Kit and method for repairing a break in the lens of an automobile light bulb housing

The present invention is a kit and method for the repair of a break in an automobile light bulb housing. The kit and method enable an inexpensive in situ repair including lamina overriding the break. The lamina form an environmentally impervious repair matching the color of the lens and including a light diffusion pattern to diffuse light substantially similar to that of the unbroken lens. The kit includes shapable parts enclosable in a blister pack. The blister cover may include a usable diffuser pattern. The diffuse pattern maintains the environmental imperviousness of the repair.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a kit and method for repairing a break in 
the lens of an automobile light bulb housing. 
Automobile light bulbs are oftentimes engaged in complex, expensive, 
enclosed housings. The automobile bulb housing holds the light bulb, 
serves as a reflector, light diffuser and protects the bulb and reflector 
from the atmosphere. 
A break in a lens must be repaired or the expensive automobile light bulb 
housing must be replaced. Effective repair of an automobile light bulb 
housing having a light diffuser has been difficult. 
Breaks have been difficult to access because of the shape of the break or 
the housing. The broken area may be colored and it may be difficult to 
restore the diffusive characteristics of the repaired area. 
Oftentimes the only way to effect a repair includes to need to physically 
remove the automobile light bulb housing. Another problem to be solved in 
the repair of automobile light bulb housings lens is the need to maintain 
the light diffusing characteristics of the lens once repaired. Repair of 
lenses in the past had many similarities to the repair of breaks through 
glass or plastic and, indeed, automobile light bulb housings are usually 
glass or plastic. 
A major difference between lens repair and glass repair is that the 
automobile light bulb housing usually requires light diffusion rather than 
perfect glass clarity. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
In the past, automobile light bulb housings lenses have been repaired by 
covering the housings with tape just to protect them from the atmosphere. 
The tape has been either opaque or translucent. Tapes used in such repair 
have even been selected to match the color of the broken part of the lens. 
To repair voids, repairs have been made by the flush filling of the broken 
spaces; plastic castings were also made to fill breaks. Many different 
techniques were used. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,755 discloses a kit for the repair of automobile light 
bulb housing lenses by casting the repair. The repair method includes the 
use of flush tapes to form a releasable form for molding an exothermic 
adhesive resin to make a repair. Colored resin was used to match colors in 
the automobile plastic light bulb housing and glass bead were used to 
simulate the facets in the broken diffuse area. 
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,152, breaks through glass have been 
repaired by providing a gasket with a cover to form a mold for a casting 
including a bead surrounding a repaired area. The gasket and cover define 
the shape of the repair casting. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,478 discloses a pedestal adapted to create a casting to 
override and surround a break in glass. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,413 discloses a method for repairing plastic materials, 
using an insert backing material, protective paste and graining paper and 
uses a hot surface, such as iron. See FIG. 1. A flat backing material is 
used to hold the heat responsive elastic repair material flush with the 
surface of the patched area. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,114 discloses a process for mending fabrics, including 
the use of an adhesive which contains a color additive to match the area 
around the repair. The invention is involved with fitting in a flush patch 
supported on one side. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,016 discloses a method and apparatus for patching 
articles. The method and apparatus are a complex set to apply a fiber 
glass patch to one surface. Flush liners may be used. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,109,765 discloses a method for repairing surfaces, wherein 
a textured backing is used. A textured backing hold holds a composition 
applied from an outer surface of a rupture. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,883 discloses a pedestal and a seal surrounding an 
opening and forming a chamber for the introduction of a repair plastic, 
forming an irregular bead, which has to be cut off flush. The bead is 
formed in the central opening 20. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,419 discloses the use of a flush patch to a contoured 
surface for the purpose of making a repair. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,505 discloses means for mending fabric, using a heat 
responsive thermoplastic adhesive backed by a substrate which may be 
stripped, then bonding a matching patch to the fabric and the adhesive. 
The patch is ironed on. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,932 discloses a surface patch for windshield glass, 
which leaves a superficial dam which is removed. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,145 discloses a flush patch casting for the repair of 
plate glass. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,576 is a substantially invisible PVC auto body non 
transparent repair over a damaged area. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,316 is a decorative applique overlay adherable to 
bandage. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,619 is a reflective panel for diffusion of light in an 
automotive lens housing. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,465 is a patching tape to alter the light transmissive 
characteristics of a view graph. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,182 is a non transparent substantially invisible 
surface repair of the damaged glossy surface of an auto body. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,833,237 is a laminated tire patch with an adhesive layer. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,337 is an elastomeric gasket for a light housing 
assembly for mounting a lens. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention, a kit and method are provided for 
repairing a break in the lens of an automobile light bulb housing. The kit 
and method are an inexpensive and labor saving simplification of the prior 
art complex systems of plastic castings, employing gaskets and/or molds or 
using tapes or overlays. 
The problems solved by the present invention are to provide a simple, 
inexpensive repair to an automobile light bulb housing lens without having 
to replace the housing. The repairing of the automobile light bulb housing 
lens is in situ, maintaining substantially the same light diffusion 
characteristics of the original lens and maintaining the integrity of the 
repaired housing with a bulb inside. 
The kit preferably includes two adhesive gaskets, a diffuser and a 
selection of repair panels. The kit is preferably mounted on a display 
card in the form of a blister pack. The diffuser can be an integral part 
of the enclosing blister. 
The method includes selecting an outer panel to match the color of the 
lens. The outer panel is then outlined over the break, trimmed with a 
scissors or otherwise cut to form a template. It is preferable for the 
template to extend beyond the periphery of the break in the form of a 
rectangle or square. The gaskets and diffuser are trimmed to the panel 
template. The gaskets, for convenience, have release papers over adhesive 
layers on either side. The release paper on one side of a gasket is 
removed, the exposed adhesive part of the gasket is then placed over the 
break, the other release paper is removed, the template size diffuser is 
laminated to the gasket, the other gasket is then set in place after 
appropriately removing the release papers and the outer panel is emplaced.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
Referring now to the figures in greater detail, where like reference 
numbers denote like parts in the various figures. 
The lens repair kit 10 as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a selection of plastic 
outer panels 11-13 including a red plastic outer panel 11, amber plastic 
outer panel 12 and a clear plastic outer panel 13. There are gaskets 20 
and a blister cover 30. The blister cover 30 is of plastic and has a 
peripheral flange portion 31. As shown in FIG. 2, the blister cover 30 is 
mountable on a display card 14 with the flange portion 31 engaging the 
display card 14 completing a package to hold the gaskets 20 and plastic 
outer panels 11-13. 
FIG. 3 shows a repaired lens 50. FIG. 4 shows the lens 50 with the repair 
to the break 51, with the exploded outer panel template 60, first shaped 
gasket 61, shaped diffuser 62 and the second shaped gasket 63. 
The gasket 20 as shown in FIG. 5 has a gasket body 28 with an adhesive 22 
layer on each of its surfaces. As shown, standing alone in FIG. 5, the 
adhesive 22 is covered by release paper 26. 
FIG. 6 shows the details of the laminations of FIG. 4. The second shaped 
gasket 63 has the release paper 26 removed. The adhesive 22 on one side of 
a gasket 20 is engaged over the lens 50 at the break 51. The other 
adhesive 22 on the other side of the second shaped gasket 63 engages the 
shaped diffuser 62 on one side. The first shaped gasket 61 has the release 
paper 26 removed. One layer of adhesive 22 of the first shaped gasket 61 
engages the other side of the diffuser pattern 40. The other adhesive 22 
on the other side of the first shaped gasket 61 engages the inside surface 
of the outer panel template 60 which in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6 have been 
selected from the red plastic outer panel 11. 
FIG. 7 shows a front elevation of the detail of the light diffuser pattern 
40 which is part of the shaped diffuser 62 of FIG. 4 showing, the first 
diffuser pattern part 41, second diffuser pattern part 42 and ridge line 
43. 
OPERATION 
The lens repair kit 10 of the present invention comes in a package 
comprising the display card 14 and blister cover 30. The blister cover 30 
mounted on the display card 14 with the flange portion 31 engaging the 
display card 14 forms a hollow. In the package the lens repair kit 10 
includes the gaskets 20 and plastic outer panels 11-13. 
As shown in FIG. 1, there is a first and second gasket 20, a red plastic 
outer panel 11, an amber plastic outer panel 12, a clear plastic outer 
panel 13 and the blister cover 30. 
In use, the package is opened and one of the panels 11-13 is selected to 
match the color of the lens such as the lens 50 with its break 51. 
As shown in FIG. 6, a red plastic outer panel 11 was selected to match the 
lens 50 which us red. The usual lens colors are clear, amber and red. The 
selected red plastic outer panel 11 is then used to form a outer panel 
template 60 for the repair. The panels 11-13 are all cuttable so that they 
can be shaped to make a shaped diffuser 62 from the diffuser pattern 40 of 
the blister cover 30 and to make the first shaped gasket 61 and second 
shaped gasket 63 from the gaskets 20. 
In a preferred embodiment of the repair as shown in FIG. 10, the selected 
red plastic outer panel 11 is matched to the break 51 and cut into a 
rectangular shape to amply extend beyond the periphery of the break 51. 
The panels 11-13 are preferably made of a plastic that is at least 
translucent or transparent. In the case of the red plastic outer panel 11 
it includes a translucent or transparent pigment, tint, or other means of 
coloring so that light from a bulb in the housing is seen in the selected 
color. The color selection helps obscure the repair. 
The panels 11-13 are preferably made of a plastic that is stiff, but 
resilient, and which has the capability of being thermoset or resettable, 
by being softened in very hot water and reshaped to conform to the outer 
contour of a broken lens. Thus, a break 52 in the lens 50, as shown in 
FIG. 8 on the curved portion of the lens, can have a conforming repair. By 
the same token, a curved broken lens 45, such as shown in FIG. 9 with a 
break 46 and break 47 may be repaired in a single repair or two repairs 
meeting the contour of the broken lens 45. 
The panels 11-13 are preferably made of a plastic such as red D 21 or amber 
D 18 or clear, rigid polyvinyl chloride, calendered and pressed polished, 
provided by AIN Plastics of Mount Vernon, N.Y. 
The outer panel template 60 is cut out of the red plastic outer panel 11, 
as shown in FIG. 11. It serves as a template for cutting the gaskets 20 to 
size, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. It is convenient to cut a gasket 20 
with the release paper 26 on the adhesive 22 layers as shown in FIGS. 5 
and 13. Once the outer panel template 60 has been cut to size, the first 
shaped gasket 61, shaped diffuser 62 and second shaped gasket 63 formed, 
the outer panel template 60 can be thermo molded to the shape of a break 
such as a break 52. 
The diffuser pattern 40 is shaped from the outer panel template 60, cut 
from the plastic of the blister cover 30. The blister cover 30 includes 
the light diffuser pattern 40 as shown in FIG. 7. 
The light diffuser pattern 40, as shown in FIG. 7, has a first diffuser 
pattern part 41 and a second diffuser pattern part 42 each alternating in 
parallel rows. The first diffuser pattern parts 41 and second diffuser 
pattern parts 42 are on different planes. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 6, 
there is no path nor interstices for liquid or any contaminant to pass 
beyond the ridge line 43 joining the pattern parts 41, 42 once they have 
been engaged on the adhesive 22 of a gasket 20. 
The red plastic outer panel template 60, first shaped gasket 61, shaped 
diffuser 62 and the first and second shaped gaskets 61, 63, with their 
adhesive 22 layers, are all so thin that they blend with the lens 50 
rendering the repair of the break 51 substantially invisible. 
The red plastic outer panel template 60, first shaped gasket 61, shaped 
diffuser 62 and the first and second shaped gaskets 61, 63, with their 
adhesive 22 layers are transparent, or at least translucent, to transmit 
light through the lens 50 diffused but without substantially distortion, 
creating the effect of an unbroken lens. 
The red plastic outer panel template 60, first shaped gasket 61, shaped 
diffuser 62 and the first and second shaped gaskets 61, 63, with their 
adhesive 22 layers, at least, are flexible and the red plastic outer panel 
template 60 and shaped diffuser 62 are resilient to serve their functions 
of conforming to the shape of the lens. The panels 11-13 also have a 
hardness to withstand wear and minor abrasion. 
The diffuser pattern 40 is preferably also slightly frosted to create a 
more uniform diffusion pattern. The gasket body 28 is preferably 
Mylar.RTM. or of some other clear flexible plastic. 
The gaskets 20, and panels 11-13 are selected in modular sizes to 
accommodate a selection of lens break sizes. Thus, the size of the display 
card 14 and the blister cover 30 limit the size of the area to be covered 
by the repair in that particular lens repair kit 10. 
The gaskets 20, and panels 11-13 must fit into the hollow formed in the 
blister cover 30 between the light diffuser pattern 40 and the flange 
portion 31 in order to fit on the display card 14. The elements of the 
lens repair kit 10 of the present invention do not necessarily have to be 
mounted on the display card 14. They can be packaged to accommodate larger 
or smaller size parts or in set packages for single color repair. The 
light diffuser pattern 40 does not have to be integral with the blister 
cover 30 and can be separately supplied in a package or even within a 
blister package. 
The method of repair includes removing the gaskets 20 and panels 11-13 from 
the blister cover 30, cutting the selected outer panel 11-13 to form a 
working template such as outer panel template 60. 
The method includes selecting an outer panel 11-13 to match the color of 
the lens 50. The outer panel, such as the red plastic outer panel 11, is 
then outlined over the break as shown in FIG. 10. The outline is 
preferably in a rectangular or square pattern extending beyond the 
periphery of the break 51. The gasket 20 is trimmed with a scissors or 
otherwise cut to form an outer panel template 60 as shown in FIG. 11. 
A gaskets 20 and the blister cover 30 are cut and trimmed to the shape of 
the outer panel template 60 in the manner shown in FIGS. 12-14, to form 
the first shaped gasket 61, shaped diffuser 62 and the second shaped 
gasket 63. The gaskets 20 for convenience have release papers 26 over 
adhesive layers 22 on either side. Once the first shaped gasket 61, shaped 
diffuser 62 and second shaped gasket 63 have been formed, the release 
paper 26 on one side of second shaped gasket 63 is removed, the exposed 
adhesive 22 can then be placed over the break 51, as shown in FIG. 14, 
then other release paper 26 may be removed as shown in FIG. 15 and the 
second shaped gasket 63 is laminated to the shaped diffuser 62 on one 
side. 
The process is repeated with the first shaped gasket 61, removing the 
release paper 26 laminating the first shaped gasket 61 to the other side 
of the shaped diffuser 62, removing the other release paper 26 and 
laminating the outer panel template 60 to the first shaped gasket 61, thus 
completing the repair as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
Variations of the sequence of laminating the repair generally does not 
affect the result. 
The terms and expressions which are employed are used as terms of 
description; it is recognized, though, that various modifications are 
possible. 
It is also understood 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 fall therebetween.