Vehicular lighting fixture

Details Vehicular lighting fixture Vehicular lighting fixture

1998-07-10

2001-04-17

Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2872)

Illumination

Supported by vehicle structure

Light modifier

C362S267000, C362S310000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06217202

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel vehicular lighting fixture and, more specifically, to a vehicular lighting fixture that is equipped with a lamp body, the inner surface of which is subjected to a surface treatment, which is designed to prevent a decrease in bonding strength between the lamp body and a lens which is welded to the lamp body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional vehicular lighting fixture includes a lamp body having an inner surface which is subjected to a surface treatment (e.g. a reflective coating) and a lens which is welded to the lamp body.
FIG. 5
shows one such vehicular lighting fixture identified by reference letter a.
Referring to
FIG. 5
, the lamp body b is made of a thermoplastic resin, and a welding leg c protruding in the forward direction is formed on a peripheral portion of an opening defined by the lamp body b. The lens d is also made of a thermoplastic resin, and likewise has a welding leg e formed on a peripheral portion of the lens which protrudes in the rearward direction. The welding leg e has the same width as the welding leg c formed on the lamp body b.
During assembly, the welding leg c formed on the lamp body b and the welding leg e formed on the lens d are welded to each other. However, prior to this assembly, the inner face of the lamp body b is subjected to a surface treatment to apply a coating, plating or the like, as identified by reference letter f.
The aforementioned vehicular lighting fixture a is disadvantageous in that a welding face of the welding leg c formed on the lamp body b is also subjected to the surface treatment f. The presence of the surface treatment on the welding face leads to a decrease in bonding strength between the welding leg c formed on the lamp body b and the welding leg e formed on the lens d.
Furthermore, when the welding faces of the welding legs c and e formed on the lamp body b and the lens d, respectively, are brought into contact with each other, they may be offset from each other in the lateral direction. In such a case, the welding area is reduced, which results in a further decrease in bonding strength between the welding legs c and e.
It is thus an object of the present invention to prevent a decrease in bonding strength between a lamp body and a lens of a vehicular lighting fixture, where the lamp body and the lens are welded to each other and the inner face of the lamp body is subjected to a surface treatment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the aforementioned object, the vehicular lighting fixture of the present invention provides a structure wherein the lamp body and the lens are welded to each other through their respective welding legs but where the welding leg of the lamp body has not been subjected to a surface treatment. Thus, the surface treatment associated with coating the inside surface of the lamp body does not interfere with the bonding of the lens to the lamp body. To that end, a stepped portion is formed inwardly of the welding leg formed on the lamp body for retaining a masking jig, as discussed below.
In other words, according to the present invention, the surface treatment is carried out in a state where the masking jig is positioned by the stepped portion to insure that the welding leg formed on the lamp body is not subjected to the surface treatment. It is thus possible to prevent a decrease in bonding strength between the lamp body and the lens when welded to each other.
Another vehicular lighting fixture of the present invention provides a structure wherein the welding leg formed on the lamp body is different in width from the welding leg formed on the lens. Accordingly, even if the lamp body and the lens are welded to each other with a slight offset therebetween, the welding area is not reduced. It is thus possible to prevent a decrease in bonding strength between the lamp body and the lens.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5501780 (1996-03-01), Iida et al.
patent: 5582481 (1996-12-01), Natsume
patent: 6017141 (2000-01-01), Sugiyams et al.

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