Portable fluorescent light

A portable fluorescent light utilizing a fluorescent tube mounted in an elongated transparent tubular plastic housing with protective end caps. A power cord with associated ballast is used to connect the unit to a power source. Sockets for the fluorescent lamp are mounted on special socket supports inserted in each end of the housing. The socket supports are each in the form of an elongated metal strip bent into a four-legged generally rectangular shape. Two parallel side legs are connected by screws to the tubular housing and the inner leg, which is connected to only one of the side legs, carries its respective socket and is adapted to flex about one end between a relaxed inwardly extending position and a flexed operating position generally perpendicular to the side legs in order to apply an advantageous endwise holding force to tightly retain the fluorescent lamp between the two sockets and also to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of the tubular plastic housing to which the socket supports are mounted caused by heat from the lamp and environmental temperature variations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to portable lights, such as safety inspection lights 
or "trouble" lights, and especially to the type of portable light that 
utilizes a fluorescent lamp rather than an incondescent bulb. More 
particularly, the invention relates to an improvement in portable 
fluorescent light units to facilitate the mounting of the lamp sockets in 
the unit and also to enable the unit to better accommodate thermal 
expansion and contraction of the housing to which the socket supports are 
attached and which thereby establishes the spacing between the two 
respective sockets. 
Portable fluorescent lights have many advantages compared with other types 
of "trouble" lights, etc., and they are used to particular advantage in 
garages where automotive service is performed, as well as in otherwise 
unlighted areas, such as attics, that are used infrequently. Prior art 
units of this type generally utilize a tubular transparent plastic housing 
of fairly sturdy construction and a fluorescent lamp, such as a 15 watt, 
17-inch lamp, is inserted, together with the necessary sockets and a 
switch associated with the electrical circuit. A ballast is provided on 
the power cord, the power cord usually being sufficiently long to enable 
the light to be carried around a relatively large area. 
One difficulty encountered in the assembly of this type of light concerns 
the attachment of the fluorescent lamp sockets to the transparent tubular 
plastic housing. Typical prior art constructions are shown in U.S. Pat. 
Nos. 3,136,489, 3,140,054 and 3,242,331. 
It is desirable and important that the fluorescent lamp be held snugly 
between the sockets and that the same means for holding the lamp being 
able to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of the housing to 
which the socket supports are mounted that can normally be expected. 
The construction of the present invention resolves the difficulties 
indicated above and affords other features and advantages heretofore not 
obtainable. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is among the objects of the invention to simplify the assembly of 
portable fluorescent light units of the type described. p Another object 
is to provide means in a portable fluorescent light unit to accommodate 
thermal expansion and contraction that may occur due to the heat generated 
by the lamp and due to environmental temperature changes. 
These and other objects and advantages are achieved by the novel portable 
fluorescent light construction of the invention wherein the unit is 
provided with a fluorescent lamp and sockets supported therein and 
electrical circuit means including a switch and power cord for connecting 
the unit to a power source. 
In accordance with the invention, a pair of novel socket supports are 
provided, one being inserted in each end of the transparent tubular 
housing, and each support being formed of an elongated strip of resilient 
metal bent into a four-legged, generally rectangular form with two 
parallel side legs connected by screws to the tubular housing, an outer 
leg connecting the two side legs and a flexible resilient inner leg on 
which the respective socket is mounted. The inner leg is connected to only 
one of the side legs and is adapted to flex about its connection point 
between a relaxed inwardly extending position and a flexed operating 
position generally perpendicular to the side legs. When the sockets and 
their supports are assembled with the lamp, and the assembly inserted in 
the tube, the inner legs are flexed to their operating position to apply, 
when the supports are attached by screws to the housing, a tight holding 
force to the lamp. Also the inner legs are able to flex to accommodate 
thermal expansion and contraction of the housing to which the socket 
supports are attached caused by heat generated by the lamp and due to 
environmental temperature changes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a portable 
fluorescent light embodying the invention and comprising a transparent 
tubular housing 11, a fluorescent lamp, for example, of 17-inch length, 
located in the tubular housing 11, two sockets 13 and 14 to which the ends 
of the fluorescent lamp 12 are connected in the conventional manner, a 
power cord 15 and a ballast 16. A switch 17 is mounted at the right-hand 
end of the unit as illustrated in FIG. 2 and a pair of plastic covers 18 
and 19 are placed over each end of the housing 11. 
In accordance with the invention, there are provided two socket supports 20 
and 40 for supporting the respective sockets and for mounting all the 
respective parts to the tubular housing 11. The brackets are both of very 
similar construction, but are of slightly different form and will be 
described separately. Each bracket is formed of an elongated strip of 
sheet metal which is bent into a four-legged, generally rectangular form. 
The bracket 20 has a pair of parallel side legs 21 and 22, an outer end leg 
23 connecting the two side legs 21 and 22, and a flexible inner end leg 24 
which is connected only to the leg 21. The leg 24 is adapted to flex 
between a relaxed position illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 3 and in 
dashed lines in FIG. 2 and an inwardly flexed operating position 
illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 3 and in solid lines in FIG. 2. 
The outer end leg 23 has a hole 25 formed therein and which receives a 
conventional plastic grommet 26 which serves to secure and protect the 
power cord 15 in the conventional manner. The side legs 21 and 22 each 
have a threaded hole 27 that receives a screw 28 extending through a 
matching hole at the end of the tubular housing 11 and into the respective 
holes 27 to hold the bracket 20 in position. The leg 24 has a pair of 
holes 30 through which screws 31 extend to connect the socket 13 thereto. 
The socket support 40 functions in the same manner as the socket support 
20, but has a slightly different shape. It has a pair of parallel side 
legs 41, an irregularly shaped outer end leg 43 connecting the side legs 
41 and 42 and a flexible inner end leg 44 connected only to the end leg 
41. The inner end leg 44 is adapted to flex between an inwardly extending 
relaxed position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2 and in solid lines in 
FIG. 4, and a flexed position generally perpendicular to the side legs 41 
and 42 as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 2 and in dashed lines in FIG. 
4. The outer end leg 43 has a circular opening 45 formed therein and 
adapted to receive the threaded mounting shaft of a standard 
push-button-type switch 17, the switch being secured by a nut 46 in the 
conventional manner. The parallel side legs 41 and 42 each have a threaded 
hole 47 that receives threaded fasteners 48 that extend through matching 
holes in the respective end of the tubular housing 11. The flexible inner 
end leg 44 has a pair of holes 50 through which screws 51 are inserted to 
secure the respective socket 14 to the leg 44. 
In the assembly of the unit, the switch 17, sockets 13 and 14 and socket 
supports 20 and 40 are all assembled together and then inserted in the 
tubular housing 11. The screws 28 and 48, respectively, are then tightened 
down in the respective holes in the respective socket supports 20 and 40 
to secure the assembly in position. It will be apparent that after the 
assembly is so secured in the housing, the respective reflexible inner end 
legs 24 and 44 will be flexed to the positions shown in solid lines in 
FIG. 2 and in dashed lines in FIGS. 3 and 4 to apply the holding force 
against the fluorescent lamp 12 to tightly retain the lamp in position. 
Also the flexible inner end legs are capable of additional flexing to 
accommodate thermal expansion of the tubular housing due to heat generated 
by the lamp 12 and due to operation under varying environmental 
temperatures. 
While the invention has been shown and described with respect to a specific 
embodiment thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that 
other variations, modifications of the specific form herein shown and 
described may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the 
invention. Accordingly, the patent is not to be limited in scope and 
effect to the specific embodiment herein shown and described, nor in any 
other way that is inconsistent with the extent to which the progress in 
the art has been advanced by the invention.