Optical unit for a vehicle with a glass element defined by a controlled double injection
By setting holes corresponding to the protrusions in the first part of the glass-like component, the collision problem caused by changes in the distance between the glass-like component and the equipment is solved, thus optimizing safety and space utilization.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA
- Filing Date
- 2021-12-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-19
Smart Images
Figure CN116710321B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention claims priority to French Application No. 2100531, filed on January 20, 2021, the contents of which (text, drawings and claims) are incorporated herein by reference. The invention relates to optical units for equipping transportation vehicles. Background Technology
[0002] Some vehicles, typically automobiles, include at least one optical unit comprising a housing with walls defining a front opening covered by a glace. Sometimes, the glace includes a first peripheral portion comprising a first part and a second part formed by bi-injection. More specifically, the first part is formed by injection of a first material (e.g., a transparent crystalline color), and the second part is formed by injection of a second material (e.g., an opaque black color), the second part covering the rear surface of the first part and extending (e.g., downwards) beyond the first part. This second part serves to cover some technical portions of the optical unit for an observer in front of it.
[0003] A bumper trim arrangement in a vehicle with an engine is known from DE102009011898. A bumper guide structure for headlights is known from JP2001189820. A lighting or signaling device with improved positioning is known from FR2813828.
[0004] Typically, the front surface of a first portion of the first peripheral portion of the glass-like component is positioned to face the second peripheral portion of an accessory (e.g., a bumper) of the vehicle. This accessory may expand in the presence of temperature changes and may temporarily move toward the rear of the vehicle upon a minor forward impact. The design may initially maintain a minimum distance between the front surface of the first portion of the first peripheral portion of the glass-like component and its second peripheral portion so that these expansions and / or rearward movement do not cause the accessory to impact the glass-like component, an impact that could damage or even shatter it.
[0005] However, sometimes it occurs in some vehicles that equipment with a second peripheral portion must be installed, which includes N protrusions (where N≥1) pointing towards the front surface portion of the first portion of the first peripheral portion of the glass-like component. This is, for example, when the equipment is a bumper, on which parts (e.g., trim pieces) are clamped, and the protrusions are clamping components. In this case, the distance between the front surface portion of the first portion of the first peripheral portion of the glass-like component and the second peripheral portion becomes strictly less than the minimum distance, thus forcing either the optical unit to be offset rearward or the equipment to be moved forward. The first approach proves impractical when there is no available space behind and / or around the optical unit. The second approach requires an increase in the overhang and length of the vehicle, which is almost undesirable, especially for style and / or power performance considerations.
[0006] The object of the present invention is particularly to overcome the defects described above when the first and second methods cannot be implemented. Summary of the Invention
[0007] The present invention provides, in particular, an optical unit for equipping a vehicle and including a glass-like element comprising a first peripheral portion having a front surface portion, the front surface portion being positioned to face a second peripheral portion of the vehicle's equipment, and the first peripheral portion comprising a first part and a second part, the first part being formed by injecting a first material, the second part being formed by injecting a second material, the second part covering the rear surface of the first part and extending beyond the first part.
[0008] The optical unit is characterized in that, in the case where the second peripheral portion includes N protrusions pointing toward the front surface portion, wherein N≥1, the first portion includes N holes respectively positioned facing the N protrusions, so that the entire front surface portion is normally spaced from the second peripheral portion by at least a predetermined distance.
[0009] Because of these holes, which are defined in the first portion and positioned to face the protrusions of the second peripheral portion respectively, the front surface portion remains positioned at least equal to the predetermined distance from the second peripheral portion, without the equipment expanding and moving rearward.
[0010] The optical unit according to the invention may include other features that can be used alone or in combination, in particular:
[0011] - Each hole can have a shape similar to the cross-section of the corresponding protrusion;
[0012] - Each hole can be through and can correspond to a local defect in the first material;
[0013] - The first material can have a transparent crystalline color, and the second material can have an opaque black color;
[0014] - The first peripheral portion can be located in the lower part of the optical unit;
[0015] - The optical unit can form a headlight.
[0016] The present invention also provides a vehicle, optionally of the type of automobile, the vehicle including equipment including a second peripheral portion including N protrusions, wherein N≥1, the vehicle further including at least one optical unit of the type described above, the optical unit being mounted near the second peripheral portion.
[0017] For example, the equipment could be a bumper, which is optionally mounted in the front of the vehicle. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer upon reading the following detailed description and accompanying drawings (obtained from CAO / DAO (“Computer-Aided Design / Computer-Aided Drafting”), in which:
[0019] - Figure 1 A previous side perspective view schematically illustrates an embodiment of the optical unit according to the invention, which is mounted next to the bumper of a vehicle.
[0020] - Figure 2 The previous view schematically showed Figure 1 The lower part of the glass-like component of the optical unit,
[0021] - Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view taken along a horizontal plane at the locations of the first and second peripheral portions is shown. Figure 1 The optical unit and the associated parts of the bumper,
[0022] - Figure 4 A first sectional view, taken along a longitudinal-vertical plane in the area without holes or protrusions, schematically illustrates the following. Figure 1 The optical unit and the associated parts of the bumper, and
[0023] - Figure 5 A second sectional view, schematically shown along another longitudinal-vertical plane, is taken in the region including the holes and protrusions. Figure 1 The optical unit and the associated parts of the bumper. Detailed Implementation
[0024] The object of the present invention is particularly to provide an optical unit BO for equipping a vehicle and including a glass element G defined by controlled dual injection adapted to an equipment PC having protrusions PR.
[0025] In the following text, by way of non-limiting example, the optical unit BO is considered as part of a vehicle of the automobile type. However, the invention is not limited to this type of vehicle. The invention actually relates to any vehicle (land, sea (or river) or air) that requires at least one optical unit to be included in its perimeter.
[0026] Additionally, in the following text, as a non-limiting example, the optical unit BO is considered to be the headlight (or headlamp) of a vehicle. However, it can also be a front or rear light.
[0027] exist Figure 1 The above schematically illustrates an embodiment of an optical unit BO (here, a headlight) according to the invention, mounted next to the equipment PC of a vehicle. In this example, the equipment PC is a front bumper, but it could also be any equipment mounted adjacent to a portion of the glass element of the optical unit, which might expand in the presence of temperature changes and / or might temporarily move toward the rear of the vehicle in the event of a minor forward impact.
[0028] As shown in the figure, the optical unit BO according to the invention particularly includes a housing BB, which houses an element participating in at least one illumination function and optionally consists of at least two sub-parts, and defines a front opening covered by a glass-like member G from which photons participating in each illumination function are emitted.
[0029] The housing BB defines the front opening, which is covered by a glass-like component G.
[0030] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the glass-like component G includes a first peripheral portion PP1, which includes a first portion P1 and a second portion P2 and has a front surface portion PFV, which is positioned to face the second peripheral portion PP2 located in an adjacent position to the equipment PC.
[0031] In the following and preceding text, "front surface" refers to the surface of an object oriented toward the front of the vehicle, and "rear surface" refers to the surface of an object oriented toward the rear of the vehicle (and therefore opposite to the front surface of the object).
[0032] The first portion P1 of the first peripheral portion PP1 is made by injection of a first material.
[0033] like Figures 3 to 5As better shown, the second part P2 is made by injecting a second material and covers the rear surface FR of the first part P1 and extends beyond the first part P1.
[0034] Note that, Figures 1 to 5 In the non-limiting example shown above, the first peripheral portion PP1 of the glass member G is located in the lower right part of the optical unit BO, which is mounted on the left side in the front of the vehicle. However, the first peripheral portion PP1 of the glass member G may, for example, be located in the upper (right or left) part or the side (right or left) part of an optical unit mounted on the left or right side in the front or rear of the vehicle.
[0035] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As better shown above, the second peripheral portion PP2 of the PC includes N protrusions PR, which point towards the front surface portion PFV of the first peripheral portion PP1 of the glass member G, where N ≥ 1.
[0036] Note that, Figure 1 and Figures 3 to 5 In the example shown above, which is not limited (and at least partially), the protrusions PR are clamping members that enable the trim piece EP to be clamped onto the equipment PC (here, the bumper). However, these protrusions PR also ensure another function within the equipment PC.
[0037] Due to the presence of these N protrusions PR, the first portion P1 (of the first peripheral portion PP1 of the glass-like member G) includes N holes T, which are positioned to face the N protrusions PR respectively. Therefore, the entire front surface portion PFV is normally spaced from the second peripheral portion PP2 by at least a predetermined distance d, such as... Figure 3 As shown above. "Normally" here means without the PC expanding and moving towards the rear.
[0038] In practice, it can be understood that, since these holes T are confined within the first portion P1 of the first peripheral portion PP1 and positioned to face the protrusions PR of the second peripheral portion PP2 respectively, without the equipment PC expanding and moving rearward, the front surface portion PFV of the first peripheral portion PP1 remains positioned at all times with a minimum distance from the rear surface of the second peripheral portion PP2, which is at least equal to a predetermined distance d. At the location of the protrusions (see...) Figure 3 and Figure 5 Due to the presence of the corresponding hole T, at least a predetermined distance d is obtained between the rear end of the protrusion PR and the opposing portion of the second part P2. At the location in the area of the second peripheral part PP2 where the protrusion PR is not located (see...) Figure 3 and Figure 4This ensures that at least a predetermined distance d is obtained between the rear end of the second peripheral portion PP2 and the opposing portion of the first portion P1. Therefore, the risk of the equipment PC impacting or even breaking the glass-like component G is greatly reduced in the event that the equipment PC expands and / or moves slightly rearward after being subjected to a small impact (here, a positive impact).
[0039] Note that each hole T can have a shape similar to the cross-section of the corresponding protrusion PR, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the upper part. But this is not necessary, because what is important is that each hole T allows the rear end of the corresponding protrusion PR to "pass through". In particular, the hole T can be substantially wider than the width of the corresponding protrusion PR and / or substantially higher than the height of the protrusion PR.
[0040] It is also noted that, preferably, each hole T is through-hole and corresponds to a localized absence of the first material, thereby revealing the second material of the second portion P2, as shown below. Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown above in a non-limiting manner. However, this is not mandatory. In practice, at least one hole T may not be through, and in this case, the at least one hole constitutes the region of the first portion P1, which is only thinner than the region without hole T, and does not make the second material of the second portion P2, located behind the at least one hole T, visible.
[0041] Whether the hole T is through or not, it is preferably defined during a first injection of the first material, which is performed before a second injection of the second material onto the rear surface FR of the first portion P1. For this purpose, for example, a mold may be used comprising a matrice and a first punch, the matrice being shared for both consecutive injections, the first punch defining the hole T, particularly during the first injection, in the first portion P1 of the first peripheral portion PP1 of the glass-like member G. The mold can then be opened, the matrice rotated so that it remains positioned facing a second punch (different from the first punch), and a second injection of the second material onto the rear surface FR of the first portion P1, extending beyond the first portion P1, is then performed. The clearance at the junction between the first and second materials is implemented by technical selection.
[0042] It is also noted that the first and second materials can be, for example, polycarbonate (PC) or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), but with different colors.
[0043] It is also noted that the first material can, for example, have a transparent crystalline color, and the second material can, for example, have an opaque black color. However, especially for the first material, other colors can be used as needed and / or according to the illumination function ensured by the optical unit. Thus, for example, the first material could be considered as a transparent red or orange (or amber).
Claims
1. An optical unit (BO) for equipping a transport vehicle and comprising a glass element (G), the glass element comprising a first peripheral portion (PP1) having a front surface portion (PFV), the front surface portion being positioned to face a second peripheral portion (PP2) of an equipment (PC) of the transport vehicle, and the first peripheral portion comprising a first part (P1) and a second part (P2), the first part being formed by injection molding of a first material, the second part being formed by injection molding of a second material, the second part covering a rear surface (FR) of the first part (P1) and extending beyond the first part (P1), characterized in that, In the case where the second peripheral portion (PP2) includes N protrusions (PR) pointing toward the front surface portion (PFV), wherein N≥1, the first portion (P1) includes N holes (T) positioned to face the N protrusions (PR) respectively, such that the entire front surface portion (PFV) is normally spaced from the second peripheral portion (PP2) by at least a predetermined distance; each hole (T) is through and corresponds to a local absence of the first material.
2. The optical unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that Each hole (T) has a shape similar to the cross-section of the corresponding protrusion (PR).
3. The optical unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first material has a transparent crystalline color, and the second material has an opaque black color.
4. The optical unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first peripheral portion (PP1) is located in the lower part of the optical unit (BO).
5. The optical unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The optical unit constitutes the headlight.
6. A transport means, comprising a piece of equipment (PC) comprising a second peripheral portion (PP2) comprising N protrusions (PR) with N > 1, characterized in that, The transport vehicle further includes at least one optical unit (BO) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the optical unit being mounted near the second peripheral portion (PP2).
7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein, The device (PC) mentioned is a bumper.
8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein, The bumper (PC) is mounted in the front.
9. The vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that The means of transport is a car.