GB2119913A

GB2119913A - Vehicle lamp assemblies

Info

Publication number: GB2119913A
Application number: GB08205954A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven John Dennis
Original assignee: FLEXIBLE LAMPS Ltd
Current assignee: FLEXIBLE LAMPS Ltd
Priority date: 1982-03-01
Filing date: 1982-03-01
Publication date: 1983-11-23
Also published as: GB2119913B

Abstract

The rear light cluster of e.g. commercial vehicles includes a rubber housing (12) which is secured by nuts and bolts to a vertical wall (76) of a mounting member which is a part of a vehicle. The connections from the lamp sockets for the various lamp units are wired to a male plug (36) on the rear wall (15) of the housing (12). The free ends of the pins of the plug (36) are surrounded by a cylindrical sleeve (38), and the rear end of the plug (36) has a flange (39) formed in an inner portion of the inside face of the wall (15). A female socket (40) co-operates with the male plug (36) and comprises a cylindrical plastics moulding with brass terminals connected to wires (42) from a sheathed cable (44). The socket (40) is located in a rubber member (48) formed with an integral flange (52) with a forwardly extending flexible rib (70). The flange (52) is compressed between the wall (76) and the wall (15) to flex the rib (70) outwardly to provide a good seal between the parts in this region. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle lamp assemblies This invention relates to vehicle lamp assemblies and is particularly concerned with rear lamp clusters for commercial vehicles. It is usual for a commercial vehicle to have a pair of rear lamp clusters one on each side of the vehicle, each cluster incorporating a variety of lamps and lenses. Normally a vehicle would include in each cluster a fog light, a rear warning light, a reverising light and a direction indicator. Appropriate coloured lenses are provided on the unit for this purpose and it has been the practice in the trade until now for one of two systems to be employed for wiring such a lamp cluster to the remainder of the circuitry of the vehicle.

In one arrangement the lamp manufacturer supplies a lamp cluster with a cable permanently connected thereto and which extends rearwardly from the lamp. On the end of the cable a suitable connector is secured, for example comprising a plug of a plug and socket connector, the socket being situated elsewhere on the vehicle. This arrangement is found to have certain disadvantages. The position of the socket on the vehicle can vary considerably from one vehicle manufacturer to another and also differs from one vehicle to another in one manufacturer's range. As a consequence it is not uncommon for a lamp manufacturer to have to produce and stock a whole range of lamp clusters with different lengths of cable according to requirements.A further problem which arises is that in many cases the plug and socket connection is either not made correctly during assembly of the vehicle, or alternatively it may work loose due to vibration and may also be susceptible to ingress of water.

A second main type of assembly of rear lamp clusters used in the trade is to run a cable from the rear lamp cluster to a junction box on the vehicle from which further cables extend to appropriate circuitry and switches on the vehicle. In this case, in certain circumstances, the lamp cluster may have a male plug on the rear thereof for connection to a female socket on the cable extending to the junction box. However there is no provision for ensuring correct electrical continuity of the plug and socket during assembly of the vehicle nor for ensuring that the plug and socket cannot work loose due to vibration.

An object of the present invention therefore is to alleviate, if not overcome, some or all of the disadvantages outlined above.

According to the present invention a vehicle lamp assembly comprises a lamp unit which includes a housing having a lamp socket for a lamp and a lens on the housing, the housing carrying one part of a two part electrical connector, the one part being connected to the lamp socket, a second part of the two part connector being secured to a cable and the cable passing through an opening in a mounting member of the vehicle, a head portion of the second part of the two part connector being larger than the opening in the mounting member and being positioned on the same side of the mounting member as the housing, and securing means for fixing the lamp unit to the mounting member, the operation of the said securing means, during said fixing, ensuring that the two parts of the connector are in full engagement with the head portion being trapped between the housing and the mounting member.

Specifically the two part electrical connector may include male and female plug and socket portions one of which portions is housed within an annular member having a peripheral outwardly extending flange at one end which forms said head portion, and an end wall towards the other end which has an opening for the passage of a cable extending from said one portion. Thus the annular member may be of generally top-hat form. The top hat is preferably made of flexible rubber or the like and makes sealing engagement with the housing, the mounting mem ber and the cable.

The annular member preferably has an inner shoulder against which an end of said one portion engages to prevent axial movement thereof with respect to the annular member in a direction which would disengage said one portion from the other portion.

Said other portion of the two part electrical connector may have a flange at one end which engages in an annular recess in the housing to prevent axial movement of it with respect to the housing.

Specifically the male plug portion may have a series of electrical pins received in sockets in the female socket portion, an annular sleeve being formed integrally on the male portion to surround an end of the female socket portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention a cable assembly, for incorporation in a vehicle lamp assembly, comprises a male plug or female socket having a series of terminals connected to respective cores of a multi-core cable, the plug or socket being located substantially within an annular locating member with a portion of the plug or socket engaging an axially facing wall of the locating member to prevent axial movement thereof in at least one direction, the annular member having an outwardly extending peripheral flange at its end towards which the said wall axially faces, the end of the annular locating member remote from its outwardly extending peripheral flange having a tublar spigot through which the multi-core cable extends in sealing engagement.

The invention may be carried into practice in a number of ways but one specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of a vehicle rear-light cluster together with a vehicle bulkhead and a cable connection according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a section side elevation of the parts of Figure 1 in an assembled condition; Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of the rubber "boot" employed in the system of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the parts of Figure 1 in an unassembled condition, and; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the parts of Figure 4 in a partially assembled condition.

The drawings show a vehicle rear light cluster generally indicated at 10 which includes a rubber housing 12 having an upper wall 14, a rear wall 15, and triangular end walls 16. Figure 2 shows that the housing 12 is completed by a lower horizontal flange 18. The front edge of the upper wall 14 comprises a flap 20 connected to the remainder of the top wall 14 by an integral hinge 22. Secured to the flap 20 are three lens units one of which is seen at 24 in Figure 1.

Each lens unit includes a front wall, not shown, an end triangular wall 26 and a lower wall 28. The lens units are connected to the flaps 20 by three studs 30 in each case extending into a horizontal upper edge 32 of the lens unit.

Mounted within the housing 12 are three sets of lamp sockets one associated with each lens 24.

Whilst the exact configuration of the lens units and their purpose can be varied, in one example, one lens unit may comprise a fog light, another lens unit comprises a combined reversing light and tail light plus reflector and the third unit comprises a combined stop light and a direction indicator.

It is arranged that all the connections to the lamp sockets for the various lamp units are wired to a male plug 36 on the rear wall 15 of the housing.

Specifically the male plug may have seven forwardly extending pins which are located in sockets in a plastic moulding 37. The free ends of the pins are surrounded by a cylindrical sleeve 38 forming part of the moulding. The rear end of the moulding 37 has a flange 39 which is located in a recess 98 formed in an inner portion of the inside face of the wall 15 of the lamp housing, with a tapered flange 102 overlapping the end of the plug 36. Axial movement to the right of the female socket 40 is prevented by engagement with the step 64 of the "boot".

Arranged to co-operate with the male plug is a female socket indicated at 40 in Figures 2,4 and 5, the socket comprising a cylindrical plastic moulding having seven individual brass terminals, one for each pin. As shown in Figures 2,4 and 5, wires 42 are connected one to each of the individual terminals of the socket 40 and these wires extend to form a sheathed cable 44 which extends either to an appropriate junction box on the vehicle, or to appropriate switches and other parts of the electrical circuitry of the vehicle.

In the region of the female socket 40 there is located a rubber member 48, hereinafter called a "boot" of generally top hat form which includes an annular wall 50 (see Figure 3) provided with an integral flange 52. The flange 52 has a forwardly extending flexible rib 70 on its forward periphery. At its right hand end the annular wall 50 merges into an end wall 54 from which a tubular spigot 56 extends.

The spigot has one pair of sealing flanges 58 for use with seven core cable, and a second pair of sealing flanges 60 for use with a four core cable (for a different lamp assembly). When a seven core cable is used, the end of the spigot 56 is cut off to remove that part of it having the flanges 60. The cable 44 is arranged to extend through the spigot 56 in sealing engagement with the appropriate sealing flanges 58 or 60 formed on the interior of the spigot 56.

The interior surface of the annular wall 50 is stepped at 64 in the region where it merges with the rear wall 54. The purpose of the step 64 is to axially locate the right hand end of the socket 40 as shown in Figure 2. In this way any forces applied in a rearward direction on the male plug 36, i.e. to the right in Figure 2, are prevented from moving the male plug 36.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the interior of the annular wall 50 has an annular rib 66 arranged to engage and seal against the outside wall of the socket 40.

The interior ofthe annular wall 50 also has a further pair of sealing ribs 68 and 69 to engage the exterior of the sleeve 38 of the male plug 36.

The rear-light cluster 10 is arranged to be secured to an appropriate part of the vehicle. In the embodiment shown this part of the vehicle is indicated in Figures 1,4 and 5 as comprising a channel-section horizontal bulkhead 74 having a vertical wall 76, a horizontal upper wall 78, and a lower flange 80. In line with the male plug 36, the bulkhead has a circular aperture 84 which is of a diameter such that it can receive the cylindrical wall 50 of the "boot" as a relatively tight fit as shown in Figure 2 with the flange 52 of the "boot" engaging the inside of the wall 76 of the bulkhead around the periphery of the aperture 84.

The cluster 10 is secured to the wall 76 of the bulkhead by means of six bolts 86 extending from the rear wall 15 ofthe housing 12 and which pass through aligned apertures 88 in the wall 76 of the bulkhead, each bolt 86 co-operating with a nut 90.

In order to put together the various parts of the vehicle lamp assembly shown, the female socket 40 is first connected to its cable 44 and the socket in turn is located against the step 64 with the internal rib 66 of the "boot" engaging the exterior of the socket. Alternatively the female socket 40 may be connected to the male plug 36 as shown in Figure 5 with the "boot" positioned along the cable 44. In either case the assembly is completed by aligning the housing 10 with the rear wall 76 of the bulkhead such that the bolts 86 pass through the apertures 88 in the wall 76. The nuts 90 are then applied and clamped up to draw the rear wall 15 of the housing 12 close to the wall 76 of the bulkhead as shown in Figure 2.It can be seen in Figure2thatthe rearwall 15 of the housing has a peripheral flange 90 which engages the wall 76 of the bulkhead. This clamping up of the housing onto the bulkhead traps the flange 52 of the "boot" between the rear wall 15 of the housing and the wall 76 of the bulkhead with the rib 70 of the flange 52 of the "boot" flexed outwardly to provide a good seal between the parts in this region.

The assembly of the parts in this manner necessitats the proper location of the plug and socket connector to the assembled condition of Figure 2.

As a consequence of this construction, during the bolting up of the lamp unit on the vehicle, correct location and full mating of the plug and socket portions of the connector is ensured. Apart from ensuring correct electrical connection on initial assembly, the formation of the parts in the manner shown ensures that such location is permanently achieved. The construction is waterproof and vibration will not cause the plug and socket connector to work loose.

Furthermore, from the point of view of the lamp supplier, it is possible simply to supply the vehicle manufacturer with the lamp unit 10 and its male socket 36 for a complete range of vehicles to which this lamp unit is suitable without the need for a variety of permanently connected cables of different lengths and wiring facilities for the different vehicles.

Thus the unit 10 is a universal unit which can be supplied for many vehicles. In practice the lamp supplier may also provide the vehicle manufacturer with female sockets and boots for connection to respective lengths of cable 44 during assembly of the vehicle in the factory. Alternatively the lamp supplier can produce the requisite lengths of cable each with a female socket and boot assembled thereon, but this does not necessitate the manufacture and costly stocking of a large range of lamp units connected to the various cable lengths.

Claims

1. Avehicle lamp assembly comprising a lamp unit which includes a housing having a lamp socket for a lamp and a lens on the housing, the housing carrying one part of a two-part electrical connector, the one part being connected to the lamp socket, the second part of the two-part connector being secured to a cable, and the cable passing through an opening in a mounting of the vehicle, a head portion of the second part of the two-part connector being larger than the opening in the mounting member and being positioned on the same side of the mounting member as the housing, and securing means for fixing the lamp unit to the mounting member, the operation of said securing means, during said fixing, ensuring that the two parts of the connector are in full engagement with the head portion being trapped between the housing and the mounting member.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the two-part electrical connector includes male and female plug and socket portions one of which portions is housed within an annular member hav ing a peripheral outwardly extending flange at one end which forms said head portion, and an end wall towards the other end which has an opening for the passage of a cable extending from said one portion.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2 in which the annular member has an inner shoulder against which an end of said one portion engages to prevent axial movement thereof with respect to the annular member in a direction which would disengage said one portion from the other portion.

4. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which said other portion has a flange at one end which engages in an annular recess in the housing to prevent axial movement of it with respect to the housing.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2,3 or 4 in which the male plug portion has a series of electrical pins received in sockets in the female socket portion, an annular sleeve being formed integrally on the male portion to surround an end of the female socket portion.

6. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5 in which the annular member is of generally top-hat form.

7. An assembly as claimed in Claim 6 in which the annular member is made of flexible rubber of the like and makes sealing engagement with the housing, the mounting member, and the cable.

8. A cable assembly, for incorporation in a vehicle lamp assembly, comprising a male plug or female socket having a series of terminals connected to respective cores of a multi-core cable, the plug or socket being located substantially within an annular locating member with a portion of the plug or socket engaging an axially facing wall of the locating member to prevent axial movement thereof in at least one direction, the annular member having an outwardly extending peripheral flange at its end towards which the said wall axially faces, the end of the annular locating member remote from its outwardly extending peripheral flange having a tubular spigot through which the multi-core cable extends in sealing arrangement.

9. Avehicle lamp assembly substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A cable assembly for incorporation in a vehicle lamp assembly substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.