Patent ID: 7097327
Filing Date: 2006-08-29
Classification: F21V,F21Y,H01R

Abstract:
1. A fluorescent lamp socket comprising: (a) a molded plastic housing that is formed in an open shallow box shape and having a back wall, one side of which is a housing face; two parallel, flat side walls that form housing sides; a semi-circular closed end defining a top end and a top wall, and a distal open bottom end; said housing face acting as a front of the socket and including on a vertical axis, a large diameter first hole that is located concentrically with said top end of said housing; and a second hole that is positioned equidistantly between two sides and adjacent to said bottom end, said second hole being sized to seat a rivet; said housing face also including a wide, first slot opening, that is cut from said first hole to said top end and extends across said top wall; extending said first slot opening across the top end of said housing; said housing including means for positioning and retaining two metal contact strips that are separated and disposed vertically inside said housing, and providing two power lead openings in said bottom end; (b) a pair of long, permanently bent, springy brass contact strips that are each attached to a separate power lead; said contact strips, attached to the wire ends of power leads, being disposed in said housing; (c) a levered rotor, comprising a molded plastic lever member and a molded plastic rotor body which are fastened together; said lever member having a flat pear-like shape, composed of a semicircular lower portion and a tapered upper portion, and having a face side and a back side; said lever member including a wide second slot opening that is cut along a vertical axis that extends from a top end of said lever member to a short distance from a bottom edge, and has a slot width that matches the width of said first slot opening in said housing; said second slot opening creating two paralleled lever arms which terminate at the top end; said lever member including two rivet holes in said face side adjacent to said second slot opening, and an arcuate cut-out on each edge, said rivet holes and said cut-outs being disposed along a horizontal axis of the semicircular lower portion; said rotor body having an elongate spool shape, composed of two opposing end disks that are separated by two axial parallel, flat surfaced struts that are body side walls, which define a third slot opening through said rotor body, said third slot opening extending through one end disk, creating a split disk; said third slot opening having a slot width that matches the width of said first slot opening in said housing; said rotor body being fastened perpendicular to said back side of said lever member, having said split disk fastened to the back side, with the split disk centered on the horizontal axis of said semicircular lower portion, and said third slot opening aligned with said second slot opening in said lever member; said levered rotor having said rotor body placed inside said first hole in said housing face and able to be rotated by manual use of said lever arms; said lever arms being normally set in a vertical position, with said second slot opening vertical and lined up with said first slot opening in said housing; said vertical position permitting the entrance of the end pins of a fluorescent lamp into said first opening in the top end of said housing; (d) first means for stopping said levered rotor from being rotated more than plus or minus 90 degrees from said vertical position of said lever arms; (e) second means for retaining said rotor body of said levered rotor inside said housing; (f) a molded, rigid plastic cover lid that is shaped to fit into and close said housing; said cover lid including a second rivet hole for use in fastening a mounting bracket and connecting said cover lid to said housing; (h) a metal mounting bracket; and (i) a rivet, sized for fastening said mounting bracket and said cover lid to said housing; said socket, after insertion of a lamp end pins, acting as a switch and closing connections to electric power when said lever arms are rotated either +90 deg. or −90 deg. with reference to the normal, vertical lever arms position.