Multi-filament light bulb and the like

Claim 2

In a multi-filament electric light bulb having a sealed glass envelope and a base fixedly attached thereto, said base being adapted for engaging in a receiving socket, and including a plurality of conducting elements arranged in parallel and connected to a respective filament, said base comprising a hollow electrical conducting member and an insulating member disposed in the lower end of said hollow member and projecting outwardly of said lower end thereof, a plurality of spaced stationary contacts mounted generally circumferentially on said insulating member and being exteriorly accessible, each of said contacts being electrically coupled to a respective one of said conducting elements, an electrical conducting selector having free ends and being movably mounted on said base, for generally circumferential movement with respect thereto, said selector at its ends extending interiorly of said base for movably mounting said selector on said base, said selector having a contact portion adapted for engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts to electrically couple said hollow member to a selected one of said conducting elements, said selector being positioned relative to said base so that said contact portion extends below said hollow member and generally hugs the exterior surface of said base.

Claim 3

A light bulb in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selector comprises a member formed from metal wire bent into a looped configuration forming said contact portion and laterally extending arm sections which are adapted at their free ends to be disposed interiorly of said hollow member and in slidable engagement therewith.

Claim 4

In a base for an electrical conducting article such as a light bulb or the like, said base being adapted for threadedly engaging in a receiving socket and including a plurality of electrical energy conducting elements arranged in parallel, said base comprising a hollow electrically conducting threaded member and an insulating member projecting outwardly of the threaded member, a plurality of spaced stationary electrical contacts mounted on said insulating member, each of said contacts being coupled to a respective one of said conducting elements, an electrically conducting selector movably mounted on said base, and having a contact portion adapted for selective engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts, said selector being mounted on said base in engaged relation to said threaded member for electrically coupling the latter to said selector, said contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts to electrically couple said threaded member to the selected one of said conducting elements, said conducting elements having a common return lead, a further stationary contact disposeD on the exterior of said insulating member and being connected to said common lead, and wherein said selector comprises a loop shaped portion which extends downwardly and inwardly relative to said threaded member so that the greater portion of said loop shaped portion is disposed below the threaded area on said base and is out of interferring relation with the components of the socket into which said base is adapted to be screwed, said loop shaped portion forming said contact portion of said selector.

Claim 5

In a base for an electrical conducting article such as a light bulb or the like, said base being adapted for threadedly engaging in a receiving socket and including a plurality of electrical energy conducting elements arranged in parallel, said base comprising a hollow electrically conducting threaded member and an insulating member projecting outwardly of the threaded member, a plurality of spaced stationary electrical contacts mounted on said insulating member, each of said contacts being coupled to a respective one of said conducting elements, an electrically conducting selector movably mounted on said base, and having a contact portion adapted for selective engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts, said selector being mounted on said base in engaged relation to said threaded member for electrically coupling the latter to said selector, said contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts to electrically couple said threaded member to the selected one of said conducting elements, said conducting elements having a common return lead, a further stationary contact disposeD on the exterior of said insulating member and being connected to said common lead, and wherein said selector comprises a loop shaped portion which extends downwardly and inwardly relative to said threaded member so that the greater portion of said loop shaped portion is disposed below the threaded area on said base and is out of interferring relation with the components of the socket into which said base is adapted to be screwed, said loop shaped portion forming said contact portion of said selector.

Claim 6

In a base for an electrical conducting article such as a light bulb or the like, said base being adapted for threadedly engaging in a receiving socket and including a plurality of electrical energy conducting elements arranged in parallel, said base comprising a hollow electrically conducting threaded member and an insulating member projecting outwardly of the threaded member, a plurality of spaced stationary electrical contacts mounted on said insulating member, each of said contacts being coupled to a respective one of said conducting elements, an electrically conducting selector movably mounted on said base and having a contact portion adapted for selective engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts, said selector being mounted on said base in engaged relation to said threaded member for electrically coupling the latter to said selector, said contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts to electrically couple said threaded member to the selected one of said conducting elements, and wherein said selector comprises a piece of bent wire having generally laterally extending curvilinear arm portions the ends of which are received interiorly of said base for movably mounting the selector generally circumferentially on said base, and wherein said contact portion extends from said selector downwardly and inwardly relative to said threaded member for selective engagement with a selected one of said stationary contacts on said base, so as to couple said threaded member with the selected contact, each said stationary contact comprising a protuberance and said contact portion comprising a loop adapted to receive a respective confronting contact in snap fastened coacting relation.

Claim 7

In a base for an electrical conducting article such as a light bulb or the like, said base being adapted for threadedly engaging in a receiving socket and including a plurality of electrical energy conducting elements arranged in parallel, said base comprising a hollow electrically conducting threaded member and an insulating member projecting outwardly of the threaded member, a plurality of spaced stationary electrical contacts mounted on said insulating member, each of said contacts being coupled to a respective one of said conducting elements, an electrically conducting selector movably mounted on said base and having a contact portion adapted for selective engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts, said selector being mounted on said base in engaged relation to said threaded member for electrically coupling the latter to said selector, said contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts to electrically couple said threaded member to the selected one of said conducting elements, and wherein said selector comprises a piece of bent wire having generally laterally extending curvilinear arm portions the ends of which are received interiorly of said base for movably mounting the selector generally circumferentially on said base, and wherein said contact portion extends from said selector downwardly and inwardly relative to said threaded member for selective engagement with a selected one of said stationary contacts on said base, so as to couple said threaded member with the selected contact, each said stationary contact comprising a protuberance and said contact portion comprising a loop adapted to receive a respective confronting contact in snap fastened coacting relation.

Claim 8

In a base for an electrical conducting article such as a light bulb or the like, said base being adapted for threadedly engaging in a receiving socket and including a plurality of electrical energy conducting elements arranged in parallel, said base comprising a hollow electrically conducting threaded member and an insulating member projecting outwardly of the threaded member, a plurality of spaced stationary electrical contacts mounted on said insulating member, each of said contacts being coupled to a respective one of said conducting elements, an electrically conducting selector movably mounted on said base and having a contact portion adapted for selective engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts, said selector being mounted on said base in engaged relation to said threaded member for electrically coupling the latter to said selector, said contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts to electrically couple said threaded member to the selected one of said conducting elements, and wherein said threaded member is threaded on the exterior thereof generally above an inverted frustro-conical shaped portion of said threaded member, said selector comprising a generally resilient length of metal bent into a looped portion which provides said contact portion and arm portions which extend generally laterally outwardly from said contact portion, said base having spaced openings therein formed in said frusto-conical portion below the last thread of said threaded member, the free ends of said arm portions being received through said openings so as to be disposed interiorly of said threaded member and rotatably mounting said selector on said base.

Claim 9

In a base for an electrical conducting article such as a light bulb or the like, said base being adapted for threadedly engaging in a receiving socket and including a plurality of electrical energy conducting elements arranged in parallel, said base comprising a hollow electrically conducting threaded member and an insulating member projecting outwardly of the threaded member, a plurality of spaced stationary electrical contacts mounted on said insulating member, each of said contacts being coupled to a respective one of said conducting elements, an electrically conducting selector movably mounted on said base and having a contact portion adapted for selective engagement with a respective one of said stationary contacts, said selector being mounted on said base in engaged relation to said threaded member for electrically coupling the latter to said selector, said contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts to electrically couple said threaded member to the selected one of said conducting elements, and wherein said threaded member is threaded on the exterior thereof generally above an inverted frustro-conical shaped portion of said threaded member, said selector comprising a generally resilient length of metal bent into a looped portion which provides said contact portion and arm portions which extend generally laterally outwardly from said contact portion, said base having spaced openings therein formed in said frusto-conical portion below the last thread of said threaded member, the free ends of said arm portions being received through said openings so as to be disposed interiorly of said threaded member and rotatably mounting said selector on said base.

Claim 10

A base iN accordance with claim 5 wherein said selector arm portions are of sufficient length to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the selector from the base during generally circumferential movement of the selector a predetermined maximum amount in either rotary direction.

Claim 11

A base in accordance with claim 5 wherein said selector at its free ends has curved portions adapted to slidingly engage the interior of said threaded member and provide smooth movement of said selector relative to said threaded member.

Claim 12

A base in accordance with claim 5 wherein said conducting elements have a common return lead, a further stationary contact disposed on the exterior of said insulating member and being connected to said common lead.

Claim 13

A base in accordance with claim 5 wherein said selector includes a plurality of spaced contact portions thereon whereby a plurality of said stationary contacts can be engaged with a respective contact portion of said selector in a selected position of the latter so that a plurality of said conducting elements can be simultaneously energized.

Claim 14

A base in accordance with claim 5 wherein said selector is formed of resilient wire.

Claim 15

A base in accordance with claim 5 including a projecting tab portion on said selector adapted for gripping by the fingers of an individual for selectively moving said selector in a generally circumferential direction with respect to said base so as to electrically couple said threaded member with a selected one of said stationary contacts on said insulating member.

Claim 16

In a base for an electrical conducting article such as a light bulb or the like, said base being adapted for threadedly engaging in a receiving socket and including a plurality of electrical energy conducting elements arranged in parallel, said base comprising a hollow electrically conducting threaded member and an insulating member projecting outwardly of the threaded member, a plurality of spaced stationary electrical contacts mounted on said insulating member, each of said contacts being coupled to a respective one of said conducting elements, an electrically conducting selector removably mounted on said base and having a contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts, said selector being mounted on said base in engaged relation to said threaded member for electrically coupling the latter to said selector, said contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts to electrically couple said threaded member to the selected one of said conducting elements, and wherein said selector comprises a generally V-shaped hairpin-like member formed from metal into a contact portion at the base of the V and arm sections radiating out from the base which arm sections at their free ends are reversely bent, said threaded member having generally laterally spaced loop holes located generally circumferentially of said threaded member, each loop hole being associated with the respective stationary contact, said selector being removably received in a selected of said loop holes to electrically couple said threaded member with the respective stationary contact, said arm sections being resiliently biased outwardly relative to one another and into engagement with said threaded member at opposite ends of the respective loop hole.

Claim 17

In a base for an electrical conducting article such as a light bulb or the like, said base being adapted for threadedly engaging in a receiving socket and including a plurality of electrical energy conducting elements arranged in parallel, said base comprising a hollow electrically conducting threaded member and an insulating member projecting outwardly of the threaded member, a plurality of spaced stationary electrical contacts mounted on said insulating member, each of said contacts being coupled to a respective one of said conducting elements, an electrically conducting selector removably mounted on said base and having a contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts, said selector being mounted on said base in engaged relation to said threaded member for electrically coupling the latter to said selector, said contact portion adapted for selective engagement with the respective one of said stationary contacts to electrically couple said threaded member to the selected one of said conducting elements, and wherein said selector comprises a generally V-shaped hairpin-like member formed from metal into a contact portion at the base of the V and arm sections radiating out from the base which arm sections at their free ends are reversely bent, said threaded member having generally laterally spaced loop holes located generally circumferentially of said threaded member, each loop hole being associated with the respective stationary contact, said selector being removably received in a selected of said loop holes to electrically couple said threaded member with the respective stationary contact, said arm sections being resiliently biased outwardly relative to one another and into engagement with said threaded member at opposite ends of the respective loop hole.

Claim 18

A base in accordance with claim 12 wherein each of said loop holes are defined in part by a bridging portion formed from the material of said threaded member and projecting outwardly therefrom, said reversely bent ends overlapping the associated bridging portion and preventing removal of said selector from the respective loop hole in one direction, and means on said arm sections for resisting withdrawal of the selector from the associated loop hole in the opposite direction, the last mentioned means comprising reverse outward bends in each of said arm sections so as to increase the biasing resistance of said arm sections toward one another when attempting to withdraw said selector from the associated loop hole in said opposite direction.