Room lamp provided with insulating structure between bus bars thereof

• US 7,192,290 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha T An T
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha T An T
• Inventors: Ochiai, Hiroshi, Shimoda, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen; Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US11/239,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20070026729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 439110-122, 439/135, 439207-216, 439/516, 174/68.2, 174/66, 174/67
• US Class Current: 439/135
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/51 for mounting lighting devices onto vehicle interior, e.g. onto ceiling or floor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/00 Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/508
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2106/00 Interior vehicle lighting devices

Abstract

Switch-controlled vehicle room lamps are provided with an insulating structure between bus bars disposed on a back surface of a case Short circuiting between the bus bars is prevented by fitting insulating members molded from a relatively flexible resin into grooves in which the bus bars are fitted to cover exposed surfaces of the bus bars at least entirely over a portion where the mutual distance of the bus bars are reduced. In some embodiments, the insulating members are formed with projections which are adapted to be fit within holes of the case into which severed bridge portions of the bus bar extend. The projections may advantageously be provided with an acute-angled distal end and a constriction at a midsection thereof.

Claims

1. In a vehicle room lamp comprising a number of bus bars disposed on a back surface of a case provided with a switch for controlling an illumination lamp such as a light bulb or flashing of the light bulb, the bus bars for achieving flashing of the illumination lamp being integrated via bridge portions, the bus bars being electrically separated by cutting and bending upward the bridge portions at positions of holes formed on the case at positions corresponding to the bridge portions in a state of being fitted into the grooves formed on the case, wherein short circuit between the bus bars is prevented by fitting insulating members molded by relatively flexible resin into grooves in which the bus bars are fitted and fitting projections projecting from the insulating members into the holes formed on the grooves to cover exposed surfaces of the bus bars at least entirely over a portion where the mutual distance of the bus bars is reduced.

2. The insulating structure between the bus bars in a vehicle room lamp according to claim 1, wherein the projection of the insulating member comprises an acute-angled distal end and a constriction at a midsection thereof, so that the insulating member is prevented from coming off by engagement of the constriction with a distal end of the cut and bent upward bus bar.

3. A vehicle room lamp comprising:

a case having case walls defining therebetween a plurality of grooves and establishing a space for retaining an illumination lamp therein;

a plurality of bus bars operably connected to the illumination lamp so as to supply electrical power thereto, wherein each of the bus bars is positioned in a respective one of the grooves; and

an insulating structure to prevent short-circuiting between the bus bars, the insulating structure including insulating members formed of a relatively flexible resin, the insulating members being resiliently fitted within each of the grooves between the case walls so as to be in covering contact with the bus bar positioned therein.

4. The vehicle room lamp as in claim 3, wherein the bus bars include at least one severed bridge, and the case includes at least one hole for receiving portions of the at least one severed bridge therein, and wherein the insulating member includes at least one projection which extends into the at least one hole between the portions of the at least one severed bridge therein.

5. The vehicle room lamp as in claim 4, wherein the at least one projection includes an angled distal end.

6. The vehicle room lamp as in claim 5, wherein the at least one projection includes a constriction at a midsection thereof.

7. The vehicle room lamp as in claim 3, wherein the bus bars include a plurality of severed bridges, and the case includes a plurality of holes for receiving respective portions of the severed bridges therein, and wherein the insulating member includes projections, each projection extending into a respective one of the holes between the respective portions of the severed bridges therein.

8. The vehicle room lamp as in claim 7, wherein each of the projections includes an angled distal end.

9. The vehicle room lamp as in claim 8, wherein each of the projections includes a constriction at a midsection thereof.