ITED STA TES PA TENT OFFICE

TITLE

LIGHT SOURCE WITH SEALANT COVER

INVENTORS

Joseph L. Wegman

37 Highland Drive

Henniker, NH 03242

John Hoover

61 Boyce Road

Canterbury, NH 03224

James Greason 148 Waterloo Street Warner, NH 03278

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates to light sources and more particularly to vehicle headlamps. Still more particularly, it relates to a cover for an environmental seal used with the headlamp.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Many automotive vehicles employ headlamps that use tungsten-halogen light bulbs. These light bulbs are often fitted to a right-angled socket that includes means for receiving a connector. The socket includes an aperture at the angled portion that allows access to the bulb lead-ins and the connector contacts so that they can be welded or otherwise attached together to form lugs so that electrical connection can be made from the connector to the bulb.

[0003] In the past it has been the practice to dispense a viscous sealant material into the aperture after the welds have been made to seal the lugs from the environment. A substantially flat cover was then applied to the aperture for aesthetic purposes, hi spite of these efforts it has been found on occasion that corrosion can affect the lugs and interfere with the lamp performance. It has been determined that the problem is caused by the difficulty in controlling the amount and location of the sealant.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is, therefore, an object of the invention to obviate the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0005] It is another object of the invention to enhance vehicle headlamps.

[0006] These objects are accomplished, in one aspect of the invention, by the provision of a light source that includes a lamp and a housing, the housing having a first

leg formed to receive the lamp, a second leg formed to receive connecting leads for the lamp and a jointure between the first and second legs having an aperture for allowing access to the connecting leads and lead-ins formed with the lamp, the aperture having a bottom containing openings for receiving the lamp leads-in and a contiguous sidewall containing openings for receiving the connecting leads, the lead-ins and the connecting leads being attached together within the aperture to form lugs. A cover closes the aperture and comprises a lid having an area matching the area of the aperture and having an outer surface and inner surface, the inner surface having a central boss fitted between the lugs and depending flanges fitted outside the lugs.

[0007] This cover arrangement protects the lugs from corrosion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a viscous sealant is dispersed into the aperture before the cover is applied and the central boss and the flanges serve to distribute the sealant about the lugs. Further, employing the central boss and the depending flanges cuts the amount of sealant necessary to be dispensed in half.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Fig. 1 is an elevational view of light source according to an aspect of the invention;

[0009] Fig. 2 is a plan view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 ;

[0010] ■ Fig. 3 is a partial, sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with all electrical elements removed;

[0011] Fig. 4 is a similar view of a prior art light source with the previous cover; and

[0012] Fig. 5 is a similar view of an embodiment of the invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0013] For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects, advantages and capabilities thereof, reference is made to the following disclosure and appended claims taken in conjunction with the above-described drawings.

[0014] Referring now to the invention with greater particularity, there is shown in Fig. 1 a light source 10 including a lamp 12 and a housing 14. The housing 14 takes the form of a right angle having a first leg 16 formed to receive the lamp, a second leg 18 formed to receive connecting leads 20, 22 for the lamp and a jointure 24 between the first and second legs having an aperture 26 for allowing access to the connecting leads 20, 22 and lead-ins 28, 30 formed with the lamp 12. The aperture 26 is seen most clearly in Figs. 2 -5 and has a bottom 32 containing openings 28a, 30a for receiving the lamp leads- in and a contiguous sidewall 34 containing openings 20a, 22a for receiving the connecting leads. These openings are shown in Fig. 3. The lead-ins 28, 30 and the connecting leads 20, 22 are attached together, preferably by welding, within the aperture to form lugs 31, 33.

[0015] Fig. 4 details the prior art structure wherein a substantially flat cover 38 closed the aperture 26 after a sealant 36 was dispensed into the aperture. As can be seen from Fig. 4, there was no guarantee that the sealant, while covering the openings in the bottom of the aperture, would completely cover the lugs to provide an environment seal.

[0016] Referring now to Fig. 5, it will be seen that these problems are solved by a cover 40 that closes the aperture 26. The cover 40 has an area that matches the area of the aperture 26 and has an outer surface 42 and inner surface 44. The inner surface 44 has a central boss 46 and depending flanges 48, 50 such that, when the cover 40 is fitted into the aperture 26 after a sealant 36 has been dispensed therein, the central boss 46 extends between the lugs 31, 33 and the depending flanges 48, 50 fitted outside the lugs, these elements serving to displace the sealant and force it to surround the lugs 31, 33.

Because the central boss 46 and the flanges 48 and 50 have a given volume, the mount of sealant necessary to insure coverage of the lugs is greatly reduced.

[0017] The seals old and new, have been tested using a salt fog spray under extreme conditions, i.e., using an additional sprayer directly on the cover region. Under this condition the prior art cover design resulted in some corrosion being present whereas the cover with the central boss and depending flanges have distinct positive results in corrosion reduction.

[0018] While there have been shown and described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.