GB2344874A - A weather proof push-fit housing suitable for an electrical component - Google Patents

Abstract

A push-fit housing for an electrical component such as a lamp comprises a hollow body adapted to house the component and to lie within or behind an aperture, such as a perforated vehicle panel. The hollow body has a relatively rigid carrier 10 and a relatively flexible seal 4 adapted to seal around the aperture. The rigid carrier fits into and is friction-held by the complementary shaped rubber seal. The top cover of the housing is a lens 3 with a rim 20 which interlocks with a groove 19 on the upper edge of the seal to form a weather proof seal. The housing is secured within the aperture by a ramp formation 32 abutting a first side of the panel edge and skirt formation 23 abutting a second side, co-operation of the skirt and the panel forming a weather proof seal.

Description

HOUSING This invention relates to a housing, more particularly a housing for protecting an electrical automotive component that is surface-mounted to the exterior of a vehicle's body or chassis. One contemplated use of the housing is for a lamp unit that mounts within a hole provided in an external panel of a vehicle body.

The preferred form of the housing of the invention is a clip-in unit that locates within a corresponding hole in a vehicle panel simply by a push-fit whi) e forming a weatherproof seal between the housing and the panel. This protects both the component within the housing, and the interior of the vehicle behind the panel, against water ingress.

The Applicant originally developed its housing for use in stop/tail lamps located at the rear of commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses and coaches. It is this application that will be used hereafter to describe the invention, although it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention accordingly.

Push-in, clip-in lamp housings are well-known in the vehicle industry. They provide a quick and simple way to fit lamps to a vehicle. Such lamp housings are commonly fitted into holes pre-cut in body panels or in other structural members of the vehicle. However, the edges of those holes may be irregular, especially if they are provided in panels that are themselves curved. This means that one hole may differ markedly from another nol lally identical one, but it would of course be uneconomic to make a different lamp housing adapted to suit each hole. Accordingly, any practical lamp housing must be capable of being secured reliably within different holes, albeit of the same general size and shape, whilst still forming a waterproof seal.

Most conunonly, therefore, push-in, clip-in lamp housings comprise a hollow resilient body that corresponds with the hole into which it is meant to be inserted. To form a weatlierproof seal, a flexible flange extends around the body so that when the body is pushed into place within the hole, the flange presses against and seals with the outer surface of the panel or whichever other part of the vehicle defines the hole.

Needless to say, the housing must be secured within its hole to prevent any unwanted movement which may lift the flange and so open up gaps in the weatherproof seal or, worse, cause the housing to drop out of the hole. The housing may therefore be held in place by resilient jaws that spring out behind the panel upon full insertion of the housing into the hole. More commonly in small marker lamps at least, it is known to employ a series of ridges projecting from the housing that engage within the hole itself Existing push^ill, clip-in lamp housings are inadequate in various ways. If made of largely rigid materials, they will lack the flexibility and resilience necessary to preserve a watertight seal in the harsh vibratoy conditions of vehicle use. Also, rigid housings cannot be used with holes that differ dimensionally to any appreciable extent. If made of largely flexible materials, however, they will lack the structural integrity that is necessary reliably to locate the components they contain, and can work loose from the hole in which they are mounted. Accordingly, the use of flexible housings is usually confined to small marker lamps which fit in small, plain, circular holes.

Attempts to avoid these difficulties with larger and more complex lamp housings suitable for larger lamps can create paths for the ingress of moisture either into the interior of the housing, Ieadhl, to failure of the lamp, or into the interior of the vehicle, leading to water damage. That aside, needless complexity such as the use of screw fixings loses the essential simplicity of a push-in, clip-in lamp housing.

The Applicant has sought to overcome the disadvantages of existing lamp housings by devising a holder that fulHIs all of its performance requirements in terms of waterproofing and reliable location, and yet is very simple and quick to install in a hole by nothing more difficult than a push-fit From one aspect, therefore, the present invention resides in a pus-fit housing for an electrical component such as a lamp, the housing comprising a hollow body adapted to house the component and to lie within cr behind means that define a hole, wherein the hollow body is at least partially defined by a relatively rigid carrier and a relatively flexible seal adapted to seal around the hole, the carrier co-operating with the seal to hold the housing in sealing relationship with the means that define the hole.

By combining relatively rigid and relatively flexible components to their best advantage in this way, the invention provides a simple-to-install housing that combines reliable location suitable for larger lamps or other components and yet enjoys good sealing against water ingress into a vehicle's interior.

It is preferred that the relatively flexible seal seals substantially all of the housing within or behind the means that define the hole. Suitably, therefore, the seal at least is continuous on that internal side behind a panel or the like defining the hole, although the seal will generally be open on its external side. In that case, the housing may be completed on its external side by another housing wall such as, in the case of a lamp, a lens The same seal can also seal against the lens to maintain the waterproof integrity of the housing Advantageously, the relatively flexible seal and the relatively rigid carrier are in contiguous tayered rotation, at least in the region of engaging formations such as jaws in the carrier that interact with the means that define the hole. In this way, the carrier can have the slots or other openings necessary to create flexibility in its otherwise rigid stmcture-particularly the resilient flexibility needed to snap-fit with the periphery of the hole-but those openings are sealed by the seal which preferably has thin membrane portions corresponding to the openings for added flexibility. More preferab ! y, the seal embraces and continuously surrounds the outer part of the carrier in a nested relation so as to form an external sealing barrier around the rear of the housing and to seal resiliently within the hole.

In order that the invention can be more readily understood, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled lamp unit 1 comprising a lens 3, a carrier 10, a seal 4, a bulbholder 11 and a connector 12, although only the housing 2 defined by the tens 3 and the seal 4 is visible in this view because the other parts are within the housing 2 ; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lens 3 forming part of the housing 2 of Figure I-, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the carrier 10 within the housing 2 of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the seal 4 forming part of the housing 2 of Figure l ; Figures 5 (a) and 5 (b) are perspective views of two embodiments of bulbholders I I positionable within the housing 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the connector 12 within the housing 2 of Figure 1 ; Figure 7 is a perspective section through line A-A of Figures 1 and 10 showing the carrier 10 nested within the seal 4, the position of the bulbholder 11 within the housing 2 and the position of the connector 12 within a recess 8 behind the housing 21 Figure 8 is a side elevation showing the lamp unit 1 of Figure 1 viewed from a long side; Figure 9 is a side elevation showing the lamp unit 1 of Figure 1 viewed from a short side, Figure) 0 is a top plan view showing the lamp unit 1 of Figure 1 from above, Figure 11 is a bottom plan view showing the lamp unit 1 of Figure I from below ; Figure 12 is a section elevation through line B-B of Figures 1 and 10 showing the bulbholder 11 of Figure 5 (a) ; Figure 13 is a section through line C-C of Figures 1 and 10, showing the position of the bulbs 13 carried by the bulbllolder 1 1 of Figure 5 (b) ; Figure) 14 (a) is a detail sectional view of the lamp unit I of Figure I whilst being fitted within a hole 27 in a vehicle panel 26, and in a position corresponding to the maximum deflection of interlocking formations 28,29 provided in the housing 2 ; and Figure t4 (b) corresponds to Figure 14 (a), but shows the lamp unit 1 when fitted to the panel 26 and with the interlocking formations 28,29 relaxed into engagement behind the panel 26 around the hoie 27.

Several views of an embodiment of the holder corresponding to an assembled lamp unit 1 are slown in Figure I and Figures 8 to 11. The lamp unit 1 illustrated is intended for use in commercial vehicles as described above. However, it will be appreciated that the invention may equally be applied to other types of vehicles or indeed to non-vehicutar applications As can be seen, the lamp unit 1 has a generally cuboidal housing 2, being essentially a box 2 that is broadly oblong in plan, elevation and section. A lens 3 covers and defines a plain external side of the housing 2, and a seal 4 covers and defines an opposed recessed internal side of the housing 2. Accordingly, the tens 3 defines the entire top face of the box 2 and the seal 4 defines the entire bottom face of the box 2. The remaining four engaging faces 5 of the box 2-which comprise opposing pairs of long engaging faces 5 and short engaging faces 5-are partially defined by the tens 3 and partially by the seal 4 and are divided by a prominent peripheral flange 6 formed in the seal 4, as will be described in greater detail below. The six faces of the housing 2 meet at rounded edges as will be evident from the Figures and it will be noted that the engaging faces 5 taper slightly inwardly towards the bottom face of the box 2, as illustrated.

Referring to Figures 7,11,12 and 13, the internal side of the lamp housing 2 comprises a generally flat face potion 7 defining the bottom face of the box 2, surrounding a generally oblong recess 8 that is aligned parallel to the long edges of the bottom face but that is offset towards one of those long edges, as best shown in Figure 11.

Figures 7, 12 and 13 are sections through the assembled lamp unit 1, and hence show its internal features As can be seen, the recess 8 forms a generally flat platform 9 within the housing 2 Figures 2 to 6 show the components of the lamp unit 1. These include the lens 3 and a body comprising a carrier 10 which nests inside the seal 4 when assembled, the carrier 10 and the seal 4 being held together by their friction fit and by interengagement of their complementary shapes The lens 3 and the carrier 10 are of largely rigid plastics material, the lens 3 being of acrylic material. The seal 4 is of natural rubber.

The lamp unit 1 further includes one of the bulbholders 11 shown in Figure 5, which is housed within and is supported by the carrier 10 on the internal side of the platform 9, and a connector 12 which is housed outside and supported by the carrier 10 on the external side of the platform 9, within the recess 8. Nevertheless, as made clear in Figure 13, the seal 4 can lie between the connector 12 and the platform 9 of the carrier 10 that supports the connector 12 As can best be seen from Figure 5 (b) and the corresponding assembly section of Figure li, one of the bulbholders 11 comprises two bulbs 13 separated by a partition 14.

The etectricat connections of the lamp unit 1 are not shown in any of the Figures but will be envident and indeed routine to those skilled in the art.

Generally speaking, the carrier 10 and the correspondingly-shaped surrounding seal 4 are thin-walled cuboidal boxes but they each have five faces only, being open on the sixth face corresponding to the lens 3. The face opposite the lens 3 bears the recess 8 which forms the abovementioned platform 9 supporting the bulbholder 11 and the connector 12. The other four external faces of the seal 4 define the four engaging faces 5 of the lamp housing 2.

A major difference between the carrier 10 and the seal 4 lies in the materials used for their construction: the carrier 10 is moulded from relatively rigid plastics, whereas the seal 4 is moulded from relatively resilient mbber. Both materials are flexible, although the seal 4 is markedly more flexible than the carrier 10. The increased flexibility of the seal 4 allows it to expand to accommodate the carrier 10 as the carrier 10 is pushed into the seal 4. The depths of the carrier 10 and the seal 4 match so that when the carrier 10 is received within the seal 4, their respective free edges 15, 16 or rims bordering the open face are substantially level.

Whilst the free edge 15 of the carrier 10 is simple, the corresponding free edge 16 of the seal 4 is more complet because, as mentioned above, the free edge 16 of the seal 4 is enlarged into a prominent flange 6. This flange 6 includes a groove 17 whose entrance is nal-rozved by an overhanging lip 18 on the outer edge of the groove 17, so as to form a J-section cavity 19 when viewed in cross-section. The free edge or rim 20 of the lens 3 has a correspondingly enlarged ramp-shaped section 21 so that during assembly of the lamp unit 1, the lens 3 and the seal 4 interlock to form a weatherproof seal with a shoulder 22 of the ramp section 2t engaging behind the lip 18. This co-operation of the liln 20 and the groove 17 in the f) ange 6 ensures that the tens 3 does not accidentally separate from the seal 4, whilst allowing their deliberate separation by, for example, a tlat-blacle screwdriver.

The underside of the flange 6 opposed to the groove 17 supports a thin flexible skirt 23 which depends from the flange 6 and extends outwardly away from the engaging faces 5 of the seal 4.

The bulbholder 11 is supported within the housing 2 as can best be seen from Figures 7, 12 and 13. A pair of supports 24 are integrally moulded into the carrier 10 on the inner face of the platform 9 associated with the recess 8. The supports 24 run parallel to one another for a short distance along the length of the lamp unit 1, and are intended to receive and support an edge of the partition 14 of the bulbholder 11. The supports 24 are therefore separated by the thickness of that partition 14. In addition, slots 25 are provided in the short internal faces of the carrier 10. The slots 25 extend perpendicularly from the free edge 15 of the carrier 10, and their width also corresponds to the thickness of the partition 14. The slots 25 and the supports 24 are arranged such that when the bulbholder 11 is installed within the lamp unit 1, opposed edges of the partition 14 are received by the slots 25 and another edge of the partition 14 is received between the supports 24, so that the partition 14 bisects the carrier 10 along its length.

In order firmly to secure the lamp unit 1 to a vehicle panel 26 (shown in Figures 14 (a) and 14 (b)) that surrounds a complementary hole 27, corresponding interlocking formations 28, 29 are provided on the outside surfaces of the four engaging faces 5 of both the carrier 10 and the seal 4.

Each of the interlocking formations 28, 29 is broadly rectangular in shape. In the carrier 10, the formations 28 are each defined by a slot 30 running perpendicularly from the edge bordering the recessed bottom face, before turning 90 to run for a short distance parallel to that edge, before turning back a further 90 to meet up with that edge once more. The interlocking formations 28 can therefore be described as fingers 28. The seal 4 has corresponding interlocking formations 29 including thin membrane portions 31 that correspond to the slots 30 but that do not penetrate the seal 4. lnstead, the membrane portions 31 define a thin flexible web around the formations 29 and so maintain a seal both during and after interlocking movement of the formations 29.

As each finger 28 is ollly johled to the rest of the carrier 10 by one short side of the surrounding rectangle, it is effectively hinged to the rest of the carrier 10 in a resilient cantilevered manner aided by the resilience of the seal 4. Accordingly, the fingers 28 act as springs which can be displaced from a relaxed position, as results from the moulding process that produces the carrier 10, into other stressed positions. As the carrier 10 is moulded from relatively rigid plastics, rather than the more flexible rubber of the seal 4, it offers increased resilience and hence a greater tendency to adopt the relaxed position.

Figures 14 (a) and 14 (b) show the asseinbled lamp unit I being fitted to a panel 26. In particular, these Figures illustrate how the formations 28,29 act to secure the lamp unit 1 within a hole 27 in a vehicle panel 26 once fitted, and how the skirt 23 forms a weatherproof seal around the hole 27. It will be noted in this respect that the interlocking outer formations 29 of the seal 4 have a gently-sloping ramp section 32 terminating in a steeply-ramped enlarged edge 33. Upon insertion, the seal 4 presses against the corresponding fingers 28 of the carrier 10 as will now be explained.

Initially, the lamp unit 1 can freely be pushed into a corresponding hole 27 provided in a panel 26, as the leading edge portions of the four engaging faces 5 define a bottom face that is smaller in area than the area of the hole 27, due to the taper of the engaging faces 5. However, the outer formations 29 of the seal 4 will eventually come into contact with the edges of the hole 27, and so resistance is met due to the resistance of the fingers 28 to their inward deflection. This resistance will increase markedly when the incline face of the enlarged edge 33 comes into contact with the edges of the hole 27 and the inward deflection of the fingers 28 is proportionately increased.

The situation reached when the enlarged edge 33 of the ramp is in contact with the edge of the hole 27, i. e. that corresponding to full deflection of the fingers 28 and maximum deformation ofthe carrier l0 and seal 4, is depicted in Figure 14 (a).

Once the enlarged edge 33 of the ramp clears the inner edge of the hole 27, the resilience of the fingers 28 of the carrier 10 urges the fingers 28 outwardly into their relaxed position, urging the ramp into the locking position with the enlarged edge 33 pressing against the underside of the panel 26, as depicted in Figure 14 (b). In this way, the lamp unit) is firmly locked within the hole 27 by engagement between the ramps 32 and the underside of the panel 26.

Similarly, movement further into the hole 27 is resisted by the flexible skirt 23, which can only be displaced as far as the flange 6 will permit. Accordingly, as will be clear to those skilled in the art, the lamp unit 1 is firmly held in position once in the engaged position shown in Figure 14 (b), the skirt 23 and the associated flange 6 co-operating with the interlocking formations 28,29 to embrace the panel 26 in a resilient squeeze. This firmly locates the housing 2 against movement through vibration and also aids the primary role of the skirt 23 which is to form a weatherproof seal with the panel 26.

As can be seen from Figures 14 (a) and (b), the skirt 23 is arrange such that when the lamp unit 1 is inserted into the hole 27, the skirt 23 bears against the panel 26 and indeed lies flat against the panel 26. This is advantageous as it ensures a larger area of contact between the skirt 23 and the outer surface of the panel 26, to the benefit of sealing.

Furthennore, by maximising the overlap between skirt 23 and panel 26, the likely range of sizes and shapes of the hole 27 is fully covered.

The co-operation of the skirt 23 and the body panel 26 forms the weatherproof seal around the hole 27 in the panel 26 which would otherwise let water behind the panel 26.

However, in case water gets past the skirt 23, it will be noted that the lamp unit 1 is also weatherproofed within the hole 27 by virtue of the unbroken rubber seal 4 which encloses the carrier 10.

The benefits inherent in the design of the lamp unit I can clearly be seen from the point of view of a worker fitting the lamp ullits I to semi-complete vehicles on a production line To install a pre-assenlbled lamp unit 1 in accordance with the invention, the worker need only connect the electrical connector 12 with the vehicle's wiring loom before firmly pressing the lamp unit I into the hole 27 of the panel 26. The interlocking formations 28, 29 will then snap into place behind the panel 26, thereby firmly lolding the lamp unit I in position.

Once installed in this way, it is difficult to remove the lamp unit I from the panel 26 but this is unlikely to be necessary as access can be gained to the interior of the lamp unit 1, especially the bulbholder 11, by removing the lens 3.

The housing 2 of the invention has many possible applications in the automotive industry and indeed beyond. For instance, many other automotive components require external moLIlltinO to a vehicle, e. g. reverse alarms, temperature sensors and aerials. The present invention may therefore be embodied in other specific forms. Materials may be varied as necessary and, in an alternative embodiment, the disposition of the seal 4 and the carrier 10 may be reversed so that the relatively flexible seal 4 is nested within the relatively rigid carrier 10. sXccordinoly, reference should be made to the appende claims and other general statements herein rather than to the foregoing specific description as indicating the scope of the invention

Claims (15)

1. CLAIMS 1 A push-fit housing for an electrical component such as a lamp, the housing comprising a hollow body adapted to house the component and to lie within or behind means that define a hole, wherein the hollow body is at least partially defined by a relatively rigid carrier and a relatively flexible seal adapted to seal around the hole, the carrier cooperating with the seal to hold the housing in sealing relationship with the means that define the hole.
2. 2 The housing of Claim 1, wherein the relatively flexible seal seals substantially all of the housing within or behind the means that define the liole.
3. 3. The housing of Claim 2, wherein the seal is continuous on the internal side that lies in use behind the means that define the hole.
4. 4. The housing of Claim 3, wherein the seal is open on its external side that lies in use in front of the means that define the hole
5. 5. The housing Claim 4, and being completed on its external side by another housing wall
6. 6. The housing of Claim 5, wherein the other housing watt seats against the seal.
7. 7 The housing of Claim 5 or Oaim 6 and being a lamp housing, wherein the other housing watt is a tens
8. 8 The housing of any preceding Claim, wherein the seal and the carrier are in contiguous layered relation, at least in the rez ; ion of engaging formations in the housing adapted to interact with the means that define the hole.
9. 9 The housing of Claim 8, wherein the engaging formations comprise openings in the carrier to create relative flexibility in its otherwise relatively rigid structure, which openings are sealed by the seal.
10. 10. The housing of Claim 9, wherein the seal has thin membrane portions corresponding to the openings in the carrier.
11. I I. The housing of any preceding Claim, wherein the seal embraces and continuously surrounds the carrierjn a nested relation, forming a sealing barrier around the rear of the housing
12. 12. The housing of Claim 11, wherein the seal is adapted to seal resiliently within the liole.
13. i3 The housing of any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the seal is received within the carrier in a nested relation to form a continuous seating barrier around the rear of the housing.
14. 14. A lamp unit or a vehicle incorporating the housing of any preceding Claim.
15. 15. A lamp unit, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as illustrated in any of Figures I or 7 to 14 (b).

    15. A housing, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as illustrated in any of Figures I or 7 to 14 (b).