Patent ID: 9644828
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: F21K,F21S,F21V,F21Y,H01R,H02J,H05B,Y02B

Claim:
1. A support connector for coupling an end of an elongate tubular LED lamp in an operative state to a lighting fixture, the elongate tubular LED lamp having a body with a length between spaced first and second ends, a source of illumination comprising at least one LED emitter board on or within the lamp body, and a first end connector at the first end of the body having a first surface, the support connector comprising: a base portion comprising a housing and having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the proximal end portion configured to be coupled to a support of the lighting fixture, a leading end portion extending from the distal end portion of the base portion and configured to engage the first end connector of the tubular LED lamp; a first electrical connector module at least partly disposed in the base portion, the first electrical connector module comprising a first plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting electrical signals for power and data communications; the leading end portion comprising an integral second electrical connector module comprising a second plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting electrical signals for power and data communications; conductive leads extending between and electrically coupling the first electrical connector module and the second electrical connector module; the leading end portion further comprising a second surface configured to engage the first surface of the first end connector; the leading end portion configured so that the first and second surfaces are placed in confronting relationship to prevent separation of the first end connector and the support connector with the lamp body in the operative state as an incident of the first end connector moving relative to the support connector from a position fully separated from the support connector in a substantially straight path that is transverse to the length of the body into an engaged position; wherein the second electrical connector module of the leading end portion is adapted to be operatively coupled to a third electrical connector module associated with the first end connector of the lamp body as an incident of the first end connector moving from the fully separated position into the engaged position for communicating electrical signals from the second electrical connector module to the third electrical connector module; wherein the third electrical connector module comprises a jack having a housing defining an internal port for receiving a communications plug, and the second electrical connector module comprises a plug adapted to be inserted linearly into the internal port and operable to transmit signals between the support connector and the third electrical connector module according to a standardized power and data network protocol.