Headlight device for a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a headlight device (2) for a motor vehicle (1), comprising a plastic injection-moulded housing (5) and a closure disc (6) fastened thereto. In the installed position, the housing (5) is connected to a vehicle body (4) in at least two fastening regions (7, 8) spaced apart from one another in the vehicle longitudinal direction (X) and vehicle transverse direction (Y). The housing (5) is connected to a separate reinforcement element (16) in at least two connecting regions (14, 15) close to the fastening regions (7, 8). The invention also relates to a motor vehicle (1) having the headlight device (2).

Description

[0001] Headlight device for a motor vehicle and motor vehicle

[0002] The present invention relates to a headlight device for a motor vehicle with a housing made of injection-molded plastic and a cover lens attached thereto according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a motor vehicle with such a headlight device.

[0003] Headlight devices for motor vehicles or vehicle headlights known from practice typically each comprise a housing that serves as a support for all headlight components, such as cables, reflectors, and the like. Furthermore, vehicle headlights are connected to the vehicle body via their housings. The housings protect the headlight components arranged inside the housings from moisture, heat, and the like and are usually made of thermoplastics. At the front, vehicle headlights include so-called cover lenses, which are usually made of glass or plastic, such as polycarbonate or the like.

[0004] In order to provide a vehicle with the lowest possible air resistance and a high quality appearance, the smallest possible gaps are aimed for in body construction, particularly in the area between headlight devices and the body areas surrounding them.

[0005] The problem, however, is that even small gaps can cause significant body damage in the event of a crash, as adjacent vehicle components are pushed into each other during the impact and damage each other. This occurs even at low vehicle impact speeds. For example, in a head-on collision, the housing of a headlight assembly can break, causing the headlight assembly to be displaced toward an adjacent side panel or toward the fender of a vehicle body located at the rear in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, thereby deforming it. The resulting damage to the side panel results in undesirably high repair costs.The present invention is based on the object of providing a headlight device for a motor vehicle whose strength in the event of a vehicle crash is improved in a structurally simple and cost-effective manner compared to known headlight devices. Furthermore, a motor vehicle with such a headlight device is to be created that is less damaged in the event of a crash compared to known vehicle designs.

[0006] According to the invention, this object is achieved with a headlight device and with a motor vehicle having the features of patent claims 1 and 11, respectively.

[0007] A headlight device for a motor vehicle is proposed, comprising a housing made of injection-molded plastic and a cover lens attached thereto. In the installed position, the housing is connected to a vehicle body in at least two fastening areas spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle.

[0008] According to the invention, the housing is connected to a separate stiffening element in at least two connection areas close to the fastening areas.

[0009] The stiffening element strengthens the housing of the headlight device in a structurally simple manner, particularly in the event of a rear-end collision, so that the housing of the headlight device has a high degree of dimensional stability and damage to a side wall or fender adjacent to the headlight device by the headlight device is reduced to a minimum.

[0010] This is because the stiffening element connects the two spaced-apart connecting areas of the housing, which are located near the housing's attachment points on the vehicle body. Through this connection, the stiffening element ensures that the headlight housing can absorb the force applied during a vehicle impact. As a result, the headlight device transmits no force, or at a significantly lower rate than previous solutions, toward the sidewall.

[0011] In other words, the additional, separate stiffening element increases the inherent rigidity of the headlight device housing in a structurally simple and space-efficient manner, without having to change the structural design of the headlight device housing itself. This is particularly advantageous because the design of the housing has a direct influence on the light pattern, the luminous efficacy, the homogeneity of the light, and so on. Extensive structural changes to the headlight device housing require not only a new plastic injection mold for manufacturing the housing, but also extensive test series to ensure the desired functionality of the headlight device within the framework of technical and legal specifications.

[0012] The rear wall area of ​​the housing, which faces the body, can have a concave shape between the mounting areas, resembling a circular arc in cross-section. This minimizes the installation space required for the headlight assembly within the vehicle body.

[0013] In order to be able to increase the inherent rigidity of the housing of the headlight device according to the present invention in a simple and space-saving manner as compared to known headlight systems, the stiffening element can create a connection between the connecting regions which runs along a chord of the concave course of the rear wall region between the fastening regions.

[0014] The stiffening element can be designed as an elongated, flat structural element with a compact footprint and low deadweight, which is firmly connected at each end to the connecting areas of the housing via fastening means such as screws, rivets, clip connections, or the like. Furthermore, it is possible for the stiffening element to be made of materials each with a high modulus of elasticity. The stiffening element can be made of steel, aluminum, or polymer materials, for example. If at least one of the connecting areas is designed integrally with one of the fastening areas of the housing, existing headlight devices can be implemented with the separate stiffening element with minimal design effort.

[0015] The headlight device according to the invention can be manufactured cost-effectively if the stiffening element is designed as a deep-drawn part. If the stiffening element also has lateral folds and at least one stiffening bead, the stiffening element has high flexural rigidity while maintaining a low component weight. This is also advantageous because the stiffening element is then essentially not subjected to deformation by mechanical loads acting on the stiffening element, particularly during storage prior to assembly on the housing, which would impair assembly of the headlight device.

[0016] If the stiffening element rests flatly on the connecting areas of the housing with its contact surfaces, the stiffening element can absorb forces while maintaining low surface pressure between the stiffening element and the housing. If the contact surface areas are additionally offset downwards relative to a central area of ​​the stiffening element between the contact surface areas via folds in the vertical direction of the vehicle, component stresses in the stiffening element that impair the function of the stiffening element and arise from the attachment of the stiffening element to the housing are easily reduced or essentially zero.

[0017] The width of the stiffening element can decrease from the central area toward the contact surface areas. This allows for a simple design of the stiffening element that is adapted to the respective applied forces.

[0018] The contours of the support surface areas can each form an obtuse angle with the contours of the central region of the stiffening element. This design of the element allows for easy adaptation of the stiffening element's component shape to the available installation space within the vehicle body and improves the inherent rigidity of the housing.

[0019] At least one of the support surface areas can have two through-holes for the fastening means, which are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction of the support surface area. Fasteners used to connect the stiffening element to the housing can then each be designed with lower strength than in solutions in which only one fastening means is provided. Furthermore, the fastening means, which then have smaller component dimensions, can also be attached in areas of the housing where the housing has thinner walls.

[0020] The central region of the stiffening element can have at least one recess through which, in the installed position, a buffer element of the vehicle body extends, forming a stop element for a hood. Such a design of the stiffening element offers the possibility of equipping existing vehicle systems with the headlight device designed according to the invention without having to make complex structural modifications to the vehicle body itself.

[0021] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a motor vehicle with a headlight device described in more detail above.

[0022] If the upper edge of the lens is flush with the upper edge of a side panel of the vehicle body, the housing's high inherent rigidity prevents the headlight assembly from significantly damaging the adjacent upper edge of the side panel of the vehicle body in the event of a crash. This makes it possible to cost-effectively repair side panel damage that occurs in a low-speed, partially overlapping frontal impact using smart repair techniques.

[0023] Further features of the invention emerge from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. The above description of the features and feature combinations, as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures, can be used not only in the respective specified combination, but also in other combinations or on their own.

[0024] The invention will now be explained in more detail using preferred embodiments and with reference to the drawing.

[0025] It shows:

[0026] Fig. 1 is a simplified view of partial areas of a headlight device and a front side wall of a vehicle body of a vehicle;

[0027] Fig. 2 is an enlarged three-dimensional view of the partial areas of the headlight device and the front side wall shown in Fig. 1;

[0028] Fig. 3 is a rear view of the parts of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

[0029] Fig. 1 shows part of a front side region of a vehicle 1 or partial regions of a headlight device 2 and an adjacent side wall 3 of a vehicle body 4. The headlight device 2 comprises a housing 5 made of injection-molded plastic and a cover lens 6 fastened thereto. In the installed position, the housing 5 is firmly connected to the vehicle body 4 in two fastening regions 7, 8 spaced apart from one another in the vehicle longitudinal direction X and in the vehicle transverse direction Y. In addition, the housing 5 engages in a form-fitting manner in a shell component 10 of the vehicle body 4 via a plug connection 9.

[0030] A rear wall region 11 of the housing 5 facing the interior of the body has a circular arc-like concave profile V11 between the fastening regions 7, 8. This design of the housing 5 and thus of the headlight device 2 has the effect, particularly in the event of a frontal impact of the vehicle with partial overlap, in which an impulse damaging the vehicle body 4 is introduced into the latter in the vehicle's longitudinal direction X, that the housing 5 is damaged in the region of the plug connection 5 and the fastening region 7. This leads to the headlight device 2, in particular with the upper edge 12 of the cover lens 6, which terminates with an upper edge 13 of the side wall 3, being pushed rearward into the side wall 3 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction X, and the side wall 3 is extensively damaged even at low impact speeds.

[0031] In order to limit damage to the side wall 3 and the repair costs incurred during a repair as much as possible, the housing 5 is connected to a separate stiffening element 16 in two connecting areas 14, 15, which are arranged near the fastening areas 7, 8 of the housing 5 on the vehicle body 4. The stiffening element 16 establishes a stiffening connection of the housing 5 between the two fastening areas 7, 8, which provides the headlight device 2 with good dimensional stability in the event of a crash and minimizes damage to the side wall 3 by the headlight device 2.

[0032] In the presently considered embodiment of the headlight device 2, the stiffening element 16 is designed as a deep-drawn steel sheet that is adapted to the installation space available within the vehicle body 4 and connects the vehicle interior and rear attachment points 7, 8 of the headlight device to the vehicle body 4 in a structurally simple manner. The connection between the stiffening element 16 and the housing 5 can be made, for example, by means of so-called PT-40 screws, which can be screwed into the housing 4 of the headlight device 2 with little effort.

[0033] Depending on the particular application, it is also possible to connect the stiffening element 16 to the housing 5 by clip connections, plugging in or rusting.

[0034] By connecting the two fastening areas 7 and 8 via the stiffening element 16, connecting areas, such as sheet metal tabs or the like, of the vehicle body 4 to the housing 5 can absorb higher forces in the event of a crash and are only destroyed under higher forces than in vehicles whose headlight devices are designed without such a stiffening element. As a result, in the specific load case, i.e., in a frontal impact occurring at a comparatively low vehicle speed and in which only a portion of the entire vehicle front strikes an obstacle, the damage to the side wall 3 caused by the headlight device 2 is reduced to a minimum.

[0035] The stiffening element 16 is formed with lateral folds 17, 18 and at least one stiffening bead 19 in order to be able to construct the stiffening element 16 with the highest possible component rigidity while simultaneously maintaining small component dimensions and using minimal material. Furthermore, the stiffening element 16 rests flatly on the connecting areas 14, 15 of the housing 5 with support surface regions 20, 21. The support surface regions 20, 21 are displaced downward in the vehicle vertical direction Z relative to a central region 22 of the stiffening element 16 between the support surface regions 20, 21 via folds 23, 24.

[0036] In addition, the width of the stiffening element 16 decreases from the central region 22 toward the support surface regions 20, 21. Furthermore, the profiles V20, V21 of the support surface regions 20, 21 each form an obtuse angle with a profile 22 of the central region 22 of the stiffening element 16. This design of the stiffening element 16 offers the possibility of arranging the stiffening element 16 in a space-saving manner between the two connecting regions 14, 15 and thus also between the fastening regions 7, 8 within the vehicle body 4 in the available installation space.

[0037] The stiffening element 16 connects the connecting areas 14, 15 and thus also the fastening areas 7, 8, which essentially represent end points of the concave course V11 of the rear wall area 11, like a chord of a circle and thus effectively supports the housing 5 in the event of a crash and increases its inherent rigidity while at the same time keeping manufacturing costs low.

[0038] The support surface area 20 has two through-holes 25, 26 through which fastening means in the form of screws can be guided and screwed into the housing 5. The two through-holes 25 and 26 are spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction of the support surface area 20 and offer the possibility of connecting the stiffening element 16 in the connecting area 14 to the housing 5 via two fastening means. These two fastening means can then be implemented with lower component strength compared to solutions in which the stiffening element 16 is connected to the connecting area 20 of the housing 5 via only a single fastening means with greater strength, without reducing the strength of the connection between the stiffening element 16 and the housing 5. This offers the advantage that the stiffening element 16 can be connected to a region of the housing 5 that has only small wall thicknesses.

[0039] The central region 22 of the stiffening element 16 is formed with a circular recess 27. When the stiffening element 16 is installed, the recess 27 is penetrated by a buffer element 28 of the vehicle body 4. The buffer element 28 represents a stop element for a front flap (not shown in detail) of the vehicle 1, which supports the front flap from below in a conventional manner for pedestrian protection. The design of the stiffening element 16 with the recess 27 offers the possibility of easily integrating the stiffening element 16 into existing vehicle systems without having to provide extensive adaptation measures in the area of ​​the vehicle body 4.

[0040] List of reference symbols

[0041] 1 motor vehicle

[0042] 2 headlight device

[0043] 3 side wall

[0044] 4 Vehicle body

[0045] 5 housings

[0046] 6 Cover lens

[0047] 7, 8 Mounting area

[0048] 9 Plug connection

[0049] 10 Body shell of the vehicle body

[0050] 11 Rear panel area of ​​the housing

[0051] 12 Upper edge of the cover lens

[0052] 13 Top edge of the side wall

[0053] 14,15 Connection area

[0054] 16 stiffening element

[0055] 17, 18 lateral bends of the stiffening element

[0056] 19 Stiffening bead of the stiffening element

[0057] 20, 21 Support surface area of ​​the stiffening element

[0058] 22 middle area of ​​the stiffening element

[0059] 23, 24 Bends of the stiffening element

[0060] 25, 26 Through holes of the connection area 14

[0061] 27 Recess of the middle area

[0062] 28 Buffer element

[0063] V11 circular arc of the rear wall area of ​​the housing

[0064] V20 Course of the contact surface area 20

[0065] V21 Course of the contact surface area 21

[0066] V22 Course of the middle area 22

[0067] X Vehicle longitudinal direction

[0068] Y vehicle transverse direction

[0069] Z Vehicle vertical direction

Claims

Patent claims 1. Headlight device (2) for a motor vehicle (1) with a housing (5) made of injection-molded plastic and a cover lens (6) fastened thereto, wherein the housing (5) is connected to a vehicle body (4) in at least two fastening regions (7, 8) spaced apart from one another in the vehicle longitudinal direction (X) and in the vehicle transverse direction (Y), characterized in that the housing (5) is connected to a separate stiffening element (16) in at least two connecting regions (14, 15) close to the fastening regions (7, 8).

2. Headlight device according to claim 1, characterized in that a rear wall region (11) of the housing (5) facing the interior of the body has a circular arc-like concave profile (V11) between the fastening regions (7, 8), wherein the stiffening element (16) between the connecting regions (14, 15) forms a chord of the concave profile (V11) of the rear wall region (11) between the fastening regions (7, 8).

3. Headlight device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stiffening element (16) is designed as an elongated, flat structural element which is firmly connected at its ends to the connecting regions (14, 15) of the housing (5) via fastening means and is preferably made of steel, aluminum or a polymer material.

4. Headlight device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the connecting regions (14) is designed integrally with one of the fastening regions (14) of the housing (5).

5. Headlight device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stiffening element (16) is designed as a deep-drawn part and has lateral folds (17, 18) and at least one stiffening bead (19).

6. Headlight device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stiffening element (16) rests flatly with support surface areas (20, 21) on the connecting areas (14, 15) of the housing (5), wherein the support surface areas (20, 21) are offset downwards in the vehicle vertical direction (Z) via folds (23, 24) relative to a central area (22) of the stiffening element (16) between the support surface areas (20, 21).

7. Headlight device according to claim 6, characterized in that a width of the stiffening element (16) decreases starting from the central region (22) in the direction of the support surface regions (20, 21).

8. Headlight device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that profiles (V22, V23) of the support surface regions (22, 23) each enclose an obtuse angle with a profile (V22) of the central region (22) of the stiffening element (16).

9. Headlight device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the support surface areas (20, 21) has two through holes (25, 26) for the fastening means, which are spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction of the support surface area (20).

10. Headlight device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central region (22) of the stiffening element (16) has at least one recess (27) through which, in the installed position, a buffer element (28) of the vehicle body (4) passes, which represents a stop element for a front flap.

11. Motor vehicle (1) which is provided with a headlight device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10.

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