Lamp socket and terminal

Claim 2

A lamp socket for mounting on a panel member including an aperture therein, said lamp socket comprising a housing of insulating material including a cavity in one end thereof for receiving a lamp member therein, a pair of terminals mounted in said housing and having first ends thereof extending into said cavity for electrically and mechanically connecting said lamp member thereto, the opposite ends of said terminal pair connecting said terminals to external wiring for energizing said lamp member, and means connected to said housing for mounting said socket to said panel member, said means including a resilient member extending from said housing for snapping into the aperture in said panel member, said mounting member comprising an arm connected at one end thereof on a sidewall of said housing, said arm extending in a direction substantially parallel to said housing along said wall and including at the free end thereof an inwardly facing lock tab, said panel member being receivable between said arm and said housing whereby said lock tab is inserted into said aperture in said panel member to secure said lamp socket to the latter, said sidewall including a plurality of projections formed thereon, and extending outwardly therefrom in the direction of said arm and wherein said panel member is received between said arm and said extensions so as to rest on the latter.

Claim 3

A lamp socket as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one end of said arm includes a U-shaped base support member, said one end of said arm being connected at the bight portion of said U, and extending therefrom substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the U, with the ends of the legs of the latter being connected to said sidewall of said housing.

Claim 4

A lamp socket for mounting on a panel member including an aperture therein, said lamp socket comprising a housing of insulating material including a cavity in one end thereof for receiving a lamp member therein, a pair of terminals mounted in said housing and having first ends thereof extending into said cavity for electrically and mechanically connecting said lamp member thereto, the opposite ends of said terminal pair connecting said terminals to external wiring for energizing said lamp member, and means connected to said housing for mounting said socket to said panel member, said means including a resilient member extending from said housing for snapping into the aperture in said panel member, said mounting member includes a nib extending from a sidewall of said housing, wherein said mounting means further includes a pair of opposing inwardly facing arms mounted on said sidewall on opposite sides of said nib, said arms being spaced from said wall for receiving therebetween said panel member, said nib being received in said aperture in said panel member upon the receipt of said panel member between said arms, said nib including on the leading end thereof a cam surface and on the trailing end thereof a shoulder portion, said cam surface engaging said panel member upon receiving the latter between said arms, and said shoulder portion engaging said panel meMber at the edge of said aperture upon the receipt of said nib in the latter, to prevent easy removal of said lamp socket from said panel member.

Claim 5

A lamp socket for mounting on a panel member including an aperture therein, said lamp socket comprising a housing of insulating material including a cavity in one end thereof for receiving a lamp member therein, a pair of terminals mounted in said housing and having first ends thereof extending into said cavity for electrically and mechanically connecting said lamp member thereto, the opposite ends of said terminal pair connecting said terminals to external wiring for energizing said lamp member, and means connected to said housing for mounting said socket to said panel member, said means including a resilient member extending from said housing for snapping into the aperture in said panel member, said mounting member includes a nib extending from a sidewall of said housing, wherein said mounting means further includes a pair of opposing inwardly facing arms mounted on said sidewall on opposite sides of said nib, said arms being spaced from said wall for receiving therebetween said panel member, said nib being received in said aperture in said panel member upon the receipt of said panel member between said arms, said nib including on the leading end thereof a cam surface and on the trailing end thereof a shoulder portion, said cam surface engaging said panel member upon receiving the latter between said arms, and said shoulder portion engaging said panel meMber at the edge of said aperture upon the receipt of said nib in the latter, to prevent easy removal of said lamp socket from said panel member.

Claim 6

The combination comprising a panel member having an aperture therein, and a lamp socket for mounting thereon, said lamp socket comprising: a housing of an insulating material, having a cavity in one end thereof for receiving the base of a lamp, first and second apertures extending through said housing from the opposite end thereof and communicating with said cavity, first and second terminals, each being mounted in a respective one of said apertures with first ends thereof extending into the cavity for electrically and mechanically contacting said lamp base, the opposite ends of the terminals connected to external circuitry for energizing said lamp, and mounting means formed integrally with said housing on a sidewall thereof, said mounting means including a resilient arm having a first end attached to said sidewall, said arm extending along said sidewall at a predetermined distance therefrom, and including at the second end thereof a locking tab, said tab being receivable in the aperture in said panel upon the receipt of said panel between said arm and said sidewall of said housing, thereby to secure said lamp socket to said panel, said panel member including a tab of a predetermined width having an aperture therethrough located a predetermined distance from the free end thereof, and wherein said resilient arm of said lamp socket is of a predetermined length so as to align said aperture in said panel tab and said lock tab, thereby to insure the receipt of the latter in the former.

Claim 7

The combination comprising a panel member having an aperture therein, and a lamp socket for mounting thereon, said lamp socket comprising: a housing of an insulating material, having a cavity in one end thereof for receiving the base of a lamp, first and second apertures extending through said housing from the opposite end thereof and communicating with said cavity, first and second terminals, each being mounted in a respective one of said apertures with first ends thereof extending into the cavity for electrically and mechanically contacting said lamp base, the opposite ends of the terminals connected to external circuitry for energizing said lamp, and mounting means formed integrally with said housing on a sidewall thereof, said mounting means including a resilient arm having a first end attached to said sidewall, said arm extending along said sidewall at a predetermined distance therefrom, and including at the second end thereof a locking tab, said tab being receivable in the aperture in said panel upon the receipt of said panel between said arm and said sidewall of said housing, thereby to secure said lamp socket to said panel, said panel member including a tab of a predetermined width having an aperture therethrough located a predetermined distance from the free end thereof, and wherein said resilient arm of said lamp socket is of a predetermined length so as to align said aperture in said panel tab and said lock tab, thereby to insure the receipt of the latter in the former.

Claim 8

A lamp socket for mounting on a panel member having an aperture therein, said lamp socket comprising: a housing of an insulating material, having a cavity in one end thereof for receiving the base of a lamp, first and second apertures extending through said housing from the opposite end thereof and communicating with said cavity, first and second terminals, each being mounted in a respective one of said apertures with first ends thereof extending into the cavity for electrically and mechanically contacting said lamp base, the opposite ends of the terminals connected to external circuitry for energizing said lamp, and mounting means formed integrally with said housing on a sidewall thereof, said mounting means including a resilient arm having a first end attached to said sidewall, said arm extending along said sidewall at a predetermined distance therefrom, and including at the second end thereof a locking tab, said tab being receivable in the aperture in said panel upon the receipt of said panel between said arm and said sidewall of said housing, thereby to secure said lamp socket to said panel, a plurality of support projections integrally formed with said sidewall and facing outwardly toward said resilient arm, so that upon the receipt of said panel member between said arm and sidewall said panel member rests on said projections.

Claim 9

A lamp socket for mounting on a panel member having an aperture therein, said lamp socket comprising: a housing of an insulating material, having a cavity in one end thereof for receiving the base of a lamp, first and second apertures extending through said housing from the opposite end thereof and communicating with said cavity, first and second terminals, each being mounted in a respective one of said apertures with first ends thereof extending into the cavity for electrically and mechanically contacting said lamp base, the opposite ends of the terminals connected to external circuitry for energizing said lamp, and mounting means formed integrally with said housing on a sidewall thereof, said mounting means including a resilient arm having a first end attached to said sidewall, said arm extending along said sidewall at a predetermined distance therefrom, and including at the second end thereof a locking tab, said tab being receivable in the aperture in said panel upon the receipt of said panel between said arm and said sidewall of said housing, thereby to secure said lamp socket to said panel, a plurality of support projections integrally formed with said sidewall and facing outwardly toward said resilient arm, so that upon the receipt of said panel member between said arm and sidewall said panel member rests on said projections.

Claim 10

A lamp socket for mounting on a panel tab of a predetermined width, having an aperture extending therethrough, said lamp socket comprising: a housing of insulating material having four interconnected sidewalls and a pair of end walls, one of said end walls including a cavity therein for receiving the base of a lamp, and a pair of apertures extending through said housing from the opposite end wall thereof and communicating with said cavity, a pair of terminals, each being mounted in one of said apertures with a first end thereof extending outwardly into said cavity in spaced-apart relation for receiving said lamp base therebetween thereby to make an electrical connection therewith, and mounting means including a nib integrally formed with and extending outwardly from a first sidewall of said housing, and a pair of opposing arm members integrally formed with and extending from said first sidewall on opposite sides of said nib and spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the predetermined width of said paNel tab, said panel tab being receivable between said spaced-apart arm members so that said nib is inserted into said aperture in said panel tab, thereby to secure said lamp socket thereto.

Claim 11

A lamp socket for mounting on a panel tab of a predetermined width, having an aperture extending therethrough, said lamp socket comprising: a housing of insulating material having four interconnected sidewalls and a pair of end walls, one of said end walls including a cavity therein for receiving the base of a lamp, and a pair of apertures extending through said housing from the opposite end wall thereof and communicating with said cavity, a pair of terminals, each being mounted in one of said apertures with a first end thereof extending outwardly into said cavity in spaced-apart relation for receiving said lamp base therebetween thereby to make an electrical connection therewith, and mounting means including a nib integrally formed with and extending outwardly from a first sidewall of said housing, and a pair of opposing arm members integrally formed with and extending from said first sidewall on opposite sides of said nib and spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the predetermined width of said paNel tab, said panel tab being receivable between said spaced-apart arm members so that said nib is inserted into said aperture in said panel tab, thereby to secure said lamp socket thereto.