US2783318A - Lamp supporting and operating structure - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 26, 1957 w. E. BR'OWN 2,783,318

LAMP SUPPORTING AND OPERATING STRUCTURE Filed 061;; 20, 1955 I "I'll a a? I 30 3. "wry 4'1 43 z 1 INVENTOR W/lL/A/f E. BROWN l5 Arm/MT Y United States Patent 2 LAMP SUPPORTING AND OPERATING STRUCTURE William E. Brown, Anderson, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application October 20, 1955, Serial No. 541,595

8 Claims. (Cl. 200-5113) This invention relates to compartment lights and more particularly to an improvedmotor vehicle glove compartment lamp socket and switch structure.

.An object of the present invention is to improveand simplify the construction of a glove compartment switch andv lamp structure. which may be readily manufactured and assembled at low cost. To accomplish these and other objects, the switch and lamp structure comprises a one piece casing of molded. rnsulating material which has a lamp socket integrally formed on one end and which casingalso includes integrally formed lugs disposed onthe end of. resilient arms and spaced to maintain a two diameter spring. withinthe casing when the bulb is absent from the socket. In .the type of device contemplated by the present invention, the switch actuator is maintained in position on .one end of the housing by the springwhich is held in position by the pair of spaced lugs so the position of the spring relative to the bulb socket will be maintained during periods when the bulb is absentfrom the socket which is formed in the other end of the housing.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from. the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the glove compartment switch and lamp structure according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end. view of the structure in Figure 1 taken in the direction of arrow 2 with the bulb removed to more clearly show theparts of the structure.

Figure 3 is a view along line 3 -3 in Figure 1 with certain parts of the structure broken away to show, in section, the improvements according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional view along line 44 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along line 3-3 in Figure l with the bulb removed from the structure to show the spring catch operation.

Figures 6 and 7 show. a plan and side view of the terminal asused in the device in Figure 1.

In the drawings, the glove compartment lamp and switchstructure shown incorporates certain improvements in the device as set forth in the Patent 2,686,852, which has been assigned by the inventor, William E. Brown, to the assignee of the present invention. These improvements will provide a structure that may be manufactured at .a considerably lower cost than the switch shown in the Brown patent supra as the switch, according to the present invention, is formed with a reduced number of parts and is easier to assemble during manufacture.

Referring now to the drawings, 20 designates a. onepiece molded body or housing of insulating material or plastic. The body 20 is preferably tubular and is formed with a cylindrical recess 21 extending from an open end and terminating short of the other end to provide an end wall 22 having a central opening 23.

2,783,318 Patented Feb 26,1 1957 The body 20 carries an apertured metallic retainer clip 24 which abuts the outer face of end wall 22 and 1s secured to the body .when an integral shank 26, which surrounds the aperture in clip 24, is spun over the inner surface of wall 22. The clip 24 is also provided with a plurality of circumferentially located resilient prongs 28 which are adapted to snap into a suitable sized opening in a support, not shown.

The .shank 26 of clip 24 slidably supports a plunger 30. The plunger is formed from a molded insulating material or suitable plastic and includes a stem 32 and an enlarged head 34. The head is. embraced by a cupshaped contact 36 which is secured to the head by spinning over the rim of the cup against the head 34. The contact 36 is adapted to engage the spun over portions of the shank 26. The plunger 30, with its attached contact 36, is assembled in the recess 21 by inserting the plunger from the open end of the housing 20. The contact 36 .has a sliding fit on the walls of recess 21 to guide the plunger in a straight line axial movement with respect to the housing 20. The spun over portion of the contact 36 is adapted to engage the spun over portion of the shank 26 to form a ground for the electrical circuit and to limit the outward movement of the plunger 30.

The composite conducting spring 40 is formed from a single length of music wire. This spring 40 is formed to provide two coils 41 and 42. The coil 41 comprises a plurality of relatively large spaced convolutions and the coil 42 comprises a plurality of relatively small convolutions in contact with each other. The coils 41 and 42 are formed along the same axis. The spring 40 is inserted from the open end of the housing 20 into recess 21 so the end convolution of the large coil 41 engages contact 36. The spring 40 is maintained in the recess 21 by a pair of spaced lugs or means 44 when the bulb 46 is absent from a bulb retaining socket 48 as will be hereinafter described.

The spring retaining lugs 44 form one of the important features of the present invention as they cooperate to maintain the parts of the device assembled during periods when the bulb 46 is absent.

As is readily apparent from the drawings, the housing 20 is formed with two spaced pairs of spaced slots 50 and 52. These slots longitudinally extend in the housing wall and each pair isparranged to define an. extending resilient arm-like portion 54 which is joined to the body of housing 20 as shown and has a free end 56 detached from the body at the open end thereof. A lug 44 is formed on the free end 56 of the arm 54. This lug 44 is provided with an inclined surface 58 which terminates at the spring engaging surface 60. The slots 50 and 52 are preferably arranged so that the lugs 44 will be located in opposed. relation and extend into the recess 21. The arrangement of the lugs 44 and arms 54 on the walls of the housing will permit the lugs 44 to laterally spread or move outwardly of recess 21 when the spring 40 is inserted in recess 21. When the spring 41 is so inserted, the larger diameter portion 41 will engage .the surface 58 and ride thereover so the spring 40 may be inserted into the recess 21 without difiiculty. After the entire larger diameter portion 41 has passed over the lugs 44, the resilient arms 54, because of their attachment on the housing 21, will cause the lugs 44 to move inwardly so the spring engaging surface 60 will catch or engage the end convolution of the portion 41 of spring 40 that is adjacent the portion 42. Thus, the spring 40 will be held in place by the-lugs 44 that are integrally formed with housing 20. From the drawings, it is apparent thatthe lugs. will maintain the spring in position in the housing only during those periods when the bulb 46 is absent from the bulb retaining socket or means which is also integrally formed in the housing 20 and which will now be described.

The recess 21, at the open end of housing 2%), is enlarged to form a chamber 48 in which the associated lamp bulb 46 is positioned. The bulb 46 has the usual cylindrical base 62, generally of brass, which constitutes one contact, and a second contact 64, of the conventional type, Which is mounted on the end of the base 62 but separated therefrom by insulating material 66. The contact 64 is engaged by the end convolution of the smaller diameter portion 42 of spring 40 and is held in firm electrical contact therewith by the larger diameter portion 41 so that the ground connection from contact 64 to the clip 24 is established as has been heretofore set forth. The base 62 is engaged by a terminal on a conductor 68 which will be later described and which is connected in the conventional manner to a suitably grounded storage battery or other source of current.

In the wall of the housing 20, surrounding chamber 48, is a bayonet slot 70 having an axial portion 72 and a transverse portion 74 which is adapted to be engaged by the pin or lug 76 extending from the bulb base 62 to retain the bulb 46 in proper position. If desired, the chamber 48 may be connected with the remainder of the recess 21 by an inclined wall '78 to facilitate the insertion of the plunger 30 and spring 40.

Formed in the housing 20 at the lower side thereof, as shown in Figure 4, is a chamber or passage 80. The shape of this passage and its location relative to slot portion 72 is best shown in Figure 2. The inner face 82 of the passage 80 terminates at a point about the inclined surface 78 so, from that point to the right, as seen in Figure 4, the passage 80 merges with the chamber 48 so there is no dividing wall between the chamber 48 and passage 80, but, instead, an opening is provided through which contact is made between base 62 and a terminal 92 which is received in passage 80. The wall 86 of passage 80, opposite the inner face 82, is curved. Extending to the right and left from the passage 80 are two slots 68 and 90, as seen in Figure 2.

A terminal 92 is suitably secured on the end of con ductor 68 as shown in Figures 6 and 7. This terminal 92 is sized to slide into slots 88 and 90 and is preferably formed of brass so the end of the hook portion 94 is out of the plane of the remainder of the terminal 92. The side of the terminal 92 opposite the end of the hook portion 94 has a shoulder 96. This shoulder is arranged to engage a suitable restriction (not shown) in slot 90 to limit the distance which the terminal 92 may be inserted into the slots 88 and W. The hook portion 94 is bent so it also will engage behind a suitably located lug, not shown, in slot 88 to prevent the terminal 92 from being withdrawn from the slots 33 and 90 once it has been slid therein. The terminal 92 also has a bayonet slot 98 which receives a lug 104i projecting from the base 62 of bulb 46 at a point diametrically opposite to the lug 76. The slot 98 is so formed in the terminal 92 that the lug 100 may first axially pass through a groove 102 in housing 20 and be rotated into slot 98 and engage behind the notch 104 in terminal 92.

When the lamp 46 is installed in the chamber 48, current may pass to the lamp through conductor 68, terminal 92, lug 100 and contact 64 and thence through the spring 46 etc. Thus, it is to be noted that the lamp circuit is established and that the lamp 46 is held in the glove compartment housing 20 without the use of sleeves or other separate bulb holding devices, etc., as have been heretofore employed in the type of structure herein disclosed.

From the above, it is apparent that the structure, according to the present invention, will provide an economical structure that is easy to assemble. The completely molded housing with its integral spring retaining means and bulb socket makes this result possible. Also, it is apparent that the lugs which are formed integrally on the switch housing may be carried on arms that are transversely formed in the walls of the housing or that the arms may be joined on both ends to the housing providing the material of the housing is sufliciently elastic to permit the larger diameter of the spring to pass thereby. It is also within the scope of my invention to utilize only one resilient lug for the purpose indicated although it has been found that at least two lugs provide the most satisfactory spring holding means.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a device of the character described having; a molded tubular member of insulating material open at both ends and having an enlarged diameter portion on one end arranged to provide a socket for a bayonet type bulb and a restricted opening arranged to provide a shoulder on the other end, a plunger extending through said opening having an enlargement on one end movable within said tubular member and abutable with said shoulder, a spring carried within said tubular member formed to provide two coils of different diameters on opposite ends thereof, said spring being carried in said tubular member with the larger diameter coil resting on the plunger enlargement for urging said enlargement against said shoulder and the smaller coil urged by the larger coil to be in contact with a terminal of said bulb, and a means for retaining said spring in said tubular member when said bulb is removed from said socket, said means comprising a pair of lugs integrally formed on said tubular member and arranged to engage said spring where the diameter thereof is reduced to form said smaller coil.

2. In a device of the character described having a body of molded insulating material having a recess therein opening to one end thereof and terminating short of the other end to provide an end wall for the body, said end wall having a central opening therein, a terminal extending through said opening and having portions overlaying inner and outer surfaces of said end wall, a movable plunger of insulating material guided by said terminal; a contact carried by the plunger arranged to be moved into and out of contact with said terminal, means including a pair of opposed grooves in said body opening into said recess and longitudinally extending a predetermined distance from the open end thereof for retaining a bayonet socket type bulb, having a central terminal in said recess, a second terminal carried by the walls of said body arranged to contact a bayonet lug of said bulb, a one piece conducting wire formed to provide a plurality of spaced relatively large convolutions and a plurality of contacting relatively small convolutions, said wire being positioned in the recess of said body with the large convolution portion in contact with the contact as carried by said plunger and the smaller convolution portion in contact with the central terminal of the bulb, a means for maintaining the conducting wire in said recess when said bulb is removed from said recess, said means including a pair of spaced resilient lugs integrally formed in the molded body and inwardly extending into said recess and adapted to engage the larger diameter convolutions only of said conducting wire.

3. In an electric switch having a tubular housing of insulating material with an open end and a spring having a larger and a smaller diameter portion within said housing, a means for maintaining said spring within said housing comprising; a pair of spaced lugs integrally formed on the inner walls of said housing arranged for engaging the larger diameter portion only of said spring and having an inclined surface arranged to permit passage of the larger diameter portion of said spring past said lugs when said spring is inserted in said housing from the open end thereof.

4. In a device of the character described having a tubular housing of insulating material and a spring having a larger and smaller diameter portion, a means for maintaining said spring in a predetermined position within said housing comprising; at least one resilient arm integrally formed on said tubular housing having an integral lug thereon engageable with the larger diameter portion of said spring.

5. In a device of the character described having a housing of insulating material having an extending tubular wall with a bulb receiving socket on one end and spring having a larger and smaller diameter portion within said housing, a means for maintaining said spring in position relative to said socket comprising; a pair of spaced slots longitudinally extending in the tubular wall of said housing, a resilient longitudinally extending member formed of material of the housing located between said slots, and a lug integrally formed on said member extending inwardly into said housing and located on said member to engage the larger diameter portion only of said spring.

6. In a glove compartment light switch unit for use in a motor vehicle having an elongate tubular housing of molded insulating material having an actuator stop on one end and a bulb retaining socket on the other end with a spring of two diameters between said stop and socket, the improvement which comprises; forming said housing with a pair of spaced slots having a central portion between the slots integrally formed with an attached to said housing at at least one end thereof and having a projection on the other end of said central portion inwardly extending into said tubular housing constructed and arranged to engage the larger diameter portion only of said spring for maintaining said spring in a predetermined position within said housing.

7. In a glove compartment light switch unit for use in motor vehicles having an elongate tubular housing of molded insulating material having a switch actuator stop on one end and a bulb socket on the other end with a spring of two diameters between said stop and socket, the improvement which comprises, forming said housing with at least two spaced pairs of spaced slots extending in the walls of said housing with each of said pairs of slots having a portion of the housing therebetween integrally formed with and attached to said housing at one end and having the other end freely movable relative to said housing, a projection on the free end of each of said portions inwardly extending into said housing and disposed on said portion for engaging the larger diameter portion only of said spring for maintaining said spring in a predetermined position within said housing.

8. In a glove compartment light switch unit for use in a motor vehicle having an elongate tubular housing of molded insulating material having an actuator switch stop on one end and a bulb socket on the other end with a spring of two difierent diameters between said stop and socket, the improvement comprising; forming said housing with two spaced pairs of spaced slots extending in the walls of said housing on opposite sides of said housing with each of said pairs of slots having a portion therebetween integrally formed with an attached at one end to said housing and having the other end freely movable relative to the walls of said housing, a projection on the free end of each of said portions, said projections extending inwardly on opposite sides of the interior of said housing for engaging the larger diameter portion only of said spring for maintaining said spring in a predetermined position relative to said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,757,437 Muldoom May 6, 1930 2,646,477 Herterick July 21, 1953 2,686,852 Brown Aug. 17, 1954 2,700,788 Hennelly Feb. 1, 1955

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