Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-15
2001-05-29
Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
C248S222120, C362S368000, C362S370000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237886
ABSTRACT:
This invention claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 10-293883, filed on Oct. 15, 1998, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an attachment mechanism for a vehicle part to a vehicle, such as for a vehicle light to a vehicle body. More particularly, the invention relates to an attachment mechanism that is made up of components that can be easily sorted that disposal and recycling of the mechanism is facilitated at the end of its useful life. Also, the attachment mechanism is capable of providing secure attachment of the vehicle light to the vehicle body.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
FIG. 4
illustrates a conventional attachment mechanism
90
for a vehicle light
10
to a vehicle body
20
. The attachment mechanism
90
includes a housing
11
for a vehicle light
10
. The housing
11
is made up of the following components: a rib
12
along the perimeter of outer back portion of housing
11
; three stud bolts
91
positioned inside the rib
12
; three through holes positioned inside the stud bolts
91
for attachment of a light bulb to the housing
11
; and a gasket
13
interposed between the housing
11
and the vehicle body
20
. The vehicle body
20
and housing
11
include three through holes
92
corresponding to the stud bolts
91
and three nuts
93
which correspond to the stud bolts
91
and are attached from inside of the vehicle body
20
. Each stud bolt
91
is inserted and fixed in the housing
11
by insertion molding or by a pressing process using ultrasonic waves. Each stud bolt
91
is inserted from outside of the vehicle body
20
, through a predetermined through hole on a gasket
13
, to the predetermined through hole
92
in the vehicle body
20
. The stud bolts
91
is fixed by a nut
93
from inside of the vehicle body
20
which presses the gasket
13
onto
12
of housing
11
.
FIG. 5
illustrates another conventional attachment mechanism for a vehicle light
10
to a vehicle body
20
. The vehicle light
10
includes a housing
11
having an aperture for the purpose of changing a light bulb in the housing
11
. A pair of elastic hooks
94
project from the outer back surface of the housing
11
and are made of plastic resin—which is the same material as comprises housing
11
. The vehicle light
10
is attached to the vehicle body
20
by being pushed from outside of the vehicle body
20
into an aperture
95
in the vehicle body
20
. When the vehicle light
10
is pushed in, the elastic hook
94
curves and returns to its original position by its elasticity. Thus, the elastic hook
94
latches onto the attachment portion of vehicle body
20
.
The conventional attachment mechanisms for attaching a vehicle light to a vehicle body have the following problems. The attachment mechanism
90
in
FIG. 4
is able to provide a secured attachment by using a stud bolt
91
. However, the stud bolt
91
is usually metal that is strongly adhered to surrounding portions of the housing, which are made of resin. Accordingly, when the vehicle light
10
is disposed of and destroyed, it is difficult to deconstruct and sort each of the vehicle light's components for recycling without damaging the resin plastic material. In addition, the various materials required to construct the attachment mechanism increase the cost of manufacture and sale of the mechanism.
The attachment mechanism shown in
FIG. 5
does not have the same sorting problem during recycling of the device as does the mechanism of FIG.
4
. However, since the hook
94
is elastic and designed to curve in a Z direction parallel to the vehicle body
20
, and is oriented in a direction of engagement between the elastic hook
94
and the vehicle body
20
, the attachment mechanism has relatively low shock-proof reliability when an external force is applied in the Z direction. For example, if a concentration of force is applied in the Z direction and one of the pair of elastic hooks
94
flexes, the other elastic hook
94
easily detaches from the aperture, and the vehicle light
10
may detach from the vehicle body
20
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to an attachment mechanism that substantially obviates one or more of the above problems due to the limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the invention is to provide an attachment mechanism for a vehicle light to a vehicle body which is able to resist detachment due to force applied in a direction of engagement of the attachment portions. Another object is to provide an attachment mechanism that is economically manufactured and easily recycled when the vehicle light is disposed of and destroyed.
The above and other objects are achieved by providing a vehicle light attachment mechanism for attaching a vehicle light to a vehicle body that includes a main aperture and at least one positioning through hole, the attachment mechanism including a housing, a substantially non-elastic hook extending from said housing and configured to engage the vehicle body in a first direction, a substantially elastic hook extending from said housing and configured to engage the vehicle body in a second direction opposite said first direction, and at least one positioning boss adjacent said substantially elastic hook and configured to extend through the positioning through hole and into the vehicle body.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention a vehicle light attachment mechanism for attaching a vehicle light to a vehicle body having a main aperture includes a housing, a substantially non-elastic hook extending from said housing and configured to engage the vehicle body, a substantially elastic hook extending from said housing and configured to engage the vehicle body, and positioning means located adjacent one of said substantially elastic hook and said substantially non-elastic hooks for preventing movement of said housing with respect to the vehicle body.
Furthermore, at least one projection boss may be arranged to provide a sufficient distance between the housing and the vehicle body for spreading any external forces applied from the vehicle light toward the vehicle body over an outer surface of the vehicle body. At least one projection boss can also be used as a positioning boss. Accordingly, the housing can have two positioning points.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention can be realized and attained by the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5089939 (1992-02-01), Baader
patent: 5197789 (1993-03-01), Lin
patent: 5424923 (1995-06-01), Young et al.
patent: 5428511 (1995-06-01), Luallin et al.
patent: 5487677 (1996-01-01), Hoffner
patent: 5924790 (1999-07-01), Ponton et al.
patent: 5961205 (1999-10-01), Lovell
patent: 6024426 (2000-02-01), Korinsky et al.
patent: 6050854 (2000-04-01), Fang et al.
patent: 0 026 402 B1 (1984-01-01), None
patent: 2 088 543A (1982-06-01), None
patent: 63-160606 (1988-10-01), None
Katsumata Shinichi
Konaka Masaki
Braun Leslie A.
Marsh Steve
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Stanley Electric Co. Ltd.
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