Shear welded mounting stud assembly

• US 20060077682A1
• Filed: 10/13/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Guide Corporation (Vehicle Lighting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Drews, Edwin R., Beeler, Michael W., King, Troy, Bodem, Jack D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,357,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/524
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0433 the housing being fastened onto the vehicle body using screws adjustable headlamp by rotation of a screw B60Q1/0683
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/061 by means of welding

Abstract

The subject invention relates to an assembly and method for attaching a stud to a lamp housing that decreases the overall size of the automotive lamp assembly. The apparatus has a collar molded over a stud. The collar attaches the stud to the lamp housing by being shear welded to the lamp housing. The stud is prevented from rotating about its longitudinal axis, so that it can serve to mount the lamp housing to an automobile.

Claims

1. An automotive lamp assembly comprising:

a. a lamp housing with a receiving surface;

b. a metal stud with a cap and a post extending outwardly from the cap;

c. a collar molded over said cap so that said cap is within in said collar, said collar comprising a face that extends beyond the cap, an outer peripheral surface, and an opening through which the post extends, the collar is shear welded to the receiving surface of the lamp housing, so that the metal stud is attached to the lamp housing by the shear welded collar and the post extends outwardly from the lamp housing.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap and the recess in the collar are shaped so that the stud is substantially prevented from rotating around the stud'"'"'s longitudinal axis when the collar is molded over the cap.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the cap and the recess in the collar are each oval in shape.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the lamp housing and the collar comprised the same shear weldable material.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the shear weldable material is a plastic polymer.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the stud further comprises a threaded portion.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the threaded portion of the stud is attached to an anchor on an automobile.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap further comprises an outer peripheral edge with a plurality of gear-like teeth.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the recess of the collar further comprises an inner peripheral surface with a plurality of gear-like teeth, so that the collar'"'"'s gear-like teeth interact with the cap'"'"'s gear-like teeth to prevent the cap and stud from rotating about its longitudinal axis when the collar is shear welded to the lamp housing.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the collar is shear welded to the receiving surface of the lamp housing about the collar'"'"'s outer peripheral surface.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the receiving surface comprises a molded raised rib on the lamp housing'"'"'s surface that forms a receiving recess that holds the collar.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the raised rib has a top portion that comprises an angled lead-in that helps guide the collar into the receiving recess.

13. A method for attaching a stud to an automotive lamp housing comprising the steps of:

a. providing a metal stud having a cap and a post extending outwardly from the cap;

b. over molding a collar around the cap to form a recess in which the cap is located and an opening that allows the post to extend through the collar; and

c. shear welding at least one surface of the collar to at least one surface of the automotive lamp housing so that the collar attaches the stud to the automotive lamp housing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the automotive lamp housing and collar comprise a plastic polymer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one collar surface welded to the automotive lamp housing is the collar'"'"'s outer peripheral surface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one surface of the automotive lamp housing comprises a raised rib that forms a receiving recess.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of inserting the collar into the lamp housing'"'"'s receiving recess.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of mounting the stud to an anchor positioned on an automobile.