초록 ▼

The present invention comprises a bulb socket assembly. The bulb socket assembly comprises a bulb accepting body portion, a terminal accepting body portion connected to the bulb accepting body portion, at least one terminal positioned in the bulb socket with the terminal's blade end extending into t

The present invention comprises a bulb socket assembly. The bulb socket assembly comprises a bulb accepting body portion, a terminal accepting body portion connected to the bulb accepting body portion, at least one terminal positioned in the bulb socket with the terminal's blade end extending into the bulb accepting body portion and its lead end positioned in the terminal accepting body, at least one wire connected to the lead end of the at least one terminal, and a sealing material substantially covering the lead end and the connected wire of the at least one terminal. One embodiment of the bulb socket assembly further comprises a stabilizing feature that allows the socket assembly to firmly grasp bulbs of various sizes. Another embodiment of the bulb socket assembly further comprises a plurality of alignment features to help guide a bulb into proper alignment with a set of terminals.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An automotive lamp bulb socket assembly comprising: a. a bulb accepting body portion; b. a terminal accepting body portion integral with the bulb accepting body portion c. a sealing material positioned in the terminal accepting body; and d. at least one terminal positioned

What is claimed is: 1. An automotive lamp bulb socket assembly comprising: a. a bulb accepting body portion; b. a terminal accepting body portion integral with the bulb accepting body portion c. a sealing material positioned in the terminal accepting body; and d. at least one terminal positioned in the bulb socket, the at least one terminal having: (i) a blade extending into the bulb accepting body portion, (ii) a lead end substantially perpendicular to the blade and positioned in the terminal accepting body portion so that the lead end is substantially covered by the sealing material, and (iii) a substantially flat cover plate substantially parallel to and integral with the lead end and substantially perpendicular to mud integral with the blade, the cover plate positioned in the bulb socket so that the cover plate is substantially covered by the sealing material and prevents the sealing material from entering the bulb accepting body portion. 2. The bulb socket assembly of claim 1 wherein the bulb accepting body portion further comprises a plurality of ribs forming a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge, the first edge and the second edge being diagonally opposed to one another and defining a first distance relative to a center line between one another, and the third edge and the fourth edge being diagonally opposed to one another and defining a second distance relative to the center line, between one another, the first distance being smaller than the second distance. 3. The bulb socket assembly of claim 1 wherein the bulb accepting body portion further comprises a plurality of ribs forming at least one side rail alignment channel with an angular seat, at least one retention arm, at least one angular rib, and at least one axial channel, wherein the at least one angular rib directs a flange portion of a bulb base toward and into the at least one axial channel. 4. The bulb socket assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one wire connected to the lead end of the at least one terminal so that the sealing material substantially covers the at least one wire as well as the terminal lead end, in order to seal the at least one wire to the terminal lead end. 5. The bulb socket assembly of claim 4 wherein the terminal accepting body portion further comprises an outer rim and the sealing material substantially fills the terminal accepting body portion to the outer rim. 6. The bulb socket assembly of claim 5 wherein the sealing material is comprised of polyurethane. 7. The bulb socket assembly of claim 5 wherein the sealing material is comprised of mold nylon. 8. The bulb socket assembly of claim 5 wherein the rim of the terminal accepting body portion includes at least one wire retention slot and the at least one wire is directed through the at least one wire retention slot. 9. The bulb socket assembly of claim 2 further comprises a bulb positioned in the bulb accepting body portion, the bulb having a base, wherein insertion of the bulb into the bulb accepting body portion causes the bulb base to contact the diagonally opposed first edge and second edge of the plurality of ribs and causes a slight rotation of the bulb as the bulb base is inserted into the bulb accepting body portion. 10. A method of securing wires to terminals in an automotive lamp bulb socket assembly comprising the steps of: a. providing an automotive bulb socket having a bulb accepting body portion, a terminal accepting body portion that is integral with the bulb accepting body portion, and a terminal receiver slot that passes through both the bulb accepting body portion and the terminal accepting body portion; b. providing at least one terminal having: (i) a blade extending into the bulb accepting body portion, (ii) a lead end substantially perpendicular to the blade and positioned in the terminal accepting body portion, and (iii) a substantially flat cover plate substantially parallel and integral with the lead end and substantially perpendicular to and integral with the blade; c. inserting the at least one terminal into the bulb socket so that the blade is positioned in the at least one receiver slot and extends into the bulb accepting body portion, the lead end is positioned in the terminal accepting body portion, and the cover plate covers the at least one terminal receiver slot; d. connecting at least one wire to the lead end of the at least one terminal; and e. substantially covering the lead end and the cover plate of the at least one terminal with a sealing material positioned in the terminal accepting body portion, so that the cover plate prevents the sealing material from entering into the bulb accepting portion. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the terminal accepting body portion further comprises an outer rim. 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of substantially filling the terminal accepting body portion to the outer am with the sealing material. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the sealing material is comprised of polyurethane. 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the sealing material is comprised of mold nylon. 15. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one wire retention slot is formed in the outer rim. 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of inserting the at least one wire into the at least one wire retention slot before the step of substantially filling the terminal accepting body portion to the outer rim with sealing material. 17. A bulb socket assembly for receiving a bulb having a base comprising a cylindrical portion and a flange portion, the bulb socket assembly comprising: a. bulb accepting body portion for receiving the bulb; b. a terminal accepting body portion connected to the bulb accepting body portion; and c. at least two ribs inside the bulb accepting body portion that form a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge, the first edge and the second edge being diagonally opposed to one another and defining a first distance relative to a centerline between one another, and the third edge and the fourth edge being diagonally opposed to one another and defining a second distance relative to the centerline between one another, the first distance being smaller than the second distance, so that the first and second edges contact the base of the bulb and cause the bulb to rotate when the bulb is inserted into the bulb accepting portion. 18. The bulb socket assembly of claim 17, further comprising a first bulb flange channel and a second bulb flange channel located on opposite sides of the plurality of ribs in the bulb accepting body portion, the first and second bulb flange channels designed and dimensioned to receive the flange portion of the bulb's base, when the bulb is inserted into the bulb accepting body. 19. The bulb socket assembly of claim 18, further comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, each terminal having a blade extending into the bulb accepting portion, a lead end positioned in the terminal accepting body portion, and a cover plate that is integral with both the lead end and the blade. 20. The bulb socket assembly of claim 19, wherein the blade of the first terminal and the blade of the second terminal, each comprise two prongs. 21. The bulb socket assembly of claim 20, wherein the blade of the first terminal extends into the first flange channel and the blade of the second terminal extends into the second first flange channel, so that the flange portions of the bulb are placed in between the two prongs after the bulb is inserted. 22. A right-angle, one-piece, snap-in terminal for insertion into an automotive lamp bulb socket having a receiver slot passing through a first portion and a second portion of the bulb socket, the first portion of the bulb socket designed to receive a sealing material that seals the terminal to at least one wire connected to the terminal, wherein the terminal comprises: a. a substantially flat cover plate designed and dimensioned to substantially cover the receiver slot of the bulb socket and to prevent the sealing material from passing from the first portion of the bulb socket to the second portion of the bulb socket; b. a blade extending from and integral with the cover plate so that the blade is substantially perpendicular to the cover plate; and c. a lead end extending from and integral with the cover plate so that the lead end is substantially parallel to the cover plate and substantially perpendicular to the blade. 23. The right-angle, one-piece terminal of claim 22, wherein the terminal further comprises a terminal connecting piece that extends from and is integral with the cover plate so that the terminal connecting piece is substantially perpendicular to the cover plate. 24. The right-angle, one-piece terminal of claim 23, wherein the terminal connecting piece comprises a latch. 25. The right-angle, one-piece terminal of claim 22, wherein the blade comprises two prongs for electrically connecting the terminal to a bulb socket. 26. The right-angle, one-piece terminal of claim 22, wherein the lead end comprises a wire cradle and a wire connecting piece. 27. A method of inserting a right-angle, one-piece terminal into an automotive lamp bulb socket assembly, wherein the method comprises the steps of: a. providing at least one right-angle, one-piece terminal having (i) a substantially flat cover plate, (ii) a blade extending from and integral with the cover plate so that the blade is substantially perpendicular to the cover plate, and (iii) a lead end extending from and integral with the cover plate so that the lead end is substantially parallel to the cover plate and substantially perpendicular to the blade, b. providing a socket assembly with at least one receiver slot, wherein each of the at least one receiver slots is designed and dimensioned to receive each of the at least one terminals; c. inserting the at least one terminal into the at least one receiver slot so that the blade is inserted into the receiver slot and the cover plate substantially covers the receiver slot; and d. substantially covering the lead end and the cover plate with a sealing material to seal the lamp socket and to use the cover plate to prevent the sealing material from entering the receiver slot.