Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-28
2004-08-17
Sember, Thomas M. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S539000, C362S351000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06776514
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp and more particularly to a vehicle lamp that includes a shade disposed in front of the light source via its leg portion attached to the reflector.
2. Prior Art
One of known vehicle lamps includes a shade that is provided in front of the light source by way of attaching the leg portion of the shade to a reflector. More specifically, the leg portion of the shade is comprised of a pair of legs that extend backward, and one of the legs is screw-fastened to the reflector and the other leg is brought to engage with an engaging hole formed in a reflector so as to be secured therein and prevented from being separated.
As seen from
FIG. 7
, in such a vehicle lamp as described above, a shade
6
is provided in front of a light source
4
, which is mounted on a reflector
1
. The shade
6
has a pair of legs
7
a
and
7
b
. The leg
7
a
is screw-fastened to the reflector
1
, and the leg
7
b
is secured by being engaged with an engaging hole
2
formed in the reflector
1
. The tip portion
7
b
1
of the leg
7
b
is bent so that the leg
7
b
does not rattle with respect to the engaging hole
2
due to vibrations and the like of the vehicle.
However, in this conventional vehicle lamp, a bending process of the tip portion of the leg
7
b
that is inserted in the engaging hole
2
is necessary, and this leads to a problem that it takes time to attach the shade
6
. The tip portion
7
b
1
of the leg
7
b
can be bent in advance, thus eliminating the bending process of the tip portion after insertion. However, with a shade that has a bent tip portion, it is very difficult to engage the leg
7
b
with the engaging hole.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention to provide a vehicle lamp in which the shade is easily attached to the reflector and looseness is not generated on the attachment portion of the shade.
The above object is accomplished by a unique structure for a vehicle lamp that comprises a reflector, which is provided with a light source and is housed in a lamp chamber defined by a lamp body and a front lens, and a shade, which is attached at a leg portion thereof to the reflector so as to be in front of the light source; and in the present invention,
the leg portion of the shade is comprised of a first leg and a second leg that extend backward respectively so as to sandwich the light source; and
the first leg is screw-fastened to the reflector, and
the second leg is connected to the reflector by a substantially L-shaped engaging piece that is formed at a tip portion of the second leg and engaged with a peripheral area of an engaging hole formed in the reflector thus being secured therein so as not to be separated from the engaging hole, the substantially L-shaped engaging piece extending from shoulder portions of the second leg, and the longitudinal length between the shoulder portions to a head portion at the tip end of the engaging piece being substantially equal to the longitudinal length of the engaging hole of the reflector.
In the above structure, by way of rotating the shade, that is, the engaging piece, the engaging piece can be easily inserted into the engaging hole of the reflector; and the head portion of the inserted engaging piece supports in a sandwiching manner the peripheral portion of the engaging piece in a longitudinal direction in coordination with the shoulder portions of the second leg. Thus, the leg portion is secured without looseness with respect to the engaging hole and is thus prevented from being separated.
Furthermore, in the above structure, the width of a mounting base portion of the engaging piece is set to be substantially equal to the width of the engaging hole of the reflector, and one side of the head portion of the engaging piece is formed diagonally to form a slanted edge that allows the engaging piece to be smoothly inserted into the engaging hole.
When the engaging piece is brought to be inserted into the engaging hole of the reflector, this is done by way of rotating the shade. As a result, the slanted edge ensures a smooth insertion of the engaging piece into the engaging hole of the reflector.
The right and left side peripheral areas of the mounting base portion of the engaging piece abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the engaging hole of the reflector, and thus the engaging piece is secured in the engaging hole without causing looseness in the lateral direction with respect to the engaging hole.
Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp of the present invention,
the shoulder portions are provided on both sides of the engaging piece, and
one of the shoulder portions which is opposed to another one of the shoulder portions that faces the head portion of the engaging piece is formed in a square shouldered shape inclined toward the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the engaging piece extends.
Since one of the shoulder portions has a square shouldered shape, only the tip portion of such a shoulder portion abuts against the peripheral area of the engaging hole. As a result, a dimensional error which occurs when the substantially L-shaped engaging piece is engaged with the peripheral area of the engaging hole is absorbed. In addition, the peripheral area of the engaging hole is supported in a sandwiched manner in the longitudinal direction by the head portion of the engaging piece and the right and left shoulder portions, in a coordinated manner. In one of the shoulder portions that has the square shouldered shape, only the tip portion of the acute-angled shoulder portion abuts against the peripheral area of the engaging hole. As a result, the holding force on the peripheral area of the engaging hole with respect to the engaging piece is enhanced.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5567033 (1996-10-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5782550 (1998-07-01), Ohashi et al.
patent: 5971575 (1999-10-01), Matubara
patent: 6079860 (2000-06-01), Ito
patent: 6132068 (2000-10-01), Katsumata
patent: 6203177 (2001-03-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 6238072 (2001-05-01), Eto
Koda & Androlia
Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Sember Thomas M.
LandOfFree
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