EP2108885A1 - Dispositif de support de construction amélioré - Google Patents

Dispositif de support de construction amélioré Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2108885A1
EP2108885A1 EP09156743A EP09156743A EP2108885A1 EP 2108885 A1 EP2108885 A1 EP 2108885A1 EP 09156743 A EP09156743 A EP 09156743A EP 09156743 A EP09156743 A EP 09156743A EP 2108885 A1 EP2108885 A1 EP 2108885A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
bulb
collar
spring element
securing means
seat
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP09156743A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP2108885B1 (fr
Inventor
Luciano Cubito
Simone Mazzucato
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.)
Marelli Automotive Lighting Italy SpA
Original Assignee
Automotive Lighting Italia SpA
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 Automotive Lighting Italia SpA filed Critical Automotive Lighting Italia SpA
Publication of EP2108885A1 publication Critical patent/EP2108885A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2108885B1 publication Critical patent/EP2108885B1/fr
Ceased legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
    • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
    • F21S41/10—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source
    • F21S41/19—Attachment of light sources or lamp holders
    • F21S41/196—Wire spring attachments

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an improved bulb-holder device and to a lighting or light signaling device for vehicles, such as a headlight or lamp, provided with such a bulb-holder device.
  • a lighting or light signaling device is known to include a cup-shaped body closed by a clear or prismatic lens at the front and containing one or more reflectors in the focus of which the light sources, generally consisting of bulbs of various type (e.g. incandescent, halogen, discharge, etc.), are mounted by means of one or more bulb-holder devices.
  • the bulb-holder device also simply referred to as “bulb-holder” hereinafter, must ensure that the bulb is placed in its correct position established in design with respect to the reflector, so as to be able to provide a light beam complying with the light distribution features required by international regulations.
  • the bulb-holder device is generally obtained by implementing the bulb-holder device as a collar coaxial to an internal seat in which the bulb is accommodated, and in which seat, locator recesses or ridges intended to be coupled in use with corresponding fins or pins or recesses of a peripherally external flange of the bulb are obtained.
  • a rocking spring carried by the collar outside the same which cooperates in use with the flange of the bulb when it is carried in a clasping position with a fastening seat thereof carried by the collar, then blocks the bulb in the correct position, inside the seat into the collar.
  • An example of such a bulb-holder device is known from US-A-4872096 .
  • a bulb-holder as the one described above, especially due to the high flexibility of the blocking spring has the disadvantage, however, of allowing to achieve the spring blocking onto the bulb flange (with the consequent blocking of the bulb in the collar seat) even in a bulb position other than the correct one, e.g. with the bulb accommodated slightly askew in the collar seat with respect to the optical axis of the reflector.
  • Assembling the bulb in an incorrect position results in light distribution, which may be obtained by the lighting device, not complying with the features required by international regulations and not providing the adequate lighting needed for night driving, or dazzling the drivers of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction.
  • the object of the present invention to provide an improved bulb-holder device which, in combination with low manufacturing and assembling costs, light weight and small dimensions, allows to overcome the drawbacks of the known art, always ensuring the bulb blocking in a correct position.
  • the invention further relates to a lighting device for vehicles provided with an improved bulb-holder device, according to claim 11.
  • the bulb-holder comprises a tubular collar carrying therein a seat for housing a bulb fixing flange and obtained integral with, or fixable to, a lighting device reflector, coaxially to an optical axis thereof coinciding with the symmetry axis of the collar; and an elastically deformable spring element, having a first end hinged to first securing means of the collar and a second end adapted to snappingly engage, in use, second securing means of the collar to block in abutment, by a central portion thereof, the bulb flange in said collar seat, the latter and the flange being provided with mating reference means to ensure the correct angular placing of the bulb in the seat.
  • the spring element, the first and second securing means and the collar are dimensioned and placed reciprocally in relation so that the spring element is adapted to snappingly clasp the second securing means only when the bulb is placed in a correct position, in which the flange rests in abutment against a flat bottom wall of the collar seat and in which the mating reference means of flange and seat are reciprocally coupled.
  • the spring element is substantially fork-shaped and is made of a sheared metal wire bent so that the first end is a closed end of the fork, and the second end is an open end of the fork, defined by opposite adjacent terminals of the metal wire, which in the aforesaid correct position of the bulb, and only in this position, are both and at the same time adapted to snappingly engage the second securing means.
  • the first and second securing means are carried by the collar under an edge of the collar itself defining a mouth of the housing seat for the bulb flange, edge consequently arranged on the opposite side of the bottom wall of the bulb flange seat; in particular, the first and second securing means are carried by the collar outside the same and under said edge, between the edge and the bottom wall of the bulb flange seat; furthermore, the second securing means are carried by the collar closer to such an edge than said first securing means.
  • the improved bulb-holder according to the invention simply allows to prevent the bulb from being incorrectly assembled and fixed to the bulb-holder, thus overcoming all the drawbacks of the known art.
  • the user even in the absence of direct visibility (i.e. even “blindly"), the user (or an operator) surely knows that the impossibility of blocking the spring element, in particular with both metal wire terminals forming the second end thereof, onto the second securing means, indicates the incorrect placing of the bulb.
  • the user may thus place the bulb again and try to block the spring element again, until this occurs, thereby ensuring that the bulb is correctly placed.
  • the specific relative placing of the first and second securing means and the fork shape of the spring element ensure that the advantage of the invention applies even in the presence of spring elements provided with high elasticity and which could thus be deformed in case of an incorrect placing of the bulb. Indeed, if this should occur, it would be impossible to determine the simultaneous clasping of both opposite ends of the metal wire forming the fork-shaped spring element onto the second securing means, thus continuing to provide a clear, easily detectable indication to the user (operator) of the correct or incorrect placing of the bulb, even when the spring element is not visible.
  • numeral 1 indicates as a whole a bulb-holder device for a lighting device 2 for vehicles, in turn comprising, in addition to device 1, a bulb 3 ( figure 2 ), a cup-shaped body 4 closed by a lens 5 and a reflector 6 accommodated inside the cup-shaped body 4; the bulb-holder device 1 is obtained integral with, or fixed to, the reflector 6 (in a known manner) at a through hole 7 of the reflector 6 adapted to allow, in use, the passage of bulb 3.
  • the device 1 comprises a tubular collar 10 carrying therein a seat 11 for housing a fastening flange 12 for the bulb 3 and having a symmetry axis coinciding with an optical axis X of the lighting device 1, i.e. the reflector 6, parallelly facing in use the travel direction of the vehicle.
  • the device 1 further comprises an elastically deformable spring element 14, having a first end 15 hinged to first securing means 16 of the collar 10 and a second end 18, adapted to snappingly engage, in use, second securing means 20 of the collar 10 in order to block in abutment the flange 12 of the bulb 3 in the seat 11 by a central position 21 thereof.
  • seat 11 and flange 12 are provided with mating angular reference means 23,24 to ensure a correct angular placing of the bulb 3 in the seat 11 and the spring element 14 is substantially fork-shaped and made of a sheared metal wire 30 ( figure 4 ) bent so that the first end 15 is a closed end of the fork and the second end 18 is an open end of the fork, defined by opposite adjacent terminals 31,32 of the metal wire 30.
  • the first securing means 16, the second securing means 20 and the collar 10 are dimensioned and placed reciprocally in relation so that the spring element 14 is adapted to snappingly clasp the second securing means 20 ( figure 3 ) only when the bulb 3 is placed in a correct position, shown in figure 3 , in which the flange 12 rests in abutment against a flat bottom wall 36 ( figure 1 ) of the seat 11, and in which the mating reference means 23,24 of flange 12 and seat 11 are reciprocally coupled.
  • known reliefs 25 may be obtained on a wall 36' parallel to the wall 36 but placed farther away from the upper edge 60, which reliefs are placed at the same distance of the wall 36 with respect to the edge 60, and against which the flange 12 and the reference means 23 of the bulb ( figure 1 ) rest in abutment.
  • the fork shape of the spring element 14 can snappingly clasp the securing means 20 with both and simultaneously opposite terminals 31,32 of the wire 30, forming the open end 18, when the bulb 3 is in the correct position shown in figure 3 only.
  • the shape of the spring element 14 and the position of the securing means 16 and 20 are such that it is impossible to clasp both terminals 31 and 32 onto the securing means 20, even by causing an intense deformation of the spring element 14; it may be possible to fasten only one, but not both.
  • the central portion 21 of the spring element 14 is defined by two parallel branches 40,41 of sheared and bent metal wire 30, each branch 40,41 is then V-folded, in turn, in the direction of the optical axis X so that, in use and with the spring element 14 engaging the second securing means 20, the vertex of the V defined by the branches 40,41 faces the bottom wall 36 of the seat 11 in the collar 10.
  • each terminal 31,32 of metal wire 30 forming the second open end 18 of the spring element 14 is L-shaped on a plane parallel to the optical axis X and extends parallel to, and on the same side of, the V-folded branches 40,41 of metal wire 30 forming the central portion 21 of the spring element 14, from a respective rectilinear length 42,43 of metal wire 30 joining with the central portion 21.
  • a variant 1b of the bulb-holder device 1 is shown, which differs from the previous one due to the shape of the spring element, which in this case is a fork-shaped element 144, again made of a sheared, bent metal wire 30. Similar or equivalent details to those already described will be indicated with the same numbers for simplicity.
  • the open end 18 of the fork-shaped spring element 144 consists of a pair of opposite, adjacent, parallel terminals 311 and 322 of metal wire 30 and each terminal 311,322 is U-shaped on a plane parallel to the optical axis X and extends parallel to, but from the opposite side of, the V-folded branches 40,41 of metal wire 30 forming the central portion 21, from a respective rectilinear length 42,43 of metal wire 30 joining with the central portion 21.
  • the clasping elements 311,322 of the end 18 of the spring element 144 extend from the opposite side of the corresponding clasping elements 31,32 of the end 18 of the spring element 14.
  • the bulb-holder device 1b is provided with second securing means 200, which differ from the securing means 20 due to their shape and position.
  • the first securing means 16 and the second securing means, 20 or 200 respectively are carried by the collar 10 under an upper edge 60 thereof (or rear edge, according to the travel direction of the vehicle, parallelly to the optical axis X) defining a mouth 61 of the seat 11 for housing the flange 12 of the bulb 3 and, consequently, arranged on the opposite side of the bottom wall 36.
  • the securing means 16, 20 and 200 are radially arranged outside the collar 10 in an axial position (according to the direction of axis X), between the edge 60 and the bottom wall 36 of the seat 11, and the second securing means 20,200 are preferably carried by the collar 11 closer to the edge 60 than the first securing means 16.
  • the first securing means 16 are mounted at the bottom of a circumferential recess 66 obtained along the edge 60 of the collar 10; moreover, the first securing means 16 and the second securing means 20,200 consist of respective shaped portions 70 and 71 and 72 respectively, of respective U-folded metal brackets 73 mounted straddling the collar 11; a dimmer element 78 for the bulb 3 is optionally (i.e. it is present in the examples shown, but may also be missing) connected integral with, and so as to protrude from, the metal brackets 73 by means of respective arms 77 substantially parallel to the optical axis X.
  • the collar 11 is further provided with respective circumferential housing recesses 80 for the second end 18 of the spring element 144.
  • the height of the peripheral collar 11 of the device should be at least 10 mm, calculated in the direction of the optical axis X and from the resting zone(s) of the bulb 3, i.e. from the locator surface or face 36, or from the reliefs 25, and that the collar 11 should have at least one vertical groove as the angular mating reference means 24, which departs from the upper edge 60 and proceeds towards the bottom wall 36 to end blind and substantially at this bottom wall, grooves having a width such as to accommodate the reference means 23 mating the flange 12 and consisting of fins.
  • the portion 21 of the spring element 14 presses the back of flange 12 of the bulb 3 until it reaches its correct position abutting against the surface or face 36 or reliefs 25 when the open end 18 is engaged into respective clasping grooves (of known type) 118 of the portions 71 ( figure 2 ) of brackets 73, i.e. in the case of the device 1b, of recesses 119 of the portions 72 of brackets 73, so as to block the spring element 14 (144).
  • the portion 21 of the spring element 14 (144) comes in contact with the incorrectly placed flange 12.
  • the dimensions and shape of spring element 14 (144), collar 11 and angular placing means 24 are such that they do not allow the opposite terminals 31,32 (311,322) of the metal wire 30 forming the open end 18 of the fork-shaped spring element 14 (144) to be reciprocally engaged in the clasping recesses 118 (119) and to block the same.
  • the clasping recesses 118,119 should be placed under the edge 60 and, in the variant 1b, under the laying plane of the face or surface 36.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)
  • Fastening Of Light Sources Or Lamp Holders (AREA)
EP09156743A 2008-04-11 2009-03-30 Dispositif de support de construction amélioré Ceased EP2108885B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT000282A ITTO20080282A1 (it) 2008-04-11 2008-04-11 Dispositivo portalampada perfezionato

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2108885A1 true EP2108885A1 (fr) 2009-10-14
EP2108885B1 EP2108885B1 (fr) 2012-05-16

Family

ID=40297300

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP09156743A Ceased EP2108885B1 (fr) 2008-04-11 2009-03-30 Dispositif de support de construction amélioré

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2108885B1 (fr)
IT (1) ITTO20080282A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITTO20090945A1 (it) * 2009-12-01 2011-06-02 Automotive Lighting Italia Spa Dispositivo portalampada perfezionato
CN104976590A (zh) * 2014-04-08 2015-10-14 光阳工业股份有限公司 车辆大灯灯泡固定结构
US9285093B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2016-03-15 Federal-Mogul Corporation Self-locating light source module

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3432445A1 (de) * 1984-09-04 1986-03-13 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Scheinwerfer fuer kraftfahrzeuge
US4872096A (en) 1988-01-15 1989-10-03 Valeo Vision Mechanism for locking and unlocking a lamp in a lamp holder particularly for use in an automobile vehicle
DE10140267A1 (de) * 2001-08-16 2003-03-13 Hella Kg Hueck & Co Scheinwerfer für Fahrzeuge
EP1467147A1 (fr) * 2003-04-11 2004-10-13 Valeo Vision Agencement pour la fixation d'une lampe sur un réflecteur et projecteur d'éclairage comportant un tel agencement

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3432445A1 (de) * 1984-09-04 1986-03-13 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Scheinwerfer fuer kraftfahrzeuge
US4872096A (en) 1988-01-15 1989-10-03 Valeo Vision Mechanism for locking and unlocking a lamp in a lamp holder particularly for use in an automobile vehicle
DE10140267A1 (de) * 2001-08-16 2003-03-13 Hella Kg Hueck & Co Scheinwerfer für Fahrzeuge
EP1467147A1 (fr) * 2003-04-11 2004-10-13 Valeo Vision Agencement pour la fixation d'une lampe sur un réflecteur et projecteur d'éclairage comportant un tel agencement

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITTO20090945A1 (it) * 2009-12-01 2011-06-02 Automotive Lighting Italia Spa Dispositivo portalampada perfezionato
EP2330343A1 (fr) * 2009-12-01 2011-06-08 Automotive Lighting Italia S.p.A. Dispositif porte-lampe amélioré
US9285093B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2016-03-15 Federal-Mogul Corporation Self-locating light source module
CN104976590A (zh) * 2014-04-08 2015-10-14 光阳工业股份有限公司 车辆大灯灯泡固定结构
CN104976590B (zh) * 2014-04-08 2019-03-01 光阳工业股份有限公司 车辆大灯灯泡固定结构

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP2108885B1 (fr) 2012-05-16
ITTO20080282A1 (it) 2009-10-12

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