Headlights with air duct, headlight unit and motor vehicle

Abstract

Headlight (10) for a motor vehicle (100), the headlight (10) comprising a housing (20), at least one light module (12) in the housing (20) for emitting light (L) from the housing (20), an air duct (40) with a longitudinal extent (LE) and at least one fan (60) for passing air through the air duct (40), wherein the air duct (40) is formed partly from an air duct element (30) arranged inside the housing (20) and partly from an outer wall (22) of the housing (20), characterized in that the air guide element (30) together with the housing (20) enables air circulation in the housing (20) and the housing (20) is designed in such a way that no air exchange with the environment of the headlight (10) is provided, wherein the air guide element (30) has at least one air outlet opening (32) along the longitudinal extent (LE) of the air guide channel (40).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a headlight for a motor vehicle comprising a housing, at least one light module in the housing for emitting light from the housing, an air duct, and at least one fan for directing air through the air duct. The present invention further relates to a headlight unit comprising a headlight and a heat sink, as well as a motor vehicle comprising at least one headlight and / or at least one headlight unit.

[0002] Light modules and other components in headlights require cooling to ensure proper function and longevity. In known headlights, the cooling system, particularly the airflow within the headlight housing, consists of numerous molded parts, which are usually pre-assembled as a cooling duct assembly and installed together in the headlight housing. These known cooling systems typically operate entirely within the headlight housing and, to prevent contamination, do not allow air exchange with the surrounding environment. These systems generally only provide for air circulation within the headlight housing. The airflow is usually entirely controlled by the aforementioned assembly of numerous molded parts, which is mounted and secured to and within the headlight.Cooling of the circulating air in the headlight is not provided for in the known cooling systems for headlights for motor vehicles.

[0003] The disadvantages of known cooling systems for vehicle headlights are therefore the lack of and / or insufficient cooling of the air in the headlight housing and a high material and cost expenditure for the design of the cooling channels.

[0004] Headlights with air guidance are known from DE 10 2006 051 030 A1, DE 10 2007 057 056 A1, JP 2006 - 294 263 A, DE 10 2004 025 624 A1 and DE 10 2016 217 149 A1.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a headlight, a headlight unit, and a motor vehicle that at least partially overcome the aforementioned disadvantages. Furthermore, it is particularly an object of the present invention to improve the cooling of the air in a headlight housing and / or to reduce the material and cost expenditure for a headlight housing.

[0006] The aforementioned problem is solved by the patent claims. Accordingly, the problem is solved starting from a headlight for a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1, from a headlight unit according to the preamble of claim 13, and from a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 14, each in conjunction with the respective characterizing features. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the invention, the problem is solved by a headlight for a motor vehicle. The headlight comprises a housing, at least one light module within the housing for emitting light from the housing, an air duct with a longitudinal extension, and at least one fan for directing air through the air duct. The air duct is formed partly from an air guide element arranged within the housing and partly from an outer wall of the housing. For emitting light from the housing, the housing preferably has a translucent section, for example made of glass. The air duct is preferably configured at least partially, and particularly preferably completely, along its longitudinal extension from the housing, especially the outer wall of the housing, and the air guide element.

[0008] The air duct is preferably designed to be completely enclosed. For this purpose, the air guide element is preferably arranged and / or attached to the housing, in particular to the outer wall of the housing, in a form-fitting manner. The air guide element is also preferably designed to be thin-walled. The headlight is preferably protected and / or sealed against air ingress from outside the housing and / or against other environmental influences. The air guide element, together with the housing, enables air circulation within the headlight housing, and the invention does not provide for any air exchange with the headlight's surroundings. The phrase "X or essentially X" is to be understood within the scope of the invention as a possible, minor deviation, for example, due to manufacturing tolerances and / or material properties, without altering the underlying, intended function of the feature.By designing the air duct partly from the air guide element located inside the housing and partly from the housing's outer wall, a temperature exchange between the air in the air duct and, for example, the air surrounding the headlight is facilitated. The housing's outer wall thus creates a direct heat sink between the air in the air duct and the air surrounding the headlight. Furthermore, this design of the air duct, partly from the air guide element located inside the housing and partly from the housing's outer wall, allows for material and cost savings compared to a fully integrated cooling duct that is simply attached to the headlight housing.A headlight according to the invention is particularly advantageous because the design of the air duct improves cooling of the air in the headlight housing and reduces the material and cost required for the air duct. The light module preferably includes a heat sink for cooling. Within the scope of the invention, the longitudinal extent of the air duct is understood to be an extent along, or substantially along, the airflow path through the air duct and / or headlight. The air duct element can, for example, be screwed, clipped, glued, plugged, clamped, and / or otherwise arranged and / or fastened to the housing.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be designed in such a way that the air guide element is formed in one piece and / or monolithically, in particular in one piece and / or monolithically with the housing. A design of the air guide element consisting of only one piece and / or monolithic component is particularly advantageous, since the air guide channel is thus designed as a single component consisting solely of the housing and said air guide element. Thus, the preferred embodiment of the invention allows for savings in material costs, assembly effort, and installation space for the design.Alternatively or additionally, a one-piece and / or monolithic design of the air guide element with the housing is even provided, so that the air guide channel is, for example, directly provided and manufactured during the production of the headlight housing, thus saving further material costs and effort for assembly as well as installation space for the design.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be provided in such a way that the housing has a thinner wall in one region of the air duct than in at least one other region, particularly in the remaining regions of the housing. The housing may have a plurality of different wall thicknesses. Preferably, the housing has an outer wall with a thinner wall thickness in one region of the air duct than in the remaining regions of the outer wall of the housing. A thinner wall in the region of the air duct enables improved heat transfer from the air in the air duct to the surroundings of the headlight and thus improved cooling of the headlight.The heat sink effect of the housing's outer wall is improved by the reduced wall thickness in a specific area of ​​the air duct, while the greater wall thickness in the remaining areas of the housing's outer wall provides and / or ensures the structural stability of the headlight. For the purposes of this invention, the area of ​​the housing and / or the outer wall within a specific area of ​​the air duct is to be understood as, by way of example, the portion of the air duct formed by the housing's outer wall. This area of ​​the housing and / or the housing's outer wall may have the reduced wall thickness entirely or partially.

[0011] Furthermore, the headlight according to the invention is provided that the air guide element has at least one air outlet opening along the longitudinal extent of the air guide channel. Air outlet openings along the longitudinal extent of the air guide channel advantageously enable the targeted airflow and / or flow to areas within the headlight, for example, the light module and / or a heat sink within the headlight. The air outlet openings allow at least a portion of the air in the air guide channel to flow out of the air guide channel through the air outlet opening into the interior of the headlight. A headlight designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the at least one air outlet opening enables targeted airflow and / or flow, and thus improved cooling of the headlight.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be provided with at least one fan arranged at an end face of the air duct and / or within the air duct. Preferably, the headlight according to the invention provides an axial fan. Additionally, a fan may be arranged and / or attached to both and / or each end face of the air duct. The at least one fan is preferably arranged and / or attached to the housing and / or the air duct element by means of at least one mounting device. Furthermore, the headlight according to the invention preferably provides a sealing device between the at least one fan and the housing and / or the air duct element and / or an anti-vibration device between the at least one fan and the housing and / or the air duct element.A headlight designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the arrangement of at least one fan enables beneficial cooling and fluid mechanics within the headlight.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be provided with an enlarged surface area on the outer wall of the housing, particularly in the area of ​​the air duct. An enlarged surface area for improved heat transfer from the housing to the headlight's surroundings is preferably located on the outer surface of the housing's outer wall. Additionally or alternatively, an enlarged surface area for improved heat transfer from the air duct to the housing is preferably located on the inner surface of the housing's outer wall. An enlarged surface area of ​​the housing's outer wall, particularly in the area of ​​the air duct, can be achieved, for example, by a ribbed structure of the outer wall, by a curved, wavy, and / or serrated design of the outer wall, and / or by another design of the outer wall.An exemplary bulge in the outer wall of the housing allows for a preferred design of the air duct. This bulge protrudes from the rest of the housing volume. A headlight designed in this way advantageously allows for improved cooling using simple and cost-effective means.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be provided with at least one air guide element in the air duct, in particular wherein the at least one air guide element is arranged and / or attached to an inner side of the housing and / or an inner side of the air guide element. An air guide element can be understood, for example, as a guide plate, a flow guide, a guide vane, and / or as a cowl in the air duct. The at least one air guide element makes it possible to selectively redirect at least a portion of the air in the air duct and, for example, to allow it to flow out of the air duct through a previously described air outlet opening into the interior of the headlight.A headlight designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the at least one air guide element enables targeted airflow and / or airflow, thus improving the cooling of the headlight.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be configured in such a way that the air guide element is designed as a first half-shell of the air guide channel and / or the housing in the area of ​​the air guide channel is configured as a second half-shell of the air guide channel. The configuration of the air guide channel as two half-shells, formed by the air guide element and the housing in the area of ​​the air guide channel, enables advantageous airflow guidance and / or cooling of the headlight. The configuration as half-shells also provides advantageous stability of the components and the air guide channel. The half-shells may, particularly on the inner side, preferably be round and / or curved to enable advantageous airflow guidance.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in a headlight according to the invention, the air guide channel can be arranged on a rear side or substantially on a rear side, along a main dimension of the headlight or substantially along a main dimension, and / or on at least two sides of the housing. Arranging the air guide channel on a rear side, along a main dimension of the headlight, and / or on at least two sides of the housing represents a particularly advantageous embodiment of the headlight according to the invention, since it advantageously enables particularly effective cooling of the headlight and / or airflow through the headlight. The air guide channel therefore preferably has at least one angular deflection of the flow within the air guide channel.Within the scope of the invention, the rear of the headlight is to be understood as the side that is exposed to the emission and / or emission direction of light from the light module. In other words, when the headlight is installed as a front headlight in a motor vehicle, the rear of the headlight faces away from the direction of travel of the motor vehicle.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be provided with an air duct having at least one air inlet opening at a first end face of the air duct and at least one air outlet opening at a second end face of the air duct, in particular wherein the headlight includes a recirculation device in the region of the air outlet opening. The configuration of the air duct with at least one air inlet opening at a first end face of the air duct and at least one air outlet opening at a second end face represents a preferred embodiment of the headlight according to the invention, since it enables targeted airflow guidance.The advantageous addition of a recirculation device in the area of ​​the air outlet opening preferably allows the air cooled in the air duct to be deflected back into the area of ​​the air inlet opening and / or the remaining area of ​​the headlight, thus advantageously improving airflow and cooling of the headlight. A recirculation device can be designed as a guide plate, housing structure, vane, and / or as another type of recirculation device.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be provided in such a way that the air duct is divided, at least partially, into at least two air duct sections. A preferred parallel configuration of at least two air duct sections represents an advantageous flow guidance in the headlight according to the invention, since the absorption and release of heat by the air in the air duct and, in particular, in the air duct sections, can be selectively controlled. This enables controlled influence on the temperatures and cooling in the headlight. The air duct sections can be configured over sections of the air duct or over its entire length. The air duct sections can have common or separate air inlet and outlet openings.Preferably, this allows for a large number of air duct sections with a preferably common heat sink via the outer wall of the housing.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be provided in such a way that the outer wall of the housing in the area of ​​the air duct has a material with increased thermal conductivity compared to a material of the rest of the housing. A material with increased thermal conductivity compared to a material of the rest of the housing advantageously improves the heat sink via the outer wall of the housing. The headlight housing can, for example, be made of a plastic, whereas the outer wall of the housing in the area of ​​the air duct has, at least partially, a material with increased thermal conductivity compared to the base material of the housing, for example, copper, metal, and / or another plastic.This allows for improved cooling of the air in the air duct through the material with increased thermal conductivity on the outer wall of the housing in the area of ​​the air duct.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a headlight according to the invention may be provided with a heat sink interface on the outer wall of the housing, particularly in the area of ​​the air duct. Within the scope of the invention, a heat sink interface represents an interface of the headlight for the thermally connected attachment of a heat sink. In a simple embodiment, a heat sink interface can be the outer surface of the housing in the area of ​​the air duct. Preferably, the heat sink interface has increased thermal conductivity, fastening means, and / or an at least partially flat surface for the thermally connected attachment of a heat sink.The possibility of connecting a heat sink to the heat sink interface of the headlight represents an advantageous further development of the headlight according to the invention, since the cooling capacity of the air guide channel can thus be adjusted in a controlled manner and / or preferably increased by a heat sink.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the invention, the problem is solved by a headlight unit, wherein the headlight unit comprises a headlight and a heat sink, and the headlight is designed according to the first aspect of the invention, in particular wherein the heat sink comprises a fluid channel and / or a heat sink. The headlight unit also possesses the aforementioned advantages as already described above with regard to the headlight according to the invention. The heat sink, in particular the heat dissipation of the heat sink, can be designed actively or passively. Preferably, the heat sink is arranged and / or attached to the described heat sink interface of the headlight. Within the scope of the invention, the heat sink serves to improve heat dissipation from the headlight, in particular from the air guide channel via the outer wall of the housing.A headlight unit designed in this way is particularly advantageous because it improves the cooling of the headlight using simple and cost-effective means, and the design of the air duct and the heat sink improves the cooling of the air in the headlight housing and reduces the material and cost expenditure for the air duct.

[0022] According to a third aspect of the invention, the problem is solved by a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has at least one headlight and / or at least one headlight unit, and the headlight is designed according to the first aspect of the invention and / or the headlight unit according to the second aspect of the invention. The motor vehicle also possesses the advantages already described above with regard to the headlight and headlight unit according to the invention. A motor vehicle designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the cooling of the air in the headlight housing is improved using simple and cost-effective means and / or the material and cost expenditure for the design of the air duct is reduced.

[0023] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These schematically depict: Fig. 1 in a side view a headlight unit with a headlight and a heat sink, Fig. 2 in a top view a headlight, and Fig. 3. A side view of a motor vehicle with two headlights.

[0024] Elements with the same function and mode of operation are in the Fig. Items 1 to 3 are each labelled with the same reference numerals.

[0025] Fig. Figure 1 shows a side view of a headlight unit 90 with a headlight 10 for a motor vehicle 100 (not shown) and a heat sink 92. The headlight 10 comprises a housing 20, a light module 12 within the housing 20 for emitting light L from the housing 20, an air duct 40, and a fan 60 for directing air through the air duct 40. The air duct 40 is formed partly by an air guide element 30 located inside the housing 20 and partly by an outer wall 22 of the housing 20. For clarity, the air guide element 30 is shown spaced apart from the housing 20. However, the air guide element 30 is preferably positively engaged with and / or connected to the housing 20.The housing 20, in particular the outer wall 22 of the housing 20, has a smaller wall thickness D1 in one area of ​​the air duct 40 than a wall thickness D2 in at least one other area, in particular in the remaining areas of the outer wall 22 of the housing 20. The air guide element 30 is formed in one piece and monolithically as a first half-shell of the air duct 40. In the area of ​​the air duct 40, the outer wall 22 of the housing 20 has an enlarged surface area due to an outwardly curved design as a second half-shell, thus enabling improved heat transfer to the surroundings of the headlight 10. Here, the enlarged surface area enables improved heat transfer to the heat sink 92, which is arranged and attached to the heat sink interface 70.The air duct 40 is arranged on a rear side 22 of the headlight 10 and enables a space-saving design of the headlight 10. The headlight 10 according to the invention is particularly advantageous because the design of the air duct 40 improves the cooling of the air in the housing 20 and reduces the material and cost expenditure for the air duct 40.

[0026] Fig. Figure 2 shows a top view of a headlight 10 with an air duct 40. The air duct 40 includes a fan 60, which is arranged at one end face of the air duct 40. The air guide element 30 has an air outlet opening 32 along the longitudinal extent LE of the air duct 40. The air outlet opening 32 allows at least some of the air in the air duct 40 to flow out of the air duct 40 through the air outlet opening 32 into the interior of the headlight 10. The headlight 10 further includes an air guide 50 in the air duct 40, the air guide 50 being arranged and attached to an inner surface of the housing 20 and an inner surface of the air guide element 30.A headlight 10 designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the air outlet opening 32 and the air guide 50 enable targeted airflow and / or flow, thus improving the cooling of the headlight 10. The air duct 40 has an air inlet opening 42 at a first end face of the air duct 40 and an air outlet opening 44 at a second end face of the air duct 40, the headlight 10 further comprising a recirculation device 80 in the area of ​​the air outlet opening 44. The air duct 40 is partially divided into two air duct sections 46. The air duct 40 is divided into . Fig. 2 on a rear side 24, transverse to a main extension HE of the headlight 10 and arranged only on one side of the housing 20.

[0027] Fig. Figure 3 shows a side view of a motor vehicle 100. The motor vehicle 100 has two headlights 10, which are arranged as front headlights, whereby, due to the perspective of the Fig. 3 only one headlight 10 is visible. A motor vehicle 100 designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the cooling of the air in the housing 20 of the headlight 10 is improved by simple and cost-effective means and / or the material and cost expenditure for the design of the air duct 40 (not shown) is reduced. Reference symbol list 10 headlights 12 light modules 20 cases 22 Exterior wall 24 Back of the case 30 air guide element 32 Air outlet opening 40 air duct 42 Air intake opening 44 Air outlet opening 46 air duct sections 50 air guides 60 fans 70 Heat sink interface 80 Recirculation device 90 Headlight unit 92 heat sinks 100 motor vehicles D1 wall thickness D2 wall thickness HE Main beam of the headlight L light LE Longitudinal extent of the air duct

Claims

[1] Headlight (10) for a motor vehicle (100), the headlight (10) comprising a housing (20), at least one light module (12) in the housing (20) for emitting light (L) from the housing (20), an air duct (40) with a longitudinal extension (LE) and at least one fan (60) for passing air through the air duct (40), wherein the air guide channel (40) is formed partly from an air guide element (30) arranged within the housing (20) and partly from an outer wall (22) of the housing (20), characterized by that the air guide element (30) together with the housing (20) enables air circulation in the housing (20) and the housing (20) is designed such that no air exchange with the surroundings of the headlight (10) is provided, wherein the air guide element (30) has at least one air outlet opening (32) along the longitudinal extent (LE) of the air guide channel (40). [2] Headlight (10) according to claim 1, characterized by that the air guide element (30) is designed in one piece and / or monolithic, in particular in one piece and / or monolithic with the housing (20). [3] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the housing (20) has a smaller wall thickness (D1) in one region of the air duct (40) than a wall thickness (D2) in at least one other region, in particular in the remaining regions of the housing (20). [4] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the at least one fan (60) is arranged at a front end of the air duct (40) and / or in the air duct (40). [5] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the outer wall (22) of the housing (20), in particular in the region of the air duct (40), has an enlarged surface. [6] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the headlight (10) has at least one air guide body (50) in the air guide channel (40), wherein in particular the at least one air guide body (50) is arranged and / or fastened on an inner side of the housing (20) and / or an inner side of the air guide element (30). [7] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the air guide element (30) is designed as a first half-shell of the air guide duct (40) and / or the housing (20) in the region of the air guide duct (40) is designed as a second half-shell of the air guide duct (40). [8] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the air guide channel (40) is arranged on a rear side (24), along a main extension (HE) of the headlight (10) and / or on at least two sides of the housing (20). [9] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the air guide duct (40) has at least one air inlet opening (42) at a first front end of the air guide duct (40) and at least one air outlet opening (44) at a second front end of the air guide duct (40), in particular wherein the headlight (10) comprises a recirculation device (80) in the region of the air outlet opening (44). [10] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the air guide channel (40) is divided at least in some areas into at least two air guide sub-channels (46). [11] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the outer wall (22) of the housing (20) in the region of the air duct (40) has a material with increased thermal conductivity in relation to a material of the remaining housing (20). [12] Headlight (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the outer wall (22) of the housing (20), in particular in the region of the air duct (40), has a heat sink interface (70). [13] Headlight unit (90) comprising a headlight (10) and a heat sink (92), characterized by that the headlight (10) is designed according to claim 12, in particular wherein the heat sink (92) comprises a fluid channel and / or a heat sink. [14] Motor vehicle (100), comprising at least one headlight (10) and / or at least one headlight unit (90), characterized by that the headlight (10) is designed according to one of claims 1 to 12 and / or the headlight unit (90) is designed according to claim 13.

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