Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Guide Corporation

David R McMahan

William E Nagengast

Paul D Van Duyn

John D Geddie

Richard W Nicholas

Jan A Wisler

Ismael Garcia

Christopher R Powers

Carey D Marks

Martin K Liverance

Bartly A Haydu

Luis A Mateos

Harry S Murphy

Ronald A Wheat

Dean M Bayer

Martin Dirk Skirha

Gary P Zeller

Philip C Filosa

James S Mellinger

Leslie H Hallgarth

Gary L Miller

Thomas E Persing

Terry L Coombs

Ronald O Woodward

Ronald W Slaughter

Harry L Kirchenbauer

Bradley A Merrill

Michael W Ballentine

Chad E Spencer

William E Magengast

The present disclosure relates to terminals that are utilized in bulb sockets for automotive lamp assemblies. The embodiments of the bulb sockets disclosed provide for superior alignment, electrical connection, and stabilization of the bulb in the bulb socket. Exemplary embodiments of the terminals contain a cover plate that can be sized to substantially cover a receiver slot and can be positioned in the bulb socket in order to prevent sealing material from entering the bulb accepting portion of the bulb socket.

Terminals for bulb sockets

The subject invention relates to terminals that are utilized in bulb sockets for automotive lamp assemblies. The embodiments of the bulb sockets disclosed provide for superior alignment and stabilization of the bulb in the bulb socket so that proper contact is made between the terminals and the bulb without damaging the bulb or the terminals during insertion. The terminal may comprise, among other things, at least one alignment feature, which may include partial spheres, that allows for easy insertion into the bulb socket and substantially ensures proper alignment and positioning within the bulb socket so that a proper connection can be maintained with the bulb and terminal Sealing material may be used to cover wire attachment portions of the terminals and plate portions of the terminals may be used to prevent the sealing material from entering a bulb accepting portion of the socket.

Terminal alignment features for bulb sockets

The present invention comprises a bulb socket assembly. The bulb socket assembly comprises a bulb accepting body portion, a terminal accepting body portion connected to the bulb accepting body portion, at least one terminal positioned in the bulb socket with the terminal's blade end extending into the bulb accepting body portion and its lead end positioned in the terminal accepting body, at least one wire connected to the lead end of the at least one terminal, and a sealing material substantially covering the lead end and the connected wire of the at least one terminal. One embodiment of the bulb socket assembly further comprises a stabilizing feature that allows the socket assembly to firmly grasp bulbs of various sizes. Another embodiment of the bulb socket assembly further comprises a plurality of alignment features to help guide a bulb into proper alignment with a set of terminals.

Wedge base sealed lamp socket

A vehicle headlamp assembly is provided including a reflector housing having a forward face and a rearward face intersected by a bore, the rearward face having a generally annular flat with a series of depressions; a bulb providing a source of illumination positioned generally adjacent the reflector housing forward face; a bulb housing providing an electrical connection for the bulb and for mounting the bulb, the bulb housing having a first portion inserted within the housing bore and a second portion positioned generally adjacent to the reflector housing rear face annular flat contacting the same; a generally annular retainer having a first portion extending through the reflector housing bore and a second portion contacting the rear face of the reflector housing within the depressions of the rear face, the retainer also having an interlocking flange spaced from the second portion with biasing tabs for retaining the bulb housing within the reflector housing bore and urging the bulb housing against the reflector housing rear face; a shield for blocking a portion of the illumination generated by the bulb, the shield having a main body portion connected with legs which are in turn connected with an annular ring, the annular ring contacting a forward face of the reflector housing; and a connecting subarrangement connecting the first portion of the retainer with the shield annular ring, thereby affixing the retainer and the shield to the reflector housing.

Vehicle headlamp assembly

A headlamp assembly having a recalibration device for providing the correct aim of the headlamp in a horizontal plane and characterized in that the recalibration device includes a transparent member which allows a leveling device to be visible to an observer so as to indicate whether or not the headlamp is in a correct aimed position in a vertical plane.

A vehicle headlamp assembly provided with an adjustment device for adjusting the position of a lamp unit and wherein the adjustment device is combined with a rotatable recalibration arrangement that includes a position indicator in the form of a disk member provided with teeth at its periphery and in which the teeth of the disk member are shielded by a wall so as to prevent accidental movement of the disk member when the latter is positioned to indicate the aimed position of the lamp unit in the horizontal plane.

A leveling arrangement for a vehicle headlamp that includes a support portion formed in the upper portion of the reflector member that has a spirit level member mounted thereon which is characterized in that it includes a living hinge serving as a pivotal connection for a depending member fastened to a substantially vertically oriented surface of the support portion so that rotation of screw means carried by the spirit level results in pivotal movement and calibration of the spirit level relative to the optical axis of the reflector member.

Headlamp leveling arrangement

A retainer arrangement for a replaceable lamp bulb assembly that cooperates with a vent formed in the reflector body of a headlamp for establishing a labyrinth type flow path for air to enter and exit the interior of the headlamp.

Retainer arrangement for a replaceable lamp bulb assembly

An adjustment device for a headlamp assembly that provides aiming adjustment of the headlamp unit in a horizontal plane, after which the adjustment device can be set to visually indicate that the headlamp unit is at a zero ('O') reference marking and also permit re-calibration of the lamp unit if the latter is re-aimed.

Vehicle headlamp adjustment device

A headlamp having a mounting hole formed in the curved outer surface of a reflector housing along an axis which is generally parallel to the optical axis of the housing and which is adapted to receive a push-in type vent device formed with a skirt having a configuration that provides a good sealing relationship with the curved outer surface of the housing.

Composite headlamp vent device

A headlamp assembly having a retainer member supporting a rectangular lamp unit and provided with a level device that is capable of being adjusted relative to the retainer member by a screw located between one of the sections of the retainer member and the level device.

Headlamp assembly

A vehicle headlamp in which the rear of the reflector has fastened thereto a retainer assembly that receives a replaceable light bulb and includes a shield for blocking stray light rays emanating from the light bulb.

A retaining arrangement for a replaceable bulb mounted in a vehicle headlamp reflector that includes a grip member and a cooperating lock nut the former of which is adapted to be press fitted onto and retained by spring fingers on a cylindrical boss surrounding the socket formed in the headlamp reflector.

Headlamp bulb retaining arrangement

A headlamp assembly having a retainer ring for supporting a lamp unit and which includes a level device that allows the lamp unit to be readily aimed about a horizontal axis.

Growing community of inventors

Anderson, IN, United States of America

David R McMahan