Patent Publication Number: US-6988906-B1

Title: Fluorescent lamp tube seat

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   (a) Technical Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a seat structure, and in particular, a seat structure for mounting a fluorescent lamp tube. 
   (b) Description of the Prior Art 
   Taiwanese Utility Model Application No. 92206024 (Publication No. 566717) entitled “An Improved Structure of a Fluorescent Lamp Tube Seat” discloses a seat allowing a fluorescent lamp tube to be mounted thereon by pushing the tube towards the seat and then releasing the tube. The tube is secured at the conductive position of the seat. To unload the tube, the tube is pushed again and released. The tube is loaded. However, when the conductive copper plates are deformed or when the light tube shakes, the support may be insufficient. In addition, the conventional seat does not allow for the mounting of T5 lamp tube and T8 light tube. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent-lamp tube seat with a seat body, a sliding block, a lifting structure and two conductive plates mounted within the interior of the seat body, characterized in that the interior of the seat body is provided with a chamber and the interior panel of the seat body is a vertical slot allowing upward and downward movement of the pins of the fluorescent-lamp tube, the sliding block has an upper end provided with a sliding slot and one side of the sliding block is extended to form a lower blocking section which is restricted to reciprocate movement at one side of the vertical slot, and the lifting member corresponds to the end of the sliding block and is extended downward to form a braking rod and the two sides of the bottom section of the braking rod are formed into a left and right sloping face which is allowed to be pushed and engaged at a high and low position of the upper section of the sliding block, and the two conductive plates are bent inwardly to form protruded sections and the two protruded sections of the conductive plates are arranged in alternately at the two sides of the vertical slots. 
   Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lamp tube seat, wherein the side end of the sliding block is extended to form an upper and a lower blocking sections. 
   Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lamp tube seat, wherein the height of the top edge of the upper and lower blocking sections of the side end of the sliding block is between the range of the protruded surface of the conductive plates. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lamp tube seat, wherein the lifting member opposite to one end of the braking rod supplements a straight rod section such that when the lifting member is engaged at the lower position, the bottom end of the straight rod section exposes one section of the bottom edge of the seat body. 
   The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
   Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the interior structure of the fluorescent lamp tube seat of the present invention, wherein the cover of the seat is detached from the seat. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the mounting of a fluorescent lamp tube onto the seat of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a partial sectional view of the fluorescent lamp tube seat of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing the mounting of a T8 fluorescent lamp tube onto the seat of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic view showing the completion of the mounting of the T8 fluorescent lamp tube onto the seat of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the mounting of a T5 fluorescent lamp tube onto the seat of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic view showing the completion of the mounting of T5 fluorescent lamp tube onto the seat of the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the fluorescent lamp tube seat in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  8 , there is shown a fluorescent-lamp tube seat structure which substantially includes a seat body  10 , a sliding block  20 , a lifting member  30 , two conductive plates  40   a ,  40   b  mounted within the interior of the seat body  10 . The interior of the seat body  10  is provided with a chamber for holding other components, and the interior panel  101  of the seat body  10  is provided with a vertical slot  102 . The width of the slot  102  is slightly larger than the diameter of the pin  51  of the light tube  50  of T8 (light tube) such that the pin  51  will not slide in a sloping position within the slot. 
   The upper end of the sliding block  20  has a sliding slot  201  and the side end is extended to form a moving block having a lower blocking section  202  so as to restrict the horizontal reciprocation to be within one side of the vertical slot  102 . 
   The lifting member  30  is reciprocated and engaged at the upper position of an engaging blocking member  20  at the high and low position and the corresponding sliding block is extended to form a braking rod  301 . The two sides of the bottom section of the braking rod  301  are formed into a left and right sloping face  302 ,  303 . 
   The two conductive plates  40   a ,  40   b  have a bottom sections inwardly bent to form a protruded sections  401 ,  402 , and the protruded sections  401 ,  402  are arranged alternatively at the two sides of the vertical slots  102 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the lifting member  30  is engaged at the high position, and the braking rod  301  is driven to the high of the sliding slot  201 . The sliding block  20  is engaged at the vertical slot  102  which will not deter the movement of the pin  51 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the lifting member  30  is engaged at the low position, the sliding block  20  engages at the wall of the sliding slot  201  by the right sloping face  303  of the braking rod  301  and the sliding block is horizontally engaged at the exit position of the vertical slot  102 , and the height of the top edge of the lower position  202  of the sliding block is within the range of the protruded section surface  402  of the conductive plate  40   b.    
   The two seats are mounted at an interval of the length of the fluorescent-lamp tube. The lifting member  30  is at the upper position and the two conductive plates  40   a ,  40   b  are respectively connected to the positive and negative terminal. When the tube is mounted as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the two pins  51  at the end of the T8 light bulb  50  are inserted into the vertical slot  102 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the pins  51  are movingly mounted at the lower position and the lifting member  30  moves in accordance with the pins  51 . The right sloping face  303  is stopped at the blocking member  20  to move horizontally to the vertical slot  102  so that the lower blocking section  202  blocks the opening at the bottom section of the vertical slot  102 , and the pins  51  are respectively in contact with the protruded sections  401 ,  402  of the two conductive plates and are firmly mounted at the seat body. When the T8 light tube  50  is pushed once and is released, the lifting member  30  is engaged at the upper or higher position by the movement of the pins  51 . At the same time, the left sloping face  302  engages the sliding block  20  to move opposite to the end of the vertical slot  102 , and the light bulb is directly unload from the seat body. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the same side of the lower blocking section  202  of the sliding block  20  can at the same time is formed into the upper blocking section  203 . The height of the top edge of the upper and lower blocking sections  202 ,  203  is within the range of the protruded surface  402  of the conductive plate  40   b . Accordingly, when the pins  61  of the smaller diameter T5 light bulb  60  pushes the lifting member  30  from the upper position to the lower position, the upper blocking section  203  of the sliding block will first to move horizontally to block the lower section of the pin  61 , and the pin  61  of the T5 light tube is secured firmly to engage at the protrusion position  401 ,  402  of the two conductive plates and the seat of the present invention is applicable for the mounting of T5 light tube and T8 light tube. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  6  and  7 , the lifting member  30  at one end opposite to the braking rod  301  is supplemented a straight rod section  304 , and when the lifting member engages at the lower position, the bottom end of the straight rod section  304  exposes a section of the bottom edge of the seat body  10 , facilitating the user to recognize the exact position of the sliding block  20 , and facilitating the user to push the exposed section of the straight rod so as to move the lifting member  30  to engage at the upper position to allow the pins  51 ,  61  of the T5 or T8 light tube to enter the vertical slot smoothly. 
   It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
   While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.