FR3099545A1 - Luminous device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a light device (1) for a vehicle comprising a reflector (10), an electronic plate (11) supporting a light source (12), a connector (13) comprising two parts (130, 131), and a fixing interface (14) between said electronic plate (11) and said reflector (10), characterized in that said fixing interface (14) comprises stops (140) configured to cooperate with stops (133) of one of the two parts (130, 131) of said connector (13). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Light device

The present invention relates to a lighting device of a vehicle. It finds a particular but non-limiting application in motor vehicles.

In the field of motor vehicles, a light device known to those skilled in the art comprises a reflector, an electronic plate supporting a light source, a connector comprising two parts, and a fixing interface between said electronic plate and said reflector.

A disadvantage of this state of the art is that the electronic plate with the connector are mounted on the reflector along the axis vertical to the axis of the vehicle, axis of the vehicle which extends from the front to the rear of the vehicle. . According to this vertical mounting, there is a risk that the two parts of the connector will not be well connected with each other during mounting, or that they will not remain well connected with each other when the vehicle is driving.

In this context, the present invention aims to propose a luminous device which makes it possible to solve the drawback mentioned.

To this end, the invention proposes a lighting device for a vehicle comprising a reflector, an electronic plate supporting a light source, a connector comprising two parts, and a fixing interface between said electronic plate and said reflector, characterized in that that said fixing interface comprises abutments cooperating with abutments of one of the two parts of said connector.

Thus, as will be seen in detail below, the stops of the fixing interface by cooperating with the stops of the connector make it possible to ensure a reliable connection by guaranteeing good contact of the connector. Thus, this avoids having an additional check to know if the connection between the two parts of the connector is made correctly.

According to non-limiting embodiments, the light device of a vehicle may also comprise one or more additional characteristics taken alone or according to all the technically possible combinations, among the following.

According to a non-limiting embodiment, said fixing interface comprises a screw barrel configured to face an orifice of said reflector and receive a screw.

According to a non-limiting embodiment, said light device comprises a vertical assembly axis which is perpendicular to a vehicle axis.

According to a non-limiting embodiment, said attachment interface comprises two stops.

According to a non-limiting embodiment, said fixing interface comprises a base plate and said stops extend along a plane parallel to the plane of said base plate.

According to a non-limiting embodiment, said vehicle is a motor vehicle.

A headlamp is also proposed comprising at least one light device according to any one of the preceding characteristics.

The invention and its various applications will be better understood on reading the following description and on examining the accompanying figures:

illustrates an assembled view of a lighting device of a vehicle, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the invention,

illustrates a sectional view of a part of said light device of Figure 1, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates an exploded view of said light device of Figure 1, said light device comprising a reflector, an electronic plate supporting a light source, a connector and a fixing interface between said electronic plate and said reflector, according to a non-limiting embodiment ,

illustrates a first perspective view of said reflector of Figure 3, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates a second perspective view of said reflector of Figure 3, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates a first view of said electronic plate and said light source of Figure 3, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates a second view of said electronic plate and said light source of Figure 3, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates a perspective view of a first face of said connector of Figure 3 with two parts assembled together, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates a perspective view of a second face of said connector of Figure 3 with two parts assembled together, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates a three-quarter perspective view of said attachment interface of Figure 3, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates a front perspective view of said attachment interface of Figure 3 assembled with said connector of Figures 6a and 6b, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates a perspective view from below of said connector of Figures 6a and 6b positioned under said electronic plate of Figure 3 and in contact with the latter, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates a perspective view of said reflector of Figure 3 assembled with said electronic plate of Figure 3, according to a non-limiting embodiment,

illustrates another assembled view of said luminous device of FIG. 1, according to a non-limiting embodiment.

Identical elements, by structure or by function, appearing in different figures retain, unless otherwise specified, the same references.

The light device 1 of a vehicle is described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. In one non-limiting embodiment, the vehicle is a motor vehicle. Motor vehicle means any type of motorized vehicle. This embodiment is taken as a non-limiting example in the remainder of the description. In the remainder of the description, the vehicle is thus otherwise called a motor vehicle.

In non-limiting examples, the light device 1 is part of:
- a projector, and/or
- a traffic light, and/or,
- a fog lamp, and/or
- a rear light, or
- an interior lighting device.

In a non-limiting example, a headlamp may comprise one or more light devices 1. The same is true for a signaling light, a fog light, a rear light, an interior lighting device.

In non-limiting embodiments, the light device 1 is adapted to form all or part of a signaling beam (of the daytime running light, position light, fog light, flashing light type), and/or of a lighting beam (main beam called "High Beam" in Anglo-Saxon language, dipped beam called "Low Beam" in Anglo-Saxon language).

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, in a non-limiting embodiment, the light device 1 comprises:
- a reflector 10,
- an electronic plate 11 supporting a light source 12,
- a connector 13 comprising two parts 130, 131,
- a fixing interface 14 between the electronic plate 11 and the reflector 10.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the light device 1 comprises a sliding connection 104-144 between the reflector 10 and the fixing interface 14. The light device 1 comprises a vertical assembly axis Z which is perpendicular to a vehicle axis Y, said vehicle axis Y being the axis which extends from the front to the rear of the motor vehicle 2. Thus, the reflector 10, the electronic plate 11, and the fixing interface 14 are assembled together vertically along said vertical assembly axis Z. The assembly along the vertical assembly axis Z makes it possible to have good focusing of the light source 12 on the reflector 10. The Z assembly has less dispersion than a Y assembly because the positioning of the light source 12 is more precise than it is in Y. Moreover, unlike a Y assembly, there is no assembly clearance which increases potential dispersions.

The elements of the light device 1 are described in detail below.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the reflector 10 comprises a base 100 configured to be fixed on the electronic plate 11, in particular to the primary part 112a of the heat sink 112 described below, and an optical part 101 configured to reflect the light rays R from the light source 12 described below. The reflector 10 further comprises an orifice 100d through which a screw 4 can pass. The orifice 100d is configured to be placed opposite a screw shaft 143 of the fixing interface 14 described later. In one non-limiting embodiment, the reflector 10 is in slide connection with the fixing interface 14. For this purpose, it comprises a slide 104 configured to cooperate with a slider 144 of the fixing interface 14. In one mode of non-limiting embodiment, the reflector 10 further comprises at least one keying device 102, called poka yoke, for positioning said reflector 10 relative to the electronic plate 11. This makes it possible to focus the light source 12 on the reflector 10. The keying device 102 is configured to cooperate with a hole 104 of the attachment interface 14 described later. In a non-limiting example, it comprises two polarizers 102. In a non-limiting example, the polarizer 102 is a lug configured to fit into a hole 104 of the fixing interface 14. In a non-limiting example, the polarizer 102 has a square shape. This makes it possible to limit the width of the electronic medium 110 and to optimize the panelization of the electronic medium 110.

As illustrated in FIG. 5a, the electronic plate 11 comprises an electronic support 110 and a heat sink 112. These elements are described below.

As illustrated in Figure 5a, the electronic support 110 is adapted to accommodate and electrically connect a set of electronic components together. In particular, it accommodates the light source 12 and a device 15 for controlling the power supply of the light source. The electronic support 110, and in particular its electronic components including the control device 15 and the light source 12, generates heat during its operation which should be evacuated from the light device 1. The evacuation of this heat is provided by the heat sink 112. In one non-limiting embodiment, the electronic medium 110 is a printed circuit board, otherwise called a PCBA board (“Printed Circuit Board Assembly”). In another non-limiting embodiment, the electronic medium 110 is a flexible card called “flex PCB” or “flex circuit” (“flexible printed circuit”). In a non-limiting embodiment, the electronic support 110 comprises an orifice 110d through which a screw 4 can pass and configured to be arranged opposite the orifice 100d of the reflector 10.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the light source 12 is adapted to emit light rays R. These light rays R cooperate with the reflector 10 so as to form a light beam F. In a non-limiting embodiment, the light source 12 is a semiconductor light source. In one non-limiting embodiment, the semiconductor light source 12 is part of a light emitting diode. By light-emitting diode, we mean any type of light-emitting diode, whether in non-limiting examples LED (“Light Emitting Diode”), an OLED (“Organic LED”) or an AMOLED (“Active-Matrix-Organic LED”) ), or a FOLED (“Flexible OLED”). As illustrated in FIG. 5a, in a nonlimiting embodiment illustrated, the light source 12 is fixed on the electronic support 110, itself fixed on the heat sink 112. The light source 12 is placed at a distance from the device control device 15. In a non-limiting embodiment, the control device 15 is also fixed on the electronic support 110.

The heat sink 112 is configured to evacuate the heat given off by the luminous device 1, in particular by its light source 12 and by the control device 15. As illustrated in FIG. 5b, it comprises a primary part 112a and a secondary 112b which extends perpendicular to the primary part 112a. The primary part 112a and the secondary part 112b are connected by an elbow 112c. They both serve to dissipate heat. The primary part 112a is configured to press against the electronic support 10, and the secondary part 112b is configured to face said connector 13 when the light device 1 is mounted. The abutment 112b is positioned rearward and downward due to space constraints. Furthermore, the secondary part 112 can accommodate an additional heat sink in the High Beam configurations. In a non-limiting embodiment, the heat sink 112 comprises an orifice 112d through which a screw 4 can pass, and configured to be arranged opposite the orifice 100d of the reflector 10 and the orifice 110d of the electronic support 110 As illustrated in Figure 5b, in a non-limiting embodiment, the heat sink 112 comprises at least one window 112e configured to cooperate with a polarizer 102 of the reflector 10. In a non-limiting example, it comprises two windows 112e . In a non-limiting example, the windows 112e have a square shape. It will be noted that the screwing according to the vertical assembly axis Z makes it possible to overcome the dispersions of realization of the folding carried out on the heat sink 12 to obtain the primary part 112a and the secondary part 112b, contrary to a screwing according to the vehicle axis Y. Screwing along the vehicle axis Y is in fact done on the secondary part 112b while the electronic support 110 is fixed on the primary part 112a. In this case, the dispersion of the folding has an impact on the final orientation of the electronic medium 110.

As illustrated in Figures 6a and 6b, connector 13 comprises two parts 130 and 131. In one non-limiting embodiment, part 130 is a male part while part 131 is a female part. The male part 130 and the female part 131 connect together along the vertical assembly axis Z. The connector 13 further comprises a holding element 132 for electrical connection wires 3 (illustrated in FIG. 1) which connect the electronic components (including the light source 12 and the control device 15) of the electronic support 110 with a power supply (not shown) of the motor vehicle. In one illustrated non-limiting embodiment, this holding element 132 is configured to clip into the female part 131. In another non-limiting embodiment, this holding element 132 is part of the female part 131. The connector 13 comprises two stops 133 configured to come into contact with the connection interface 14 described below, in particular with its two stops 140. In a non-limiting embodiment, the two stops 133 form part of the holding element 132. These two stops 133 are connected to a body 132a of the holding element 132, in particular they are connected to each end of this holding element 132.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the attachment interface 14 is an added piece. As illustrated in FIG. 7, it comprises stops 140 configured to cooperate with the stops 133 of one of the two parts 130, 131 of the connector 131. In a non-limiting embodiment, it comprises two stops 140. In a non-limiting embodiment, the attachment interface 14 further comprises a base plate 141 which extends along a plane A-A' (illustrated in the figure by a dotted line), and the stops 140 extend along a parallel plane B-B' (illustrated in the figure by a dotted line) to the axis A-A'. They are thus offset relative to the base plate 141 along the Z axis. The position of the plane of the base plate 141 is linked to the height of the screw shaft 143. The position of the plane of the stops 140 is linked height of the connector 13 and of the holding element 132. The stops 140 are connected to the base plate 141 by a connection plate 142 perpendicular to the base plate 141. The connection plate 142 extends along the vertical assembly axis Z. In one non-limiting embodiment, the fixing interface 14 further comprises a screw barrel 143 configured to face the orifice 100d of the reflector 10 and to receive the screw 4. The screw 4 makes it possible to screw together the fixing interface 14, reflector 10 and electronic plate 11. The screw shaft 143 originates from the base plate 141 and extends perpendicular to it, namely along the axis vertical assembly Z. The attachment interface 14 further comprises a slider 144 configured to slide in the slideway 104 of the reflector 10 so as to position the attachment interface 14 relative to the reflector 10. The sliding of the slider 144 s 'carries out perpendicular to the vertical assembly axis Z. In one illustrated non-limiting embodiment, the slider 144 extends on either side of the screw barrel 143.

Figure 8 illustrates the fixing interface 14 which cooperates with the connector 13. As can be seen in the figure, the stops 133 of the connector 13 bear against the stops 140 of the connection interface 14. Furthermore, connector 13 is arranged parallel to connecting plate 142 of fixing interface 14. In particular, its female part 131 is located opposite said connecting plate 142.

The assembly of the elements of the light device 1 is carried out as follows by an operator or a machine tool. In the following non-limiting example, it is carried out by an operator.

In a first step illustrated in Figures 6a and 6b, the operator assembles the two parts 130, 131 of the connector 13. The male part 130 fits into the female part 131. Moreover, if the holding element 132 is independent of the male part 131, the operator clips the holding element 132 with the female part 131.

In a second step illustrated in Figure 9, the operator positions the connector 13 on the electronic plate 11 along the vertical assembly axis Z, in particular he keeps the connector 13 in contact with the electronic support 110 by pressing on it with a pressure force 50. The male part 131 is in contact with the electronic support 110.

In a third step illustrated in Figure 10, the reflector 10 and the fixing interface 14 are assembled together by means of the sliding link 104-144. To this end, the operator pushes in translation the slider 144 of the fixing interface 14 in the slideway 104 of the reflector 10 along the vehicle axis Y, with a pressure force 51. When the reflector 10 is thus assembled with the fixing interface 14, its orifice 100d is located opposite the screw barrel 143 of the fixing interface 14. It will be noted that steps one to three above can be carried out in any order.

In a fourth step illustrated in Figure 11, the operator assembles the electronic plate 11-connector 13 assembly with the reflector 10-fixing interface 14 assembly. Figure 11 also shows the electrical connection wires 3. Thus , to assemble the assembly, the operator positions the reflector 10-fixing interface 14 assembly on the electronic plate 11-connector 13 assembly along the vertical assembly axis Z by means of polarizers 102 of the reflector 10 which are 'insert into the holes 104 of the fixing interface 14 so that:
- the orifice 100d of the reflector 10 is opposite the orifice 110d of the electronic support 110 of the electronic plate 11,
- the orifice 100d of the reflector 10 is opposite the screw barrel 143 of the fixing interface 14,
- the electronic support 110 of the electronic plate 11 is opposite the base 100 of the reflector 10,
- the connector 13, in particular its female part 131, is opposite the fixing interface 14, in particular its connecting plate 142
- the electronic medium 110 is in contact with the connector 13, in particular its male part 130,
- the stops 133 of the connector 13 bear against the stops 140 of the fixing interface 14.

In a fifth step illustrated in Figure 1, the operator 4 inserts a screw 4 into the holes 112d, 100d and 110d and screws the screw 4 into the screw barrel 143 by exerting a pressure force 52. While performing the screwing, he keeps the whole of the luminous device 1 sandwiched between his fingers. The screwing makes it possible to exert pressure on the electronic plate 11 so that:
- the stops 140 of the fixing interface 14 press well against the stops 133 of the connector 13. Thus, the female part 131 and the male part 130 of the connector 13 are firmly fitted together. There is thus no poor electrical contact in connector 13,
- the male part 130 of the connector 13 is in good contact with the electronic support 110. There is thus no poor electrical contact between the connector 13 and the electronic support 110.

Thus, as shown in Figure 2, all the elements of the light device 1 is assembled.

Of course, the description of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and to the field described above. Thus, in another non-limiting embodiment not illustrated, the control device 15 is not fixed to the electronic support 110 but is remote.

Thus, the invention described has in particular the following advantages:
- it simplifies the assembly process of all the elements of the light device 1,
- it ensures a good assembly of the elements of the light device 1,
- thanks to the stops 133 and 140, it avoids the operator having to press again with his fingers on the connector 13 to try to ensure a good connection between the two parts 130, 131 of the connector 13 and between the connector 13 and the electronic medium 110,
- it prevents the two parts 130, 131 of the connector 13 from being poorly fitted together,
- it ensures that the two parts 130, 131 of the connector 13 remain attached to each other during assembly and when the vehicle is moving,
- it avoids having an assembly along the vehicle axis Y. Thus, it avoids having a screw shaft in the optical part 101 of the reflector 10 which causes shrinkage problems and problems of focusing the light source 12 on the reflector 10. Moreover, dispersions of positioning of the light source 12 are avoided,
- thanks to the assembly along the vertical assembly axis Z, it thus ensures good optical focusing between the light source 12 on the reflector 10.

Claims (6)

Lighting device (1) of a vehicle (2) comprising a reflector (10), an electronic plate (11) supporting a light source (12), a connector (13) comprising two parts (130, 131), and a fixing interface (14) between said electronic plate (11) and said reflector (10), characterized in that said fixing interface (14) comprises stops (140) configured to cooperate with stops (133) of one of the two parts (130, 131) of said connector (13). Luminous device (1) according to claim 1, according to which said fixing interface (14) comprises a screwing barrel (143) configured to face an orifice (100d) of said reflector (10) and to receive a screw (4 ). A light device (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein said light device (1) comprises a vertical assembly axis (Z) which is perpendicular to a vehicle axis (Y). Luminous device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said fixing interface (14) comprises two stops (140). Luminous device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fixing interface (14) comprises a base plate (141) and said abutments (140) extend along a parallel plane (B-B') to the plane (A-A') of said base plate (141). Projector comprising at least one light device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.