Multi-lamp assembly

Claim 2

A multi-lamp assembly comprising: a metal housing; multi-lamp socket means including a plurality of lamp sockets; and a plurality of lamps; said housing including outer walls, and inner partition walls extending inwardly of the top of the housing a predetermined distance towards the bottom of the housing, said partition walls extending between outer walls to divide a first portion of the housing into a plurality of compartments, a second portion of the housing being hollow beneath the partition walls and between the outer walls, and being adapted to receive said multi-lamp socket means, said multi-lamp socket means residing in the second portion; portions of respective sets of lamps residing in respective compartments, and respective lamp sockets being positioned adjacent the inner end of respective compartments, wherein the lateral enclosure of that portion of respective lamps residing within respective compartments consists essentially of portions of said walls; said socket means comprising a first base plate mounted in said housing and having a plurality of openings, said plurality of lamps each having a casing contact surface and an end contact on the base thereof, said lamps being received in said openings with said bases of said lamps uniformly exposed beyond one surface of said first base plate, first contact means on a face of said first base plate for interconnecting at least two of said casing contact surfaces, a second base plate removably mounted in said housing in parallel spaced relationship with respect to said first base plate, said second base plate carrying a plurality of second contact means for contacting said lamps and including at least one third contact means which contacts said first contact means, each of said second contact means including a spring means for establishing resilient engagement of respective second contact means with an end contact on said base of one of said lamps, spring means for establishing resilient engagement of said third contact means with said first contact means to selectively establish circuits which include one or more of said lamps, and lead contact means forming a part of said respective second and third contact means and projecting outwardly from said second base plate for establishing lead connections to said second and third contact means.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said first contact means includes a printed circuit on said face of said first base plate in at least part of the area surrounding at least two of said openings in said first base plate.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said second and third contact means includes a terminal blade in position for connecting a lead thereto.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said second and third contact means includes a movable contact member which is in electrical contact with said lead contact means, and said spring means biases said second and third contact member in the direction toward said first base plate.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 4 wherein said casing contact surface on each of said lamp bases has a flange portion which is adapted to contact said first contact means on said first plate when said lamp is received in one of said openings and wherein some respective spring means urge respective movable members of said third contact means towards said first base plate and against said first contact means and wherein other respective spring means urges one of said second contact means towards said first base plate and against a respective end contact on one of said lamp bases for establiShing an electrical circuit connection between said movable member and said end contact on one of said lamp bases for establishing an electrical circuit connection between said movable member and said end contact and for urging said flange portion of said one lamp against said first contact means to establish an electrical circuit connection between said flange portion and said first contact means, and for holding said lamp in one of said openings, whereby said second contact means not only maintains said one lamp in said opening but also establishes two electrical circuit connections with said lamp.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least two of said second contact means on said second base plate are electrically interconnected.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said second base plate has a plurality of apertures therein, at least one for each of said second contact means, and each of said second contact means includes an eyelet received in one of said apertures with one end of said eyelet being clamped over a portion of said lead contact means, a movable contact pin having a shank slidably received in said eyelet, a head at one end of said shank adapted for engagement with said end contact on one of said lamps, and an enlarged shank portion at the other end of said contact pin, said head and said enlarged shank portion serving to retain said contact pin within said eyelet, and said spring means is positioned about said shank of said contact pin between said eyelet and said head of said pin in the direction toward said first base plate.

Claim 9

The assembly of claim 7 including a third plate made of an insulating material and having a plurality of apertures therein equal in number to the number of second and third contact means on said second base plate, said third plate being positioned between said first and second base plates and adjacent said second base plate with said spring means and said contact pin of each of said contact means extending through one of said apertures.

Claim 10

The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of said spring means is connected to said lead contact means of said contact means and is defined by a spring arm which extends from said second base plate, and wherein the distal end of said spring arm is adapted to contact one of said lamp end contacts or said circuit means on said first base plate.

Claim 11

In a multi-lamp assembly including a housing having mounted therein a plurality of lamps of the type having a base with a contact surface and an end contact thereon, the improvement in which said housing is die cast metal and includes outer walls, and inner partition walls extending inwardly of the top of the housing a predetermined distance towards the bottom of the housing, said partition walls extending between outer walls to divide a first portion of the housing into a plurality of compartments, a second portion of the housing being hollow beneath the partition walls and between the outer walls, and being adapted to receive said multi-lamp socket means, said multi-lamp socket means residing in the second portion; portions of respective sets of lamps residing in respective compartments, and respective lamp sockets being positioned adjacent the inner end of respective compartments, wherein the lateral enclosure of that portion of respective lamps residing within respective compartments consists essentially of portions of said walls; said socket means comprising first and second, generally parallel, spaced apart base plates, said first base plate being fixed within the housing and having a plurality of openings therein in which said bases of said lamps are received, circuit means on one face of said first base plate for contacting and interconnecting said contact surfaces, and said second base plate being removably mounted within said housing and having a plurality of contact means thereon for contacting said lamp end contacts and separate contact means for contacting said circuit means on said first base plate.

Claim 12

In a multi-lamp assembly including a housing having mounted therein a plurality of lamps of the type having a base with a contact surface and an end contact thereon, the improvement in which said housing is die cast metal and includes outer walls, and inner partition walls extending inwardly of the top of the housing a predetermined distance towards the bottom of the housing, said partition walls extending between outer walls to divide a first portion of the housing into a plurality of compartments, a second portion of the housing being hollow beneath the partition walls and between the outer walls, and being adapted to receive said multi-lamp socket means, said multi-lamp socket means residing in the second portion; portions of respective sets of lamps residing in respective compartments, and respective lamp sockets being positioned adjacent the inner end of respective compartments, wherein the lateral enclosure of that portion of respective lamps residing within respective compartments consists essentially of portions of said walls; said socket means comprising first and second, generally parallel, spaced apart base plates, said first base plate being fixed within the housing and having a plurality of openings therein in which said bases of said lamps are received, circuit means on one face of said first base plate for contacting and interconnecting said contact surfaces, and said second base plate being removably mounted within said housing and having a plurality of contact means thereon for contacting said lamp end contacts and separate contact means for contacting said circuit means on said first base plate.

Claim 13

A multi-lamp assemBly comprising: a housing; multi-lamp socket means including a plurality of lamp sockets; and a plurality of lamps; said housing including outer lateral walls, and inner partition walls extending inwardly from the top of the housing a predetermined distance toward the bottom of the housing, said inner partition walls extending between the outer walls to divide the upper portion of the housing into a plurality of compartments, the lower portion of the housing being hollow beneath the partition walls and between the outer lateral walls and being adapted to receive said multi-lamp socket means; said multi-lamp socket means residing in the hollow lower portion; portions of respective sets of lamps residing in respective compartments; respective lamp sockets being positioned adjacent the inner end of respective compartments; and wherein the lateral enclosure of said portions of said respective lamps which reside within respective compartments consists essentially of portions of said walls.

Claim 14

A multi-lamp assemBly comprising: a housing; multi-lamp socket means including a plurality of lamp sockets; and a plurality of lamps; said housing including outer lateral walls, and inner partition walls extending inwardly from the top of the housing a predetermined distance toward the bottom of the housing, said inner partition walls extending between the outer walls to divide the upper portion of the housing into a plurality of compartments, the lower portion of the housing being hollow beneath the partition walls and between the outer lateral walls and being adapted to receive said multi-lamp socket means; said multi-lamp socket means residing in the hollow lower portion; portions of respective sets of lamps residing in respective compartments; respective lamp sockets being positioned adjacent the inner end of respective compartments; and wherein the lateral enclosure of said portions of said respective lamps which reside within respective compartments consists essentially of portions of said walls.

Claim 15

A multi-lamp assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said housing is a die cast part.

Claim 16

The multi-lamp assembly of claim 11 wherein said socket means includes a plurality of lamp sockets, each comprising an opening in a plate member and wherein a respective lamp is positioned in said opening with a bulb portion thereof being positioned on one side of said plate member, and electrical contacts of said respective lamp being disposed at the other side of said plate member, and wherein said plate member is positioned transversely with respect to said partition walls and adjacent the inner edge of said partition walls.

Claim 17

A multi-lamp assembly comprising: a housing; multi-lamp socket means including a plurality of lamp sockets; and a plurality of lamps; said housing including side walls, and inner partition walls extending inwardly from the top of the housing a predetermined distance to a point intermediate the top and the bottom of the housing, said partition walls extending between the side walls to divide the upper portion of the housing into a plurality of compartments, the lower portion of the housing being hollow beneath the partition walls and between the side and end walls and being adapted to receive said multi-lamp socket means, said multi-lamp socket means residing in the hollow lower portion, portions of respective sets of lamps residing in respective compartments, and respective lamp sockets being positioned adjacent the inner end of respective compartments wherein the lateral enclosure of that portion of respective lamps residing within respective compartments consists essentially of portions of said walls.

Claim 18

A multi-lamp assembly comprising: a housing; multi-lamp socket means including a plurality of lamp sockets; and a plurality of lamps; said housing including side walls, and inner partition walls extending inwardly from the top of the housing a predetermined distance to a point intermediate the top and the bottom of the housing, said partition walls extending between the side walls to divide the upper portion of the housing into a plurality of compartments, the lower portion of the housing being hollow beneath the partition walls and between the side and end walls and being adapted to receive said multi-lamp socket means, said multi-lamp socket means residing in the hollow lower portion, portions of respective sets of lamps residing in respective compartments, and respective lamp sockets being positioned adjacent the inner end of respective compartments wherein the lateral enclosure of that portion of respective lamps residing within respective compartments consists essentially of portions of said walls.

Claim 19

A multi-lamp assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said housing is a die cast part.

Claim 20

The multi-lamp assembly of claim 11 wherein said socket means includes a plurality of lamp sockets each comprising an opening in a plate member and wherein a respective lamp is positioned in said opening with a bulb portion of said lamp being positioned on one side of said plate, and electrical contacts disposed at the other side of said plate member and wherein said plate member is positioned transversely with respect to said partition walls and adjacent the inner edge of said partition walls.

Claim 21

Multi-lamp assembly comprising: a metal housing; a multi-lamp socket means including a plurality of lamp sockets; a plurality of lamps; said housing including outer lateral walls, and inner partition walls extending inwardly from the top of the housing a predetermined distance toward the bottom of the housing, said inner partition walls extending between the outer walls to divide the upper portion of the housing into a plurality of compartments, the lower portion of the housing being hollow beneath the partition walls and between the outer lateral walls and being adapted to receive said multi-lamp socket means; said multi-lamp socket means residing in the hollow lower portion; portions of respective sets of lamps residing in respective compartments, wherein the lateral enClosure of said portions of said respective lamps consists essentially of portions of said walls; respective lamp sockets being positioned adjacent the inner end of the respective compartments; said socket means comprising a first base plate mounted in said housing and having a plurality of openings, said plurality of lamps each having a casing contact surface and an end contact on the base thereof, said lamps being received in said openings with said bases of said lamps exposed beyond one surface of said first base plate, first contact means on a face of said first base plate for interconnecting at least two of said casing contact surfaces, a second base plate removably mounted in said housing in parallel spaced relationship with respect to said first base plate, said second base plate carrying a plurality of second contact means for connecting said lamps and including at least one third contact means which contacts said first contact means, each of said contact means including a spring means for establishing resilient engagement of respective second contact means with an end contact on a respective base of one of said lamps, spring means for establishing resilient engagement of said third contact means with said first contact means to selectively establish circuits which include one or more of said lamps, and lead contact means forming a part of said respective second and third contact means and projecting outwardly from said second base plate for establishing lead connections to said second and third contact means; each of said second and third contact means being an integral part formed from a sheet of stiff resilient metal from which the lead contact and spring means are formed by bending portions of said sheet.

Claim 22

Multi-lamp assembly comprising: a metal housing; a multi-lamp socket means including a plurality of lamp sockets; a plurality of lamps; said housing including outer lateral walls, and inner partition walls extending inwardly from the top of the housing a predetermined distance toward the bottom of the housing, said inner partition walls extending between the outer walls to divide the upper portion of the housing into a plurality of compartments, the lower portion of the housing being hollow beneath the partition walls and between the outer lateral walls and being adapted to receive said multi-lamp socket means; said multi-lamp socket means residing in the hollow lower portion; portions of respective sets of lamps residing in respective compartments, wherein the lateral enClosure of said portions of said respective lamps consists essentially of portions of said walls; respective lamp sockets being positioned adjacent the inner end of the respective compartments; said socket means comprising a first base plate mounted in said housing and having a plurality of openings, said plurality of lamps each having a casing contact surface and an end contact on the base thereof, said lamps being received in said openings with said bases of said lamps exposed beyond one surface of said first base plate, first contact means on a face of said first base plate for interconnecting at least two of said casing contact surfaces, a second base plate removably mounted in said housing in parallel spaced relationship with respect to said first base plate, said second base plate carrying a plurality of second contact means for connecting said lamps and including at least one third contact means which contacts said first contact means, each of said contact means including a spring means for establishing resilient engagement of respective second contact means with an end contact on a respective base of one of said lamps, spring means for establishing resilient engagement of said third contact means with said first contact means to selectively establish circuits which include one or more of said lamps, and lead contact means forming a part of said respective second and third contact means and projecting outwardly from said second base plate for establishing lead connections to said second and third contact means; each of said second and third contact means being an integral part formed from a sheet of stiff resilient metal from which the lead contact and spring means are formed by bending portions of said sheet.