Lighting assembly for a motor vehicle lighting device

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting assembly (100) for a lighting device (200) of a motor vehicle, the lighting assembly (100) comprising an objective module (1) having at least one objective (11) mounted in a lens holder (10) and at least two first pins (12), the lighting assembly (100) further comprising a light source module (2) having at least one light source (21) mounted on a heat sink element (20) and at least two first cavities (22), wherein the objective module (1) and the light source module (2) are connected by means of an adhesive joint between the first pins (12) and the first cavities. According to the invention, the lens holder (10) comprises the first pins (12) and / or the heat sink element (20) comprises the first cavities (22).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an illumination assembly for a lighting device of a motor vehicle, the illumination assembly including an objective lens module having at least one objective lens mounted in a lens holder and having at least two first pins extending from the back of the objective lens module; the illumination assembly also includes a light source module having at least one light source mounted on a heat dissipation element and having at least two first cavities accessible from the front of the light source module, wherein the objective lens module and the light source module are connected by an adhesive joint between the first pins and the first cavities. The invention also relates to a corresponding illumination device and a method for assembling and installing the illumination assembly. Background Technology

[0002] A key challenge in assembling and installing lighting components for motor vehicle lighting systems is the precise alignment of the light source and optical components (e.g., objectives) relative to each other and relative to a common support frame. In particular, the position of the cutoff line of light projected onto the road represents a critical performance standard for motor vehicle headlights and is subject to stringent regulations and customer specifications. In the prior art, active alignment of various components joined by adhesive bonding is typically employed to meet these standards. Active alignment means that, during the assembly process, for example, of the objective module and the light source module, the light source is manipulated and the resulting illumination effect is monitored. The target arrangement of the modules is then ultimately defined by the composition of the desired target illumination effect. The modules are typically secured in their target arrangement via adhesive joints—particularly via pin-cavity joints.

[0003] Document DE 102012213841 A1 discloses an illumination assembly comprising a light source module, a main optical module, and segmented fastening units, wherein the fastening units are attached to the light source module and the main optical module by means of threaded joints. The fastening units include pin-shaped fastening devices extending from the light source module and associated cavities attached to the main optical module. During the assembly of the illumination assembly, the cavities are filled with adhesive, and the pins are inserted into the cavities to secure the module in a target arrangement via pin-cavity joints.

[0004] According to the teachings of DE 102012213841 A1, many disadvantages are related to the use of fastening units. The number of parts to be manufactured and assembled (i.e., fasteners and screws and threaded holes for connecting to the corresponding modules) increases. The number of necessary parts constitutes a tolerance chain and determines the weight and size of the module, as well as the time and workload of the assembly process. Furthermore, the need to drill threaded holes in the module for threaded connections to the fastening units is considered a potential source of contamination from dust or debris. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide an alternative embodiment of an illumination assembly for a motor vehicle lighting device, the illumination assembly comprising an objective lens module having at least one objective lens mounted in a lens holder and at least two first pins, the illumination assembly further comprising a light source module having at least one light source mounted on a heat dissipation element and at least two first cavities, wherein the objective lens module and the light source module are connected by means of an adhesive joint between the first pins and the first cavities.

[0006] This objective is achieved by the lighting assembly according to claim 1 and the related assembly method taught in claim 10. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0007] This invention discloses technical teachings on lens holders including a first pin and / or heat dissipation elements including a first cavity.

[0008] The core of this invention lies in integrating fastening devices (i.e., pins and cavities) into the main components of the module. The lens holder and heat dissipation element according to the invention, in addition to serving as a device for supporting the objective lens or dissipating waste heat from the light source, also have the additional function of fastening devices. Due to this functional integration, the lighting assembly of the present invention does not include separate fastening units known in the prior art. Therefore, a significant reduction in the number of components including multiple screws is achieved, resulting in more efficient handling and logistics during assembly, as well as improved performance of the lighting assembly in terms of weight, dimensional tolerances, and vibration characteristics.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lens holder and the first pin are formed as a single component of a uniform material. Similarly, the heat dissipation element and the first cavity are preferably formed as single components of a uniform material. This allows for efficient production of the components and thus facilitates convenient functional integration.

[0010] Advantageously, the first pin extends from the back of the objective lens module, and the first cavity is accessible from the front of the light source module. The front of each module corresponds to its respective light-emitting side, and the back of the objective lens module corresponds to its light-incident side. The back of the objective lens module thus faces the front of the light source module in the illumination assembly. Utilizing the aforementioned arrangement of the pin and cavity, the modules can be assembled by pushing them together along the optical axis, and direct adjustment is feasible.

[0011] According to another preferred embodiment, the lighting assembly of the present invention includes at least a portion of a support frame having at least two second cavities, and a heat dissipation element includes at least two second pins, wherein the light source module and the support frame are connected by an adhesive joint between the second pins and the second cavities. The support frame is used to mount the lighting assembly into a lighting device, wherein in an exemplary embodiment, several lighting assemblies can be attached to a support frame. The adhesive joint between the light source module and the support frame is also established by a pin-cavity type joint, and furthermore, the fastening device (i.e., the second pins and the second cavities) is also a component of the main parts connecting the mating parts. Therefore, the heat dissipation element in this embodiment includes: a first cavity as a fastening device for the connection between the light source module and the objective lens module, and a second pin as a fastening device for connection with the support frame. In particular, the heat dissipation element and the second pin are formed as a single piece of uniform material.

[0012] Advantageously, the lens retainer comprises a thermosetting polymer, and / or the heat dissipation element comprises an aluminum alloy. Thermosetting polymers (e.g., integrally molded composites) exhibit thermomechanical properties suitable for motor vehicle lighting devices, namely high robustness and stiffness as well as a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

[0013] Preferably, the lens holder is manufactured by injection molding, and / or the heat dissipation element is manufactured by die casting. These are established processes and provide appropriate geometric flexibility to form components with integrated pins and cavities.

[0014] The present invention also relates to a lighting device for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one lighting component according to any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for assembling an illumination assembly for a lighting device for a motor vehicle, the illumination assembly comprising: an objective lens module having at least one objective lens mounted in a lens holder, a light source module having at least one light source mounted on a heat dissipation element, and a support frame, wherein the method comprises at least the following steps:

[0016] - Provide at least two first pins for the lens retainer.

[0017] - Provide at least two first cavities and at least two second pins for the heat dissipation element.

[0018] - Provide at least two second cavities for the support frame.

[0019] - Position the objective lens module relative to the light source module.

[0020] - The objective module is connected to the light source module by creating an adhesive joint between the first pin and the first cavity.

[0021] - Relative to the positioning of the light source module in the support frame, and

[0022] - The light source module is connected to the support frame by creating an adhesive joint between the second pin and the second cavity.

[0023] Advantageously, during the positioning of the objective lens module and / or light source module, the light source is operated and the resulting illumination effect is monitored, wherein the target arrangement of the objective lens module and / or light source module is defined by the composition of the target illumination effect. This process corresponds to active alignment known in the prior art. The formation of the joint between the objective lens module and the light source module can be carried out in a first work area, and then the pre-assembled assembly is transferred to a second work area for attachment to a support frame, which typically carries multiple light source modules.

[0024] Preferably, during the positioning of the objective lens module and / or light source module, the objective lens module and / or light source module move along three translation axes and / or rotate about three rotation axes. This six-axis alignment allows for the most precise positioning and convenient setup of the target arrangement. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Additional details, features, and advantages of the present invention are disclosed in the following description of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, preferred embodiments of the connection method and connection components according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the lighting device of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the lighting component 100, which is part of the lighting device 200 of the present invention, is shown. The lighting device 200 is only schematically described as the entity including the lighting component 100, and other components of the lighting device 200 (such as housing, front panel, or other optical technology components) are not included. Figure 1 middle.

[0028] The illumination assembly 100 is shown in a partially exploded view with the objective lens module 1, the light source module 2, and the support frame 3 separated from each other along the optical axis z.

[0029] Objective module 1 includes three lenses 11 mounted in lens holder 10, for example, by laser beam welding or adhesive bonding. Lens holder 10 is shaped like a cylindrical shell surrounding the lenses 11. On the back side of lens holder 10, a first pin 12 extends toward light source module 2. The first pin 12 and the remainder of lens holder 10 form a single piece of homogeneous material, preferably integrally molded from a molding compound.

[0030] The light source module 2 includes a light source 21, in this case an LED mounted on a printed circuit board 24 on a heat sink 20. The heat sink 20 includes a first cavity 22 and a second pin 23, which together form a single component of a homogeneous material, preferably a die-cast part made of aluminum alloy. The first cavity 22 is accessible from the front of the light source module 2 and is aligned to receive the first pin 12, thereby establishing a pin-cavity type adhesive joint between the objective lens module 1 and the light source module 2.

[0031] For assembling the illumination assembly 100, the first cavity is filled with adhesive 4, such as an ultraviolet-curable adhesive. During the positioning of the objective module 1, typically by means of an automanipulator, the first pin 12 is received by the first cavity 22, and an active alignment is applied to find the target arrangement of the two modules 1 and 2 relative to each other. The dimensions of the first pin 12 and the first cavity 22 are selected to allow six-axis alignment of the objective module 1 and the light source module 2, i.e., within a certain range, the objective module 1 can move along three translational axes and / or rotate about three rotational axes. After the adhesive 4 is cured, the objective module 1 and the light source module 2 are joined together in the target arrangement.

[0032] Similarly, an adhesive joint is established between the light source module 2 and the support frame 3 by using a second pin 23 and a second cavity 31 filled with adhesive 4 as fastening devices.

[0033] Apart from Figure 1 In addition to pins 12, pins 23 and cavities 22, cavities 31 shown in the cross-sectional view, the lighting assembly 100 preferably contains other such fastening devices, for example, distributed every 90° around the optical axis z.

[0034] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, which are merely examples and can be modified in various ways within the scope of protection defined by the appended patent claims.

[0035] List of reference numerals

[0036] 100 Lighting Components

[0037] 200 lighting fixtures

[0038] 1. Objective lens module

[0039] 10 Lens retainer

[0040] 11 Lenses

[0041] 12 First Selling

[0042] 2. Light source module

[0043] 20 Heat dissipation components

[0044] 21 Light Source

[0045] 22 First Cavity

[0046] 23 Second Selling

[0047] 24 Printed Circuit Boards

[0048] 3 Supporting Framework

[0049] 31 Second cavity

[0050] 4. Adhesive

[0051] z-axis

Claims

1. An illumination assembly (100) for an illumination device (200) for a motor vehicle, the illumination assembly (100) comprising an objective lens module (1) having at least one lens (11) mounted in a lens holder (10) in the shape of a cylindrical shell and at least two first pins (12), the illumination assembly (100) further comprising a light source module (2) having at least one light source (21) mounted on a heat dissipation element (20) and at least two first cavities (22), wherein the objective lens module (1) and the light source module (2) are connected by means of an adhesive joint between the first pins (12) and the first cavities (22), characterized in that: The lens holder (10) includes the first pin (12) and the heat dissipation element (20) includes the first cavity (22), the first cavity being formed by a blind hole in the heat dissipation element to accommodate adhesive; The lighting assembly (100) includes at least a portion of a support frame (3) having at least two second cavities (31), the second cavities being formed by blind holes in the support frame to accommodate adhesive, and the heat dissipation element (20) includes at least two second pins (23), wherein the light source module (2) and the support frame (3) are connected by an adhesive joint between the second pins (23) and the second cavities (31); The first pin (12) extends from the back of the objective lens module (1), and there are no other components between the back of the objective lens module (1) and the front of the light source module (2), thereby allowing the first pin (12) to be directly inserted into the first cavity (22). The lens holder (10) and the first pin (12) are formed as a single component of a uniform material; The heat dissipation element (20) and the second pin (23) are formed as a single component of uniform material; Each of the at least one objective lens has a translation axis and a rotation axis, and the dimensions of the first pin and the first cavity are selected such that during positioning of the objective lens module and the light source module, the translation axis is aligned with the rotation axis, such that the objective lens module (1) and / or the light source module (2) move along the translation axis and / or rotate about the rotation axis.

2. The lighting assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lens holder (10) comprises a thermosetting polymer, and / or the heat dissipation element (20) comprises an aluminum alloy.

3. The lighting assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The lens holder (10) is manufactured by injection molding, and / or the heat dissipation element (20) is manufactured by die casting.

4. A lighting device (200) for a motor vehicle, the lighting device comprising at least one lighting component (100) according to any one of claims 1-3.

5. A method for assembling a lighting assembly (100) for a lighting device (200) for a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1-3, the method comprising at least the following steps: - Provide at least two first pins (12) for the lens holder (10). - Provide at least two first cavities (22) and at least two second pins (23) for the heat dissipation element (20). - Provide at least two second cavities (31) for the support frame (3). -The objective lens module (1) is positioned relative to the light source module (2) by directly inserting the first pin (12) into the first cavity (22). - The objective lens module (1) is connected to the light source module (2) by creating an adhesive joint between the first pin (12) and the first cavity (22). - Position the light source module (2) relative to the support frame (3), and - The light source module (2) is connected to the support frame (3) by creating an adhesive joint between the second pin (23) and the second cavity (31).

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, During the positioning of the objective lens module (1) and the light source module (2), the light source (21) is operated and the resulting illumination effect is monitored, wherein the target arrangement of the objective lens module (1) and the light source module (2) is defined by the composition of the target illumination effect.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The objective module (1) includes three lenses (11) that move along three translation axes and / or rotate about three rotation axes during positioning of the objective module (1) and / or the light source module (2).

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