	US 7,557,497 B1
	Asymmetric mechanical shunt switch for use in a socket of a string of lights
James W. Gibboney, Conyers, Ga. (US); Andy Kuo-An Pan, Kowloon (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, The); and Kao Bin Pan, Dong Guan (China)
Assigned to Tech Patent Licensing, LLC, St. Augustine, Fla. (US)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/234,941.
Int. Cl. H01J 5/48 (2006.01); H01J 5/50 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 313—318.1 [362/654]

9 Claims

1. A lamp for use in a light string, said lamp comprising:

a bulb;

a filament in said bulb;

a base carrying said bulb, said base having two spaced-apart holes therethrough and a corner, said base having a tooth depending from said corner of said base;

a first and a second Dumet wires extending from said filament inside said bulb through said two spaced-apart holes in said base to the exterior of said base;

a socket carrying said base, said base removably seatable in said socket, said socket having an interior wall;

a first and an opposing second terminal carried by said interior wall of said socket, said first and said second Dumet wires engaging said first and said second terminals, respectively, when said base is seated in said socket;

an asymmetrical holder carried by said socket;

a conductive spring shunt carried by said holder and having a first curved end and an opposing second curved end, said first curved end being held by said asymmetrical holder in contact with said first terminal when said base is inserted into said socket and when said base is not inserted into said socket, said second curved end being held in contact with said second terminal only when said base is not inserted in said socket, but, when said base is inserted into said socket, said tooth of said base bends said second curved end away from said second terminal.