Patent ID: 6979230

Claim:
A three-ways light bulb and socket system comprising: a) a three-ways light bulb ( 13 , FIG. 1 ) comprising: b) a conductive base; ( 5 , FIG. 1 ); c) a middle contact; ( 3 , FIG. 1 ); and d) a solder blob ( 19 , FIG. 1 ); at said middle contact ( 3 , FIG. 1 ) electrically connecting said middle contact ( 3 , FIG. 1 ) to a filament ( 11 , FIG. 1 ) inside the bulb; e) a three-ways socket ( 21 , FIG. 4 ) comprising: f) a shell ( 27 , FIG. 4 ) for receiving the base ( 5 , FIG. 1 ); g) a socket center contact spring ( 23 , FIG. 4 ) electrically engaging the bulb center contact point ( 1 , FIG. 1 ); h) a socket middle contact element ( 31 , FIG. 4 ) electrically engaging the bulb middle contact ring, ( 3 , FIG. 1 ) at a distal end ( 112 , FIG. 9 ); i) a socket intermediate contact spring (any of 101 through 108 , FIGS. 9 through 46 and 95 , Pictures 4 - 6 ) having a curved end spread to cover the distal end ( 112 , FIG. 9 ); j) wherein k) the distal end ( 112 , FIG. 9 ) is not in contact with the solder blob when the base is fully seated in the shell.