Vehicle Dome Light Assembly T-Shaped Lug Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dome light assemblies for motor vehicles are often costly to produce and difficult to assemble, and can cause the headliner to sag over time due to their weight.
Innovation Solution
A dome light assembly with a mounting bracket and lamp housing that includes a T-shaped lug and an irregularly-shaped aperture with insert and locking portions, allowing for easy assembly by aligning the lug with the aperture and rotating it into a locking position, capturing the bracket and headliner securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If existing dome light assemblies are used, then lighting function is provided, but production cost is high and assembly is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The dome light assembly is divided into distinct functional components: a mounting bracket with flange and receiver, a lamp housing with light source, and a fastener. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently and assembled through simple insertion and rotation motions, eliminating complex assembly procedures while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener incorporates a T-shaped lug that automatically engages with the receiver's irregular aperture during insertion. The rotation motion of the fastener causes the lug to transition from the insert portion to the locking portion of the aperture, creating a self-locking mechanism that secures the assembly without additional fastening steps or tools.
2Ease of manufacture
If existing dome light assemblies are used, then lighting function is provided, but production cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket and lamp housing are designed as simple, injection-molded plastic components with integrated fastening features. The T-shaped lug and irregular aperture geometry provide reliable mechanical interlocking without requiring expensive metals, complex machining, or additional fasteners, thereby reducing production cost while maintaining mounting reliability.
3Strength
If heavy dome light assemblies are used, then structural strength is provided, but headliner sagg is caused
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket and lamp housing are constructed from lightweight plastic materials that provide sufficient structural strength through optimized geometry. The flange distributes mounting loads across a wider area of the headliner, while the T-shaped lug and irregular aperture create mechanical interlocking that maintains strength without requiring heavy materials.
Data Source
AI summary
A dome light assembly is provided for mounting to a headliner in a motor vehicle. That dome light assembly includes a mounting bracket having a flange engaging an upper face of the headliner and a receiver. Further, the dome light assembly includes a lamp housing including a fastener secured to the receiver and a light source held in the lamp housing. A related method is also provided.