US2866082A - Wire spring lens retainer - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 23, 1958 D. P. CLAYTON ETAL 2,866,082

WIRE SPRING LENS RETAINER Filed Oct. so, 1955 z mfizWu if BY TTORNEY WIRE SPRING LENS RETAlNER David P. Clayton and Lyle N. Williams, Anderson, linrh, assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application October 30, 1953, Serial No. 389,405

Claims. (Cl. 240-83) This invention relates to a wire spring lens retainer and more particularly to a wire spring for retaining a lens within a lens opening in a vehicle lamp.

It has always been difficult to mount a lens in a lamp in such manner as to insure a continued tight seal between the lens and the lamp casing. it is the practice to position a sealing gasket between the lens surface and the casing flange on which it is positioned in order to minimize this problem. However, it has been found by experience that such gaskets develop a permanent set over a period of time thus tending to reduce the sealing pressure between the lens, gasket and body. This reduction in sealing pressure makes the seal between the parts less effective. This difficulty exists where the lens is made of either glass or plastic and where, as is the common practice in the art, the lens is retained within the lens aperture by means of a nut and bolt or equivalent assembly.

This problem of establishing and maintaining an adequate seal is especially acute where a plastic lens is used in an outlook aperture provided in the side wall of the lamp casing. In such instances, not only is there the problem of permanent set in the sealing gasket but the use of threaded attaching means and/or clamping elements at the ends of the lens tends to'spring the center portion of the lens out of the aperture and break the seal. Obviously, an assembly of this type is undesirable because of the extreme weathering conditions to which lamps of the type described are subjected in normal use.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a simple and inexpensive wire spring lens retainer.

It is another object of our invention to provide an improved lens retainer for insuring the continued seal between the lens and lamp casing.

It is another object of our invention to provide an improved wire spring lens retainer for establishing and maintaining an effective seal between the lens and the lamp casing.

To attain these objects, we provide a wire spring of generally U shape, the end portions of which bear on the lens to resiliently maintain the lens in sealing position within the lamp casing.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a front view with parts broken away of a lamp embodying the lens retainer of our invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of the lamp shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the wire tainer of our invention.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 1 there is shown a lamp 1 comprising a casing 3 having its open front end closed by a lens 5 positioned on a radially inwardly turned flange 7 formed on the front edge of the casing. Lens 5 is retained on the casing 3 by spring re- Patented Dec. 23, 1958 means of a door 9 secured to the casing by screws 11 removably attached to brackets 13, the brackets being secured to the inner wall of the casing by any convenient means such as brazing, soldering, etc. A sealing gasket 15 is positioned between the flange 7 and lens 5 in order to seal the front portion of the lamp and at the same time not as the shock absorber therebetween. An aperture 17 is provided in the rear wall of the casing in order to permit the positioning of a socket assembly 19 and a light bulb 21 therein.

As is clearly shown in Figure 2, the lamp casing 3 is provided with an aperture in the bottom portion of and extending partially around the side wall in order to permit illumination of the area immediately below the lamp. A lens 23, either glass or plastic, is positioned in this aperture and is commonly known as an outlook lens. A sealing gasket 25 is provided between the inner wall of the casing and lens 23 in order to provide a seal against the weathering conditions to which the lamp is normally subjected.

Whereas it had been the accepted practice in the art to retain lens 23 in its casing aperture by means of a pair of speed nuts positioned at the ends of the lens and bearing squarely on the inner surface thereof, we provide a wire spring retainer 27 of generally U-shaped configuration adapted to bear on the end surface of the lens 23. In this manner we employ a resilient positioning force thus compensating for any set acquired by the gasket 25 and at the same time so direct the force as to urge the lens into the aperture thus precluding the tendency to spring the center portion thereof inwardly and out of the casing aperture.

As shown on Figures 1 and 3, retainer 27 is formed with the end portions 29 bent at an angle to the leg portions 31, the intermediate or base portion 33 being bent forwardly with respect to the legs 31. The ends 34 of lens 23 are notched as at 35 to provide a seat on each end edge or surface for the end portions 29 of the retainer spring 27. The effective length of retainer 27 is such as to cause it to bear resiliently on the ends 34 when assembled in the lamp casing, the base portion 33 reacting against the wall of easing 3.

In order to assemble the lamp, lens 23 is first positioned on gasket 25 as shown on Figure 2. Retainer spring 27 is then positioned within the casing in such manner that its end portions 29 are seated within the notches 35 formed in the end surfaces 34 of the lens and the base portion 33 projects forwardly in the casing 3 and abuts the inner surface of flange "I. it is readily apparent that the retainer 27 is thus locked in position in the casing and since its length is such that it is stressed on being so assembled, a continued resilient force is applied to the lens thus compensating for any permanent set taken by gasket 25. The bearing force applied to the ends 34 of lens 23 is not applied in a plane substantially at right angles to the inner surface of the lens as is the present practice of the art but is instead applied at an angle more nearly tangential to the lens face to urge the center portion of the lens into tighter position withinthe lens aperture. It then merely remains to assemble the light bulb 21, gasket 15, lens 5 and door 9 in the manner apparent on the drawing.

While we have described our invention with reference to a plastic outlook lens, it should be understood that it is not necessarily limited to such application. Our invention is equally as applicable to a glass lens and may be applied to a lens other than an outlook lens.

It should also be noted that the retainer spring 27 need not have its base portion 33 bent at an angle to the legs 31. The improved seal of our invention may also be obtained by having the base portion in the same plane as that of the legs and bearing on the casing wall directly 1opposite the connection of the end portions 29 with the ens.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What we claim is as follows:

1. In a vehicle lamp the combination comprising a casing, a light source within said casing, an aperture in the side wall of said casing, an outlook lens positioned said aperture on the inner wall of said casing, a resilient sealing gasket positioned between said wall and said lens, and a wire spring retainer comprising an intermediate base portion having divergently extending leg portions, the end of each leg portion being engaged with opposite end edges of said outlook lens to apply force in a direction generally parallel to the lens surface to urge said lens into the a erture, the base portion of said retainer being in abutting relationship with said casing, said retainer being stressed between said side wall and the ends of said outlook lens.

2. A vehicle lamp comprising a casing. a light source within said casing, an aperture in the side wall of said casing, an outlook lens positioned in said aperture on the innerwall of said casing, a resilient sealing gasket positioned between said wall and said lens, a wire spring retainer comprising an intermediate base portion having leg portions extending therefrom. said leg portions having bent end portions engaged resiliently with opposite end edges of said outlook lens to applv force in a direction generally parallel to the lens surface to urge said lens into the aperture. the base ortion of said retainer being in abutting relationship with said casing, and a notch provided in each end of said outlook lens to form a seat for said retainer end ortions, said retainer being stressed between said side wall and the ends of said outlook lens.

3. In a vehicle lam the combination comprising a casing. a light source within said casing, an aperture in the side wall of said casing, an outlook lens seated on the inner wall of said casing in said aperture, a resilient sealing gasket positioned between said wall and said lens, and a resilient wire retainer comprising an intermediate portion having leg portions extending therefrom, the ends of the leg portions bearing against opposite end edges of said outlook lens to apply force in a direction generally parallel to the lens surface to urge said lens into the aperture, the intermediate portion of said retainer being bent at an angle to the plane of the leg portions and abutting the inner surface of said casing, the effective length'of said retainer being such as to necessitate bending of the retainer on assembly in the casing.

4. A vehicle lamp comprising a casing, a lens positioned in the open front end of said casing, a light source within said casing, an aperture in the side wall of said casing, a plastic outlook lens seated on the inner wall of said casing in said aperture, a resilient sealing gasket positioned between said wall and said lens, a resilient wire retainer comprising an intermediate portion having leg portions extending therefrom, the ends of the leg portions being bent inwardly and bearing against the ends of said outlook lens, the intermediate portion of said retainer being bent at an angle to the plane of the leg portions and abutting the inner surface of said casing, and a notch formed in each end of said outlook lens to provide a seat for said retainer ends, the effective length of said retainer being such as to require bending of the intermediate portion relative to its leg portions on assembly in the casing.

5. A vehicle lamp comprising a casing having a flange formed on its open front end, a lens positioned in the open front end of said casing, a light source within said casing, an aperture in the side wall of said casing, a plastic outlook lens seated on the inner wall of said casing in said aperture, a resilient sealing gasket positioned between said wall and said lens, a resilient wire retainer comprising an intermediate portion having leg portions extending therefrom, the ends of the leg portions being bent inwardly and bearing against the ends of said outlook lens, the intermediate portion of said retainer being bent at an angle to the plane of the leg portions and abutting the inner surface of said flange, and a notch formed in each end of said outlook lens to provide a seat for said retainer ends, the effective length of said retainer being such as to require bending of the intermediate portion relative to its leg portions on assembly in the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 945,049 Russell Ian. 4, 1910 1,110,910 Elliot Sept. 15, 1914 1,677,074 Corcoran July 10, 1928 1,685,575 Springer Sept. 25, 1928 1,974,341 Middleton Sept. 18, 1934 2,616,029 Osowki Oct. 28, 1952 2,616,030 Van Dyke Oct. 28, 1952 2,686,867 Lewellen et al Aug. 17, 1954 2,733,336 Clayton Jan. 31, 1956

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