Logo light module, exterior rearview assembly, and motor vehicle

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a logo light module, an exterior rearview assembly, and a motor vehicle. The disclosure relates to a logo light module (1) for an exterior rearview assembly (400) of a motor vehicle (500), comprising a stack of projection optical lenses (3) disposed within a stack holding portion (112) of a housing (10) enclosed by a printed circuit board (12), wherein the projection optical lens stack (3) includes a logo plate or image substrate (18) between at least one first lens (16) and at least one second lens (20), wherein the at least one first lens (16) is disposed between the printed circuit board (12) and the logo plate or image substrate (18), and the at least one second lens (20) is disposed between the logo plate or image substrate (18) and a light emitting portion (110) of the housing (10). Furthermore, this disclosure also relates to an exterior rearview assembly having such a logo light module and a motor vehicle having such an exterior rearview assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a logo light module for an exterior rearview assembly of a motor vehicle, an exterior rearview assembly having such a logo light module, and a motor vehicle having such an exterior rearview assembly. Background Technology

[0002] External rearview assembly for motor vehicles includes at least one reflective element (such as a mirror) and / or a camera in conjunction with a display, wherein the display is disposed within the external rearview assembly attached to one side of the motor vehicle or disposed within the motor vehicle. Conventional side mirrors and camera pods are examples of external rearview assemblies.

[0003] Rearview modules for motor vehicles provide a view of the area behind the vehicle that complies with at least legal requirements, and belong to the subgroup of modules for indirect views. Different functions and devices can be built into the rearview module and / or controlled with the assistance of the rearview module. Light modules can be integrated into the rearview module.

[0004] US 2019 / 111847 A1 discloses an logo light module comprising a housing having a top, bottom, left, right, front, and rear portion; a top cover or preferably a sealant covering the top of the housing; one or more clips integrally formed with or attached to the housing; a connector receiving portion including an opening formed in the rear portion of the housing; a printed circuit board completely enclosed within the housing; a light source connected to the printed circuit board and enclosed within the housing; and an optical assembly including at least one optical element for receiving light projected by the light source.

[0005] US 2020 / 0114825 A1 describes a logo light module comprising at least three optical components, in the form of a first lens, a logo plate or image substrate, and a second lens, all housed within a housing having a light-emitting portion. The first lens is mounted on a printed circuit board, and a light source is disposed between the first lens and the printed circuit board. The first lens supports the logo plate and the second lens, wherein the second lens includes a protruding surface that engages with the light-emitting portion of the housing. Thus, the three known optical components are arranged in a stacked configuration.

[0006] When designing logo light lens stacks, it is typically a stack of lenses placed on top of each other. When assembling them manually, friction fits can be used to prevent clicking between the lenses and the image substrate when the logo light module is exposed to shock or vibration. In the case of automated assembly, it is preferable to leave gaps between all stacked components to avoid jamming and allow for the fastest possible assembly time. Furthermore, if friction fits are not feasible, additional components, such as caps, screws, or soldering processes, are usually required to hold the lens stack and printed circuit board to the housing. This is due to two main factors: a) when multiple economically molded plastic lenses are stacked, their dimensional variations are significant; b) the stacked individual lens components are rigid. These factors prevent simple snap-fit ​​fitting of parts into the housing because the dimensional variations can cause clicking or impose significant strain on the printed circuit board. The amount of possible residual force is also limited by the dimensional variations. For logo light image substrates, if they are made of glass, friction fits are particularly difficult due to their brittleness—especially when the glass shape is simplified to a quadrilateral to minimize cost. If the lens stack is self-holding, where the lenses snap together, this is not suitable for high-speed automated assembly because the orientation of each lens is more restricted and top-down monolithic assembly is less likely. Clamping features cannot be used when the package space is unavailable for clamping features used to hold the image substrate in place, or when cycle time constraints do not allow for additional clamping processes. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to further develop known logo light modules for external rearview components of motor vehicles to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, the purpose of this disclosure is to eliminate the movement and clicking noise of the logo plate or image substrate in known logo light modules.

[0008] The goal is achieved by the logo light module including a flow path provided by a hole through the printed circuit board and a funnel added to at least one first lens, such that resin or adhesive coated on the outer surface of the printed circuit board comes into contact with the logo sheet or image substrate facing the at least one first lens, thereby fixing the logo sheet or image substrate inside the housing while sealing the connection between the printed circuit board and the housing.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the housing includes a first attachment means for attaching to an external rearview assembly, a second attachment means for attaching to a printed circuit board, and a third attachment means for attaching a stack of projection optical lenses.

[0010] The third attachment device may include a first third attachment device for attaching a logo plate or image substrate and / or the at least one second lens and / or a second third attachment device for attaching the at least one second lens, wherein the first third attachment device is preferably provided by a stack holding portion, and wherein the second third attachment device is preferably provided by a light emitting portion.

[0011] Furthermore, the light emitting portion may include a disc-shaped lens portion and a rod portion extending from the disc-shaped lens portion, wherein the rod portion is constituted by a second and a third attachment device.

[0012] It is also proposed that the printed circuit board includes a power connector and electronic circuitry, and / or the at least one light source is mounted on the printed circuit board, and / or the at least one first lens is mounted on the printed circuit board, preferably surrounding the light source.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the at least one first lens is coupled to a logo plate or image substrate, and / or the at least one first lens includes a focusing lens.

[0014] According to another embodiment, the at least one second lens engages with the housing, specifically the light emitting portion and / or the stack holding portion, and / or the at least one second lens includes a projection lens.

[0015] The hole is arranged in the edge portion of the printed circuit board, and the funnel is arranged in the edge portion of the at least one first lens, wherein the hole and the funnel are aligned with each other and / or arranged in the joint area of ​​the printed circuit board and the at least one first lens.

[0016] The flow path may be offset relative to the light-emitting portion, specifically the disk-shaped lens portion, and / or the dimensions of the flow path are designed to draw the resin or adhesive to contact the logo sheet or image substrate via gravity and capillary action. Further, embodiments propose selecting resins or adhesives to include polyurethane resins and / or those with thixotropic properties.

[0017] This disclosure also provides an external rearview assembly for a motor vehicle having an emblem light module according to this disclosure, and a motor vehicle including said external rearview assembly.

[0018] Therefore, this disclosure teaches the use of resin or adhesive to seal the logo light module and secure the image substrate in place. To achieve this without introducing additional assembly processes or cycle time, a defined flow path is provided for the resin or adhesive to ensure it can pass through the printed circuit board and the first lens, allowing it to contact the image substrate. This defined flow path is necessary because common logo light modules do not allow resin or adhesive to flow around and / or through the printed circuit board to seal the light, and the image substrate is disposed beneath the printed circuit board and held between lenses in a stack of optical components. According to this disclosure, this defined flow path is achieved by adding holes in the printed circuit board and funnels in the first lens, ensuring that the encapsulant can contact the image substrate without completely filling the housing of the logo light module. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above-described invention and the following detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For illustrative purposes, certain examples of this disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements and means of the invention shown. Modular implementations consistent with this disclosure are illustrated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are included in and form part of this specification, and are used together with the detailed description to explain the advantages and principles consistent with this disclosure, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a disassembled logo light module according to an embodiment;

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Cross-sectional view; and

[0022] Figure 3 This is an explanation of the reason. Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the logo light module projecting a negative or positive image.

[0023] In the following description, the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts in the drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following detailed description is provided to help readers gain a comprehensive understanding of the modules and components described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalent variations will be suggested to those skilled in the art. Similarly, well-known functions and constructs will be omitted for clarity and brevity.

[0025] It should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for the purpose of describing this disclosure and should not be construed as limiting. For example, the use of singular terms, such as "a," is not intended to limit the number of objects. Similarly, the use of relational terms, such as, but not limited to, "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "high," "low," "below," "upper," and "side," for clarity, is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure or the appended claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that any feature may be used alone or in combination with other features. Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included in this description, within the scope of this disclosure, and protected by the appended claims.

[0026] This disclosure relates to a logo light module for an exterior rearview assembly of a motor vehicle, an exterior rearview assembly having such a logo light module, and a motor vehicle having such an exterior rearview assembly. The logo light module includes a stack of projection optical lenses disposed within a stack holding portion of a housing enclosed by a printed circuit board. The projection optical lens stack includes a logo plate or image substrate located between at least one first lens and at least one second lens. The at least one first lens is disposed between the printed circuit board and the logo plate or image substrate, and the at least one second lens is disposed between the logo plate or image substrate and a light emitting portion of the housing.

[0027] Now for reference Figure 1 The image shows a logo light module 1 for an exterior rearview assembly of a motor vehicle according to the present disclosure. The logo light module 1 includes a stack of projection optical lenses 3 disposed within a stack holding portion 112 of a housing 10, the housing 10 being topped by a printed circuit board 12. The stack of projection optical lenses 3 includes a condenser lens 16, an image substrate 18, and a projection lens 20 arranged from top to bottom between the printed circuit board 12 and the light emitting portion 110.

[0028] Figure 2 The assembled logo light module 1 is shown in cross-section. Accordingly, a light source 14 is provided on the bottom surface of a printed circuit board 12, and a condenser lens 16 is mounted on the printed circuit board 12, wherein the light source 14 is arranged between the condenser lens 16 and the printed circuit board 12. The condenser lens 16 supports an image substrate 18 and a projection lens 20, wherein the projection lens 18 includes a protruding surface of a light emitting portion 110 of a housing 10.

[0029] To allow the projection optical lens stack 3 and the printed circuit board 12 to adhere in place when the logo light image substrate 12 is assembled into the housing 10 of the logo light module 1, resin 200 is applied to the top surface of the printed circuit board 12. Since the housing 10 extends over the printed circuit board 12, the resin is held on the printed circuit board 12.

[0030] Furthermore, a resin flow path 201 is provided so that the resin 200 can flow through the printed circuit board 12 and the focusing lens 16 to allow the resin 200 to contact the image substrate 18. For this purpose, holes 202 are provided in the printed circuit board 12, and a funnel 204 is added to the projection lens 20. Thus, when the resin 200 used to seal the logo light module 1 cures, the resin 200 also fixes the image substrate 18.

[0031] In summary, the resin 200 extending from the top surface of the printed circuit board 12 to the top surface of the image substrate 18 seals and secures the stack 3 within the housing 12. This allows for greater versatility in the components and enables the creation of appropriate gaps for automated assembly without the risk of clicking.

[0032] For example, resin 200 may have thixotropic properties and may comprise polyurethane resin. It can be drawn through holes 202 and funnel 204 via gravity and capillary action to reach image substrate 18, i.e., as... Figure 2 The same contact is made with the upper surface of the image substrate 18 as shown.

[0033] Furthermore, the hole 202 within the printed circuit board 12 can have a height of 1 to 2 millimeters (e.g., approximately 1.6 millimeters), and the funnel 204 provided by the condenser lens 16 can have a height of 4 to 7 millimeters (e.g., approximately 5.3 millimeters). The cross-section of the hole 202 can be approximately rectangular with rounded edges, specifically, with a length between 3 and 5 millimeters (e.g., approximately 4 millimeters) and a width between 2 and 3 millimeters (e.g., approximately 2.8 millimeters). The radius of the edges can be in the range of 1 millimeter. The funnel 204 matches the geometry of the hole 202 at its upper edge and can narrow towards its lower edge, for example, at an angle of approximately 20° in the length direction and 10° in the width direction. The specific geometry depends on the selected resin 200.

[0034] Figure 3 These are schematic diagrams illustrating the negative image 300 and positive image 310 projected by the emblem light module 1, which is installed on the exterior rearview assembly 400 of the motor vehicle 500. The negative image 300 shown on the left enhances the impact of the image, while the positive image 310 shown on the right more effectively functions as a courtesy light. It should be understood that the emblem light module 1 can generate either a negative or positive image based on user settings and / or the image substrate 18 used.

[0035] Those skilled in the art will understand that this disclosure is not limited to its use in the one or more specific applications or applications described herein. This disclosure is also not limited to its preferred embodiments regarding the specific elements and / or features described or depicted herein. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the one or more embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the scope set forth and defined by the following claims.

[0036] Reference Marker

[0037] 1: Logo Light Module

[0038] 3: Stacking of projection optical lenses

[0039] 10: Shell

[0040] 12: Printed Circuit Board

[0041] 14: Light source

[0042] 16: Focusing lens

[0043] 18: Image substrate

[0044] 20: Projection lens

[0045] 110: Light emission section

[0046] 112: Stacking retention section

[0047] 200: Resin

[0048] 201: Resin Flow Path

[0049] 202: Holes for resin

[0050] 204: Funnels for resin

[0051] 300: Negative Image

[0052] 310: Just like

[0053] 400: External rearview mirror assembly

[0054] 500: Motor vehicles

Claims

1. A logo light module for an external rearview assembly of a motor vehicle, comprising: The projection optical lens stack is housed within a stack holding portion of a housing enclosed by a printed circuit board. The projection optical lens stack includes a logo plate or image substrate between at least one first lens and at least one second lens. The at least one first lens is disposed between the printed circuit board and the logo plate or image substrate, and the at least one second lens is disposed between the logo plate or image substrate and the light-emitting portion of the housing. At least one light source is mounted on the printed circuit board, and at least one first lens is mounted on the printed circuit board, surrounding the light source. The flow path is defined by a hole through the printed circuit board and a funnel in the at least one first lens, wherein the hole and the funnel are aligned with each other such that the resin or adhesive coated on the outer surface of the printed circuit board contacts the logo plate or image substrate facing the surface of the at least one first lens, thereby securing the logo plate or image substrate within the housing while sealing the connection between the printed circuit board and the housing. The hole and the funnel are arranged in the junction area of ​​the printed circuit board and the at least one first lens.

2. The logo light module as described in claim 1, wherein, The housing includes: The first attachment device is used for attachment to the external rearview assembly. A second attachment device is used to attach a printed circuit board, and The third attachment device is used to attach the projection optical lens stack.

3. The logo light module according to claim 2, wherein, The third attachment device includes: First and third attachment devices are used to attach the logo plate or image substrate and / or the at least one second lens, and / or Second and third attachment devices are used to engage the at least one second lens.

4. The logo light module according to claim 3, wherein, The first and third attachment devices are provided by the stack holding portion, and / or The second and third attachment devices are provided by the light emitting section.

5. The logo light module according to claim 1, wherein, The light emitting section includes: The disc-shaped lens section, and The rod portion extends from the disc-shaped lens portion.

6. The logo light module according to claim 5, wherein the rod portion is constituted by a second and a third attachment device.

7. The logo light module according to claim 1, wherein, The printed circuit board includes a power connector and electronic circuitry.

8. The logo light module according to claim 1, wherein The at least one first lens is engaged with the logo plate or image substrate, and / or The at least one first lens includes a focusing lens.

9. The logo light module according to claim 1, wherein The at least one second lens engages the light-emitting portion and / or the stacking holding portion, and / or The at least one second lens includes a projection lens.

10. The logo light module according to claim 1, wherein The hole is arranged in the edge portion of the printed circuit board, and The funnel is arranged in the edge portion of the at least one first lens.

11. The logo light module according to claim 1, wherein The flow path is offset relative to the light emission portion, and / or The dimensions of the flow path are designed to draw the resin or adhesive into contact with the logo sheet or image substrate via gravity and capillary action.

12. The logo light module according to claim 1, wherein The resin or adhesive includes polyurethane resin and / or has thixotropic properties.

13. An external rearview assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising the logo light module according to claim 1.

14. A motor vehicle comprising the external rearview assembly according to claim 13.

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