Patent Publication Number: US-2006007692-A1

Title: Lamp assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to lamps and more particularly, to a lamp assembly that produces glorious luster.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a lamp assembly according to the prior art. This design of lamp assembly is suitable for use as a vehicle side lamp or projection light. As illustrated, the lamp assembly comprises a lamp case  10 , a lens  20  covered on the lamp case  10 , and a lamp bulb  30  mounted inside the lamp case  10 . The lamp case  10  has a plurality of reflecting surface portions  101  on the inside wall for reflecting light from the lamp bulb  30 .  FIGS. 2 and 3  show another two different designs of lamp assembly according to the prior art. According to the design shown in  FIG. 2 , the lamp case  10  has a plurality of raised lens elements  102  on the inside wall for reflecting and refracting light from the lamp bulb (not shown). According to the designs shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the lens  20  has facets  201  for refracting light toward different directions. These conventional designs of lamp assembly have been appeared on the market for long, and are loosing their attraction to consumers gradually.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a lamp assembly that produces glorious luster to attract consumers. It is another object of the present invention to provide a lamp assembly, which uses a diamond-like or faceted lens to reflect and refract light, producing glorious luster.  
      To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the lamp assembly comprises a light-tight bottom holder shell, the light-tight bottom holder shells having a plurality of faceted lens elements protruded from an inside wall thereof for reflecting and refracting light, a top open side, and a center through hole cut through the center of a bottom wall thereof; a light source mounted inside the bottom holder shell, the light source having a power cord extended out of the center through hole of the bottom holder shell; a double-open-end light-tight upper holder shell fastened to the top open side of the light-tight bottom holder shell, the double-open-end light-tight upper holder shell having a plurality of faceted lens elements protruded from an inside wall thereof for reflecting and refracting light; an inner lens shaped like a cut gemstone and set between the light-tight bottom holder shell and the double-open-end light-tight upper holder shell, the inner lens having a plurality of facets for reflecting and refracting light; and at least one transparent outer lens fixedly fastened to the double-open-end light-tight upper holder shell over a top open side of the double-open-end light-tight upper holder shell, each the transparent outer lens having a plurality of facets at an outer side thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lamp assembly according to the prior art.  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another design of lamp assembly according to the prior art (the light source not shown).  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of still another design of lamp assembly according to the prior art (the light source not shown).  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a lamp assembly according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  is a sectional assembly view of the lamp assembly according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the lamp assembly according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  is an exploded view of an alternate form of the lamp assembly according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 8  is a sectional assembly view of the alternate form of lamp assembly shown in  FIG. 7 .  
       FIG. 9  is an exploded view of another alternate form of the lamp assembly according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing showing an installation example of the alternate form of the lamp assembly shown in  FIG. 9 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to  FIG. 4 , a lamp assembly in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a light-tight bottom holder shell  1 , a light-tight light source  2 , an inner lens  3 , an upper holder shell  4 , and an outer lens  5 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6  and  FIG. 4  again, the bottom holder shell  1  is shaped like a bowl, having a plurality of faceted lens elements  11  protruded from the inside wall for reflecting and refracting light, a plurality of support rods  13  equiangularly spaced around the inside wall, and a center through hole  12  cut through the center of the bottom wall. The light source  2  is mounted inside the bottom holder shell  1 , and having a power cord  21  extended out of the bottom holder shell  1  through the center through hole  12  (see  FIG. 5 ). The light source  2  can be formed of at last one LED (light emitting diode) or lamp bulb. According to the present preferred embodiment, the light source  2  is formed of a number of LEDs. The inner lens  3  is shaped like a cut gemstone and provided above (in front of) the light source  2  to reflect and refract light from the light source  2 , having a plurality of first facets  31  around the periphery of the crown thereof and a plurality of second facets  32  around the periphery of the pavilion thereof. The first facets  31  can be made having a triangular or rhombic shape. The upper holder shell  4  is a double-open-end hollow shell fixedly to the top open side of the bottom holder shell  1 , having a plurality of locating rods  42  radially suspended in the bottom open side thereof and holding down the inner lens  3  on the support rods  13  of the bottom holder shell  1  above the light source  2  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ), a plurality of faceted lens elements  41  protruded from the inside wall thereof for refracting light, and a positioning groove  43  extended around the inside wall thereof near the top open side. The outer lens  5  is a transparent member fixedly secured to the positioning groove  43  of the upper holder shell  4 , having a plurality of facets  51  at the outer side.  
      Referring to FIGS.  4 ˜ 6  again, when turned on the light source  2 , light from the light source  2  is reflected and refracted by the faceted lens elements  11  of the bottom holder shell  1  and the faceted lens elements  41  of the upper holder shell  4  and the facets  31 ,  32  of the inner lens  3 , enabling reflected and refracted light rays to pass through the facets  51  of the outer lens  5  in different directions, thereby producing glorious luster. When the light source  2  is off, the faceted lens elements  11 ,  41  of the holder shells  1 ,  4  and the facets  31 ,  32 ,  51  of the lenses  3 ,  5  reflect and refract incident light, thereby producing glorious luster.  
       FIGS. 7 and 8  show an alternate form of the present invention. According to this alternate form of the present invention, the upper holder shell  4  further comprises a second positioning groove  44  for the positioning of a second outer lens  6  above the outer lens  5 . The second outer lens  6  is a transparent member having a plurality of facets  51  at the outer side.  
       FIGS. 9 and 10  show another alternate form of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the bottom holder shell  1  has a bottom locating flange  14  extended around the periphery of the bottom side thereof; the upper holder shell  4  has a top locating flange  45  extended around the periphery of the top open side thereof; a plastic or rubber cover shell  7  is covered on the periphery of the bottom holder shell  1  and the periphery of the upper holder shell  4 , having a bottom edge  72  stopped at the top side of the bottom locating flange  14  of the bottom holder shell  1  and a top flange  71  stopped at the bottom side of the top locating flange  45  of the upper holder shell  4 . During installation, the cover shell  7  is inserted with the lamp assembly through the mounting hole  81  in the ceiling  8  from the top side toward the bottom side, keeping the top locating flange  45  of the upper holder shell  4  and the top edge  73  of the top flange  71  of the cover shell  7  respectively stopped against the top and bottom side of the peripheral wall  82  of the mounting hole  81  in the ceiling  8 .  
      A prototype of lamp assembly has been constructed with the features of FIGS.  4 ˜ 10 . The lamp assembly functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
      Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.