Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Plural light sources
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-24
2001-06-05
Cariaso, Alan (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Plural light sources
C362S239000, C362S259000, C362S544000, C362S184000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241373
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to lamps for use with motor vehicles, and more particularly to vehicle lamps having an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide both clearance and sidemarker functions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), in SAE standard J759, defines a clearance lamp as a lamp mounted on a vehicle to provide light to the front or rear to indicate the overall width and height of the vehicle. A sidemarker lamp is defined as a lamp mounted on a vehicle to provide light to the side to indicate the overall length of the vehicle. Finally, a combination clearance and sidemarker lamp, designated by the code “PC,” is defined as a lamp simultaneously fulfilling the requirements of both clearance and sidemarker lamps. Typically, clearance lamps, sidemarker lamps and PC lamps used on automobiles and truck/trailer combinations use standard high-intensity incandescent bulbs as a light source with an optical lens in front of the light source to provide a desired photometric pattern. The lens usually provides an important second function of protecting the light source from dirt, moisture and other foreign matter. Incandescent light sources, however, have a relatively short life and may further be somewhat delicate in that excessive handling may result in failure due to filament breakage.
LEDs are useful in vehicle lamps such as for combination brake, turn and tail lamps, and for clearance or sidemarker lamps. An advantage of using LEDs is that they have an operating life of up to 100,000 hours before they begin to degrade. Ordinarily, LEDs are not used in PC lamps due to the difficulty in designing lens optics to spread the light, emitted by an LED in a narrow cone pattern, into an arc pattern of up to 180 degrees.
However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,036, assigned to the same Assignee as the present application, discloses a clearance and sidemarker lamp using LEDs, in which some of the LEDs are mounted to a daughter board, which in turn is soldered to the main circuit board such that the daughter board is mounted at an angle to the main board. The light pattern generated by the LEDs on the main circuit board and the LEDs on the daughter board satisfies the clearance and sidemarker lamp requirement of 180° light spread, but the solution introduces a significant amount of additional assembly time to the cost of the lamp unit.
The narrow cone of light produced by an LED may also be reflected to wider angles via mirrors or reflective surfaces. In some cases, a metalized or chrome-plated plastic reflector is mounted to the printed circuit board next to the LED. The light is then reflected off of the surfaces of the plastic reflector. While this method does increase the angle over which the LED light is reflected, the use of such reflectors can cause dark regions within the sweep of test points while testing the performance of such lamp.
There is therefore a need for a combination clearance and sidemarker lamp which utilizes LED light sources, is relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture, and which provides an adequate 180° pattern of light output. The present invention is directed toward meeting these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a clearance and sidemarker lamp assembly in which a three-section printed circuit board (PCB) is mounted to a three-section enclosure. The enclosure has a main center section coupled to two side sections by means of a hinge. When the enclosure is coupled to a lamp housing, the side sections are folded down and tucked behind raised retaining ribs formed in the housing. LEDs in the main center section thus provide illumination perpendicular to the lamp, while LEDs in the angled side sections provide illumination to either side of the lamp. A lens may cover the assembly in order to blend the light into a continuous arc covering 180°.
In one form of the present invention, a combination clearance and sidemarker lamp is disclosed, comprising a housing, comprising a housing bottom surface; a platform coupled to the bottom surface and having a platform surface spaced from the housing bottom surface, the platform further having a first side and a second, opposite side; at least one first rib extending from the bottom surface and spaced from the first side; and at least one second rib extending from the bottom surface and spaced from the second side; an enclosure, comprising a center section having an enclosure bottom surface, a rim spaced from the bottom surface, a center cavity, a first end, and a second end; a first side section having a third end, a fourth end, at least one first wing extending from the fourth end, and a first side cavity; a second side section having a fifth end, a sixth end, at least one second wing extending from the sixth end, and a second side cavity; a first living hinge coupling the third end to the first end; and a second living hinge coupling the fifth end to the second end; a center printed circuit board disposed within the center cavity and including at least one first LED; a first side printed circuit board disposed within the first side cavity and including at least one second LED; and a second side printed circuit board disposed within the second side cavity and including at least one third LED wherein the enclosure bottom surface is coupled to the platform surface, the fourth end abuts the at least one first rib, and the sixth end abuts the at least one second rib.
In another form of the present invention, a combination clearance and sidemarker lamp is disclosed, comprising a housing; an enclosure, comprising a center section having an enclosure bottom surface, a rim spaced from the bottom surface, a center cavity, a first end, and a second end; a first side section having a third end, a fourth end, and a first side cavity; a second side section having a fifth end, a sixth end, and a second side cavity; a first hinge coupling the third end to the first end; and a second hinge coupling the fifth end to the second end; a center printed circuit board disposed within the center cavity and including at least one first LED; a first side printed circuit board disposed within the first side cavity and including at least one second LED; and a second side printed circuit board disposed within the second side cavity and including at least one third LED wherein the enclosure bottom surface is coupled to the housing, the fourth end abuts the housing, and the sixth end abuts the housing.
In yet another form of the present invention, a combination clearance and sidemarker lamp is disclosed, comprising a housing; an enclosure, comprising a center section having an enclosure bottom surface, a rim spaced from the bottom surface, a center cavity, a first end, and a second end; a first side section having a third end coupled to the first end, a fourth end, and a first side cavity; a second side section having a fifth end coupled to the second end, a sixth end, and a second side cavity; a center printed circuit board disposed within the center cavity and including at least one first LED; a fist side printed circuit board disposed within the first side cavity and including at least one second LED; a second side printed circuit board disposed within the second side cavity and including at least one third LED wherein the enclosure bottom surface is coupled to the housing, the fourth end abuts the housing, and the sixth end abuts the housing.
In another form in the present invention, an enclosure for a combination clearance and sidemarker lamp is disclosed, comprising a center section having an enclosure bottom surface, a rim spaced from the bottom surface, a center cavity, a first end, and a second end; a first side section having a third end, a fourth end, and a first side cavity; a second side section having a fifth end, a sixth end, and a second side cavity; a first hinge coupling the third end to the rim at the first end; and a second hinge coupling the fifth end to the rim at the second end.
In another form in the present invention,
Kelley Rodney M.
Koehler Jay F.
Snyder Charles R.
Cariaso Alan
DelGizzi Ronald E.
Grote Industries Inc.
Woodard Emhardt Naughton Moriarty & McNett
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