Thin lamp assembly method

• US 6,945,683 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Guide Corporation (Vehicle Lighting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gross, Robert D., Bennett, Larry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, John Anthony
• Application Number:
  US10/448,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 362/158, 362/240, 362/294, 362/373, 362/374, 362/375, 362/544, 362/545
• US Class Current: 362/544
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/51 Attachment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/50 Waterproofing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/101 permanently, e.g. welding, gluing or riveting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The subject invention comprises a thin lamp assembly having a lens and a lamp housing heat staked and sealed together. The subject invention further comprises the method of assembling the thin lamp assembly. In one embodiment, the lens has a plurality of plastic stakes and a lens rib located around the lens'"'"' periphery. Further, the lamp housing has a plurality of receiving holes around its outer periphery and a lamp housing rib around its inner periphery. In this embodiment, a sealant is placed on the lamp housing and the plastic stakes are inserted into the receiving holes so that the lens rib and lamp housing rib form a seal channel to contain the sealant and the lens is flush with the lamp housing. A heat source is then used to heat treat the plastic stakes to form a plurality of mushroom caps that act to attach the lens to the lamp housing.

Claims

1. A thin lamp assembly comprising:

a. a lamp housing and a lens heat staked together;

b. a light source positioned in between the lens and the lamp housing;

c. a plurality of plastic stakes located on the lens'"'"' back side and sporadically around the lens'"'"' periphery;

d. a plurality of receiving holes located sporadically around the lamp housing'"'"'s outer periphery wherein each of the plurality of receiving holes contains one of the plurality of plastic stakes; and

e. a plurality of mushroom caps that each cover one of the plurality of plastic stakes and one of the plurality of receiving holes.

2. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises an LED array.

3. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises an LED array.

4. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lens rib and a lamp housing rib located on the lens, so that the lens rib and lamp housing rib form a seal channel that contains a sealant.

5. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lens rib and a lamp housing rib located on the lamp housing, so that the lens rib and lamp housing rib form a seal channel that contains a sealant.

6. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lens rib located around the lens'"'"' periphery.

7. The thin lamp assembly of claim 6 further comprising a lamp housing rib located around the lamp housing'"'"'s inner periphery, so that a seal channel is located between the lens rib and the lamp housing rib.

8. The thin lamp assembly of claim 7 further comprising a sealant located in the seal channel.

9. The thin lamp assembly of claim 8 wherein the sealant comprises a silicon sealant.

10. The thin lamp assembly of claim 8 wherein the sealant comprises a RTV sealant.

11. The thin lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lens frame located on the lens'"'"' back side so that the plurality of plastic stakes are located around the lens frame'"'"'s periphery, the lens frame having and a lens rib located around the lens frame'"'"'s periphery.

12. The thin lamp assembly of claim 11 further comprising a a lamp housing rib located around the lamp housing'"'"'s inner periphery so that the lamp housing rib forms a seal channel with the lens rib.

13. The thin lamp assembly of claim 12 further comprising a sealant located in the seal channel.

14. A method of assembling a thin lamp assembly comprising the steps of:

a. providing a lamp housing having at least one light source and a plurality of receiving holes located sporadically around the lens'"'"' periphery;

b. providing a lens having a plurality of plastic stakes located sporadically around the lamp housing'"'"'s outer periphery;

c. providing a seal channel;

d. placing a sealant into the seal channel;

e. placing the lens on top of the lamp housing so that the light source is enclosed by the lens and the lamp housing and the plurality of plastic stakes are inserted into the plurality of receiving holes; and

f. heat staking each of the plurality of plastic stakes in order to heat stake the lens and the lamp housing together.

15. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 14, wherein the lamp housing further comprises a lamp housing rib located around the lamp housing'"'"'s inner periphery.

16. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 15, wherein the lens further comprises a lens rib located around the lens'"'"' periphery.

17. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 16, wherein the step of placing the lens on top of the lamp housing further comprises forming the seal channel in between the lamp housing rib and lens rib as the plurality of plastic stakes are inserted into the plurality of receiving holes.

18. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 17, wherein the heat staking step comprises:

a. providing a heating device; and

b. heat treating each of the plurality of plastic stakes with the heating device so that a plurality of mushroom caps form on the thin lamp assembly to cover each of the plurality of plastic stakes and each of the plurality of receiving holes.

19. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 14 wherein the seal channel is formed by a lens rib and a lamp housing rib both located on the lamp housing.

20. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 14 wherein the seal channel is formed by a lens rib and a lamp housing rib both located on the lens.

21. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 14, wherein the light source comprises at least one LED.

22. The method of assembling a thin lamp assembly of claim 14, wherein the light source comprises an LED array.

23. A thin lamp assembly comprising:

a. a lamp housing having

(i) a plurality of receiving holes located sporadically around the lamp housing'"'"'s outer periphery; and

(ii) a lamp housing rib located around the lamp housing'"'"'s inner periphery;

b. a light source secured to the lamp housing;

c. a lens heat staked to the lamp housing, the lens having

(i) a plurality of plastic stakes located on the lens'"'"' backside and sporadically around the lens'"'"' periphery; and

(ii) a lens rib located on the lens'"'"' backside and around the lens'"'"' periphery;

d. a seal channel located in between the lens rib and lamp housing rib;

e. a sealant located in the seal channel; and

f. a plurality of mushroom caps that each cover each of the plurality of plastic stakes and each of the plurality of receiving holes.