Headlight arrangement for a motor vehicle

Abstract

Headlight arrangement for a motor vehicle (2) with a housing (3) in which at least one first headlight (6) for all headlight functions such as dipped beam, high beam, etc., light shaping elements (10, 12, 14, 18, 20, 22), such as diaphragm means and reflector means, which ensure a desired shape of the at least one light beam, and a cover plate (16) are arranged, characterized in that in the case of a cover plate (16) with an angle of inclination which deviates significantly from 0°, a textile diaphragm means (22) consisting of a textile is fixed in the area directed towards the vehicle floor in order to ensure absorption of the light reflected by the cover plate (16).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a headlight arrangement for a motor vehicle with a housing in which at least a first headlight for all headlight functions such as low beam, high beam, etc., light shaping elements such as diaphragm means and reflector means which ensure a desired shape of the at least one light beam, and a cover lens are arranged.

[0002] Such headlight assemblies are well known in the art. DE 197 30 413 A1 should be mentioned in this context merely as an example. The cover lens of the headlight assembly shown here runs essentially perpendicular to the horizontal of the motor vehicle, i.e., it has a very slight angle of inclination. The covers provided in such a headlight assembly serve only the purpose of limiting the light emitted directly by a headlight in such a way that oncoming vehicles are not dazzled. Like the inner surface of the housing, the covers are also made of plastic and can have an absorbent color or textures to prevent glare.

[0003] In this context, it should also be noted that movable or shiftable diaphragm means are known from the prior art (see US Pat. No. 1,769,781 A and DE 14 81 590 U). These diaphragms are made of a textile in order to reduce glare or to significantly limit the light emitted directly by the light source. However, increasingly streamlined vehicles now also require the cover lens to have an angle of inclination. This can lead to reflections on the cover lens, which in turn create scattered light in the lower area of the housing. While this does not dazzle oncoming traffic, it can significantly impair the vision of the vehicle's driver. In particular, this scattered light impairs the use of vehicle assistance systems projected onto the vehicle's windshield.

[0004] From the document DE 100 03 598 A1 a headlight is known with a housing, at least one light source in the housing and a lens which closes the housing.

[0005] The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a headlight arrangement which avoids the disadvantage described above in the most cost-effective and simple manner possible.

[0006] This task is solved by fixing a textile screen element made of textile in the area directed towards the vehicle floor in the case of a cover lens with an angle of inclination that deviates significantly from 0° in order to ensure absorption of the light reflected by the cover lens. The typical, open textile structure of the textile ensures almost 100% absorption of the light reflected by the cover lens towards the vehicle floor. This prevents the annoying scattered light that causes the driver to be blinded. Furthermore, the textile screen element is particularly easy to install in the headlight assembly and is not subject to any restrictions with regard to design or shape. It is also possible to reduce the weight of the headlight assembly and thus of the entire vehicle.

[0007] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, a second headlight for the high beam is arranged below the first headlight. However, it should be clear that this can also be arranged laterally or offset, for example. If the cover lens is tilted at a particularly large angle, this second headlight can also reflect light toward the vehicle floor. By simply adapting the textile surface of the textile visor, the scattered light caused by the second headlight can also be easily and cost-effectively prevented.

[0008] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the headlight assembly according to the invention provides that the textile visor has tensioning elements, such as wires, rod elements, etc. These tensioning elements can, on the one hand, ensure the fixation of the first visor in the housing of the headlight assembly and, on the other hand, provide complex structures in the first visor to further increase the absorption coefficient. Advantageously, in addition to or independently of these tensioning elements, the textile visor is fixed in the housing in a force-fitting or form-fitting manner, for example by overmolding or by hot-pressing plastic needles. Furthermore, it is also possible to fix the textile visor in the housing by means of fastening elements, such as tab elements, whereby complex structures of the visor can also be created.

[0009] Furthermore, the first panel element can be advantageously finished, such as printed or colored. This further increases the design freedom for a customized vehicle tailored to the driver's or vehicle manufacturer's wishes.

[0010] The headlight arrangement can also advantageously be designed such that at least one headlight has a headlight range adjustment.

[0011] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Herein: Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a motor vehicle with a headlight arrangement according to the invention, Fig. 2 a perspective view of the headlight assembly according to the invention from Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a first connection possibility of the textile panel means in the housing, and Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b a schematic representation of a second connection possibility of the textile panel means in the housing.

[0012] Fig. 1 shows a motor vehicle 2 with a headlight assembly 4 according to the invention. In the present case, the headlight assembly 4 has a first headlight 6 for low beam and a second headlight 8 for high beam. Due to the streamlined design of the motor vehicle 2 and the headlight assembly 4 fitted into this linear shape, a cover lens 16 of the headlight assembly 4 (see Fig. 2) has an inclination angle of approximately 45°. The inclination angle is defined here as the angle that the cover lens 16 forms with the vehicle's vertical line.

[0013] Fig. 2 shows the headlight arrangement 4 from Fig. 1 in a perspective view in detail. The headlight assembly 4 has a housing 3 in which the first headlight 6 for low beam and the second headlight 8 for high beam are arranged. Furthermore, aperture means 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 22 are provided for the two headlights 6, 8. The second headlight 8 has a reflector 20, which acts in a known manner on the light bundling of the second headlight 8. According to the invention, a textile aperture means 22 consisting of a textile is provided in the area facing the vehicle floor. The surface of the textile aperture means 22 facing the interior of the headlight assembly 4 is concave. Furthermore, a textile structure is indicated by thin lines, which is caused by concealed clamping elements. The clamping elements also ensure the fixation of the textile aperture means 22 in the housing 3.The textile structure also further increases the textile's absorption factor. As shown here as an example, a light beam leaves the first headlight 6 in the form of a solid arrow, with a portion of this light beam being reflected by the cover lens 16 in the direction of the vehicle floor. If the absorption factor of the textile cover means 22 is insufficient, as is the case with plastic covers, for example, light beams, shown here as an example by a black arrow, are reflected as scattered light in the direction of the cover lens 16 of the headlight arrangement 4, which can lead to the driver being blinded and the associated negative effects. Precisely this scattered light, shown here by the black arrow, is prevented by the headlight arrangement 4 according to the invention.

[0014] The textile panel means 22 consisting of a textile can be printed in a particularly simple manner and can thus contribute to the individualization of the motor vehicle.

[0015] The Fig. 3 and Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b also show purely schematically how the textile cover means 22 can be fixed in the plastic housing 3 in addition to or independently of the clamping elements. Fig. 3 shows an embodiment in which the textile cover means is overmolded by the plastic of the housing 3.

[0016] The Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b disclose the possibility of hot pressing the textile blending means 22 with the housing 3 by means of needles 24, wherein in Fig. 4b the needles 24 are shown as compressed needles 26.

Claims

[1] Headlight arrangement for a motor vehicle (2) with a housing (3) in which at least one first headlight (6) for all headlight functions such as dipped beam, high beam, etc., light shaping elements (10, 12, 14, 18, 20, 22), such as diaphragm means and reflector means, which ensure a desired shape of the at least one light beam, and a cover lens (16) are arranged, characterized by in that, in the case of a cover lens (16) with an angle of inclination which deviates significantly from 0°, a textile diaphragm means (22) consisting of a textile is fixed in the area directed towards the vehicle floor in order to ensure absorption of the light reflected by the cover lens (16). [2] Headlight arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that a second headlight (8) for high beam is arranged below the first headlight (6). [3] Headlight arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized bythat the textile diaphragm means (22) is fixed in the housing (3) in a force-fitting or form-fitting manner, for example by overmolding or by hot-pressing plastic needles (24). [4] Headlight arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the textile cover means (22) is fixed in the housing by means of fastening elements, such as tab elements. [5] Headlight arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the textile panel means (22) is finished, such as printed or dyed. [6] Headlight arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one headlight (6, 8) has a headlight range adjustment.

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