Patent Document

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/018,731 filed Jan. 03, 2008 and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to energy conservation. More particularly, it relates to a device adapted for insertion into a light socket as an interface between the bulb conducting end and the electrical power contacts in the socket. The device may be provided in a kit form that may be user-assembled into a plurality of diameters for different sized sockets, or may be provided in a single unit with frangible portions about the exterior circumference which are removable to adapt the size to the desired light socket. In all modes of the device a positive engagement to the bulb is preferred to prevent the user from having to drop the device into the socket and risk injury or short circuits. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Currently in the U.S. and throughout the world, lighting is primarily provided by incandescent bulbs which screw into light sockets. Such bulbs which are primarily resistive in operation emit light when a conductor inside a sealed globe is heated. The gas in the globe is inert and prevents the conductor or filament from burning out. Other bulbs in more recent years have appeared and use a fluorescent tube to emit light once the interior coating is excited by the electrical power at the proper frequency. 
     In both cases, the bulbs are capable of running on less electricity with minimal or user-indistinguishable loss of lighting brightness. Dimmers and transformers have been used to initiate such energy savings. However, such dimmers and transformers and other inline devices are hard to employ because they must be hardwired into the system which is far beyond most user&#39;s abilities. 
     Accordingly, there is an unmet need for a device and method which will provide users of light bulbs with a means to reduce the power consumption of those bulbs without the need to hard-wire any components. Such a device should be employable with virtually any wattage lightbulb. Further, such a device should be easily inserted in-between the bulb using the power, and the power contacts which energized the bulb in a bulb socket. Additionally, one device should be easily employable with a variety of different diametered sockets to allow sales of one component that the user may easily alter to fit the appropriate diametered bulb socket such as a candelabra, a decorative wall light, or a standard sized bulb in a ceiling fixture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     There is disclosed and described herein a device which is easily positioned inline, between any sized lightbulb and within the socket in which it electrically engages. In a particularly preferred mode of the device allowing it to adapt to a wide variety of light bulb fixtures, an energy saving component which can include a diode or other means to effect the current reaching the bulb, or a small electrical chopping circuit, or other means for reducing the energy flowing to the bulb, is engaged within a collar. The collar has an exterior circumference which is specifically adapted to slide into the light socket and hold the device centered in an electrically operable position between the bulb and the centered electrical component providing current to the bulb. So centered, the device will treat the electrical current passing through the device before reaching the bulb. 
     The collar surrounding the engaged electric component has an exterior circumference adapted to slide into the sidewall of the intended light socket. For instance, a small decorative bulb base would employ a small diameter collar whereas the standard lightbulb having a larger base would employ a larger diametered collar portion. The collar may be formed of plastic or substantially rigid material or it may be formed of compressible material which will naturally compress at an even rate around the circumference and center the device in the proper position in the socket. 
     While the collar portion is adapted to slide into the intended socket, either with the correct circumference or with an evenly compressible material forming the collar, the electrical component is always engaged in the center of the collar in a position to interface between the bottom of the bulb and the top of the socket base where the conductor is located. This allows for a single sized or type of electrical component to always be centered in an intended socket. Thus, the collar provides a means to position the device centered within virtually any socket having an interior circumference larger than that of the device. 
     One particularly preferred mode of the device employs a kit form wherein the components are provided and may be assembled by the user. The electrical component and a plurality of different sized collars are provided to fit a plurality of different sized sockets having different interior circumferences. The user stretches the appropriate diamatered collar over the electrical component prior to insertion into the intended socket and the bias of the collar around the device holds it in place. Or the size of the centered hole in the collar may be equal to or slightly smaller than that of the device allowing a frictional engagement therein. 
     In an especially preferred mode of the device herein, it is provided already assembled with the evenly compressible collar portion engaged to the centered electrical component. The material forming the collar can be compressed to fit the socket, or in a most preferred mode of the device adapted to fit virtually any sized socket, the collar portion is formed with frangible portions. The frangible portions may then be removed as needed to change the outer circumference of the collar to mate with the inner circumference of the intended socket. In this mode, providing the collar with a plurality of frangible portions will allow the device to fit virtually any sized light socket. The user simply removes one or more frangible portions from the exterior to make the exterior circumference of the collar have a diameter and circumference adapted to engage within the socket and concurrently center the device in an operable position. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the device herein in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction, and to the arrangement of the components or method steps set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is thus capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways and in different order of execution. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which the system and method is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other methods and components that are adaptable to a plurality of light socket sizes for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention and adaptations that would occur to those skilled in the art. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide an easily engageable energy savings device for a light socket. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide such a device that also provides for a manner to adapt the circumference of the collar holding the electric component, to the inner circumference of the intended light socket. 
     An additional object of this invention is to provide such a device with easy to use frangible or removable portions on the collar to allow changes in its diameter and circumference. 
     These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of the construction and method as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  depicts a side cut away view of the device as it engages with the bottom of a conventionally sized lightbulb. 
         FIG. 2  depicts the device engaged upon a smaller decorative style lightbulb having a smaller screw end. 
         FIG. 3  is a view of  FIG. 2  wherein one or more frangible portions have been removed from the circumference adapting the device to the size of the light socket. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a kit form of the device wherein a plurality of collars may be provided to engage the electric component at a centered position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings depicting the device  10  in  FIGS. 1-4 , wherein similar parts are identified by like referenced numerals. As noted  FIG. 1  depicts a side cut away view of the device  10  as it engages upon the bottom of a conventionally sized lightbulb  12 . In all the most-preferred modes of the device  10 , a collar portion  14  is provided. 
     In a particularly preferred mode of the device, the collar portion  14  is adapted to stick to or attach to the bottom end of the lightbulb  12  for which it is to be used. This will allow the user to simply screw the device  10  into the socket  19  with the bulb  12 . This attaching or gripping ability to the lightbulb  12  eliminates the tedious and dangerous step of the user having to position the small electrical component  16  centered in the light socket  19  with their fingers risking electrical shock or mis-positioning that could cause a short circuit. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  the device  10  is easily engageable in the larger sized socket  19  of  FIG. 1  or engaged upon a smaller-sized socket of a decorative style lightbulb  13  having a smaller screw end for a smaller diameter socket. Here to it is desirable to employ a collar  14  that is adapted to grip onto the bulb end so that the user need not insert fingers into the socket  19 . Means to attach a surface of the collar  14  to a lightbulb can be adhesive  17  such as a peel and stick type adhesive or any means that will allow one upper or top surface of the collar  14  to adhere to the bottom of the lightbulb  12  when it is removed from the socket  19  and is ready for insertion therein. Or, the collar  14  may be formed with a central cavity adapted to compress upon and grip the bulb  12  at its bottom end. 
     While the device  10  may be provided with a collar portion  14  custom sized to each socket as in  FIG. 3 , such a large variety of sizes that would be required would be confusing to consumers and require many models to be manufactured and stocked for sale. More preferred as shown in  FIG. 2  is a mode of the device  10  which is manufactured having a collar with one or more frangible portions of the collar  14  that are removable. This can be done by perforations  15  communicating through the collar  14  or in other manners such as a tongue and groove engagement of the different elastic sections of the collar  14  allowing easy removal or re-engagement. Many manners of rendering sections of the collar  14  removable and/or replaceable are available and any means for removal of portions of the collar  14  that would occur to those skilled in the art are anticipated. 
     As noted earlier, the collar  14  may also be compressible material such that when inserted into a socket  19  having an interior circumference smaller than the exterior circumference of the collar  14 , it will compress slightly and maintain the electrical component  16  centered and in electrical engagement with the light bulb  12 . Or, the frangible mode of the collar  14  as in  FIG. 2 , may also be formed of compressible material, such that it will compress for small adjustments the circumference and diameter of the intended light socket  19 , and portions may be removed to adapt it to much smaller diamatered light sockets. 
     Using the collar  14  having removable portions, the user would engage the collar  14  on the smaller bulb as in  FIG. 2  and remove a portion or portions of the collar  14  to change the circumference and diameter to match the intended bulb  13  and still center up the electric component  16  for engagement when the collar  14  gripping the bulb  13  is inserted in a light socket. Should the collar  14  become too small to grip the bulb with elastic pressure, or should such be insufficient, adhesive  17  can also be provided such as a peel and stick surface, to insure the device  10  engages the bulb end for insertion. 
     Finally, as noted there is shown in  FIG. 4  a kit form of the device wherein a plurality of collars  14  may be provided in a kit of such collars  14  all of which are adapted to engage different sockets and position the electrical component  16  in a centered position within the socket  19  and in electrical communication with the bulb  12 . The collars  14  might also engage each other to assemble a larger diameter collar  14  and all would be adapted to engage and hold onto the end of the intended bulb  12 . This would be done as noted above with either an elastic fit on the bulb end or adhesive  17 , or a combination thereof, or other means to hold the collar  14  in position on the bulb  12  during insertion into a light bulb socket  19 . 
     The electrical component  16  is adapted to treat or affect the electrical current communicated to the center conductor  15  of the light bulb  12  or  13  and which must travel through the electrical component  16 . With modern electronic militarization, the electrical component  16  may be as simple as a diode, or may be more complicated such as a chopping circuit that will chop the electrical power reaching the bulb through the electrical component  16  and reduce the energy used by the light bulb  12 . Any electrical component  16 , which will reduce consumption by the bulb may be employed and all such electrical components  16  as would occur to those skilled in the art are anticipated within the scope of this application. The employment of the collar  14  in solid, compressible, or frangible forms, and optionally means to engage the collar  14  to the bulb  12 , will always position the electrical component  16  in the properly centered position in the socket  19  to affect the electrical current reaching the bulb  12 . Of course means to engage the collar  14  to the bulb  12  is preferred since it will alleviate the user placing their fingers in the light bulb socket  19  and the compressible and frangible collars  14  allow the most adaptability to the device  10 . The kit of  FIG. 4  will also provide great utility in that a single electrical component  16  may be adapted to any electrical socket  19  intended for the bulb  12 . 
     The energy saving device adapted for engagement to a variety of different sized light bulbs  12  for insertion into engagement sockets shown in the drawings and described in detail herein features arrangements of elements of particular construction and configurations for preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood, however, that elements of different construction and configuration and other arrangements thereof, other than those illustrated and described, may be employed for providing a device within the spirit of this invention. 
     As such, while the present system and method of the invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modifications, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, and it will be appreciated that in some instance some features of the invention could be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All such changes, alternations and modifications as would occur to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention as broadly defined in the appended claims.

Technology Category: 5