US2273728A

US2273728A - Electric light fixture

Info

Publication number: US2273728A
Application number: US311437A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nils A Tornblom
Original assignee: Appleton Electric LLC
Current assignee: Appleton Electric LLC
Priority date: 1939-12-29
Filing date: 1939-12-29
Publication date: 1942-02-17
Anticipated expiration: 1959-02-17

Description

Feb. 17, 1942, N. A. TORNBLOM 2,273,723

ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE Filed Dec. 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 17, 1942. N. A. TORNBLOM 2,273,723

ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE Filed Dec. 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 17, 1942 ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE Nils A. Tornblom, Chicago, 111., assignor to Appleton Electric Company, a corporation of Illinois Application December 29; 1939, Serial No. 311,437 2. Claims. (01. 240-415) The present invention has for its object to produce a simple and novel self-contained unit containing a reflector, electric lamp and lens adapted to be detachably mounted, as a whole, in a casing. to produce a vehicle headlight, spot-. light, road lamp or other illuminating device.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointedout with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section on a vertical plane containing the axis of the device, illustrating one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the light emitting and distributing unit removed from the casing; Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, but on a larger scale; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing only the lensengaging ring or bezel; Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 to 6 of the drawings, l represents any usual or suitable lamp housing or casing open on one side which I shall refer to as the front side. Arranged within the housing is any usual or suitable dish-shaped reflector 2 across the front of which is fitted a lens 3; the reflector and lens being held to the casing by a ring or bezel 4. Carried by the reflector in any usual or suitable light bulb 5.

It will be seen that the reflector has the marginal portion thereof adjacent to the front edge flanged outwardly and laterally, as indicated at 6. Between the flange 6 and the rear edge face or rim of the lens is a sealing and cushioning ring 1.

The reflector, lens and bezel are held together by means which maintains a yielding clamping pressure on the sealing ringor gasket. In the arrangement shown, there is engaged with the central portion of the reflector, on the back side of the latter, a ring 8 cut from sheet metal; the center of this ring coinciding with the axis of the reflector. A plurality of hooks 9, three in the example illustrated, project radially from the ring 8. Each of these hooks is received in a slot ill in one end of a link ll. Attached to the other end of each link is a short tension spring 12 provided with an open ring or hook l4 adapted to be engaged with an eye or perforated lug IS on the inner side of the bezel just behind the flange 6 on the reflector. The parts are so proportioned that when the open rings or hooks M are interlocked with the bezel they lie quite close to the flange on the reflector and serveas stops to prevent the reflector from being pushed back if pressure is applied against the outer face of the lens. The springs, of course, pull rearwardly on the bezel and forwardly on thering 8 which, in turn, presses the reflector forwardly; thereby causing the reflector and the lens to be drawn together and exert a clamping pressure on the sealing ring or gasket between them.

In order to prevent the reflector from turningaboutv its axis, relatively to the bezel, the flange 6 thereof may be provided with a laterally-projecting lip 16 adapted to extend down into a little pocket or recess I! just' in front of one of the lugs or ears [5.

. When it is desired to take apart the unit just described, assuming that it is separate from the casing, the ring 8 need only be pressed laterally in the direction of one of the flexible ties, so as to release the tension on the spring in that tie; whereupon the link member ll of the tie may be lifted off the corresponding hook, The spring end of that tie may then be readily disengaged from the corresponding eye or perforated lug or ear on the bezel. This process is repeated with the other ties, whereupon the three main members of the unit are no longer held together and the unit may be taken apart. T facilitate the shifting of the ring 8 in the manner just described, I. provide it with ears [8 each arranged diametrically opposite one of the hooks 9 and projecting rearwardly at right angles to the plane of the ring. When it is desired to disconnect one of the ties one need only press against the ear opposite the same and thus cause the ring to be shifted until the tie may be unhooked from the ring. The ears l8 are preferably formed integral with the ring, being fashioned simultaneously with the cutting of the ring from the sheet metal.

The light emitting and distributing unit may be secured to the lamp casing in any suitable way. In the arrangement shown, the lamp casing has at the open side a cylindrical marginal portion l9 upon which the rear marginal portion of the bezel may be telescoped. At any suitable point, conveniently at that point which is lowermost when the lamp is in use, the bezel is provided with a depression in the inner face thereof, as indicated at 20. In the arrangement shown, this depression is just behind one of the eyes or perforated lugs 15. The cylindrical flange I9 has struck therefrom a lip 2| that drops into the pocket or depression 20 when the bezel is applied to the lamp casing by moving it upwardly and rearwardly. After the bezel has been slipped over the cylindrical flange I9, the lip 2| being engaged in the pocket or recess 20, a. screw, such as indicated at 22, may be inserted through the bezelat a point diametrically opposite the lip 2| and be engaged with a suitable stationary nut within the casing; such a nut being illustrated at 24 in the modified construction of Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a construction in which the lens and the reflector are permanently united, so that the function of the bezel is simply to secure this particular unit to the casing. An arrangement of this kind is useful where a so-called sealed beam is desired; the user being required to obtain a new unit when the lamp burns out, thereby avoiding the danger of incorrectly positioning a new bulb in the reflector.

In this form of my invention, the reflector 25 has in addition to the flange 26 a relatively wide extension of this flange, which extension is carried past the sealing ring or gasket 21 and over an. annular marginal portion of the front side or face of the lens, as indicated at 28. The base 29 of the electric bulb 30 extends through and is soldered to a sleeve-like central rearward projection 3| onthe reflector.

The unit just described, comprising the reflector, the bulb and the lens, is secured in the bezel by means of the same flexible spider device with its associated tension springs, as is the case with the other embodiment of the invention; the principal difference between the two embodiments residing in the manner of holding the light bulbs and securing the reflectors to their respective lenses.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, with a slight modification thereof, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a dish-shaped reflector, a lens extending across the front of the reflector, a sealing gasket between the lens and the edge face of the reflector, the rim of the reflector being flanged over the marginal portion of the lens to cause the gasket to be compressed, a bezel engaged with the front side of the lens, an anchoring member overlying the center of the back side of the reflector, and a plurality of tension springs connecting said anchoring member to points distributed angularly of the bezel.

2. In combination, a dish-shaped reflector, a lens extending across the front of the reflector, a sealing gasket between the lens and the edge face of the reflector, the rim of the reflector being flanged over the marginal portion of the lens to cause the gasket to be compressed, a bezel engaged with the front side of the lens, a ring overlying the center of the back side of the reflector, a plurality of flexible ties including tension springs connected to said ring and leading to points distributed angularly of the bezel, each tie having a quickly-detachable connection with the bezel, and a rearwardly-projecting ear on said ring diametrically opposite each of said ties.

NILS A. TORNBLOM.