Nova Patents
US3576409A

Trunk light switch and housing

Abstract

This record has no abstract on file.

US3576409A, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 4

Term

Term ended

Expired 27 April 1988, 38.4 years ago.

  1. Priority and filed
  2. Granted
  3. Expired
  4. Today

1 claim: 1 independent, 0 dependent

  1. 1
    I claim:1. A unitary combination automatic on-off position switch and lamp-housing mountable on an automobile trunk defining 30 interior space equipped with a door providing closure for and access to the interior of the trunk to provide illumination in the trunk interior with the opening of the door and to terminate illumination in the trunk interior with the closing of the door, comprising: 35 a combined mounting and actuator spring having a base securable to and electrically groundable on the body, an actuator arm depressibly engageable by the door, and a span between said base and said arm;an electrically nonconductive housing attached to said span 4θ having a lamp receiving socket, an electrical ground contact strip leading from said socket toward said spring, and an electrical current supply contact terminal leading to said socket for connection to current supply;said socket, ground strip, and current terminal being 45 adapted to receive a lamp in an electrical circuit between said ground strip and said current terminal;said spring being normally biased to displaceably urge said ground strip into electrical contact with said spring to close the circuit through and energize the lamp to illu50 minate the interior of the body when the door is open out of depressing engagement with said spring actuator arm;said spring actuator arm when the door is depressibly engaged therewith as when closed overcoming the normal bias of said spring to displace said ground strip out of 55 electrical contact with said spring to open the circuit through and deenergize the lamp to terminate illumination of the interior of the body. TRUNK LIGHT SWITCH AND HOUSING This invention relates to automobile trunk light switch and lamp holders and in particular to a unitary combination of a mounting, supporting, and actuator spring with a housing having a lamp socket and electrical terminals. A primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, easily mountable and easily replaceable trunk light assembly. An object of the invention is to provide a unitary trunk light switch and lamp holder combination which is dependable in operation and uncomplicated in design, construction, manufacture, installation, removal, and replacement. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description of a trunk light assembly of a lamp and a switch embodying the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which: FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a trunk light assembly as viewed from the top of FIG. 2 and showing internal structure in broken lines;FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1 taken on the line 2-2 thereof, showing the assembly in the illuminating position in conjunction with a trunk lid door indicated in broken lines in an open position;FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the assembly in the nonilluminating position in conjunction with a trunk lid door indicated in broken lines in a closed position;and FIG. 4 is an end-elevational view of the assembly as seen from the left of FIGS. 1,2 and 3. Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the trunk light assembly 10 shown therein to illustrate the invention comprises a mounting and actuator spring 11 and a lamp and terminal housing 12. The spring 11 has a mounting base 14, an actuator arm 15, and a span 16 between the base 14 and arm 15. The housing 12 has a lamp socket 17, a lamp shield-reflector 18, a current terminal 19, and a ground terminal 20. The housing 12 is secured to the spring 11 by a rivet 21. A lamp 22 in the socket 17 has an annular case 23 in contact with the ground terminal 20 and a pin 24 in contact with the current terminal 19. Lugs 25 on the lamp case 23 coact with bayonet slots 26 in the socket 17 to secure the lamp in the socket. A prong 20A on the ground terminal 20 extends toward the base 14 of the spring 11. , The base 14 of the spring 11 has an aperture receiving the mounting screw 29 and a tang 30 seated in a recess of the trunk 31 to prevent pivoting. The span 16 of the spring 11 has an opening 32 providing access to the screw 29 and space for the ground terminal tang 20A to enter to contact the base 14 without contact with the span 16. A hook 33 may be lanced out of the base 14 and engaged with the sidewall defining the opening 32 in the span 16 to limit outward flexing of the span 16 and arm 15 relative to the base 14 as a safety factor. With the screw 29, tang 30, and/or base 14 making electrical contact with the body 31, the spring 11 is grounded. By attachment of a lead wire to the current terminal 19, the lamp 22 is connected to electrical power. The door 34 is hinged on