Electrical connectors – With vitreous-type envelope – Having only two duplicate contacts arranged bilaterally...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-18
2001-11-13
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With vitreous-type envelope
Having only two duplicate contacts arranged bilaterally...
C439S699200, C439S856000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315611
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a metal terminal for a wedge-base bulb (baseless bulb).
FIGS. 5
to
7
show a common wedge-base bulb (hereinafter referred to as “bulb”) and conventional metal terminals for a wedge-base bulb.
The bulb
10
comprises a hollow light-emitting portion
11
of a generally cylindrical shape, and a flat plate-like base portion
12
formed at a lower end of the light-emitting portion
11
. Lead wires
13
, received in the light-emitting portion
11
, are extended outwardly respectively from opposite end portions of a bottom surface
12
A of the base portion
12
, and these outwardly-extended portions are folded respectively on holding surfaces
12
B and
12
B of the base portion
12
, facing away from each other, to form contacts arranged in a point-symmetrical manner. A retaining groove
14
is formed in an upper portion of each of the holding surfaces
12
B, and extends in a horizontal direction.
The conventional metal terminal
1
includes a pair of holder pieces
2
and
2
which can hold the base portion
12
therebetween, and are symmetrical in shape. Each of the holder pieces
2
and
2
has a retaining projection
3
formed at a distal end thereof, and the two retaining projections
3
and
3
are curved or projected toward each other. When the base portion
12
is inserted between the holder pieces
2
and
2
, the retaining projections
3
are engaged respectively in the retaining grooves
14
in the base portion
12
to thereby retain the bulb
10
against withdrawal, and at the same time one of the holder pieces
2
is held against the lead wire
13
, and hence is electrically connected thereto. The above-mentioned metal terminal
1
is disclosed, for example, in the Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. Hei 2-82887.
Each lead wire
13
is extended outwardly from the bottom surface
12
A of the base portion
12
, and is folded upwardly to be merely laid on the holding surface
12
B. Therefore, in some cases, the distal end portion of the lead wire
13
is displaced to be tilted, as shown in FIG.
7
. As a result, in the conventional metal terminal
1
, the lead wire
13
is received in a recessed portion of the holder piece
2
, which is closer to the proximal end of the holder piece
2
than the retaining projection
3
is, and this results in a problem that the holder piece
2
fails to be held against the lead wire
3
, thus causing a contact failure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been made in view of the above problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a metal terminal for a wedge-base bulb which can be electrically connected to a lead wire of the wedge-base bulb in a stable manner.
The above object has been achieved by a wedge-base bulb metal terminal of the invention of aspect
1
comprising a pair of holder pieces received within a bulb socket into which a flat plate-like base portion of the wedge-base bulb is adapted to be inserted, wherein the pair of holder pieces are adapted to hold the base portion therebetween, and the holder piece is adapted to be electrically connected to that portion of a lead wire which is extended outwardly from a bottom surface of the base portion, and is laid on a holding surface of the base portion, and that portion of the outwardly-extended portion of the lead wire, disposed adjacent to the bottom surface, serves as a proximal end portion thereof; CHARACTERIZED in that a retaining projection for engagement in a retaining groove, formed in the base portion, is formed on one of the pair of holder pieces, and a connecting projection for being held at least against the proximal end portion of the lead wire is formed on the other holder piece.
In the wedge-base bulb metal terminal of the invention of aspect
2
according to aspect
1
, the connecting projection is adapted to be held against that portion of the lead wire, lying between the proximal end portion thereof and an intermediate portion thereof, therealong in a direction of a height.
(Th e Invention of Aspect
1
)
The base portion of the wedge-base bulb, inserted into the bulb socket, is held between the pair of holder pieces, and the connecting projection, formed on the one holder piece, is held against the lead wire, laid on the base portion, and hence is electrically connected thereto,whereas the retaining projection, formed on the other holder piece, is engaged in the retaining groove, formed in the base portion, thereby retaining the bulb against withdrawal. Even if the distal end portion of the lead wire is displaced to be tilted, the connecting projection is held at least against the proximal end portion of the lead wire, thereby positively achieving the electrical connection.
(The Invention of Aspect
2
)
In a normal condition in which the lead wire extends straight, the connecting projection is held against that portion of the lead wire, lying between the proximal end portion thereof and the intermediate portion thereof, therealong in the direction of the height, and therefore the area of contact therebetween is increased, so that the electrically-connected condition is good. Even if the distal end portion of the lead wire is displaced to be tilted, the connecting projection is held at least against the proximal end portion of the lead wire, thereby positively achieving the electrical connection.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5507670 (1996-04-01), Ogawa
patent: 5743617 (1998-04-01), Sato et al.
patent: 5876249 (1999-03-01), Kim
patent: 2-82887 (1990-06-01), None
patent: 7-254466 (1995-10-01), None
Nitta Kazuto
Sawada Hisashi
Uchida Kihachiro
Oliff & Berridge PLC.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
Vu Hien
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