GB2261498A

GB2261498A - Vehicle lamp cover

Info

Publication number: GB2261498A
Application number: GB9224361A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian Maeers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-11-20
Filing date: 1992-11-20
Publication date: 1993-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 2012-11-20
Also published as: GB9124564D0; GB2261498B; GB9224361D0

Abstract

A protective cover particularly for a low slung vehicle fog lamp comprises a black plastics frame (10) to which is secured by screws (18) a clear, shatterproof, polycarbonate sheet (16) which protects the lamp glass without reducing light transmission. <IMAGE>

Description

Vehicle Lamp Cover This invention relates to a cover for a vehicle lamp.

Due to the current practice of reducing the height of the fronts of the bonnets of cars, there is proportionately less depth available in which to accommodate head lamps, fog lamps and turn indicators. This has led to the practice, in some instances, of fitting at least the fog lamps, and sometimes also the turn indicators and main beam driving lamps, into the front valance, thus positioning these lamps very close to the road surface. Moreover, when fog lamps or other lamps are retrospectively fitted to cars, it is a common practice to fit these lamps so that they depend from the front bumper, again positioning such lamps very close to the road surface.

When fog lamps or other lamps are fitted to cars, or other road vehicles, in the above described manner, they are extremely vulnerable to impact from chippings, grit, small stones, birds and other foreign objects thrown up from the road surface, and the glass of such lamps is frequently shattered. This usually means that the complete lamp has to be replaced.

It is known, for the protection of low mounted vehicle lamps, to provide opaque plastics guards which push fit into position and can be prised off. These guards are intended to be left fitted throughout the summer, but removed throughout the winter, when the lamps are frequently required to be used.

Such guards are thus of no assistance in reducing damage to the lamps during the winter.

It is an object of this invention to provide an Improved device for the protection of low mounted vehicle lamps.

According to the invention, there is provided a vehicle lamp cover comprising a sheet of transparent shatterproof plastics material for covering and protecting the lamp glass without substantially reducing radiation of light from the lamp when the lamp is in use, and means for releasably fitting the sheet in position by use of the fittings of the lamp which it is intended to protect.

Most preferably, the plastics cover sheet secures in position in spaced relationship to the lamp glass. This may be achieved by means of spacers.

A preferred shatterproof (impact-resistant) plastics material is clear polycarbonate, of the kind commonly employed for machine guards, such as that known by the Trade Marks Makrolon or Lexan. Conveniently, the clear polycarbonate may be of the order of 3 mm thickness. Polycarbonate is an advantageous material to employ because it has no tendency to lose transparency with age and is highly damage impact resistant, whereas most other transparent plastics materials do not possess these advantageous properties.

The polycarbonate sheet which protects the lamp glass will generally be flat, i.e. planar, but can be curved to match the shape of a curved lamp glass if necessary or desired.

Polycarbonate sheet can readily be shaped by heating and bending, and then allowing it to cool in its bent shape, if a curved sheet is required.

In one embodiment, the plastics cover sheet is carried by a plastics frame, and the frame releasably fits in position using the existing lamp fittings.

The polycarbonate sheet can be fixed to its supporting frame in any one of a number of ways; the use of fixing screws or of a suitable adhesive or welding or other chemical bonding are some possibilities.

The plastics frame, which may conveniently be coloured black, is preferably made of a plastics material which has a small degree of flexibility or resilience. This frame can then be made as a secure push fit on to the lamp or on to the holder or frame in which the lamp is mounted.

Frequently, a fog lamp mounts into its holder by means of a pair of fixing screws which under their heads carry cylindrical spacers or nodules. Conveniently, the interior of the plastics frame of the cover of this embodiment of the invention can be formed with cylindrical sockets which press fit tightly into position over these nodules. If the lamp fixes in position by means of screws not equipped with nodules as aforesaid, it will often be possible to substitute larger fixing screws to which spacers or nodules can be added.

Opaque plastics guards already known for push fitting to fog lamps to protect the lamp glass can, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, be adapted to form a transparent cover by cutting away the major part of the generally flat portion thereof, which in use covers the lamp glass, thereby to leave a plastics frame to which is secured a clear polycarbonate sheet.

In another embodiment of the invention, the plastics cover sheet carries adjacent its periphery cylindrical sockets which press fit tightly over the nodules provided, as aforesaid, on the fixing screws of many fog lamp mounts. The sockets may be secured to the plastics sheet by adhesive, or by rustproofed preferably self-tapping screws conveniently of the kind adapted to receive a miniature cover press fitting to the screwhead.

With the latter method of mounting the plastics cover sheet, it will usually also be preferable to provide the face of the sheet with small spacers, conveniently self-adhesive spacers, which engage against the lamp glass when the plastics cover sheet is press-fitted in position.

A still further method of mounting the plastics cover sheet in position, applicable in particular to fog lamps having a concave glass lens, sometimes mounted relatively remotely in front of the lamp bulb, is to remove the lamp mounting screws which secure the lens and refit the screws through small holes in the plastics cover sheet. When the screws are tightened up, the cover sheet is drawn into engagement with the upper and lower edges of the concave lens, leaving an air space between the cover and the concave surface of the lens.

Additionally, to ensure maintenance of an air gap, a spacing tube may also be fitted on the mounting screw, between the plastics cover sheet and the glass lens. Clearly, if necessary, longer lamp mounting screws can be substituted for the existing ones, if necessary to accommodate the plastics cover sheet and spacing tube.

The device in accordance with the invention is exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a fog lamp cover from the front; Figure 2 shows the cover from the underside; Figure 3 is a view of the cover from the back; Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view applicable to an alternative method of fixing a lamp cover in position; Figure 5 shows the lamp cover from the front, when fitted in position by the alternative method; and Figure 6 shows a further method of fixing the lamp cover in position, on a fog lamp having a concave lens.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, the illustrated cover comprises a black frame 10, moulded of a slightly resilient material such as weakly plasticised PVC or other suitable plastics material. The frame 10 is generally of right-angled cross-section, being formed by a peripheral side wall 12 and a front peripheral flange 14 inside the side wall.

A clear polycarbonate sheet 16, say 3 mm thick, such as that used for machine guards, is secured to the front peripheral flange by fixing screws 18. Alternatively, the sheet 16 may be glued or plastics welded to the frame 10.

The frame has water drainage holes 20 on its bottom side wall, and press fits tightly in position by means of two cylindrical sockets 22, which engage over the cylindrical spacers or nodules conventionally provided on fog lamp mountings to enable the fitting of opaque lamp guards.

Figures 4 and 5 show an alternative method of fixing the cover in position, making use of the cylindrical spacers or nodules conventionally provided on many fog lamp mountings.

In this embodiment, the polycarbonate cover sheet 24 has cylindrical sockets 26 secured thereto, for example by rust proofed self tapping screws 28 with head covers 30, as illustrated, but alternatively by adhesive.

The sockets 26 press fit over the plastics nodules 32 on the mounting screws 34 of the lamp, which screws fix the lamp base frame 36 to the front valance moulding 38. Spacers 40, conveniently self-adhesive, ensure that an air gap 41 is left between the cover sheet 24 and the lamp glass 42.

While press fitting of the transparent cover is preferred, it could be adapted to fit releasably in position in other ways, as by fixing screws.

Figure 6 shows a further method of mounting a polycarbonate lamp cover 44. This method is especially suitable for fog lamps having a concave front lens 46 seated in a recess 48 in the front valance moulding 50.

In this embodiment, the existing lens mounting screw 52 (or a substituted slightly longer one) it utilised to secure the lamp cover 44 in position, for which purpose the cover is provided with small screw receiving holes 54. Spacer tube 56 is preferably also fitted, to ensure firstly that the cover 44 is kept flat and secondly that an adequate air gap is maintained between the cover 44 and the concave surface 58 of the lens 46, between the upper and lower edges of the lens engaged by the cover.

It would alternatively be possible to apply the method exemplified by Figure 4 to a lamp having a concave lens (Figure 6), in which case the sockets 26 would serve as spacers to keep the cover flat and maintain the air gap.

The cover is especially intended for the protection of low mounted fog lights, but could also be applied to protection of turn signal lamps or other low mounted vehicle lamps, especially when such lamps are incorporated into the front valance. While the illustrations show a rectangular cover, typically for fitting to a rectangular fog lamp, the invention is also applicable to round or oval lamps, and also to complete lamp clusters of two or more lamps.

The cover of the invention is convenient for removal for cleaning purposes, as compared with known adhesive fixing covers. The cover also enables an adequate air flow to be maintained over the lamp glass, which is essential for cooling.

Finally, the cover can readily be marked or printed with decorative effects, if desired.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp cover in the form of a plastics frame adapted to be releasably fitted around a vehicle lamp and, carried by said frame, a sheet of transparent shatterproof plastics material for covering and protecting the lamp glass without substantially reducing radiation of light from the lamp when the lamp is in use.

2. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 1, in which the shatterproof plastics material is clear polycarbonate.

3. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 2, in which the clear polycarbonate is of about 3 mm thickness.

4. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the clear polycarbonate is profiled to match and lie flat against the glass of the lamp.

5. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 2 to 4, in which the clear polycarbonate is permanently attached to the plastics frame by fixing screws or adhesive.

6. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which the plastics frame is coloured black.

7. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 1 to 6, in which the plastics frame is a tight push fit on to the lamp or its holder or frame.

8. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 7, applied to protect a low slung fog lamp.

9. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 8, for a fog lamp which mounts into a holder by means of fixing screws with spacers or nodules beneath the heads of said screws, wherein the interior of the plastics frame of the cover is formed with sockets which tightly press fit over said nodules.

10. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 2 to 9, produced by cutting away the major part of the face of an opaque cover, thereby to leave a plastics frame to which is secured a clear polycarbonate sheet.

11. A vehicle lamp cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A vehicle lamp cover comprising a sheet of transparent shatterproof plastics material for covering and protecting the lamp glass without substantially reducing radiation of light from the lamp when the lamp is in use, and means for releasably fitting the sheet in position by use of the fittings of the lamp which it is intended to protect.

2. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 1, wherein the plastics cover sheet secures in position in spaced relationship to the lamp glass.

3. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 2, wherein the spaced relationship is achieved by means of spacers.

4. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 1 to 3, in which the shatterproof (impact-resistant) plastics material is clear polycarbonate.

5. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 4, wherein the clear polycarbonate is of the order of 3 mm thickness.

6. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which the plastics sheet which protects the lamp glass is planar or is curved, in either case to match the shape of the lamp glass.

7. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plastics cover sheet is carried by a plastics frame.

8. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 7, wherein the frame releasably fits in position using the existing lamp fittings.

9. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 7 or claim 8, in which the plastics sheet is fixed to its supporting frame by the use of fixing screws or of a suitable adhesive or welding or other chemical bonding.

10. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the plastics frame is made of a plastics material which has a small degree of flexibility or resilience.

11. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 7 to 10, for a fog lamp which mounts into its holder by means of a pair of fixing screws which under their heads carry cylindrical nodules, and wherein the interior of the plastics frame of the cover is formed with cylindrical sockets which press fit tightly into position over said nodules.

12. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 7 to 11, wherein the transparent cover is produced by cutting away the major part of the generally flat portion of an existing opaque cover, thereby to leave a plastics frame to which is secured the clear plastics sheet.

13. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plastics cover sheet carries adjacent its periphery cylindrical sockets which press fit tightly over nodules provided on the fixing screws of a fog lamp mount.

14. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 13, wherein the sockets are secured to the plastics sheet by adhesive.

15. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 13, wherein the sockets are secured to the plastics sheet by rust-proofed self-tapping screws.

16. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 15, wherein the self-tapping screws are adapted to receive a miniature cover press fitting to the screwhead.

17. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 13 to 16, wherein the face of the plastics sheet is provided with small spacers which engage against the lamp glass when the plastics cover sheet is press-fitted in position.

18. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 17, wherein the spacers are self-adhesive spacers.

19. A vehicle lamp cover according to any of claims 1 to 6, for a fog lamp having a concave glass lens, wherein the cover is securable by removing the lamp mounting screws which secure the lamp lens and refitting the screws through small holes in the plastics cover sheet.

20. A vehicle lamp cover according to claim 19, wherein a spacing tube is fitted on the mounting screw, between the plastics cover sheet and the glass lens.

21. A vehicle lamp cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 or Figure 4 or Figure 5 or Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.