US2566404A - Vehicle directional signal lamp - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 1951 R. DAON 2,566 404 VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL LAMP Filed April 4, 1950 33 INVENTOR. RENE 040v Patented Sept. 4, 1951 VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL LAMP Rene Daon, East Norwalk, =Conn., assignor to Yankee Metal Products Corporation, 'Norwalk, Conn., a corporation of New York Application April 4, 1950, Serial-No. 153,933

6 Claims; 1

My present invention relates generally toelectric lamps, and has particular reference to a directional signal lamp for use on vehicles.

The device to which the invention relates is of the type which consists essentially of an electric lamp enclosed in a housing that is partially translucent. The device is intendedto be mounted on a vehicle, either at the front or rear, and when the lamp is energized it indicates to others the direction in which the vehicle intends to turn. In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, the device is in the form of a unit adapted to be sold as an accessory and installed as such on existing vehicles. However, the invention is not restricted to an accessory device, andcertain features of the invention are applicable to a directional signal lamp that is built into the vehicle at the time of its manufacture.

A general object of the invention is to provide a signal lamp whose actuation produces an un usually striking direction-indicating effect. Another object of the invention is to produce this eifect in a structure which is basically simple, composed of a minimum of parts, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

The housing of the present improved-signal lamp is relatively wide at one end and gradually diminishes in width and height toward the oppositeend. The relatively wide end is opaque, being preferably composed of metal. The narrower part of the housing is largel translucent, being composed of glass or the like, and it has a U-shaped cross-section defining side walls and a top wall. As a result of the attenuation of the housing toward its narrower end, each ofthe side and top walls of the translucent part is substantially of arrowhead shape. It is a particular feature of my invention to enhance the directionalsignalling effect by accentuating the arrowhead configuration when the lamp is actuated.

A particular feature of the invention resides in reducing the translucence of the medial part of the top wall, relative to the converging edge regions. As a result, when the lamp is actuated. these edge regions are illuminated to a predominating degree.

Another feature of the invention resides in forming the opaque part of the housing in such a way that the arrowhead effect is enhanced.

I achieve these general objects and advantages, and such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a directional signal lamp constructed in accordance with the presentv invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line'3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 isa view, from underneath, of the translucent part of the housing, by itself.

In the device shown, a metal plate l0 supports a bracket II near one end, within which a lamp socket I2 is mounted. Wires 13 extend from the socket through a suitable opening 14 in the plate 10, and through the fittings by means of which the device may be secured to a vehicle. These fittings may be of any suitable or desired kind, and areknown per se. It is therefore believed to be sufficient to point out that they include .a hollow exteriorly-threaded element l5 which is adapted to pass through a suitable opening formed in the vehicle body or frame, a tightening nut l6 engaging with the part I5 and a lock washer .I'l. The part I8 is a ball-and-socket arrangement which permits minor positional adjustments of the device during its attachment to the vehicle.

The socket I2 is adapted to receive alamp I9, which-may beef any suitable kind. The lamp is positioned approximately midway between the opposite ends of the plate IJJ.

Enclosing the lamp is a housing which is relatively wide at one end v(theend atthe right in Figs. 1 and-2), and which diminishes in width andheight at the otherend. The wider part 20 is preferably composed of metal, and maybe secured in position by a screw 2] which engages with the bracket H. The narrower part of the housing iscomposed of a translucent element 22 havinga U-shapedcross-section (see Fig. 3) definingside walls 23;and a top wall 24. The width and height of this element diminish gradually towardthe narrower-end of the device. As a result, each of "the sidewalls 23 and the top wall 24 has a shape which is substantially like an arrowhead. This contour of the top wall 24 is enhanced by providing a forwardly-projecting tongue 25 on the opaque housing part 20, adapted to overlie the medial part of the wider end of the top wall 24. The top wall is preferably provided with a recess 26 adapted to accommodate the tongue 25 (see Fig. 2). This helps to hold the parts in proper relationship.

The translucent part 22 of the lamp housing may be secured in position in any suitable manner. I have found it preferable to provide the housing part 20 with forward extensions 2'1, of

low height, and provided with an inwardly directed overhang 28 (see Figs. 2 and 3). The extensions 21 converge toward each other, and at the narrow end of the device a screw 29 establishes connection with the plate Ill. The element 22 has an outwardly directed flange 30 along its lower periphery, which fits beneath the overhang 28. The part 22 preferably rests upon fiber or other yieldable spacers 3|, and a similar fiber or yieldable spacer 31a may extend around the rear open end of the element 22, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2.

One of the features of the present invention 7 lies in corrugating the central region of the top wall 24. These corrugations, indicated by the reference numeral 32, are preferably in the form of nested chevrons, pointing in the direction of the narrower end of the device. The corrugations diminish in width toward the narrower end, as shown, so that the top wall 24 is left with uncorrugatededge regions 34 conforming to a well defined arrowhead.

When the lamp I9 is actuated, the entire translucent part of the housing becomes illuminated, but the region occupied by the corrugations 32 is of reduced translucence, thus making the edge regions 34 of the top wall 24 predominant. This produces a highly effective direction-indicating signal.

The side walls 23 may be provided with ornamental flutes 33, roughly paralleling the curvature of the top wall 24 (see Fig. 2), but the edge regions 34 which define the illuminated direction-indicating arrowhead are left in an uncor rugated state.

In general, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may readily make changes in the details herein described and illustrated without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a directional signal lamp, a lamp housing for an electric lamp, said housing having a translucent part adapted to become illuminated when the lamp is energized, said translucent part having a top wall whose opposed edges converge to give said wall an arrowhead contour whose central region is of reduced translucence thereby making predominant the illumination of the converging regions to the opposite sides of said central region. 1

2. In a directional'signal lamp, a, lamp hous-- ing for an electric lamp, said housing having a translucent part adapted to become illuminated when the lamp is energized, said translucent part havinga top wall whose opposed edges converge to give said wall an arrowhead contour whose central region provided with corrugations to reduce its translucence relative to that 4 of the converging regions to the opposite sides of said central region.

In a directional signal lamp, a lamp housing for an electric lamp, said housing having a translucent part adapted to become illuminated when the lamp is energized, said translucent part having a, top wall whose opposed edges coriverge to give said wall an arrowhead contour whose central region is provided with corrugations to reduce its translucence relative to that of the converging regions to the opposite sides of said central region, said corrugations having the form of nested chevrons pointed in the same direction as said arrowhead.

4. In a directional signal lamp, a lamp housing for an electric lamp, said housing having a translucent part adapted to become illuminated when the lamp is energized, said translucent part having side walls and a top wall defining a U- shaped cross-section which gradually diminishes in width and height toward one end, each of the side and top Walls being thereby of substan tially arrowhead contour, the central region of the top wall being of reduced translucence relative to that of the converging regions to the opposite sides of said central region.

. 5. In a directional signal'lamp, a lamp housing for an electric lamp, said housing having a relatively wide end and an opposite relatively attenuated end, said housing being opaque in the wider part thereof and translucent in the narrower part, said translucent part having side wall and a top wall defining a U-shaped cross-section which gradually diminishes in width and height toward said attenuated end of the housing, each of said side and top walls being thereby of substantially arrowhead contour, the lamp lying beneath the wider end of said translucent part, the central region of the top wall being of reduced tran lucence so that the illumination of the converging regions to the opposite sides of said central region is predominant when the lamp is energized.

6. In a directional signal lamp, the combination with the elements set forth in claim 5, of a tongue formed on the opaque part of the housing and projecting toward the attenuated end of the housing, said tongue overlying the medial part of the wider end of said translucent top wall, thereby enhancing the arrowhead shape of said top wall.

RENE DAON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES V PATENTS

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