Lamp base having integral semiconductor transient protection device
View Patent ↗A lamp base including a neutral contact and a line contact, a semiconductor transient protection device having three terminals. The semiconductor transient protection device being an integral portion of the lamp base. A first terminal of the semiconductor transient protection device in mechanical and electrical contact with the neutral contact, a second terminal in mechanical and electrical contact with the line contact, and a third terminal in electrical contact with a lead-in wire. The semiconductor transient protection device configured to isolate the line contact from the neutral contact during a first line voltage input, and to provide a low-resistance shunt path between the line contact and the neutral contact during a second line voltage input.
1. A lamp base comprising:
a neutral contact including a first conductive metal surface;
a line contact including a second conductive metal surface;
a semiconductor transient protection device having three terminals, the semiconductor transient protection device formed as an integral component of the lamp base;
a first terminal of the semiconductor transient protection device in mechanical and electrical contact with the neutral contact;
a second terminal of the semiconductor transient protection device in mechanical and electrical contact with the line contact;
a third terminal of the semiconductor transient protection device in electrical contact with a lead-in wire;
a thermal element in series with the first terminal and the lead-in wire, the third terminal being a surface of the thermal element;
a two-terminal semiconductor element in electrical connection with the first terminal and the second terminal, the two-terminal semiconductor element having an aperture in which the lead-in wire is located; and
the semiconductor transient protection device configured to isolate the line contact from the neutral contact during a first line voltage input, and to provide a low-resistance shunt path between the line contact and the neutral contact during a second line voltage input.
2. The lamp base of claim 1 , the thermal element being a fusible resistor.
3. The lamp base of claim 1 , the two-terminal semiconductor element being a metal oxide varistor.
4. The lamp base of claim 1 , the two-terminal semiconductor element being a transient voltage suppression diode.
5. The lamp base of claim 1 , the lamp base being a part of a light emitting diode lamp.
6. The lamp base of claim 5 , the lead-in wire connected to an electronic driver circuit of the light emitting diode lamp.
7. The lamp base of claim 1 , the lamp base being a part of a compact fluorescent lamp.
8. The lamp base of claim 7 , the lead-in wire connected to an electronic driver circuit of the compact fluorescent lamp.
9. The lamp base of claim 1 , the lead-in wire in connection with the third terminal at a junction of the thermal element and the two-terminal semiconductor element.