US3526762A - Illuminated indicating instrument with replaceable lamps - Google Patents

Illuminated indicating instrument with replaceable lamps Download PDF

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Publication number
US3526762A
US3526762A US716189A US3526762DA US3526762A US 3526762 A US3526762 A US 3526762A US 716189 A US716189 A US 716189A US 3526762D A US3526762D A US 3526762DA US 3526762 A US3526762 A US 3526762A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
socket
lamp
bezel
instrument
holder
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US716189A
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English (en)
Inventor
Dana J Blackwell
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Lewis Engineering Co
Original Assignee
Lewis Engineering Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lewis Engineering Co filed Critical Lewis Engineering Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3526762A publication Critical patent/US3526762A/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q3/00—Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors
    • B60Q3/10—Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors for dashboards
    • B60Q3/14—Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors for dashboards lighting through the surface to be illuminated

Definitions

  • FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an illuminated indicating instrument or meter as provided by the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the instrument, showing the front portion thereof with the casing and instrument movement removed.
  • FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 4 is a fragmentary axial sectional view, greatly enlarged, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 5 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in axial section, of a lamp holder device employed in the instrument.
  • FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the lamp holder device of FIG. 5.
  • the instrument comprises a casing 10 (shown partially in broken outline in FIG. 2) carrying at its front a face plate or annular bezel 12 in which there is mounted a window 14 of the kind adapted to be edge lighted.
  • the window 14 may be of any usual construction involving prisms or wedges 16, 18 as is well understood in the art.
  • the instrument has a dial, including a scale or indicia 20 and one or more pointers 22, as is common practice.
  • a novel and improved lighting means or assembly is provided for effecting illumination of the instrument dial, indicia 20 and pointer 22, such lighting means comprising miniature incandescent lamps and sockets therefor, so arranged that the lamps may be easily and quickly replaced from the front of the instrument without requiring dismounting, or dismantling of the casing 10 thereof.
  • the illumination means comprises a pair of identical lighting units 24, 26 only one of which, for the sake of brevity, will be described in detail.
  • the lighting unit 26 comprises a lamp holder in the form of a tube 28 disposed within the casing at the rear of the bezel 12, said tube having a pair of angle brackets 30 which are secured to the rear of bezel by suitable screws 32.
  • the angle brackets 30 may be spot welded to the exterior of the holder tube 28, as indicated.
  • the forward edge of the holder tube 28 has a notch 34 which adjoins the edge portion of the window 14 as clearly shown in FIG. 4, for the purpose of enabling light from the lamp to strike such edge portion, as explained below.
  • the inner wall of the holder tube 28 comprises a guide means which extends in forward and rearward directions, and within the tube there is a lamp socket comprising portions 36, 38 which are movable as a unit forwardly and rearwardly of the holder.
  • the portion 36 is of larger diameter and slidably fitted in the holder tube 28, being spring-urged forwardly by a compression coil spring 40 engaging the back surface of said portion.
  • the coil spring 40 also engages an annular abutment 42 at its back end, said abutment being aflixed in the holder tube 28 at the rear portion thereof as by spot welding.
  • the lamp socket 36, 38 has terminals 44, 46 to which are connected respectively lead wires 48, 50, said terminals and wires being disposed within the coil spring 40, and the wires extending rearward through the annular abutment 42 as shown in FIG. 4.
  • a plastic insulating sleeve 51 is provided, having a heat shrink characteristic whereby it can be shrunk in place to prevent its displacement.
  • the lamp 52 has a glass envelope 58 which is accommodated in a stepped opening 60, 62 provided in the bezel 12, such opening being sufficiently large in diameter to easily pass the lamp 52.
  • a cover piece 64 is provided for the bezel opening 60, 62, such cover piece being engageable with the front end of the lamp 52 to hold the latter in the socket 36, 38 and thereby to maintain the socket in its retracted position as illustrated in FIG. 4 against the action of the biasing spring 40.
  • the cover piece 64 is adapted to be releasably fastened to the bezel, and for this purpose the cover piece may be advantageously constituted as a screw, having threads engaging a threaded portion of the opening 62 of the bezel as shown.
  • the cover piece or screw 64 has, in accordance with the invention, a plastic facing 66 constituted of heat resistant, heat-insulating material such as Teflon. .As seen in FIG. 4, the facing 66 is in the form of a plug, having at its exposed end a concavity or socket 68 adapted to nest the foremost portion of the lamp envelope 58.
  • the screw 64 is recessed to receive the plastic plug 66, and preferably has an annular undercut 70 to interlock with an annular shoulder 72 on the plug.
  • Assemblage of the plug 66 to the screw 64 is effected by a press operation utilizing a punch, whereby the Teflon material is temporarily deformed to overcome the interference represented by the annular shoulder 72.
  • the plug 66 resumes its original shape, wherein the shoulder 72 again expands and occupies the annular undercut 70 of the screw.
  • the filament 53 of the lamp 52 is directly adjacent the notch 34 of the holder tube 28, whereby light from the filament can pass directly to and strike the edges of the prisms 16, 18 to effect the desired illumination of the instrument indicia.
  • the lamp 52 will now be fully exposed and accessible, and may be removed by simply pulling it forward, out of the socket 36, 38.
  • a new lamp can then be easily inserted, by fitting the prongs 54 thereof into the cooperable spring sleeves of the socket 36, 38 whereupon the screw 64 is applied to the front portion of the lamp to force the latter and the socket to their retracted positions illustrated in FIG. 4.
  • the lamp and socket are maintained in these positions by fastening the screw in the usual manner.
  • An indicating instrument having an enclosing casing and a lighting assemblage comprising, in combination:
  • a lamp socket in said holder comprising an insulating body adapted to receive contacts on a lamp base
  • said bezel having an opening providing access to the socket and adapted to pass a lamp therethrough for insertion into the socket
  • (k) means engaged with said insulating body, biasing the socket forwardly
  • said lamp holder comprising a holder tube adapted to receive the lamp and lamp socket
  • said biasing means comprising a spring engaged with the back end of the socket
  • said cover piece comprising a screw threaded into the bezel, having a socket-shaped means for engagement with the front end of said lamp.
  • the cover piece is of metal and includes a heatinsulating and heat-resistant plastic facing for engage ment with the front end of the lamp
  • the socket-shaped means of the screw comprises a plastic plug having interlocking engagement with the screw
  • An indicating instrument having an enclosing casing and a lighting assemblage comprising, in combination:
  • a lamp socket disposed in said holder, said socket comprising an insulating body adapted to receive contacts on a lamp base,
  • said face plate having an opening to provide access to the socket and to pass a lamp therethrough for insertion into the socket
  • stop means including a stop shoulder on the insnlating *body of the socket, preventing complete withdrawal of the latter forwardly of the lamp holder,
  • the insulating body of the socket comprises a large diameter rear portion
  • said stop shoulder comprising an annular ledge between said rear portion and said forward portions.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Fastening Of Light Sources Or Lamp Holders (AREA)
  • Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)
US716189A 1968-03-26 1968-03-26 Illuminated indicating instrument with replaceable lamps Expired - Lifetime US3526762A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US71618968A 1968-03-26 1968-03-26

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3526762A true US3526762A (en) 1970-09-01

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US716189A Expired - Lifetime US3526762A (en) 1968-03-26 1968-03-26 Illuminated indicating instrument with replaceable lamps

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US (1) US3526762A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1228063A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3610914A (en) * 1970-04-27 1971-10-05 Dana J Blackwell Illuminated indicating instrument with front replaceable lamps
US4282560A (en) * 1979-01-15 1981-08-04 A.C.A. Products, Inc. Light distributor
US4887189A (en) * 1988-03-17 1989-12-12 Executive Technical Services, Inc. Aircraft instrument illuminating apparatus
US20090264041A1 (en) * 2005-12-21 2009-10-22 J & J Electronics, Inc. Serially controllable led lighting systems

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2413381A (en) * 1943-10-22 1946-12-31 Bendix Aviat Corp Illuminating means for indicating instruments
US2677045A (en) * 1950-10-13 1954-04-27 Cons Vultee Aircraft Corp Edge illuminated instrument panel
US2827557A (en) * 1955-11-02 1958-03-18 Edwin A Neugass Instrument lighting device
US2837628A (en) * 1954-09-22 1958-06-03 Daystrom Inc Illuminated instrument dial
US2875320A (en) * 1954-09-02 1959-02-24 Gen Time Corp Illuminated electric clock
US3320412A (en) * 1965-03-04 1967-05-16 Earl W Howland Aircraft instrument illumination

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2413381A (en) * 1943-10-22 1946-12-31 Bendix Aviat Corp Illuminating means for indicating instruments
US2677045A (en) * 1950-10-13 1954-04-27 Cons Vultee Aircraft Corp Edge illuminated instrument panel
US2875320A (en) * 1954-09-02 1959-02-24 Gen Time Corp Illuminated electric clock
US2837628A (en) * 1954-09-22 1958-06-03 Daystrom Inc Illuminated instrument dial
US2827557A (en) * 1955-11-02 1958-03-18 Edwin A Neugass Instrument lighting device
US3320412A (en) * 1965-03-04 1967-05-16 Earl W Howland Aircraft instrument illumination

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3610914A (en) * 1970-04-27 1971-10-05 Dana J Blackwell Illuminated indicating instrument with front replaceable lamps
US4282560A (en) * 1979-01-15 1981-08-04 A.C.A. Products, Inc. Light distributor
US4887189A (en) * 1988-03-17 1989-12-12 Executive Technical Services, Inc. Aircraft instrument illuminating apparatus
US20090264041A1 (en) * 2005-12-21 2009-10-22 J & J Electronics, Inc. Serially controllable led lighting systems

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1228063A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-04-15

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