US 4,789,920 AGranted

Lamp and base assembly, particularly for association with an automotive head lamp reflector

AssigneePatent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur elektrische Gluhlampen mbH

InventorsPeter Helbig, Walter Schonherr

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Abstract

To permit use of materials having different melting temperatures and still rovide a two-component base for a lamp operating at high temperature, for example a halogen incandescent lamp, the base includes a base cup (5) of high heat-resistant plastic material, connected to an attachment element (13) by interengaging snap-in spring fingers (15) and recesses (9,10). To prevent separation of the attachment element from the base cup, the spring fingers are located inside of a solid wall portion of the attachment element and the base cup is formed with projections (8, 11) for example a circumferential flange or bead, extending over the spring fingers when they are snapped into matching recesses formed in the base cup so that, after assembly, the connection cannot be loosened, either inadvertently or deliberately.

Claims20

Dependent claims

Lamp and base assembly combination, particularly for association with an automotive reflector (R), wherein the lamp comprises

a bulb (1) closed off at one end by a pinch or press seal;
at least one light generating means (2) within said bulb;
and
wherein the base assembly comprises
a base cup (5);
means (3) for securing the bulb (1) to the base cup (5) at a region thereof facing the bulb,
said base cup (5) being formed with a retaining portion (7) remote from the bulb;
an attachment element (13) separate from said base cup (5) and formed with a receiving portion (12), and receiving the retaining portion (7) of the base cup in form-fitting engagement,
and comprising, in accordance with the invention,
resiliently interengaging projection (16)-and-recess (9, 10) means formed, on and unitary with portions of the base cup (5) and the attachment element (13) to permit resilient engagement of the projection means with the recess means;
and a flange-like cover means (8, 11) formed on one of said portions and positioned to cover the region of engagement and resilient deflection of the interengaging projection-and-recess means, and positioned to inhibit access thereto to prevent release effected by the interengaged projection-and-recess means after engagement thereof and locking of the base cup (5) to the attachment element (13) for retention in said form-fitting engagement.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.