FR2551402A1 - INTERIOR LIGHTING DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO AN INTERIOR LIGHTING DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, IN PARTICULAR A GLOVE BOX LIGHTING DEVICE, COMPRISING A HOUSING 1 OF TRANSPARENT MATERIAL, TWO CONTACT SPRINGS 3, 4 AND A HELICOIDAL SPRING 5, WHICH SIMULTANEOUSLY CONSTITUTES A RECEPTACLE AND A CURRENT SUPPLY ELEMENT FOR LAMP 6, A RETURN SPRING FOR ACTUATOR 2 AND A MOBILE CONTROL CONTACT.

Description

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  The present invention relates to an interior lighting device for a motor vehicle, in particular a glove boot lighting device, comprising a housing, a first contact spring serving as current supply for the lamp and a second contact spring acting as a movable lamp control contact, acted upon by a member

  actuation (patent FR 1 463 581).

  This known glove box lighting device 10 comprises a lamp with a rod-shaped socket. In the rod-shaped socket is integrated an elastic contact serving as supply terminal, the second supply terminal being constituted by a contact spring. from the oxidation of the metal surfaces 15 which touch each other, breakdowns may occur at the end

for some time.

  According to German patent application DE-OS 28 36 974, there is known an interior lighting device comprising a tubular "Soffite" lamp which is kept bare between two contact springs. In this case also, difficulties may be encountered. establishing contact and, moreover, replacement of a spare part is not possible without destruction due to riveting, so that a complete replacement of a defective lighting device constitutes in most cases

the least expensive solution.

  The invention aims to further simplify such a lighting device by ensuring that it can be assembled from the various components as much as possible without tools and that it can also be disassembled in a simple manner by view of a lamp change or replacement of a spare part. This problem is solved in that the first contact spring is arranged as a first support for the lamp, in that there is provided as a second contact spring a helical spring having ends arranged in the form of branches, which is mounted movably on a mandrel placed in a fixed position in the housing and the first branch of which serves as a second support for the lamp, while its second branch constitutes the movable control contact, and in that a third spring is provided contact which constitutes in cooperation with the second branch a contactor for actuating the lamp and in cooperation

  with the first contact spring, the current supply terminals of the interior lighting device.

  The helical spring according to the invention is arranged with regard to its construction so as to obtain, on the one hand, correct operation of the contactor

  and, on the other hand, a weak force for the actuating member.

  Other features and benefits of

  the invention will be highlighted in the following description, given by way of nonlimiting example, in

  reference to the accompanying drawing in which: FIG. 1 is a plan view of the interior lighting device, and

  Figure 2 is a section of this device.

  The interior lighting device described here is arranged as a glove box lighting device, which is automatically switched on when the glove box cover is opened. The lighting device consists of the following elements: 30 1 a casing 1, 2 a pusher 2 serving as an actuator for actuating the contactor, 3 a first contact spring 3, 4 another contact spring 4, 35 5 a helical spring 5 and

6 a tubular "Soffite" lamp 6.

  The casing 1 consists of a transparent plastic material having on its light crossing surface impressions in the form of wefts or bands

  necessary for good light distribution.

  These fingerprints extend over a surface of the housing inclined towards the user in order also to illuminate the space situated in front of the glove box, for example in order to be able to read a road map On the side walls of the housing, provision is made for in a known manner 10 of the locking tabs 1b and 1c which are formed from the material of the housing, so as to fit the housing into

  a corresponding recess in the glove compartment.

  In the housing is formed or arranged a mandrel -that is to say that it is formed in the same operation as the housing and the locking tabs, on which the helical spring 5 is rotatably mounted, which consists of a few turns of an elastic wire comprising two branches One of the branches 5 a is bent in the form of a ring which serves to receive one of the poles of the lamp 20 "Soffit" 6 In the housing is maintained a spring of contact 3 comprising locking tabs and one end of which protrudes from the casing and serves as a connection plug while its other end serves to receive the second pole of the "Soffit" lamp Another contact spring 4 is blocked by fitting the stop tabs in casing guides, one end of this spring projecting from the casing to form a second connection plug, while its other end is curved so that the second branch 5b of the helical spring is applied against this end

  when the "Soffit" lamp is blocked between its receptacles contact spring 3 and branch 5 a.

  As an actuator of the contactor formed by the other contact spring 4 and the second branch 5b 35 of the helical spring 5, there is provided a pusher 2 disposed inside the casing 1, passing through it and which,

  when closing the glove boot, is pushed in a known manner by its cover inside the housing.

  The part, protruding from the casing 1, of the pusher 2, which otherwise has a square or rectangular section, has a circular cross section. The opening provided in the casing for the pusher is also circular and it constitutes a stop for the pusher.

  that it cannot fall from the casing or be pulled out of it.

  The second branch 5 b is hooked by one end into a groove-shaped recess provided at the end of the pusher 2 which does not protrude from the casing and it applies the pusher against the stop when the glove box is open In this position, the contactor is closed When the pusher is pushed inside the casing by closing the glove box cover, the coil spring 5 with the branches 5 a and 5 b, the "Soffit" lamp 6 and the contact spring 3, are moved by pivoting to the position indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 1, so that the contactor

is open.

  The coil spring thus fulfills three different functions: 1 It constitutes a receptacle and a contact establishment element for the "Soffite" lamp, 2 It constitutes the return spring for the pusher, and

  3 it constitutes the movable contact of the contactor.

  On each actuation of the pusher 2, there is a relative movement on the one hand between the branch 5 a and the "Soffite" lamp 6 and, on the other hand, between the "Soffite" lamp 6 and the contact spring 3, which prevents corrosion 35 in the area of application of the elastic contacts against the lamp The same consideration applies to the contacts

fixed 4 and mobile 5 b of the contactor.

Claims (1)

CLAIM   Interior lighting device for a motor vehicle, in particular a glove box lighting device, comprising a housing, a first contact spring serving as current supply for the lamp and a second contact spring acting as a movable contact lamp control, biased by an actuator, characterized in that the first contact spring (3) is arranged as a first support for the lamp (6), in that it is provided as a second spring contact a helical spring (5) having ends arranged in the form of branches (5 a, 5 b), which is movably mounted on a mandrel (la) placed in a fixed position in the casing (1) and whose 15 first branch (5 a) serves as second sunport for the lamp (6), while its second branch (5 b) constitutes the movable control contact, and in that a third contact spring (4) is provided which constitutes in cooperation with the second branch (5b) a contactor r lamp actuation (6) and in cooperation with the first contact spring (3) the supply terminals   from the interior lighting device.