Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Housing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-25
2001-07-31
Husar, Stephen (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Housing
C362S267000, C362S455000, C362S310000, C362S362000, C362S153000, C362S153100, C362S520000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267491
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to means for retaining a lens on the housing of a lamp assembly, and more specifically to a vehicle lamp assembly having a housing that is adaptable for snap-in installation and retention of the lens element.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Lamp assemblies are widely used in motor vehicles. Such assemblies generally include a lamp housing defining an inner space within which a light emitting unit, such as a light bulb, is placed and a lens member interposed between the light emitting unit and the exterior of the housing. It is desirable for the lens member to be mounted so that it can be removed easily for replacement of the light or other periodic maintenance, and so that when reassembled, it will seal the interior of the housing against weather and debris.
Prior art lamp assemblies utilize a variety of attachment methods and schemes to mount the lens members onto lamp housings. Most of the attachment methods employ mechanical means such as retaining rings, clips and spring arms (U.S. Pat. Nos. 870,535, No. 2,943, 187, No. 2,499,555 and No. 4,779,180). Such assemblies are relatively expensive to manufacture, since they involve multiple separate parts that must be assembled together. Other attachment methods involve gluing the parts together with cement or epoxy (U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,551). Cement and epoxy mounting are also undesirable because of the permanent nature of the attachment and the prolonged production cycle time due to the curing requirements. U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,321 to Magi and No. 5,119,282 to Meyer each disclose a lamp assembly with a snap-in lens member. Magi's design involves many precision parts; and additionally, once the lens is snapped-in, it is difficult to dissemble. Meyer's design is relatively simple, involving the use of an annular groove on the lamp housing to retain the lens element. Meyer's design, however, requires the lamp housing to be made of a resilient or flexible material and additionally, makes no provision for protecting the interior environment of the lamp assembly.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a system for mounting a lens member onto a lamp housing such that the lens member can be easily installed and removed.
It is another object of this invention to provide a snap-in installation of the lens member directly onto the lamp housing without the need for separate installation of additional parts.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a weatherproof lamp assembly which includes a sealing member for the protection of the interior of the lamp assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, these and other objects and advantages are achieved in a lamp assembly comprising a housing and a lens member retained within the housing. The housing has a base, side walls and an opening; together, they define a three dimensional space within which a light emitting unit is disposed. The side walls include a plurality of annular step portions, one or which serves as a support for the lens member after its installation. A plurality of integrally formed, inwardly protruding raised projections are disposed circumferentially along the upper portion of the side walls above the annular step portions. These raised projections are shaped to allow easy passage easily in the forward direction for installation, and more difficult passage in the reverse direction for removal. The raised projections in cooperation with the annular step portion form slots for receiving the lens member and a sealing gasket. The lens member is composed of a resilient material, is sufficiently flexible that it can be pushed past the raised projections and lodged securely in the slots and held circumferentially on the annular step portion of the housing. The slots are dimensioned such that the lower surfaces of the raised projections press against the lens and firmly secure the lens and the gasket against the annular step portion of the housing and additionally hermetically seals the interior space of housing from the outside environment.
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Grote Industries Inc.
Husar Stephen
Ton Anabel M
Woodard Emhardt Naughton Moriarty & McNett
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