Motor vehicle lamp unit

Claim 2

A vehicle lamp unit supported upon an interior wall panel of a vehicle body, said wall panel having an opening formed therethrough, the combination including said wall panel, comprising, an open-ended lamp housing having means for supporting a lamp therein, the lamp housing being movable along a straight line substantially normal with respect to the wall panel to effect insertion of the lamp housing through said panel opening and placement of said lamp housing in a first position wherein a plurality of spaced, generally flat, outwardly facing wall surface portions of said lamp housing are disposed closely adjacent spaced respective edge portions of said wall panel partially defining said opening therethrough, said lamp housing being bodily movable with respect to said wall panel from said first position to a second position along a substantially straight line wherein one of said generally flat, outwardly facing wall surface portions of said lamp housing is moved away from and is spaced from the respective edge portion partially defining said panel opening that said one of said flat, outwardly facing wall surface portion was disposed closely adjacent to when said lamp housing was in its first position; translucent lens means integrally formed with and closing one end of said lamp housing; a support flange integrally formed with and extending radially outwardly from said lamp housing and said lens means adjacent the periphery of said lens means, said support flange being effective to abut said wall panel when said lamp housing is in its first and second positions, said support flange being effective to bridge the space formed between said one of said outwardly facing wall surface portion of said lamp housing and said last-mentioned respective edge portion partially defining said panel opening when said lamp housing is in its second position; and releasable securing means carried by the lamp housing and operably engageable with the wall panel when the lamp housing is in its second position to firmly connect the lamp housing to the wall panel, said releasable securing means being effective to operably engage the wall panel upon movement of said lamp housing from its first position to its second position.

Claim 3

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said releasable securing means includes said support flange.

Claim 4

The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein said wall panel opening is generally rectangular in shape and wherein said lamp housing is also generally rectangular in shape, and wherein said spaced, outwardly facing wall surface portions of said lamp housing disposed closely adjacent spaced, respective longitudinally extending edge portions of the panel opening when the lamp housing is in its first position includes a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending and outwardly facing wall surface portions of said lamp housing disposed adjacent said support flange; and wherein bodily movement of the lamp housing with respect to said wall panel from its first position to its second position is along the longitudinal axis of the panel opening.

Claim 5

A vehicle lamp unit supported upon an interior wall panel of a vehicle body, said wall panel having a generally rectangularly shaped opening formed therethrough, the combination including said wall panel, comprising, a generally rectangularly shaped open-ended lamp housing having means for supporting a lamp therein, the lamp housing being movable along a straight line substantially normally with respect to the wall panel to effect insertion of said lamp housing through said panel opening and placement thereof in a first position, said lamp housing including a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinal side walls and a pair of longitudinally spaced, transverse end walls, said side and end walls being integrally formed, a first one of said transverse end walls being disposed closely adjacent a respective one of the transversely extending edge portions of the panel opening and the opposite transverse end wall being longitudinally spaced from the other one of the transversely extending edge portions of the panel opening when the lamp housing is in its first position, and outwardly facing wall surface portions of said side walls being disposed closely adjacent respective longitudinally extending edge portions of the panel opening when the lamp housing is in its first position, and the said first one of said transverse end walls being longitudinally spaced from the said respective one of the transversely extending edge portions of the panel opening and the said opposite transverse end wall being disposed closely adjacent the said other one of the transversely extending edge portions of the panel opening when the lamp housing is in a second position; translucent lens means integrally formed with and closing one end of said lamp housing; a support flange integrally formed with and extending outwardly from said lamp housing adjacent the periphery of said lens means, said support flange having a generally flat surface, said flat surface being in abutting engagement with said wall panel when said lamp housing is in its first and second positions; and releasable securing means carried by the lamp housing and operatively engageable with the wall panel when the lamp housing is in its second position to firmly connect the lamp housing to the wall panel, said releasable securing means being effective to operatively engage the wall panel upon bodily movement of the lamp housing with respect to said wall panel along the longitudinal axis of the panel opening from its first position to its second position, said releasable securing means including a plurality of longitudinally spaced locking lug means fixedly carried by each of said side walls, each of said locking lug means projecting outwardly from the outwardly facing wall surface of a respective lamp housing side wall and including a surface spaced from and overlying said support flange flat surface, said locking lug means surfaces and said support flange flat surface being cooperable only when said lamp housing is in its second position to frictionally grip respective wall panel portions at the longitudinal edges of said panel opening therebetween.

Claim 6

A vehicle lamp unit supported upon an interior wall panel of a vehicle body, said wall panel having a generally rectangularly shaped opening formed therethrough, the combination including said wall panel, comprising, a generally rectangularly shaped open-ended lamp housing having means for supporting a lamp therein, the lamp housing being movable along a straight line substantially normally with respect to the wall panel to effect insertion of said lamp housing through said panel opening and placement thereof in a first position, said lamp housing including a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinal side walls and a pair of longitudinally spaced, transverse end walls, said side and end walls being integrally formed, a first one of said transverse end walls being disposed closely adjacent a respective one of the transversely extending edge portions of the panel opening and the opposite transverse end wall being longitudinally spaced from the other one of the transversely extending edge portions of the panel opening when the lamp housing is in its first position, and outwardly facing wall surface portions of said side walls being disposed closely adjacent respective longitudinally extending edge portions of the panel opening when the lamp housing is in its first position, and the said first one of said transverse end walls being longitudinally spaced from the said respective one of the transversely extending edge portions of the panel opening and the said opposite transverse end wall being disposed closely adjacent the said other one of the transversely extending edge portions of the panel opening when the lamp housing is in a second position; translucent lens means integrally formed with and closing one end of said lamp housing; a support flange integrally formed with and extending outwardly from said lamp housing adjacent the periphery of said lens means, said support flange having a generally flat surface, said flat surface being in abutting engagement with said wall panel when said lamp housing is in its first and second positions; and releasable securing means carried by the lamp housing and operatively engageable with the wall panel when the lamp housing is in its second position to firmly connect the lamp housing to the wall panel, said releasable securing means being effective to operatively engage the wall panel upon bodily movement of the lamp housing with respect to said wall panel along the longitudinal axis of the panel opening from its first position to its second position, said releasable securing means including a plurality of longitudinally spaced locking lug means fixedly carried by each of said side walls, each of said locking lug means projecting outwardly from the outwardly facing wall surface of a respective lamp housing side wall and including a surface spaced from and overlying said support flange flat surface, said locking lug means surfaces and said support flange flat surface being cooperable only when said lamp housing is in its second position to frictionally grip respective wall panel portions at the longitudinal edges of said panel opening therebetween.

Claim 7

A vehicle lamp unit supported upon an interior wall panel of a vehicle body, said wall panel having a generally rectangularly shaped opening formed therethrough, the combination including said wall panel, comprising, a generally rectangularly shaped open-ended lamp housing having means for supporting a lamp therein, the lamp housing being movable in a first direction substantially normal with respect to the wall panel to effect insertion of the lamp housing through said panel opening and placement thereof in a first position, said lamp housing including a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinal side walls and a pair of longitudinally spaced, transverse end walls, said side and end walls being integrally formed and outwardly facing wall surface portions of said side walls being disposed closely adjacent respective longitudinally extending edges of the panel opening when the lamp housing is in its first position; translucent lens means integrally formed with and closing one end of said lamp housing; a support flange integrally formed with and extending outwardly from said lamp housing adjacent the periphery of said lens means, said support flange having a generally flat surface defining a plane said flat surface beIng effective to abut said wall panel and partially establish said first position of said lamp housing; and releasable securing means carried by the lamp housing and operatively engageable with the wall panel when the lamp housing is in a second position to firmly connect the lamp housing to the wall panel, said releasable securing means being effective to operatively engage the wall panel upon movement of the lamp housing from its first position to its second position in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction of movement of said lamp housing, said releasable securing means including said support flange and a plurality of longitudinally spaced locking lug means fixedly carried by each of said side walls, each of said locking lug means projecting outwardly from the outwardly facing wall surface of a respective lamp housing side wall and including a surface spaced from and overlying said support flange flat surface, said locking lug means surfaces and said support flange flat surface being cooperable when said lamp housing is in its second position to frictionally grip respective wall panel portions at the longitudinal edges of the wall panel opening therebetween, each of said locking lug means including a locking lug integrally formed with and projecting transversely from a respective lamp housing longitudinal side wall, and each of said locking lug means surfaces is generally rectangular in shape and inclined with respect to the plane containing said support flange flat surface whereby one transverse edge of each of said locking lug means surfaces is spaced closer to said support flange flat surface when the other transverse edge thereof, said other transverse edge of each of said locking lug surfaces being spaced from said support flange flat surface a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said wall panel.

Claim 8

A vehicle lamp unit supported upon an interior wall panel of a vehicle body, said wall panel having a generally rectangularly shaped opening formed therethrough, the combination including said wall panel, comprising, a generally rectangularly shaped open-ended lamp housing having means for supporting a lamp therein, the lamp housing being movable in a first direction substantially normal with respect to the wall panel to effect insertion of the lamp housing through said panel opening and placement thereof in a first position, said lamp housing including a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinal side walls and a pair of longitudinally spaced, transverse end walls, said side and end walls being integrally formed and outwardly facing wall surface portions of said side walls being disposed closely adjacent respective longitudinally extending edges of the panel opening when the lamp housing is in its first position; translucent lens means integrally formed with and closing one end of said lamp housing; a support flange integrally formed with and extending outwardly from said lamp housing adjacent the periphery of said lens means, said support flange having a generally flat surface defining a plane said flat surface beIng effective to abut said wall panel and partially establish said first position of said lamp housing; and releasable securing means carried by the lamp housing and operatively engageable with the wall panel when the lamp housing is in a second position to firmly connect the lamp housing to the wall panel, said releasable securing means being effective to operatively engage the wall panel upon movement of the lamp housing from its first position to its second position in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction of movement of said lamp housing, said releasable securing means including said support flange and a plurality of longitudinally spaced locking lug means fixedly carried by each of said side walls, each of said locking lug means projecting outwardly from the outwardly facing wall surface of a respective lamp housing side wall and including a surface spaced from and overlying said support flange flat surface, said locking lug means surfaces and said support flange flat surface being cooperable when said lamp housing is in its second position to frictionally grip respective wall panel portions at the longitudinal edges of the wall panel opening therebetween, each of said locking lug means including a locking lug integrally formed with and projecting transversely from a respective lamp housing longitudinal side wall, and each of said locking lug means surfaces is generally rectangular in shape and inclined with respect to the plane containing said support flange flat surface whereby one transverse edge of each of said locking lug means surfaces is spaced closer to said support flange flat surface when the other transverse edge thereof, said other transverse edge of each of said locking lug surfaces being spaced from said support flange flat surface a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said wall panel.

Claim 9

The combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein said releasable securing means further includes a single stop lug integrally formed with said support flange, said stop lug projecting from said support flange flat surface adjacent one of said lamp housing end walls, said stop lug being transversely spaced substantially midway between said lamp housing side walls and being provided with a transversely extending abutment surface disposed in a plane substantially normal to said plane containing said support flange flat surface, said abutment surface operatively engaging a respective transverse edge of said panel opening when said lamp housing is in its second position.

Claim 10

The combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of the longitudinal edges of said panel opening is provided with notches therein, each of said locking lugs being alignable with a respective notch to permit movement of said lamp housing in said first direction to its first position, said locking lugs moving out of alignment with said notches as said lamp housing is moved in said second direction to its second position.

Claim 11

The combination as set forth in claim 7, wherein the length of said panel opening measured longitudinally between the transversely extending edges of said panel opening is substantially equal to the longitudinal distance between said abutment surface of said stop lug and the juncture of the outwardly facing wall surface of the lamp housing end wall opposite said one of said lamp housing end walls having said stop lug adjacent thereto and said support flange flat surface whereby one of said panel opening transverse edges abuts said abutment surface and the other panel opening transverse edge abuts the outwardly facing wall surface of a respective lamp housing end wall adjacent the juncture thereof with said support flange flat surface when said lamp housing is in its second position.

Claim 12

The combination as set forth in claim 8, wherein said lamp housing, support flange, lens means, locking lugs, and stop lug are formed as a unitary structure from resinous plastic material, and said lamp housing and said support flange are opaque.