Underhood lamp assembly with gravity-actuated switch
First Claim
1. A lamp assembly adapted to be mounted to the underside of a hinged cover member of a vehicle to illuminate a compartment of the vehicle when the hinged member is opened to a predetermined extent, said lamp assembly comprising:
- a housing member capable of being moved between a pair of predetermined positions each angularly displaced from the other;
means for connecting said housing member to said cover member;
a pendulum;
means mounting said pendulum on said housing member for pivotal movement of said pendulum, relative to said housing member, between a first pendulum position and a second pendulum position angularly displaced from said first pendulum position;
said pendulum and said mounting means for the pendulum comprising means cooperating (a) to maintain said pendulum in its first position when said housing member is in one of said pair of predetermined positions and (b) to allow the pendulum to move, under an urging of gravity, from the pendulum'"'"'s first position to its second position in response to movement of said housing member from its one predetermined position to another of said pair of predetermined positions for the housing member, angularly displaced from said one position of the housing member;
a first electrical contact; and
a second electrical contact comprising means for engaging said pendulum when the pendulum is in its second position;
said second electrical contact being spaced from and disengaged from said pendulum when the pendulum is in its first position;
a lamp electrically connected to one of said electrical contacts; and
the other one of said electrical contacts comprising means electrically connectable to a source of electrical energy for said lamp, to illuminate said lamp when said pendulum is in said second position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gravity-actuated switch having a switch module with a switch housing and a lid. An electrically conductive pendulum is pivotally secured to the lid via a pivot pin so that the pendulum hangs within the housing and pivots with respect to the housing under the influence of gravity. A first electrical contact connectable to a power source abuts the pivot pin, which is electrically conductive. A second electrical contact is provided within the housing in a predetermined position such that the pendulum makes contact with it when the switch module is tilted by a predetermined amount. When the pendulum makes contact with the second electrical contact, a short circuit is provided across the pair of contacts, thus closing the switch. The switch is incorporated in a lamp assembly provided on the underside of the hood or trunk lid of an automobile to selectively provide power to a lamp so that the lamp is illuminated only when the hood or trunk lid is opened by at least a predetermined amount. A switch composed of a pivoting magnet and a magnetic switch can be used instead of the combination of the conductive pendulum and the curved electrical contact.
30 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A lamp assembly adapted to be mounted to the underside of a hinged cover member of a vehicle to illuminate a compartment of the vehicle when the hinged member is opened to a predetermined extent, said lamp assembly comprising:
-
a housing member capable of being moved between a pair of predetermined positions each angularly displaced from the other; means for connecting said housing member to said cover member; a pendulum; means mounting said pendulum on said housing member for pivotal movement of said pendulum, relative to said housing member, between a first pendulum position and a second pendulum position angularly displaced from said first pendulum position; said pendulum and said mounting means for the pendulum comprising means cooperating (a) to maintain said pendulum in its first position when said housing member is in one of said pair of predetermined positions and (b) to allow the pendulum to move, under an urging of gravity, from the pendulum'"'"'s first position to its second position in response to movement of said housing member from its one predetermined position to another of said pair of predetermined positions for the housing member, angularly displaced from said one position of the housing member; a first electrical contact; and a second electrical contact comprising means for engaging said pendulum when the pendulum is in its second position; said second electrical contact being spaced from and disengaged from said pendulum when the pendulum is in its first position; a lamp electrically connected to one of said electrical contacts; and the other one of said electrical contacts comprising means electrically connectable to a source of electrical energy for said lamp, to illuminate said lamp when said pendulum is in said second position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A lamp assembly adapted to be mounted to the underside of a hinged cover member of a vehicle to illuminate a compartment of the vehicle when the hinged member is opened to a predetermined extent, said lamp assembly comprising:
-
a housing member capable of being moved between a pair of predetermined positions each angularly displaced from the other; means for attaching said housing member to the hinged cover member; a pendulum; means mounting said pendulum on said housing member for pivotal movement of said pendulum, relative to said housing member between a first pendulum position and a second pendulum position angularly displaced from said first pendulum position; said pendulum and said mounting means for the pendulum comprising means cooperating (a) to maintain said pendulum in its first position when said housing member is in one of said pair of predetermined positions and (b) to allow the pendulum to move, under an urging of gravity, from the pendulum'"'"'s first position to its second position in response to movement of said housing member from its one predetermined position to another of said pair of predetermined positions for the housing member, angularly displaced from said one position of the housing member; a first electrical conductor comprising means electrically connectable to a source of electrical energy for said lamp assembly; a second electrical conductor comprising means for engaging said pendulum when the pendulum is in its second position, said second electrical conductor being spaced from and disengaged from said pendulum when the pendulum is in its first position; a third electrical conductor comprising means electrically connectable to a source of electrical energy for said lamp assembly; and a lamp electrically connected to said second and third electrical conductors, said first and second electrical conductors being electrically connected, causing said lamp to be illuminated, when said pendulum is in said second pendulum position, and said first and second electrical conductors being electrically disconnected, causing said lamp to be extinguished, when said pendulum is in said first pendulum position.
-
-
14. A lamp assembly, comprising:
-
a housing member capable of being moved between a pair of predetermined positions each angularly displaced from the other; a pendulum; means mounting said pendulum on said housing member for pivotal movement of said pendulum, relative to said housing member, between a first pendulum position and a second pendulum position angularly displaced from said first pendulum position; said pendulum and said mounting means for the pendulum comprising means cooperating (a) to maintain said pendulum in its first position when said housing member is in one of said pair of predetermined positions and (b) to allow the pendulum to move, under an urging of gravity, from the pendulum'"'"'s first position to its second position in response to movement of said housing member from its one predetermined position to another of said pair of predetermined positions for the housing member, angularly displaced from said one position of the housing member; a first electrical conductor comprising means electrically connectable to a source of electrical energy for said lamp assembly; a second electrical conductor comprising means for engaging said pendulum when the pendulum is in its second position, said second electrical conductor being spaced from and disengaged from said pendulum when the pendulum is in its first position; a third electrical conductor comprising means electrically connectable to a source of electrical energy for said lamp assembly; and a lamp electrically connected to said second and third electrical conductors, said first and second electrical conductors being electrically connected, causing said lamp to be illuminated, when said pendulum is in said second pendulum position, and said first and second electrical conductors being electrically disconnected, causing said lamp to be extinguished, when said pendulum is in said first pendulum position, wherein said mounting means for the pendulum comprises; a pivot pin defining the pivotal axis for said pendulum; means mounting said pendulum on said pivot pin; and means mounting said pivot pin on said member. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A lamp assembly, comprising:
-
a housing member capable of being moved between a pair of predetermined positions each angularly displaced from the other; a pendulum; means mounting said pendulum on said housing member for pivotal movement of said pendulum, relative to said housing member, between a first pendulum position and a second pendulum position angularly displaced from said first pendulum position; said pendulum and said mounting means for the pendulum comprising means cooperating (a) to maintain said pendulum in its first position when said housing member is in one of said pair of predetermined positions and (b) to allow the pendulum to move, under an urging of gravity, from the pendulum'"'"'s first position to its second position in response to movement of said housing member from its one predetermined position to another of said pair of predetermined positions for the housing member, angularly displaced from said one position of the housing member; a first electrical conductor comprising means electrically connectable to a source of electrical energy for said lamp assembly; a second electrical conductor comprising means for engaging said pendulum when the pendulum is in its second position, said second electrical conductor being spaced from and disengaged from said pendulum when the pendulum is in its first position; a third electrical conductor comprising means electrically connectable to a source of electrical energy for said lamp assembly; and a lamp electrically connected to said second and third electrical conductors, said first and second electrical conductors being electrically connected, causing said lamp to be illuminated, when said pendulum is in said second pendulum position, and said first and second electrical conductors being electrically disconnected, causing said lamp to be extinguished, when said pendulum is in said first pendulum position, wherein; said pendulum comprises an arm portion and a bob portion; said bob portion having a circular cross section in a plane (a) which is parallel to the pivotal axis of said pendulum and (b) extends transversely to said arm portion of the pendulum.
-
Specification