Lamp assembly and method of manufacture thereof

Claim 1

A lamp assembly comprising an electrically insulating hollow body, a plurality of bulbholders, a plurality of spaced, electrically conductive elements, cut from an electrically conductive sheet, extending between a location in the body at which an electrical supply connector is attached to the assembly in use and respective locations in the body adjacent the bulbholders, at least one bulb contact blade extending into each bulbholder, each bulb contact blade having a substantially U-shaped portion disposed externally of the bulbholder, and blade portions which are integral with at least some of the electrically conductive elements and each of which is in facial contact with the internal faces of the respective substantially U-shaped portion.

Claim 6

A method of manufacturing a lamp assembly comprising the steps (some of which are not necessarily in the order given) of: (1) providing an electrically insulating hollow body which defines at least partly each of a plurality of bulbholders; (2) providing a plurality of bulb contact blades each having a substantially U-shaped portion; (3) cutting a sheet of electrically conductive material so as to form a plurality of spaced electrically conductive elements joined together by integral joining pieces whereby the elements are temporarily held in predetermined relative dispositions; (4) forming blade portions integral with at least some of the electrically conductive elements; (5) supporting the sheet in which the electrically conductive elements have been formed; (6) removing the integral joining pieces during step (5) so that the elements are maintained in said predetermined relative dispositions; (7) mounting said bulb contact blades to said hollow body so that at least one bulb contact blade extends into each bulbholder with the substantially U-shaped portion disposed externally of the bulbholder; (8) bringing the hollow body and the supported electrically conductive elements from step (6) into engagement; and (9) securing the body and the elements together with the blade portions of the elements in facial contact with the internal faces of the substantially U-shaped portions of respective bulb contact blades.

Claim 7

A method of manufacturing a lamp assembly comprising the steps (some of which are not necessarily in the order given) of: (1) providing an electrically insulating hollow body which defines at least partly each of a plurality of bulbholders; (2) providing a plurality of bulb contact blades each having a substantially U-shaped portion; (3) cutting a sheet of electrically conductive material so as to form a plurality of spaced electrically conductive elements joined together by integral joining pieces whereby the elements are temporarily held in predetermined relative dispositions; (4) forming blade portions integral with at least some of the electrically conductive elements; (5) supporting the sheet in which the electrically conductive elements have been formed; (6) removing the integral joining pieces during step (5) so that the elements are maintained in said predetermined relative dispositions; (7) mounting said bulb contact blades to said hollow body so that at least one bulb contact blade extends into each bulbholder with the substantially U-shaped portion disposed externally of the bulbholder; (8) bringing the hollow body and the supported electrically conductive elements from step (6) into engagement; and (9) securing the body and the elements together with the blade portions of the elements in facial contact with the internal faces of the substantially U-shaped portions of respective bulb contact blades.