GB2053440A

GB2053440A - Vehicle light cluster

Info

Publication number: GB2053440A
Application number: GB8018876A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Westfaelische Metall Industrie KG Hueck and Co
Current assignee: Westfaelische Metall Industrie KG Hueck and Co
Priority date: 1979-06-12
Filing date: 1980-06-10
Publication date: 1981-02-04
Also published as: AU5872780A; GB2053440B; FR2458743B3; DE2923712A1; ES251345U; BR8003636A; ES251345Y; FR2458743A1

Abstract

A vehicle light cluster has a series of incandescent lamps mounted on two sheet metal lamp supports (4, 4a) each of which forms an earth conductor for one or more of the lamps. Conductive tracks (5, 5a) to the lamps are blanked out from the respective lamp supports so that they are not conductively connected thereto and the lamp supports and tracks are mounted on an insulating rear cap of the cluster. The two lamp supports have respectively, an integrally stamped out tongue (11), Figure 4, and projection (12), through which they are electrically connected. For engagement with an external multiple plug connection (9) the conductive tracks have their ends remote from the lamps formed as a series of parallel and adjacent spade connectors, and a further such spade connector (8) is formed integrally with one of the lamp supports to engage said plug connection (9) for the earth connection of the lamps of the cluster. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle light cluster This invention relates to a vehicle light cluster with a plurality of incandescent bulbs, each mounted, possibly directly or possibly through lamp holders, on a sheet metal lamp support that also serves as a ground or earth connector for the lamps. Light clusters are known in which the lamp support is mounted on the base of insulating material, together with conductive tracks that have been blanked out from the lamp support but are not in conductive connection therewith so as to serve as current conductors for the incandescent lamps.

In such vehicle light clusters, in which the incandescent lamps are usually associated with different signalling functions, it is often necessary, because of the required spacing of the lamps, to construct the light cluster so that it contains a plurality of lamp supports and connection of the lamps of each to the wiring system of the vehicle is performed by means of a separate multiple plug connector. Also known are light clusters with internal wiring in which the ground conductor extends from each lamp support and is connected by means of cables to the multiple plug connector.

In addition the plug connector must then have at least two ground connections, all of which adds to the cost and the complexity.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle light cluster having a plurality of sheet metal lamp supports on which the lamps of the cluster are mounted or are arranged to be mounted, said lamp supports serving as a common ground or earth for the lamps on them, the individual supports being electrically interconnected with each other by integrally stamped out portions and one of the lamp supports having an integral connector element by means of which all said lamp supports can be electrically connected to a common external earth connection.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle light cluster for a plurality of incandescent lamps comprising at least two sheet metal lamp supports each of which forms a ground or earth conductor for one or more of the incandescent lamps, and tracks blanked from the lamp supports so as not to be in conductive connection therewith, to provide current conductors to the incandescent lamps, said lamp supports and conductor tracks being mounted on a member of insulating material, said at least two lamp supports being electrically connected to each other by a slotted tongue portion integral with one support and a projection integral with the or a further support adjacent to said one support and engaged with said tongue.

Preferably, with conductive tracks blanked out from the lamp supports, in each such track one end is so arranged that these ends extend parallel and adjacent with each other and are disposed in the form of a multiple spade terminal connector.

This offers the advantage that only one multiway connector is required for the lamp supports.

In a preferred arrangement of the tongue and projection form of interconnection of the lamp supports, the projection portion of one support is bent at an angle and is inserted between resilient arms of the associated tongue portion of the connection. Said tongue may advantageously extend in the plane of its lamp support and there be slotted in bifurcated configuration to form a pair of free, resiliently flexible arms.

The free end of the inside of the resilient arms associated with the resilient tongue are advantageously curvilinearly crowned so that electrical contact between lamp supports can be achieved readily and reliably. This reduces the insertion force and the contact pressure is increased.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a vehicle light cluster according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lamp support of the cluster showing the blanked out conductive tracks and contact configuration between the two lamp supports, Fig. 3 is a partial section along the line A-A in Fig. 4, and Fig. 4 shows to a larger scale a detail encircled at "X" in Fig. 2.

The drawing illustrates a light cluster substantially comprising a lens or cover 1, a reflector member 2 which divides the interior of the light cluster into a plurality of chambers, a cap 3 which encloses the light cluster from the rear and, rivetted to the cap 3 by means of studs 10, two lamp supports 4 and 4a from which are blanked out conductive tracks 5 and 5a. Lamp holders 6, constructed of insulating material, are mounted on the lamp supports 4 and 4a.

Conventional incandescent lamps in the holders are electrically connected by means of appropriate spring contacts 7 which are fixed to the current carrying-conductive tracks 5 and 5a. The free end of each spring contact bears resiliently on the centre contact of its incandescent lamp and thus thrusts the lamp socket pins against the ground or earth conductor of the lamp support 4 and 4a.

The two lamp supports 4 and 4a, both of which form the ground or earth conductor for their incandescent lamps, are electrically connected to each other. This is achieved by a tongue 11 slotted in bifurcated configuration and an interengaging projection 1 2. The tongue lilies in the plane of the lamp support and is blanked out integrally with the support 4. The projection extends integrally from the support 4a, with which it is similarly blanked out, thereafter being bent over twice to lie in a plane beiow the tongue and being formed with a tip which is inserted into the bifurcated tongue.

The inside edges 14 of the free ends of the resilient elements 1 3 of the tongue are curvilinearly crowned towards each other so that the projection 1 2 can be inserted with little force.

The curvilinear crowning increases the contact pressure, thus providing a reliably functioning electrical connection between the lamp supports.

Projecting integrally from the lamp support 4 is a spade connector 8 that thus provides for external connection of both the lamp supports 4 and 4a. The ends of the conductive tracks 5 and 5a remote from the lamp holders 6 and the spade connector 8 blanked out from the lamp support 4 for the ground connection are adjacently arranged so as to form a multiple spade connection for a multiway plug connector.

With the construction described above, the mounting of the lamp supports and the insertion of the incandescent lamps can be performed simply and rapidly. Moreover, the external electrical connections including the ground or earth connection to the lamp supports can be made simply and rapidly, by automated means if desired. Wrong connections are impossible when the light cluster is installed. Furthermore, there is the advantage that lighting functions which are not legally required can be provided for in one of the lamp supports and this lamp support can be omitted if such optional functions are not to be incorporated into the light cluster. These factors can all reduce the production costs of the light cluster.

Claims

1. A vehicle light cluster having a plurality of sheet metal lamp supports on which the lamps of the cluster are mounted or are arranged to be mounted, said lamp supports serving as a common ground or earth for the lamps on them, the individual supports being electrically interconnected with each other by integrally stamped out portions and one of the lamp supports having an integral connector element by means of which all said lamp supports can be electrically connected to a common external earth connection.

2. Vehicle light cluster according to claim 1 comprising conductor tracks blanked out from the lamp supports, the conductor tracks and the lamp supports being held on an electrically insulating mounting so as not to be in conductive connection with each other.

3. Vehicle light cluster according to claim 2, wherein at one of their ends, the conductor tracks are disposed in-parallel and adjacent configuration and are arranged as a multiple plug connection.

4. Vehicle light cluster according to anyone of the preceding claims wherein said interconnection of the lamp supports comprises mutually engaging tongue and projection portions on the respective supports.

5. Vehicle light cluster according to claim 4 wherein said projection portion of said electrical connection between the or a pair of supports is bent over from its support and inserted between resilient parts of the associated tongue portion, which is coplanar with its support and is slotted in bifurcated configuration.

6. Vehicle light cluster according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein said tongue portion comprises opposed faces that are convex towards each other and between which the projection is engaged.

7. A vehicle light cluster for a plurality of incandescent lamps comprising at least two sheet metal lamp supports each of which forms a ground or earth conductor for one or more of the incandescent lamps, and tracks blanked from the lamp supports so as not to be in conductive connection therewith, to provide current conductors to the incandescent lamps, said lamp supports and conductor tracks being mounted on a member of insulating material, said at least two lamp supports being electrically connected to each other by a slotted tongue portion integral with one support and a projection integral with the or a further support adjacent to said one support and engaged with said tongue.

8. A vehicle light cluster constructed and arranged for use substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.