Interior light assembly for a vehicle

• US 4,499,528 A
• Filed: 09/19/1983
• Issued: 02/12/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Hawlitzki, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Application Number:
  US06/533,482
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/64, 362/66, 362/74, 362/33, 362/232, 362/234, 362/238, 362/239, 362/240, 362/241, 362/244, 362/245, 362/246, 362/250, 362/263, 362/269, 362/275, 362/311, 362/319 , 362/327, 362/367, 362/368, 362/372
• US Class Current: 362/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/44 Spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps

Abstract

A combination interior illumination and reading light assembly for a vehicle. The assembly comprises a lamp housing 1, a lamp 5 disposed within the housing, a reflector 3associated with the lamp 5 and a diffuser lens screen 7 for providing diffuse illumination to the vehicle interior. A movable lens element 10 is associated with the reflector 3 and has a focusing lens 9 which serves to provide a directed reading light beam. The lens element 10 also transmits light through its sidewalls to illuminate the diffuser lens screen 7. The lens element 10 is received in a ball-type socket defined by a circular aperture in the diffuser screen 7 and is rotatable relative to the screen 7 in the manner of a captive ball to enable the direction of the reading light beam to be varied at will.

Claims

1. A combination interior illumination and reading lamp assembly for a vehicle enclosure comprising:

means providing a structural support housing for the assembly;

lamp means for providing visible radiation;

means surrounding a portion of said lamp means for reflecting a portion of said visible radiation in a predetermined direction;

means surrounding second portion of said lamp means and being connected to said reflector means for directing said visible radiation in a plurality of predetermined directions; and

means defining a diffusing lens element mounted on said housing means and surrounding said directing means;

wherein said directing means comprises a focusing lens positioned opposite said reflector means for directing a portion of said visible radiation in a beam away from said housing and a transmittance portion for allowing the remaining of said radiation to be transmitted towards said diffusing lens means and said directing means is movable, within said assembly to allow free selection of the direction of said beam.

2. An assembly as in claim 1, wherein said housing defines an aperture for retaining and supporting said reflecting means;

said diffusing lens means defines an aperture for retaining and supporting said directing means, whereby said reflecting means is movable with said directing means.

3. An assembly as in claim 2, wherein said reflecting means, said lamp means, and said directing means are movable together within said housing.

4. An assembly as in claim 2, wherein said directing means is generally cup-shaped having partially spherical sidewalls extending from a substantially flat focusing lens portion and said sidewalls are movable along the aperture defined in said diffusion lens to provide rotational movement with respect thereto.

5. An assembly as in claim 4, wherein said partially spherical sidewalls of said directing means are transparent to form said transmittance portion.