Auxiliary brake lamp for motor vehicles

• US 5,132,882 A
• Filed: 10/29/1991
• Issued: 07/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HELLA KG Hueck & Co.
• Original Assignee: HELLA KG Hueck & Co.
• Inventors: Alder, Dietmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/783,816
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/80.1, 362/226, 362/249, 362/368, 362/396, 340/464, 340/479, 439/573, 439/611
• US Class Current: 362/503
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window

Abstract

An auxiliary brake lamp for motor vehicles comprises a holder which includes a track (7) which has a double-T-shape in cross section and which is adherable to a rear window. A lamp housing (2) is engagingly shoved onto the holder. A holding spring (5) arranged in the lamp housing clamps a first flange of the double-T-track between it and the housing. An electrical coupling of the lamp to a vehicle power supply is provided by a flat plug engagement device (12). That is, the double-T-track is electrically coupled with a current source of the motor vehicle and the holding spring is electrically coupled with a light bulb (17) of the lamp. A contact plate formed as a flat lug (11) as part of the first flange of the double-T-track produces a conductive coupling between the lamp and the holder by sliding contact on the holding spring.

Claims

1. An auxiliary brake lamp for a motor vehicle comprising:

a) a holder including a track with a double-T-shaped cross section including an attachment means for attaching the track to a rear window,

b) a lamp housing engagingly shoved onto said track,

c) a holding spring arranged in said lamp housing for clamping a first flange of the track between it and said lamp housing,

d) a plug-engagement means for coupling the lamp to an electrical circuit of the motor vehicle,

e) the double-T-shaped track including a means for electrically coupling it with the plug engagement means,

f) the holding spring being electrically coupled with a bulb in the lamp,

g) the double-T-shaped track including a lug formed as a contact plate at the first flange of the double-T-shaped track producing the electrical coupling between the lamp and the holder by contact with the holding spring.

2. Auxiliary brake lamp as in claim 1 wherein the contact plate is arranged as a separate lug attached to the flange 9 of the double-T-shaped track 7.

3. An auxiliary lamp as in claim 1 wherein the holding spring in a contact area of a first end thereof comes into contact with the contact plate over at least 3/4 of the length of the double-T-shaped track.

4. Auxiliary brake light according to claim 1 wherein the width of the contact plate corresponds to the width of a portion of the holding spring in contact with it.

5. Auxiliary lamp according to claim 1 wherein the lamp housing has two separate parts.

6. Auxiliary brake lamp as in claim 5 wherein the lamp bulb is arranged in a removably attached second part while the holding spring is fixedly attached to a first housing part.

7. Auxiliary brake lamp according to claim 6 wherein the removably attached second part comprises a housing cover and an electrical coupling between the lamp bulb and a second end of the holding spring is provided via a detachable plug receiving device.

8. Auxiliary brake lamp according to claim 3 wherein the holding spring in a portion of its second end engages the lamp housing for experiencing loading and positioning.

9. An auxiliary lamp as in claim 8 wherein an engaging mechanism for the holding spring is formed as a pin which is threadable through an opening in the holding spring and which is fixedly attached to the housing cover.

10. An auxiliary brake lamp as in claim 1 wherein the combination double-T-track, the contact plate, and the holding spring is present at at least both sides of the lamp housing.