Lamp for illuminating rear license plates of motor vehicles

Claim 1

A lamp assembly for illuminating the rear license plate of a motor vehicle comprising a transparent casing having a substantially rectangular box-shaped configuration adapted to be received in a complementary sized aperture in the bumper of a motor vehicle, said casing being open along one of the longitudinal sides thereof and having two spaced-apart protuberances extending outwardly from the surface of the opposite side and two apertured securing tabs extending outwardly from each end thereof, a lamp holder element having a substantially rectangular configuration disposed in said casing closing the open side of said casing, releasable interfitting engagement means for releasably connecting said lamp holder element to said casing, a cover member having a substantially rectangular configuration slightly larger than said casing and having a pair of spaced-apart apertures therein complementary in size to said protuberances, said cover being disposed in overlying engagement with said casing with the protuberances on said casing extending through said apertures, connecting means secured to opposite ends of said cover means and extending through said apertured tabs on said casing for securing said cover member and casing to said bumper, and a common metal contact strip having two tubular portions integral with opposite ends of said strip and adapted to receive and to make contact with the base of two separate bulbs, two mounting tabs integral with said tubular portions securing said strip to the lamp holder element and a central blade integral with said strip and projecting outwardly through said lamp holder element.