CAR TRUNK SWITCH AND LAMP ASSEMBLY

• US 3,553,448 A
• Filed: 12/30/1968
• Issued: 01/05/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur J. Little, Joseph W. Davis
• Original Assignee: Arthur J. Little, Joseph W. Davis
• Inventors: Davis, Joseph W., Little, Arthur J.
• Application Number:
  US04/787,822
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• US Class Current: 362/496
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments

Abstract

The following specification describes a hinge-operated, autotrunk lamp and switch assembly having a scroll-shaped spring blade accommodating variations in travel of the switch-operating lever. The lever and switch are adjustably positioned relative the trunk lid hinge.

Claims

1. An assembly for lighting an auto trunk having a trunk lid connected to a hinge arm pivotally mounted on a bracket arm for enabling said lid to pivot between an open and a closed position, the improvement comprising an electrically nonconductive housing for carrying a lamp, a metal frame carrying said housing, means carried by said housing for completing one electrical connection to said lamp, a spring blade secured adjacent one end to said frame, a lever pivotally carried by said frame slidingly engaging said blade intermediate the blade ends in response to a pivotal movement by said lever in one direction with said blade biasing said lever to a home position and adapted to slidingly engage said lamp for completing a second electrical connection to light said lamp in response to said lever arm being pivoted against said bias, and means for adjustably positioning said frame along said bracket arm to enable said hinge arm to pivot said lever in said one direction against said bias for lighting said lamp in response to said lid being opened and enable said bias to return said lever to said home position for extinguishing said lamp in response to said lid being closed.

2. The assembly claimed in claim 1 in which said lever comprises a rod having a leg adapted to tangentially engage said hinge arm in any one of a plurality of positions of said hinge arm corresponding to open positions of said lid.

3. The assembly claimed in claim 2 in which said leg is adapted to overlap the upper surface of said hinge arm at lease one-half inch in response to said lid being in said closed position.

4. The assembly claimed in claim 1 in which said lever comprises a leg adapted to be pivoted by said hinge arm substantially 90* from said home poSition to a position substantially parallel to said bracket arm in response to said lid being moved to said open position.

5. In the assembly claimed in claim 4, a resilient plastic stop engaging said leg in response to said leg being pivoted said 90* for terminating additional pivoting of said leg.

6. The assembly claimed in claim 1 in which said lever has an elongate leg defining a pivot axis and an offset leg, and said blade has one leg seated against said pivot axis leg and a second leg extending therefrom for engagement with said offset leg whereby pivoting of said offset leg about said pivot axis pivots said extending leg with sliding engagement between said offset and extending legs.

7. The assembly claimed in claim 6 in which said extending leg has a freely suspended end adapted to slidingly engage said lamp in response to the pivoting movement of said extending leg.

8. The assembly claimed in claim 6 in which an antifriction sleeve is provided on said offset leg for engagement between said offset and extending legs.

9. An assembly for lighting an auto trunk having a trunk lid connected to a hinge arm pivotally mounted on a bracket arm for enabling said lid to pivot between an open and a closed position, the improvement comprising an electrically nonconductive housing for carrying a lamp, a metal frame carrying said housing, a lever pivotally carried by said frame, means carried by said housing for completing one electrical connection to said lamp, a spring blade secured adjacent one end to said frame and slidingly engaged by said lever intermediate the blade ends for biasing said lever to a home position and adapted to slidingly engage said lamp for completing a second electrical connection to light said lamp in response to said lever arm being displaced against said bias, and means for adjustably positioning said frame along said bracket arm to engage said lever tangentially with said hinge arm in said lid-open position and displace said lever against said bias for moving said blade to engage said lamp for lighting said lamp and disengaged from said tangential position in response to the movement of said lid to said closed position for enabling said bias to return said lever to said home position for extinguishing said lamp.

10. An assembly for lighting an auto trunk having a trunk lid connected to a hinge arm mounted on a vertical bracket arm for pivotal movement to open and close said lid, the improvement comprising a plastic housing having means for detachably carrying a lamp, a metal frame carrying said housing, a lever pivotally carried by said frame and having a normal position relative said frame, means on said frame for adjustably positioning said frame on said bracket arm with said hinge arm tangentially engaged with said lever in response to said hinge arm being pivoted to open said lid with said lever arm being displaced thereby from said normal position, means carried by said housing for completing one electrical connection to said lamp, a scroll-shaped spring blade secured adjacent one end to said frame and slidingly engaged by said lever intermediate the blade ends for biasing said lever to said home position and adapted to slidingly engage said lamp for completing a second electrical connection to light said lamp in response to said lever arm being displaced from said home position against said bias.