Lamp housing assembly

Claim 2

A lamp housing assembly for supporting a plurality of lamps in a display unit comprising: at least one removable partition; a first part including a base section, first housing wall, a second housing wall and a third housing wall, said first housing wall extending above an upper surface at an exterior side of said base section, said second and said third housing walls extending above said upper surface at ends of said base section, said first housing wall connected to said second and third housing walls, said base section having portions removed from an interior side of said base section, said first housing wall including positioning means; a second part substantially identical to said first molded part, said interior sides of said parts bonded together, wherein said third housing wall of each of said parts is bonded to said second housing walls of a remaining one of said part, said first, second and third housing walls forming an interior region of said lamp housing assembly, said lamps extending into said interior region through apertures formed by said portions removed from said base section, and said removable partition positioned in said interior region by said positioning means for optically separating at least one of said lamps from a remainder of said lamps; and a base plate including means for removably coupling said plurality of lamps, said first and second parts further including fourth walls extending below a lower surface of said exterior side of said base section, said fourth walls furthEr including first grooves generally parallel to said lower surface on interior sides of said fourth walls, said base plate slidably mounted in said first grooves.

Claim 3

The lamp housing assembly of claim 1 wherein said base plate includes a first coupling means for coupling said assembly to said display unit.

Claim 4

The lamp housing assembly of claim 2 wherein said base plate includes at least two notches and wherein each of said first grooves contains a flexible projection, said flexible projection of said first and second parts engaging said grooves for positioning said base plate removably in said first grooves.

Claim 5

The lamp housing assembly of claim 3 further including at least one leaf spring, wherein each of said fourth walls includes a second groove generally parallel to said lower surface, and disposed between said first groove and said lower surface, wherein each of said first, second and third walls contain a flange exterior to said lamp housing assembly, said leaf spring being coupled to said lamp housing assembly by engaging said second grooves, said exterior flange and said coupled leaf spring forming a second coupling means for coupling said lamp housing assembly to said display unit.

Claim 6

The lamp housing assembly of claim 3 further including a wire spring, wherein each of said first housing walls including an opening, said wire spring being coupled to said lamp housing assembly be engaging said opening, said coupled wire spring and said exterior flange providing third coupling means for coupling said lamp housing assembly to said display unit.

Claim 7

A display unit lamp housing module, said lamp housing module used in conjunction with a base plate and at least one leaf spring, said base plate having a first means for coupling to said display unit and means for coupling a plurality of removable lamps to said base plate, comprising: at least one removable partition, and two substantially identical mated molded parts, each of said molded parts including a base portion and a wall portion extending from an upper surface of said base portion, said wall portions of said molded parts and said upper surfaces of said molded parts forming an interior region of said lamp housing module, said wall portions including outer flanges on an exterior of said lamp housing module, said each molded part further including a support wall extending from a lower surface of said base portion, said each support wall including a pair of inwardly facing flanges, said flanges and said lower surface forming an upper and a lower groove, lower grooves of said mated parts slidably engaging said base plate, said base portion having selected portions removed to form apertures in said module, said lamps extending into said interior region through said apertures, upper grooves of said mated parts for securing said leaf spring, said leaf spring and said outer flanges provided a second means for coupling to said display unit, said wall portions of said interior regions having positioning means for slidably coupling a said removable portion to said housing module, said partition adapted to isolate optically at least one of said plurality of lamps from a remainder of lamps.

Claim 8

A display unit lamp housing module, said lamp housing module used in conjunction with a base plate and at least one leaf spring, said base plate having a first means for coupling to said display unit and means for coupling a plurality of removable lamps to said base plate, comprising: at least one removable partition, and two substantially identical mated molded parts, each of said molded parts including a base portion and a wall portion extending from an upper surface of said base portion, said wall portions of said molded parts and said upper surfaces of said molded parts forming an interior region of said lamp housing module, said wall portions including outer flanges on an exterior of said lamp housing module, said each molded part further including a support wall extending from a lower surface of said base portion, said each support wall including a pair of inwardly facing flanges, said flanges and said lower surface forming an upper and a lower groove, lower grooves of said mated parts slidably engaging said base plate, said base portion having selected portions removed to form apertures in said module, said lamps extending into said interior region through said apertures, upper grooves of said mated parts for securing said leaf spring, said leaf spring and said outer flanges provided a second means for coupling to said display unit, said wall portions of said interior regions having positioning means for slidably coupling a said removable portion to said housing module, said partition adapted to isolate optically at least one of said plurality of lamps from a remainder of lamps.

Claim 9

The lamp housing module of claim 6 for use in conjunction with a wire spring whereby said wall portions contain cavities for securing said wire spring, said wire spring and said out flanges forming a third means for coupling to said display unit.

Claim 10

The lamp housing module of claim 6 wherein a one of said pair of flanges includes a projection for positioning said base plate, said projection engaging a notch in said base plate.

Claim 11

The lamp housing module of claim 8 wherein surfaces of said mated parts to be positioned in contact include cavities and pins, cavities of a first of said mated parts engaging pins of said first mated part engaging cavities of said second mated part.

Claim 12

The lamp module of claim 9 wherein said parts are molded from high impact plastic and wherein said molded parts are ultrasonicaLly bonded together.

Claim 13

A lamp housing assembly for positioning a plurality of lamps in a display unit comprising: at least one removable partition a lamp housing including two substantially identical molded mated parts, each of said molded parts including a base section and a housing wall extending from an upper surface of said base section, said base sections and said housing walls forming an interior of said lamp housing assembly, said housing walls having an exterior flange, said base sections having portion removed to form a plurality base section apertures in said lamp housing, each of said molded parts further including a support wall extending from a lower surface of said base section, each of said support walls including a first and a second flange, said first flanges and said lower surfaces forming first grooves of said lamp housing, said first flanges and said second flanges forming second grooves of said lamp housing, said housing walls of said interior further including positioning means for positioning and securing said at least one removable partition; a base plate having means for removably coupling said plurality of lamps to said base plate, said base plate slidably engaged in said second grooves, said lamps coupled to said base plate extending into said interior region, said removable partition optically separating at least one of said lamps from a remainder of said base plate further including means for coupling said lamps to a controllable power source, said base plate still further including a first coupling means for removably attaching said lamp housing assembly to said display unit; and at least one leaf spring, said leaf spring secured in said first grooves of said lamp housing, said leaf spring and said exterior flange being a second coupling means for removably attaching said lamp housing assembly to said display unit.

Claim 14

A lamp housing assembly for positioning a plurality of lamps in a display unit comprising: at least one removable partition a lamp housing including two substantially identical molded mated parts, each of said molded parts including a base section and a housing wall extending from an upper surface of said base section, said base sections and said housing walls forming an interior of said lamp housing assembly, said housing walls having an exterior flange, said base sections having portion removed to form a plurality base section apertures in said lamp housing, each of said molded parts further including a support wall extending from a lower surface of said base section, each of said support walls including a first and a second flange, said first flanges and said lower surfaces forming first grooves of said lamp housing, said first flanges and said second flanges forming second grooves of said lamp housing, said housing walls of said interior further including positioning means for positioning and securing said at least one removable partition; a base plate having means for removably coupling said plurality of lamps to said base plate, said base plate slidably engaged in said second grooves, said lamps coupled to said base plate extending into said interior region, said removable partition optically separating at least one of said lamps from a remainder of said base plate further including means for coupling said lamps to a controllable power source, said base plate still further including a first coupling means for removably attaching said lamp housing assembly to said display unit; and at least one leaf spring, said leaf spring secured in said first grooves of said lamp housing, said leaf spring and said exterior flange being a second coupling means for removably attaching said lamp housing assembly to said display unit.

Claim 15

The lamp housing assembly of claim 11 wherein said one of said first and second flanges includes a projection, and wherein said base plate includes at least two notches, said lamp housing projections engaging said notches to position removably said base plate relative to said lamp assembly.

Claim 16

The lamp housing assembly of claim 12 further including a wire spring, wherein said lamp housing walls have openings, said wire spring being attached to said lamp housing by being inserted in said openings, said wire spring and said exterior flange forming a third means for coupling said lamp housing assembly to said display unit.

Claim 17

The lamp housing assembly of claim 12 further including translucent areas, said translucent areas coupled to said lamp housing.

Claim 18

A display unit, utilizing a plurality of lamps for exhibiting patterns, comprising: at least one front panel including a plurality of translucent areas, a selected translucent area exhibiting a one of said patterns when said area is illuminated by at least one lamp; a plurality of lamp housing assemblies, each of said assemblies supporting at least two removable lamps in an interior region of said assemblies, each lamp housing assembly including at least one partition and means for removably coupling said partition to a remainder of said lamp housing assembly, said partition dividing said interior region, wherein two of said translucent areas can be illuminated by said removable lamps when said partition is coupled to said remainder of said lamp housing assembly, wherein one of said translucent areas region can be illuminated by more than one lamp when said partition is removed from said remainder of said lamp housing assembly; and support means for positioning a one of said lamp housing assemblies behind a selected translucent area containing at least one of said patterns to be exhibited, wherein said support means includes movable mounting strips containing slots for removably engaging prongs of said lamp housing assembly.

Claim 19

A display unit, utilizing a plurality of lamps for exhibiting patterns, comprising: at least one front panel including a plurality of translucent areas, a selected translucent area exhibiting a one of said patterns when said area is illuminated by at least one lamp; a plurality of lamp housing assemblies, each of said assemblies supporting at least two removable lamps in an interior region of said assemblies, each lamp housing assembly including at least one partition and means for removably coupling said partition to a remainder of said lamp housing assembly, said partition dividing said interior region, wherein two of said translucent areas can be illuminated by said removable lamps when said partition is coupled to said remainder of said lamp housing assembly, wherein one of said translucent areas region can be illuminated by more than one lamp when said partition is removed from said remainder of said lamp housing assembly; and support means for positioning a one of said lamp housing assemblies behind a selected translucent area containing at least one of said patterns to be exhibited, wherein said support means includes movable mounting strips containing slots for removably engaging prongs of said lamp housing assembly.

Claim 20

The display unit of claim 15 wherein said support means further includes a display unIt back plate and wherein said lamp housing assembly includes at least one leaf spring and an exterior rim for mounting said lamp housing assembly to said display unit base plate.