Lighter socket and screw threads mounting

Claim 1

An electric cigarette lighter socket usable with a thermostatic latch, and adapted to be mounted on a panel said socket comprising a tubular member having an open top end and a closed bottom end, springy fingers lanced substantially in the upper portion of the sidewall of said tubular member, an integral flange at said top end of said tubular member for bearing against the face of a panel on which said socket is mounted, short axially elongated narrow outward indentations at intervals in the sidewall of said tubular member, beginning near said top end of said tubular member and extending rearward of said flange, cut screw threads on the outside of said indentations, narrow threaded collar means encircling said tubular member and engageable with said cut screws threads on said indentations for clamping said socket to the panel, including radially elongated axially shallow openings substantially in the lower half of the sidewall of said tubular member opposite the upper tips of the thermostatic latch, the upper edges of said openings being substantially above said upper tips, said openings dimensionally proportioned to provide only positive clearance between the sidewall of said tubular member and the upper tips of the thermostatic latch under all conditions when in use, so as to minimize the area of each said opening.