VEHICLE LAMP

• US 3,789,209 A
• Filed: 10/25/1972
• Issued: 01/29/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bernard R. Weber, David W. Wendt
• Original Assignee: Bernard R. Weber, David W. Wendt
• Inventors: Wendt, David W., Weber, Bernard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wintercorn, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US05/300,502
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 240/7.1R,8.3,57 339/188R,119D 340/93,99
• US Class Current: 362/253
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/56 for illuminating registrations or the like , e.g. for licence plates

Abstract

Two embodiments of vehicle lamps for mounting near the rear corners of vehicles such as trailers are disclosed. Both embodiments comprise a housing having an end wall and a side wall, a double filament bulb mounted inside the housing serving as tail light, stop light and turn signal, a single filament bulb mounted outside the side wall of the housing serving as a side marker light, suitable lenses for each bulb, mounting bolts projecting from the end wall, external connecting means enabling external electrical connections to the unit, an internal connecting means between the two bulbs. The internal connecting means comprise a flexible jumper wire and improved means for securing each end thereof. The external electrical connecting means comprise releasable push-in terminals. Wire harness grooves are provided on the exterior of the end wall. The embodiment for use on the left rear corner of the vehicle includes a license plate bracket and a lens in a hole in the side wall for license plate illumination.

Claims

1. In a lighting unit for attachment to a vehicle:

a housing comprising an end wall and a side wall, said end wall having first and second projecting means on the inside thereof, said side wall having a wire receiving hole therethrough, at least one resilient bulb contact member having one end attached to said first projecting means, a bulb socket strap secured within said housing, said second projecting means on said end wall having a stud hole therein transverse to said end wall and disposed beneath said contact member, said stud hole having a wire accommodating slot in a side thereof, a bulb connector strap mounted on the exterior of said side wall of said housing, said connector strap cooperating with a portion of said housing near one end thereof to define a push-in type wire engaging terminal for an end of a flexible wire, a flexible wire for electrically connecting said contact member to said connector strap, and a contact stud secured to one end of said wire and disposed in said hole in said second projecting means on said end wall, the other end of said wire extending through said wire receiving hole in said side wall into engagement with said push-in type wire engaging terminal on said connector strap.

2. A unit according to claim 1 wherein said wire-accommodating slot is narrower than the diameter of said stud hole.

3. A unit according to claim 2 including wire guide means provided on the inner side of said side wall.

4. In a lighting unit for attachment to a vehicle:

a housing comprising an end wall and a side wall, said end wall having first and second projecting means on the inside thereof and having at least one bolt hole therethrough, said side wall having a ground strap receiving hole therethrough and also having a wire receiving hole therethrough, first and second resilient bulb contact members, each contact member attached near one end thereof to said first projecting means, each contact member being provided near said one end thereof with at least one releasable push-in type wire engaging terminal, said rear wall being provided with one wire-receiving opening for access to each of said terminals, said end wall also being provided with one wire-releasing opening adjacent each wire-receiving opening, a U-shaped bayonet-type bulb socket strap having at least one flange on a leg thereof, said strap being polarized to receive a bayonet-type double filament bulb in a predetermined position, one of said flanges having a bolt-receiving opening therethrough, a press-in type bolt for insertion through said bolt hole in said flange and said bolt hole in said end wall to secure the bulb socket strap to said housing, a ground strap secured to said bolt and extending through said ground strap hole in said side wall, each of said flanges of said bulb socket strap having an orientation hole therein, one of said orientation holes being larger than the other, orientation pins on said end wall to cooperatively engage said orientation holes, one of said orientation pins being larger than the other, said second projecting means on said end wall having a stud hole therein transverse to said end wall and disposed beneath one of said contact members, said stud hole having a wire-accommodating slot in a side thereof, a bayonet-type bulb connector strap secured to said housing on the exterior of said side wall, said connector strap being provided near one end thereof with at least one push-in type wire engaging terminal, a flexible wire for electrically connecting one of said contact members to said connector strap, and a contact stud secured to one end of said wire and disposed in said hole in said second projecting means on said end wall, the other end of said wire extending through said wire receiving hole in said side wall into engagement with said push-in type wire engaging terminal on said connector strap.

5. A unit according to claim 4 including wire guide means provided on the inner side of said side wall.

6. A unit according to claim 4 including a recess in the exterior of said end wall having a surface in which said wire-receiving and wire releasing holes are provided.

7. A unit according to claim 4 including at least one wire harness accommodating groove on the exterior of said end wall in communication with said recess.

8. A unit according to claim 7 including two transversely disposed grooves on the exterior of said end wall, each in communication with said recess.

9. A unit according to claim 8 including a license plate holder secured to the exterior of said end wall by said press-in type bolt and overlying at least one of said grooves.

10. A unit according to claim 9 wherein said side wall is provided with a lens receiving opening and a translucent lens removably mounted in said lens receiving opening, said lens receiving opening being located so as to enable illumination of a license plate on said license plate holder from a light source within said housing.

11. In a lighting unit:

a housing have a wall;

first and second electrically conductive members mounted inside of and outside of said housing, respectively, said second member outside of said housing cooperating with a portion of said housing to define a push-in terminal for one bare end of a flexible wire disposed within said housing for electrically connecting said first and second members, said wall having a wire receiving opening therethrough for accommodating said one bare end of said wire, and wire guide means on the inside of said wall adjacent said opening for guiding said one bare end of said wire into said opening from inside of said housing.

12. A unit according to claim 11 wherein said wire guide means comprises a recess formed in said housing and having an apex with said wire receiving opening located near said apex.

13. A unit according to claim 12 wherein said recess is formed in a projection on the inner surface of said wall.

14. In combination:

a lighting unit for mounting on a surface of a vehicle, said lighting unit comprising a housing having a wall, said wall having a recess on the exterior thereof and at least one wire accommodating groove on the exterior of said wall communicating between said recess and the edge of said wall, and a license plate holder having a portion disposed between said wall of said housing and said surface of said vehicle, said portion overlying said groove.

15. A unit according to claim 14 including attachment means projecting from said wall for securing said unit to said surface of said vehicle and wherein said portion of said license plate holder includes a hole therethrough for accommodating said attachment means.

16. A unit according to claim 15 including two transversely disposed grooves on the exterior of said wall, each groove communicating with said recess and an edge of said wall.

17. A unit according to claim 16 wherein said wall is an end wall and further including a side wall for said housing, said side wall being provided with a light emitting opening therethrough in the vicinity of said license plate holder and a translucent lens for said light emitting opening.