Electrical connectors – Coupling part to receive fluorescent or neon lamp – With additional retaining or locking means for coupled...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-14
2001-12-04
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part to receive fluorescent or neon lamp
With additional retaining or locking means for coupled...
C439S226000, C439S230000, C439S357000, C439S612000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325651
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a light emitting device having a tubular light emitter, socket devices to be connected to said light emitting device, and a lighting device including said light emitting device and socket devices.
BACKGROUND ART
An example of conventional light emitting devices is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 195557/1986, wherein sequentially arranged light emitting elements are connected in series and inserted into a flexible tube; caps for electrical connection are mounted on the respective two ends of the tube; and this tube is bent into the shape of, for example, a letter of the alphabet so that it can be used for what is generally called decorative illuminations. As the power consumption of the light emitting elements of a light emitting device described above is relatively low and their temperature when lit is low, there will be no problem even if some light emitting elements accidentally touch the inside of the tube. Due to its insufficient luminance, however, a light emitting device structured as above is not suitable to be used as a lighting device.
Another example is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 117457/1986, wherein sequentially arranged light emitting elements are connected in series and inserted into a glass tube, and caps for electrical connection are mounted on the respective two ends of the tube so that it can be used as the light source of a reading lamp. In order to prevent the light emitting elements from touching the inner surface of the glass tube, this device has a support portion which consisting of an outer shell portion and a small coil portion which are integrally connected to each other at a joint portion and welded to lead wires of the light emitting elements. Although this structure enables the device to use light emitting elements requiring relatively large power consumption, it presents a problem in that it requires a complicated, inconvenient operation of connecting the lead wires of the light emitting elements located at the two ends of the glass tube to the terminals at the respective ends of the glass tube.
Known among examples of caps to be provided at both ends of a tube having the above configuration is a structure described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 13536/1962 and Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 126347-1991, wherein each cap includes an insulating cap body to be attached to an end of the tube, and a contact for electrical connection is projected from the cap body at a right angle to the axis of the tube. Each socket device to which a cap structured as above is connected has a socket body provided with a metal fitting for connecting the contact, a holder for supporting the connected cap, and other necessary members.
When arranging a plurality of light sources along the axis of a tube to produce a line illumination design (illumination formed by straight and/or curved lines rather than planes), the above configuration of a light emitting device and a socket device, wherein the socket devices are not disposed on the axis of the tube of the light emitting device, has advantages in that it is free from the problem of a socket device forming an undesirable dark part; the continuity of the luminescent part is ensured; and that the effect of a continuous illumination design can be achieved to the full extent.
In the state where the light emitting device is not connected to the socket devices, however, the contacts project from the sides of the respective caps without a cover and are prone to be exposed to an external force when transported or connected to a socket device. Should a contact be deformed by such an external force, connection to a socket device may become impossible or, granting that the connection is managed, there is the danger of a failure occurring in electrical connection. The above configuration presents another problem in that a special buffer mechanism or the like for protecting the contacts is necessary in order to prevent inadvertent deformation of the contacts during transportation or in other occasions.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a light emitting device which is ensured to be capable of projecting its contacts and be supported in the state where it is electrically connected to the sockets, a socket device or socket devices to which said light emitting device can be connected, and a lighting device which is provided with said light emitting device and socket device or socket devices.
A light emitting device according to the invention includes a tubular light emitter and a pair of caps, each cap having an insulating cap body to be attached to each end of the tubular light emitter, a contact to be electrically connected to the tubular light emitter and projecting from the cap body at approximately a right angle to the tube axis, and a pair of catching arms respectively disposed at both sides of the contact and extending virtually in the same direction as the contact.
As the pair of catching arms of each cap serve as a protector in the state where the cap is not yet mounted on a socket device, its contact is ensured to be protected when the cap is being transported or mounted on a socket device. Further, even in a configuration where electrical connection is achieved simply by forcing or otherwise inserting a contact into a socket device, electrical connection of the light emitting device can be reliably maintained by engaging the pair of catching arms with a receiving member such as a socket device or a lighting fixture.
The tubular light emitter includes conductive elements led out of the ends of the tubular light emitter. Each cap body includes a cylindrical barrel portion, of which one end is mounted over an end of the tubular light emitter, and a partition provided at the middle of the interior of the barrel portion and permitting the corresponding one of said conductive elements to pass therethrough from the one side to the other side of the partition, said one side and the other side respectively facing the one end and the other end of the barrel portion, wherein said contact is connected to the conductive element at the other side of the partition and projects from the barrel portion.
By mounting an end of the barrel portion of the cap body over an end of the tubular light emitter and passing a conductive element from the one side to the other side of the partition in the barrel portion of the cap body, assembly of the device becomes easier in that the conductive element can be easily connected to the contact in the section of the barrel portion where the other end is located.
According to another feature of the invention, the tubular light emitter includes conductive elements led out of the ends of the tubular light emitter, and each cap body includes a cylindrical barrel portion, of which one end is mounted over an end of the tubular light emitter, and a partition integrally formed with the barrel portion at the middle of the interior of the barrel portion and permitting the corresponding one of said conductive elements to pass therethrough from the one side to the other side of the partition, said one side and the other side respectively facing the one end and the other end of the barrel portion, and a blocking member formed as a separate member and attached to the other end of the barrel portion.
By mounting an end of the barrel portion of the cap body over an end of the tubular light emitter and passing a conductive element from the one side to the other side of the partition in the barrel portion of the cap body, assembly of the device becomes easier in that the conductive element can be easily connected to the contact in the section of the barrel portion where the other end is located. The above configuration has additional benefits in that a partition can be easily provided in a barrel portion by means of integral formation with the barrel portion; the other end of the barrel portion can be closed by a blo
Katougi Masayuki
Murata Kazuaki
Nishihara Hiroyoshi
Sato Katsunori
Abrams Neil
Moriyama Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Morrison Law Firm
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