Invalidity dossier
US 7714494
Plug-in fluorescent lamp and lamp holder used therewith
Current assignee: Mass Technology HK Ltd
Added 9/23/2026, 1:31:45 PM
Active provider: DeepSeek · deepseek-flash
Patent summary
Title, assignee, inventors, filing/issue dates, abstract, and a plain-language overview of the claims.
Patent Overview: US 7,714,494 B2
Title: Plug-in fluorescent lamp and lamp holder used therewith
Patent number: US 7,714,494 B2
Application number: US 11/872,761
Filing date: 2007-10-16
Priority date: 2006-10-17
Publication date (grant): 2010-05-11
Inventor: Onn Fah Foo
Original/current assignee: Mass Technology (H.K.) Ltd.
Status as listed: Expired – Fee Related, adjusted expiration 2028-05-21
Purpose: The patent addresses problems with conventional split (G23/G24) plug-in fluorescent lamps, where the fixture-mounted ballast outlasts the lamp tube, replacement tubes may not match the original ballast (shortening tube life), and a faulty ballast is difficult to dismantle. It aims to provide an improved split fluorescent lamp that preserves the original illumination effect without redesigning the light fixture.
Plain-language scope: An electronic ballast is embedded in the pluggable lamp cap rather than in the fixture. The lamp body comprises a casing, an embedded electronic ballast, a plug-in unit on top of the casing, and a lamp tube. The plug-in unit has recesses at two top edges containing electrical contact elements coupled to the ballast, plus at least one positioning element (triangular or semicircular protrusion/recession) on a lateral wall or on the contact elements. A matching lamp base has a cavity receiving the lamp cap and a reception member with a profile element plugging into the recess and an optional resilient locking element engaging the positioning element, with conductive elements in the profile element for electrical coupling. Assembled dimensions are substantially equivalent to a G23 or G24 plug-in lamp, allowing drop-in replacement. An optional central aperture permits injecting thermal paste for heat dissipation. The description states tube lifespan can reach about 15,000 hours.
Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7714494/en
What the excerpt does not establish: It does not establish claim language, claim count, examination history, validity, enforceability, ownership transfers, or prior art beyond the listed classifications. The text is explicitly an excerpt with omitted portions (e.g., the top-view description is truncated). No legal conclusion should be drawn from the listed status.
Generated 10/1/2026, 9:53:05 PM
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Litigation summary
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PTAB challenges
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Assignment history
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Prior art
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Obviousness
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Extensions
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Derivative works
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