Vehicle lamp assembly with flexible lens
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsJay H. Ovenshire, Stanley C. Dutt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lamp assembly for illuminating an exterior portion of a vehicle includes a lamp housing, and a switch supported by the lamp housing. The lamp assembly includes a flexible lens that is supported by the lamp housing and flexes to move relative to the lamp housing between an undepressed position and a depressed position when a force is applied to the lens. The lens is configured to cause the switch to move from a first position to a second position when the lens moves to the depressed position.
Claims20
A lamp assembly for illuminating an exterior portion of a vehicle, the lamp assembly comprising:
- a lamp housing;
- a switch supported by the lamp housing and movable between a first position and a second position;
- a flexible lens supported by the lamp housing and configured to flex in response to an applied force to thereby move relative to the lamp housing between an undepressed position and a depressed position;
- and wherein the lens is configured to cause the switch to move to the second position when the lens is moved to the depressed position.
A lamp assembly for illuminating a license plate on an exterior portion of a vehicle, the lamp assembly comprising:
- a lamp housing;
- a switch supported by the lamp housing and movable between a first position and a second position;
- a lens supported by the lamp housing;
- wherein the lens has a flexible portion and a lens face connected to the flexible portion;
- wherein the flexible portion flexes to permit the lens face to move relative to the lamp housing between an undepressed position and a depressed position in response to an applied force on the lens face;
- wherein the lens face is configured to cause the switch to move to the second position when the lens face is moved to the depressed position.
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body defining an access opening;
- a closure panel operatively connected to the vehicle body and configured to be selectively movable between a closed position in which the closure panel closes the access opening, and an open position in which the closure panel permits access through the access opening;
- a latch assembly selectively latching the closure panel to the vehicle body when the closure panel is in the closed position, and selectively unlatchable to permit movement of the closure panel to the open position;
- a lamp assembly mounted to the closure panel and configured to illuminate an exterior portion of the closure panel;
- wherein the lamp assembly includes:
- a lamp housing;
- a switch supported by the lamp housing and movable between a first position and a second position;
- wherein the switch is operatively connected to the latch assembly and operable to unlatch the latch assembly when the switch is in the second position;
- a flexible lens supported by the lamp housing and configured to flex to thereby move relative to the lamp housing between an undepressed position and a depressed position;
- and wherein the lens is configured to cause the switch to move to the second position when the lens is moved to the depressed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.