Device for positioning a light support of a light emitting diode on a supporting element and light module for lighting and / or signalling device comprising such a device

Abstract

The invention relates to a relative positioning device for two parts, each consisting of a light-emitting diode (LED) support (5) and a support element (3) for this light-emitting diode. The device comprises two pairs of interlocking ridges, each pair having at least one recess (5A, 5B) on one part and at least one rounded referencing projection (3A, 3B) on the other part. Each projection is designed, in the assembled position, to rest against the bottom of its corresponding recess in a corresponding insertion direction. According to the invention, the positioning device is isostatic.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for positioning a light-emitting diode's light support on a support element and a light module for a lighting and / or signaling device comprising such a device.

[0002] A lighting module intended particularly for a motor vehicle, as described in French patent document FR 3 010 488, comprises a light source associated with a heat sink mounted on a reflector. The heat sink is positioned in contact with the light source to dissipate the radiant heat emitted by the latter during its activation. The light source is located substantially at the focal point of the reflector, which is formed of several parabolic sectors. Furthermore, US patent documents US 2010 / 008095 A1, DE 10 2011 081 062 A1, FR 3 012 575 A1, and US 2011 / 0234078 A1 disclose prior art positioning devices. In particular, US 2010 / 008095 A1 discloses a relative positioning device for two parts consisting of a light support for a semiconductor light source and a support element for this light support, the device comprising two pairs of interlocking reliefs,each pair comprising at least one recess on said part and at least one rounded referencing projection on said other part, each projection being intended to come, in assembled position, each bearing against the bottom of the corresponding recess in a corresponding insertion direction, said positioning device being isostatic, a first recess being arranged on an edge of the light support is semi-circular, the second recess being of a width greater than or equal to the diameter of this first recess, and said projections carried by the support element are circular in shape, at least one of the projections being of a diameter less than the corresponding semi-circular recess,

[0003] The light source advantageously comprises a light-emitting diode which is generally carried directly on a printed circuit board connected to a power source and control means.

[0004] Positioning the light source relative to the focal point of the reflector is an operation that requires significant precision.

[0005] To achieve this positioning, it is known to arrange on one edge of the printed circuit board two semi-circular recesses which, when the body of the radiator is assembled on the reflector, cooperate by interlocking with two referencing protrusions provided on a referencing wall of the deflector and having a corresponding semi-circular rounded shape, recesses and rounded shape being substantially of the same diameter.

[0006] Such a positioning device presents the problem of being over-static. Indeed, such positioning is achieved with more constraints than are strictly necessary for maintaining the correct position; in other words, at least one degree of mobility of the printed circuit board is eliminated several times over.

[0007] Consequently, the manufacturing of the recesses and cooperating protrusions must be carried out with very tight tolerances. More specifically, an inaccuracy in the distance between these two recesses results in an excessively large offset in the relative positioning of the deflector and the light source.

[0008] To solve this problem, the invention proposes a device for positioning a light-emitting diode's light support on a support element, ensuring precise positioning of the light-emitting diode's light support on this support element, while requiring smaller manufacturing tolerances and therefore easier and less expensive manufacturing.

[0009] To achieve this, the invention proposes a positioning device according to claim 1.

[0010] Depending on specific embodiments, the device comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations: the tangent at the bottom of one of the recesses is parallel, for example aligned, with the tangent at the bottom of the other recess; the first projection is of the same diameter as the corresponding semi-circular recess and the second projection is of a smaller diameter; the second recess is also semi-circular with a diameter equal to the diameter of the first recess; the difference between the diameter of the second recess and the diameter of the second projection is greater than or equal to 10% of the diameter of the second recess; the two recesses are arranged each on a corner of the light support and in the shape of a quarter circle, the projections are semi-circular in shape, of the same diameter as the corresponding recesses; the distance perpendicular to the insertion direction between the recesses is less than the distance perpendicular to the insertion direction between the projections.

[0011] The invention also relates to a light module for a lighting and / or signaling device in which said light support of a light-emitting diode is a printed circuit board, comprising such a device.

[0012] The invention is described in more detail below with the aid of figures representing preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0013] THE Figures 1 And 2 are perspective views of a light module for a lighting and / or signaling device according to a first embodiment of the invention, in mounting position and in mounted position.

[0014] THE figures 3 to 5 are partial perspective and top views of a device conforming to this first embodiment of the invention, in assembly position and in assembled position.

[0015] THE figures 6 and 7are schematic perspective and top views of a device conforming to a second embodiment not conforming to the invention.

[0016] As illustrated on the figure 1 And 2 , a reflector 1 of a light module has a reflective surface 2 surmounted by an L-shaped seat 3 adapted to receive a radiator 4 under which is fixed a support 5 of a light source not visible in these two figures.

[0017] The L-shaped seat 3 consists of a receiving surface 7, an outer face of the radiator 4 equipped with the support 5 for the light source, and a referencing wall 8 extending substantially perpendicularly to the receiving surface 7. The referencing wall 8 serves to position the radiator 4 and consequently also the support 5 with the light source, relative to the reflector.

[0018] For this positioning, the reference wall 8 is adapted to cooperate with a support wall 9 located at one end of the radiator 4 and extending substantially perpendicularly to its outer face. Furthermore, the radiator 4 comprises a radiator body 10 formed by a generally rectangular plate to which fins 11 are connected so as to extend on either side of the plate 10.

[0019] The radiator 4, equipped with a light source support 5, is fixed to the seat 3 of the reflector 1 by means of fasteners. These fasteners include a mounting hole 19 provided in the reference wall 8 of the seat 3. This mounting hole 19 is aligned with a mounting hole 20 provided in the support wall 9 of the radiator 4, in order to receive a fastener in the form of a screw for fixing the radiator 4 to the seat 3 of the reflector 1.

[0020] As seen on the figures 3 to 5where the radiator is not shown, the light source is a light-emitting diode fixed under support 5 and this support 5 is a printed circuit board.

[0021] This first embodiment of the relative positioning device of this printed circuit board 5 and the seat 3 will now be described in detail.

[0022] This device comprises two pairs of interlocking reliefs, and more specifically each pair has a recess 5A, 5B on the printed circuit board 5 and a rounded referencing protrusion 3A, 3B, carried by the seat 3. Each protrusion 3A, 3B is intended to come, in the assembled position shown on the figures 4 And 5 , each supported on the bottom of the corresponding recess 5A, 5B according to an insertion direction F.

[0023] According to the invention, this positioning device is isostatic.

[0024] The recesses 5A and 5B are arranged on one edge of the printed circuit board 5, and the tangent to the bottom of one of the recesses is aligned with the tangent to the bottom of the other recess. Alternatively, the tangents may be parallel and offset.

[0025] The two recesses 5A, 5B are semi-circular, of the same diameter, and the projections 3A, 3B carried by the seat 3 are semi-circular in shape, a first projection 3B being of the same diameter as the corresponding semi-circular recess 5B and the second projection 3A being of a smaller diameter.

[0026] Advantageously, the difference between the diameter of the second recess 5A and the diameter of the second projection 3A is greater than or equal to 10% of the diameter of the second recess 5A. For example, the diameter of the second recess 5A is 3 mm and the diameter of the second projection 3A is 2 mm.

[0027] The invention also relates to variants of this first embodiment described.

[0028] For example, the tangent at the bottom of one of the recesses may not be aligned with the tangent at the bottom of the other recess, the projections then being of different adapted lengths.

[0029] Furthermore, the protrusions can be arranged on the printed circuit board 5 and the recesses on the seat 3.

[0030] The second recess 5A may not be semi-circular and may, for example, be rectangular with a width greater than or equal to the diameter of the first recess 5B. The isostatic nature is ensured by blocking two degrees of freedom at the stop of the first recess and projection 5B, 3B and blocking only one degree of freedom at the stop of the second recess and projection 5A, 3A.

[0031] A second embodiment of the relative positioning device of this printed circuit board 5 and the seat 3 will now be described in detail.

[0032] On the figures 6 and 7 The only schematic representations are the luminous support 5' of a light-emitting diode and the support element 3' of this luminous support.

[0033] The relative positioning device for this printed circuit board 5' and the support element 3' comprises two pairs of interlocking reliefs, and more specifically each pair has a recess 5'A, 5'B on the support 5' and a rounded referencing protrusion 3'A, 3'B, carried by the support element 3'. Each protrusion 3'A, 3'B is designed to bear against the bottom of the corresponding recess 5'A, 5'B in an insertion direction F'.

[0034] According to the invention, this positioning device is isostatic.

[0035] The recesses 5'A, 5'B, each arranged on a corner of the light support 5', are in the shape of a quarter circle and the projections 3'A, 3'B are semi-circular in shape, with the same diameter as the corresponding recesses.

[0036] The distance perpendicular to the insertion direction F' between the recesses 5'A, 5'B is less than the distance ds perpendicular to the insertion direction F' between the projections 3'A, 3'B.

[0037] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. In particular, and generally, the invention relates to a relative positioning device for two parts consisting of a light-emitting diode support and a support element for this light-emitting diode.

Claims

1. Device for relative positioning of two parts formed by a light support (5, 5') for a semiconductor light source and a support element (3, 3') of this light support, the device comprising two pairs of interlocking reliefs, each pair comprising at least one recess (5A, 5B, 5'A, 5'B) on said part and at least one locating projection (3A, 3B, 3'A, 3'B) with a rounded form, mounted on the other said part, each projection being intended to rest, in the assembled position, each one on the bottom of the corresponding recess in a corresponding direction of insertion, said positioning device being isostatic, at least one first recess (5B) arranged on an edge of the light support being semicircular, the second recess (5A) having a width greater than or equal to the diameter of this first recess, and said projections mounted on the support element have a semicircular shape, at least one of the projections (3A, 3B) having a diameter smaller than the corresponding semicircular recess.

2. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the tangent to the bottom of one of the recesses (5A, 5B, 5'A, 5'B) is parallel to, for example aligned with, the tangent to the bottom of the other recess.

3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first projection (3B) has the same diameter as said corresponding semicircular recess (5B) and the second projection (3A) has a smaller diameter.

4. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said second recess (5A) is also semicircular with a diameter equal to the diameter of said first recess (5B).

5. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the difference between the diameter of said second recess (5A) and the diameter of said second projection (3A) is greater than or equal to 10% of the diameter of said second recess (5A).

6. Light module for an illumination and / or signaling device comprising a device according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. Headlamp of a motor vehicle designed to project a light beam of the dipped beam type, comprising a light module according to Claim 6.

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