Patent Publication Number: US-3878388-A

Title: Lamp assemblies

Description:
United States Patent 1 Germany [451 Apr. 15, 1975 LAMP ASSEMBLIES [73] Assignee: Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited,  
 Birmingham, England 22 Filed: July 27,1972  
  21 Appl. No.: 275,897  
 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Fred L. Braun Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Holman &amp; Stern [57] ABSTRACT A lamp assembly for a vehicle includes a lamp unit comprising a lens and a reflector which are interconnected at their peripheries. A plurality of brackets are secured to the lamp unit and are spaced around the periphery of the lamp unit and each bracket includes a hook portion engaging the periphery of the lamp unit and a blade portion which extends from the lamp unit. The assembly further includes a retaining ring which engages each of the brackets intermediate its hook portion and its blade portion and which clamps the brackets to the lamp unit. A body part can be used to support the lamp unit in use, the body part having at least three inwardly directed arms which slidably engage the outer surface of the reflector of the lamp unit, a pair of the brackets of the lamp unit being connected to the body part by screw adjusters. Operation of the screw adjusters thus moves the lamp unit relative to the body part with the curved surface of the reflector sliding relative to the three arms of the body part.  
 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPR 1 5 I975 SHEET 1 [IF 2 FIGA.  
 FIGS  
 PATENTEDAPR 1 5|975 SHEET 2 [1F 2 I LAMP ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to lamp assemblies for vehicles.  
  A lamp assembly according to a first aspect of the in vention includes a lamp unit comprising a lens and reflector interconnected at their peripheries and a plurality of brackets secured to the lamp unit around its periphery. each bracket having a hook portion which engages the periphery of the lamp unit and a blade por tion which extends from the lamp unit. the assembly further including a retaining ring which engages each of the brackets intermediate its hook portion and its blade portion. the retaining ring clamping the brackets to the lamp unit.  
  Preferably each bracket includes a foot portion intermediate its blade portion and its book portion and each bracket is engaged by said retaining ring between its foot portion and its hook portion. the retaining ring clamping each bracket to the lamp unit with its hook portion engaged with the periphery of the lamp unit and its foot portion engaged with the reflector of the lamp unit.  
  Desirably the retaining ring includes a generally circular wire loop the ends of which are interconnected by a screw fastening device whereby the diameter of the ring can be varied.  
  Conveniently each bracket is formed integrally with a generally U-shaped stirrup in which said retaining ring seats. and the open end of said U-shaped stirrup being narrowed by the clamping action of the retaining ring in use so that each stirrup grips the retaining ring.  
  Preferably the assembly further includes a body part supporting the lamp unit. the body part including three angularly spaced inwardly directed arms which slidably engage the reflector of the lamp unit. said plurality of brackets consisting of at least two brackets and said two brackets being connected to the body part by adjustable connecting means whereby the position of the lamp unit relative to the body part can be adjusted.  
  A lamp assembly according to a second aspect of the invention includes a lamp unit comprising a lens and a reflector interconnected at their peripheries. a pair of brackets extending from the lamp unit adjacent its periphery. a body part supporting said lamp unit. at least three angularly spaced arms projecting inwardly from said body part and slidably engaging the reflector of the lamp unit. and adjustable connecting means coupling said brackets to the body part whereby said adjustable connecting means can be operated to adjust the position of the lamp unit relative to the body part the reflector sliding relative to said three arms.  
  Preferably. said pair of brackets are spaced by 90 around the periphery of the lamp unit and there is provided a third bracket which receives one end of a spring the other end of which is anchored to the body part. the spring urging the lamp unit towards the body part.  
  One example of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein:  
  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a head lamp assembly for a road vehicle.  
  FIG. 2 is a side elevational view partly in section of the headlamp assembly shown in FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view. to an enlarged scale. of part of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2,  
  FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a modification of the bracket shown in FIGS. 1 3.  
  FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a further form of bracket. and  
  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of lamp unit support member.  
  Referring to the drawings. the headlamp assembly includes a lamp unit 11 which can be a sealed beam unit having a glass reflector I2 aluminised on its inner surface. and a transparent glass lens 13. the lens 13 and reflector I2 being fused together at their peripheries to define a raised rim I4. and the sealed enclosure defined between the lens I3 and reflector 12 containing the filaments of the lamp in an inert atmosphere in the usual manner. or the unit can be of the kind having a metal reflector secured to a glass lens. the reflector supporting a replaceable bulb.  
  Engaged with the lamp unit 11 are three brackets 15. The brackets 15 are equi-angularly spaced around the rim 14 of the unit 11. the brackets 15 being substantially identical to one another. Each bracket I5 is formed from steel strip. and includes at one end. a hook portion 16 which engages the raised rim 14 of the unit 11. At its opposite end from the hook portion I6 each bracket includes a blade portion 17 which extends generally radially outwardly of the unit 11. Adjacent the blade portion I7 each bracket 15 includes a foot portion 18 and intermediate the foot portion 18 and the hook portion 16 of each bracket there is formed a generally U-shaped stirrup 19. Each stirrup 19 extends towards the reflector 12 of the unit 11. and the stirrup portions 19 of the brackets 15 are engaged by a retaining ring 21. The retaining ring 21 is in the form of a wire loop the ends of which are shaped to define eyelets 22 through which extends a screw fastening device 23 in the form of a nut and bolt. The natural resilience of the material of the retaining ring 21 urges the eyelets 22 away from one another. and so rotation of the bolt relative to the nut of the screw-fastening device 23 alters the diameter of the retaining ring.  
  When the brackets 15 are engaged with the unit 11. with their hook portions I6 engaging over the rim 14 of the unit. and the ring 21 is engaged in the stirrup I9 of each ofthe brackets 15. then operation of the device 23 to reduce the diameter of the ring 21 causes movement of the brackets 15 relative to the unit 11 until their respective foot portions 18 engage the rear surface of the reflector I2. whereafter further reduction in the diameter of the retaining ring 21 causes flexure of the brackets 15 intermediate their foot portions and their hook portions thereby reducing the width of the open ends of the stirrups 19. The flexure of the regions of the brackets 15 intermediate their foot portions and their hook portions causes the stirrups 19 of the brackets to grip the ring 21. In order to enhance the retention of the ring 21 within the stirrups 19 the open end of each stirrup 19 is provided with a pair of barbs 24 (FIG. 3) which extend towards one another. and which overlie the ring 21 in the flexed position of the stirrup 19. Since the retaining ring 21 is firmly held by each of the brackets 15 and the brackets 15 themselves are clamped by the retaining ring onto the unit 11. then the brackets 15 are securely fixed to the unit. The blade portions 17 of the brackets extend radially outwardly from the lamp unit. and provide means for mounting the lamp unit. for example. on a detachable 0r integral body part 20 of a road vehicle.  
  In the example described above. there are three brackets I5. and they are spaced by 120 around the periphery of the unit 11 from one another. Two of the blade portions 17 are connected to the body part 20 of the road vehicle by way of captive screws. which engage nuts carried by the body part 20. while the third blade portion 17 is connected to the body part 20 by way of a rubber bush. The arrangement of the screws connecting said two blade portions to the body part 20 is such that rotation of one of the screws adjusts the position of the lamp unit 12 relative to the body part 20 about an axis passing through the rubber bush and the other of the screws. and so it will be appreciated that by rotating the two screws the angular orientation of the unit 11 relative to the body part 20 can be adjusted in the conventional manner. It will be realized that the screws and the captive nuts which they engage are so connected to the brackets and the body part 20 that there is sufficient compliance to permit the adjusting movement.  
  It will be appreciated that although the three brackets are said to be substantially identical their respective blade portion can differ to accommodate the differences in attaching the blade portions of two of the brackets to screws and attaching the blade portion of the third bracket to the rubber bush. Thus the two blade portions for receiving the screws can each have an open ended slot. the slots extending in opposite directions. and the blade portion receiving the rubber bush can have a circular aperture through which a bush retaining pin extends. Moreover. the positioning of the brackets around the lamp unit can be varied if desired.  
  In a modification (FIG. 4) the brackets are altered in that their stirrup portions 190 are less deep and do not include the barbs 24. By reducing the depth of the portions 19a the clamping action between the portions 19a and the retaining ring is reduced but is still sufficient to provide an assembly sufficiently firm for many applications.  
  In a further modification (H6. 6) the body part 20 is a rectangular annulus arranged to be secured to the vehicle body and extending radially inwardly from the annulus are three angularly spaced arms 31. 32. 33. The inner. free ends of the arms 31. 32. 33 lie on a common imagainary circle and two of the arms 31. 32 are spaced apart by 90 while the third arm 33 is spaced by more than 90 from said two arms. The rubber bush described above is dispensed with and the lamp unit bracket 15 associated with the rubber bush is replaced by a bracket 25 (FIG. 5) the blade portion 27 of which extends rearwardly rather than radially of the lamp unit. The hook portion 26 and stirrup portion 29 of the bracket 25 can be similar to those of either the brackets 15 or brackets 15a described above. the foot portion 28 being at right angles to the blade portion 27. Said two arms 31. 32 support captive nuts 34. 35 adjacent their points of connection with the annulus and the two brackets 15 ofthe lamp unit which are spaced apart by 90 again rotatably receive screws 36. 37 which engage said nuts. The bracket 25 is engaged by one end of a tension spring the other end of which is engaged with a support member extending rearwardly from the annulus. Thus the spring urges the curved outer surface of the reflector of the lamp unit into contact with the free ends of said three arms 31. 32. 33. It will be appreciated that rotation of the screws 36. 37 relative to their respective brackets 15 serves to adjust the position of the lamp unit relative to the annular body part 20. the reflector of the lamp unit sliding relative to the free ends of the three arms 31. 32. 33 in the manner of a ball and socket joint. In a modification of this arrangement the captive nuts are supported directly by the annulus and the three arms are cquiangularly spaced.  
  Lamp units having bracket arrangements other than that described above can be utilized with the body part. the positioning and dimensions of the arms of the body part being so chosen as to slidingly engage the reflector of the particular lamp unit to provide the ball and socket type support between the lamp unit and the body part.  
 I claim:  
  1. A lamp assembly for a vehicle. including a lamp unit comprising a lens and a reflector interconnected at their peripheries. and a plurality of brackets secured to the lamp unit around its periphery. each bracket having a hook portion which engages the periphery of the lamp unit. a blade portion which extends from the lamp unit and a foot portion intermediate its blade portion and its book portion. the assembly further including a retaining ring which engages each of the brackets intermediate its hook portion and its foot portion. the retaining ring clamping each bracket to the lamp unit with its hook portion engaged with the periphery of the lamp unit and its foot portion engaged with the reflector of the lamp unit.  
  2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the retaining ring includes a generally circular wire loop the ends of which are interconnected by a screw fastening device whereby the diameter of the ring can be varied.  
 ing a body part supporting the lamp unit. the body part having three angularly spaced inwardly directed arms which slidably engage the reflector of the lamp unit.  
 said plurality of brackets of the lamp unit consisting of at least two brackets which are connected to the body part by adjustable connecting means whereby the position of the lamp unit relative to the body part can be adjusted.