GB1589380A

GB1589380A - Device for fixing a flanged electric lamp to the reflector of a vehicle headlight

Info

Publication number: GB1589380A
Application number: GB46042/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Cibie Projecteurs SA
Current assignee: Cibie Projecteurs SA
Priority date: 1976-11-08
Filing date: 1977-11-04
Publication date: 1981-05-13
Also published as: RO76328A; AR213538A1; SU910134A3; JPS53115588A; BR7707301A; DE2749759C2; DE2749759A1; IT1087130B; JPS6015082B2; YU256877A; ES463518A1; TR20036A; FR2370230A1; FR2370230B1

Description

(54) DEVICE FOR FIXING A FLANGED ELECTRIC LAMP TO THE REFELCTOR OF A VEHICLE HEADLIGHT (71) We, CLAIM PROJECTEURS, a Societe Anonyme organised under the laws of France, of 17 Rue Henri Gautier, 93012 Bobigny, France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to devices for fixing a flanged electric lamp to the reflector of a vehicle headlight, and to headlights incorporating such devices.

The invention relates in particular, although not exclusively, to devices of very simple design for fixing to a reflector a standardised lamp of H4 type (in accordance with EEC standards), comprising at its base a centering ring provided with three angularly spaced-apart positioning tongues adapted to be precisely located by notches made at the rear of the reflector.

Various devices for fixing H4 type lamps have already been proposed. Some of these use spring wire clips which have to be pivoted between a locking position and a released position; others use a bayonet type of connection.

The present invention provides, according to one aspect, a combination of an electric lamp having a permanently-attached fixing flange, and a fixing device for fixing the lamp to the reflector of a vehicle headlight, the device affording an opening which receives the flange of the lamp, and including at least one spring device which is mounted adjacent the periphery of the opening and is arranged to engage the edge of the flange of the lamp, the spring device being elastic in a direction generally normal to the part of the edge of the flange against which it engages when the lamp is fixed to the reflector, to exert on the flange a force which fixes the lamp in position in the reflector.It is possible to make a fixing device for use in carrying out the invention which is very simple, which does not have loose parts, and with which the lamp can easily be fixed, without requiring access to the interior of the reflector. It should also be noted that, with such a device, the flange of the lamp will normally ensure that, when a replacement lamp is fitted, no adjustment is needed.

In one arrangement, when the opening has a notched cylindrical wall, and the flange of the lamp has tongues which engage in the notches to position the lamp, as with an H4 lamp, the or each spring device includes a spring finger which engages against the periphery of the flange between the tongues, the cylindrical wall having recesses or openings between the notches, to accommodate the spring finger or fingers. The spring fingers may be attached to an elastic ring which tends to expand radially against the inner wall of the opening.

In another arrangement, the reflector has at least one ear which receives a resilient clip, the clip and the ear having complementary formations which engage to lock the clip to the ear, and the clip also having a spring finger which constitutes the spring device. This arrangement is also applicable to H4 or similar lamps; in this case, the or each spring finger may engage against part of one of the tongues of the lamp flange, or, alternatively, against a circular part of the periphery of the flange.

The invention also provides, according to a second aspect, a vehicle headlight incorporating a combination of a lamp and a fixing device according to the first aspect.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but two specific embodiments will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of part of the reflector of an automobile headlight equipped with a type lamp and of a device for fixing this lamp on the reflector,; Figure 2 schematically shows a partial side view of the parts corresponding to Figure 1, of a second headlamp; and Figure 3 is a partial rear view of the headlight shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a reflector 10 for automobile headlight, which comprises an opening 12 defined by a raised edge 14. This raised edge 14 supports an inserted annular piece 16, which presents notches 18 intended for the radial positioning of an electric lamp. Such notches may, alternatively be formed in the raised edge 14, so that the piece 16 is not needed. In Figure 1, a standardised lamp of the H4 type, referenced at 20. is positioned in the rear opening 12 of the rcflector 10. Such a lamp has a base 22 and a flange 24 provided with tongues 26 for radial positioning. These tongues 26, which are three in number, are arranged on the periphery of the flange 24, at precise angular spacing. They are adapted to cooperatf with the said notches 18.

In a first embodiment of the present invention, a ring 28 is fitted inside the piece 16, or directly inside the raised edge 14 if there is no piece 16. This ring is made, for example, of spring steel, so that it tends to expand radially, and it is locked in place by mcans which will be described later. The ring is also provided with spring fingers 30, which arc radially elastic. Notches 32 made in the member 16 or raised edge 14, independently of the notches 18 for radial positioning of the lamp, are adapted to accommodate the spring fingers 30 when the ring 28 is placed in position in opening 12.

An inner circular flange 34, advantageously provided on the added piece 16 or die-stamped from the reflector 10 is provided with a notch 36. The ring 28 is provided with a tongue 38 having a double hook 40 which engages in the notch 36, and thus locks the ring 28 in axial and radial positions. Of course, it is possible to use a hook or hooks 40 which is single, that is to say, which extend on one side only of the tongue 38.

The shape of the spring fingers 30 is such that in the axial direction from the rear to the front of the reflector, a first zone 42 of each finger 30 converges with the axis of the reflector. Beyond this zone, that is, approaching the flange 34 and the ring 28, a depression 44 is formed, providing an increased distance between the spring finger and the axis of the reflector.

When an electric lamp of type H4 is mounted on the reflector of the automobile headlight described above, the ring 28 is positioned in the bore of piece 16 by positioning the tongue 38 in the notch 36 of the flange 34. The spring finger 30 is atomatically positioned in a corresponding notch 32 in the reflector 12. The lamp with its flange 24 is then placed in position. The radial positioning tongues 26 cooperate with the notches 18 of the reflector 12 and a peripheral zone 46 of the flange 24 slides on the slope 42 of the spring finger 30. The elasticity of the spring finger 30 is essentially radial. The radial component of the contact force between the lamp and the finger 30 consequently pushes said finger outwardly from the opening and enables the flange 24 to pass beyond the point separating the slope 42 from the depression 44.Once this point is passed, the zone 46 of the flange engages in the depression 44 whilst the spring finger 30 returns into a less stressed position to position the flange 24 at the bottom of the depression 44 and to fix the lamp in this precise position.

For the removal of the electric lamp, the reverse operations are carried out. It is observed that the fixing device according to the invention does not employ any pivoted part nor parts which are mobile in translation or which are delicate to assemble.

In a second embodiment of the invention, certain of the same basic elements are used, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. However, the niece 16 which is still provided with notches 18, no longer has notches 32. The ring 28 is no longer employed either. Instead, raised ears 50 are arranged on the piece 16 so as to extend radially outwards. These raised ears are provided with a projection 52, diestamped therefrom.

A resilient clip 54 having two arms 56 and 58 is fitted to each raised ear 50. An opening 60 made in one of the arms 56 and 58, in register with the projection 52, enables the clip 54 to be locked in position on the raised ear 50. A spring finger 62, which is integral with the clip 54, and is elastic in the tangential direction, extends perpendicularly to the plane of the raised ear 50. This finger 62 has a bend 64 determining two zones 66 and 68 making angles of opposite signs with respect to the axis of the reflector.

The positioning of an H4 electric lamp on a reflector 10 by means of the second embodiment of the fixing device according to the invention is as follows: the clips 54 are positioned on the raised ears 50 which are arranged near the notches 18. It is then sufficient to engage the flange 24 of the electric lamp in the opening 12, ensuring that the tongues 26 cooperate with the positioning notches 18. The sliding of an edge of said tongues 26 against the spring finger 62 in the zone 66 is to be compared with that which takes place between the peripheral zone 46 of the flange 24 and the zone 42 of the spring finger 30 in the first embodiment. After passing the bend 64, the tongue 26 abuts against the bottom 70 of the notch 18, and the zone 68 of the finger 62 performs the same function as the said depression 44.In this case, the axial position of the lamp is precisely determined by the stop surface 70 and the lamp is maintained in this position by the elasticity of the finger 62, by the axial component of the force resulting from the contact.

In a third embodiment (not shown), a device comprising as in the second embodiment, raised ears 50 and clips 54, may have notches similar to the notches 32, and a mode of fixing similar to that of Figure 1, by radially elastic fingers 62.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A combination of an electric lamp having a permanently-attached fixing flange and a fixing device for fixing the lamp to the reflector of a vehicle headlight, the device affording an opening which receives the flange of the lamp, and including at least one spring device which is mounted adjacent the periphery of the opening and is arranged to engage the edge of the flange of the lamp, the spring device being elastic in a direction generally normal to the part of the edge of the flange against which it engages when the lamp is fixed to the reflector, to exert on the flange a force which fixes the lamp in position in the reflector.

2. A combination as claimed in Claim 1 in which the opening has a notched cylindrical wall, and the flange of the lamp has tongues which engage in the notches to position the lamp, and the or each spring device includes a spring finger which engages against the periphery of the flange between the tongues, the cylindrical wall having recesses or opening between the notches, to accommodate the spflng finger or fingers.

3. A combination as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the spring fingers are attached to an elastic ring which tends to expand radially against the inner wall of the opening.

4. A combination as claimed in Claim 3 in which the elastic ring is locked in position by engagement between complementary formations on the ring and on the reflector.

5. A combination as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the reflector has at least one ear which receives a resilient clip, the clip and the ear having complementary formations which engage to lock the clip to the ear, and the clip also having a spring finger which constitutes the spring device.

6. A combination as claimed in Claim 5 in which the or each ear extends generally outwards in a radial plane, and has an axial projection, and the or each clip has two flat arms which embrace the associated ear, and one of the arms has an opening which locks over the axial projection.

7. A combination as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 in which the opening has a notched cylindrical wall, and the flange of the lamp has tongues which engage in the notches to position the lamp, and the or each spring finger engages against part of one of the tongues of the flange.

8. A combination of an electric lamp having a permanently-attached fixing flange, and a fixing device for fixing the lamp to the reflector of a vehicle headlight, the device being substantially as herein described, with reference to Figure 1 or Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A vehicle headlight incorporating a combination of a lamp and a fixing device as claimed in any of the preceding claims.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the stop surface 70 and the lamp is maintained in this position by the elasticity of the finger 62, by the axial component of the force resulting from the contact. In a third embodiment (not shown), a device comprising as in the second embodiment, raised ears 50 and clips 54, may have notches similar to the notches 32, and a mode of fixing similar to that of Figure 1, by radially elastic fingers 62. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A combination of an electric lamp having a permanently-attached fixing flange and a fixing device for fixing the lamp to the reflector of a vehicle headlight, the device affording an opening which receives the flange of the lamp, and including at least one spring device which is mounted adjacent the periphery of the opening and is arranged to engage the edge of the flange of the lamp, the spring device being elastic in a direction generally normal to the part of the edge of the flange against which it engages when the lamp is fixed to the reflector, to exert on the flange a force which fixes the lamp in position in the reflector.