End cap for illumination tube guards

1 . An end cap for use with at least two differently diameter tube guards, said two differently diameter tube guards for use with a fluorescent lamp, said end cap comprising:

a base having an aperture for accommodating electrical terminals defined on the fluorescent lamp;

an internal periphery portion for frictional engagement with an external periphery of an end of one of said two differently diameter tube guards; and

an external periphery portion for frictional engagement with an internal periphery of an end of the other one of said two differently diameter tube guards.

2 . The end cap of claim 1 , wherein the internal periphery portion of said end cap is tapered to maintain the frictional engagement with said external periphery of said end of said one of said two differently diameter tube guards.

3 . The end cap of claim 2 , wherein the end cap further includes an inwardly protruding annular ledge to impinge upon said end of said one of said two differently diameter tube guards.

4 . The end cap of claim 1 , where the external periphery portion of said end cap is tapered to maintain the frictional engagement with said internal periphery of said end of said other one of said two differently diameter tube guards.

5 . The end cap of claim 4 , wherein the end cap further includes an externally protruding annular ledge to impinge upon said end of said other one of said two differently diameter tube guards.

6 . The end cap of claim 1 , wherein the at least two differently diameter tube guards includes a first tube guard with a first diameter that is smaller than a second tube guard with a second diameter such that the first tube guard is able to fit within the second tube guard.

7 . An end cap for use with a first tube guard, said first tube guard for use with a fluorescent lamp, said end cap comprising:

a base having an aperture for accommodating electrical terminals defined on the fluorescent lamp;

an external periphery portion for frictional engagement with an internal periphery of an end of said first tube guard; and

the external periphery portion of said end cap is tapered to maintain the frictional engagement with said internal periphery of said end of said first tube guard.

8 . The end cap of claim 7 , wherein the end cap further includes an externally protruding annular ledge to impinge upon said end of said first tube guard.

9 . The end cap of claim 7 , wherein the end cap further includes an internal periphery portion for frictional engagement with an external periphery of an end of a second tube guard having a diameter smaller than a diameter defined by said first tube guard; and

the internal periphery portion of said end cap is tapered to maintain the frictional engagement with said external periphery of said end of said second tube guard.

10 . The end cap of claim 9 , wherein the end cap further includes an internally protruding annular ledge to impinge upon said end of said second tube guard.

11 . An arrangement for compactly packaging elongated tube guards, each tube guard used in assembling a fluorescent lamp assembly, comprising:

a first set of elongated tube guards having a first diameter and a second set of elongated tube guards having a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter, the second set of elongated tube guards arranged within the first set of elongated tube and the first set of elongated tube guards being stacked such that the arrangement of packaged elongated tube guards is minimized.