Emblem assembly

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure is an emblem assembly, which is used for a vehicle and comprises an emblem member, a light guide part, and a light-transmitting part at least partially located between the emblem member and the light guide part. The emblem assembly further comprises: an accommodating cavity formed between the light-transmitting part and the light guide part; and fixing parts partially running through a through hole in the light-transmitting part, wherein a first end of each fixing part is fixed to the emblem member, a second end of each fixing part is positioned in the accommodating cavity, and the second end is constructed to be an expanded end.

Description

Signage components Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to vehicle parts, specifically, to nameplate components in vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] In addition to vehicle steering functions, the steering wheel assembly integrates other functions. For example, a signage component can also be integrated into the steering wheel assembly. This signage component is used to identify the vehicle product. The signage component can include simple geometric shapes, letters, horizontal lines, or combinations thereof.

[0003] Typically, the badge assembly is mounted on the cover of the steering wheel airbag. The badge assembly is secured to the front or rear side of the cover, for example, via fasteners. However, some types of fasteners can compromise the aesthetic consistency of the badge assembly, increase its overall weight, and make it susceptible to damage during airbag deployment.

[0004] Therefore, a lightweight, reliable, and aesthetically pleasing signage component is desired. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a lightweight, reliable, and aesthetically pleasing signage component.

[0006] This disclosure provides a sign assembly for a vehicle, and includes a sign component, a light guide, and a light-transmitting element at least partially located between the sign component and the light guide.

[0007] The signage component further includes:

[0008] A receiving cavity is formed between the light-transmitting element and the light-guiding element.

[0009] A fastener partially passes through a through-hole in the light-transmitting element, a first end of the fastener is fixed to the sign member, and a second end of the fastener is positioned in the receiving cavity, and the second end is configured as an expanded end.

[0010] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the light-transmitting element and the light-guiding element are fixed together via a mating structure.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mating structure includes a protrusion disposed at the outer edge of one of the light-transmitting member and the light-guiding member, and a groove disposed at the outer edge of the other of the light-transmitting member and the light-guiding member, wherein the protrusion mates with the groove.

[0012] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, a recess is provided on the side of the light-transmitting element facing the light guide element, and the groove is provided on the outside of the recess.

[0013] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the light guide is configured as a plate-like member, and the protrusion is disposed at the edge of the light guide.

[0014] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the protrusion includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion have different widths.

[0015] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the sign component is shaped to match the light-transmitting component and the light-guiding component, the sign component is provided with a feature portion, and the feature portion includes text and / or patterns.

[0016] as well as,

[0017] The light guide component has a light guiding structure on its side away from the light-transmitting component, and the light guiding structure is constructed in the form of multiple hemispherical recesses, the distribution area of ​​the multiple hemispherical recesses corresponding to the feature portion of the sign component.

[0018] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a plurality of the aforementioned fasteners are provided, and the plurality of fasteners are arranged to be evenly spaced apart at a predetermined distance on the sign component.

[0019] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a cover and a housing are also included, and the cover and the housing define a receiving space for accommodating the sign component, the light-transmitting element, and the light guide element.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sign assembly further includes a printed circuit board disposed in the receiving space and positioned on the side of the light guide opposite to the light-transmitting element, and the sign assembly further includes a light-emitting element disposed on the printed circuit board. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The features, advantages, and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same symbols denote the same elements, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a signage assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 schematically illustrates some components of a sign assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following describes specific embodiments of the signage component according to the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings below are provided to illustrate the principles of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the described preferred embodiments; the various embodiments described in the present disclosure can be used individually or in any combination. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the claims.

[0025] Furthermore, spatially related terms (such as "up," "down," "left," and "right") are used to describe the relative positional relationship between elements shown in the accompanying drawings and other elements. Therefore, spatially related terms can be applied to directions different from those shown in the accompanying drawings. Clearly, while all these spatially related terms refer to the directions shown in the accompanying drawings for ease of explanation, those skilled in the art will understand that directions different from those shown in the accompanying drawings can be used.

[0026] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a signage assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 schematically illustrates some components of a signage assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signage assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this disclosure provides a sign assembly 10 for use in a vehicle, and includes a sign component 11, a light guide 12, and a light-transmitting component 13 located at least partially between the sign component 11 and the light guide 12. These components of the sign assembly 10 are described in detail below.

[0028] The sign component 11 may be provided with a feature (not shown) located on the top surface of the sign component 11 (e.g., the upper side in FIG1) for external display, and the feature includes text and / or patterns. In some examples, the feature may also include one or a combination of geometric shapes, letters, short lines to display vehicle-related information, such as the vehicle's brand.

[0029] The light guide 12 is used to guide light from the light-emitting element (e.g., a light-emitting diode) along a predetermined path toward the sign member 11. For this purpose, as shown in FIG2, the light guide 12 may include a light guide structure 123 located on a surface of the light guide 12 facing away from the sign member 11 (i.e., the lower surface in FIG1). Light emitted from the light-emitting element, after being guided by the light guide structure 123, can be guided to be uniformly transmitted in the upward direction as shown in FIG1. ​​In one example, the light guide structure 123 is configured as a plurality of hemispherical recesses, and the distribution area of ​​the plurality of hemispherical recesses corresponds to the feature portion of the sign member 11, so that light emitted from the light-emitting element, after being guided by the light guide structure 123, is uniformly transmitted to the feature portion of the sign member 11, ensuring that the feature portion has a good luminous effect.

[0030] The light-transmitting element 13 is made of a light-transmitting material, allowing light to pass through it after being guided by the light guide 12, and ultimately be transmitted to the sign component 11. As shown in FIG1, a portion of the light-transmitting element 13 is located between the sign component 11 and the light guide 12 in the thickness direction of the sign assembly 10, and its upper side is provided with a recessed receiving structure, in which the sign component 11 is received. Moreover, the peripheral side of the sign component 11 is surrounded by the sidewall of the receiving structure, and the sign component 11 is flush with the upper side of the light-transmitting element 13. This design gives the sign assembly 11 a flat upper side, thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing outer surface. It is understood that the sign component 11 is received by the receiving structure of the light-transmitting element 13, thereby restricting its lateral movement within the light-transmitting element 11, which facilitates the fixation of the sign component 11 and the light-transmitting element 13, as will be described in more detail below. Of course, this is just an example. The upper sides of both the sign component 11 and the light-transmitting component 13 can also be set to be non-flush and have special uneven surfaces.

[0031] As an example of this disclosure, the sign component 11 can be configured to be shape-adapted to the light-transmitting element 13 and the light guide element 12. Specifically, the sign component 11, the light-transmitting element 13, and the light guide element 12 can all be configured to have a generally disc-shaped form. In particular, as shown in FIG1, the light-transmitting element 13 can be configured to completely cover the light guide element 12 to ensure that the light guided by the light guide element 12 enters the light-transmitting element 13 and then exits the sign assembly 10 via the sign component 11, that is, only one light propagation path is provided.

[0032] The following description of the various components in signage assembly 10 will continue with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the sign assembly 10 also includes a receiving cavity 14 and a fixing member 111. The receiving cavity 14 is formed between the light-transmitting member 13 and the light guide member 12. The fixing member 111 partially passes through a through hole in the light-transmitting member 13. A first end (the upper end in Figure 1) of the fixing member 111 is fixed to the sign member 11, and a second end (the lower end in Figure 1) of the fixing member 111 is positioned in the receiving cavity 14 and is configured as an expansion end 1111. In one example, one end of the fixing member 111 is fixed to the sign member 11 by welding, specifically to the bottom side of the sign member 11, and the other end of the fixing member 111, i.e., the second end, is formed by welding into an expansion end 1111 in the form of a weld leg. It is understood that the second end of the fastener 111 is constructed as an expanded end 1111, meaning that the second end of the fastener 111 has a larger lateral dimension than the through hole on the light-transmitting element 13 (as shown in Figure 1). Therefore, the sign component 11 cannot move upward and detach from the light-transmitting element 13. In other words, the fastener 111 is used to connect the sign component 11 and the light-transmitting element 13 together.

[0034] As an example, as shown in Figure 2, multiple fasteners 111 can be provided. These fasteners 111 can be identical and arranged to be evenly spaced at predetermined distances on the sign component 11. For example, the multiple fasteners 111 can be arranged in a ring, or in other forms, such as arranged in one or more rows along a straight line.

[0035] Therefore, in the sign assembly disclosed herein, one end of the fastener is fixed to the sign component, and the other end is positioned in the receiving cavity defined by the sign component and the light-transmitting component. This ensures that the fastener is positioned only at the sign component and the light-transmitting component and does not extend along the entire thickness of the sign assembly. This advantageously ensures that the sign assembly has good appearance consistency, a lighter overall weight, and, due to its shorter length, has high structural strength, making the fastener less likely to be damaged during airbag deployment.

[0036] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the light-transmitting element 13 and the light-guiding element 12 are fixed together via a mating structure. In one example, the mating structure includes a first protrusion 121 and a second protrusion 122 disposed at the outer edge of the light-guiding element 12, the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 being disposed 180 degrees apart along the circumference of the light-guiding element 12 and thus facing each other. In one example, the light-guiding element 12 is configured as a plate-like member, and the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 are disposed at the periphery of the generally disk-shaped light-guiding element 12. The mating structure also includes a first groove 132 and a second groove 133 disposed at the outer edge of the light-transmitting element 13, the first groove 132 and the second groove 133 being disposed 180 degrees apart along the circumference of the light-transmitting element 13 and thus facing each other, and the first protrusion 121 engaging with the first groove 132, and the second protrusion 122 engaging with the second groove 133.

[0037] In one example, to easily determine the relative circumferential position between the light guide 12 and the light transmittance 13, the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 are configured to have different widths, and correspondingly, the first groove 132 and the second groove 133 are also configured to have different widths. Specifically, the first protrusion 121 is narrower and the second protrusion 122 is wider, and correspondingly, the first groove 132 is narrower and the second groove 133 is wider. It can be understood that the widths of the first and second protrusions refer to the dimensions extending circumferentially along the light guide, and the widths of the first and second grooves refer to the dimensions extending circumferentially along the light transmittance. Setting the first and second protrusions to have different widths allows for quick determination of the relative circumferential positions of the light-transmitting and light-guiding components. Of course, this is just an example. If there are no requirements regarding the relative circumferential positions of the light-transmitting and light-guiding components, the widths of the two protrusions and the two grooves can be set to be the same. Alternatively, the light-guiding and light-transmitting components of the sign assembly can each be provided with more than three protrusions and grooves, which cooperate with each other to connect the light-guiding and light-transmitting components together.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in FIG2, a recess 131 is provided on the side of the light-transmitting element 13 facing the light-guiding element 12, and a first groove 132 and a second groove 133 are provided on the outer side of the recess 131. That is, in FIG1, the upper side and the peripheral side of the receiving cavity 14 are both defined by the recess 131 of the light-transmitting element, while the upper side of the light-guiding element 12 defines the lower side of the receiving cavity 14. Of course, this is just an example, and the sign assembly 10 of this disclosure can also have different arrangements. For example, the above-mentioned recess is provided on the side of the light-guiding element facing the light-transmitting element. Correspondingly, the mating structure includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion provided at the outer edge of the light-transmitting element. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged circumferentially apart and thus opposite to each other along the light-transmitting element, and a first groove and a second groove are provided at the outer edge of the light-guiding element. The first groove and the second groove are arranged 180 degrees apart circumferentially apart and thus opposite to each other along the light-guiding element.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sign assembly 10 further includes a cover 17 and a housing 16, wherein the cover 17 and the housing 16 define a receiving space for accommodating the sign component 11, the light-transmitting element 13 and the light guide element 12, clamping the sign component 11, the light-transmitting element 13 and the light guide element 12 between the cover 17 and the housing 16.

[0040] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the sign assembly 10 further includes a printed circuit board 15 disposed within a receiving space defined by the cover 17 and the housing 16 and positioned on the side of the light guide 12 opposite to the light-transmitting element 13. Light-emitting elements (e.g., light-emitting diodes) are disposed on the printed circuit board. In one example, a plurality of light-emitting elements are provided, evenly spaced along the periphery of the printed circuit board.

[0041] As mentioned above, although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A sign assembly (10) for a vehicle, comprising a sign member (11), a light guide member (12), and a light transmission member (13) located at least partially between the sign member (11) and the light guide member (12), characterized in that The sign assembly (10) further comprises: a receiving cavity (14) formed between the light transmission member (13) and the light guide member (12), a fixing member (111) partially penetrating a through hole on the light transmission member (13), a first end of the fixing member (111) being fixed at the sign member (11), and a second end (1111) of the fixing member (111) being positioned in the receiving cavity (14), and the second end (1111) being configured as an expansion end.

2. The sign assembly (10) of claim 1, wherein, The light transmission member (13) and the light guide member (12) are fixed together via a matching structure.

3. The sign assembly (10) of claim 2, wherein, The matching structure comprises a protrusion provided at an outer edge of one of the light transmission member (13) and the light guide member (12), and a groove provided at an outer edge of the other of the light transmission member (13) and the light guide member (12), and the protrusion matches with the groove.

4. The sign assembly (10) of claim 3, wherein, A recess (131) is provided on a side of the light transmission member (13) facing the light guide member (12), and the groove is provided outside the recess (131).

5. The sign assembly (10) of claim 4, wherein, The light guide member (12) is provided as a plate-shaped member, and the protrusion is provided at an edge of the light guide member (12).

6. The sign assembly (10) of claim 5, wherein, The protrusion comprises a first protrusion (121) and a second protrusion (122), and the first protrusion (121) and the second protrusion (122) have different widths.

7. The sign assembly (10) of claim 1, wherein, The sign member (11) is adapted in shape to the light transmission member (13) and the light guide member (12), a feature is provided on the sign member (11), and the feature comprises characters and / or patterns, And, A light guide structure (123) is provided on a side of the light guide member (12) facing away from the light transmission member (13), and the light guide structure (123) is configured in the form of a plurality of semispherical recesses, and a distribution area of the plurality of semispherical recesses corresponds to the feature of the sign member (11).

8. The sign assembly (10) of claim 1, wherein, A plurality of the fixing members (111) are provided, and the plurality of the fixing members (111) are arranged to be uniformly spaced apart by a predetermined distance on the sign member (11).

9. The sign assembly (10) of claim 1, wherein, A cover (17) and a housing (16) are further included, and the cover (17) and the housing (16) define a receiving space for accommodating the sign member (11), the light transmission member (13) and the light guide member (12).

10. The sign assembly (10) of claim 9, wherein, The sign assembly (10) further comprises a printed circuit board (15), the printed circuit board (15) being provided in the receiving space and positioned on a side of the light guide member (12) facing away from the light transmission member (13), and the sign member (11) further comprises a light emitting member provided on the printed circuit board (15).

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