Exterior light housing for a vehicle

Abstract

Exterior lighting housing (12) for a vehicle, comprising: - a base housing (14); - a lens (16); - a receiving space (20) for lighting components (18) between the base housing (14) and the lens (16); - a ventilation inlet (30) into the base housing (14); and - a ventilation outlet (32) from the base housing (14);wherein the ventilation inlet (30) is located within a dynamic pressure area (42) of the outer luminaire housing (12) and the ventilation outlet (32) is located outside the dynamic pressure area (42), characterized in that the outer luminaire housing (12) further comprises a bypass channel (35) with a dynamic pressure opening (46) and a suction section (48), wherein the dynamic pressure opening (46) is located within the dynamic pressure area (42) and the bypass channel (35) bypasses the receiving space (20), starting from the dynamic pressure area (42) towards the ventilation outlet (32) of the base housing (14), and the suction section (48) interacts with the ventilation outlet (32) of the base housing (14) according to the principle of a Venturi nozzle.

Description

The invention relates to an external light housing for a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1, an external light device according to the preamble of claim 9 and a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 10. The technical aspects of exterior vehicle lighting systems are generally well-known to experts. With ongoing technological advancements, modern light sources, such as LEDs, are increasingly being used in exterior lighting systems. It is known that exterior lighting systems can tend to accumulate moisture inside their housings due to weather conditions. This can manifest, for example, as dew on the inside of the lens. With conventional light sources like halogen lamps, which generate a lot of heat, this dew is quickly evaporated by the heat. However, this effect is absent with light sources that do not radiate heat onto the lens, such as LEDs. Therefore, there is a need for technical solutions to address this problem. An external lighting device in the form of a headlight is shown, for example, in JP 2008-100 551 A. German patent application DE 30 04 413 A1 shows another headlight for motor vehicles. The headlight includes an air inlet in a lower section and an air outlet in an upper section. Furthermore, the headlight includes a channel whose leading edge projects into the airflow and into which the air outlet opens. Furthermore, DE 195 24 163 A1 describes an arrangement for a motor vehicle lamp. The motor vehicle lamp has an interior space between its lens and its reflector. This interior space is fluidically connected to an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The outlet opening is located in an area where the injector is active during vehicle operation. Finally, DE 20 2014 008 530 U1 describes another lighting device for a motor vehicle. This device has a cover lens and a ventilation connection in an interior space within the lighting device. The ventilation connection comprises an opening that adjoins an edge of the cover lens and extends essentially in a slit-like shape along the edge of the cover lens. These and other known solutions have the disadvantage that a large number of individual components always have to be manufactured and assembled. A further disadvantage is that many of the known technical solutions can only reliably dehumidify the headlight housing under relatively high dynamic pressure caused by the airflow acting on the vehicle. The invention is based on the objective of finding an alternative technical solution for dehumidifying the interior of an exterior lighting device of a vehicle, which is both easy to implement and offers a high level of functional safety. The problem is solved by the subject matter of independent claims 1, 9 and 10. Further preferred embodiments of the invention result from the remaining features mentioned in the dependent claims. A first aspect of the invention relates to an exterior light housing for a vehicle. The exterior light housing of the invention comprises a base housing, a lens, and a receiving space for receiving lighting components, located between the base housing and the lens. The exterior light housing of the invention further comprises a ventilation inlet into the base housing and a ventilation outlet from the base housing. The ventilation inlet is located within a dynamic pressure zone of the exterior light housing, and the ventilation outlet is located outside this dynamic pressure zone.According to the invention, the outer light housing further comprises a bypass channel with a dynamic pressure opening and a suction section, wherein the dynamic pressure opening is located within the dynamic pressure area and the bypass channel bypasses the receiving space, starting from the dynamic pressure area towards the ventilation outlet of the base housing, and the suction section interacts with the ventilation outlet of the base housing according to the principle of a Venturi nozzle. The concept of dynamic pressure is well known to those skilled in the art. In vehicles, dynamic pressure occurs wherever the vehicle surface displaces the oncoming airflow to the sides. For the exterior lighting device, this means that the dynamic pressure zone lies in front of the device, particularly in the direction of light emission. Regarding the Venturi principle, which is well known to those skilled in the art, it should be noted in connection with the invention that it is to be understood in its broadest sense. This refers to the basic principle according to which the air pressure decreases in an accelerated airflow, so that air from a supply line capable of fluid communication with the accelerated airflow is carried along or drawn in by the accelerated airflow. In other words, the basic idea of ​​the present invention is that, firstly, the base housing has a flow-optimized through-connection that can be subjected to dynamic pressure on one side within the dynamic pressure zone. Simultaneously, a bypass line is provided, which can also be subjected to dynamic pressure on one side within the dynamic pressure zone and can then convey the trapped air away from the interior of the base housing in a flow-optimized manner. In the area of ​​the ventilation outlet of the base housing, the air conveyed by the bypass channel, with its flow velocity, then creates a negative pressure at the ventilation outlet. This negative pressure then additionally draws the air present in the base housing outwards through the ventilation outlet. The invention offers the advantage that effective and reliable ventilation of the interior of the exterior light housing can be achieved even at very low stagnation pressure. This is because, in addition to a frontally acting stagnation pressure, a negative pressure is also generated at the ventilation outlet. The pressure difference between the ventilation inlet and outlet is thus significantly increased compared to conventional solutions. This difference can be specifically controlled by appropriately designing the aerodynamically effective elements. This also leads to considerably greater flexibility and design freedom, since the design of the aerodynamically effective elements in the inventive solution is not dependent on the structures of a surrounding technical system, such as body parts. The bypass channel is formed exclusively by elements belonging to the exterior light housing.Furthermore, it is advantageous that the base housing can be designed as an open system, since moisture can always be safely removed through effective ventilation. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bypass channel is formed as a single unit with the base housing. In this way, the construction of the outdoor light housing according to the invention can be significantly simplified. For example, the number of individual parts to be manufactured is reduced, so that the assembly effort is also correspondingly lower. Preferably, the base housing together with the bypass channel can be manufactured in an injection molding process. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the base housing comprises a film hinge to which a material section is attached that can be folded over with the film hinge and connected to the base housing. The manufacturing of the base housing is significantly simplified by this method. In other words, this embodiment provides that the bypass channel is formed by folding over the material section to create a partial shell surface, with the bypass channel then being formed on one side by an outer surface of the base housing and on the other by the folded-over partial shell surface. The primary forming of the base housing, for example in the injection molding process, is also significantly simplified by such a design, as cavities and undercuts are largely avoided in the injection molding process. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the material section comprises a locking section and the base housing comprises a complementary locking section. This offers the advantage that, after flipping the film hinge, a simple and secure fixation of the material section is provided for the precise fixation of the bypass channel. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that a throttling element is arranged within the suction section, which reduces the flow cross-section of the bypass channel. The throttling element can be part of the bypass channel, for example as a cross-sectional constriction, or part of the base housing, for example as a flow-through structure. The throttling element can be detachably or permanently connected to the base housing or the bypass channel, or it can be manufactured as an integral component of these parts. All of this offers the advantage that the negative pressure conditions at the ventilation outlet can be flexibly and precisely adjusted. At the same time, the bypass channel and the base housing can be largely standardized. Furthermore, the design inherently prevents contamination of the throttling element, as any dirt is immediately carried away by the prevailing negative pressure. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the throttling element is designed in the form of a cap which is placed on the ventilation outlet and forms a fluid connection from the ventilation outlet to the bypass channel in sections. This offers the advantage of reducing the manufacturing effort for the exterior light housing and enabling a wide variety of designs. The latter is facilitated by the fact that a suitable cap can be selected and attached depending on the specific exterior light housing variant. Depending on the overall vehicle design, different flow conditions and negative pressures in the area of ​​the ventilation outlet can thus be achieved. For example, the cap can be developed specifically for certain countries if, for instance, specific driving characteristics are expected or if environmental conditions, and therefore humidity, differ. Furthermore, the cap can, for example, combine the functionality of redirecting a ventilation flow from the air outlet with that of narrowing the cross-section of the bypass channel. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the bypass channel runs along an outer side of the base housing. This offers the advantage of further reducing the manufacturing effort for the base housing. Furthermore, it allows for the largest possible free space within the base housing for the mounting area. Routing the bypass channel on the outside of the base housing also provides a great deal of design freedom, as the ventilation outlet can be positioned independently, and the bypass channel can then be located accordingly on the outside. The internal structure of the outdoor luminaire housing thus remains unaffected. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the ventilation inlet, the ventilation outlet, the bypass channel, the receiving chamber and the light disk are coordinated in such a way that when the dynamic pressure area is subjected to a dynamic pressure, an airflow is established which flows from the ventilation inlet, along an inner side of the light disk, to the ventilation outlet. This offers the advantage of effectively dehumidifying the entire inner surface of the lens. Additionally, air guide elements can be incorporated within the base housing, for example, as guide structures molded onto or within the base housing. A second aspect of the invention relates to an outdoor lighting device comprising at least one outdoor lighting housing according to the invention. The external lighting device of the invention can, for example, be a headlight, a daytime running light, or a turn signal of a vehicle. However, a person skilled in the art can readily apply the teaching of the invention to other external lighting devices. A third aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one external lighting device according to the invention. Unless otherwise stated in individual cases, the various embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can be advantageously combined with one another. In other words, to summarize, the basic concept of the invention is based on an exterior light housing for a vehicle. The exterior light housing has a base housing which features a flow-optimized through-connection located on the inlet side in a dynamic pressure zone of the exterior light housing. Furthermore, a bypass line is provided, which is also located on one side within the dynamic pressure zone and is capable of directing trapped air, fluidically decoupled from the interior of the base housing, into the area of ​​an outlet of this fluid-conducting passage. In this area, the air flowing through the bypass channel creates a local negative pressure with its flow velocity, which additionally draws the air present in the base housing outwards. The invention is explained below in exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 an exterior lighting device according to the invention in a front view; Fig. 2 the exterior lighting device according to the invention in a side view; Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a throttling element in a bypass channel; Fig. 4 a schematic representation of a cross-sectional view of the bypass channel with film hinge; and Fig. 5 a motor vehicle according to the invention. Fig. 1 shows a front view of an outdoor lighting device 10 according to the invention. The outdoor lighting device 10 comprises an outdoor lighting housing 12 with a base housing 14 and a lens 16. The outdoor lighting device 10 also includes lighting components 18, which are arranged within a receiving space 20. The receiving space 20 is formed between the base housing 14 and the lens 16. In the present example, the external lighting device 10 according to the invention is a front headlight 22. The lighting components 18 arranged in the receiving space 20 comprise LEDs 24 as light sources and other lighting components 18 known to those skilled in the art. Figure 1 shows that an airflow 28 flows along the inner surface 26 of the light lens 16 from a ventilation inlet 30 located on the left side of the base housing 14, across the entire light lens 16, towards a ventilation outlet 32 ​​of the base housing 14. In the present invention, this is achieved using a bypass flow 33, which flows through a bypass channel 35. The principle used and the detailed construction of the external lighting device 10 according to the invention are described in detail in the remaining figures. Fig. 2 shows the external lighting device 10 according to the invention from Fig. 1 in a side view. The perspective in Fig. 2 corresponds to a viewing direction indicated by arrow A in Fig. 1. The bypass channel 35 is visible from a rear oblique angle, i.e., in an isometric view. The bypass channel 35 is formed integrally with the base housing 14. Fig. 2 indicates that the bypass channel 35 consists of a material section 34, which is connected to the base housing 14 via a film hinge 36. In the present illustration, the bypass channel 35 is shown in a partially cutaway view for better illustration. The film hinge 36 is formed from an adhesive flange 38 of the base housing 14, which in this case is an injection-molded part. The adhesive flange 38 serves to receive the lens 16, for example, by creating an adhesive bond between the lens 16 and the adhesive flange 38.The bypass channel 35 is formed after the base housing 14 has been manufactured by folding the material section 34 backwards with the film hinge 36 and connecting it to the base housing 14 at a rear face 40. This is shown in more detail in the remaining figures. During the journey of the vehicle (not shown here), the ventilation inlet 30 of the base housing 14, which in Fig. 2 is located on the side obscured by the exterior light housing 12, lies in a dynamic pressure zone 42. As is known, the dynamic pressure zone 42 arises when the vehicle with the exterior light device 10 travels in the direction of travel B and displaces the oncoming airflow to the side. A corresponding dead-water zone 44 is formed in the slipstream of the exterior light housing 12. While the ventilation inlet 30 of the base housing 14 and a dynamic pressure opening 46 of the bypass channel 35 are located in the dynamic pressure zone 42, the ventilation outlet 32 ​​of the base housing 14 and a suction section 48 of the bypass channel 35 are located in the dead water zone 44 of the outer luminaire housing 12. This results in a pressure difference between the ventilation inlet 30 and the ventilation outlet 32, which initiates the airflow 28 when a minimum pressure difference, dependent on the internal flow resistance of the outer luminaire housing 12, is reached. In order to effectively initiate the airflow 28 even at lower dynamic pressures and to overcome the internal flow resistance, the bypass flow 33 flowing through the bypass channel 35 creates a local negative pressure at the ventilation outlet 32 ​​in the suction section 48.This local negative pressure further increases the pressure difference between the ventilation inlet 30 and the ventilation outlet 32, which is only very slight at low speeds, thus ensuring a reliable generation of the airflow 28 at all times. The responsible expert determines the minimum speed at which a specific airflow 28 should be achieved, taking into account the specific aerodynamic properties of the respective exterior light housing 12 in the context of the overall vehicle. The suction section 48 and the ventilation outlet 32 ​​of the base housing 14 interact here according to the principle of a Venturi nozzle. This can be achieved, on the one hand, by narrowing the bypass channel 35 towards the suction section 48, as indicated in Fig. 2. Additionally, in the example shown, a throttle element 50 is arranged in the suction section 48. This will be described in more detail in the remaining figures. Due to the one-piece design of the bypass channel 35 with the base housing 14 and the arrangement of the bypass channel 35 on an outer surface 52 of the base housing 14, the outdoor light housing 12 according to the invention, and thus also the outdoor light device 10 according to the invention, is extremely compact, easy to manufacture and offers a high degree of design flexibility for the receiving space 20. Reliable ventilation is always ensured. Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a throttling element 50 in the bypass channel 35. The bypass channel 35 is greatly simplified and shown in a cross-sectional view. The arrangement of the throttling element 50 in the bypass channel 35 reduces the flow cross-section 54 of the bypass channel 35 in the suction section 48. The resulting increase in the flow velocity of the bypass flow 33 between the throttling element 50 and the outer walls of the bypass channel 35 generates a local negative pressure 56. The throttling element 50 is designed in the form of a cap 58, as shown in Fig. 3. The cap 58 is placed on the ventilation outlet 32 ​​and enables a fluid connection 60 from the ventilation outlet 32 ​​to the bypass channel 35. The ventilation flow 28 is drawn from the base housing 14 into the suction section 48 through the fluid connection 60 and thus discharged. Fig. 4 shows another schematic representation of a cross-sectional view of the bypass channel 35. It illustrates how the bypass channel 35 can be manufactured using the film hinge 36. The film hinge 36 is manufactured as a single piece with the adhesive flange 38. Due to the elasticity of the film hinge 36, a material section 34 adjoining this film hinge 36 can be folded over and, after folding, connected to the outer surface 52 of the base housing 14. For this purpose, the material section 34 has a locking section 62, and the base housing 14 has a complementary locking section 64. Fig. 5 further shows a motor vehicle 66 according to the invention with an external lighting device 10 according to the invention. The motor vehicle 66 is shown in a front view. The dynamic pressure zone 42 forms on the surface of the motor vehicle 66 shown during driving. The external lighting device 10 according to the invention is shown here in the form of the headlight 22. The headlight 22 is located on the left and right sides of the motor vehicle 66, with the device features illustrated on the left side and the flow conditions on the right side. A gap 70 is visible between the engine hood 68 and the headlight 22. The ram air opening 46 of the bypass channel 35 is located in this gap 70. The ventilation inlet 30 of the base housing 14 is positioned laterally on the base housing 14 towards the center of the vehicle. The ventilation inlet 30 and the ram air opening 46 are thus located in the ram air zone 42 of the vehicle 66. The ventilation outlet 32 ​​and the suction section 48 are located in a dead water zone 44 of the headlight 22, which is concealed in this view. The ventilation inlet 30, the ventilation outlet 32, the bypass channel 35, the receiving chamber 20, and the lens 16 are coordinated such that the airflow 28 is established by the ram air pressure in the ram air zone 42 (right side). The airflow 28 flows from the ventilation inlet 30 along the entire inside 26 of the light lens 16 to the ventilation outlet 32.The figure also shows how the bypass flow 33 enters the ram pressure opening 46 and exits together with the airflow 28 in the area of ​​the ventilation outlet 32 ​​and the suction section 48. Reference symbol list 10 External light device 12 External light housing 14 Base housing 16 Lens 18 Light components 20 Mounting chamber 22 Headlight 24 LEDs 26 Inside 28 Airflow 30 Ventilation inlet 32 ​​Ventilation outlet 33 Bypass flow 34 Material section 35 Bypass channel 36 Film hinge 38 Adhesive flange 40 Backside 42 Dynamic pressure area 44 Dead water area 46 Dynamic pressure opening 48 Suction section 50 Throttle element 52 Outside 54 Flow cross-section 56 Local negative pressure 58 Cap 60 Fluid connection 62 Detent section 64 Complementary detent section 66 Motor vehicle 68 Hood 70 Gap A Arrow B Direction of travel

Claims

Exterior lighting housing (12) for a vehicle, comprising: - a base housing (14); - a lens (16); - a receiving space (20) for lighting components (18) between the base housing (14) and the lens (16); - a ventilation inlet (30) into the base housing (14); and - a ventilation outlet (32) from the base housing (14);wherein the ventilation inlet (30) is located within a dynamic pressure area (42) of the outer light housing (12) and the ventilation outlet (32) is located outside the dynamic pressure area (42), characterized in that the outer light housing (12) further comprises a bypass channel (35) with a dynamic pressure opening (46) and a suction section (48), wherein the dynamic pressure opening (46) is located within the dynamic pressure area (42) and the bypass channel (35) bypasses the receiving space (20), starting from the dynamic pressure area (42) towards the ventilation outlet (32) of the base housing (14), and the suction section (48) interacts with the ventilation outlet (32) of the base housing (14) according to the principle of a Venturi nozzle. Outdoor light housing (12) according to claim 1, characterized in that the bypass channel (35) is formed in one piece with the base housing (14). Outdoor light housing (12) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the base housing (14) comprises a film hinge (36) to which a material section (34) is attached, which can be folded over with the film hinge (36) and connected to the base housing (14). Outdoor light housing (12) according to claim 3, characterized in that the material section (34) comprises a locking section (62) and the base housing (14) comprises a complementary locking section (64). Outdoor light housing (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a throttling element (50) is arranged within the suction section (48) which reduces a flow cross-section (54) of the bypass channel (35). Outdoor light housing (12) according to claim 5, characterized in that the throttling element (50) is designed in the form of a cap (58) which is placed on the ventilation outlet (32) and forms a fluid connection (60) section by section from the ventilation outlet (32) into the bypass channel (35). Outdoor light housing (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bypass channel (35) runs along an outer surface (52) of the base housing (14). Outdoor light housing (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ventilation inlet (30), the ventilation outlet (32), the bypass channel (35), the receiving chamber (20) and the light lens (16) are coordinated such that when the dynamic pressure area (42) is subjected to a dynamic pressure, an airflow (28) is established which flows from the ventilation inlet (30), along an inner side (26) of the light lens (16), to the ventilation outlet (32). Outdoor lighting device (10) comprising at least one outdoor lighting housing (12) according to one of claims 1 to 8. Motor vehicle (66) comprising at least one external lighting device (10) according to claim 9.

Images