Socket mounting cap

Claim 1

In a lamp assembly for use with a lamp socket having opposite ends including locking ears on one end thereof and a seal flange with sealing gasket at the opposite end thereof and further including a bulb supported therein having a maximum outside diameter less than the outside diameter of the locking ears and wherein the seal flange has an outside diameter greater than that of the locking ears, the improvement comprising: an integrally molded parabolic mirror having an access opening therein to permit rear insertion of the bulb, an annular light interception surface on said mirror integral therewith and located in surrounding relationship to an inserted bulb, said surface having an inside diameter substantially equal to the maximum outside diameter of the bulb inserted into the lamp access opening, an annular support collar formed integrally of said mirror in surrounding relationship to the access opening and extending axially outwardly thereof, a socket mounting cap having an annular inboard flange supported radially outwardly of the outer end of said collar and being fixedly secured thereto, said mounting cap further including an annular outboard flange, a support wall with an inboard and outboard surface located between said inboard and said outboard flanges having an opening therein including a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially outwardly directed slots formed therein, said slots adapted to receive the locking ears on the socket for relative rotation into interlocking engagement with the inboard surface of the support wall, said outer surface of said support wall defining a reference surface to supportingly receive the sealing gasket of a lamp socket, said support collar and said socket mounting cap having a combined axial length to maintain the bulb at a predetermined light center length from the reference surface to maintain a desired focal length relationship between the bulb filament and the annular light interception surface on said parabolic mirror whereby a cone of generated light from the bulb is intercepted by the preselected annular light interception surface of the mirror for reflection without excessive socket area loss from the lamp assembly.

Claim 5

A method for locating a bulb socket assembly with locking ears on one end and a seal flange on an opposite end at a fixed focal point relationship with respect to an injection molded parabolic mirror of a lamp housing comprising: the steps of forming a bulb access opening in the parabolic mirror having a diameter no greater than 10 percent more than the maximum outside diameter of the bulb, forming an integrally formed support tube on the mirror extending outwardly therefrom, mounting a preformed socket support cap having a support opening on the outer end of said support tube and forming a reference support wall therein to supportingly receive locking ears of the socket and a sealing flange thereon with respect to the parabolic mirror section, selecting a tube length and support wall thickness on said socket support cap to locate a bulb filament at a position where the bulb filament is located at a fixed focal length with respect to the parabolic mirror, forming an annular reflector surface on the mirror in surrounding relationship to the supported bulb having an inside diameter less than that of the support opening in the cap to intercept a generated core of light from the bulb filament for reflection from the mirror to prevent excessive socket area light loss from the reflector.

Claim 6

A method for locating a bulb socket assembly with locking ears on one end and a seal flange on an opposite end at a fixed focal point relationship with respect to an injection molded parabolic mirror of a lamp housing comprising: the steps of forming a bulb access opening in the parabolic mirror having a diameter no greater than 10 percent more than the maximum outside diameter of the bulb, forming an integrally formed support tube on the mirror extending outwardly therefrom, mounting a preformed socket support cap having a support opening on the outer end of said support tube and forming a reference support wall therein to supportingly receive locking ears of the socket and a sealing flange thereon with respect to the parabolic mirror section, selecting a tube length and support wall thickness on said socket support cap to locate a bulb filament at a position where the bulb filament is located at a fixed focal length with respect to the parabolic mirror, forming an annular reflector surface on the mirror in surrounding relationship to the supported bulb having an inside diameter less than that of the support opening in the cap to intercept a generated core of light from the bulb filament for reflection from the mirror to prevent excessive socket area light loss from the reflector.