Patent ID: 6290522
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
A lampholder characterized by an absence of a plurality of lamp pin contacts for electrically engaging and supporting cold cathode fluorescent lamps, which lamps include an elongated lamp envelope and two opposite end caps, each of the end caps including two lamp pins extending therethrough, the lampholder comprising:a) an elongated body member formed with a conductor receiving portion and a lamp receiving portion;b) a single electrically conductive lamp pin contact formed with a first end located in said body member conductor receiving portion for conducting electricity between a power-supplying electrical conductor and one of said lamp pin contacts, and a second end located in said body member lamp receiving portion to engage at least one of said two lamp pins; andc) a lamp retaining device in said body member lamp receiving portion for supporting a second one of the two lamp pins of the fluorescent lamp in electrical contact with said single lamp contact pin;d) said lampholder characterized by the absence of a need for more than one lamp pin contact as found in conventional fluorescent lampholders requiring two lamp pin contacts thereby eliminating a lamp pin contact to provide a saving in material cost of the lampholder.