CN113795706B

CN113795706B - Housing of a signalling module of a motor vehicle and vehicle equipped with said module

Info

Publication number: CN113795706B
Application number: CN202080034011.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: R·佩龙; S·西芒德尔
Original assignee: PSA Automobiles SA
Current assignee: PSA Automobiles SA
Priority date: 2019-05-07
Filing date: 2020-04-16
Publication date: 2024-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 2040-04-16
Also published as: EP3966497A1; FR3095851B1; CN113795706A; WO2020225492A1; EP3966497B1; FR3095851A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a support housing (B) for a signalling module (DRL) of a motor vehicle, comprising a light source and associated electronic circuit, characterized in that it comprises a lower shell (1) and an upper shell (2) delimiting between each other a chamber open at the front to allow the introduction of the module (DRL), said lower and upper shells being equipped on the rear with mutually cooperating guide, connection and locking members to ensure the assembly of the two shells (1, 2).

Description

Housing of a signalling module of a motor vehicle and vehicle equipped with said module

Technical Field

The present invention claims priority from French application 1904752 filed on 5/7 of 2019, the contents of which (text, drawings and claims) are incorporated herein by reference.

The invention is used in the field of lighting and signalling for motor vehicles.

More particularly, the invention relates to a specific housing specific to a signaling module for equipping a motor vehicle, such as a daytime running light or daytime running light (so-called DRL, i.e. "Daytime Running Lights"), and to a motor vehicle equipped with said module.

Background

In general, motor vehicles are equipped with a lighting module (head lamp, low beam, high beam) and a signal module (daytime running light (so-called "DRL"), direction indicator, turn signal, etc.) on the front surface of themselves. Each module comprises an electronic system (e.g. a printed circuit board PCB) for modulating one or more illumination sources in the form of (halogen, xenon, LEDs, etc.) bulbs associated with an optical system (lens, reflector, etc.).

The electronic and optical components of each module are enclosed in housings hermetically closed by glass, typically secured by welding, either common to multiple housings or independent for each housing.

Nowadays, on some vehicles, the housing of the signal module, in particular of the daytime running signal module (DRL), is itself accommodated in a larger housing, which also encloses the high beam module or the lighting module (high beam, low beam, etc.), in particular inside a headlight housing enclosed by a front glass.

Such daytime running signal modules, which have a flat and uniform appearance as a whole to ensure uniformity of the light flow, are simultaneously integrated with an illumination source (Leds light bulbs, etc.) and an associated electronic system (PCB). The module is fitted inside the intrinsic housing itself before it is finally closed and before it is fixed in the headlamp housing.

The housing of the signal module is usually embodied in one piece or based on parts assembled by screwing, gluing or riveting, in the event of wear or operational failure, the module has to be completely replaced and forced open.

However, these operations are costly and difficult and cumbersome to implement, and sometimes even lead to damage, or even destruction, of the housing.

Furthermore, existing housings enclosing these signal modules are subject to vibrations which propagate to the internal modules and thereby generate problematic disturbances to the luminous signal.

Disclosure of Invention

Against this background, the present invention aims to provide a solution that enables to ensure the integration of interchangeable signal modules in easily detachable housings, the appearance of which can be kept unchanged without compromising the reliability of the assembly of the headlamp housing in which the signal modules are always housed.

This object is achieved by means of a support housing of a signal module of a motor vehicle, said signal module comprising a lighting source and an associated electronic system, characterized in that said housing comprises a lower shell and an upper shell delimiting between each other a chamber open at the front to allow the introduction of said module, said lower shell and said upper shell being equipped on the rear with mutually cooperating guide members, connecting members and locking members to ensure the assembly of the two shells.

According to an advantageous feature of the casing of the invention, the guide member comprises a peripheral groove on the lower casing for receiving the end edge of the upper casing while conforming to the contour of the end edge of the upper casing (e pousant).

Preferably, the peripheral groove has a substantially vertical portion at one of its longitudinal ends and a truncated (tronqu e) portion at its other end, said truncated portion providing the free degree of play (d battement) of the upper shell during said assembly.

According to another feature, the guide member further comprises teeth protruding on the bottom of the lower shell and in proximity of the peripheral groove, and the beveled rear edge of the teeth cooperates with the end edge of the upper shell.

Advantageously, the end edges of the upper shell are locally equipped with bosses for ensuring the fastening of the lower shell in the peripheral groove during the assembly.

According to a particular embodiment, the connecting member comprises at least two substantially frustoconical protrusions carried by the bottom of the lower shell for engagement during the assembly in two cavities provided facing on the upper shell and having a complementary appearance, so as to ensure the centring of the upper shell.

Preferably, these protrusions are provided with elongated (effil es) vertical ribs which ensure that the upper shell is constrained during assembly of the upper shell onto the lower shell.

According to another embodiment of the housing of the invention, the locking member comprises at least two projections integral with the end edge of the lower shell and intended to resiliently snap into two complementary apertures facing in tabs provided integral with the end edge of the upper shell.

Further, according to another feature, end edges of the lower and upper shells are chamfered to facilitate relative positioning of the lower and upper shells during the assembly.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a motor vehicle equipped with a signal module (DRL) housed in a housing having the above defined features.

The invention is applied to the integration of the signal module DRL in a lighting system with a Led bulb or halogen bulb. The housing is manufactured separately from the headlamp housing in which the signal module DRL is accommodated.

A particular application of the housing consists in the packaging of interchangeable signal modules DRL of the type ("Flat Guide") which can be easily introduced into or removed from the housing after separating the two shells (lower and upper, respectively).

Maintenance of the signal module is greatly facilitated because replacement of the module can be performed manually and without tools, simply by opening the locking member of the housing in advance to disassemble the housing.

The invention thus provides economic savings and simplification of the assembly process.

Drawings

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

fig. 1A is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the housing of the present invention having its own internal signal module.

Fig. 1B is a rear perspective view of the housing of fig. 1A after the lower and upper shells are assembled.

Fig. 2A is a top perspective view of the lower shell of the housing of fig. 1A and 1B.

Fig. 2B is a bottom perspective view of the upper shell of the housing of fig. 1A and 1B.

Fig. 3A is a partial perspective view of a lower shell with one of its own guide members, one of its own connecting members and one of its own locking members.

Fig. 3B is a detailed perspective view of the lower shell with one of its own connecting members.

Fig. 3C is a detailed perspective view of the lower shell with its own guide member.

Fig. 4A is a partial bottom view of an upper shell with one of its own connecting members.

Fig. 4B is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower and upper shells after assembly of the respective connecting members.

Fig. 5A is a partial rear view of the lower and upper shells during assembly of the respective guide and locking members.

Fig. 5B is a partial rear view of the lower and upper shells after assembly of the respective locking members.

Detailed Description

For purposes of clarity, the same or similar elements are identified by the same reference numbers throughout the drawings.

Of course, the embodiments of the method of the invention shown by the figures shown in the context are given as non-limiting examples only. It is expressly specified that different embodiments may be provided and that combinations between the described embodiments may be made to provide other embodiments.

The present invention relates to the field of lighting and signaling for motor vehicles.

More precisely, the invention relates to a housing B for a daytime running light or daytime running light signal module (DRL). The module DRL typically comprises a lighting system consisting of a light source (e.g. Led bulb) coupled to an electronic circuit (e.g. PSB).

The signal module DRL is enclosed inside the housing 1 between the lower and upper cases 1 and 2 as shown in fig. 1A. For this purpose, the lower shell 1 and the upper shell 2 delimit between each other a chamber for housing the module DRL, which is open at the front to ensure the diffusion of the luminous signal and to allow the introduction or extraction of the module.

The module DRL is typically implemented in the form of a compact, flat and uniform unit of the "Flat Guide" type, which integrates all the required optical and electronic constituent elements ready to be fitted into the housing B.

According to the invention, the lower and upper shells 1,2 carry mutually cooperating guide, connecting and locking members to ensure the assembly of the two shells and the closure of said shells, while occluding (emprisonnant) the signal module DRL, as shown in fig. 1B. Since the front surface of the housing is open, these members are offset onto the rear of housing B.

However, the arrangement of all or part of the guide member, the connecting member, and the locking member, which will be described in detail below, between the lower case 1 and the upper case 2 may be reversed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In the embodiment shown here on the drawings, the guide means comprise a peripheral groove 10 on the lower shell 1 for receiving the rear end edge 2a of the upper shell 2 while conforming to the contour of the rear end edge of the upper shell. For this purpose, the rear end edge of the upper shell 2 has an appearance complementary to the U-shaped cross section of the recess 10.

The peripheral groove 10 has a substantially vertical portion 10a at one of its longitudinal ends and a truncated portion 10b at its other end, which provides a translational degree of freedom during assembly of the peripheral groove with the upper shell 2, to avoid hyperstaticity, as shown in fig. 2A, 3A and 5A.

Moreover, the end edges 2a, 1a of the upper and lower shells 2, 1 are chamfered to perfect (parfaire) the relative vertical and horizontal positioning of the shells during assembly and before locking.

The lower shell 1 further comprises complementary guide members constituted by teeth 11 (in the embodiment of fig. 2A, four teeth) protruding on the bottom of said lower shell and in the vicinity of the peripheral groove 10. The rear edge 11a of the tooth 11 is beveled (as shown in particular in fig. 3C) and is in contact with the end edge 2a of the upper shell 2 so as to orient said tooth towards the recess 10 and thereby facilitate the assembly of said upper and lower shells 1.

The end edge 2a of the upper shell 2 is also partially provided with a series of bosses 21, as shown on figures 2B and 4A. In fact, these bosses 21, given the relatively large length of the shell B, are able to ensure mutual contact and fastening between the two shells 1,2 in the peripheral groove 10 during said assembly, and to ensure optimal nesting.

The connecting means for connecting between the two shells 1,2 comprise at least two substantially frustoconical protrusions or uprights 12 carried by the bottom of the lower shell 1 (figures 3A and 3B). The protrusions 12 are intended to engage in two cavities 22 provided facing and having a complementary appearance on the upper shell 2 during assembly of the shell B, so as to ensure centring of the latter, as shown in figures 3A, 3B and 4A. The cavities 22 are here provided in protruding piers 24 in the form of ridges carried by the bottom of the upper shell 2.

Each protrusion 12 is preferably provided with an elongated vertical rib 12a, here three in number (one rib on a first surface of the protrusion 12 and two ribs on the opposite surface, respectively). These ribs 12a ensure that the upper shell 2 is restrained when the recess 22 covers the projection 12 of the lower shell 1 in the final stage of assembly, as shown in fig. 4B.

To facilitate engagement of the protrusions 12 in the pockets 22, the pockets have flared openings 22a, as shown in the cross-sectional view of fig. 4B. When assembled with each other, the shells 1,2 are constrained, which can avoid the propagation of vibrations and thus protect the operation of the module DRL.

The locking member comprises at least two projections 13 (visible in particular on figures 1A, 1B and 3A) integral with the end edge 1A of the lower shell 1 and intended to resiliently and therefore reversibly snap into two facing complementary apertures 20 provided in tabs 23 integral with the end edge 2a of the upper shell 2, as shown in figures 5A, 5B.

The projection 13 is carried by a tab 14, the size of which is substantially equal to the size of the tab 23. The outer surface of the projection 13 is inclined downwards to facilitate sliding of the tab 23 and to be placed facing the aperture 20.

The release of the lugs from the tabs 23 can be carried out by manually pressing on the outer surface of the lugs 13, and then the unlocking of the two shells 1, 2 and the opening of the shell B can be easily carried out by applying a traction force on the upper shell 2 in order to separate the two shells. Thereby providing access to the interior chamber in which the module DRL is located.

Claims

1. Support housing (B) of a signal module of a motor vehicle, comprising a light source and an associated electronic circuit, characterized in that it comprises a lower shell (1) and an upper shell (2) delimiting between each other a chamber open at the front to allow the introduction of the signal module, said lower shell and said upper shell being equipped on the rear with mutually cooperating guide members, connecting members and locking members to ensure the assembly of the two shells, said guide members comprising a peripheral groove (10) on said lower shell (1) for receiving the end edge (2 a) of said upper shell while conforming to the contour of the end edge of said upper shell, said peripheral groove (10) having a vertical portion (10 a) at one of its longitudinal ends and a truncated portion (10B) at its other end, said truncated portion providing the freedom of travel of said upper shell (2) during assembly.

2. Support housing according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide member further comprises teeth (11) protruding on the bottom of the lower shell (1) and in the vicinity of the peripheral groove (10), and the beveled rear edge of which cooperates with the end edge (2 a) of the upper shell (2).

3. Support housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the end edge (2 a) of the upper shell (2) is locally equipped with a boss (21) for ensuring the fastening of the lower shell (1) in the peripheral groove (10) during the assembly.

4. Support housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting member comprises at least two truncated cone-shaped protrusions (12) carried by the bottom of the lower shell (1) for engagement during the assembly in two cavities (22) provided facing and having a complementary appearance on the upper shell (2) so as to ensure the centring of the upper shell.

5. Support housing according to claim 4, characterized in that the protrusions (12) are equipped with elongated vertical ribs (12 a) ensuring that the upper shell (2) is constrained during the assembly of the upper shell onto the lower shell (1).

6. Support housing according to any one of claims 1,2 and 5, characterized in that the locking member comprises at least two projections (13) integral with the end edge (1 a) of the lower shell (1) and intended to snap elastically in two complementary apertures (20) facing in two tabs (23) provided integral with the end edge (2 a) of the upper shell (2).

7. Support housing according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 5, characterized in that the respective end edges of the lower shell (1) and the upper shell (2) are chamfered in order to facilitate the relative positioning of the lower shell and the upper shell during the assembly.

8. Motor vehicle equipped with a signal module housed in a support housing (B) according to any one of the preceding claims.