A lamp socket is adapted for receiving a fluorescent lamp of the type which has a pair of parallel contact pins extending axially from opposite ends thereof. The lamp is adapted to be moved at a right angle to its longitudinal axis into the socket. A socket housing has a pair of generally parallel slots for receiving the contact pins as the pins are moved into the slots in a direction generally perpendicular to the axes of the pins. A pair of terminals are mounted in the socket housing respectively exposed in the slots for engagement by the contact pins. A lever is pivotally mounted on the socket housing and includes blocking portions aligned with the slots. The lever is pivotable between a first position wherein the blocking portions are removed from the slots to allow movement of the contact pins into the slots and a second position wherein the blocking portions block the slots to prevent movement of the contact pins out of the slots. The terminals include spring portions for biasing the lever toward its second position. The lever includes notches for receiving the contact pins in a preliminary position preparatory to moving the pins fully into the slots.

A socket arrangement for a light fixture holding a tubular lamp having contacts on opposite ends, providing a fixed socket opposite a spring loaded socket with a lamp maneuvering cavity adjacent to the fixed socket, allowing a tubular lamp to be installed nearly straight-in to the sockets, and preventing electrical shock. By providing the maneuvering cavity opposite the spring loaded socket, a first end of a tubular lamp can be maneuvered into the cavity to allow an opposite end of the tubular lamp to insert into the spring loaded contact, and further insertion causes compression of the spring loaded contact, which retracts the first end out of the maneuvering cavity a sufficient distance to swing the first end through a slot formed in a side of the fixed socket and into the fixed socket, whereupon the spring loaded socket expands to resiliently hold the tubular lamp between the two sockets. Handling exposure of a free end of a tubular lamp while an opposite end is making electrical contact with a terminal is thus minimized during relamping.

The luminaire of the present invention comprises at least two channel reflectors geometrically arranged in substantially a common plane forming a light emitting region, each channel reflector has one fluorescent lamp holder extending therein and each channel reflector has a channel reflector retaining arm having a ballast therein and extending to a luminaire supporting base.

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.