Signal lighting fixture for vehicles

The present invention discloses a light fixture provided internally of a compartment of a vehicle close to a rear window. The lighting fixture comprises a cylindrical housing, a base plate holder, and an LED base plate. The housing is formed from a flexible member. A suitable number of antivibration members are engaged within the LED base plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an auxiliary brake lamp generally called a 
high mount stop lamp, and more specifically to the structure of a lighting 
fixture provided internally of a compartment close to a rear window. 
2. Prior Art 
As conventional signal lighting fixtures for vehicles of this kind, there 
is a lighting fixture for a vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open 
No. 64-81103 publication filed by the same applicant as the present 
applicant. 
However, the aforesaid conventional lighting fixture or a vehicle has 
problems in that when a horizontal curve of a rear window on which the 
lighting fixture is mounted is large, a central portion thereof is greatly 
embossed from the rear window, and as a result, a projecting amount into 
the compartment increases, that readiness in adjustment of irradiation 
direction after mounting is short, and that since the central portion is 
not supported on a housing, an LED substrate is apt to recive vibrations 
due to the vibrations when an automobile runs. These problems should be 
improved. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
For solving the aforementioned problems, according to the present 
invention, there is provided a signal lighting fixture for a vehicle 
comprising a cylindrical housing formed from a transparent member having 
opposite ends opened, a base plate holder provided with mounting legs 
mounted on said opposite ends of said housing and rotatable base plate 
mounting portions engaged within said mounting legs, and LED base plates 
mounted on said base plate mounting portions of said base holder, 
characterized in that said housing is formed from a soft member, said 
mounting leg is formed into a hollow short tube, a portion located 
externally of said housing comprises a knob portion and an internal 
portion is held through the base plate holder as the base plate mounting 
portion, and a suitable number of antivibration members are engaged within 
said LED base plate, said antivibration member being formed into a 
substantially C-character shape, having an outer diameter placed in 
contact with an inner diameter of said housing and having an inner 
diameter fitted into said LED base plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The present invention will be described hereinafter by way of an embodiment 
shown in the drawings. 
A signal lighting fixture for a vehicle according to the present invention 
is indicated at 1 in FIG. 1. A housing 2 of the signal lighting fixture 1 
is similar to the aforementioned prior art in that the housing is formed 
from a transparent resin member into a hollow cylindrical shape having 
opposite ends opened. However, according to the present invention, the 
housing 2 is formed from a relatively soft material so as to have a 
suitable flexibility. 
A mounting leg 3 and a base plate holder 4 are mounted on openings on the 
opposite ends of the housing 2 similarly to the prior art. In this case, 
as shown in FIG. 2 in an enlarged scale, the mounting leg 3 is formed into 
a short tube provided at the center with a hollow portion 3a and secured 
to the end of the housing 2. In addition, a flat portion 3b is provided on 
the outer diameter side of the leg 3 so that the latter can be mounted on 
a rear window 10 by means such as adhesives. 
The base plate holder 4 is formed at a portion located externally of the 
housing Z with a substantially umbrella-shaped knob portion 4a and formed 
at a portion interally thereof with a base plate mounting portion 4b. The 
holder 4 is engaged within the hollow portion 3a of the mounting leg 3 
through an O-ring 5, whereby the base plate holder 4 is rotatable with 
respect to the mounting leg 3. 
An LED base plate 6 is mounted on the base plate mounting portion 4b of the 
base plate holder 4 similarly to the prior art. In this case, the LED base 
plate 6 has preferably a suitable flexibility similarly to the 
aforementioned housing 2, and is formed from a member having a 
flexibility, for example, such as a glass epoxy base plate. 
Furthermore, a suitable number of antivibration members 7 formed from resin 
members or the like into a substantially C-shaped section as shown in FIG. 
3 according to the present invention are engaged within the LED base plate 
6. 
FIG. 4 shows in detail the aforesaid antivibration member 7. The 
antivibration member 7 has an outer diameter 7a placed in sliding contact 
with the inner diameter of the housing 2 and an inner diameter side 
provided with a base plate engaging portion 7b to be engaged within the 
LED base plate 6, whereby the antivibration member 7 can be mounted at a 
free position of the LED base plate 6. Moreover, since the antivibration 
member 7 is also placed in sliding contact with the inner diameter of the 
housing 2, when the LED base plate 6 is rotated by the base plate holder 
4, the antivibration member 7 rotates together with the LED substrate 6. 
In the following, the function and effect of the signal lighting fixture 
for a vehicle 1 according to the present invention having the structure as 
described above will be explained. 
First, since the housing 2 is formed from a soft flexible member, even when 
the housing 2 is mounted on the curved rear window 10 at the mounting leg 
3 with adhesives as shown in FIG. 5, the housing Z is curved along the 
curved surface of the rear window glass 10 to render possible to provide a 
arrangement in which the central portion thereof is not embossed. 
Particularly, in a case where the signal lighting fixture 1 is lengthy, it 
is possible to greatly reduce the projecting amount toward the interior of 
the compartment. 
To further make positive the curve of the housing 2 along the curved 
surface of the rear window glass 10, a flat portion similar to the 
mounting leg 3 may be suitably provided also in the central portion, for 
example, of the housing 2. 
The mounting leg 3 and the base plate holder 4 are designed so that the 
mounting leg 3 is formed into a short tube, through which the base plate 
holder 4 extends so as to reach the exterior. With this arrangement, when 
the irradiation direction is adjusted with the LED base plate 6 made in 
correspondence to the inclination of the rear window glass 10, the knob 
portion 4a provided on the base plate holder 4 may be used to simplify the 
operation. 
In addition, since the antivibration members 7 are engaged within the LED 
base plate 6, first, even when the housing 2 is curved along the rear 
window glass 10 as described above, the LED base plate 6 is held at a 
predetermined position within the housing 2 by the anti-vibration members 
7 to prevent the LED base plate 6 from contacting the housing 2 as shown 
in FIG. 5 and prevent a variation of light distribution characteristics 
resulting from a deviation thereof from a predetermined position. 
Secondly, the vibrations particularly in the central portion resulting 
from the running of an automobile generated in the LED base plate 
supported merely by the opposite ends can be prevented by the 
antivibration members 7 placed in contact with the inner diameter of the 
housing 2. 
As described above, according to the present invention, the housing is 
formed from a soft member and the antivibration memebers in contact with 
the inner diameter of the housing and fitted into the LED base plate are 
provided. With this arrangement, even when the signal lighting fixture 
according to the present invention is mounted on the curved rear window 
glass, it can be mounted curvedly along the curve thereof thereby reducing 
the projecting amount into the compartment and improving the beauty. 
Furthermore, the mounting leg is formed into a short tube, through which 
the base plate holder extends so as to reach the exterior. With this 
arrangement, the adjustment of irradiation direction at the time of 
mounting can be simplified, and vibrations of the LED base plate caused by 
the vibrations while the automobile runs can be prevented by the 
antivibration members. Thus, the present invention provides the excellent 
effect in improving the practical property of the signal lighting fixture 
for a vehicle of this kind.