US2701869A - Socket construction for electronic devices - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 8, 1955 HOBSON 2,701,869

SOCKET CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES Filed June 15, 1951' 1NV ENTOR.

WW w United States Patent SOCKET CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES Ervin J. Hob'son, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Hobson Brothers, Chicago, 11L, a partnership Application June 15, 1951, Serial No. 231,725

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-193) The present invention pertains to an improved socket construction for electronic devices such as television picture tubes, amplifier and other type tubes, and related units which are mounted by a pin and socket connection. Although the improved construction has particular utility in connection with a picture tube equipped with an external coil, which coil is to be electrically connected to electrode means within the tube envelope, the improvements are by no means limited to such an external coil installation. On the contrary, they have quite wide adaptability for association with any electronic device of the type having electrical connector prongs or pins which it is desired to removably engage with a female socket receptacle.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved socket construction for such a device in the form of an insulating base having means for unvaryingly receiving the base of an electronic or equivalent element in a predetermined telescoped and angularly oriented relation, which base is provided with a series of circumferentially arranged socket recesses of a particular outline, together with improved sleeve-like socket contacts mounted in said recesses to receive with improved electrical efficiency the contact pins of the electronic or equivalent element.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a socket construction of the foregoing type in which the socket base is fabricated of a material having high dielectric value and is provided with one or more specially shaped socket recesses extending from one face thereof only partially therethrough, and in which split tubular contact sleeves are inserted in the recess or recesses and firmly anchored therein by means of a special locking prong adjoining the split and embeddingly engaging the base.

Yet another object is to provide a socket construction of the sort described in the preceding paragraph, in which the socket recess has a lateral extension in restricted communication therewith to receive an insulated lead wire, and in which the terminal of the wire is passed through the restriction, being engaged with the contact sleeve adjacent the rear of the recess.

A still further object is to provide a multiple contact socket construction of the foregoing description in which the contact sleeves referred to are of a size, shape, number and circumferential spacing to frictionally receive any number of contact pins with complete insurance against short circuiting.

A still further object is to provide an improved conducting socket sleeve for a socket construction as aforesaid, which sleeve is elongated and of generally triangular cross section outline, and is longitudinally slit to enable the same to frictionally engage a contact pin or prong under substantial spring tension, the sleeve being further provided with laterally spread anchoring points at one extremity and adjoining the split thereof which embeddingly engage a socket base recess into which the element is inserted.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the nature of the invention. Other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and operation of the device.

A single embodiment of the invention is presented herein for purpose of illustration, and it will be appreciated that the invention may be incorporated in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

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In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the improved socket with the base of a conventional television picture tube mounted in operative relation thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view further illustrating the meeting faces of the socket and tube base, together with the electrical socket connections and the base contact pins associated respectively therewith;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the inner face of the socket, generally indicating the relationship of certain conducting leads, the socket base and the improved socket elements of the construction;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section through the axis of the socket, on a line corresponding to line 44 of Fig. 3, more clearly illustrating the specific {)elationship of wire lead, socket sleeve element and socket Figs. 5 and 6, are, respectively, face and side elevational views of the improved socket sleeve, per se;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the socket sleeve and its integral struck out anchoring provisions; and

Fig. 8 is a view in transverse section through the socket sleeve along lines 8-8 of Fig. 5, showing a further detail of the socket element.

Fig. 1 illustrates generally an electronic cathode ray tube orpicture tube 10 of the electrostatic type. It is for the purpose of furnishing voltage to the internal electrodes of a tube of this sort, or in fact to any known type of evacuated or gas filled electronic tube, or equivalent element, that the improved socket construction of the invention is intended. The socket construction is generally designated 11 and is shown in Fig. 1 in operative tube mounting relation to theusual base assembly 12 of such a tube, whereby to furnish an energizing voltage from an external source or sources through insulated conducting leads 13 to certain electrodes and the like (not shown) which are disposed in entirely conventional arrangement within theenvelope 14 oftube 10. It is evident that the socket construction 11 is also well adapted for the mounting of condensers and other electrical devices, in addition to electronic tubes.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, thebase assembly 12 oftube 10 is of a well known design. It is provided with an integral central, axially extending pilot post orstud 15 of generally cylindrical outline, which stud in turn carries an elongated,integral positioning key 16 paralleling its axis. Conducting contact prongs or pins 17 are provided onbase 12 in predetermined circumferential arrangement, in accordance with the particular type of tube orother unit 10 which is involved. These matters are well understood by those skilled in the art.

The socket construction 11 includes an annular base ring orbody 18 of insulating material, thebore 19 of which is of sufficient diameter to frictionally receive thestud 15 oftube 10 with a snug though readily removable fit. Bore 19 is provided with akeyway 20 of a size to similarly receive thekey 15. The engagement of key and keyway predeterminedly orients the tube prongs 17 relative to socket 11, in the angular sense.

Socket base ring 18 is provided with a series of circumferentially spacedrecesses 21 of special outline. In the illustrated embodiment these are in a number in excess of the number of actual socket connections which are required for the servicing oftube 10. Thus a standard socket, recessed in uniformly spaced circumferential order, is adapted to the socket requirements of different tubes or other devices in which, as indicated above, the number and arrangement of connector prongs 17 is apt to vary. It happens that thetube 10 which is illustrated has a base prong, specially designated 17', which is intended to handle heavy wattage, hence this prong is spaced substantially from the other prongs 17 and the socket contact sleeve receiving the same, to be described, will be correspondingly spaced from other sleeves.

Figs. 2 and 3 show an illustrative installation involving a relatively large number ofrecesses 21 in thebase ring 18, uniformly spaced in the circumferential sense and only part of which are occupied by socket contacts. This is one of the features of the invention. However, the particular number ofrecesses 21 which are selected for use in any given installation, and the relative circumferential spacing of the socket sleeves in the selected recesses, are not factors in the present invention. Other than in the provision of an excess of socket recesses, the invention concerns itself solely with structural details of thebase ring 18, the socket sleeve elements to be described, and the relationship of these parts relative to one another.

The socket sleeves, generally designated by thereference numeral 23, are illustrated in Figs. 5 through 8, and their installed relation tosocket base ring 18 is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Each thereof is in the form of an elongated tubular conducting member, preferably fabricated of a rectangular blank of spring brass about .010 inch thick, the sleeve member having a cross sectional shape which is approximately an equilateral triangle, see Figs. 7 and 8. Opposed edges of the blank which forms thebody 24 of the sleeve are separated throughout its length by alongitudinal slit 25 coinciding with an apex of the triangular section. The extreme upper portions of the body adjoining theslit 25 are spread outwardly to provide divergent prong guide and sleeve anchoringears 26, one on either side of theslit 25. Thelatter renders body 24 flexible and spring-like in character. The internal spacing of its three walls is such that it has a close frictional fit about the pins or prongs 17 or 17', thus exerting a very snug frictional grip on the prong and constituting a very eflicient electrical contact or connection therebetween.

On the side thereof opposite the slit or split 25, thebody 24 ofsocket sleeve 23 is slitted at 27 in an H- shaped outline to permitsmall lugs 28 to be bent outwardly in opposed parallel relation to one another. These lugs are adapted to be clamped or soldered to the strippedend 32 of the insulated lead orconductor wire 13.

The socketbase ring recesses 21 are of double-ended or dumbbell shaped outline, including enlarged, generally circular outer and inner end portions orbays 29, 30, respectively, and a connectingslot 31 which is of restricted width, as illustrated in Fig. 3.Recesses 21 are preferably arranged radially of thesocket ring bore 19. The depth thereof is less than the face-to-face thickness of the base ring, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 4, and thesleeves 23 have a length less than the depth of the recesses. They are thrust into the innermost portion of the latter, withslit 25 facing inwardly, until they engage the bottom of the respective recesses.Conductor 13, secured by its strippedend 32 to the sleeve, is inserted in theouter bay 29 of the recess and the stripped end extends through theintermediate slot 31 of the recess. This slot may also accommodate thelugs 28.

In assembling thesleeves 23 tobase ring 18 the former exert substantial friction against the wall of the recess bay 30 as the elements are thrust longitudinally into abutment with the base of the recess. When fully inserted, the resilient, pointed guide and anchoringcars 26 tend to expand and embed themselves in the material of base ring, and when the tube base prongs 17, 17' are initially inserted into the respective socket sleeves, these cars are forced even more strongly into embedded relation to the base. By the same token the effectiveness of the frictional grip maintained on prongs 17, 17 by the sleeves is enhanced by the embedded relation, tending to compress the resilient split sleeve section.

In addition to anchoring the sleeves,ears 26 function as spread out guides to facilitate the entry of prongs into proper electrically conducting relation to the socket elements.

The foregoing construction provides a socket of Wide utility, featuring an arrangement in which the leads connected to the socket contacts are led into the socket base from the same direction that the prongs of thetube 10 are inserted. The unit is very compact and inexpensive, in that thesleeves 23 may be very inexpensively formed and assembled tobase ring 18 by mass production machinery, and it enables any desired socket sleeve spacing to be set up at will. When properly assembled as described, the embeddedsleeves 23 are in what amounts to a unitary relation to the insulating base, for a very efficient electrical contact with the prongs 17,

I claim:

1. A socket construction comprising an insulating support of integral, one-piece construction and of annular shape and predetermined thickness, said support having a recess extending from one axial side face thereof only partially therethrough, said recess being of uniform cross sectional outline throughout the axial length thereof and comprising laterally spaced, enlarged end portions and an intermediate portion of restricted width communicating said end portions with one another, an elongated contact sleeve frictionally engaged over a substantial part of the length thereof in one end portion of said recess, said sleeve extending into said recess substantially the entire length thereof, an electrical conductor arranged in the other end portion of said recess with the terminal thereof disposed in the intermediate portion of the recess, and means securing said terminal at its end in electrical contact with said sleeve, the material of said support sealing off the end of said recess adjacent said conductor end.

2. A socket construction comprising an insulating support of integral, one-piece construction and of annular shape and predetermined thickness, said support having a recess extending from one axial side face thereof only partially therethrough, said recess being of uniform cross sectional outline throughout the axial length thereof and comprising laterally spaced, enlarged end portions and an intermediate portion of restricted width communicating said end portions with one another, an elongated contact sleeve of longitudinally split cross sectional outline which is frictionally engaged over a substantial part of the length thereof in one end portion of said recess, said sleeve extending into said recess substantially the entire length thereof, an electrical conductor arranged in the other end portion of said recess with the terminal thereof disposed in the intermediate portion of the recess, and means securing said terminal at its end in electrical contact with said sleeve, the material of said support sealling off the end of said recess adjacent said conductor en 3. A socket construction comprising an insulating support of integral, one-piece construction and of annular shape and predetermined thickness, said support having a recess extending from one axial side face thereof only partially therethrough, said recess being of uniform cross sectional outline throughout the axial length thereof and comprising laterally spaced, enlarged end portions and an intermediate portion of restricted width communicating said end portions with one another, an elongated contact sleeve of longitudinally split cross sectional outline which is frictionally engaged over a substantial part of the length thereof in one end portion of said recess, said sleeve extending into said recess substantially the entire length thereof, said contact sleeve being provided with an outwardly divergent anchoring element adjacent the split therein which has embedding engagement with the material of said support, an electrical conductor arranged in the other end portion of said recess with the terminal thereof disposed in the intermediate portion of the recess, and means securing said terminal at its end in electrical contact with said sleeve, the material of said support sealing off the end of said recess adjacent said conductor end.

4. A socket construction in accordance with claim 1, in which said electrical conductor is received in said other recess end portion from the face of said support to which said recess opens.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,905,245 Rowley Apr. 25, 1933 1,911,612 Eckstein May 30, 1933 2,168,382 Alden Aug. 8, 1939 2,266,530 Andren Dec. 16, 1941 2,283,040 Brinkmann May 12, 1942 2,291,434 Hollopeter July 28, 1942 2,307,812 Wade Jan. 12, 1943 2,340,062 Kulka J an. 25, 1944 2,384,273 Beal Sept. 4, 1945 2,414,143 Dunning Jan. 14, 1947 2,430,159 Chenier Nov. 4, 1947 2,563,775 Del Camp Aug. 7, 1951 2,567,829 Suthann Sept. 11, 1951 2,609,414 Weisberg Sept. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 628,359 Great Britain Aug. 26, 1949

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