Compact, low-level vehicle interior lamp assembly

• US 7,093,964 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Federal-Mogul Worldwide Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Federal-Mogul Worldwide Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bynum, Stephen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US10/978,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20060092659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 362/488, 362/490, 362/545, 362/549, 362/640, 362/646, 362/647
• US Class Current: 362/488
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/51 for mounting lighting devices onto vehicle interior, e.g. onto ceiling or floor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A compact lamp assembly provides illumination for a vehicle interior, and generally includes a housing, a circuit board, and an LED that emits light through an opening in the housing. The front wall of the housing includes first and second installation features for installing the lamp assembly in a slot in a vehicle interior panel. The first installation feature has a flange connected to the housing by a neck portion that encircles the opening in the housing and that is designed to slide into the slot so that the housing is held in place on the panel by the flange. The second installation feature includes a pair of apertured extensions of the front wall that receive fasteners to hold the lamp assembly in place against the rear side of the panel.

Claims

1. A lamp assembly for use with a vehicle component, comprising:

a housing having a generally planar front wall and at least one side wall extending therefrom, said front wall including an opening;

a circuit board located generally within said housing; and

a light emitting diode (LED) connected to said circuit board and arranged to emit light through said opening;

wherein said front wall includes an installation feature to thereby permit said lamp assembly to be installed from a rear side of the vehicle component via said installation feature, said installation feature comprising;

i) a neck portion that projects outwardly away from said front wall and extends around at least a portion of the periphery of said opening, and

ii) a flange that extends around at least a portion of the periphery of said opening, such that once installed said neck portion extends through a slot in the vehicle component with material of the vehicle component being captured between said flange and said front wall.

2. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said installation feature comprises

i) at least one extension of said front wall that extends laterally away from said housing, and

ii) a hole located in said extension and adapted to receive a fastener, such that once installed said fastener retains said front wall in contact with a rear surface of the vehicle component.

3. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said circuit board includes a plurality of terminals.

4. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said circuit board comprises a rear wall of said housing and includes at least one tab, and wherein said side wall includes a slot, wherein said tab fits into said slot.

5. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing includes at least two side walls and a rear wall, and wherein said circuit board is positioned between said side walls, and said rear wall is attached to one of said side walls via living hinge.

6. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing includes at least two side walls and a rear wall, said rear wall is attached to one of said side walls, and also wherein one of said side walls includes an aperture for an electrical connection to extend therethrough.

7. The lamp assembly of claim 1, further comprising a transparent lens located in said opening.

8. The lamp assembly of claim 1, further comprising an electrical connector extending from said side wall to provide said lamp assembly with a detachable electrical connection.

9. A lamp assembly for use in a vehicle interior, comprising:

a housing having a front wall and at least one side wall extending therefrom, said front wall including first and second installation features, wherein said first installation feature comprises a flange connected to said front wall by a neck portion that generally extends perpendicularly away from said front wall and is sized to allow said neck portion to extend through a slot in the vehicle interior component, and said second installation feature comprises an extension of said front wall that generally extends laterally away from said housing and is designed to connect to a rear surface of the vehicle interior component at a location adjacent said slot; and

an LED located within said housing and arranged such that it provides illumination out through said housing.

10. The lamp assembly of claim 9, wherein said housing has an opening in said front wall, and said neck portion and said flange extend around said opening.

11. The lamp assembly of claim 9, wherein said extension of said front wall includes a hole adapted to receive a projection located on the vehicle interior component.

12. The lamp assembly of claim 11, wherein said projection is a heat stake.

13. The lamp assembly of claim 9, further comprising a circuit board generally located within said housing and connected to said LED.

14. The lamp assembly of claim 13, wherein said circuit board forms a rear wall of said housing.

15. The lamp assembly of claim 13, wherein said housing includes at least two side walls and a rear wall, and wherein said circuit board is positioned between said side walls, and said rear wall is attached to one of said side walls via a living hinge.

16. The lamp assembly of claim 13, wherein said housing includes at least two side walls and a rear wall, said rear wall is attached to one of said side walls, and also wherein one of said side walls includes an aperture for an electrical connection to extend therethrough.

17. The lamp assembly of claim 9, further comprising a transparent lens located in said opening.

18. The lamp assembly of claim 9, further comprising an electrical connector extending from said side wall to provide said lamp assembly with a detachable electrical connection.

19. The lamp assembly of claim 9, wherein said front wall and said first installation feature are formed from a transparent plastic material.

20. A lamp assembly for use with a vehicle interior component, comprising:

a housing having a front wall and at least first and second side walls;

said front wall is generally planar and includes an opening, a peripheral neck portion, a flange, and at least one mounting feature;

a transparent window in said opening to allow light to pass through said opening,

said neck portion at least partially surrounds said opening, and extends perpendicularly away from said front wall,

said flange extends laterally from said neck portion and at least partially surrounds said opening,

said mounting feature comprises an extension of said front wall that extends laterally away from said housing and includes a hole for receiving a complementary projection; and

said first and second side walls extend from said front wall;

a circuit board mounted in said housing between said side walls; and

an LED electrically coupled to said circuit board and arranged to provide illumination through such translucent window.

21. A method for attaching a lamp assembly to a vehicle interior component comprising the steps of:

(a) providing said lamp assembly with a housing having a generally planar front wall with first and second installation features;

i) said first installation feature comprises a flange connected to said front wall via a neck portion that generally extends perpendicularly away from said front wall;

ii) said second installation feature comprises an extension of said front wall that extends laterally away from said housing, said extension having a hole located therein;

(b) placing said lamp assembly in a slot in the vehicle interior component such that material of the vehicle interior component at said slot is captured between said front wall and said flange; and

(c) inserting a projection into said hole in said extension such that said lamp assembly is attached to the rear side of the vehicle interior component.