Motor vehicle headlights and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle headlight (1) with a housing (3) and an electric fan (4). The essential aspect of the invention is that the fan (4) is held by means of a rubber sleeve (7) which is fitted onto the fan (4) in a force-fit and form-fit manner, in particular in / on an air duct (8) in the housing (3), wherein the rubber sleeve (7) at least dampens a transmission of mechanical vibrations between the fan (4) and the housing (3).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle headlight with a housing and an electric fan, according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle with such a motor vehicle headlight.

[0002] DE 10 2018 124 320 A1 discloses a generic motor vehicle headlight comprising a housing and an electric fan arranged therein, which has a fan frame. The fan frame is designed, through its material composition and / or structural design, to dampen the transmission of mechanical vibrations between the fan and the housing.

[0003] DE 10 2018 124 098 A1 discloses a motor vehicle headlight comprising a housing and a housing opening. A retaining cap is provided that covers at least part of the housing opening and has a retaining section to which an electrically driven fan is attached. The fan is guided through the housing opening into an interior of the housing. The retaining cap and / or the housing are configured, by their material composition and / or their structural design, to dampen the transmission of mechanical vibrations between the fan and the housing.

[0004] EP 2 327 928 A1 discloses a lighting device comprising a fan and a mount holding the fan, which has at least one fastening element for securing the fan and at least one fastening device for securing the mount inside the lighting device. This is intended, in particular, to simplify the installation and removal of the fan into or from the lighting device.

[0005] DE 10 2010 050 111 A1 discloses a fan assembly comprising a device fan with a fan housing, through which an air duct extends. The air duct has an outer wall, at one end of which is arranged a roughly rectangular mounting flange designed for fastening the fan housing. The flange is spaced from the outer wall of the air duct in the area of ​​its corners. Damping elements made of an elastomeric material are arranged at these corners of the mounting flange to provide vibration isolation between the fan and the fan housing.

[0006] Generally, automotive headlights are used in all types of motor vehicles and are increasingly equipped with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), i.e., semiconductor light sources. Unlike halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps, such LEDs emit comparatively little heat, which significantly reduces the fogging or condensation problems common with automotive headlights using conventional incandescent lamps. Nevertheless, even with such LEDs, or with semiconductor light sources in general, heat losses of approximately 80% occur. This means that approximately 80% of the electrical energy used for operation is released as heat waste, which can heat up the automotive headlight.This is problematic and should therefore be avoided because not only are important properties of LEDs, such as their luminous flux, color and service life, highly dependent on temperature, but heating up the vehicle headlight can also cause an increase in the humidity in the vehicle headlight, which then condenses on a comparatively cold headlight bezel in the form of the so-called "beer bottle effect" as fogging or condensation and thus impairs the performance of the vehicle headlight.

[0007] It is therefore desirable to maintain the temperature in such a motor vehicle headlight within a predefined temperature window, particularly to reliably protect the semiconductor light sources from overheating. To achieve this, state-of-the-art fans are used. These generate an airflow that not only keeps the semiconductor light sources (LEDs) within their predefined temperature window, but also at least reduces the risk of fogging or dew, i.e., the formation of condensation on a headlight bezel. The waste heat from the light sources is often also used specifically to bring warm air to the headlight bezel. The airflow alone, supported by the heat, then also reduces condensation formation.Since such electric fans have very long operating times due to their function and are therefore often operated even when the vehicle is stationary, they must also have extremely low noise emissions to avoid being perceived as disturbing, especially when the vehicle is stationary. In this context, vibration transmission from the fan to a headlight housing is particularly important, which is why several decoupling elements or damping elements are already known from the prior art.

[0008] The disadvantage of such decoupling elements or damping elements, however, is their comparatively complex and therefore expensive production and assembly.

[0009] The present invention therefore addresses the problem of providing an improved or at least an alternative embodiment for a motor vehicle headlight of the generic type, which in particular overcomes the disadvantages known from the prior art.

[0010] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0011] The present invention is based on the general idea of ​​creating a vibration-decoupled mount for an electric fan in a housing of a motor vehicle headlight using a rubber sleeve that is simply pulled onto the fan or a fan housing and is held in place solely by virtue of a force-fitting or positive-locking mount. The fan is preferably also held, for example clamped, in an air duct of the housing via this rubber sleeve. This significantly reduces the effort required to install both the rubber sleeve on the fan and the fan with the rubber sleeve in the air duct of the housing of the motor vehicle headlight compared to prior art solutions in which, for example, holding frames had to be screwed on. This offers both manufacturing and cost advantages.The motor vehicle headlight according to the invention comprises a housing and an electrically driven fan, also referred to as an electric fan or simply a fan, wherein the fan is preferably arranged in the housing. According to the invention, the fan is held, in particular, in an air duct of the housing by a rubber sleeve that is pulled onto the fan in a force-fitting and form-fitting manner. The rubber sleeve at least dampens the transmission of mechanical vibrations between the fan and the housing. Purely theoretically, it is also conceivable for the fan to be attached to the bottom of a heat sink of a module, with its decoupling.By designing a vibration-decoupled mount for a fan in / on a motor vehicle headlight as a rubber sleeve, such a vibration-decoupled mount can not only be manufactured cost-effectively in terms of potential unit costs, but also relatively easily mounted on the fan, since the rubber sleeve provided according to the invention only needs to be pulled onto the fan, for example, by expanding it. Proper seating of the rubber sleeve on the fan itself can be ensured by the positive connection of the rubber sleeve to the fan. This also avoids complex assembly processes, for example, requiring additional fixing devices such as screws, and the use of tools.

[0012] In a further advantageous embodiment of the motor vehicle headlight according to the invention, at least one mounting stop is arranged on the rubber sleeve, which positively engages an edge of the fan. Such a mounting stop thus fulfills two functions simultaneously: firstly, a positive connection of the rubber sleeve to the fan and, secondly, an installation stop when inserting the fan with the rubber sleeve, in particular into the air duct of the housing of the motor vehicle headlight. In the installed state, the at least one mounting stop rests against a stop on the housing of the motor vehicle headlight and thus not only represents a damping element at this point, but also offers haptic feedback when installing the fan in the motor vehicle headlight.It is also conceivable that the mounting stop not only fits around the edge of the fan in a form-fitting manner, but also engages behind it, thereby achieving further form-fitting fixation of the rubber sleeve to the fan. Of course, it is also conceivable that corresponding recesses could be arranged on the rubber sleeve, into which the fan engages with engagement elements arranged on the fan, thereby establishing the or a further form-fitting connection.

[0013] In a further advantageous embodiment of the motor vehicle headlight according to the invention, at least one alignment contour is arranged on the rubber sleeve, which cooperates in a form-fitting manner with a counter-alignment contour arranged in the housing. A clear final installation position of the fan in the air duct of the housing of the motor vehicle headlight can be achieved via the alignment contour on the rubber sleeve side and the counter-alignment contour on the housing side. This provides a haptic signal, for example, to a worker installing the fan in the motor vehicle headlight that the fan has reached its final installation position in the air duct of the motor vehicle headlight. Furthermore, a precisely aligned final installation position can be enforced relatively easily via the alignment contour.The at least one alignment contour can be designed, for example, as a centering pin, which can not only be formed integrally with the rubber sleeve, but also engages in a housing-side bore or a housing-side recess and thereby fixes the rubber sleeve and, via it, also the fan in a predefined position relative to the housing of the motor vehicle headlight.

[0014] At least one spacer arm is expediently arranged on the rubber sleeve, via which the rubber sleeve is resiliently supported on the housing or an inner surface of the air duct of the motor vehicle headlight. Such a spacer arm can, for example, be designed as a cantilever arm with a free end, which is formed integrally with the rubber sleeve and, depending on its thickness or geometric shape, provides an individually selectable supporting effect of the fan on the housing. Using such spacer arms or generally resilient support arms, a uniform, point-by-point support of the fan can be achieved at many points on the housing. It is conceivable that the free ends of the spacer arms engage in corresponding receptacles on the housing and are thus fixed in their installation position.

[0015] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the motor vehicle headlight according to the invention, the rubber sleeve has at least one contact cutout, through which electrical contact is made with the fan. Such a contact cutout is designed as a recess and enables, for example, a cable connection from a motor vehicle's electrical system to the fan.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment, the rubber sleeve is formed at least in sections, preferably entirely, from a dimensionally stable, elastic material, in particular from a natural rubber or from a synthetic rubber, for example a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM), or silicone. Forming the rubber sleeve from natural rubber offers the great advantage that, particularly with ecological production of the natural rubber, the ecological balance of the rubber sleeve and thus also of the motor vehicle headlight and of the motor vehicle in which the motor vehicle headlight is installed can be positively influenced. The great advantage of synthetic rubber, on the other hand, is the possibility of producing it so that it is resistant to weathering, chemicals, temperature, and solvents.EPDM, in particular, is resistant to aging over the long term, UV radiation, and ozone, as well as being frost-proof and thermally stable, thus enabling long-term vibration-isolated mounting of the fan in a vehicle headlight. Silicones are also heat-resistant and durable, and also offer very good resistance to ozone and UV light, as well as generally very good aging and temperature resistance.

[0017] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the motor vehicle headlight according to the invention, the rubber sleeve is formed in one piece. This makes it possible, with the use of appropriate vulcanization molds, to easily and cost-effectively produce even complex external geometries, for example, with additional spacer arms.

[0018] The present invention is further based on the general idea of ​​equipping a motor vehicle with a motor vehicle headlight described in the previous paragraphs and thereby transferring the advantages mentioned with regard to the motor vehicle headlight to the motor vehicle. Specifically, this involves a significantly simplified installation of a fan in the motor vehicle headlight, in particular without additional tools or fixing means, whereby not only the motor vehicle headlight but indirectly also the motor vehicle in which the motor vehicle headlight according to the invention is used can be manufactured more easily and cost-effectively. In particular, when natural rubber is used for the rubber sleeve, the ecological balance of the motor vehicle according to the invention can also be improved if predefined ecological standards are observed during the cultivation of the rubber and its processing.

[0019] Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0020] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the respective combination specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Components mentioned above and those to be mentioned below of a higher-level unit, such as a device, a device, or an arrangement, which are designated separately, may form separate parts or components of this unit or be integral areas or sections of this unit, even if this is shown differently in the drawing.

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar or functionally identical components.

[0022] Showing schematically: Fig. 1 a partially sectioned view of a motor vehicle headlight according to the invention with a housing and an electric fan arranged therein, Fig. 2 a view of a rubber sleeve for vibration-decoupled mounting of the fan on the housing of the motor vehicle headlight, Fig. 3 a representation similar to Fig. 2, but with built-in fan, Fig. 4 a detailed view of the housing of the motor vehicle headlight in the area of ​​an installation point of the fan, Fig. 5 a representation analogous to Fig. 4, but with built-in fan.

[0023] According to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, a motor vehicle headlight 1 according to the invention, for example a headlight, of a motor vehicle 2 also according to the invention, has a housing 3 and an electrically driven fan 4, i.e. an electric fan 4, which can be arranged in the housing 3. The electric fan 4 has a blade wheel 5 which is driven by an electric motor 6. The electric fan 4 serves to ventilate an interior of the motor vehicle headlight 1 according to the invention in order to reliably prevent fogging or condensation of a headlight cover, for example a lens, in particular during prolonged operation of the motor vehicle headlight 1, during which heat is generated by a corresponding light source, and thus to be able to reliably maintain the function of the motor vehicle headlight 1 even under different humidity or ambient conditions.

[0024] Since the fan 4 is often operated even when the motor vehicle 2 is stationary, according to the invention it is held in place, in particular in / on an air duct 8 of the housing 3, by means of a rubber sleeve 7 that is pulled onto the fan 4 in a force-fitting and form-fitting manner. The rubber sleeve 7 at least dampens the transmission of mechanical vibrations between the fan 4 and the housing 3; preferably, the rubber sleeve 7 even prevents the transmission of mechanical vibrations from the fan 4 to the housing 3 and thus to the motor vehicle 2. The simultaneous use of a quietly running electric motor 6 in the fan 4 enables extremely quiet operation, which is inaudible, in particular, even when the motor vehicle 2 is stationary.

[0025] The rubber sleeve 7 according to the invention can, for example, be formed, at least in sections, from a dimensionally stable, elastic material, typically from a natural rubber or a synthetic rubber, for example TPE, EPDM, or silicone. Forming the rubber sleeve 7 from natural rubber offers the great advantage that, particularly with ecological production and processing of the natural rubber, the ecological balance of the rubber sleeve 7 and, through it, also of the motor vehicle headlight 1 and a motor vehicle 2 into which the motor vehicle headlight 1 is installed is positively influenced. The great advantage of synthetic rubber, on the other hand, is the possibility of producing it with special properties, in particular resistance to weathering, chemicals, temperature, and solvents.

[0026] If you look at the rubber sleeve 7 more closely, especially for example according to the Fig. 2, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, you can see that at least one mounting stop 9 is provided on the rubber sleeve 7, here on one side a total of four mounting stops 9 (compare Fig. 2) and on the opposite side two mounting stops 9 are arranged, each of which engages around an edge 16 of the fan 4 and thereby creates a positive connection between the rubber sleeve 7 on the one hand and the fan 4 on the other. The great advantage of such a rubber sleeve 7 is that it can be easily mounted on the fan 4 by a worker without further fixing means, such as screws, and in particular without additional tools, and is held on the fan 4 by internal stress, for example generated by an expansion of the rubber sleeve 7 when it is pulled onto the fan 4.

[0027] In addition, at least one alignment contour 10 can be arranged on the rubber sleeve 7, which engages positively with a counter-alignment contour 11 arranged in the housing 3 (see Fig. 5) and thereby forces a predefined installation end position of the fan 4 in the housing 3 of the motor vehicle headlight 1. Such an alignment contour 10 can, for example, also be used as a centering pin 12 (see Fig. 2). The alignment contours 10 are preferably formed integrally with the rubber sleeve 7.

[0028] Furthermore, spacer arms 13 can be arranged on the rubber sleeve 7, which are also formed integrally with the rubber sleeve 7 and via which the rubber sleeve 7 can be resiliently supported on the housing 3 of the motor vehicle headlight 1, distributed over the circumference. Such spacer arms 13 can be designed differently with regard to their orientation, length, rigidity, geometric shape, or alignment, thereby providing different and predefined support effects. The spacer arms 13 can, for example, engage in corresponding receptacles 15 in the air duct 8 of the housing 3, thereby providing support for the fan 4 via the receptacles 15 in different directions.

[0029] In addition, a contact cutout 14 can be arranged on the rubber sleeve 7, via which an electrical contact (compare the Fig. 2 and Fig.3) of the fan 4. For example, an electrical cable can be routed to the fan 4 via such a contact cutout 14.

[0030] Preferably, the rubber sleeve 7 is formed in one piece, for example, produced in a vulcanization process, whereby it can be produced not only cost-effectively but also with high quality.

[0031] The air duct 8 in the housing 3 of the motor vehicle 1 can preferably be designed such that the fan 4 can be installed therein with or without a rubber sleeve 7, so that the rubber sleeve 7 can in principle be used within the framework of a modular system and can be used in a wide variety of concepts or series.

[0032] All in all, the motor vehicle headlight 1 according to the invention and the motor vehicle 2 according to the invention not only achieve a cost-effective embodiment, as it is extremely simple to manufacture, but also significantly improved in terms of noise emissions. In particular, by simply pulling the rubber sleeve 7 onto the fan 4 and providing a force-fitting and positive connection between the rubber sleeve 7 and the fan 4, additional fixing means, such as screws, can be dispensed with, thereby reducing the variety of parts and, associated with this, reducing storage and logistics costs. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2018 124 320 A1

[0002] DE 10 2018 124 098 A1

[0003] EP 2 327 928 A1

[0004] DE 10 2010 050 111 A1

[0005]

Claims

[1] Motor vehicle headlight (1) with a housing (3) and an electric fan (4), characterized by that the fan (4) is held by a rubber sleeve (7) which is pulled onto the fan (4) in a force-fitting and form-fitting manner, in particular in / on an air duct (8) in the housing (3), wherein the rubber sleeve (7) at least dampens a transmission of mechanical vibrations between the fan (4) and the housing (3). [2] Motor vehicle headlight (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that at least one mounting stop (9) is arranged on the rubber sleeve (7), which positively engages around and / or behind an edge (16) of the fan (4). [3] Motor vehicle headlight (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that at least one alignment contour (10) is arranged on the rubber sleeve (7), which interacts in a form-fitting manner with a counter-alignment contour (11) arranged in the housing (3). [4] Motor vehicle headlight (1) according to claim 3, characterized by that the at least one alignment contour (10) is designed as a centering pin (12). [5] Motor vehicle headlight (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one spacer arm (13) is arranged on the rubber sleeve (7), via which the rubber sleeve (7) is supported on the housing (3) of the motor vehicle headlight (1). [6] Motor vehicle headlight (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the rubber sleeve (7) has a contact cutout (14) via which electrical contact is made with the fan (4). [7] Motor vehicle headlight (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the rubber sleeve (7) is formed at least in sections from a dimensionally stable, elastic natural rubber or synthetic rubber, for example TPE, EPDM or silicone. [8] Motor vehicle headlight (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the rubber sleeve (7) is formed in one piece. [9] Motor vehicle (2) with a motor vehicle headlight (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

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