Lighting fixture with snap replaceable bulb feature

Claim 1

A lighting fixture for a PAR lamp or like bulb of the type which includes a shallow body having a convex rear surface including a rearwardly facing pair of generally flat metallic terminal strips, including portions arrayed in generally coplanar alignment perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said bulb, said fixture comprising a reflector housing, a socket member mounted within said housing, said socket member including an insulating body portion having a transversely extending downwardly open cross channel, a pair of alignment wings formed from said body portion, each said wing having a undersurface portion merging with an opposite boundary of said channel, said undersurfaces being generally concave and converging upwardly and inwardly toward the geometric center of said channel, said wings together defining a funnel configuration leading into said channel, a pair of contact members recessed within said channel and adapted to be connected to a current source, said contact members each including a pair of spring finger portions, the finger portions of each pair being disposed at opposite sides of said channel, cam means on said fingers positioned to coact with the terminals of said bulb for spreading the fingers of each pair responsive to upward movements of said terminal strips within said channel and retainer portions on said fingers positioned to enter behind said terminals strips and restrain said bulb after seating, against movement outwardly of said channel.