GB2239939A

GB2239939A - Warning lamps

Info

Publication number: GB2239939A
Application number: GB9100555A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Thomas Wright
Original assignee: Dorman Traffic Products Ltd
Current assignee: Dorman Traffic Products Ltd
Priority date: 1990-01-11
Filing date: 1991-01-10
Publication date: 1991-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2011-01-10
Also published as: GB9100566D0; GB2239940B; DE9100089U1; HK93293A; HK93193A; GB2239940A; GB2239939B; GB9000611D0; DE9100088U1; GB9100555D0

Abstract

A lamp unit has a connector portion (14) to engage with the upper end of a supporting post (10). A lamp body (12) surmounts the connector portion (14), with at least one lens (15) mounted in the body, and means (42, 44, 46) supports a light source so as to shine through the lens(es). Retention is by a pin (28) which is a push fit through the connecter portion (14) and post (10). The pin (28) can usefully be L-shaped, and the lamp unit include a clip (32) to receive one arm (30) of the pin after pushing the other arm through the connector portion (14) and the post (10). <IMAGE>

Description

WARNING LAMPS This invention relates to warning lamps which may be used at roadworks, that is to say the site of construction or repair work on a road which being used by traffic.

One known type of warning lamp consists of a lamp unit with a light bulb and lens(es) mounted at the top of a supporting post. Such lamps need to be fastened to the post as a safety measure, in order that the lamp unit cannot be detached, intact, from the post in the event of impact by a vehicle. Fastening with a nut and bolt is possible. However, we have appreciated that this can be undesirable: for instance when the lamps are used on roads carrying fast moving traffic, a workman will be reluctant to take the time to do up a nut and bolt.

According to this invention, a retaining member for fastening a lamp unit onto a supporting post is a pin which is a push fit through a connector portion of the lamp unit and the post.

Preferably the connector portion is a female socket to fit over the post. Preferably also the pin is L-shaped and the lamp unit includes a clip to receive one arm of the pin after pushing the other arm through the connector and post. The arm of the pin may snap fit into the clip upon rotation of the inserted pin through a small angle.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figs. 1 and 2 are front and side views of the lamp unit of a warning lamp; Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig.

1; Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figs. 2 and 4 with the fastening pin inserted.

Referring first to Figs. 1-4, the lamp unit shown is made principally of moulded plastic parts and is intended to fit at the top of a metal post 10 shown in phantom lines. The lamp unit has a body in the form of an annulus 12. This is located at the top of a connector portion 14, and is moulded integrally with it.

This connector portion 14 is a hollow socket intended to be fitted over the top end portion of the post 10. A pair of fresnel lenses 15 are bolted to a flange 16 of the annular body 12. An extension 18 from each lens also hooks into the top of the connector socket 14, as seen from Fig. 3.

The connector socket 14 is provided with a boss 20 at one side. At the opposite side there is a moulded projection 22. As shown in Fig. 4 there is a round hole 24 extending through the boss 20, through the wall of the socket at the opposite side and through the projection 22. The connector socket 14 is reinforced with internal ribs 36 and with external ribs 38 which extend upwardly from the projection 22 and the boss 20 to merge into the annular lamp body 12.

As shown by Fig. 5, when the socket is fitted to the upper end of the post 10 the hole 24 registers with a hole 26 through the post 10. The lamp unit can be fastened onto the post by the L-shaped pin 28 whose longer arm 29 is pushed straight through the registering holes 24,26 as shown in Fig. 5. Once this pin has been pushed in fully, its shorter arm 30 is used to rotate the pin about the axis of the longer arm until the shorter arm 30 snaps into a hook-shaped clip 32 at one side of the connector socket 14. The tip of the pin is tapered as shown at 34 to assist when pushing it through the holes 24,26.

It will be appreciated that in order to fasten the lamp unit onto the upper end of the post 10 all that is necessary is to fit the connector socket 14 over the top end of the post until the holes 24 register with the holes 26 in the post, then insert the pin by pushing it through the registering holes and finally turn the inserted pin through a small angle to bring its shorter arm 30 into the clip 32. The angle can be quite small, perhaps 90" or less, and this is quite different from turning a bolt fully through 360" several times in order to screw the bolt into a nut.

The arrangement just described using a push fit pin 28 is convenient for rapid attachment of a lamp unit to a stand, for example on a main highway where traffic is moving quickly. It is nevertheless possible to use a nut and bolt in circumstances where this is desired, for example if the warning lamp is being used in an urban area where traffic speeds are slower but vandalism or tampering with the warning lamps is a problem. In order to use a nut and bolt the nut is slid into the cavity 40 between the projection 22 and the wall of the socket.

The dimensions of the nut should be such that it can be slid into this cavity but is then unable to rotate. The bolt is inserted through the boss 20 and screwed into the nut which is held in the cavity 40.

The light source of the warning lamp is an incandescent bulb held in a bulb holder 42 (see Fig. 3) so as to be on the optical axis of the lenses 15. As shown by Fig. 3 the bulb holder 42 is at the upper end of a pillar 44. The bulb holder 42, the pillar 44 and a base 46 for the pillar 44 are a sub-assembly which can be put into the lamp or removed from it as one piece.

The sub assembly is inserted through the base of the connector socket 14 (before this has been fitted over the post 10) and pushed in until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 3. The pillar 44 accommodates a small electrical circuit which (when required) causes the light bulb to flash intermittently. A switch 48 fitted to the base 46 is used to switch between continuous illumination and flashing. An electrical cable leading from the pillar 44 to the power supply of the lamp extends down through the socket 14 which is shaped to provide space for such a cable as indicated by numeral 54 in Fig. 4.

The power supply for the warning lamp is an external battery and the warning lamp can of course be turned off completely when required simply by disconnecting it from its supply battery.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A lamp unit comprising a connector portion to engage with the upper end of a supporting post; a lamp body surmounting the connector portion, with at least one lens mounted in the body, and means to support a light source so as to shine through the lens or lenses; and a retaining member in the form of a pin which is a push fit through the connector portion and post.

2. A lamp unit according to claim 1, wherein the connector portion is a female socket to fit over the post.

3. A lamp unit according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the pin is L-shaped and the lamp unit includes a clip to receive one arm of the pin after pushing the other arm through the connector portion and the post.

4. A lamp unit according to claim 3, wherein the one arm of the pin is adapted to snap fit into the clip upon rotation of the inserted pin through a small angle.

5. A lamp unit substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.