Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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I SOCKET FOR FAIRY LIGHT
2 BACIKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
3 1. Field of the Invention
4 The present invention relates to a socket, especially to a socket for a
fairy light that has a light-emitting diode (LED) being mounted in the socket.
6 2. Description of Related Art
7 A fairy light has a light source and a lens and is generally connected in
8 series to form a fairy light assembly. The conventional light source of the
fairy
9 light is an incandescent bulb. The lens covers the incandescent bulb and may
be
colored for aesthetic effects. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have advantages
over
11 incandescent bulbs including improved electrical efficiency and being more
12 reliable than the incandescent bulb and are replacing incandescent bulbs in
many
13 applications. However, with progressing manufacturing skills, LED sizes are
14 getting smaller. A new, small LED has the same brightness as a
conventional, big
LED and saves manufacturing costs and energy but is smaller than the
16 conventional LED.
17 With reference to Figs. 8and 9, a conventional fairy light (80) has a
18 casing (82), a socket (83) and an LED (81A, 81B). The casing (82) is
tubular and
19 has a distal end and a light mount. The light mount is formed in the distal
end of
the casing (82). The socket (83) corresponds to and is mounted in the light
mount
21 of the casing (82) and has an outer end and an LED recess (831). The LED
recess
22 (831) is formed in the outer end of the socket (83). The LED (81 A, 81 B)
is
23 mounted in the LED recess (831) of the socket (83). The LED (81A, 81B) may
24 be a small LED (81B) being fully mounted in the recess (831), or a
conventional
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1 LED (81A) protruding from the recess (831).
2 Although the small LED (81 B) may be mounted in the LED recess (831)
3 of the socket (83), the LED recess (831) was originally designed for the
4 conventional LED (81A). Therefore, the LED recess (831) may limit lighting
range of the small LED (81B). However, since many pre-existing technologies
6 are designed around conventional LEDs (81A) and these technologies have
7 manufacturing plants and tools equipped for their production, have passed
8 various safety inspections and have attained safety standards, appearance
and
9 sizes of the socket (83) are very expensive to redesign for small LEDs
(81B).
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a socket
11 for a fairy to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
12 SUMMARY OF THE RNENTION
13 The main objective of the present invention is to provide a socket for a
14 fairy light that reduces manufacturing costs and energy usage. The socket
in
accordance with the present invention has a light-emitting diode (LED) recess
16 being formed in an outer end of the socket and a partition being formed on
a
17 bottom of the LED recess. A small LED being smaller than conventional LEDs
18 can be mounted on the partition and protrude out of the socket. Therefore,
the
19 LED recess will not limit a lighting range of the LED, and the fairy light
with
small LEDs saves manufacturing costs and energy.
21 Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will
22 become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in
23 conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
24 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWTN
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I. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a socket for a fairy
2 light in accordance with the present invention;
3 Fig. 2 is a top view of the socket in Fig. 1;
4 Fig. 3 is an operational perspective view of the socket in Fig. 1, shown
with a light-emitting diode (LED) mounted therein and shown in phantom lines
6 and the socket being mounted in a casing having a lens;
7 Fig. 4 is an operational side view in partial section of the socket in Fig.
3;
8 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a socket for a
9 fairy light in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 6 is a top view of the socket in Fig. 5;
11 Fig. 7 is an operational cross-sectional side view of the socket in Fig. 5,
12 shown with an LED mounted therein and shown in phantom lines and the socket
13 being mounted in a casing having a lens;
14 Fig. 8 is an operational side view in partial section of a socket for a
fairy
light in accordance with the prior art shown with a conventional LED being
16 mounted in the socket; and
17 Fig. 9 is an operational side view in partial section of the socket in Fig.
7
18 shown with a small LED being mounted in the socket.
19 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 7, a fairy light comprises a casing (50), a
21 light-emitting diode (LED) (60) and a lens (70). The casing (50) is tubular
and
22 has a distal end, an outer surface, a light mount and a latch (52). The
light mount
23 is formed in the distal end of the casing (50) and maybe keyed. The latch
(52) is
24 formed on the outer surface of the casing (50) adjacent to the light mount.
The
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1 LED (60) has two terminals (61, 62). The terminals (61, 62) may comprise a
first
2 terminal (61) and a second terminal (62). The lens (70) has a mounting tube
(71)
3 and an annular recess (72). The mounting tube (71) protrudes from and
4 communicates with the lens (70) and has and outer surface and a proximal
end.
The annular recess (72) is formed around the outer surface of the mounting
tube
6 (71) adjacent to the proximal end.
7 With further reference to Figs. 1 and 5, a socket for a fairy light in.
8 accordance with the present invention corresponds to and is mounted in the
light
9 mount of the casing (50) and comprises an LED seat (10), a terminal mount
(20),
a partition (30A, 30B) and an optional holder (40).
11 The LED seat (10) may be keyed to hold the socket securely in the
12 casing (50) and prevent rotation and has an outer end, a bottom, an outer
wall and
13 an LED recess (11) and may have an annular protrusion (12) and a latch bar
(14).
14 The LED recess (11) is formed in the outer end of the LED seat (10) and
has a top edge and a bottom.
16 With further reference to Figs. 4 and 7, the annular protrusion (12) is
17 formed around the top edge of the LED recess (11) and engages the annular
18 recess (72) of the lens (70) to hold the mounting tube (71) of the lens
(70)
19 securely in the LED seat (10).
The latch bar (14) is bendable, is formed on the outer wall of the LED
21 seat (10) near the outer end and corresponds to and selectively engages the
latch
22 (52) of the casing (50) to ensure the socket is held securely in the casing
(50).
23 With further reference to Figs. 2 and 6, the terminal mount (20) is
24 formed on and protrudes from the bottom of the LED seat (10) and has two
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1 opposite surfaces, two terminal protrusions (21, 22), two through holes (23)
and
2 a first axis (24).
3 The terminal protrusions (21, 22) are formed respectively on the
4 surfaces of the terminal mount (20) adjacent to the bottom of the LED seat
(10)
and may comprise a first terminal protrusion (21) and a second terminal
6 protrusion (22).
7 The through holes (23) are formed respectively through the terminal
8 mount (20) and between the terminal protrusions (21, 22) and communicate
with
9 the LED recess (11) of the LED seat (10).
The first axis (24) is extended through the through holes (23) of the
11 terminal mount (20).
12 The partition (30A, 30B) is formed on and protrudes from the bottom of
13 the LED recess (11) of the LED seat (10) and between the through holes (23)
of
14 the terminal mount (20), has a second axis (31A, 31B) and may comprise a
wall
(30A) or multiple posts (30B).
16 The second axis (31A, 31B) is extended through the partition (30A,
17 30B). The second axis (31A) may be extended through the wall (30A) and may
18 be perpendicular to the first axis (24) of the terminal mount (20). The
second axis
19 (31B) may be extended through the posts (30B) and may be perpendicular to
the
first axis (24) of the terminal mount (20).
21 The holder (40) is formed on the bottom of the LED recess (11) of the
22 LED seat (10) and around the partition (30A) and the through holes (23) and
may
23 be multiple arced walls.
24 The socket for the fairy light as described has the following advantages.
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1 The terminals (61, 62) of the LED (60) are mounted respectively through the
2 through holes (23) of the terminal mount (20) and are bent to allow the
first
3 terminal (61) to abut the first terminal protrusion (21) and the second
terminal
4 (62) to abut the second terminal protrusion (22). The LED (60) can be
mounted
on the partition (30A, 30B) and protrude out of the outer end of the LED seat
6 (10). Therefore, a lighting range of the LED (50) will not be limited by the
LED
7 recess (11).
8 Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present
9 invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with
details
of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative
only.
11 Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size,
and
12 arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full
extent
13 indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended
14 claims are expressed.
