US 4,019,045 AGranted

Socket mounting cap

AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation

InventorNorman W. Bassett

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Abstract

A lamp housing and socket assembly includes an injected molded plastic housing with an integral, axially outwardly directed collar and a radially inwardly directed light interception surface with a bulb access opening slightly larger in diameter than the maximum diameter of a bulb supported in a lamp socket; the lamp socket includes a plurality of locking ears on one end thereof and a sealing gasket; a standard socket mounting cap is supported on the collar to define a socket mount that can be universally used with mirrors having a range of focal lengths. The socket mounting cap includes an inboard flange supported on the outer periphery of the mirror collar and a large diameter outboard flange that shields the gasket; and the cap further includes a radially inwardly directed socket opening wall for receiving the locking ears for rotation with respect thereto to secure the socket and the lamp with respect to the housing; the arrangement minimizing socket hole light reflection losses thereby to minimize the light size requirements for producing a desired light output from the assembly.

In a lamp assembly for use with a lamp socket having opposite ends including locking ears on one end thereof and a seal flange with sealing gasket at the opposite end thereof and further including a bulb supported therein having a maximum outside diameter less than the outside diameter of the locking ears and wherein the seal flange has an outside diameter greater than that of the locking ears, the improvement comprising:

an integrally molded parabolic mirror having an access opening therein to permit rear insertion of the bulb, an annular light interception surface on said mirror integral therewith and located in surrounding relationship to an inserted bulb, said surface having an inside diameter substantially equal to the maximum outside diameter of the bulb inserted into the lamp access opening, an annular support collar formed integrally of said mirror in surrounding relationship to the access opening and extending axially outwardly thereof, a socket mounting cap having an annular inboard flange supported radially outwardly of the outer end of said collar and being fixedly secured thereto, said mounting cap further including an annular outboard flange, a support wall with an inboard and outboard surface located between said inboard and said outboard flanges having an opening therein including a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially outwardly directed slots formed therein, said slots adapted to receive the locking ears on the socket for relative rotation into interlocking engagement with the inboard surface of the support wall, said outer surface of said support wall defining a reference surface to supportingly receive the sealing gasket of a lamp socket, said support collar and said socket mounting cap having a combined axial length to maintain the bulb at a predetermined light center length from the reference surface to maintain a desired focal length relationship between the bulb filament and the annular light interception surface on said parabolic mirror whereby a cone of generated light from the bulb is intercepted by the preselected annular light interception surface of the mirror for reflection without excessive socket area loss from the lamp assembly.

Abstract

Claims3