Abstract: A fluorescent lampholder with a top portion for supporting a fluorescent lamp and a base portion with a wire opening located on the bottom surface of the base that receives wires without exposing the wires to the exterior surface of a fixture. The lampholder is capable of supporting various types and/or sizes of fluorescent lamps such as “tall”, “medium” and “small” T-8 fluorescent lamps as well as other types and/or sizes of fluorescent lamps.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for supporting a lamp. The apparatus may include a ballast, a rigid power distribution unit, and a lamp holder. The lamp holder may be in electrical communication with the rigid power distribution unit. The rigid power distribution unit may include a track that has conducting rails for supplying power to lamp holders. The track may be used to position lamp holders at any desired spacing so the track may be used in connection with fixture designs requiring different center-to-center lamp spacing. In some embodiments, the rigid power distribution unit may include a printed circuit board. The lamp holder may clamp or be soldered onto the printed circuit board and draw power from it. The printed circuit board may have traces from each lamp holder to be plugged into it.

Abstract: A fluorescent lampholder with a top portion for supporting a fluorescent lamp and a base portion with a wire opening located on the bottom surface of the base that receives wires without exposing the wires to the exterior surface of a fixture. The lampholder is capable of supporting various types and/or sizes of fluorescent lamps such as “tall”, “medium” and “small” T-8 fluorescent lamps as well as other types and/or sizes of fluorescent lamps.

Abstract: A lamp holder device for holding a light, the device comprising a body and a plurality of contacts disposed in the body. There is at least one rotatable top rotatably coupled to the body. In addition, there is at least one spring clip disposed in and secured to the body. The spring clip is for selectively securing a light to the spring clip when the light is inserted into the body and further secures the light to the body when the at least one rotatable top is rotated.

Abstract: A lamp adapter can adapter a mogul base lamp holder to accept a medium base lamp. The lamp adapter can accommodate only open fixture rated lamps. An open end of the lamp adapter into which a lamp is inserted has an elongated flange which allows only an open fixture rated lamp having a medium base to be completely threaded into the adapter and make electrical contact with a threaded metal sleeve and central button contact of the lamp holder. The geometry of the elongated flange prevents the threading of a closed fixture rated lamp into the adapter by taking advantage of the physical differences between the open and closed fixture rated lamps.

Abstract: There is disclosed a wall plate for a wiring device. The wall plate has a single opening for receiving one or a gang of two or more wiring devices within the single opening. The wall plate has along its vertical axis, a surface of positive first differential and zero second differential, including a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane. The surface has zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The wall plate, when composed of non-conducting material, has a conductive coating on its front surface, on its back surface or on both its front and back surfaces. When the wiring device is a switch, the surface of the switch face follows that of the wall plate. When the wiring device is a receptacle, the surface along the receptacle face is flat in one plane to allow for the proper seating of an inserted plug.

Abstract: The instant invention discloses a receptacle having a shape along the width of its face that is flat in one plane and along its length that has a constant radius. The shape of the face of the receptacle allows for the proper seating of an inserted plug. The shape of a wall plate around the receptacle along a section which runs along its vertical axis defines a surface of positive first differential and zero second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane. The surface has zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. When ganged with a switch, the front surface of the switch follows the shape of the cover plate.

Abstract: A modular wiring system comprising a functional unit and a wiring unit. There is also a system for coupling the functional unit to the wiring unit in a rotational manner. This system can be formed from at least one locking prong comprised of electrically conductive material. When the functional unit is coupled to the wiring unit, the locking prong is both electrically and physically coupled to the functional unit at a first end and to the wiring unit at a second end. Alternatively, or in addition, the system for coupling the functional unit to the wiring unit in a rotational manner can include at least one flange coupled to the functional unit and at least one flange coupled to the wiring unit. These flanges operate such that when the functional unit and the wiring unit are coupled together, they are rotated to form a locking connection between the flange on the functional unit and the flange on the wiring unit.

Abstract: A modular wiring system comprising a functional unit and a wiring unit. There is also a system for coupling the functional unit to the wiring unit in a rotational manner. This system can be formed from at least one locking prong comprised of electrically conductive material. When the functional unit is coupled to the wiring unit, the locking prong is both electrically and physically coupled to the functional unit at a first end and to the wiring unit at a second end. Alternatively, or in addition, the system for coupling the functional unit to the wiring unit in a rotational manner can include at least one flange coupled to the functional unit and at least one flange coupled to the wiring unit. These flanges operate such that when the functional unit and the wiring unit are coupled together, they are rotated to form a locking connection between the flange on the functional unit and the flange on the wiring unit.

Abstract: A modular wiring system comprising a functional unit and a wiring unit. There is also a system for coupling the functional unit to the wiring unit in a rotational manner. This system can be formed from at least one locking prong comprised of electrically conductive material. When the functional unit is coupled to the wiring unit, the locking prong is both electrically and physically coupled to the functional unit at a first end and to the wiring unit at a second end. Alternatively, or in addition, the system for coupling the functional unit to the wiring unit in a rotational manner can include at least one flange coupled to the functional unit and at least one flange coupled to the wiring unit. These flanges operate such that when the functional unit and the wiring unit are coupled together, they are rotated to form a locking connection between the flange on the functional unit and the flange on the wiring unit.

Abstract: A switch having a rocker paddle pivotally coupled to a cam driver composed, in part, of a rigid member which causes a cam to rotate first in a clockwise direction and then in a counter clockwise direction each time the rocker paddle is depressed. Alternate rotation of the cam drives a slider member back and forth along a linear axis to open and close a set of contacts. A shaped leaf spring cooperates with a cam follower on the slider member to assist in the movement of the slider and to determine its rest positions. A spring urges the rocker paddle to always be in its out position when the switch is in its on position and off at rest positions. An indicator such as an LED located in the paddle indicates the state of conduction of the switch.

Abstract: The instant invention overcomes the difficulties encountered with respect to mounting electrical wiring devices to a common box and then positioning the devices relative to each other prior to attaching a wall plate. Some of the difficulties encountered are positioning the wiring devices to be in alignment with each other, locating the wiring devices to be parallel to each other, adjusting the spacing between the different devices to be equal and uniform and fixing all of the devices to be flat against the wall. In the prior art, the wiring devices are first loosely attached to a box and then moved back and forth, and up and down to fit within cut outs in a wall plate which is then attached to the wiring devices with screws. A time consuming and tedious job. This invention overcomes these deficiencies by providing wiring devices that have locating openings for engaging alignment pins located on a plate that is subsequently attached to a box.

Abstract: There is disclosed a wall plate for a wiring device. The wall plate has a single opening for receiving one or a gang of two or more wiring devices within the single opening. The wall plate has along its vertical axis, a surface of positive first differential and zero second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane. The surface has zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The wall plate, when composed of non-conducting material, has a conductive coating on its front surface, on its back surface or on both its front and back surfaces. When the wiring device is a switch, the surface of the switch face follows that of the wall plate. When the wiring device is a receptacle, the surface along the receptacle face is flat in one plane to allow for the proper seating of an inserted plug.

Abstract: An adapter for fluorescent lamp fixtures that retrofits a T-8 lamp fixture for a T-5 fluorescent lamp that is simple and inexpensive is disclosed herein. The lampholder adapter includes a rotatable locking disk member set in a base assembly for receiving the end-prongs of a fluorescent lamp. The lampholders adapters of at least two different lengths, placed at either end of the fixture may be a T-5 fluorescent lamp of variable lengths. These lampholder adapters are connected to retrofit existing T-8 fixtures, allowing the use of T5 lamps by compensating for the lamp length difference and, thereby, saving the manufacturers substantial money in retooling costs.

Abstract: There is disclosed a wall plate for a wiring device. The wall plate has a single opening for receiving one or a gang of two or more wiring devices within the single opening. The wall plate has along its vertical axis, a surface of positive first differential and zero second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane. The surface has zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The wall plate, when composed of non-conducting material, has a conductive coating on its front surface, on its back surface or on both its front and back surfaces. When the wiring device is a switch, the surface of the switch face follows that of the wall plate. When the wiring device is a receptacle, the surface along the receptacle face is flat in one plane to allow for the proper seating of an inserted plug.

Abstract: The instant invention overcomes the difficulties encountered with respect to mounting electrical wiring devices to a common box and then positioning the devices relative to each other prior to attaching a wall plate. Some of the difficulties encountered are positioning the wiring devices to be in alignment with each other, locating the wiring devices to be parallel to each other, adjusting the spacing between the different devices to be equal and uniform and fixing all of the devices to be flat against the wall. In the prior art, the wiring devices are first loosely attached to a box and then moved back and forth, and up and down to fit within cut outs in a wall plate which is then attached to the wiring devices with screws. A time consuming and tedious job. This invention overcomes these deficiencies by providing wiring devices that have locating openings for engaging alignment pins located on a plate that is subsequently attached to a box.