GB2263762A - Vehicle light - Google Patents

Description

2263762 1 VEHICLE LIGHT This invention relates to a vehicle light, such as

an indicator light.

A vehicle indicator light, designed as an interior light, is known from European Patent Application No. 0347149 comprising a easing of a synthetic material housing an incandescent lamp and its contact fittings. A lamp screen covers the casing and is fitted detachably to the casing by means of automatic locking mechanism. At least one of the locking mechanisms is formed by two interengaging hooking members, the first of which is carried by an elastic strip integral with the casing and extending in the direction of attachment of the lamp screen.

The strip carrying the first hooking member is formed as an elastic arm by providing two longitudinal slots in the side wall of the casing, at the free end of which arm is a nose-shaped hooking member. Owing to the resulting unfavourable leverage ratio to the holding power of the elastic arm in the region of the hooking member is very low, so that locking of the hooking members when the lamp screen is installed is not reliably ensured, and the lamp screen can become detached by itself and unintentionally.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle light, such as an indicator light, 2 comprising a casing of resilient material for housing the lamp, a lamp screen secured detachably to the casing by automatic locking means having at least one hook-like locking device formed by two interengaging members the first of which is carried by a deformable strip integral with the casing, said strip being formed by the provision of two co-extending slots in the wall of the casing from a position spaced from the edge of the casing, said first member of the locking device being positioned near the end of the strip closest to the edge of the casing.

In such an arrangement it is possible to ensure that the holding power of the elastic hooking member is ample while the manual effort required for deliberately detaching the lamp screen remains relatively low. It is also possible to so design the interengaging members that they have no undercutting which would otherwise require the provision of production tooling with special slides.

It is of advantage if the middle section of the strip projects partially to the exterior of the wall of the casing, since this assists leverage for detaching the locking mechanism manually without using tools. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the strip is lengthened by a U-shaped loop which protrudes externally from the bottom of the casing. Thus the leverage ratio, and the power ratio between the holding power of the hooking member and the manual force used to detach the hooking member, are considerably improved. Moreover, the outer limb of the U-shaped loop provides a good leverage 3 for detaching the locking mechanism easily and quickly.

In order not to increase the depth of the light on account of the loop protruding from the bottom of the casing, it is of advantage to make the casing shallower in the region of the protruding loop than in the centre of the casing. In this way the space for the lamp fitted in the middle region of the casing is not reduced.

Preferably, two side pieces project externally from the bottom of the casing, which side pieces cover the space between the two limbs of the U-shaped loop while remaining spaced from the limbs. Spray is thus prevented from entering the lamp casing. Moreover, spacing the side pieces from the loop preserves the elasticity of the strip.

It is preferred that the outer limb of the Ushaped loop approaches the corresponding edge of the side piece. It can be arranged thereby that on the one hand the outer limb of the loop provides a good leverage for detaching the hooking member, and on the other hand the outer edge of the side pieces serves to protect the Ushaped loop from excessive stress when the locking mechanism is unfastened.

The invention is further illustrated by way of example in the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section of a first embodiment along the line AA in Fig. 3, Fig. 2 is a view of the casing of this first 4 embodiment in the direction X shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view of the casing in the direction Y in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a second embodiment along line AA in Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a cross-section along the line AA in Fig. 2 illustrating a third embodiment, Figs. 6 and 7 are a front view and a side view respectively, the latter in the direction V in Fig. 6, of a third embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the following description of the different embodiments according to the invention, similar components are indicated by the same reference numbers.

A pot-shaped casing 1 of the light is covered by a lamp screen 2, which with its flange-like outer rim 3 can be secured to the vehicle bodywork 5 by means of screws 4. The lamp screen 2 is fixed to the casing 1 by locking mechanisms arranged on two opposite side walls 6,7 of the light. The first locking mechanism, arranged on the side wall 7 of the light, is formed by a lug 8 fixedly arranged on wall 9 of the casing and an opening 10 in the rim of the lamp screen. The second locking mechanism also comprises a lug 11 which is provided on the opposite side wall of the casing 1 and which locks into an opening 12 in the rim of the lamp screen 2.

The second lug 11 is, however, attached to a resiliently flexible strip 13 which is formed by two slots 14,15 in the wall 6 of the casing. These slots 14,15 begin at a distance (a) from the edge 16 of the casing and extend into the bottom 17 of the casing 1. The lug 11 is located near the end 18 of the strip 13 that lies in the casing side. The anchoring of the lug at both ends gives it a high holding power yet requires only a low force for unlocking the lug 11 from the opening 12. The extension of the slots 14, 15 into the bottom wall 17 of the casing 1 allows the injection moulding tool for the casing 1 to be a slide-free construction.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 the strip 13, fast with the casing 1 at both ends, is lengthened by means of a U-shaped loop 19 protruding externally from the bottom 17 of the casing. In order that this loop 19 should not increase the depth of the light the casing is shallower at the sides, or at least at the side on which the loop 19 protrudes from the bottom 17 of the casing, than in the centre of the casing. By means of this loop 19 the length of the strip 13 is increased, so that less force is needed to unlock the lug 11 from the opening 12 without consequential reduction in the resilient holding force of the strip 13 which locks the lug 11.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 5 to 7 differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 only in the side pieces 20,21 which project from the bottom 17 of the casing, alongside the loop 19, which side pieces cover the space between the two limbs 22,23 of the U-shaped loop 19. A slot-like gap 24, 25 still remains, however, between each of the side pieces 20,21 and the U-shaped loop 19. The 6 outer limb 22 of the U-shaped loop 19 lies close to the nearer edge 26 of the side pieces 20,21 and thus forms a protection against excessive deflection of the limb 22 by the application of too much pressure.

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Claims (9)

1. Vehicle light, such as an indicator light, comprising a casing of resilient material for housing a lamp, a lamp screen secured detachably to the casing by automatic locking means having at least one hook-like locking device formed by two interengaging members the first of which is carried by a deformable strip integral with the casing, said strip being formed by the provision of two co-extending slots in the wall of the casing from a position spaced from the edge of the casing, said first member of the locking device being positioned near the end of the strip closest to the edge of the casing.

2. Vehicle light according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate portion of the strip projects outwardly of the wall of the casing.

3. Vehicle light according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the strip is extended by means of a U-shaped loop protruding externally from a bottom wall of the casing remote from said casing edge.

4. Vehicle light according to claim 3, wherein the casing is shallower in the region of the loop than in a central region of said bottom wall.

5.

Vehicle light according to claim 3 or 4, wherein 8 two side pieces project externally from the bottom wall of the casing, which side pieces substantially cover a space bounded of the U-shaped loop externally of said bottom wall while remaining spaced from the limbs of the loop which define said space, said spacing forming a slot-like gap.

6. Vehicle light according to claim 5, wherein an outer of said limbs of the U-shaped loop lies close to the adjacent edge of the side pieces.

7. Vehicle light according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first member is formed by a projecting lug and the second of said interengaging members is formed by an opening in a rim or a flange of the lamp screen.

is

8. Vehicle light, especially an indicator light, having a plastics casing housing a lamp, a lamp screen covering the casing, which screen is fittea detachably to the casing by means of automatic locking mechanisms, at least one of the locking mechanisms being formed by two interengaging hooking members, the first of which is carried by an elastic strip integral with the casing and extending in the direction of the lamp screen, said strip being formed by the provision of two longitudinal slots which begin in the side wall of the casing, at a distance from the edge of the casing and extend into the bottom of 9 the casing, the first hooking member being-positioned near the end of the strip closest to the edge of the casing.

9. Vehicle light constructed and arranged for use substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.