GB2093174A

GB2093174A - Motor vehicle light unit

Info

Publication number: GB2093174A
Application number: GB8136933A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Westfaelische Metall Industrie KG Hueck and Co
Current assignee: Westfaelische Metall Industrie KG Hueck and Co
Priority date: 1981-02-17
Filing date: 1981-12-08
Publication date: 1982-08-25
Also published as: FR2499915A1; ES263285U; DE3105691A1; ES263285Y; AU7591781A

Abstract

A light unit for a motor vehicle comprises a headlight (1) and a direction indicator light (2) that are inserted in a common aperture in the vehicle bodywork with the indicator light to one side of the headlight. A headlight mounting frame (5) of the unit has the indicator light attached to it through a plastics fixing element (9) that has hooks (11) and a locating pip (21) to secure it to the frame. The indicator light has projections (13) that are longitudinally slideable in channels (12) on the fixing element (9) and resilient arms (17) that engage a rear face of the mounting frame (5) to urge the indicator light into close engagement with the rim of receiving aperture in the bodywork. A resilient tongue (23) on the fixing element urges the indicator light laterally away from the headlight. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A light unit The invention relates to a light unit, in particular for motor vehicles, in which a headlight, and a direction indicator light disposed to one side thereof, are located together in an opening in the vehicle bodywork.

Such a unit is known from German AS 26 56 755 in which, during mounting of the headlight, a first fixing element of a headlightsupporting frame permitting relative movement between the direction indicator light and the headlight in the direction of light emission connects the light housing non-positively to the supporting frame and a second resilient fixing element presses the indicator light against the rim of the opening in the bodywork.Such light units have the advantage that, owing to the possibility of relative movement between the indicator light and the headlight in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle during installation of the light unit, they automatically compensate for differences in the fitting position arising from the manufacturing tolerances of the vehicle bodywork, so that the light unit, in particular the indicator light, is essentially in close contact with the adjacent part of the bodywork.

In the light unit disclosed in German AS 26 56 755, two holding members arranged at a parallel spacing from each other are fixed on the headlight by means of screws. These holding members have a holding arm which is connected to a fixing flange on the light housing, more specifically by a resilient element passing through both parts. A holding arm formed as a resilient tongue engages in a recess in the indicator light housing and makes a connection between the indicator light and the headlight which permits relative movement in the direction of insertion.

The two resilient elements, designed as plug-in clips, permit relative movement between the indicator light and the headlight during installation of the light unit. The disadvantage of these light units is that the mounting of the direction indicator on the headlight is very complicated owing to the number of individual parts, and the production of the individual parts is cost-intensive.

According to the present invention, there is provided a light unit having a headlight and direction indicator light which are arranged to be located in a receiving space with the indicator light to one side of the headlight, the unit comprising a headlight supporting member provided with a first fixing element which connects a housing of the indicator light to the supporting member in a manner permitting relative movement between the indicator light and the headlight substantially in the direction of light emission, and the indicator light is provided with a second resilient fixing element to urge the indicator light against a rim of said receiving space, said second resilient fixing element comprising at least one resilient arm arranged to bear with a biasing force upon a face of the supporting member directed towards the rear of the light unit.

Advantageously, the indicator light housing and the resilient arms form integral parts of a unitary plastics member. This can make it easier to exchange the headlight or the indicator light if either is damaged, while retaining the other component of the light unit.

In a preferred form of the invention, the resilient element comprises arms arranged relative to each other in the manner of divergent cantilevers or wings. There may be two wings, preferably arranged at an obtuse angle to each other, located through their vertex on a projection of the light housing. This, despite its relative simplicity, also helps to ensure that relative movement between the indicator light and the headlight is easily possible in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle during installation of the light unit and that the light unit, in particular the indicator light housing, is essentially located against the bodywork.

In this form of the invention, it is also beneficial if the two wings of the resilient element are designed as bearers of equal resistance and each wing has at its free end a thickened portion resting on the supporting member of the headlight.

In a preferred arrangement there is a headlightsupporting frame made of plastics, or a fixing element made of plastics and rigidly connected to a sheet metal supporting frame, and located on said plastics frame or element there are two attachments which are directed towards the indicator light housing, each attachment having a channel in opposed surfaces thereof into which channels co-operating angular projections of the indicator light housing are slid in the manner of a drawer in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle bodywork. For location in said direction, the attachments of the supporting frame or of the fixing element each have a resilient catch projecting towards the rear of the light unit to engage the angular projections of the light housing and act as stops for the indicator light housing when it is bearing resiliently on the supporting frame or the fixing element.This can provide an inexpensive construction.

In a preferred form of the plastics fixing element, it embraces at least some portion or portions of an angled part of the metal supporting frame directed toward the front of the light unit, and, moreoever, on both attachments on the fixing element there is a resilient hook engaging the bent-over edge of the supporting frame. The fixing element can therefore be arranged simply and quickly in a self-locking manner on the supporting frame.

It is also advantageous if the metal supporting frame has on a surface directed toward the rear of the light unit a hole in which a pip or other projection of the fixing element engages. The fixing element and the indicator light housing slid into engagement in said channels of the attachments are thus fixed relative to the headlight.

If a light unit according to the invention is provided with a resilient tongue protruding from the supporting frame of the headlight to bear against the indicator light housing for the location of said housing, it is advantageous if the tongue is formed on the plastics supporting frame or on the fixing element and is directed forwardly in the light unit and to bear resiliently with an initial biasing force on an external surface of the indicator light housing facing the headlight. In a unit of this form, the direction indicator light is urged by the additional force acting on it as far as possible from the headlight glass, utilising the clearance occurring as a result of the production tolerances of the sliding connection.The indicator light is thus fixed in the opening in the vehicle bodywork transversely to the longitudinal direction and it is possible to dispense with an intermediate body (for example rubber seal) for maintaining the spacing between the headlight glass and the indicator light lens.

An embodiment of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a direction indicator lamp for a light unit according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a view of the light unit in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1,the headlight being shown only fragmentarily, Fig. 3 is a view in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a view of the rear of the light unit, the headlight itself not being shown.

The light unit shown in the drawings for a motor vehicle comprises a headlight 1 and a direction indicator light 2 to one side thereof, both lights being located together in a receiving opening in the vehicle body (not shown). The optical block of the headlight 1 consists of an optical glass lens disc 4 adhered to a reflector 3 and adjustably placed in a rectangular supporting frame 5 surrounding the reflector 3. The indicator light comprises a housing 6 produced from plastics and integrally bonded to a plastics lens disc 7. When the light unit is installed, the sheet metal supporting frame 5 of the headlight 1 is fixed to the vehicle body by screws (not shown).

The outer rim of the rectangular supporting frame 5 is flanged at right- angles towards the front in an encircling manner. To the side adjacent the indicator light 2, a fixing element 9 of the indicator light 2 embraces the forwardly directed flange 8 of the supporting frame 5. The fixing element 9 has respective attachments 10 formed on both sides and directed towards the indicator light 2, and on the attachments 10 there are arranged hooks 11 resiliently engaging the angle of the edge of the supporting frame 5.The fixing element 9 can be secured in a self-locking manner on the supporting frame 5 owing to the resilient hooks 11. On their facing sides, the two attachments 10 each have a channel 12 into which two corresponding angular projections 1 3 of the indicator light housing 6 can be slid in the manner of a drawer, longitudinally of the vehicle body. The two attachments 10 on the fixing element 9 also each have a resilient catch 14 directed toward the rear of the light unit which secures the angular projections 1 3 of the indicator light housing 6.

On the indicator light housing 6 there is formed, on a projection 15, a second resilient fixing element 1 6 which comprises resilient arms 1 7 arranged divergently, preferably at an obtuse angle relative to each other, in the manner of wings. The two wings 17 lie in a resiliently flexed state against a surface 1 8 of the supporting frame 5 directed toward the rear of the light unit. In the installed condition, the two resilient wings 1 7 therefore urge the indicator light 2 against the rim of the opening in the vehicle body. Due to having a cross-section which is weakened in the central region, the two wings 1 7 are designed as carriers of equal resistance.Moreover, the two wings 1 7 have on their respective free ends a thickened portion 19 resting on the supporting frame 5 of the headlight 1.

The supporting frame 5 has on the surface 18 directed toward the rear of the light unit a hole 20 in which a pip 21 of the fixing element 9 engages.

The fixing element 9 and the light housing 6 slidable into it in the manner of a drawer are thus fixed opposite the headlight 1.

Between the two attachments 10, a resilient tongue 22 directed toward the front of the light unit is formed on the fixing element 9. This tongue rests with its free end 23 resiliently biased against an external surface of the light housing 6 facing the headlight 1.

To exchange either the headlight or the direction indicator light, once the unit has been released from the bodywork it is necessary only to flex the resilient catches 14 free of the projections 13, when the headlight and indicator light can be slid apart.

Claims

1. A light unit having a headlight and direction indicator light which are arranged to be located in a receiving space with the indicator light to one side of the headlight, the unit comprising a headlight supporting member provided with a first fixing element which connects a housing of the indicator light to the supporting member in a manner permitting relative movement between the indicator light and the headlight substantially in the direction of light emission, and the indicator light is provided with a second resilient fixing element to urge the indicator light against a rim of said receiving space, said second resilient fixing element comprising at least one resilient arm arranged to bear with a biasing force upon a face of the supporting member directed towards the rear of the light unit.

2. A light unit according to claim 1, wherein the indicator light housing and the resilient arm or arms are produced as a unitary plastics member.

3. A light unit according to claim 2, having a plurality of said resilient arms arranged in the manner of wings.

4. A light unit according to claim 3, having two said arms extending from a projection of the indicator light housing.

5. A light unit according to claim 4 wherein said two arms are arranged at an obtuse angle to each other.

6. A light unit according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein said arms are arranged as bearers of equal resistance.

7. A light unit according to any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein the or each said arm has on its free end a thickened portion arranged to bear on said supporting member.

8. A light unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said supporting member carries a plurality of mounting elements directed toward the light housing each providing an opening into which is slidably introduced respective projections of the indicator light housing substantially in the direction of light emission from the headlight, and at least one of said mounting elements has a resilient catch which fixes its associated housing projection to serve as a stop for the resilient biasing force acting between the indicator light housing and said supporting member.

9. A light unit according to claim 8 wherein said supporting member is of plastics and said mounting elements are formed integrally thereon.

10. A light unit according to claim S wherein said mounting elements are formed integrally on said first fixing element, which is made of plastics.

1 A light unit according to claim 10 wherein fixing element engages at least a portion of an angled region of the supporting member directed towards the front of the light unit and at least one of said attachments has a resilient hook-like element engaging the bent-over edge of said angled region.

1 2. A light unit according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the supporting member has a face directed towards the rear of the light unit provided with an opening in which a projection of the first fixing element engages.

13. A light unit according to any one of the preceding claims having a resilient tongue projecting from the supporting member towards the front of the light unit to bear resiliently against an external surface of the indicator light housing facing the headlight.

14. A light unit according to claim 13 together with claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the tongue is of plastics and is an integral part of said supporting member or said first fixing element.

1 5. A motor vehicle light unit having a headlight and a direction indicator light located together in an aperture in the vehicle bodywork with the indicator light to one side of the headlight, the unit comprising a supporting frame on which the headlight is mounted, said frame carrying a first fixing element providing a nonpositive connection with a housing of the indicator light permitting relative movement between the indicator light and the headlight substantially in the direction of light emission, and a second fixing element being provided comprising resilient arms mounted on the indicator light and arranged to bear with a resilient biasing force on a face of the supporting frame directed towards the rear of the light unit to urge the indicator light against the rim of said bodywork aperture.

1 6. A light unit constructed and arranged for use substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 7. A motor vehicle provided with at least one light unit according to any one of the preceding claims.