Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Connection to lamp or electron tube
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-26
2001-01-23
Patel, T. C. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Connection to lamp or electron tube
C439S619000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176706
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a subminiature lamp used as a signal or indicator for home appliances, audio-visual products and office equipment, or the like, and more particularly to a composition of a subminiature lamp that is used with a socket disposed on a printed wiring board by soldering, or the like.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
FIGS. 5 and 6
illustrate conventional subminiature lamps used as a signal or indicator. The subminiature lamp
90
in
FIG. 5
is to be mounted from the back surface of a printed wiring board
20
. This subminiature lamp
90
assembly has a bulb
91
, a socket
92
, and a pair of lead wires
91
a
penetrating through the socket
92
. The socket
92
includes a bulb holder
93
which is formed as a cylinder with a bottom to maintain the bulb
91
within the cylinder, and also includes a socket base
94
to mount the subminiature lamp
90
on the printed wiring board
20
.
The bulb
91
of the conventional lamp
90
in
FIG. 5
is mounted in the bulb holder
93
in the socket
92
by pulling out the pair of lead wires
91
a
through holes in the bottom of the bulb holder
93
to the back surface of socket base
94
. Each of the pair of lead wires
91
a
is wound around each end
95
of the socket base
94
. Since the bulb
91
is installed by penetrating through the printed wiring board
20
, the back surface of the printed wiring board
20
faces the front surface of the socket base
94
. Accordingly, the front surface of the socket base
94
must be designed to satisfy this mounting requirement.
The subminiature lamp
80
in
FIG. 6
is installed on the front surface of the printed wiring board
20
. This subminiature lamp
80
assembly has a bulb
91
, a socket
82
, and a pair of lead wires
91
a
passing through the socket
82
. The socket
82
includes a bulb holder
83
which is formed as a cylinder with a bottom to maintain the bulb
91
within the cylinder, and the socket base
84
to mount the subminiature lamp
80
on the printed wiring board
20
. In this composition, since the subminiature lamp
80
is installed on the front surface of the printed wiring board
20
, and therefore does not pass through the printed wiring board, the socket base
84
touches the front surface of the printed wiring board
20
.
The conventional subminiature lamps
90
and
80
have at least the following two problems. First, the compositions of the subminiature lamps
90
and
80
are difficult to produce when mounted on the printed wiring board
20
, because the lead wires
91
a
are very fine and must go through the socket bases
94
and
84
by passing through holes existing in the bottom portion of the bulb holders
93
and
83
. Second, since there are differences with respect to how to mount the subminiature lamp
90
and
80
on the printed wiring board
20
, even though the basic properties of the lamps are the same, two kinds of the subminiature lamps
90
and
80
are required depending on the mounting conditions designated by customers. This may often change the production plan and consequently lower productivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a subminiature lamp for indication that substantially obviates one or more of the above problems due to the limitations and disadvantages of the conventional lamps.
According to the present invention, the above objects are achieved by providing a subminiature lamp having a bulb with lead wires and a socket, the socket having a socket base and a bulb holder, connected to the socket base, for holding the bulb in a predetermined position, wherein a front surface and a back surface of the socket base form a substantially flat plate and are parallel with each other, the bulb holder is attached on the front surface of the socket base and the shape of the bulb holder is substantially a cylinder with a bottom corresponding to a portion of the front surface of the socket base, and a slit extends through the diameter of the bulb holder, and wherein the lead wires may extend through the slit of the bulb holder and may be disposed along the front and back surfaces of the socket base.
A further object of the invention is to provide a socket for a subminiature lamp, comprising a socket base having a top surface and a bottom surface, and at least one surface of the socket base is capable of attachment to an object; a bulb holder, connected to the socket base, for holding a bulb in a predetermined position, the bulb holder having at least one opening in a side portion of the bulb holder; and at least one lead wire having a portion disposed along at least one surface of the socket base and extending through the at least one opening in the bulb holder to contact a bulb in the bulb holder.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3511982 (1970-05-01), Salter
patent: 4193653 (1980-03-01), Aizawa
patent: 5061189 (1991-10-01), Iio et al.
patent: 5069640 (1991-12-01), Wasimoto et al.
patent: 5129829 (1992-07-01), Arnold et al.
patent: 2-117656 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 3-94763 (1991-09-01), None
patent: 4-87158 (1992-07-01), None
Maeno Sh{overscore (o)}z{overscore (o)}
Sato Daishin
Yamaguchi Katsuhito
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Patel T. C.
Stanley Electric Co. Ltd.
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