US3676834A - Vehicle lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle lamp especially suitable for resiliently mounting and electrically connecting a wedge-type bulb. The rigid lamp base receives a resilient socket having integrally molded contacts and the bulb is gripped above its base on the envelope portion to retain it in the socket and resiliently isolate it from road shocks.

Description

United States Patent Kaldor et al.

[ July 11,1972

[54] VEHICLE LAMP [72] Inventors: Robert M. Kaldor, Laurelton, Long Island,

N.Y.; Joseph V. Borruso, Edison, N.J.; Elliott Goldbaum, Brooklyn, NY.

[73] Assignee: Signal-Stat Corporation, New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Nov. 12, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 88,788

52 user. ..339/59L,339/93 L,339/l28, 339/176 L, 339/256 T 51 lnt.Cl ..H0lr 13/48 581 FieldofSearch ..339/596l,75, 339/93, 94, 97, 99, 128, I76, 118, 256

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,339,172 8/1967 Heath ..339/6l L Moranduzzod .339/213L 3,0l7,599 H1962 Loesch ..339/l76 L 3,559,152 1/1971 Pearce, Jr. ..339/60 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 869,656 3/ l953 Germany ..339/94 L Primary Examiner-Joseph l-l. McGlynn Anorne \-Blum, Moscovitz, Friedman & Kaplan 57 ABSTRACT A vehicle lamp especially suitable for resiliently mounting and electrically connecting a wedge-type bulb, The rigid lamp base receives a resilient socket having integrally molded contacts and the bulb is gripped above its base on the envelope portion to retain it in the socket and resiliently isolate it from road shocks.

9 Clains, 6 Drawing Figures I l l l l l 48 47 44 47 48 49 Patented July 11, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m bfm m mm .w%

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INYEX I OHS ROBERT M. KALDOR JOSEPH V. BORRUSO BY ELLIOTT GOLDBAUM \TTUH\II\S Patented July 11, 1972 3,676,834

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN'I OHS ROBERT M. KALDOR JOSEPH V. BORRUSO BY ELLIOTT GOLDBAUM w M *M VEHICLE LAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a vehicle lamp and more particularly to a lamp base and socket adapted to receive bulbs of the type known as wedge-type bulbs. Sockets for wedge-type bulbs have been known in the art. Bulbs with the wedge-type base do not positively engage and lock-in the socket but, instead, rely on frictional grip of the wedge base to positively retain the bulb in the socket and maintain electrical contact therewith.

In vehicle applications, the vehicle lamps are consciously subjected to road shocks and vibration which can have a damaging effect on filament life of the bulb and, in the case of a wedge-type bulb, can tend to loosen the bulb in its socket even when the socket has resilient and shock-isolating properties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a lamp socket is provided in cooperation with a lamp base for mounting a wedge-type bulb. The socket resiliently isolates the bulb from the lamp base while the lamp base positively retains the socket and connects the integrally-molded contacts to one side of the electrical circuit. The integrally-molded contacts make electrical connection with the bulb contacts and the bulb is retained in the socket and is resiliently supported by one or more rings formed integrally with the socket and applying a gripping force to the envelope portion of the bulb.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a vehicle lamp of improved construction especially suitable for a wedge-type bulb.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved resilient socket capable of gripping a wedge-type bulb on the envelope portion thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved vehicle lamp and socket assembly.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement -of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, at reduced scale, of a typical vehicle lamp constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along 6-6 of FIG. 2 with the bulb removed for the sake of clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A vehicle lamp indicated generally at 11 includes alamp base 12 and alens 13. The lens is removably mounted on the lamp base and is resiliently retained thereon by means of an O-ring 14 received in agroove 15 in the lamp base and entering agroove 16 in the lens when the lens is snapped on to the lamp base.

Lamp base 12 includes acentral wall 17 with a through opening 18 in which is mounted asocket 19. The socket is formed of a resilient material such as vinyl and includes aperipheral groove 21 which cooperates withcentral wall 17 at the periphery of through-opening 18 to retainsocket 19 in the mounted position as best seen in FIG. 2.

Socket 19 has a substantially flattop face 22 with an upwardly-extendingcollar 23. The collar defines abore 24 withribs 25 projecting inwardly of the bore. While asingle rib 25 is deemed sufficient for the bulb-gripping function to be hereafter described, at least two ribs are preferred, with the upper of the ribs being adjacent the top end ofcollar 23 and the lower rib being located within the bore at a level abovetop face 22 ofsocket 19. Bore 24 extends intosocket 19 belowtop face 22 and communicates with a rectangular bore 26 adapted to receive the wedge-shaped base of the wedge-type bulb adapted to be mounted in the socket.

The wedge-type bulb indicated generally at 27 has a generallycylindrical envelope portion 28 and a wedge-shaped base 29. Thefilament 31 has leads extending outwardly of the bulb through the wedge-shaped base with the leads overlying the outside surface of the wedge-shaped base. The leads are spaced on opposite sides of the wedge-shaped base and are generally indicated at 32 in FIG. 4. Such wedge-type bulbs are commercially available items with a typical bulb being manufactured by General Electric and identified as GE Lamp No. 194. To retainbulb 27 withinsocket 19, the inside diameter of each ofribs 25 is less than the outside diameter of theenvelope portion 28 ofbulb 27. Theresilient ribs 25 formed as part ofresilient collar 23 expand during insertion of the bulb and tightly grip the bulb through theenvelope portion 28 thereof to provide primary means for retaining the bulb in the socket. The resiliency ofcollar 23, while gripping the bulb, performs a shock-isolating function to isolate the bulb from shocks normally imparted to thelamp base 12 when thelamp 11 is mounted on a vehicle. Collar 23 also effects a seal about the bulb against moisture and corrosion.

Rectangular bore 26 has a cross-sectional dimension greater than the cross-sectional dimension of wedge-shaped base 29 ofbulb 27 whereby the rectangular bore withinsocket 19 does not grip the bulb.

A pair ofdeep recesses 33 are formed insocket 19adjacent collar 23 and extending downwardly fromtop face 22. The recesses increase the effective height ofcollar 23 in order to increase the resiliency of the portion of thecollar gripping bulb 27 for improved shock isolation.

The contacts for external electrical connection to leads 32 are molded integrally withsocket 19 during the molding of the socket. Afirst contact 34 has a generally U-shapedlower portion 35, the lowermost portion of which extends below rectangular bore 26 into the body ofsocket 19 whereby the first contact is retained in the socket. Each leg of U-shapedlower portion 35 extends upwardly to define a bight 36 with the contact flaring outwardly about the bight.First contact 34 above the lowermost U-shapedlower portion 35 overlies the surface of rectangular bore 26 to expose the first contact for engagement with one of theleads 32 onbulb 27. Oneleg 37 offirst contact 34 overlies or is embedded insocket 19 at thetop face 22 thereof with anend 38 ofleg 37 extending beyondsocket 19 and being provided with anaperture 39.

Lamp base 12 is provided with two upwardly extendingposts 41 with eachpost 41 having an upwardly extendingpin portion 42 adapted to be received throughaperture 39.Posts 41 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the through opening 18 in the lamp base. Theend 38 ofleg 37 overfits only one ofpin portions 42 but two pin portions are provided so that, during assembly ofsocket 19 withlamp base 12, assembly can be accomplished regardless of whetherleg 37 extends to the left as shown in FIG. 2 or extends to the right. In other words, so long as the longitudinal axes of socket l9 andlamp base 12 are aligned, the socket can be assembled thereon andaperture 39 will overfit with whichever of thepin portions 42 is adjacent thereto. After thesocket 19 has been assembled over thepin portion 42, the pin portion is peened over in the manner of a headed rivet. Aslamp base 12 is cast of a metal material,first contact 34 will ground onelead 32 of the bulb throughlamp base 12.

Referring to FIGS. 4 through 6, asecond contact 44 also has a U-shapedlower portion 45, extending intosocket 19 below the level of rectangular bore 26 to thereby retain the second contact within the socket.U-shaped portion 45 extends upwardly to abight 46 and flares outwardly to overlie the surface of rectangular bore 26 communicating withbore 24 to expose a contact for engagement with theother lead 32 ofbulb 27.

A pair oftubes 47 are formed as part ofsecond contact 42 and extend outwardly from the U-shaped lower portion joining said U-shaped lower portion at the lower end thereof.Tubes 47 are molded wholly withinsocket 19 and the socket is provided with tapering bores 48 for receiving therethrough lead wires indicated in phantom at 49 in FIG. 5. The lead wires are provided with bullet-shaped ends (not shown) to plug intotubes 47 to make electrical connection therewith and the tapering bores 48 tightly grip the surfaces of the lead wires to effect a seal around the lead wires and prevent the entry of moisture into the socket from below the level ofcentral wall 17 of thelamp base 12.

Only onetube 47 need be provided for making electrical connection tosecond contact 44. However, if it is desired to connectseveral lamps 11 in line, thesecond tube 47 can be used to electrically connect one lamp to its succeeding lamp.

With the foregoing construction,socket 19 may be molded withfirst contact 34 andsecond contact 44 in situ. The socket is pressed intolamp base 12 and retained therein by cooperation between through opening 18 andperipheral groove 21. Theleg 37 of the first contact makes electrical engagement withlamp base 12 through one of theposts 41 whosepin portion 42 is peened over. in installing thelamp 11 in a vehicle, it is merely necessary to mount the lamp on the vehicle whereby a grounding connection is made and plug one or two lead wires into thetubes 47 formed as part ofsecond contact 44. To insert a bulb,lens 13 is removed and the bulb inserted. The bulb is retained in the socket by the gripping action ofribs 25 against the envelope portion of the bulb and the first and second contacts make electrical connection to the leads of the bulb along the wedge-shaped base thereof. By gripping the bulb along the envelope portion rather than along the wedgeshaped base, more effective gripping of the bulb results. The shock isolation provided by thecollar 23 and theribs 25 thereon minimizes the deteriorating effect on bulb life of road shocks while damping oscillation of the bulb to further minimize the harmful effects of vibration and shock as compared with sockets that grip the bulb at the wedge-shaped base only.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A socket for a wedge-type bulb having a substantially cylindrical envelope portion and a wedge-shaped base with leads overlying said wedge-shaped base comprising a resilient body of unitary construction, first means defining a generally circular first bore extending into said body and terminating therein, at lease one rib extending inwardly of said generally circular first bore, said rib defining an inside dimension thereacross, said inside dimension being less than the crosssectional dimension of said substantially cylindrical envelope portion of said bulb, second means defining a second bore extending into said body from the terminal end of said first bore for receiving the wedge-shaped base of said bulb, the crosssectional dimensions of said second bore being greater than the cross-sectionaldimensions of the wedge-shaped bulb base, and contacts within said second bore for electrical engagement with the leads of said bulb, whereby said bulb is gripped by said socket solely by said rib.

2. A socket as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first means defining said first bore includes a collar extending outwardly of said body and said rib is formed as part of said collar.

3. A socket as claimed in claim 2 wherein said collar includes at least two ribs spaced from one another along the longitudinal axis of said first bore.

4. A socket as claimed in claim 2 including recesses in said body adjacent said collar whereby to increase the effective height of said collar with respect to said base.

5. A socket as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said contacts has a U-shaped portion, a bight and means for electrically connecting a circuit thereto.

6. A socket as claimed in claim 5 wherein said contacts are molded in situ in said body, the base of the U-shaped portion of each said contact being imbedded in said body.

7. A socket as claimed inclaim 6 and further including a lamp base having a central wall with a through opening, said body being received in said through opening, and a peripheral groove on said body for engagement with said central wall.

8. A socket as claimed in claim 7 wherein one of said contacts includes a leg extending outwardly of said body, said lamp base having at least one upstanding pin portion for physical and electrical engagement with said leg.

9. A socket as claimed in claim 7 wherein one of said contacts includes at least one tube positioned wholly within said body, said body including a bore axially aligned with said tube for insertion of a lead wire into said tube through said bore.

Claims (9)

1. A socket for a wedge-type bulb having a substantially cylindrical envelope portion and a wedge-shaped base with leads overlying said wedge-shaped base comprising a resilient body of unitary construction, first means defining a generally circular first bore extending into said body and terminating therein, at lease one rib extending inwardly of said generally circular first bore, said rib defining an inside dimension thereacross, said inside dimension being less than the cross-sectional dimension of said substantially cylindrical envelope portion of said bulb, second means defining a second bore extending into said body from the terminal end of said first bore for receiving the wedgeshaped base of said bulb, the cross-sectional dimensions of said second bore being greater than the cross-sectional dimensions of the wedge-shaped bulb base, and contacts within said second bore for electrical engagement with the leads of said bulb, whereby said bulb is gripped by said socket solely by said rib.

2. A socket as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first means defining said first bore includes a collar extending outwardly of said body and said rib is formed as part of said collar.

3. A socket as claimed in claim 2 wherein said collar includes at least two ribs spaced from one another along the longitudinal axis of said first bore.

4. A socket as claimed in claim 2 including recesses in said body adjacent said collar whereby to increase the effective height of said collar with respect to said base.

5. A socket as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said contacts has a U-shaped portion, a bight and means for electrically connecting a circuit thereto.

6. A socket as claimed in claim 5 wherein said contacts are molded in situ in said body, the base of the U-shaped portion of each said contact being imbedded in said body.

7. A socket as claimed in claim 6 and further including a lamp base having a central wall with a through opening, said body being received in said through opening, and a peripheral groove on said body for engagement with said central wall.

8. A socket as claimed in claim 7 wherein one of said contacts includes a leg extending outwardly of said body, said lamp base having at least one upstanding pin portion for physical and electrical engagement with said leg.

9. A socket as claimed in claim 7 wherein one of said contacts includes at least one tube positioned wholly within said body, said body including a bore axially aligned with said tube for insertion of a lead wire into said tube through said bore.

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