Illumination – Light source and modifier – With sealing means or artificial atmosphere
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-25
2001-06-19
Sember, Thomas M. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light source and modifier
With sealing means or artificial atmosphere
C362S549000, C362S487000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247831
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp, and more particularly, to a structure for sealing the space between a lamp body of the lamp and a panel of a vehicle body.
2. Prior Art
Hitherto, when a lamp is joined to a panel of a vehicle body, an elastic sealing member, such as a sheet packing, is interposed between the lamp and the panel of the vehicle body so as to provide a buffer and to maintain a seal.
As shown in
FIG. 12
, a wall structure
18
′ is formed on a rear surface
14
a
′ of a lamp body
14
′, and an elastic sealing member
20
′ is allowed to adhere to the leading end of the wall structure
18
′. After the lamp
10
′ has been joined to a panel
2
′ of a vehicle body, a sealing effect along the wall structure
18
′ can, therefore, be maintained. As a result, introduction of water or the like into the lamp
10
′ can be prevented.
The lamp
10
′ for a vehicle shown in the foregoing drawing incorporates a wall configuration
18
′ which is formed to extend as one simple closed curve. Therefore, a great compressive load has to be exerted on the elastic sealing member
20
′ when the lamp
10
′ is joined to the panel
2
′ of the vehicle body. Moreover, the central position of the elastic sealing member
20
′ may accidentally shift to the right and/or to the left of the wall configuration
18
′. If the lamp
10
′ is joined to the panel
2
′ of the vehicle body in such a shifted state, the required sealing effect cannot be maintained.
SUMMARY
The present invention provides a lamp for a vehicle incorporating a wall structure formed on the rear surface thereof, and an elastic sealing member allowed to adhere to the leading edge of the wall structure. The wall structure is arranged to minimize the compressive load exerted on the elastic sealing member when the lamp is joined to the panel of a vehicle body, and to prevent shifting of the position of the elastic sealing member with respect to the wall structure.
The present invention achieves the foregoing results by defining the shape of the wall structure. That is, the present invention is based on a precondition that a lamp for a vehicle is provided with a lamp body having a wall structure formed on the rear surface thereof, and an elastic sealing member adhered to the leading edge of the wall structure.
A first aspect of the present invention includes at least a portion of the wall structure that is a multiple wall portion. A second aspect of the invention includes at least a portion of the wall structure having single wall portions, each of which is formed annularly, and ribs that branch out from a plurality of positions of the single wall portions. A third aspect of the present invention includes portions of the wall structure each having a short height and incorporating multiple wall portions, and portions each having a tall height incorporating single wall portions formed annularly, and ribs that branch out from a plurality of positions of the single wall portions.
As far as the “wall structure” is extended to form a closed curve, the shape of the closed curve is not limited. As far as the “elastic sealing member” is the member having elasticity and is applied to adhere to the leading edge of the wall structure, the specific structure including the cross sectional shape, the material and a method of allowing the same to adhere to the leading edge of the wall structure is not limited.
The “multiple wall” according to the first and third aspects of the present invention means a plurality of walls extending in parallel with respect to one another in an annular manner.
Each “rib” according to the second and third aspects of the present invention has a surface of the leading edge which is flush with the surface of the leading edge of the single wall portion, and the specific structure including the direction of extension from the single wall portions and disposition is not limited.
As described above, the first aspect of the present invention has a structure in which at least a portion of the wall structure incorporates multiple walls. Therefore, the foregoing portion structured as described above is able to stably hold the elastic sealing member.
The second aspect of the present invention has a structure in which at least a portion of the wall structure incorporates single walls each of which is formed annularly and includes ribs that branch out from a plurality of positions of the single wall. Therefore, the foregoing portion structured as described above is able to stably hold the elastic sealing member by the single wall portions and the plurality of ribs.
Therefore, the portion according to the first aspect of the invention and constituted by the multiple walls and the portion according to the second aspect of the invention and constituted by the single walls and a plurality of ribs are able to maintain a predetermined sealing effect without the need to apply a great compressive load to the elastic sealing member when the lamp is joined to the panel of a vehicle. Moreover, the position of the elastic sealing member is not easily shifted with respect to the wall structure. In addition, the required sealing effect can easily be maintained. Furthermore, employment of the foregoing structure enhances the strength of the wall structure.
When a comparison is made between a configuration in which the wall structure is constituted by the multiple walls and a structure in which the same is constituted by the single walls and aplurality of ribs, the former structure is able to more stably hold the elastic sealing member. If the height of the wall structure is enlarged, the wall structure cannot easily be constituted by the multiple walls from a viewpoint of moldability of the lamp body.
In another aspect, a portion of the wall structure having a short height incorporates multiple walls, and a portion having a tall height incorporates single wall portions formed annularly and having ribs that branch out from a plurality of positions of the single wall portions. As a result, the elastic sealing member can satisfactorily stably be held without detracting from the moldability of the lamp body.
The direction in which each rib extends from the single wall portions is not limited in the second and third aspects of the present invention, as described above. It is preferable that each of the ribs is formed to extend in a direction in which downward flow of water along the rear surface of the lamp body is not inhibited by the ribs from the viewpoint of obtaining a satisfactory sealing effect between the lamp and the panel of the vehicle body.
In the present invention, the cross sectional shape of the elastic sealing member is not limited as described above. In one implementation, the elastic sealing member has a two-ridge cross sectional shape. Thus, the sealing effect between the lamp and the panel of the vehicle body can be further improved as compared with a single ridge structure. The “two-ridge” shape means a shape having a pair of projections formed substantially symmetrically with each other.
In the present invention, the material of the elastic sealing member and the method of allowing the same to adhere to the leading edge of the wall structure are not limited as described above. In an implementation, the elastic sealing member is made of thermosetting resin foam adhered to the leading edge of the wall structure by a transferring process using a transferring jig. In this case, the yield of the elastic sealing member can be significantly improved as compared with a conventional method of bonding a sheet packing material or the like molded into an annular shape to the leading edge of the wall structure. Moreover, the adhering operation can considerably be simplified. As a result, the cost of the lamp can be reduced. Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5138531 (1992-08-01), Daumueller et
Akiyama Kazuo
Sugiyama Fumihiko
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd
Negron Ismael
Sember Thomas M.
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