CA1063076A - Protective device for lighting fixture lenses - Google Patents

Protective device for lighting fixture lenses

Info

Publication number
CA1063076A
CA1063076A CA261,645A CA261645A CA1063076A CA 1063076 A CA1063076 A CA 1063076A CA 261645 A CA261645 A CA 261645A CA 1063076 A CA1063076 A CA 1063076A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
protective device
rim
ribs
rear face
adhesive material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA261,645A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Ronald A. Shuman
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA261,645A priority Critical patent/CA1063076A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1063076A publication Critical patent/CA1063076A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21LIGHTING
    • F21VFUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V15/00Protecting lighting devices from damage
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21LIGHTING
    • F21SNON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
    • F21S41/00Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
    • F21S41/50Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers
    • F21S41/55Attachment thereof

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A protective device for use on an automobile head-light lens comprises a unitary moulded product of a trans-parently and resiliently flexible plastics material, which product comprises a peripheral rim and ribs within said rim, said ribs defining therebetween open spaces for the unimpeded passage of light. The rear faces of the rim and ribs lie in a common flat or curved plane and a contact adhesive material, normally protected by a peelable backing sheet, is provided on the rear face of the rim and often on the rear faces of the ribs to secure the device to the front surface of the light lens.

Description

10ti3076 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to protective devices and more particularly to protective devices intended to be used on optically transparent rigid bodies such as the lenses or front glasses of lighting fixtures such as automobile head-lights.
It is well known that the lenses of the headlights of automobiles and other vehicles are frequently damaged by flying stones particularly when the automobile is driven close-ly behind another vehicle. In order to lessen the risk of suchaccidental damage, it is well known to provide metal screens which are secured across the lens of such a headlight. Such known metal screens, however, present certain practical disad-^ vantages, In the first place, they are relatively expensive and their installation on a headlight and their removal there-from is frequently very time consuming. Additionally, in the ~, use of the known metal screens, dirt frequently becomes lodged between the screen and the lens of a light on which it is mounted, so demanding periodic removal of such a screen for 1, 20 cleaning purposes and subsequent reinstallation. Furthermore, the known metal screens inevitably significantly reduce the light output from the lights on which they are mounted.
It is a principal ob~ect of the invention to provide a protective device especially suited for the aforesaid pur-pose of protecting the headlights of automobiles and other vehicles and which device is not only relatively inexpensive in its construction but can be mounted on the lens of such a headlight ~o as to be in close surface abutment with the front surface of the lens of ~uch a light 80 significantly to reduce the need for removal of ~uch a device from such a headlight , . ,~, ;,~
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10~3~76 for cleaning purposes.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a protective device which, when so used on an automobile head-light, minimizes the extent to which the total light output is reduced as a result of the presence of such a device.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description herein proceeds.

SUMM~RY OF THE INVENTION

Broadly, a protective device in accordance with the present invention comprises a unitary moulded sheet-like ~; .
structure of a resiliently flexible material, said structure ii comprising a peripheral rim with a rear face and a plurality of ribs disposed within said rim to define within said rim a plurality of open spaces, said ribs having rear faces all dis-posed in a common plane. Such a proteetive-device will normal-~ ly be moulded from an optically transparent material and use-`I fully an adhesive material will be provided on the rear face ~1 of the rim of the device and, if desired, additionally on the ,, 20 rear faces of the ribs of the device to facilitate the mount- -ing of the device on the lens of an automobile headlight or other light-transmitting body on which the device is to be used. -~ The present invention also embraces in combination ..,1 an optically transparent rigid body having an outer surface and a protective device as already defined and in which the rear faces of the ribs of the device are disposed in close sur-~ .
face abutment with such outer surface.

More specifically, this invention also embraces a lighting fixture such as an automobile headlight having a lens on which a protective device in accordance with this invention .
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is mounted.
Other features of the invention and the advantages presented thereby will become apparent as the description here-in proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
_ _ The invention will now be described merely by way of illustration with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
. Figure 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of a protective device in accordance with the ; present invention;
Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the de-vice shown in Figure 1 but on an enlarged `, scale;
, Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the device shown in Figure 1 but on an enlarged scale and when taken as indicated by the arrows 3-3 of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to i~ 20 that of Figure 3 and showing the same pro-~;l ~, tective device secured in position on the al front surface of the lens of an automobile headlight;
! Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to .~ that of Figure 3 but showing an alternative embodiment of a protective device in accor-dance with the present invention; and Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to ~ those of Figures 3 and 5 but showing yet `
,¦ 30 another embodiment of a protective device ~ - 3 -.. ' ' ' in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference will first be made to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings in which there is illustrated general-ly at 10 one embodiment of a protective device in accordance with the invention.
The device 10 is a generally planar and unitary mould-ed sheet-like structure of a resiliently flexible material such as a plastics material and comprises a peripheral rim 12 having a rear face 13, horizontal ribs 14 and vertical ribs 16 which define open spaces 18 therebetween, the rear faces of the ribs ~' being indicated at 19. A suitable adhesive material 20 is pro-vided on the rear face 13 of the rim 12 and on the rear faces 19 of the ribs 14 and 16. Prior to use, a peelable and pro-tective backing slleet 22 (Figure 3) is provided across the rear ~ surface of the device 10.
;1 The protective device 10 shown in Figures 1 to 4 is particularly intended to be used to protect the lens 24 of an automobile headlight or similar lighting fixture. To mount the device 10 on such a lens 24, the front surface of that lens 24 is first thoroughly and carefully cleaned. The backing sheet ~ -22 is then peeled from the rear surface of the device 10 and that device is then carefully pressed in position on the front surface of the lens 24 as shown in Figure 4, and so that the ~; rear face 13 of the rim 12 and the rear faces 19 of the ribs 14 and 16 become securely and adhesively bonded to the front surface of the lens 24. It will be understood that, durinq such attachment of the device 10 on the lens 24, that device 10 will be deformed ~o as to assume the desired curved confi-gurat~on of the lens and will be retained in such deformed con-.~
~ , . . : - ' ditlon by the aforementioned adhesive bonding. It will also be understood that the device 10 will be manufactured from a mater-ial having sufficient resiliency to permit such deformation.
By the provision of the device 10 on the lens 24, the risk of accidental damage to that lens, for example, by flying stones, is considerably reduced but not, of course, totally eliminated. In order to minimize the loss of light resulting from the use of the protective device 10, that device will nor-mally be manufactured from an optically transparent material.
Additionally, the ribs 14 and 16 will, for the same reason, have the smallest possible transverse dimensions consistent, however, with providing the desired degree of protection to a `~ lens, such as the lens 24, on which such a device is to be used.
t . Although it is not possible to indicate precise limits for the, size of the ribs of such a device, it has been found that, in il practice, the total area of the open spaces 18 should prefer-i ably equal at least about half and more preferably at least i, about seventy percent of the total single surface area of such -`' a device 10.
~,~ 20 Since the ribs 14 and 16 are in close surface abut-ment with the front surface of the lens 24, that lens can be `t cleaned without any difficulty arising due to the presence of , dirt between the front surface of the lens 24 and the rear faces 19 of the ribs 14 and 16. To ensure such close surface abutment with the surface of the lens 24, the rear face of the rim 12 and the rear faces 19 of the ribs 14 and 16 will be dis-posed in a common plane. In the particular case of the planar device 10 hereinbefore specifically described, such rear faces . ~ ~ .
; ~ 13 and 19 will be disposed in a common flat plane when the device 10 is not distorted.
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1063~76 Although the ribs of a protective device in accord- -ance with this invention can have any desired cross-sectional configuration, it has been found that ribs having generally triangular cross-sectional configurations as shown in Figures 1 to 4 for the ribs 14 and 16 of the device 10 are advantage-ous in that such ribs facilitate the cleaning of the lens, such as lens 24, on which such a protective device is mounted.
Reference will now be made to Figure 5 in which there is indicated generally at 26 an alternative embodiment of a 10` protective device which has many features in common with the device 10 already described. In fact, the device 26 differs from the device 10 only in that the adhesive material 20 is provided only on the rear face 13 of the rim 12 and not on the rear faces 19 of the ribs 14 and 16 and in that a peelable ~3~ backing strip 28 is provided on the rear face 13 of the rim 12 rather than the backing sheet 22 which extends over the whole ,.~
rear face of the device 10. It will be understood that, in j the use of the device 26, the rear faces 19 of the ribs 14 and -j 16 will be held in close surface abutment with the front surface of a lens on which that device is bonded by the adhesive mater-~ ial 20 on the rear face of the rim 12 as a result of such bond-.~1 ing of the rim and as a result of the resilience of the material from which the device 26 is made. Such resilience will be particularly effective in ensuring such close surface abutment when the device 26 is used on a lighting fixture having a lens ` with a convex outer surface. It will also be noted that, with the device 26 in a non-distorted configuration as actually shown in Figure 5, the rear face 13 of the rim 12 and the rear faces 19 of the ribs 14 and 16 are all disposed in a common flat plane.

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1063~76 Finally, reference will be made to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings in which there is shown generally at 30 yet another embodiment of a protective device in accordance with this invention. The device 30 is essentially identical to the device 26 shown in Figure 5 and differs from that device only in that it has a curved rather than a planar configuration.
To avoid undue duplication of the description herein, component parts of the device 30 are identified in Figure 6 by the same legends as used in Figure 5 to identify the same components of the device 26. The device 30 can be used in situations where . the required degree of distortion of the devices lO and 26 is : not possible. If desired, adhesive material can be provided on the rear faces 19 of the ribs 14 and 16 of the device 30 as was the case for the device 10.
When references are made herein and in the appended claims to the rear faces of the rim and the ribs of a protect-. ive device in accordance with this invention as lying in a ~` common continuous plane, it is to be understood that the phrase "continuous plane" is not to be interpretted as being restricted to a flat plane but is rather intended genericallyto embrace continuous, i.e. non-interrupted, curved planes or loci as, for example, is the case for the rear faces 13 and 19 of the rim 12 and the ribs 14 and 16 respectively of the device .~ 30 shown in Figure 6.
:~¦ Although the invention has hereinbefore been speci-fically described with reference to the particular embodiments thereof as shown in the accompanyi~g drawings, it should be understood that numerous variations ln and modifications of the illustrated structures are possible within the scope of this invention. For example, while the devices 10, 26 and 30 : - 7 -,~ .

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10~;3~6 have been described as being formed with ribs 14 and 16 which are mutually perpendicular so defining generally square open spaces 18, it should be understood that other rib configura-tions are equally possible.

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Claims (11)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A protective device for optically transparent rigid bodies such as automobile headlight lenses, comprising a unitary moulded structure of resilient flexible material, said structure comprising a peripheral rim with a rear face and a plurality of ribs disposed within and secured to said rim, to define within said rim a plurality of open spaces, said rim and said ribs having rear faces disposed in a common continuous regular contour and having an adhesive material on at least part of said rear faces, and a peelable backing material on said adhesive material.
2. A protective device as claimed in Claim 1 and in which said resiliently flexible material is an optically transparent material.
3. A protective device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said adhesive material is on the rear face of said rim.
4. A protective device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said rear face comprises a contour generally concave.
5. A protective device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said rear face comprises a contour generally convex.
6. A protective device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said rear face comprises a generally flat contour.
7. A protective device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said adhesive material is on the rear face of said ribs.
8. A protective device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said adhesive material is on the rear face of said rim and said ribs.
9. A protective device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said ribs intersect each other and are integrally formed with each other within said rim.
10. A protective device claimed in Claim 2, wherein said resilient flexible material is a plastics material.
11. The device claimed in Claim 1, in combination with a lighting fixture such as an automobile headlight having a receptive lens element, providing protection therefore against damage.
CA261,645A 1976-09-21 1976-09-21 Protective device for lighting fixture lenses Expired CA1063076A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA261,645A CA1063076A (en) 1976-09-21 1976-09-21 Protective device for lighting fixture lenses

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA261,645A CA1063076A (en) 1976-09-21 1976-09-21 Protective device for lighting fixture lenses

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1063076A true CA1063076A (en) 1979-09-25

Family

ID=4106901

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA261,645A Expired CA1063076A (en) 1976-09-21 1976-09-21 Protective device for lighting fixture lenses

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1063076A (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0265104A2 (en) * 1986-10-14 1988-04-27 Signam Limited Protective shield for a vehicle lamp assembly
US4894761A (en) * 1987-08-10 1990-01-16 Signam Limited Protective shield for a vehicle lamp assembly
AT517266B1 (en) * 2015-05-27 2017-03-15 Zkw Group Gmbh COMPOSITE ASSEMBLY FOR COVERING A FLAT LIGHT

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0265104A2 (en) * 1986-10-14 1988-04-27 Signam Limited Protective shield for a vehicle lamp assembly
EP0265104A3 (en) * 1986-10-14 1989-08-16 Signam Limited Protective shield for a vehicle lamp assembly
US4894761A (en) * 1987-08-10 1990-01-16 Signam Limited Protective shield for a vehicle lamp assembly
AT517266B1 (en) * 2015-05-27 2017-03-15 Zkw Group Gmbh COMPOSITE ASSEMBLY FOR COVERING A FLAT LIGHT

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKEX Expiry

Effective date: 19960925