Illumination – Housing – With mounting means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-26
2004-08-31
Cariaso, Alan (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Housing
With mounting means
C362S421000, C362S427000, C362S528000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06783264
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vehicle lighting devices and, more specifically, to a Surface-Mounted, Billet-Formed Ball-Type Headlight Mount.
2. Description of Related Art
Ball-mounted headlights were the standard type of headlight in most pre-1936 American cars. This design is also employed in one or more current models of Commercial Semi-trailer Tractor Trucks. The conventional design for these assemblies is depicted in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a conventional ball-mounted headlight assembly
10
. The major components of the conventional assembly
10
consist of a metal housing
12
, inside of which is located a light or lamp
14
(e.g. sealed beam type). The assembly
10
is attached to the main body or frame of the vehicle by engagement between a threaded stud
18
and nut
22
(i.e. through a hole in the body or frame of the vehicle). The stud
18
extends downwardly (in this view) from a ball dome
16
, and through an aperture (not shown) formed in a socket ring
20
cooperatively formed to accept the ball dome
16
. The conventional ball dome
16
is formed from a piece of sheet metal, and is attached to the housing
12
by a plurality of rivets
17
(or other suitable fasteners). It is the elimination of these visible rivets
17
that is one of the objectives of the present invention. If we turn to
FIGS. 2A and 2B
, we can examine the specifics design aspects of the present invention.
FIG. 2A
is a perspective view of a conventional ball dome assembly
27
used in the assembly
10
of FIG.
1
. As shown, the threaded stud
18
protrudes through a slot
26
formed in the ball dome portion
16
of the ball dome assembly
27
. The ball dome portion
16
is raised, thereby forming a hollow cavity extending from the base
24
of the ball dome assembly
27
. Disposed on the base
24
are typically a plurality of apertures
28
for accepting rivets or other suitable fasteners therethrough (see FIG.
1
). It should be appreciated that the slot
26
is slot-shaped such that the threaded stud
18
can be positioned along the length of the slot
26
for the purpose of angularly adjusting the aim of the headlight lamp.
FIG. 2B
is a perspective view of a conventional carriage bolt
19
used in the assembly
10
of FIG.
1
. As can be seen, the threaded stud
18
extends from a rectangular protrusion
23
of a round head
21
of the carriage bolt
19
. The purpose of the round head
21
is to prevent the carriage bolt
19
from slipping through the slot
26
in the ball dome portion
16
. The purpose of the rectangular protrusion
23
is to cooperate with the sides of the slot
26
to prevent the threaded stud
18
from rotating when a nut (see
FIG. 1
) is tightened on its end. If we now turn to
FIG. 3
, we can examine how the ball dome assembly
27
attaches to the conventional housing.
FIG. 3
is a front view of the housing
12
of the assembly of FIG.
1
. The inner surface
31
of the housing
12
defines an internal housing chamber
34
. It is within this chamber
34
that the lamp (see
FIG. 1
) resides when the assembly is assembled. Penetrating the inner surface
31
is a dome aperture
30
and a plurality of rivet apertures
32
disbursed therearound. As should be apparent having reviewed
FIGS. 2 and 3
, the conventional ball dome portion (see
FIG. 2A
) protrudes through the dome aperture
30
, while the base of the ball dome assembly (see
FIG. 2A
) remains inside the internal housing chamber
34
(against the inner surface
31
). The apertures (see
FIG. 2A
) disbursed on the base (see
FIG. 2A
) are located thereon to cooperate with the rivet apertures
32
disbursed on the housing
31
, such that rivets (or other suitable fasteners) can be attached through the rivet apertures
23
and apertures formed in the base (see FIG.
2
A).
The problem with this prior design is one of functionality and aesthetics. First, manufacturing and strength of materials limitations limits the maximum feasible height of the ball dome using this design; because the height is limited, so therefore is the range of adjustment of the light. Second, the fasteners necessarily inserted through holes in the housing create an aesthetically unpleasing outer surface on the housing assembly. What is needed, therefore, is a ball dome design that potentially has a taller profile than the conventional dome, and further one where there is no need for rivet heads or other fasteners to be visible from the outside of the assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Surface-Mounted, Billet-Formed Ball-Type Headlight Mount. The headlight mount should include a ball dome member that attaches to the outside surface of the headlight housing. The mount should further include a plurality of attaching bolts extending outward from the inside of the housing to engage threaded apertures formed in an annular face. It is a further object that the mount include a carriage bolt having a flat-sided head.
REFERENCES:
patent: 658911 (1900-10-01), Hall
patent: 929463 (1909-07-01), McGavin
patent: 1514867 (1924-11-01), Solosabal et al.
patent: 1571709 (1926-02-01), Clarke
patent: 1612806 (1927-01-01), Gehersky
patent: 1631480 (1927-06-01), Freund
patent: 4433854 (1984-02-01), Smith
patent: 5690419 (1997-11-01), Siems
patent: 3603981 (1986-07-01), None
Cariaso Alan
Steins & Associates, P.C.
LandOfFree
Surface-mounted, billet-formed ball-type headlight mount does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Surface-mounted, billet-formed ball-type headlight mount, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Surface-mounted, billet-formed ball-type headlight mount will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3303838