Illumination – Housing – With mounting means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-27
2001-12-25
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Housing
With mounting means
C362S365000, C362S549000, C362S487000, C362S496000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332697
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle lamp provided in the corner portion of a vehicle and furnished with a mounting member which is projected from the outer surface of a lamp body so as to mount a lamp unit on a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a lamp of the sort mentioned above, a lamp unit
1
including a lamp body
2
containing a light source and a lens
3
rounds out from the front side A to the side B of a vehicle body
5
as shown in FIG.
18
. The lamp unit
1
on the side B of the vehicle body
5
is fixed to the side B thereof in such a way as to prevent the lamp unit
1
from slipping off by fitting a retaining pin
4
as a lamp-unit-mounting member projected from the lamp body
2
into a grommet
6
provided in the vehicle body
5
, whereas the lamp unit
1
on the front side A of the vehicle body
5
is mounted on the vehicle body
5
by fixing the lamp unit
1
to the vehicle body
5
with a screw
7
.
As retaining-pin structures, there are a first and a second known structure: in the first structure shown in
FIGS. 18 and 19
, a metal stud pin
4
is forced into a boss
2
a
formed in a synthetic-resin lamp body
2
; and in the second structure shown in
FIG. 20
, a retaining pin
8
is integrally formed with a synthetic-resin lamp body
2
.
In the first conventional retaining-pin structure (see FIG.
11
), however, as the boss
2
a
for receiving the stud pin (retaining pin)
4
is projected from the lamp body
2
, the problem is that the quantity H of projection of the retaining pin
4
from the outer surface of the lamp body
2
becomes large.
In the second conventional retaining-pin structure (see FIG.
20
), further, as the material of the retaining pin
8
is limited to the same material as the frail material of the lamp body
2
, it is needed to secure the strength of the retaining pin
8
by providing a reinforcing rib
9
on the base side of the retaining pin which may be damaged by bending because of stress concentration. Consequently, there also exist problems arising from the space narrowed by the overhanging reinforcing rib
9
and a substantially large quantity H of projection of the retaining pin
8
from the outer surface of the lamp body
2
.
When the retaining pin is provided in the curved portion on the side of the vehicle body where it is hardly easy to secure the depth d of the lamp unit
1
as shown in
FIG. 18
in particular, the boss
2
a
and the reinforcing rib
9
cause the depth d to be narrowed further and this also poses a problem of making the external appearance (the round-out side portion) of the lamp unattractive.
Another problem is that a mold structure tends to become complicated because an undercut portion C needs forming in a mold for producing the lamp body, depending on the direction in which the retaining pin is projected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the foregoing problems pertaining to the prior by providing a vehicle lamp in which the quantity of projection of a member for mounting and fixing a lamp unit is reducible as much as possible, which member is projected from the outer surface of a synthetic-resin lamp body forming part of the lamp unit. It is further object of the present invention to provide a vehicle lamp so adapted as to simplify the structure of a mold for use in producing a lamp body. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a vehicle lamp capable of providing a member for mounting and fixing a lamp unit in any position of a lamp body.
In order to accomplish the objects above, one of embodiments of the vehicle lamps of this invention is such that a mounting member for mounting and fixing a lamp unit onto a vehicle body is projected from the outer surface of a synthetic-resin lamp body forming part of the lamp unit, the mounting member being formed of synthetic-resin and incorporated into the lamp body by welding.
The mounting member can simply be incorporated into the outer surface of the lamp body in any position of the outer surface thereof by welding (vibration welding including ultrasonic vibration, and hot plate welding). In contrast to the first prior art according to which a mounting member such as a stud pin or the like is fitted into a boss, the boss can be dispensed with instead. In contrast to the second prior art according to which a mounting member such as a stud pin or the like is integrally formed with a lamp body, the strength of the mounting member can be secured sufficiently by the use of a material greater in strength than that of the lamp body. Even though the materials of the mounting member and the lamp body are the same, the mounting-member welding area in the lamp body is formable into a wide plate shape, whereby the reinforcing rib can be dispensed with because the strength on the base side of the mounting member which may be damaged by bending due to stress concentration is securable. Consequently, the quantity of projection of the mounting member from the outer surface of the lamp body can be made smaller than the quantity thereof in the prior art.
Although the prior art mold structure is complicated because an undercut portion needs forming in a mold for producing the lamp body, depending on the direction in which the mounting member is projected, such an undercut portion is never produced in the mold for molding the lamp body unless the mounting-member welding area is formed into a special shape even though the mounting member is projected in any given direction according to the present invention.
Another embodiment of the vehicle lamps of this invention is such that the mounting-member welding area in the lamp body is formed flat, so that the mounting member can easily be welded to the lamp body.
Further, another embodiment of the vehicle lamps of this invention is such that a recessed-protruded mating portion for positioning the mounting member and decreasing the load applied to the welding area is formed between the mounting-member welding area in the lamp body and the mounting member. When the recessed and protruded portions between the mounting member and the mounting-member welding area are mated together, the mounting member is automatically positioned with respect to the lamp body, so that the mounting member is readily welded to the lamp body.
Moreover, though the weight of the lamp unit acts as the load applied to the welding area in such a condition that the mounting member integrally welded to the lamp body has securely been fitted to the vehicle lamp, the recessed-protruded portion between the mounting member and the mounting-member welding area also functions as what decreases a load such as the weight of the lamp unit transmitted to the welding area.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4972303 (1990-11-01), Machida et al.
patent: 5031079 (1991-07-01), Kathmann
patent: 5154505 (1992-10-01), Sasamoto
patent: 5582475 (1996-12-01), Yagi
patent: 5605392 (1997-02-01), Daumueller et al.
patent: 5660456 (1997-08-01), Shinkai et al.
patent: 5963432 (1999-10-01), Crowley
Avallone, Eugene A.; Baumeister III, Theodore; Mark's Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers, 1996, McGraw-Hill, New York, tenth edition, :pp. 12-122, 13-30 and 13-31.*
De Garmo, E. Paul; Temple Black, J.; Kohser, Ronald A.; Materials and Processes in Manufacturing, 1984, Macmilliam Publishing Company, New York, sisth edition, pp. 20, 825-827.
Soga Shigeyuki
Tomita Kenji
Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Negron Ismael
O'Shea Sandra
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
LandOfFree
Vehicle lamp and mounting member does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle lamp and mounting member, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle lamp and mounting member will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2584104