U.S. Plastics Corporation

Clinton W Hill

A lamp assembly for automotive tail lamps or the like comprising a base member of a relatively soft elastomeric material, a connector of a relatively hard material adapted to be sealingly but releasably plugged into a cavity opening in one face of the base member, and a bulb socket of a relatively hard material adapted to be sealingly but releasably plugged into another cavity in the base opening in a face which is normal to the face in which the connector is received. A plurality of conductors extend in parallel fashion in the base member between the socket cavity and the connector cavity. The conductors make electrical connection at their one ends with contacts on the lower end of the socket and pass sealingly through a partition separating the two cavities where their other ends make electrical contact with terminals carried by the connector. The connector, base, and socket are effective to provide a moisture sealed lamp assembly with each assembly or reassembly.

Lamp assembly

A gravity switch comprises a dielectric and a cup-shaped conductor pressed together in telescoping relationship to provide a hermetically sealed enclosure for a brass ball contact member rollable axially therein for selectively making or breaking an electrical contact between the sidewalls of the cup-shaped conductor and a point contact with a second conductor extending through the dielectric. The diameter of the ball is only slightly less than the diameter of the enclosure and is more than half the axial distance between the closed end of the cup-shaped conductor and the point contact of the second conductor in order to constrain the ball movement and reduce contact bounce. The various contact surfaces of the switch are silver plated and thoroughly cleansed to optimize current flow and maximize switch life within the hermetically sealed enclosure.

Gravity switch

A molded cup-shaped dielectric member and a cup-shaped conductor member are pressed together to comprise an integral dimensionally stable sealed enclosure for a contact member movable axially therein for selectively making or breaking an electrical connection between the cup-shaped conductor member and a second conductor extending axially through and sealed within the base of the cup-shaped dielectric member. The axially outer surfaces of the base and the second conductor comprise electrical contacts for a gravity actuated switch. The overall axial dimension between the axially outer surfaces is obtained by telescoping the cup-shaped members coaxially together until the preselected axial dimension is obtained. In one embodiment the cup-shaped dielectric member has a cylindrical base and a coaxial diametrically reduced cylindrical portion extending from the cup-shaped base to an upper opening. The conductor is telescoped over the diametrically reduced portion in fluid sealing relationship. The enclosure has an interior cylindrical surface of optimum diameter for the axially movable contact member comprising a metallic ball also of optimum diameter for any given size switch.

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Romeo, MI, United States of America

Clinton W Hill