Headlamp assembly

A vehicle headlamp having a retainer that can be fastened to the rear of the reflector through sonic welding or by adhesive bonding and that includes a pair of integrally interconnected ring members which provide a circular open space therebetween for accommodating the retainer members formed on a replaceable light bulb and has locator tabs formed on one of the ring members for cooperation with locator slots on the reflector for properly locating the retainer on the reflector.

This invention concerns headlamps and more particularly relates to a 
vehicle headlamp having a retainer arrangement for maintaining a 
replacement light bulb within a socket formed in the rear of a headlamp 
reflector. 
More specifically, the vehicle headlamp according to the present invention 
includes a plastic reflector the rear portion of which has a circular 
socket surrounded by an axially outwardly projecting annular flange 
concentrically located relative to the socket. A plastic retainer is 
bonded to the rear portion of the reflector for supporting a replacement 
light bulb and serves to locate the light bulb in a predetermined position 
relative to the reflecting surface of the reflector. In the preferred 
form, the retainer includes in inner ring member and outer ring member 
integrally interconnected by a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs 
so as to form a circular open space for receiving a light bulb. The outer 
ring member is formed with a plurality of access slots for receiving the 
retainer members formed on the light bulb, after which the latter is 
rotated so that the retainer members move into the open space between the 
inner and outer ring members and assume a locked position relative to the 
retainer. The inner ring member has means formed thereon which cooperate 
with the annular flange for rotationally positioning the retainer relative 
to the socket in the reflector as well as prepositioning the retainer 
along an X-axis and a Y-axis. 
The following patents and patent application show headlamp assemblies which 
include retainers that have certain structural similarities to the present 
invention. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,507 Mochizuki et al issued July 26, 1988 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,319 Blaisdell et al issued May 17, 1983 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,500 Bradley issued Dec. 27, 1988 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,029 Liverance et al issued May 24, 1988 
U.S. Ser. No. 231,023 Haydu filed Aug. 11, 1988 
The objects of the present invention are to provide a new and improved 
vehicle headlamp provided with a retainer for a replaceable light bulb 
that is bonded to the rear of the reflector and is formed by a pair of 
axially spaced and integrally interconnected ring members one of which has 
access slots for receiving the retainer members on the light bulb; to 
provide a new and improved vehicle headlamp in which a plastic reflector 
has an axially projecting annular flange formed integrally on the rear end 
of the reflector and serves to rotationally and axially locate for bonding 
unto the reflector a dual ring type retainer for a replacement light bulb; 
to provide a new and improved vehicle headlamp having a retainer that can 
be fastened to the rear of a reflector through sonic welding or by 
adhesive bonding and that includes a pair of integrally interconnected 
ring members which provide a circular open space for accommodating the 
retainer members formed on a replacement light bulb and has locator tabs 
formed on one of the ring members for cooperation with locator slots on 
the reflector for properly locating the retainer on the reflector; and to 
provide a new and improved vehicle headlamp which includes a plastic 
single piece retainer that receives and supports a replaceable light bulb 
in a predetermined position relative to the reflecting surface of the 
reflector and that is formed by an inner ring member and an outer ring 
member one of which has a major diameter dimension equal to the minor 
diameter dimension of the other ring member.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly FIG. 1 thereof, a 
vehicle headlamp 10 made in accordance with the present invention is shown 
having the usual reflector 12 which is only partially shown. The reflector 
12 is made of plastic and provided with a cavity having an aluminized 
parabolic reflecting surface 14. As seen in FIG. 2, the rear of the 
reflector 12 is formed with a circular opening or socket 16 surrounding by 
an annular flange 18 which projects axially rearwardly from and is 
integral with the body of the reflector 12. 
A retainer 20 is bonded to the rear of the reflector 12 and serves to 
support a replacement light bulb assembly 22 and is located on the 
reflector 12 in a manner so as to assure that the filament 23 of the light 
bulb 24 is positioned in a predetermined position relative to the 
reflecting surface 14 of the associated reflector 12. 
As aforementioned, the socket 16 is surrounded by an annular flange 18 
which is integrally formed with the reflector 12. As will be hereinafter 
explained more fully, the outer peripheral surface of the annular flange 
18 serves to properly locate the retainer 20 along a Y-axis and a Z-axis 
while a flat annular seating surface 26 on the reflector 12 serves to 
locate the retainer 20 along an X-axis. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2-6, the retainer 20 is made of plastic and includes 
an inner ring member 28 and an outer ring member 30 integrally 
interconnected by three circumferentially equally spaced and axially 
oriented ribs 32, 34 and 36. The ring members 28 and 30 form a unitary 
member having a ring-like or circular open space therebetween for 
supporting the light bulb assembly 22. More specifically, the inner ring 
member 28, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, has two radially inwardly extending 
locator tabs 38 and 40 formed thereon which serve to locate the retainer 
20 rotationally on the annular flange 18 formed on the reflector 12. In 
this regard, it will be noted that the locator tabs 38 and 40 are spaced 
from each other approximately 120.degree. and the annular flange 18 is 
formed with a pair of annularly spaced locator slots 42 and 44 which are 
similarly spaced from each other approximately 120.degree.. Depending upon 
where it is a desire to position the 90.degree. angled connector portion 
45 light bulb assembly 22 rotationally with respect to the reflector 12 
will determine where the slots 42 and 44 are located on the flange 18. It 
will also be noted that the circular opening 46 in the inner ring member 
28 has a diameter essentially equal to the outer diameter of the annular 
flange 18 on the reflector 12. 
As seen in FIG. 4, the outer ring member 30 is formed with a central 
circular opening 48 surrounded by three radially extending access slots 
50, 52, 54. As seen in FIGS. 4, 5, and 7, the outer surface 56 of the 
outer ring member 30 is planar and flat while the inner surface 58 is 
integrally formed with three identical curved ramp portions 60, 62, 64 
each of which starts at one access slot and terminates at the adjacent 
access slot. The portion of the outer ring member 30 on which each ramp 
portion 60, 62, 64 is formed and extends between adjacent ribs serves as a 
spring section. In addition, an inwardly projecting stop member 66 in the 
form of a cylindrical pin is formed on the inner surface 58 of the outer 
ring member 30. 
The central opening 48 in the outer ring member 30 is adapted to receive 
the light bulb assembly 22, and in this regard, it will be noted that, as 
seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 and 3, the light bulb assembly 22 includes a body 
portion made of an insulating material such as plastic that receives the 
light bulb 24. The body portion of the light bulb assembly 22 includes the 
90.degree. angled connector portion 45 that electrically connects to the 
plug end of the wiring harness 70 of a motor vehicle. The body portion is 
also formed with an integral collar 72 having an outer diameter larger 
than the diameter of the opening 46 formed in the inner ring member 28 and 
slightly smaller than the opening 48 of the outer ring member 30. A neck 
portion 74 is integrally formed with the collar 72 and carries an O-ring 
76 which assures a snug sealed fit is provided in the opening 16 of the 
reflector 12 when the light bulb assembly 22 is located in the retainer 20 
as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. It will also be noted that the collar 72 is 
integrally formed with three radially outwardly extending and 
circumferentially spaced retainer members 78, 80, and 82 which are adapted 
to be received by the access slots 50, 52, and 54 respectively, formed in 
the outer ring member 30 of the retainer 20. In this regard, it will be 
noted that the access slots 52 and 54 are identical in size and 
configuration while the access slot 50 is smaller in size that the slots 
52 and 54. Similarly, the retainer members have the general configuration 
and size of access slots 80 and 82 while retainer member 78 is designed to 
be received only by access slot 50. This retainer member and access slot 
design assures the light bulb assembly 22 is properly located within the 
opening 46 of the retainer 20 when manually inserted therein. 
Thus, as seen in FIG. 1, when the light bulb assembly 22 is inserted into 
the opening 46, the retainer members 78-82 are aligned with and located 
within the access slots 50-54 and afterwards the body portion of the light 
bulb assembly 22 is rotated clockwise causing each retainer member 78-82 
to initially contact the tapered portion (such as portion 84 of ramp 
portion 64 seen in FIG. 6) of the associated ramp portion causing that 
portion of the outer ring member 30 fo flex rearwardly. As the body 
portion continues to be rotated in a clockwise direction, each retainer 
member 78-82 will move over the apex 86 of the associated ramp portion and 
enter the raised flat section 88 of the ramp portion causing the portion 
of the ring member 30 between adjacent ribs to act as a spring and cause 
the section 88 to press the associated retainer member on the light bulb 
assembly 22 and accordingly the collar 72 thereof into firm contact with 
the flange 18. The body portion of the light bulb assembly 22 will be 
restrained from further clockwise rotation when the retainer member 78 
contacts the stop member 66 as seen in FIG. 1. The light bulb assembly 22 
will then assume the position shown in FIGS. 1-3 at which point the light 
bulb assembly 22 is prevented from further clockwise movement by the stop 
member 66 and proper orientation of the light bulb 24 along the X, Y and Z 
axes relative to the reflecting surface is attained. 
Referring again to the inner ring member 30 and particularly to FIG. 7, it 
will be noted that during assembly the locator tabs 38 and 40 project 
radially inwardly therefrom and cooperate with the locator slots 42 and 
44, respectively for proper locating the retainer 20 rotationally relative 
to the reflector 12. Also, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the planar surface 90 
of the inner ring member 28 abuts the annular seating surface 26 around 
the flange 18 for prepositioning the retainer along an X-axis. Inasmuch as 
the diameter of the opening 46 of the inner ring member 28 is the same as 
the outer diameter of the annular flange 18 as explained hereinbefore, it 
should be apparent that the retainer 20 when located on the flange 18 will 
be properly positioned relative to the reflector 12 along the Y-axis and 
Z-axis. Once the retainer 20 is located on the reflector 12 as seen in 
FIGS. 1-3, the inner ring member 28 can be sonically welded to the seating 
surface 26 on the reflector 12 or, in the alternative, an adhesive such as 
an epoxy resin can be used to bond the two members together. 
Various changes and modifications can be made in this construction without 
departing from the spirit of the invention. Such changes and modifications 
are comtemplated by the inventor and he does not wish to be limited except 
by the scope of the appended claims.