923
that has a central portion attached to a central portion of the ratchet wheel
922
, and contact portions
9231
that are respectively attached to the inclined sides
9228
of the first, second, fourth, and fifth ratchet teeth
9221
,
9222
,
9224
,
9225
.
The rod
921
is turnable among an ON position, in which, the first spring arm
931
resiliently contacts one of the contact portions
9231
of the bridging shroud
923
, and the third spring arm
942
resiliently contacts another one of the contact portions
9231
of the bridging shroud
923
so as to permit current flow through the first conductive plate
93
, the first spring arm
931
, the bridging shroud
923
, the third spring arm
942
, the fourth spring arm
943
, a tungsten filament (not shown) of the screw bulb
90
, the threaded portion
97
of the screw bulb
90
, and the ground terminal
96
, a DIM position, in which, the first and second spring arms
931
,
941
resiliently and respectively contact two opposite ones of the contact portions
9231
of the bridging shroud
923
, whereas the third spring arm
942
resiliently contacts one of the third and sixth ratchet teeth
9223
,
9226
so as to permit current flow through the first conductive plate
93
, the first spring arm
931
, the bridging shroud
923
, the second spring arm
941
, the second conductive plate
94
, the resistor
99
, the fourth spring arm
943
, the tungsten filament of the screw bulb
90
, the threaded portion
97
of the screw bulb
90
, and the ground terminal
96
, and an OFF position, in which, the first spring arm
931
resiliently contacts one of the third and sixth ratchet teeth
9223
,
9226
to thereby disconnect the screw bulb
90
from the power supply.
The conventional lamp receptacle
9
is disadvantageous in that the ratchet wheel
922
and the bridging shroud
923
are relative complex, and assembly thereof is laborious. Moreover, each time the rod
921
is turned from a position to another position, there are three jumps, each of which represents a respective one of the first, second, and third spring arms
931
jumping from one of the contact portions
9231
of the bridging shroud
923
and the inclined sides of the third and sixth ratchet teeth
9223
,
9226
to an adjacent one of the contact portions
9231
of the bridging shroud
923
and the inclined sides of the third and sixth ratchet teeth
9223
,
9226
. As a consequence, the possibility of the occurrence of electric arc is increased due to the aforesaid jumps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lamp receptacle that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks.
According to the present invention, a lamp receptacle for a screw bulb comprises: a dielectric hollow seat having a peripheral wall that confines a central recess, that has a bottom end and a top end with a top face, and that is formed with opposite first and second slots extending in longitudinal directions from the top face to the bottom end and being in spatial communication with the central recess, and a channel extending in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal directions and being in spatial communication with the central recess; a multiple-stage power adjusting switch including a rod that has a connecting end extending inwardly through the channel and into the central recess, and a dielectric ratchet wheel transverse to and secured to the connecting end of the rod, the ratchet wheel having a central portion that is connected to the connecting end of the rod, and consecutive first, second, third, and fourth ratchet teeth that are angularly disposed around the central portion, each of the first, second, third, and fourth ratchet teeth being defined by a radial side and an inclined side that is inclined relative to the central portion, the multiple-stage power adjusting switch further including a conductive bridging shroud that has a central part attached to the central portion of the ratchet wheel, and opposite first and second contact parts that are transverse to the central part and that are respectively attached to the inclined sides of the first and third ratchet teeth; a first conductive plate mounted in the first slot and having a first spring arm that extends inwardly toward the ratchet wheel so as to contact selectively and resiliently one of the first and second contact parts of the bridging shroud and the inclined sides of the second and fourth ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel, the first conductive plate being adapted to be connected to a power supply; a second conductive plate mounted in the second slot and having a second spring arm that is opposite to the first spring arm and that extends inwardly toward the ratchet wheel so as to contact selectively and resiliently one of the first and second contact parts of the bridging shroud and the inclined sides of the second and fourth ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel; a conductive annular connector mounted on the top face of the seat and having a threaded inner face that defines a bulb receiving space and that is adapted to engage the screw bulb threadedly; a third spring arm electrically connected to and extending upwardly and inclinedly relative to the longitudinal directions from the second conductive plate into the bulb receiving space so as to contact resiliently and electrically the screw bulb; a ground terminal mounted on the peripheral wall, electrically connected to the conductive annular connector, and adapted to be electrically connected to the power supply; and a resistor having one end electrically connected to the central part of the bridging shroud and the other end electrically connected to the second conductive plate. The rod is turnable relative to the seat among an
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Friedhofer Michael
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