Tilt responsive underhood lamp switch assembly
First Claim
1. A lamp assembly for use in automotive applications comprising:
- a housing;
a switching assembly located within said housing, said switching assembly comprisinga pivot block,a tube having a first and a second side and a first and second end cap, the first side of said tube being on said pivot block,a contact arm having a first and a second end, the first end of said contact arm being attached to said pivot block, said contact arm extending from said pivot block to said second side of said tube,a roller contact fixed to the second end of said contact arm,two bridge switch terminals located adjacent said roller contact, said roller contact bridging a space between the two bridge switch terminals when said roller contact is in a closed position and being separated from the two bridge switch terminals when said roller contact is in an open position.a sphere movably located within said tube, said sphere being gravitationally forced against the first end cap of said tube when said housing is in a normal position thereby maintaining said roller contact in the open position, and said sphere being gravitationally forced along the length of said tube toward said second end cap when said housing is rotated angularly with respect to the normal position thereby forcing the roller contact into the closed position; and
a pair of terminals for receiving a light bulb, said light bulb being illuminated when said roller contact is in the closed position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lamp assembly for use in an automotive applications which contains a switching assembly and a light bulb. The assembly may be mounted on the underside of an automobile hood or trunk and illuminates on angular movement of the hood or trunk. The switching assembly operates through the movement of a sphere within a tube which rests on a pivot block. The movement of the sphere within the tube causes a contact to engage and disengage from two terminals of a bridge switch. When the trunk or hood is closed the contact is disengaged and the light bulb is off. However, when the assembly is rotated 26° from its position when the trunk or hood is closed, the contact bridges the terminals of the bridge switch and the light bulb illuminates. The contact disengages as the trunk or hood closes past 26° and before 10° from its closed position, and the bulb turns off.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A lamp assembly for use in automotive applications comprising:
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a housing; a switching assembly located within said housing, said switching assembly comprising a pivot block, a tube having a first and a second side and a first and second end cap, the first side of said tube being on said pivot block, a contact arm having a first and a second end, the first end of said contact arm being attached to said pivot block, said contact arm extending from said pivot block to said second side of said tube, a roller contact fixed to the second end of said contact arm, two bridge switch terminals located adjacent said roller contact, said roller contact bridging a space between the two bridge switch terminals when said roller contact is in a closed position and being separated from the two bridge switch terminals when said roller contact is in an open position. a sphere movably located within said tube, said sphere being gravitationally forced against the first end cap of said tube when said housing is in a normal position thereby maintaining said roller contact in the open position, and said sphere being gravitationally forced along the length of said tube toward said second end cap when said housing is rotated angularly with respect to the normal position thereby forcing the roller contact into the closed position; and a pair of terminals for receiving a light bulb, said light bulb being illuminated when said roller contact is in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification