SUPPORT A LAMPE

LAMP HOLDER

Abrégé anglais

A lamp holder, particularly a lamp holder that contains a sensing control. A
pulling chain is connected to the sensing control, so the chain serves a
touch-control purpose. A user can activate the sensing control to switch the
lamp
on or off merely by lightly tapping, touching or feeling the chain by hand.
Meanwhile, the sensing control is capable of multiple-step lighting control of
the
lamp. By wired or radio transmission, the lamp holder is capable of close or
remote control, thereby replacing mechanical control in conventional models
with electronic control, and bringing better convenience to the user.

Revendications

CLAIM
What is claimed is:
1. A lamp holder, comprising a socket shell, a lamp socket, and a lock unit
joining the socket shell and the lamp socket, has a socket shell with a chain
running through a channel out of the socket shell; installed inside the socket
shell is an electronic sensing control. The chain is connected to the sensing
control, enabling a touch control effect to the chain, and thereby achieves
the
control of switching on and off a lamp or an electrical appliance by lightly
patting, touching or feeling the chain by hand.
2. The lamp holder of claim 1, wherein, the chain is optionally replaced by a
device having equivalent sensing function.
3. The lamp holder of claim 1, wherein, the chain is optionally touched in
different ways or frequencies to achieve control of different luminosity in
various steps or switches the lamp on or off .
4. The lamp holder of claim 1, wherein, the chain is touched or felt to
produce
signals that are transmitted to a nearby or remote lighting fixture or
electric
appliance to be controlled.
-6-

Description

CA 02428391 2003-05-09
Lamp Holder
BACKGROUND OF THE LNVENTION
(a) Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a lamp holder that has an electronic sensor
installed inside, and a pulling chain connected to the sensor, thereby
enabling a
function of sensing control to the chain.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a prior art of pulling-switch type lamp holder,
comprising a base l, a support rod 11 erected at the center of the base 1, the
upper end of the support rod 11 connected to a lower part of a socket shell
21, a
mechanical hand-pull switch 3 installed inside the socket shell 21, the
pulling
switch 3 having a chain 31 that runs out of a channel 24 through a hole on one
side of the socket shell 21. On the outside of the upper end of the socket
shell 21
is a thread part 211. At the lower end of a lamp socket 22 is an insert part
221
that is inserted into the socket shell 21. Near the middle of the lamp socket
22 is
a protrusion part 222. At an upper part of a lock unit 23 is a flange part 231
with
a smaller inside diameter. Inside the lock unit 23 is a thread part 232. The
lock
unit 23 is mounted onto the lamp socket 22. The insert part 221 of the lamp
socket 22 is inserted into an upper end of the socket shell 21. By screwing
the
lock unit 23 to the upper end of the socket shell 21, the lamp socket 22 is
joined
and fastened to the socket shell 21. Finally, a lamp bulb 4 is inserted in the
lamp
socket 22..
Therefore, a power cord 5 is inserted through the bottom of the base 1 into
the support rod 11 and into the socket shell 21, with one terminal wire 51 of
the
power cord 5 connected to a contact point of the pulling switch 3 that is
installed

CA 02428391 2003-05-09
inside. Meanwhile, another terminal 52 of the power cord 5 is connected to a
contact point of the lamp socket 22. A conductive wire 6 is connected to
somewhere between the pulling switch 3 and another contact point of the lamp
socket 22. So, when a user pulls chain 31 repeatedly, the pulling switch 3
produces a continuous cycle of multiple steps of switching on and off of
operations, to achieve control of multiple steps of lighting to the lamp bulb
4 on
lamp socket 22.
The aforementioned conventional construction of pull-string control of lamp
holder to switch on and off a lamp has been known to most consumers in past
years. But the conventional, mechanical pulling control of lamp holder
involves
some shortcomings that need improvement. Such as:
1. Switching on and off of the lamp by pulling a string by hand is a simple
operation, but it is also time-consuming and labor consuming. Extended use or
excessive pulling force may result in damage to the pulling switch 3, and
shortened service life of pulling switch 3.
2. Once the pulling switch is damaged, the lamp will not work at all. Besides,
extended use of the mechanical pulling switch could easily result in rusting
on its
contact points and subsequent failure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the aforementioned shortcomings of conventional pull-string
type of lamp holder, the present invention introduces a sensing control inside
the
lamp holder, with a pulling chain connected to the sensing control, so the
entire
chain is capable of producing touch-control sensing effects. By lightly
patting,
touching or feeling the chain by hand, the user can switch on or off the lamp
by
simplified control.

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The aforementioned chain is optionally replaced by a conductive string that
has the same sensing function.
Moreover, the sensing control is capable of multiple steps of control to
obtain different degrees of lighting.
Furthermore, signals produced when the chain is touched or felt by an object
can be transmitted to a nearby or remote lamp or electrical appliance by radio
transmission.
Other objectives of the present invention and a scope of further applications
can be understood from the following detailed description. It is to be
understood,
however, that such detailed description of preferred embodiment shall not be
based to limit or restrict the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTLON OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the prior art of the lamp holder unit.
1 S FIG. 2 is a section view of the prior art of the lamp holder unit.
FIG. 3 is a section view of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a section view of another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DES(.'RIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Please refer to FIG. 3. The present invention of lamp holder comprises a base
1, a support rod 11 erected on the center of the base 1 and connected to a
socket
shell 21, a lock unit 23 joining the lamp socket 22 with the socket shell 21,
an
electronic sensing control 7 installed inside the socket shell 2I, and a hand
chain
31 connected to the sensing control 7 and running out of one side of the
socket
shell 21 through a channel 24.
A power cord 5 is directly connected to the sensing control 7. A control cord
_3_

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8 of a lamp bulb 4 to be controlled is connected to the lamp socket 22. The
chain
31 is also connected to the sensing control 7 to serve as a contact point. So
when
a user lightly pats, touches or feels chain 31 by hand, the sensing control 7
will
switch the lamp on or off. The present invention is equipped with the
following
characteristics:
1. The lamp is easily controlled by lightly patting, touching or feeling the
chain
31. The operation is time saving, labor saving and quite convenient.
2. Its service life can be extended significantly because the control
mechanism
does not consist of a mechanical switch.
As shown in FIG. 4, the hand-pull type of chain 31 is optionally replaced by a
conductive string 32. Because of its conductivity, the conductive string 32
has a
sensing function.
Effects of sensing control of the chain 31 or the conductive string 32 can
also
be changed by changing the frequency of the user's manual touch or feeling on
the chain 31 or the conductive string 32. For example, when the control chain
31
or the conductive string 32 is touched or felt the first time, a first step of
lighting
control is activated; when the control chain 31 or the conductive string 32 is
touched or felt the second time, a second step of lighting control is
activated; and
then, when the control chain 31 or the conductive string 32 is touched or felt
the
third time, the lamp will go off. Thereby, the present invention is capable of
achieving the same effects of multiple-step control, just like a conventional
pull-string switch. Importantly, applications of the present invention also
include,
but are not limited to, other electrical appliances controlled by the chain
3I, such
as the fluorescent lamp on the ceiling, art lamps, and many other types of
lamps.
Moreover, signals created by touching or feeling the chain 31 or conductive
string 32 are optionally transmitted to a nearby or remote lamp or electrical

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appliance by radio transmission.
Summing up, the present invention adopts a pulling chain switch as a sensing
control, with improvement on various operational inconveniences and
limitations
as can be found in the conventional, mechanical switch. The present invention
enables control by mere touch or feel, which cannot be found in conventional
pull-string switches.

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