Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Guide Corporation

Jan A Wisler

David R McMahan

William E Nagengast

John M Luallin

Paul D VanDuyn

Brian E Witte

Steven V Horsman

Terry L Coombs

Carey D Marks

Christopher R Powers

Luis A Mateos

David R Mc Mahan

Randall J Smith

Ronald A Wheat

Joseph C Ballman

Mark A Childs

Chad E Spencer

David B Barnes

Eric S Donovan

Tom Sweetland

Monty H Foust

Bradley A Merrill

Thomas B Slick

Mark L Whittemore

Duane E Ormes

Ernst K Werner

Michael W Ballentine

Marcus M Hess

A stamped ball socket for attaching a headlamp pod to a mounting bracket comprising a base having an opening which is adapted to accept a fastener. The ball socket further comprising at least two walls extending from the base and at least two lock-in fingers protruding at an angle from the walls. The lock-in fingers and the walls of the ball socket flex to allow a pivot ball to be inserted between the lock-in fingers such that when the pivot ball is fully inserted it is adjustably retained in the ball socket by the lock-in fingers. Additionally, the base, walls, and lock-in fingers of the present invention are integrally formed by stamping a single piece of metal.

Method for manufacturing a stamper ball socket

An adverse weather headlamp assembly that comprises a foreground shield with two sides that taper up from a bottom portion to form a triangular shaped shield. The foreground shield can be movable between a blocking position and a pass-through position. In combination with a cutoff shield, the foreground shield reduces the amount of emitted light that can be reflected off of a wet or icy road in adverse weather conditions in order to reduce glare, while still allowing enough light to be emitted for the driver to adequately see the road.

Adverse weather headlamp system

Stamped ball socket

A headlamp mounting arrangement is provided including a screw with a first end for connection with a headlamp and a second end extending toward a vehicle panel aperture; a retainer body having a base engaged with the vehicle panel in a nonrotative fashion, the retainer body having a head portion extending from the base encircling and mounting the screw and also having an aperture aligned with the screw; a barb piece having a central opening allowing penetration of the screw and also having a head nonrotatively engaged with the base of the retainer body and at least partially encircled thereby, the barb piece head having an outer threaded periphery, the barb piece also having extending from the head through a panel aperture a plurality of legs with outer gripping surfaces extending radially outwardly for contacting an edge of the aperture rim generally opposite the headlamp; and a nut with a central aperture for passage of the retainer body head, the nut having inner threads for threaded engagement of the barb piece head, causing the retainer body base to be clamped to the panel and the barb piece to be pulled toward the retainer piece head and causing the contact surface of the barb piece to be clamped against the panel aperture rim, thereby affixing the screw to the panel to affix the reflector body to the automotive vehicle.

Headlamp adjustment mechanism

A vehicle headlamp assembly is provided which includes a light bulb providing a source of illumination; a reflector housing with a central opening with a reflector surface for reflecting illumination given by the light bulb, the reflector housing central opening mounting the light bulb, the reflector housing having a first surface opposite the reflector surface adjacent the central opening and a second surface on the same side of the reflector surface generally adjacent the central opening; and a bulb shield having a first portion along a first end. The first portion is generally closely adjacent to the light bulb for blocking illumination provided by the light bulb. The bulb shield has at an end opposite the first end at least one foot penetrating through the central opening with a radially outwardly extending toe engaging the reflector housing first surface. The bulb shield also has a coil spring contacting the reflector second surface urging the first end of the bulb shield away from the first and second surfaces of the reflector housing.

Headlamp assembly with coil spring bulb shield

An automotive vehicle headlamp assembly is provided which includes a reflector housing having an open front end, a first reflector surface and a second surface projecting forward from the first reflector surface; a bulb connected to the housing projecting forward from the reflector surface providing a source of illumination; a lens covering the open end of the reflector housing; and a bulb shield having a first portion generally adjacent the bulb, blocking a portion of the illumination given off by the bulb. The bulb shield has a foot connected by a leg to the first portion. The foot has a front end captured between the lens and the reflector housing and a rear end captured in the intersection between the first and second reflector surfaces.

Headlamp assembly with hook-in bulb shield

A vehicle headlamp assembly is provided, having an adjustment device for adjusting the position of a lamp unit and wherein in a preferred embodiment 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. Additionally, there is a calibration restrictor that holds the position indicator in the zero ('0') position during initial adjustment of the lamp unit during vehicle assembly.

Vehicle headlamp assembly with calibration restrictor

An arrangement of an aimable vehicle headlamp assembly connected to a panel of an automotive vehicle is provided including in a preferred embodiment a bulb; a reflector housing mounting the bulb; at least one rod connecting to the panel of the vehicle and projecting therefrom with a balled end; a longitudinal channel connected to the reflector housing facing the panel of the vehicle, the channel having a forward wall having a depression, and the channel having side walls with converging flange portions spaced from the forward wall with a slotted region between the flanges; and a slider with a top tab, the slider being slidably mounted in the channel and captured by the forward wall, side walls and flanges, the slider having an elongated aperture having a first diameter larger than the rod ball and a second diameter smaller than the rod ball wherein to connect the reflector housing to the panel of the vehicle, the ball of the rod being generally aligned with the channel depression through the slot region in the channel, and thereafter the slider is moved downward.

Quick release vehicle headlamp arrangement

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 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

Growing community of inventors

Anderson, IN, United States of America

Jan A Wisler