US3478199A - Door lock light - Google Patents

Description

R. D. BROCK DOOR LOCK LIGHT Nov. l1, 1969 Filed March 9, 1967 INVENTOR. Raap/u1. D. Baocx United States Patent O 3,478,199 DOOR LOCK LIGHT Randall D. Brock, Kokomo, Ind., assigner of one-third each to Welby Vitatoe and Glen W. Williams, both ofl Kokomo, Ind.

Filed Mar. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 621,883 Int. Cl. EOSb 17/10 U.S. Cl. 240-2.13 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE j BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to a lock lighting mechanism for illuminating, for example, the key opening of an automobile door.

Description of the prior art A number of devices have been conceived for lighting the keyhole of car doors. One such device is shown in the U.S. Patent to Marchant 3,214,214 and another in the U.S. Patent to Skokut 3,162,374. These devices are relatively complicated and require, for example, the replacing of the standard push button of the door latch with a relatively complicated and expensive push button arrangement. Thus, the Marchant device requires a special prism which functions to change the direction of the light from the bulb through two angles as it moves from the light source to the keyhole while the Skokut device requires a push button which is formed of transparent plastic, half of which is colored and half of which is clear. Still another relatively complicated device of this type is disclosed in the U.S. Patent to Hall et al. 1,929,741.

There existsv a need for a lock lighting mechanism which is simple in construction and easy to manufacture and install. In many cases the device of this type may be installed in a used or already manufactured automobile in which case it is most desirable that the automobile be modified as little as possible so as to keep expense as low as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention involves (in a light arrangement for the keyhole of a door lock and latch, said door lock and latch including a push button for opening the door, said push button being ararnged to actuate -a switch for actuating the light) the improvement which comprises a bracket, a light socket mounted on said bracket, a light bulb in said socket, said socket being grounded to said bracket, an externally threaded tube extending through said door, said tube having an inner end which faces said bulb and said tube being aligned with said bulb so that light from the bulb shines into said tube, said tube having a flanged outer end with the ange thereof bearing against the outside of said door, a translucent lens secured to said tube at the outer end thereof, said tube extending through said bracket, and a nut received on said externally threaded tube and securing said bracket and tube to said door.

It is one object of this invention to provide an improved lock lighting mechanism.

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Another object of this invention is to provide a lock lighting mechanism which is inexpensive and simple `in construction and easy to install.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lock lighting mechanism which does not require extensive maintenance and which has a long useful life.

Related objects and advantages will be apparent from the drawings, claims and the portion of the specification which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. l is a fragmentary side elevation of an automobile door incorporating the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken along the line 2-2` of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. l1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken along the line 4.-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an automobile door 10 which has mounted thereon the usual door handle 11. Reciprocably mounted within the door handle 11 is a push button 12 which is used in a well-known manner for actuating the latch mechanism 13 inside of the door to open the door. Also shown in FIG. 1 is the keyhole 15 into which is inserted a key for operating the latching and locking mechanism of the door.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show in detail the lighting arrangement of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the light bulb 16 is received in bayonet fashion in a socket 17 which is mounted upon a bracket 18. The bracket 18 has an L-shape with the longer leg 19 of the L-shape having an aperture 20 through which extends an externally threaded tube 21. The tube 21 has a flange 22 at its outer end which is drawn up against the outside surface 25 of the door 10 by means of a nut 26 which is received upon the threaded tube 21. At the outer ilanged end 22 of the tube 21 there is provided a lens 27,which is translucent and not transparent. Consequently, when light strikes the lens 27 by moving from the bulb 16 through the hollow tube 21, the light is diffused in all directions thus leaving the lens 27 in all directions. When using the present device, the light from the lens 27 reflects against the hands of the person opening the door and also against the key in his hand causing light to be directed against and to illuminate the keyhole 15.

Referring to FIG. 2, the handle 11 is shown as being mounted on the door 10, at least in part by means of a screw 30 which extends through one leg 32 of a U-shaped bracket 31. In the other leg 35 of the U-shaped bracket there is mounted a pillow switch 36 of the same type used in automobiles for turning on the top lamp inside of the passenger compartment when the door of the automobile is opened. Thus, the switch 36, when its actuating arm 37 is depresed, is opened and is closed when the actuating arm 37 is projected.

The push button 12 is normally held in a projected position by means of a spring 40 which acts between the handle 11 and the push button. The push button 12, which along with handle 11 is standard equipment in the automobile, has a bar 42 secured thereto which engages the latching mechanism 13, also a part of the standard equipment of the automobile. The push button is limited against too great projection from the handle by a spring member 41 received in a suitable groove in the bar 42. An actuating member 45 is fixed to the latching mechanism 13 by means of a bolt 46. The actuating member 45 normally engages the arm 37 of the switch 36 and maintains it in Ya depressed position. The only time that the actuating arm 37 of the switch 36 is permitted to move to projected position is when the push button 12 is depressed sucn as occurs during opening of the car door. When the push button 12 is depressed, it moves inwardly of, the handle 11 moving the mechanism 13 inwardly or upwardly as viewed in FIG. 2 and moving the actuating member 45 away from the actuating arm 37 of the switch 36.

` The electrical circuit of the lighting mechanism includes'the car battery 50 which is connected at one side lto' ground and at the other side to a switch 36 by means of insulated wire 51. The other side of the switch 36 is connected by insulated wire 52 to one side of the socket 17. The circuit is completed through the socket, the

16 and the bracket 18 which is grounded against the door It` will be evident from the above description that the present invention provides an improved lighting mechanism for lighting the keyhole of an automobile door or the like. It will be evident that the lighting mechanism of the present invention is extremely inexpensive and simple in construction and easy to install. Thus, in installing the lighting mechanism of the present invention, it is only necessary to drill three holes in the door or the latching mechanism. One of the holes is the hole to mount the arm 45 and to accommodate the bolt 46, this hole being drilled in the latching mechanism 13. The second hole is the bore or opening drilled to receive the tubular member 21, and the third hole 60l is drilled in the door 10 on the inside portion 61 of the door to make possible easy replacement of the bulb 16. This hole or bore 60 is normally closed olf by a plastic hole plug 62. It will also be evident from the above description that the present invention provides a lock lighting mechanism which does not require extensive maintenance and which has a long and useful life.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a light arrangement for the keyhole of a door lock and latch, said door lock and latch including a push button for opening the door, a handle for said door, said push button being reciprocal in said handle, said push button being arranged to actuate a switch for actuating the light; the improvement which comprises a U-shaped bracket, a screw having its head on the inside of said handle and extending through said door securing said handle to said door, said U-shaped bracket having one leg secured under the head of said screw, a switch mounted on said bracket, a light socket mounted on said bracket, a light bulb in said socket, said socket being grounded to said bracket,

said latch having a movable portion which is moved by the depression of said push button, an actuating member secured to said movable portion and engageable with said switch to actuate said bulb, an externally threaded tube extending through said door, said tube having an inner end which faces said bulb and said tube being aligned with said bulb so that light from the bulb shines into said tube, said tube having a anged outer end with the flange thereof bearing against the outside of said door, a translucent lens secured to said tube at the outer end thereof, said tube extending through said bracket, and a nut received on said externally threaded tube and securing said bracket and tube to said door.

2. The light arrangement of claim 1 wherein said switch includes an actuating arm, said switch being closed when said actuating arm is projected and open when said actuating arm is depressed, spring means acting between said handle and said push button to normally maintain said push button projected to permit said actuating member to depress said actuating arm.

3. The light arrangement of claim 2 additionally comprising a power source having one side grounded and the other side coupled in series to one side of said switch, said switch having its other side coupled in series to one side of said socket with the circuit being completed through said bulb and the other side of said socket to ground.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,777,943 l/1957 Moeller 24U-2.13 XR 2,904,671 9/1959 Johnston 24U-2.13 3,388,244 6/l968 CaStOe 240-2.l3

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner DAVID S. STALLARD, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 24U-7.25

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