Snap in coupling assembly for a vehicle headlamp

Abstract

This invention relates to sealed beam headlamp units and more particularly to a unitary coupling assembly for securing these headlamp units to vehicles. The assembly includes a headlamp having a plurality of couplers secured to the exterior surface thereof. The couplers have curved mating surfaces, centered about point for pivotal movement, which engage the surfaces of complementary couplers secured to a vehicle. The couplers are lockingly secured to each other and form a coupling for attaching the lamp to a vehicle. In a preferred embodiment the assembly employs adjustable couplers for the adjustable and/or preaimed attachment of a headlamp to a vehicle.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: .[.1. A sealed beam vehicle headlamp assembly comprising a lamp unit having a light source sealed within and focused relative to an envelope including a reflector and a light transmissive lens for producing a light beam having an axis substantially parallel to the optical axis of said lamp unit, three couplers directly and fixedly secured to the exterior surface of said envelope in a triangular configuration, each of said couplers having a curved mating surface which is substantially centered for pivotal movement about a point, the points defining a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said beam..]. .[.2. The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 1 wherein said couplers are integral of said lamp envelope..]. .[.3. The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 2 wherein said couplers are integral with the reflector portion of said envelope..]. .[.4. The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 1 wherein said couplers are attached to said lamp envelope..]. .[.5. The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 1 wherein said couplers include receptacles for recessively 
     
        receiving and engagingly securing complementary vehicle couplers..]. 6. .[.The.]. .Iadd.A sealed beam .Iaddend.vehicle headlamp assembly .[.of claim 1.]. .Iadd.comprising a lamp unit having a light source sealed within and focused relative to an envelope including a reflector and a light transmissive lens for producing a light beam having an axis substantially parallel to the optical axis of said lamp unit, three separate couplers integral with the exterior surface of said envelope and disposed about said envelope in a triangular configuration, each of said couplers having a substantially spherical mating surface defined by a ball and socket joint which is substantially centered for pivotal movement about a point, the points defining a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said light beam, and said couplers being disposed to provide both horizontal and vertical adjustment of said light beam, .Iaddend.wherein said lamp couplers .[.are fixed in relation to said lamp unit and.]. .Iadd.further .Iaddend.include adjustment access openings .[.therethrough.]. .Iadd.extending through the socket element of the ball and socket joint but not through the ball element of said joint.Iaddend.. 
     
     
        .[.7.  The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 1 wherein said lamp couplers include bosses for entrantly and lockingly engaging complementary vehicle couplers..]. .[.8. The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 1 wherein said lamp couplers are adjustable relative to said lamp unit..]. .[.9. The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the axes of at least two of said couplers are substantially parallel to the optical axis of said lamp..]. .[.10. The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the axis of at least one coupler is perpendicular to the beam axis..]. .Iadd.11. A vehicle headlamp assembly comprising a lamp unit having a light source within and focused relative to an envelope, a plurality of lamp couplers on the exterior surface of said envelope, each of said couplers having a substantially spherical mating surface defined by a ball and socket joint, and at least one of said couplers including an adjustment access opening extending through the socket element of said ball and socket joint but not through the ball element of said joint, and said couplers being disposed to provide both horizontal and vertical adjustment of the light beam emerging from said headlamp assembly. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. The vehicle headlamp and coupler assembly comprising a lamp unit having a light source within and focused relative to an envelope, and a plurality of lamp couplers on the exterior surface of said envelope, each of said couplers having a substantially spherical mating surface defined by a ball and socket joint, and at least one of said couplers including an adjustment access opening extending through the socket element of said ball and socket joint but not through the ball element of said joint, said couplers being disposed to provide both horizontal and vertical adjustment of the light beam emerging from said headlamp assembly, and adjustment means for receiving an adjustment tool through said adjustment access opening of said lamp coupler. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 12, in which said adjustment means comprises a notch. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.14.  The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 12, in which said mating surfaces of the lamp couplers are concavely spherical, and in which said vehicle couplers comprise spherical end regions engaged in said mating surfaces. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. The vehicle headlamp assembly of claim 11 wherein said couplers include receptacles for recessively receiving and engagingly securing complementary snap-in vehicle couplers. .Iaddend.