Socket for electrical devices, particularly tubular elongated lamps,

Abstract

An easily assembled socket, particularly for elongated lamps such as fluorescent lamps for use with, or without associated starters, which can be wired by automatic wiring machinery. A socket housing (2) of insulating material has reception chambers (33, 48) for receiving the blade part (57) of an slit blade insulation piercing (SBIP) connector portion (53) of a contact spring (49). The connector portion (53) extends to a connecting element portion (52) which, in turn, terminates in a contact terminal end portion (51) for engagement with a projecting terminal pin of the electrical device. The contact spring (49) is a unitary element, which can be slipped into the reception chamber (33, 48) via a lateral opening (44). Wire positioning recesses (24, 25, 34, 35) are formed in the housing leading to and from the chambers (33, 48). The blade part (57) of the connector (53) engages on the bottom wall (16) of the housing so that insertion pressure, upon insertion of a wire (W), is directly transferred to the housing structure. The housing can have a lateral extension to receive a starter, with one contact spring bent to engage the starter terminals; or a starter housing can be formed separately, supplied with SBIP connectors. If the material of the housing is flexible, it can be formed with a living hinge (103), the contact springs (49c) being inserted flat into the respective chambers and the assembly then bent about an axis transverse to the plane of the contact springs.