Attachment mechanism for a vehicle light

• US 6,237,886 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Katsumata, Shinichi, Konaka, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARSH, STEVEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/419,079
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 248/225.21, 248/222.12, 248/229.26, 248/447, 248/450, 248/454, 248/538, 248/539, 248/125.1, 248/185.1, 248/460, 248/161, 362/549, 362/368, 362/370
• US Class Current: 248/225.21
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2615 mounted on the vehicle body, e.g. with magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/263 Snap-in fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2638 Positioning the device housing by indexing means separate from the fastening means, e.g. pins, rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2653 with arrangement for sealing the device with respect to the vehicle body, or for concealing gaps between the device and the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/20 Arrangements for easy recycling, e.g. for easy dismantling or use of special materials

Abstract

A vehicle light attachment mechanism is disclosed for attaching a vehicle light to a vehicle body. The attachment mechanism includes a pair of hooks arranged on the vehicle light, one of which is elastic and the other of which is non-elastic. Each hook can engage an aperture of the vehicle body in opposing directions. A positioning boss can be placed adjacent either the elastic hook or the non-elastic hook for extending through a positioning through hole on the vehicle body having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the positioning boss. Furthermore, at least one projection boss may be provided to distance the housing and the vehicle body and spread external forces applied from the vehicle light toward the vehicle body over an outer surface of the vehicle body. At least one projection boss can also be used as a positioning boss to provide at least two positioning points in combination with said positioning boss for the housing. Since the attachment mechanism does not include any metal attachment parts, such as a stud bolt, the vehicle light can be easily recycled and the components of the light can be easily sorted when the vehicle light is disposed of and destroyed.

Claims

1. A vehicle light attachment mechanism for attaching a vehicle light to a vehicle body that includes a main aperture and at least one positioning through hole, the attachment mechanism comprising:

a housing;

a substantially non-elastic hook extending from said housing and configured to engage the vehicle body in a first direction;

a substantially elastic hook extending from said housing and configured to engage the vehicle body in a second direction opposite said first direction, and

at least one positioning boss adjacent said substantially elastic hook and configured to extend through the positioning through hole and into the vehicle body,

wherein said substantially non-elastic hook can be inserted into the vehicle body and said housing can be pivoted about said substantially non-elastic hook until said positioning boss is inserted into the positioning through hole and while said substantially elastic hook simultaneously engages the vehicle body, to prevent the housing from being moved in a direction parallel to said vehicle body.

2. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one projection boss located on the housing and configured to distance the housing from the vehicle body and spread external forces that are applied from the vehicle light toward the vehicle body over an outer surface of the vehicle body.

3. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said at least one projection boss is configured to be used as a positioning boss.

4. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said substantially non-elastic hook has a rib located on a side of said substantially non-elastic hook that generally faces towards said substantially elastic hook.

5. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said substantially non-elastic hook, said substantially elastic hook, and said housing are formed as one unit by resin molding.

6. A vehicle light attachment mechanism for attaching a vehicle light to a vehicle body that includes a main aperture, the attachment mechanism comprising:

a housing;

a substantially non-elastic hook extending from said housing and configured to engage the vehicle body;

a substantially elastic hook extending from said housing and configured to engage the vehicle body, and

positioning means located adjacent one of said substantially elastic hook and said substantially non-elastic hook for positionally guiding said housing onto said vehicle body and for preventing flexion of said substantially elastic hook and movement of said housing in a transverse direction with respect to the vehicle body.

7. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 6, further comprising:

projection means located on the housing for distancing the housing from the vehicle body and spreading external forces that are applied from the vehicle light toward the vehicle body over an outer surface of the vehicle body.

8. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 7, wherein said projection means includes means for positioning said housing with respect to the vehicle body.

9. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 6, wherein said substantially non-elastic hook has a rib located on a side of said substantially non-elastic hook that generally faces said substantially elastic hook.

10. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 6, wherein said substantially non-elastic hook, said substantially elastic hook, and said housing are formed as one unit by resin molding.

11. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 6, wherein said substantially non-elastic hook and said substantially elastic hook each include hook portions that face away from each other such that they can interact with and snap into an aperture in the vehicle body to secure the housing to the vehicle body.

12. The vehicle light attachment mechanism according to claim 6, wherein said positioning means is located adjacent said elastic hook.