Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2001-08-14
Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
C248S221110, C248S220210, C248S220220, C248S309100, C248S314000, C248S346030, C248S346060, C248S187100, C362S488000, C362S490000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273378
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention pertains to the general field of vehicle illumination system and more particularly to an after-market auxiliary lamp assembly that is easily attached to a corner of a vehicle structure.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years the inclusion of auxiliary lamps, which are often referred to as fog lights/lamps, on motor vehicles has become a standard practice. Most new vehicles provide auxiliary lamps as an element of the vehicle's normal illumination system. The reason for this is that auxiliary lamps are able to provide often needed additional light, which a vehicle's low and/or high beam headlights are incapable of. Using auxiliary lamps is therefore easy and convenient for those individuals fortunate enough to own a later model vehicle with built-in auxiliary lamps.
For older-model vehicles, though, which did not provide auxiliary lamps, there are after-market kits available for the attachment of auxiliary lamps. These kits usually include two lamps and brackets with mounting hardware. The designers of these kits have obviously attempted to make the attachment of the lamps relatively easy, otherwise it would be too difficult to put the lamps on a vehicle and the kits would not sell. Usually the kits are well-made and the attachment of the auxiliary lamps can be accomplished with a minimal amount of labor.
One obstacle that the kit designers have found difficult to overcome, though, is how to attach auxiliary lamps onto or adjacent to a corner structure. Conventional auxiliary lamps cannot be attached to a corner because there is not enough space to insert and tighten a bolt
ut, screw or similar hardware that is located on the side of a conventional auxiliary lamp bracket. This is unfortunate in that for many vehicles there is no other suitable location for attaching auxiliary lamps. If there were a device or apparatus available that would facilitate the attachment of auxiliary lamps to a corner structure it would be beneficial to many vehicle owners.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The vehicle auxiliary-lamp mounting assembly in its most basic design consists of the following major elements:
a) a lamp-housing bracket having means for being adjustably attached to the right and left vertical sides of the lamp housing,
b) a resilient latch insert, attached by an attachment means, to the lamp housing bracket, and
c) a lamp-housing mounting bracket which incorporates a latch receptor that is dimensioned to receive, secure and release the resilient latch insert, and a means for being adjustably attached to a vehicle structure.
To illustrate the utility of the invention, it should be assumed that an auxiliary lamp is to be attached to and detached from a corner of a vehicle structure. The structure consists of an upper surface and a side surface, such as found on a typical vehicle grill opening. Normally, a conventional auxiliary lamp cannot be attached adjacent to a corner because there is insufficient space to insert and tighten a bolt or nut that is located on the side of the conventional auxiliary lamp bracket.
The problem of attaching or removing an auxiliary lamp adjacent a vehicle corner is eliminated by utilizing the vehicle auxiliary lamp assembly assembly.
To implement the invention, the following steps are performed:
1. Attach the lamp housing bracket to the auxiliary lamp housing with the resilient latch insert projecting form the rear of the auxiliary lamp housing.
2. Position the lamp-housing mounting bracket on the upper surface of the vehicle structure so that when the latch insert is inserted into the latch receptor, the outward side of the auxiliary lamp is adjacent to either the right or left side surface of the vehicle structure.
3. Permanently attach the mounting bracket to the upper surface of the vehicle structure by means of screws.
4. Attach the auxiliary lamp by inserting the resilient latch insert into the latch receptor.
The means for releasing the resilient latch insert on the lamp housing bracket from the latch receptor on the lamp-housing mounting bracket is disclosed in two designs.
In the first design, the resilient latch insert includes a lowered resilient member from where extends outward a lamp-housing bracket release tab. To extract the lamp-housing bracket, the release tab is manually depressed and held in the depressed position while the lamp-housing bracket is manually extracted.
In the second design, the resilient latch insert includes a lowered resilient member and an upward extending release key tab having a substantially centered key slot. The key slot is accessed by a bracket release key having a front end that is keyed to fit into the key slot, and a rear end having a finger grasping tab. To extract the lamp housing bracket in this second design, the key is inserted into the key slot until the front end of the key interfaces with the upper surface of the lowered resilient member. The finger grasping tab is then move upward to pivot the key and cause the front end of the key to depress the lowered resilient member. While the resilient member is depressed the lamp housing bracket is extracted.
In view of the above disclosure, it is the primary object of the invention to provide an auxiliary-lamp mounting assembly which allows an auxiliary lamp to be easily and quickly attached adjacent to a corner or a vehicle structure.
In addition to the primary object of the invention it is also an object of the invention to provide a lamp mounting assembly that:
can be dimensioned to accommodate various sizes and shapes of light assemblies,
can be designed with minor modifications to attach other vehicle implements to a normally inaccessible vehicle corner,
is maintenance free, and
is cost effective from both a manufacturers and consumers point of view.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5541579 (1996-07-01), Kiernan
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patent: 5761030 (1998-06-01), Roscoe
patent: 5947435 (1999-09-01), Small
Fu Sam
Wang Calvin S.
Braun Leslie A.
Cota Albert O.
Wujciak A. Joseph
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