Patent Publication Number: US-2004042219-A1

Title: Vibration isolator for a vehicle-mounted light

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention pertains to vehicle-mounted lights, and more particularly to a vibration isolator for use with vehicle-mounted lights.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Lights have been mounted on vehicles such as cars, trucks and motorcycles to enable these vehicles to be operated at night or during periods of decreased visibility, and also to increase the visibility of the vehicles by operators of other vehicles. With particular regard to motorcycles, lights have typically been mounted to engine guards, handlebars, wheel forks, or other structural components of a motorcycle. Such motorcycle-mounted lights typically include a housing which is attached to the motorcycle structure whereby the lights are exposed to various environmental conditions such as moisture from rain and other inclement weather conditions, heat from the sun, and heat which is generated by the engine of the motorcycle. The lights are also subjected to vibration generated both by the vehicle itself and by the road surface over which the vehicle travels. Exposure to these environmental and vibration conditions has a negative effect on the life of bulbs used with vehicle-mounted lights, whereby the operating conditions tend to decrease the life of the bulb, thereby requiring frequent replacement. This is a particular problem for lights of the type incorporating a reflector to which is integrally mounted a light bulb, because the reflector is secured to the housing and vibrations transmitted from the vehicle to the housing are, in turn, directly transmitted to the bulb through the reflector. Aside from the nuisance of having to replace bulbs, since the bulbs is integral with the reflector, the entire bulb/reflector assembly must be replaced, increasing the operating and maintenance costs of the vehicle.  
       [0003] There is thus a need for a means by which a combined bulb and reflector assembly may be mounted in a vehicle-mounted light to protect the bulbs against damage caused by various environmental and vibration conditions and to prolong their service life.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004] The present invention provides a vibration isolator which is fabricated of resilient vibration-absorbing material and configured to engage the rim of a reflector located at the forward end thereof, and to function as a vibration-absorbing interface between the reflector and a light housing to which the reflector rim is mounted, thereby isolating the reflector, and in turn, the bulb, from vibrations imparted to the housing by the vehicle on which it is mounted. The vibration isolator also helps to seal the interior of the housing from moisture infiltration when the vibration isolator is compressed between the reflector rim and the periphery of a lens located in front of the reflector and urged against the vibration isolator by a threaded clamping ring which threads into the forward, open end of the housing.  
       [0005] In one aspect of the invention, the vibration isolator has a generally C-shaped cross-section consisting of spaced parallel front and rear annular sections integrally interconnected at their outer edges by a cylindrical central section disposed therebetween. The circular isolator is snugly fitted over the reflector rim, which extends radially outwardly from the forward end of the reflector, such that front and rear annular isolator sections sandwich the reflector rim, with the cylindrical central isolator section snugly encircling the peripheral edge of the reflector rim.  
       [0006] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the vibration isolator includes a circular bead extending forwardly from the annular front surface of the front section of the isolator. Preferably the bead has a semi-circular cross-section. The surface of the bead directly contacts the rear surface of the lens periphery at a point slightly inboard of its edge to thereby seal against the lens.  
       [0007] In another aspect of the invention, the vibration isolator has an annual front section and a generally cylindrical central section extending rearwardly from an outer edge of the front section. An integral rear section extends rearwardly of the central section and has a semi-spherical or frusto-parabolic shape configured to engage a correspondingly shaped interior surface of the housing such that the vibration isolator is compressed between the rim of the reflector and the interior surface of the housing when the reflector and vibration isolator are installed within the housing.  
       [0008] The features and objectives of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following Detailed Description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the invention.  
     [0010]FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary light which is configured to be mounted to a vehicle such as a motorcycle;  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the light of FIG. 1 taken along line  2 - 2  and showing an exemplary vibration isolator of the present invention;  
     [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vibration isolator of FIG. 2;  
     [0013]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a light having an alternate housing design and showing an alternate embodiment of the vibration isolator of the present invention;  
     [0014]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the vibration isolator depicted in FIG. 4; and  
     [0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another exemplary vibration isolator of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0016] Referring to FIGS.  1 - 2  there is shown an exemplary light  10  which is configured to be mounted to a vehicle such as a motorcycle. The light  10  includes a generally rectangularly-shaped housing  12  which is adapted to receive a lightbulb  14  mounted to a reflector  34  within an interior portion of the housing  12  whereby the bulb  14  may be held in place on the vehicle and protected during operation of the vehicle. The light  10  further includes a bracket  16  which is adapted to mount the light  10  to a structural portion of the vehicle. The bracket  16  may include holes  18  for securing the light  10  to the vehicle and may be attached to the housing  12 , for example, by fasteners  20 . The light  10  has a lens  22  which covers the bulb  10  and permits light from the bulb  10  to pass through the lens  22  and thereby illuminate an area in front of the light  10 .  
     [0017] In the exemplary light  10  shown, the lens  22  is secured to the housing  12  by a retaining ring  24 . The retaining ring  24  fits over the lens  22  and has a threaded portion  28  which mates with corresponding threads of the housing  12  whereby the retaining ring  24  may be screwed onto the housing  12 , over an opening at a forward end of the housing  12 , to capture the lightbulb  14  and lens  22  within the housing  12 . The retaining ring  24  and lens  22 , together, thus form a closure for the housing  12 . The retaining ring  24  further includes one or more cylindrically-shaped recesses  26  which may be engaged by the prongs of a spanner bar (not shown) to facilitate threadably securing the retaining ring  24  onto the housing  12 .  
     [0018] The housing  12  has an interior cavity  36  which is configured to receive the bulb  14  and reflector  34  adjacent an interior surface  37 . The light  10  may further be provided with an O-ring  32  between the retaining ring  24  and lens  22  to help seal off the interior cavity  36  against moisture from the outside environment.  
     [0019] A multi-conductor wire  38  may be received through an aperture  40  in an end  42  of the housing  12  opposite the lens  22 . The multi-conductor wire  38  is generally secured to the housing  12  by an insulator  44  which further helps to seal the interior of the housing  12  from moisture and serves as a strain relief for the multi-conductor wire  38 . Inside the housing  12  individual conductors  46  from the wire  38  are routed to corresponding contacts (not shown) on the bulb  14 , generally via an electrical connector  48 , to permit illumination of the bulb  14 .  
     [0020] While the light  10  depicted in FIG. 1 is a generally rectangular-shaped housing  12  which may be secured to a flat portion of a structural element of a vehicle and has a retaining ring  24  which secures the bulb  14  and lens  22  within the housing  12 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the housing  12  and bracket  16  may have various other forms and that the housing  12  shown is merely intended to depict one possible embodiment.  
     [0021] With continued reference to FIG. 2, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the light  10  of FIG. 1, including an exemplary vibration isolator  30  of the present invention, depicted in cross-section. The bulb  14  will generally be coupled with a reflector  34  configured to support the bulb  14  in a central portion of the housing  12 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, bulb  14  is formed integrally with the reflector  34 . The reflector  34  has a generally spherical or parabolic shape and an interior surface  50  of the reflector  34  is coated with a reflective material to thereby increase the intensity of the light emitted from the bulb  14  and directed through the lens  22 . The reflector further includes an outwardly extending, flanged rim  58 . The rim  58  has a forward surface  60  which faces the lens  22  when the reflector  34  is installed in the housing  12 , and a peripheral edge  62  which circumscribes the rim  58 . A rearward surface  64  is disposed opposite the forward surface  60 .  
     [0022] Referring to FIGS.  2 - 3 , vibration isolator  30  includes a front section  52 , a central section  54 , and a rear section  56  integrally formed together. The front section  52  has a generally annular shape and engages the forward surface  60  of the rim  58 . The central section  54  extends rearward from an edge of the front section  52  to engage the peripheral edge  62  of the rim  58 . The rear section  56  extends rearwardly from the central section  54  and in a direction inward of the rim  58 . In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS.  2 - 3 , the rear section  56  has a generally semi-spherical or frusto-parabolic shape which corresponds to the shape of the interior surface  37  of housing  12 .  
     [0023] The vibration isolator  30  is formed from a resilient material and may thus be fitted over the rim  58  of the reflector  34  whereafter the reflector  34  and vibration isolator  30  may be inserted through the opening of the housing  12  to engage the interior surface  37  such that the reflector  34  is supported within the housing  12 , but is spaced from the interior surface  37  by the vibration isolator  30 . When the lens  22  and retaining ring  24  are secured to the housing  12 , the lens  22  and retaining ring  24  compress the vibration isolator  30  to capture the reflector  34  within the housing  12 . Because the reflector rim  58  is sandwiched between the front  52 , central  54 , and rear  56  sections of the vibration isolator  30 , there is no contact between the reflector  34  and the housing  12  or the closure  22 ,  24 .  
     [0024] The reflector  34  and bulb  14  are thereby effectively isolated from vibration transmitted through the housing  12 .  
     [0025] The vibration isolator  30  may further include a compression section  70  extending forwardly from the front section  52  and configured to sealingly engage the lens  22  inboard a peripheral edge of the lens as the retaining ring  24  is screwed into the housing  12  to compress the lens  22  against the vibration isolator  30 . In the exemplary embodiment, compression section  70  has a semi-circular cross-section. As the retaining ring  24  is screwed into the housing  12 , the rim  58  is sandwiched between the front and rear sections  52 ,  56  of the vibration isolator  30  and is compressed between the lens  22  and the interior surface  54  of the housing  12  to securely capture the reflector  34  within the housing  12  while compression section  70  seals against the lens  22 .  
     [0026] Advantageously, the vibration isolator  30  suspends the reflector  34  within the light housing  12  such that no portion of the reflector  34  contacts the housing  12  and compression section  70  helps to prevent moisture infiltration into the housing  12 . In the exemplary embodiment, the vibration isolator  30  is formed from a resilient polymeric material and thereby isolates the reflector  34  from vibration transmitted through the light housing  12 . The material may also be heat resistant so that it can withstand high temperatures to which the vibration isolator  30  may be exposed during operation of the light. In an exemplary embodiment, the vibration isolator  30  is formed from silicone.  
     [0027] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown another exemplary embodiment of a light  110  and a corresponding vibration isolator  130  according to the present invention, wherein the vibration isolator  130  is configured to be received within an alternative light housing  112  depicted in FIG. 4. In FIGS.  4 - 5 , components corresponding to like components of FIGS.  1 - 3  are similarly numbered, but have numbers starting in the hundreds. For example, alternate housing  112  of FIG. 4 corresponds to housing  12  of FIGS.  1 - 2 .  
     [0028] The exemplary housing  112  depicted in FIG. 4 has an interior surface  137  including an annular ledge  139  extending radially inward and spaced from an opening of the housing  112  such that the reflector  134  may be received within the housing  112  through the opening and supported by its rim  158  on the annular ledge  139 . The vibration isolator  130  is configured to engage the rim  158  of the reflector  134  so that the vibration isolator  130  forms a vibration absorbing interface between the rim  158  and the interior surface  154  of the housing  112 , including the annular ledge  139 .  
     [0029] The vibration isolator  130  includes a front section  152 , a central section  154 , and a rear section  156 . Similar to the vibration isolator  30  of FIGS.  1 - 2 , the front section  152  has a generally annular shape and engages the forward surface  160  of the rim  158 . The central section  154  extends from a side edge of the front section  152  and rearwardly of the front section  152  to engage the peripheral edge  162  of the rim  158 . The rear section  156  extends from the central section  154  in a direction inward of the rim  158  and forms annular shape which is substantially parallel to the front section  152 . When the vibration isolator  130  is fitted over the rim  158  of the reflector  134 , the rear section  156  is positioned adjacent the rearward surface  164  of the reflector  134 , whereby the forward and rearward surfaces  160 ,  164  of the rim  158  are sandwiched against the front and rear sections  152 ,  156  of the vibration isolator  130  when the reflector  134  and vibration isolator  130  are installed within the housing  112  and secured with the closure  122 ,  124 . Advantageously, the reflector  134  is supported within the housing  112  and is spaced from the interior surface  137  and closure  122 ,  124  by the vibration isolator  130 , whereby vibrations transmitted through the housing  112  are absorbed by the vibration isolator  130  so that they are not transmitted to the reflector  134  and integrally formed bulb  114 .  
     [0030] The vibration isolator  130  may further include a compression section  170  extending forwardly from the front section  152  and configured to engage the lens  122  inboard a peripheral edge of the lens  122 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the compression section  170  has an arcuate cross-section and forms a continuous bead around the front section  152  such that the compression section  170  may seal against the lens  122  when the closure  122 ,  124  is secured to the housing  112 . Light  110  may further be provided with an O-ring  132  between the retaining ring  124  and lens  122  to help seal off the interior cavity  136  against moisture from the outside environment.  
     [0031] While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the various embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. For example, the front section  252  of another exemplary vibration isolator  230  may comprise several segments  253  configured to engage the forward surface of a reflector rim at selected locations around the perimeter of the rim instead of forming a continuos annular shape circumscribing the entire periphery of the rim, as depicted in FIG. 6.  
     [0032] The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of Applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.