A metal bushing for protecting a small light mounting hole

Abstract

This utility model discloses a metal bushing for protecting the mounting hole of a small lamp. The metal bushing (1) has an "I"-shaped structure, including a first end face (2), a second end face (4), and a circumferential surface (3) connecting the two. The metal bushing (1) is embedded into the mounting hole of the lamp housing (6) by injection molding, and the circumferential surface (3) is provided with an anchoring structure to prevent movement and rotation. During installation, the first end face (2) of the metal bushing (1) contacts the fastening screw, and the second end face (4) contacts the vehicle body mounting surface. The high-hardness metal bushing (1) transmits and bears the installation fastening force, preventing the screw from directly squeezing and causing deformation of the plastic lamp housing (6), thereby protecting the weld rib (7) between the lamp housing (6) and the lamp cover (5) from damage and ensuring the sealing performance of the lamp. The second end face of the metal bushing of this invention increases the contact area with the mounting bracket, and has good tolerance for the hole spacing or back weld nut position deviation of the mounting bracket, thus improving the installation reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this utility model belong to the technical field of automotive lighting installation accessories, and more specifically, relate to a metal bushing for protecting the mounting hole of a small lamp. Background Technology

[0002] Automotive parking lights have a high failure rate due to water ingress after installation. Analysis reveals the main reason is that when the lights are screwed onto the vehicle body, the PC (polycarbonate) housing mounting surface is prone to deformation under the pressure of the screws. This deformation can affect and damage the weld ribs between the nearby lens and housing, thus affecting the overall seal of the light fixture and leading to water ingress.

[0003] In the prior art, some solutions involve setting metal bushings at the mounting holes. For example, patent document CN206669550U discloses an anti-detachment bushing, where the bushing is a metal sheet bent into a slit ring with triangular barbs on the outer surface. This primarily addresses the issue of preventing loss during transportation or drops, but its protective function for the lamp is not adequately explained. Another example is patent document CN206958067U, which discloses a metal bushing for mounting and fixing vehicle lights. This bushing is a circular metal sheet with a gap at the joint, providing radial elasticity and improving the reliability of the fastening.

[0004] During lamp installation, the bushing must make contact with the mounting surface of the bracket to effectively protect the lamp. Both of the above solutions use circular metal bushings, resulting in a small contact area between the bushing and the mounting bracket. This places extremely high demands on the manufacturing precision of the mounting dimension chain. If the mounting holes or back-welded nuts on the mounting bracket are not precisely positioned, the mounting bolts may not be able to assemble smoothly, leading to poor tolerance for errors in actual production. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned defects or improvement needs of the existing technology, this utility model provides a metal bushing for protecting the mounting hole of a small light. The I-shaped metal bushing with an end transmits the installation and fastening force to prevent deformation of the plastic lamp shell and ensure the sealing performance of the small light. At the same time, the end can increase the contact area with the mounting bracket, reducing the requirements for installation accuracy.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a metal bushing for protecting the mounting hole of a small light. The metal bushing has an "I"-shaped structure, including a first end face, a second end face, and a circumferential surface connecting the first end face and the second end face. The circumferential surface contacts the mounting hole, and an anchoring structure is provided on the outer periphery to form a mechanical fit with the injection molding material. The first end face contacts the fastening screw, and the second end face contacts the vehicle body mounting surface.

[0007] Furthermore, the anchoring structure includes at least one annular groove surrounding the circumferential surface.

[0008] Furthermore, the anchoring structure also includes asymmetrical serrated knurling between the annular grooves.

[0009] Furthermore, the metal bushing is made of copper, aluminum alloy, or low-carbon steel.

[0010] Furthermore, the metal bushing has a gradually increasing hardness structure, with the first end face made of high-carbon steel and the circumferential and second end faces made of carbon steel.

[0011] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the first end face is 4.6 mm, and the outer diameter is 9 mm.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the second end face is 4.6 mm, and the outer diameter is 7.4 mm.

[0013] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the circumferential surface is 4.6 mm.

[0014] Furthermore, the outer edge of the second end face extends downward to form a guide skirt, and the guide skirt has several evenly distributed notches in its circumferential direction.

[0015] In summary, compared with the prior art, the above-described technical solution conceived by this utility model can achieve the following beneficial effects: (1) The metal bushing of the protective mounting hole of the small lamp of this utility model adopts a high hardness and non-deformable "I" shaped metal bushing to transmit the installation fastening force. The first end face contacts the screw, avoiding the screw head directly squeezing the soft PC lamp shell, preventing the lamp shell around the mounting hole from deforming, thereby avoiding damage to the welding rib between the lamp cover and the lamp shell, protecting the adjacent welding rib from damage, ensuring the sealing performance of the small lamp, and reducing the failure rate of the small lamp water ingress;

[0016] (2) The second end face of the "I"-shaped structure of the metal bushing of the protective small lamp mounting hole of this utility model provides a larger contact area than the ordinary annular bushing, and the end extends a flexible guide skirt with several evenly distributed notches in the circumferential direction, so that when there is a small deviation (within 0.2mm) in the hole spacing of the vehicle mounting bracket or the position of the back welded nut, the bushing can still reliably contact the mounting surface and play a role, and the guide skirt guides the screw head to smoothly enter the nut, ensuring the smooth installation of the lamp, reducing the manufacturing precision requirements of the entire dimension chain, and improving production efficiency and installation efficiency;

[0017] (3) The metal bushing of the protective lamp mounting hole of this utility model is directly embedded in the lamp housing during the injection molding process. It forms a firm mechanical fit with the plastic lamp housing through the anchoring structure of the circumferential surface, preventing the bushing from moving axially and rotating circumferentially. After injection molding, the first end face and the second end face are respectively covered by the plastic solidified on both sides of the lamp housing wall, forming an efficient axial bidirectional locking mechanism. The first end face and the second end face of the 'I' shaped metal bushing restrict the movement of the lamp housing, improving the stability of the lamp after installation.

[0018] (4) The second end face of the "I"-shaped structure of the metal bushing of the protective light mounting hole of this utility model has a large effective contact area with the mounting bracket, and the force is more uniform, which improves the stability of the light after installation and further ensures the performance of the light. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a metal bushing for protecting the mounting hole of a small lamp, according to an embodiment of the present utility model. Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the overall structure of the small lamp with metal bushing according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an embodiment of the present utility model. Figure 2 A top-view perspective of a metal bushing inserted into a mounting hole without a screw installed. Figure 4 This is an embodiment of the present utility model. Figure 2 A top view of the metal bushing when it is embedded in the mounting hole without a screw installed.

[0020] In all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same technical features, specifically: 1-metal bushing, 2-first end face, 3-circumferential surface, 4-second end face, 5-lampshade, 6-lamp housing, 7-welding rib. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), then the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of the components in a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0022] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first," "second," etc., such descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. In this utility model, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0023] like Figure 2-4 The diagram shows a small lamp with a metal bushing installed. It includes a lampshade 5, a lamp housing 6, and other internal accessories. The lampshade 5 and the lamp housing 6 are welded together by ultrasonic welding and other methods to form a weld rib 7, thus forming a sealed whole.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this utility model provides a metal bushing 1 for protecting the mounting hole of a small lamp. It is an integrally formed "I"-shaped structure, injection molded and embedded into the mounting hole of the small lamp housing 6. The metal bushing 1 includes a first end face 2, a second end face 4, and a circumferential surface 3 connecting the first end face 2 and the second end face 4. The metal bushing 1 is embedded in the small lamp mounting hole, with the first end face 2 in contact with the screw and the second end face 4 in contact with the vehicle body mounting surface. This prevents deformation of the plastic lamp housing 6 when the screw is tightened, thereby avoiding damage to the weld ribs at the mating surface between the PC lamp housing 6 mounting hole and the PC lamp cover 5 near the mounting hole, which would affect the sealing performance of the small lamp.

[0025] The metal bushing 1 is preferably made of copper, which has good strength and hardness, is corrosion resistant, and can effectively withstand the huge compressive and shear forces generated during screw tightening, while also being resistant to rust. In other embodiments, high-strength, high-hardness metal materials such as low-carbon steel and aluminum alloys can also be used.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the mounting bracket on the vehicle body mounting surface has a 5mm mounting hole and is fixed with an M4 standard screw. The inner diameter of the first end face 2 of the metal bushing 1 is 4.6mm to accommodate the M4 standard screw, and the outer diameter is 9mm. The inner diameter of the second end face 4 is also 4.6mm, and the outer diameter is 7.4mm. The inner diameter of the circumferential surface 3 is also 4.6mm. The outer surface of the circumferential surface 3 is provided with an anchoring structure for filling the injection molding material, ensuring that the metal bushing 1 does not undergo axial movement or circumferential rotation in the lamp housing 6. After injection molding, the first end face 2 and the second end face 4 are respectively covered by plastic solidified on both sides of the lamp housing wall, forming an efficient axial bidirectional locking mechanism, which restricts the movement of the lamp housing 6 through the first end face 2 and the second end face 4 of the I-shaped metal bushing 1. In this embodiment, the effective contact area between the I-shaped metal bushing 1 and the mounting bracket is relatively large. When there is a deviation of 0.2mm in the bracket mounting hole distance (or back weld nut position), the second end face 4 can still contact the mounting surface, and the bushing can still serve as the lamp housing mounting surface, without affecting the installation of the lamp.

[0027] When installing the headlight assembly, the metal bushing 1 is pre-embedded directly during the injection molding process of the lamp housing 6, forming a firm mechanical fit with the plastic lamp housing 6 through the anchoring structure of the circumferential surface 3. An M4 screw is passed through the inner hole of the metal bushing 1 and screwed into the back-welded nut on the vehicle mounting bracket. During the tightening process, the tightening force of the screw is borne by the first end face 2 of the bushing and transmitted through the metal bushing body to its second end face 4, ultimately acting on the surface of the vehicle mounting bracket. Throughout the stress process, the flexible PC lamp housing 6 does not directly bear the concentrated compressive stress of the screw head; instead, the metal bushing 1 bears almost all of the compressive stress. The metal bushing 1 is much harder than the PC lamp housing 6, thus protecting the surrounding PC lamp housing 6 from plastic deformation, ensuring that the welded rib 7 area is not damaged, thereby protecting the lamp's seal and preventing water ingress malfunctions in the small lamps. Meanwhile, because the second end face 4 has a large outer diameter, even if there is a slight deviation in the hole position of the vehicle body mounting bracket, the second end face 4 can still effectively cover and contact the mounting surface, and can still serve as the lamp housing mounting surface, ensuring the reliability of the protection.

[0028] In another embodiment of this utility model, the metal bushing 1 adopts a gradual hardness design. The first end face 2 that contacts the screw is made of a high-hardness material such as high-carbon steel, while the circumferential surface 3 and the second end face 4 that contact the plastic lamp housing 6 are made of a slightly lower hardness material such as low-carbon steel or aluminum alloy, so as to better disperse stress and reduce local stress concentration on the plastic.

[0029] In another embodiment of this utility model, the first end face 2 and the second end face 3 of the metal bushing 1 are slightly convex spherical crown-shaped curved surfaces, not simple planes. When in contact with the screw head or the vehicle body mounting surface, they can change from line contact or small-area contact to adaptive surface contact, significantly reducing local pressure and improving the stability and durability of the connection. The circumferential surface 3 is provided with a multi-dimensional anchoring system, including several deep annular grooves around the circumferential surface 3, and asymmetrical serrated knurling in the area between the annular grooves. The annular grooves provide the main skeleton anchoring points for the injection-molded plastic, forming a strong axial tensile strength; the serrated knurling enables the circumferential surface 3 to provide maximum resistance when subjected to the circumferential force generated by screw tightening, thereby achieving a unidirectionally enhanced super anti-rotation capability.

[0030] On the outer edge of the second end face 4, a flexible guide skirt with several evenly distributed notches in the circumferential direction extends downward. During the installation process, if there is a slight eccentricity between the screw and the vehicle frame nut, the guide skirt can undergo elastic deformation when it contacts the mounting hole of the vehicle body, guiding the screw head smoothly into the nut and achieving floating centering. This transforms the traditional rigid positioning into flexible guidance, greatly reducing the installation difficulty.

[0031] This invention solves the problems of sealing damage and precision tolerance in vehicle lamp installation by using a simple and low-cost "I"-shaped metal bushing, thereby improving installation efficiency and extending the service life of the small lamp.

[0032] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A metal bushing for protecting the mounting hole of a small light, characterized in that, The metal bushing (1) has an "I" shaped structure, including a first end face (2), a second end face (4), and a circumferential surface (3) connecting the first end face (2) and the second end face (4); the metal bushing (1) is used to be embedded in the mounting hole of the lamp housing (6), the circumferential surface (3) is in contact with the mounting hole, and an anchoring structure is provided on the outer periphery to form a mechanical fit with the injection molding material; the first end face (2) is in contact with the fastening screw, and the second end face (4) is in contact with the vehicle body mounting surface.

2. The metal bushing for protecting the mounting hole of a small light according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anchoring structure includes at least one annular groove surrounding the circumferential surface (3).

3. The metal bushing for protecting the mounting hole of a small light according to claim 2, characterized in that, The anchoring structure also includes asymmetrical serrated knurling between the annular grooves.

4. A metal bushing for protecting a small lamp mounting hole according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The metal bushing (1) is made of copper, aluminum alloy or low carbon steel.

5. A metal bushing for protecting a small lamp mounting hole according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The metal bushing (1) has a gradually changing hardness structure. The first end face (2) is made of high carbon steel, and the circumferential surface (3) and the second end face (4) are made of low carbon steel.

6. A metal bushing for protecting a small lamp mounting hole according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the first end face (2) is 4.6 mm, and the outer diameter is 9 mm.

7. A metal bushing for protecting a small lamp mounting hole according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the second end face (4) is 4.6 mm, and the outer diameter is 7.4 mm.

8. A metal bushing for protecting a small lamp mounting hole according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the circumferential surface (3) is 4.6 mm.

9. A metal bushing for protecting a small lamp mounting hole according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The outer edge of the second end face (4) extends downward to form a guide skirt, and the guide skirt has several evenly distributed notches in the circumferential direction.

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