Protective lampholder for bayonet base lamp

Claim 1

A lampholder for a bayonet base lamp having pins protruding from opposite sides of the base and having electrical contacts on the bottom of the base; said lampholder comprising a body including a hollow portion at one end and a support portion at the other end; said hollow portion including an opening for receiving the lamp base and securing means for engaging at least one of the pins when the lamp base is inserted and rotated to an operating position; and said support portion including resiliently-loaded contacts for making electrical connection with the contacts on the lamp base when the lamp base is in the operating position; wherein the improvement comprises: (a) a rotatable insulating member mounted in the hollow portion of the body for interposition between an inserted lamp base and the resiliently-loaded contacts, said member including means for engaging at least one pin of the lamp base to effect rotation of the member with the lamp base and including apertures permitting the resiliently-loaded contacts to make connection with the electrical contacts of an inserted lamp base after rotation to the operating position, said member covering the resiliently-loaded contacts when the lamp base is removed from the lampholder; (b) retaining means projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the hollow portion of the body for retaining the rotatable insulating member in the body; and (c) a resiliently-loaded guide plate disposed between the rotatable insulating member and the support portion of the body for urging said member against the retaining means and for urging at least one of the pins of an inserted lamp base into engagement with the securing means, said guide plate including openings for enabling passage of the resiliently-loaded contacts.