Sealed lighting element assembly
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorDonald E. Albrecht
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sealed or bonded assembly for lighting elements (such as an automobile headlamp) comprising a housing and a cover therefor. The housing and cover have portions (preferably along their respective peripheries) which cooperate to form a seal when a photocurable sealant is disposed therebetween and cured. A preferred photocurable sealant is an epoxy-containing composition, especially one which has been flexibilized by the incorporation of vinyl-terminated acrylonitrile-butadiene polymer.
Claims18
A sealed lighting element assembly comprising a housing and a cover therefor, at least a portion of said housing or said cover being light transmissive, said housing or said cover being adapted to support a lighting element within said assembly, said housing and said cover having cooperating portions which are joined with an actinic light cured sealant derived from an admixture of epoxy-containing material and vinyl terminated acrylonitrile-butadiene polymer.
A sealed lighting element assembly comprising a housing and a cover therefor, said cover being light transmissive, said housing having a concave reflective inner surface and supporting therein a lighting element, said housing and said cover having cooperating peripheral portions with an actinic light cured sealant comprising epoxy-containing material and vinyl terminated acrylonitrile-butadiene polymer disposed therebetween, said cooperating peripheral portions and said sealant forming a hermetic seal.
A method for enclosing a lighting element comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a housing and a cover therefor, at least a portion of said housing or said cover being light transmissive, said housing or said cover being adapted to support a lighting element within said enclosure so that said element may be electrically energized, said housing and said cover having cooperating portions which are adapted to be joined with an actinic light curable adhesive derived from an admixture of epoxy-containing material and vinyl terminated acrylonitrile-butadiene polymer;
- (b) placing on one or both said cooperating portions a quantity of actinic light curable adhesive sufficient to form a seal between said housing and said cover when said sealant is cured;
- (c) bonding said cover to said housing at said cooperation portions by curing said adhesive therebetween with actinic light.
A lighting element assembly comprising a housing and a cover therefor, at least a portion of said housing or said cover being adapted to support a lighting element within said assembly, said housing and said cover having male and female portions which cooperate to form a seal, there being disposed around said portions a plurality of spacers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.