Facia mounted for lamp assembly

A fog lamp assembly has a retainer for the fog lamp and is mounted in a socket in the plastic facia covering the front bumper of an automobile. The rear wall at the base of the socket covers only the lower portion of the base, providing an open space above the rear wall. The upper edge of the rear wall has laterally spaced notches, and studs projecting rearwardly from the retainer are secured in these notches by nuts. When the lamp and retainer are manipulated during installation and removal, the studs enter and exit the notches through the open tops of the notches and also through the open space above the rear wall. Preferably the rear part of the annular wall of the socket is cut away to provide an extension of the open space.

This invention relates generally to a facia mounted fog lamp assembly for 
automobiles. 
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
Many modern automobiles have a plastic ornamental facia covering the front 
bumper. The facia is sometimes formed with sockets for receiving fog 
lamps. Typically, the fog lamps are mounted in the sockets by screws 
threaded into plastic bosses on the facia. However, this arrangement makes 
installation and removal of the fog lamps difficult and in addition, the 
screw threads in the bosses have a tendency to strip particularly after 
servicing. 
In accordance with the present invention, the rear wall at the base of the 
socket in which the fog lamp is mounted preferably covers only a portion 
of the base, providing an open space above the rear wall. The upper edge 
of the rear wall has laterally spaced notches, and studs projecting 
rearwardly from the fog lamp retainer are secured in these notches by 
nuts. The studs and nuts are formed of metal and not subject to stripping. 
When the fog lamp and retainer are manipulated during installation and 
also during removal, the studs enter and exit the notches through the open 
tops of the notches and through the open space above the rear wall. 
Preferably, the rear part of the annular wall of the socket is cut away to 
provide an extension of this open space. 
It is an object of this invention to provide a facia mounted fog lamp 
assembly having the foregoing features. 
Other objects are to provide a facia mounted fog lamp assembly which is 
rugged and durable in use, which is relative inexpensive, and easy to 
manufacture, assemble and install.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the automobile 10 has a 
plastic facia 12 covering the front bumper (not shown). The facia 12 
follows the general contour of the bumper and is formed with laterally 
spaced recesses or sockets 14. Sockets 14 open forwardly and each is 
adapted to receive a lamp assembly such as the fog lamp assembly 16. 
Each socket 14 has an annular side wall 17 which is preferably cylindrical 
and has a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the automobile. A 
transverse rear wall 18 at the base of the socket is preferably 
perpendicular to the side wall. The rear wall 18 covers only the lower 
portion of the base and has a horizontal upper edge 20 extending across 
the socket which is formed centrally with a deep recess 22 and laterally 
spaced notches 24 and 26 on opposite sides of the recess. The notches 24 
and 26 are vertically elongated and are open through the upper edge of the 
rear wall. The upper edge is located at about the mid-point or slightly 
above in the overall height of the socket and the space above the upper 
edge is a substantially unobstructed open space or area 28. The arcuate 
rear part of the top portion of the annular wall 17 is cut away at 30 down 
to the side edges 31 which are about level with the upper edge 20 of the 
rear wall to provide an extension of this open area. 
Each lamp assembly 16 includes an electric lamp 32, in this instance a fog 
lamp, of more or less conventional construction having a housing 34 for 
the operative parts of the lamp and a transparent or translucent lens 36 
covering the front of the housing. 
Each lamp 32 is carried by a retainer 40. The retainer is a generally 
U-shaped frame having upstanding side frame portions 42 and 44. Aligned 
horizontal pivot pins 46 projecting outwardly from the horizontal bars 47 
on the lamp housing 34 rotatably engage in holes in the side frame 
portions 42 and 44 of the retainer to mount the lamp for pivotal movement. 
The angular position of the lamp is adjustable by means of a screw 48 
rotatably mounted in a bracket 50 on retainer 40 which threadedly engages 
a bracket 52 on the lamp housing. A compression coil spring 54 encircles 
the screw 48 between brackets 50 and 52. 
A pair of threaded studs 56 and 58 preferably formed of a hard metal such 
as steel are rigidly secured to and project rearwardly from the retainer 
40. These studs are generally horizontal and extend through the notches 24 
and 26 when the lamp assembly is installed. Nuts 60, also preferably of a 
hard metal such as steel, are threaded on the studs at the back of the 
rear wall 18 and secure each lamp assembly 16 in fixed position within its 
socket 14. The recess 22 in the rear wall 18 provides clearance for the 
back of the lamp housing 34. There is also clearance between the lamp 
housing 34 and the bottom of the annular wall 17 of the socket to allow 
for angular adjustment of the lamp. 
In mounting a lamp assembly 16 in one of the sockets 14, the lamp assembly 
is manipulated by rocking forwardly and rearwardly about its lower edge 
portion as necessary to cause the studs 56 and 58 to enter the notches 24 
and 26 through the open tops of the notches. The extended open area 28, 30 
facilitates entry of the studs into the notches when the lamp assembly is 
manipulated. The nuts 60 are threaded on the ends of the studs at the back 
side of the rear wall 18 to clamp the lamp assembly 16 including lamp 32 
and retainer 40 to the rear wall. Preferably, the nuts are applied to the 
studs after the studs are disposed in the notches. 
To remove a lamp assembly from its socket, the lamp assembly is manipulated 
in reverse, after nuts 60 are loosened or removed from the studs. The 
threads of the hard studs and nuts will withstand numerous assemblies and 
disassembles without stripping.