Thin lamp assembly method

• US 20040240226A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Guide Corporation (Vehicle Lighting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bennett, Larry R., Gross, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,945,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/544
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/51 Attachment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/50 Waterproofing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/101 permanently, e.g. welding, gluing or riveting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The subject invention comprises a thin lamp assembly having a lens and a lamp housing heat staked and sealed together. The subject invention further comprises the method of assembling the thin lamp assembly. In one embodiment, the lens has a plurality of plastic stakes and a lens rib located around the lens'"'"' periphery. Further, the lamp housing has a plurality of receiving holes around its outer periphery and a lamp housing rib around its inner periphery. In this embodiment, a sealant is placed on the lamp housing and the plastic stakes are inserted into the receiving holes so that the lens rib and lamp housing rib form a seal channel to contain the sealant and the lens is flush with the lamp housing. A heat source is then used to heat treat the plastic stakes to form a plurality of mushroom caps that act to attach the lens to the lamp housing.

Claims

1. A thin lamp assembly comprising:

a. a lamp housing and a lens heat staked together; and

b. a light source positioned in between the lens and the lamp housing.

2. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises at least one Led:

3. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises an LED array.

4. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lens rib and a lamp housing rib located on the lens, so that the lens rib and lamp housing rib form a seal channel that contains a sealant.

5. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lens rib and a lamp housing rib located on the lamp housing, so that the lens rib and lamp housing rib form a seal channel that contains a sealant.

6. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of plastic stakes located on the lens'"'"' back side and sporadically around the lens'"'"' periphery.

7. The thin lamp assembly of claim 6 further comprising a lens rib located around the lens'"'"' periphery.

8. The thin lamp assembly of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of receiving holes located sporadically around the lamp housing'"'"'s outer periphery wherein each of the plurality of receiving holes contains one of the plurality of plastic stakes.

9. The thin lamp assembly of claim 8 further comprising a lamp housing rib located around the lamp housing'"'"'s inner periphery.

10. The thin lamp assembly of claim 9 further comprising a seal channel located in between the lens rib and the lamp housing rib.

11. The thin lamp assembly of claim 10 further comprising a sealant located in the seal channel.

12. The thin lamp assembly of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of mushroom caps that each cover each of the plurality of plastic stakes and each of the plurality of receiving holes.

13. The thin lamp assembly of claim 12 wherein the sealant comprises a silicon sealant.

14. The thin lamp assembly of claim 12 wherein the sealant comprises a RTV sealant.

15. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lens frame located on the lens'"'"' back side with a plurality of plastic stakes located around the lens frame'"'"'s periphery and a lens rib located around the lens frame'"'"'s periphery.

16. The thin lamp assembly of claim 15 further comprising a plurality of receiving holes located sporadically around the lamp housing'"'"'s outer periphery wherein each of the plurality of receiving holes contains each of the plurality of plastic stakes and a lamp housing rib located around the lamp housing'"'"'s inner periphery so that the lamp housing rib forms a seal channel with the lens rib.

17. The thin lamp assembly of claim 16 further comprising a sealant located in the seal channel.

18. The thin lamp assembly of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of mushroom caps that covers each of the plurality of plastic stakes and each of the plurality of receiving holes.

19. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of plastic stakes located on the lamp housing'"'"'s outer periphery and a lamp housing rib located around the lamp housing'"'"'s periphery.

20. The thin lamp assembly of claim 19 further comprising a plurality of receiving holes located sporadically around the lens'"'"' periphery and a lens rib located around the lens'"'"' periphery, so that the lens rib forms a seal channel with the lamp housing rib.

21. The thin lamp assembly of claim 20 further comprising a sealant located in the seal channel.

22. The thin lamp assembly of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of mushroom caps that covers each of the plurality of plastic stakes and each of the plurality of receiving holes.

23. A method of assembling a thin lamp assembly comprising the steps of:

a. providing a lamp housing;

b. providing a lens;

c. providing a light source;

d. providing a seal channel;

e. placing a sealant into the seal channel;

f. placing the lens on top of the lamp housing so that the light source is enclosed by the lens and the lamp housing; and

g. heat staking the lens and the lamp housing together.

24. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 23, wherein the lamp housing comprises a lamp housing rib located around the lamp housing'"'"'s inner periphery and a plurality of receiving holes located sporadically around the lamp housing'"'"'s outer periphery.

25. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 24, wherein the lens comprises a plurality of plastic stakes located sporadically around the lens'"'"' periphery and a lens rib located around the lens'"'"' periphery.

26. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 25, wherein the step of placing the lens on top of the lamp housing further comprises inserting the plurality of plastic stakes into the plurality of receiving holes so that the seal channel forms in between the lamp housing rib and the lens rib.

27. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 26, wherein the heat staking step comprises:

a. providing a heating device; and

b. heat treating each of the plurality of plastic stakes with the heating device so that a plurality of mushroom caps form on the thin lamp assembly to cover each of the plurality of plastic stakes and each of the plurality of receiving holes.

28. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 23 wherein the seal channel is formed by a lens rib and a lamp housing rib both located on the lamp housing.

29. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 23 wherein the seal channel is formed by a lens rib and a lamp housing rib both located on the lens.

30. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 23 wherein, the lens comprises a lens rib located around the lens'"'"' periphery and a plurality of receiving holes located sporadically around the lens'"'"' periphery.

31. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 30 wherein, the lamp housing comprises a plurality of plastic stakes located sporadically around the lamp housing'"'"'s outer periphery and a lamp housing rib located around the lens housing'"'"'s inner periphery.

32. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 31 wherein the step of placing the lens on top of the lamp housing further comprises inserting the plurality of plastic stakes into the plurality of receiving holes so that the seal channel is formed in between the lamp housing rib and the lens rib.

33. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 23, wherein the light source comprises at least one LED.

34. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 23, wherein the light source is an LED array.

35. A thin lamp assembly comprising:

a. a lamp housing having

(i) a plurality of receiving holes located sporadically around the lamp housing'"'"'s outer periphery; and

(ii) a lamp housing rib located around the lamp housing'"'"'s inner periphery;

b. a light source secured to the lamp housing;

c. a lens heat staked to the lamp housing, the lens having

(i) a plurality of plastic stakes located on the lens'"'"' backside and sporadically around the lens'"'"' periphery; and

(ii) a lens rib located on the lens'"'"' backside and around the lens'"'"' periphery;

d. a seal channel located in between the lens rib and lamp housing rib;

e. a sealant located in the seal channel; and

f. a plurality of mushroom caps that each cover each of the plurality of plastic stakes and each of the plurality of receiving holes.

36. A thin lamp assembly comprising:

a. a means for attaching a lens to a lamp housing utilizing a plurality of plastic stakes; and

b. a means for sealing the lens and the lamp housing together.