Flexible lamp mounting

An elastically deformable automobile lamp assembly for an automotive vehicle having at least one body panel member, a chassis member supporting said at least one body panel member, and a movable bumper member spaced a predetermined distance from said at least one body panel member, said lamp assembly comprising:

• a housing member having a closed end portion fixed to a portion of said automotive vehicle, and an open end portion extending away therefrom;
• means for fastening said housing member to said automotive vehicle;
• an optical lens member mounted adjacent said at least one body panel member and said movable bumper member;
• and
• at least one resiliently deformable flexure member secured to said optical lens member and said open end portion of said housing member, whereby as said movable bumper member is impacted and begins to move, said optical lens member moves along with said movable bumper member and said at least one resiliently deformable flexure member deforms without exceeding its elastic deformation yield limit so that said at least one resiliently deformable flexure member returns said optical lens member to its pre-impact position without damage to said lamp assembly upon removal of said impact force.

A lamp assembly comprising:

• a housing member;
• a lens member mounted in spaced relation to said housing member;
• at least one resiliently deformable flexure member having one end attached to said housing member and another end attached to said lens member;
• means for attaching said at least one resiliently deformable flexure member to said housing member and said lens member;
• and
• means for sealing said housing member, said scaling means being located between said at least one resiliently deformable flexure member and said housing and lens members, whereby said at least one resiliently deformable flexure member deforms upon impacting said lens member.

An elastically deformable automobile lamp assembly for an automotive vehicle having at least one body panel, a chassis member supporting said at least one body panel member, and a movable bumper member spaced a predetermined distance from said at least one body panel member, said lamp assembly comprising:

• a housing member;
• an optical lens member mounted adjacent said housing member in spaced relationship to said at least one body panel member and said movable bumper member;
• at least one resiliently deformable flexure member interposed said optical lens member and said housing member;
• means for attaching one end of said at least one resiliently deformable flexure member to said optical lens member, said means for attaching further comprising means for attaching an other end of said at least one resiliently deformable flexure member to said housing member;
• and
• means for sealing said one end of said at least one resiliently deformable flexure member to said optical lens member, whereby as said optical lens member is impacted by an external force, said resiliently deformable flexure member elastically deforms without exceeding a predetermined yield strength and returns said optical lens member substantially to its pre-impact position without damage thereto upon removal of said impact force.