U.S. patent application number 09/725002 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-07 for lamp for vehicles.
Invention is credited to Schrewe, Elmar.
Application Number | 20020027782 09/725002 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7655336 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020027782 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schrewe, Elmar |
March 7, 2002 |
LAMP FOR VEHICLES
Abstract
A lamp for a vehicle, in particular for aircraft, has a housing
in which a light source is arranged, with the housing including a
first housing part detachably attached to a second housing part,
the first and second housing parts being coaxially arranged. Each
of the first and second housing parts has at least one projection
extending in the axial direction from an edge thereof, for
inter-engaging in a corresponding recess of the other housing part.
Each projection has a retaining nose protruding in the radial,
transverse, direction to form a groove into which a locking element
can be inserted to lock the first housing part to the second
housing part.
Inventors: |
Schrewe, Elmar; (Anroechte,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch, LLP
P.O. Box 747
Falls Church
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Family ID: |
7655336 |
Appl. No.: |
09/725002 |
Filed: |
November 29, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/470 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21W 2111/06 20130101;
F21W 2106/00 20180101; F21S 8/02 20130101; B60Q 3/44 20170201; F21V
15/01 20130101; F21W 2107/30 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/470 |
International
Class: |
F21V 001/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 6, 2000 |
DE |
100 44 146.7 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A lamp for a vehicle, in particular for aircraft, having a
housing in which is arranged a light source, said housing
comprising a first housing part and a second housing part that are
detachably, coaxially, joined together, wherein the first housing
part (5) and the second housing part (6) each has at least one
projection (12, 13) extending in an axial direction from an edge
(10, 11) thereof, with the edge (10) of the first housing part (5)
opposing the edge (11) of the second housing part (6) so that each
said projection engages in a corresponding recess (21, 22) of the
other housing part (5, 6), wherein each projection (12, 13) has a
retaining nose (14, 15) protruding in a transverse radial direction
to form a groove (16) there between into which a locking element
(17) can be inserted for locking the first housing part (5) to the
second housing part (6).
2. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the first housing part (5) and the
second housing part (6) each has a plurality of projections (12,
13), so that the edges (10, 11) of the first and second housing
parts (5, 6) inter-engaging in a claw-like manner.
3. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the projections (12, 13) of the
respective first and second housing parts (5, 6) are arranged to be
relatively offset from one another in a peripheral direction in an
assembled state of the housing parts, with an inside axial spacing
between the retaining noses (14, 15) of the first and second
housing parts (5, 6) being adapted to a diameter of the locking
element (17).
4. The lamp of claim 2, wherein widths of the projections (12, 13)
are in a range of from 0.5 cm to 1.5 cm.
5. The lamp of claim 1, wherein each of the retaining noses (14,
15) has an inclined surface (19) on a side facing the locking
element (17) such that the groove (16) tapers inwardly in a
direction of assembly of the locking element (17).
6. The lamp of claim 1, wherein each inclined surface (19) forms an
acute angle with a perpendicular plane of the housing parts (5, 6),
with a length of the inclined surface (19) being greater than a
radius of the locking element (17).
7. The lamp of claim 2, wherein the recess, between two adjacent
projections (13) of one of the first housing part (5) and the
second housing part (6) is structured as a thin-walled seat (22)
which extends flush with an inside of the adjacent projection
(14).
8. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the locking element (17) is
structured as a locking ring.
9. The lamp of claim 1, wherein each retaining nose (14, 15) is
arranged on a free end of the a projection (12, 13).
10. A vehicle employing the lamp of claim 1, wherein the first
housing part (5) is fixedly connected to a support plate (4) of the
vehicle.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This application claims a priority date from German
application DE 100 44 146.7, filed Sep. 6, 2000, and the contents
of that application are incorporated by reference herein.
[0002] This invention relates to a lamp for vehicles, in particular
for aircraft, of a type having a housing in which a light source is
arranged, with the housing including a first housing part
detachably connected to a second housing part, with the first and
second housing parts being arranged coaxially to one another.
[0003] European Patent Application 0 512 380 A2 describes a lamp
for vehicles having a housing containing a light source, where the
housing includes a first housing part connected to a support plate
and a second housing part arranged coaxially with and detachable
from the first housing part. To connect the first and second
housing parts, a latching device is provided, having latching
elements with a plurality of latching projections or latching cams
arranged in the axial direction. This mechanism for joining housing
parts has been basically successful, but it has the disadvantage
that the housing must be assembled from a front side and a rear
side of a support plate at an opening in the support plate provided
for the lamp. It has been found that it is relatively
time-consuming to mount the first housing part and the second
housing part from different directions of assembly on the support
plate, which usually extends in the vertical direction.
Furthermore, this type of assembly means that one housing part must
always be arranged to protrude from the front side of the support
plate. This is not always desirable for optical reasons.
[0004] Therefore, it is an object of this invention to improve upon
a lamp for vehicles such that assembly complexity is reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to principles of this invention a
light-source-containing housing for a lamp for a vehicle, in
particular for an aircraft, includes a first housing part and a
second housing part that are detachably, coaxially, joined
together, with each of the first and second housing parts having at
least one projection extending away from an edge thereof in the
axial direction on a side facing the other housing part, with the
projections of each housing part inter-engaging in a corresponding
recess of the other housing part. Each projection has a retaining
nose protruding radially, transverse to the axil direction, to form
a groove there between into which a securing element can be
inserted to retain the first housing part relative to the second
housing part by clamping therein.
[0006] A particular advantage of this invention is that the
structure of the projections and recesses in conjunction with the
retaining noses protruding in the transverse direction, allows a
simple method of joining the first and second housing parts. The
first and second housing parts are joined together in a
form-fitting manner, with the retaining noses that protrude
laterally from the projections forming bordering walls and, with
partial sections of the projections, forming a groove to receive
the securing element. In the assembled position, this securing
element engages both the projections of the first housing part and
the second housing part, thus assuring a secure connection.
Reliability in assembly is further increased by the fact that a
person performing the assembly can discern unambiguously a desired
assembly status on the basis of a position of the securing
element.
[0007] According to a refinement of this invention, the first and
second housing parts each has a plurality of projections
distributed peripherally so that, in an assembled configuration,
the edges of the first and second housing parts engage one another
in a claw-like manner. In this way, assembly of the first and
second housing parts into a proper position is advantageously
simplified.
[0008] According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, a
clearance spacing between the retaining noses, arranged to be
offset from one another in the axial direction of the housing
parts, is adapted to a diameter of the securing element, so that a
compressing force which holds the first and second housing parts
together in a rattle-free manner always acts in the axial
direction.
[0009] According to another embodiment of this invention, each of
the retaining noses, on a side facing the securing element, has an
inclined surface such that the groove tapers in the direction of
projection of the nose. In this way, secure locking of the first
and second housing parts is made possible even when there are
deviations from tolerances of the securing element, with an
unambiguous seating of the securing element in the groove being
assured by a length of the inclined surface, which is adapted to
the diameter of the securing element.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Further benefits, characteristics and details of the
invention are explained in more detail below using an embodiment
shown in the drawings. The described and drawn features, can be
used individually or in preferred combinations in other embodiments
of the invention. The foregoing and other objects, features and
advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following
more particular description of the preferred embodiment of the
invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the
different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale,
emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles of the
invention in a clear manner.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a lamp of this invention,
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lamp,
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second housing part of a
housing of the lamp,
[0014] FIG. 4 is a fragmented sectional view taken on line IV-IV in
FIG. 3 of a retaining nose on the second housing part,
[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first housing part of the
housing, and
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a support plate, shown from
a back side, with housings for two lamps being mounted on the
support plate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] A lamp of this invention is for use in vehicles, preferably
in aircraft, where it can be used as a reading light.
[0018] A lamp 1 has a housing 2 which mainly includes a first
housing part 5 joined in a form-fitting manner to a back side 3 of
a support plate 4 of an aircraft and a second housing part 6, which
is joined to the first housing part 5 in a non-positive, or
frictional, manner. The first and second housing parts 5, 6 are
structured so they are essentially hollow cylinders or cup-shaped.
The second housing part 6 has an opening on a side facing away from
the first housing part 5 so that a third housing part 7 can be
placed on the second housing part 6. The third housing part 7 has a
centrally positioned light source and is provided with a cooling
device 9 of a plurality of cooling ribs 8 arranged in a star
pattern, on a side facing away from the second housing part 6, to
cool the light source. The light source may be structured as an
incandescent bulb or as a light-emitting diode. The third housing
part 7 may be in a fixed position or it may be pivotal relative to
the second housing part 6.
[0019] When assembled, the first and second housing parts 5, 6 are
arranged coaxially with one another, each having an edge 10 and 11
with teeth on a side facing the other. The teeth are formed by a
plurality of projections 12 on the first housing part 5 and
projections 13 on the second housing part 6 extending in an axial
direction. Each of the projections 12, 13 has a retaining nose 14
and 15 protruding perpendicularly, radially, outwardly, in a
transverse direction at a free end thereof. The edges 10, 11 of the
first and second housing parts 5, 6 are structured to be
circular.
[0020] In the assembled position, the retaining noses 14, 15 of the
projections 12 and 13 are arranged so that they are offset from one
another about a periphery of housing parts 5, 6 and thereby form a
ring groove 16 to receive a securing element structured as a
clamping ring.
[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a clearance space between the offset
retaining noses 14, 15 in the axial direction is sized such that
the clamping ring 17 makes clamping contact with a base side 18 of
the ring groove 16.
[0022] To assure secure seating of the clamping ring 17 in the
groove 16, the retaining noses 14, 15 are structured to be
hook-shaped with an inclined surface 19 arranged on a side facing
the locking ring 17. The inclined surface 19 is oriented so that
the groove 16 tapers inwardly in a mounting direction of the
clamping ring 17. The inclined surface 19 forms an acute angle to a
perpendicular plane of the housing parts 5, 6. Due to this
tub-shaped design of the ring groove 16, differences in tolerance
with respect to the clamping ring 17 can be compensated. Because
the clamping ring 17 is structured so that it has a clamping effect
inwardly in the radial direction when inserted, or positioned, in
the ring groove 16, the retaining noses 14 of the first housing
part 5 are spread from the retaining noses 15 of the second housing
part 6 in such a way as to assure a rattle-free seating of the two
housing parts 5, 6.
[0023] A width of the base side 18 may be structured to be smaller
than a diameter of the clamping ring 17. This takes into account
that the clamping ring 17 does not rest on the base side 18. It is
important that the lengths of the retaining noses 14, 15 be
coordinated with the diameter of the clamping ring 17. The lengths
of the retaining noses 14, 15 with the inclined surfaces 19 thereof
should be greater than the radius of the clamping ring 17.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, depressions are formed as recesses 21
between the projections 12 of the first housing part 5. As shown in
FIG. 4, the depressions of the second housing part 6 are structured
as thin-walled seats 22 which have a substantially thinner wall
thickness than do the projections 13. The seats 22 are arranged on
an inside flush with insides of adjacent projections 13.
[0025] To assemble the first and second housing parts 5, 6, insides
of the projections 12 of the first housing part 5 are placed in
contact with the thin-walled seats 22 of the second housing part 6.
The projections 12, 13 on housing parts 5 and 6 inter-engage in a
claw-like manner, with the housing parts 5, 6 already assuming
their end positions. The widths of the projections 12, 13 and of
depressions 21, 22 may be in a range of 0.5 to 1.5 cm. As an
alternative, it is also possible for each housing part 5, 6 to have
only a single projection and a single depression The projection
would then cover the edge 10, 11 over an angle of 180 E.
[0026] For further assembly of the lamp 1, after assembling the
first and second housing parts 5, 6, the clamping ring 17 is
inserted into the ring groove 16. The clamping ring 17 has
hook-shaped ends 23 so that the clamping ring 17 can be brought
into an intended position without the assistance of tools.
[0027] The third housing part 7 is preferably pre-mounted on the
second housing part 6, so that, in order to replace the light
source, only the second housing part 6 need be detached from the
first housing 5 by removing the clamping ring 17. As shown in FIG.
6, the first housing part 5 is fixedly joined to the support plate
4 of a basic light unit 24 by screws. The support plate 4 has two
oppositely-positioned lamps in one elongated portion and a
loudspeaker 25 in an adjacent elongated portion. The light base
unit 24 is pivotally mounted at an edge to a support (not shown) by
fastening devices 26.
[0028] To assemble the lamps 1 or to replace light sources therein,
the support plate 4 is brought into a vertical position. Then the
first housing part 5 can be mounted on the rear side 3 of the
support plate 4. In another step, the second housing part 6 is then
placed on the first housing part 5 and locked onto the first
housing part 5 by inserting the clamping ring 17 into the ring
groove 16. It is advantageous for the first housing part 5 to be
already pre-mounted on the support plate 4. To change the light
source, one need only unlock the second housing part 6 from the
first housing part 5 by removing the clamping ring 17.
* * * * *