Ambient light assembly for a vehicle and vehicle instrument panel

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle and a vehicle instrument panel (II). The ambient light assembly (I) comprises a plurality of ambient light units (100), and each of the ambient light units (100) comprises: a light source member (110); a light guide strip (120) comprising a proximal end (120A) and a distal end (120B), and the proximal end (120A) being connected to the light source member (110); wherein the light source members (110) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) are arranged adjacent to each other. By arranging the light source members (110) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) to be adjacent to each other, the positions of the light source members (110) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) can be arranged or adjusted according to actual needs, so that the ambient light assembly (I) is suitable for being arranged in the vehicle instrument panel (II), for example adjacent to the air outlet assembly (300), and the power supply wiring of the light source members (110) can be optimized.

Description

2024P02558CNAMBIENT LIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE AND VEHICLE INSTRUMENT PANELThe present invention claims the priority of the Chinese application 202411302890.1 filed on June, the 18 September 2024, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference.RELATED FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of vehicles, and in particular to an ambient light assembly for a vehicle and a vehicle instrument panel.BACKGROUND

[0002] Vehicle ambient light creates a warm atmosphere in the cabin, which can effectively alleviate driving fatigue and improve the identity of the vehicle during night driving. The ambient light includes a light source member and a light guide strip, and light emitted by a light source in the light source member is transmitted and emitted in the light guide strip. The light emitted by the light source is gradually weakened along the light guide strip, so in case the light guide strip is long, in order to ensure the uniformity of the light emitted by the light guide strip, the light source is usually installed at both ends of the light guide strip, which is also a common ambient light structure. In configurations in which the vehicle instrument panel is provided with the ambient light, the ambient light is generally mounted and hidden near the air outlet assembly, and the light source and the light strip are invisible themselves, but the driver and passenger can see the light emitted therefrom. As shown in FIG. 1, in some vehicle configurations, the air outlet assembly 30 of the vehicle air conditioner on the instrument panel is elongated and has end air outlets 31 located at two ends thereof, and the presences of the end air outlets 31 make the space near the two ends of the air outlet assembly 30 narrow. If the conventionally configured ambient light is arranged along the entire length of the air outlet assembly 30 of the instrument panel, the light source members 11 at both ends will correspond exactly to the vicinity of the end air outlets 31 at both ends of the air outlet assembly 30, but the nearby position cannot accommodate the light source 11 due to the narrow space. In this way, the conventionally configured ambient light cannot adapt to the structure of the air outlet assembly of the above instrument panel, and for the conventionally configured ambient light,1NTD2122412024P02558CN two wires 40 need to be configured to be respectively connected to two light source members 11, which also complicates the wiring of the structure.SUMMARY

[0003] In view of the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides an ambient light assembly for a vehicle and a vehicle instrument panel, and the ambient light assembly is particularly suitable for the vehicle instrument panel and can optimize the power supply wiring.

[0004] To this end, according to one aspect of the present technical concept, the present disclosure provides an ambient light assembly for a vehicle, wherein the ambient light assembly comprises a plurality of ambient light units, and each of the ambient light units comprises: a light source member; a light guide strip comprising a proximal end and a distal end, and the proximal end being connected to the light source member; wherein the light source members of the plurality of ambient light units are arranged adjacent to each other.

[0005] According to the above technical concept, the present disclosure may further include any one or more of the following alternative forms.

[0006] According to some alternative forms, the ambient light assembly further comprises a housing comprising: a base; a plurality of accommodating grooves, each comprising a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a groove inner wall and a groove cavity defined by the groove inner wall, the proximal end portion being arranged on the base, and the plurality of accommodating grooves extending from the respective proximal end portion to the respective distal end portion; wherein the light source members of the plurality of ambient light units are installed on the base, and the light guide strips of the plurality of ambient light units are respectively arranged in the groove cavities of the plurality of accommodating grooves and extend from the respective proximal end portion of the accommodating groove to the respective distal end portion of the accommodating groove.

[0007] According to some alternative forms, the plurality of accommodating grooves are communicated with each other to form a communicated area, and the light guide strips of the plurality of ambient light units are arranged adjacent to each other in the communicated area.

[0008] According to some alternative forms, the plurality of accommodating grooves are intersected with each other in the communicated area, and the light guide strips of the plurality2NTD2122412024P02558CN of ambient light units are arranged crisscrossed with each other in the communicated area; or, the plurality of accommodating grooves are converged with each other in the communicated area, and the light guide strips of the plurality of ambient light units are arranged overlapped with each other in the communicated area.

[0009] According to some alternative forms, an insertion hole is formed in the distal end portion of the accommodating groove, and the distal end of the light guide strip is tightly inserted in the insertion hole.

[0010] According to some alternative forms, the insertion hole is configured as a noncircular hole, and the distal end of the light guide strip is configured as a non-cylindrical shape to limit the rotation of the light guide strip relative to the groove cavity.

[0011] According to some alternative forms, the groove inner wall is provided with a recess, and the light guide strip comprises a first limiting portion protruding from an outer surface of the light guide strip, wherein the first limiting portion is engaged in the recess to limit the rotation of the light guide strip relative to the groove cavity.

[0012] According to some alternative forms, the first limiting portion and the recess are provided with fool proofing structures matched with each other.

[0013] According to some alternative forms, the groove inner wall comprises a clamping portion protruding from the groove inner wall, and the clamping portion is arranged to partially surround and clamp the light guide strip.

[0014] According to some alternative forms, the light source member is snap-fitted on the base.

[0015] According to some alternative forms, the base is provided with a snapping through- hole and forms a corresponding through-hole edge, a snapping leg extends from the light source member and at least comprises an insertion segment, and at least one pair of first elastic pieces extends from the insertion segment; wherein the insertion segment of the snapping leg is inserted in the snapping through-hole, so that the first elastic pieces pass through the snapping through-hole and bias the base toward the light source member to snap-fit the light source member on the base.

[0016] According to some alternative forms, the snapping leg further comprises a fixation3NTD2122412024P02558CN segment positioned between the insertion segment and the light source member, and the fixation segment comprises a shoulder protruding relative to the insertion segment and at least one pair of second elastic pieces extending from the fixation segment; wherein the first elastic pieces bias the base towards the light source member until the base abuts against the shoulder of the fixation segment , and the second elastic pieces bias the base towards the first elastic pieces to clamp the base together with the first elastic pieces.

[0017] According to some alternative forms, a second limiting portion extends from the first elastic piece and is positioned in the snapping through-hole to abut against the through-hole edge, so as to limit the movement of the snapping leg in the snapping through-hole.

[0018] According to some alternative forms, the through-hole edge comprises a first notch formed thereon, and the second limiting portion is received in the first notch.

[0019] According to some alternative forms, the snapping leg is provided with a third limiting portion, and the through-hole edge further comprises a second notch formed thereon, wherein the third limiting portion is positioned in the snapping through-hole and received in the second notch to limit the movement of the snapping leg in the snapping through-hole.

[0020] According to some alternative forms, the base is provided with a plurality of apertures respectively communicated with the proximal end portions of the plurality of accommodating grooves, and the proximal ends of the light guide strips of the plurality of ambient light units are respectively positioned in the plurality of apertures.

[0021] According to some alternative forms, the housing further comprises a transparent groove cover attached to the base and / or the accommodating grooves and covering the light guide strips.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present technical concept, a vehicle instrument panel comprising the ambient light assembly for a vehicle is provided.

[0023] According to some alternative forms, the vehicle instrument panel further comprises an air outlet assembly which is elongated and comprises an air outlet, and the ambient light assembly comprises two ambient light units, wherein the ambient light assembly is arranged adjacent to the air outlet assembly, and the light source members of the two ambient light units are arranged along the air outlet assembly and offset from the air outlet of the air outlet assembly, and the light guide strips of the two ambient light units extend along the air outlet4NTD2122412024P02558CN assembly to make the distal ends of the light guide strips adjacent to end portions of the air outlet assembly respectively.

[0024] According to some alternative forms, the air outlet of the air outlet assembly comprises an end air outlet positioned at the end portion of the air outlet assembly and adjacent to the distal end of the light guide strip.

[0025] According to the ambient light assembly for a vehicle and the vehicle instrument panel of the present disclosure, by arranging the light source members of the plurality of ambient light units to be adjacent to each other, the positions of the light source members of the plurality of ambient light units can be arranged or adjusted according to actual needs, so that the ambient light assembly is suitable for being arranged in the vehicle instrument panel, for example adjacent to the air outlet assembly, and the power supply wiring of the light source members can be optimized.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The features, advantages and other aspects of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent in connection with the accompanying drawings and with reference to the following detailed description. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated herein in an exemplary and non-restrictive manner. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or similar components.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an ambient light assembly applied to a vehicle instrument panel in the prior art;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of an ambient light assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one ambient light unit in the ambient light assembly shown in FIG. 2;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of an RA marked area in FIG. 2;

[0031] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of another exemplary embodiment of an ambient light assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view of the marked area of RB in FIG. 5;5NTD2122412024P02558CN

[0033] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the ambient light assembly shown in FIG. 5;

[0034] FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of the RC marked area in FIG. 7;

[0035] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a light source member in FIG. 8;

[0036] FIG. 10 is a partial view of the housing of FIG. 8;

[0037] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the light source member and the housing of the ambient light assembly shown in FIG. 5 from another perspective;

[0038] FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged view of the RD marked area in FIG. 7;

[0039] FIG. 13 is a cut-away perspective view of the ambient light assembly of FIG. 5 at a distal end portion;

[0040] FIG. 14 is a schematic view of yet another exemplary embodiment of an ambient light assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0041] FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the ambient light assembly shown in FIG. 14;

[0042] FIG. 16 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle instrument panel according to the present disclosure.

[0043] Reference numerals: I ambient light assembly; II vehicle instrument panel; 100 ambient light unit; 110 light source member; 120 light guide strip; 120A proximal end; 120B distal end; 121 first limiting portion; 121 A, 223 A fool proofing structure; 130 snapping leg; 130A insertion segment; 130B fixation segment; 131 first elastic piece; 132 second elastic piece; 133 second limiting portion; 134 shoulder; 135 third limiting portion; 200 housing; 210 base; 211 snapping through-hole; 212 through-hole edge; 212Afirst notch; 212B second notch; 213 aperture; 220 accommodating groove; 220A proximal end portion; 220B distal end portion; 220C groove inner wall; 220D groove cavity; 221 insertion hole; 222 clamping portion; 223 recess; 230 transparent groove cover; 300 air outlet assembly; 300 A, 300B end portion; 310 end air outlet; 400 wire; R1 adjacent area; R2 communicated area.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is obvious6NTD2122412024P02558CN that the embodiments to be described are only some of rather than all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by persons skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without creative efforts shall fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] It should be noted that if there are directional indications in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement, etc. between the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication changes accordingly.

[0046] Further, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but must be made based on the realization for those ordinary skilled in the art, when the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be achieved, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist, nor does it fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0047] In view of the fact that currently and commonly used ambient lights are configured in a structure that is not suitable for arranging adjacent to the air outlet assemblies of some vehicle instrument panels, while the separately arrangement of the light sources are not convenient for wiring of power supply wires, the present disclosure provides an ambient light assembly I for a vehicle and a vehicle instrument panel II comprising the ambient light assembly I to solve the above technical problems.

[0048] In the specification, the term “adjacent” means proximity to and near, and broadly includes similar meanings such as neighboring, proximate, contiguous, etc., so when describing a plurality of (two or more) components are adjacent to each other or one component is adjacent to another component, it means that the components are in contact with each other, or the distance between them is small (e.g., the distance is less than or equal to 10 mm, or less than or equal to 7 mm, or less than or equal to 5 mm, or less than or equal to 2 mm, or less than or equal to 1 mm, etc.).

[0049] FIG. 2 to 4 exemplarily illustrate an ambient light assembly I for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ambient light assembly I comprises a plurality of ambient light units 100, and each ambient light unit 100 comprises a light source member 110 and a light guide strip 120. The light source member 110 may be a casing containing a7NTD2122412024P02558CN built-in light source (not shown). The light guide strip 120 may be made of a suitable material such as glass fiber, polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and is elongated, and the light guide strip 120 has a proximal end 120A and a distal end 120B and extends from the proximal end 120 A to the distal end 120B. The proximal end 120Ais connected to the light source member 110 and can be aligned with the light source in the light source member 110, to convert the light emitted by the light source, such as point emergent light, into linear emergent light emitted by the light guide strip 120. The light source members 110 of the plurality of ambient light units 100 are arranged to be adjacent / close to (e.g., overlapped with) each other to centralize power supply to the respective light source members 110, thereby helping to optimize the power supply circuit of the ambient lights. Meanwhile, in some embodiments, there exists an adjacent area Rl, and the light guide strips 120 of the plurality of ambient light units 100 may be arranged adjacent to each other in the adjacent area Rl, for example, be intersected or overlapped with each other, and then extend from the adjacent area Rl to the respective distal ends 120B, for example, in the same direction or in different directions, so that the linear emergent light emitted by the ambient light assembly I from the distal end 120B of one light guide strip 120 to the distal end 120B of another light guide strip 120 is continuous without interruption, ensuring the luminous effect. It should be understood that in the case the overall length of the ambient light remains constant, the single light guide strip 120 of the ambient light assembly I of the present disclosure is shorter than the light guide strip of the conventionally configured ambient light assembly, and different light guide strips 120 may have substantially equal lengths, so that the brightness of the distal end 120B of the light guide strip 120 is not significantly attenuated relative to the brightness of the proximal end 120 A of the light guide strip 120 during operation.

[0050] FIG. 16 exemplarily illustrates a vehicle instrument panel II comprising an ambient light assembly I, and the vehicle instrument panel II further comprises an air outlet assembly 300, specifically, the air outlet assembly 300 may be an air outlet assembly for a vehicle air conditioner on the vehicle instrument panel II. The air outlet assembly 300 is elongated and comprises a pair of end portions 300A and 300B and an air outlet, and there may be one or more air outlets that may be located between the pair of end portions 300 A, 300B, or in particular, may be located at the end portions 300 A, 300B. The ambient light assembly I comprises two ambient light units 100 and is arranged adjacent to the air outlet assembly 300,8NTD2122412024P02558CN the light source members 110 of the two ambient light units 100 are arranged at appropriate positions along or adjacent to the air outlet assembly 300 of the vehicle instrument panel II, for example, the position where the light source member 110 is arranged corresponds to or is adjacent to the middle of the air outlet assembly 300 between the pair of end portions 300A, 300B, and is offset from the air outlet without interfering with any air outlet, and the light guide strips 120 of the two ambient light units 100 extend along the air outlet assembly 300 and make the distal ends 120B of the light guide strips 120 of the two ambient light units 100 be adjacent to the pair of end portions 300 A, 300B of the air outlet assembly 300 respectively. It should be understood that, compared with the conventional ambient light assembly, the light source members 110 of the ambient light assembly I of the present disclosure may be arranged at different positions as appropriate, so the positions of the light source members 110 are offset / avoided from the air outlet of the air outlet assembly 300, so that the ambient light assembly I can be applied to the air outlet assembly 300 with various different air outlets arrangement, and is arranged along the entire length of the air outlet assembly 300. In some embodiments, the air outlet of the air outlet assembly 300 may comprise an end air outlet 310 positioned at the end portion 300 A, 300B of the air outlet assembly 300, and certainly may further comprise other air outlets, and the end air outlet 310 is adjacent to the distal end 120B of the corresponding light guide strip 120. It should be understood that the end air outlet 310 may be arranged at only one end portion 300 A, 300B of the air outlet assembly 300, or the end air outlets 310 may be arranged at both the pair of end portions 300 A, 300B of the air outlet assembly 300, for example, in FIG. 16, it is illustrated that the distal ends 120B of the light guide strips 120 of the two ambient light units 100 are respectively adjacent to the end air outlets 310 arranged at the pair of end portions 300A, 300B of the air outlet assembly 300. Since the distal end 120B does not occupy too much space, the distal end 120B will not have positional interference with the end air outlet 310 in the presence of the end air outlet 310, the space near the end portions 300 A, 300B of the air outlet assembly 300 can accommodate the distal end 120B, and the ambient light assembly I can still be arranged along the entire length of the air outlet assembly 300. It should also be understood that the ambient light assembly I may further comprise a power supply wire 400, and since the light source members 110 are adjacent or neighboring to each other, it is advantageous to connect the individual light source members 110 through only one power supply wire 400 to supply power to the individual light source members 110. It should be noted that the arrangement of the ambient light assembly I 9NTD2122412024P02558CN and the air outlet assembly 300 in FIG. 16 is only schematic, and in practice, the ambient light assembly I may be hidden and invisible.

[0051] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 13, the ambient light assembly I may further comprise a housing 200 comprising a base 210 and a plurality of accommodating grooves 220. Each accommodating groove 220 comprises a proximal end portion 220Aand a distal end portion 220B and extends from the proximal end portion 220A to the distal end portion 220B, and the accommodating groove 220 further comprises a groove inner wall 220C defining a groove cavity 220D of the accommodating groove 220. The proximal end portion 220A of each accommodating groove 220 is provided on the base portion 210, and the plurality of accommodating grooves 220 extend from the respective proximal end portions 220Ato the respective distal end portions 220B. The light source members 110 of the plurality of ambient light units 100 are installed on the base 210 such that the proximal ends 120 A of the light guide strips 120 are fixed relative to the base 210 / housing 200. The light guide strips 120 of the plurality of ambient light units 100 are respectively arranged in the groove cavities 220D of the plurality of accommodating grooves 220 and extend from the respective proximal end portion 220A of the accommodating groove 220 to the respective distal end portion 220B of the accommodating groove 220. In this way, the plurality of ambient light units 100 are assembled together by the housing 200, which ensures the stability of the structural arrangement of the ambient light units 100 and effectively protects the light guide strip 120. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, 8 and 10, the base 210 may be provided with a plurality of apertures 213 respectively communicated with the proximal end portions 220 A of the plurality of accommodating grooves 220, so that the accommodating grooves 220 are opened at the proximal end portions 220 A. The apertures 213 constitute outlets for the proximal end portions 220A of the accommodating grooves 220, and the proximal end portions 120 A of the light guide strips 120 of the plurality of ambient light units 100 are respectively positioned in the plurality of apertures 213 and connected to the respectively light source members 110 in the apertures 213. It should be understood that in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14 and 15, the housing 200 may further comprise a transparent groove cover 230 attached to the base 210 and / or the accommodating grooves 220 and covering the light guide strips 120, to enclose the light guide strips 120 in the housing 200, and the light conducted by the light guide strips 120 can be emitted from the ambient light assembly I10NTD2122412024P02558CN through the transparent groove cover 230. It should be understood that although the housing 200 is introduced, when the ambient light assembly I is applied to the vehicle instrument panel II and arranged adjacent to the air outlet assembly 300, there is still enough space near the air outlet assembly 300 to accommodate the ambient light assembly I.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, corresponding to the adjacent area Rl, the plurality of accommodating grooves 220 are communicated with each other (e.g., intersected or converged with each other) to form a corresponding communicated area R2, and the adjacent area Rl coincides with the communicated area R2, that is, the light guide strips 120 of the plurality of ambient light units 100 are arranged adjacent to each other in the communicated area R2, so that the arrangement of the light guide strips 120 matches the arrangement of the accommodating grooves 220. Specifically, the plurality of accommodating grooves 220 may be intersected with each other in the communicated area R2 and thus be communicated with each other, and the light guide strips 120 of the plurality of ambient light units 100 are arranged crisscrossed with each other in the communicated area R2 and are adjacent to each other, which can ensure the continuity and luminous effect of the linear emergent light emitted by the ambient light assembly I. In some other embodiments not shown, it is also possible that the plurality of accommodating grooves are converged with each other in the communication area and thus be communicated with each other, and the light guide strips of the plurality of ambient light units are arranged overlapped with each other in the communication area and are adjacent to each other.

[0053] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13, the distal end portion 220B of the accommodating groove 220 is formed with an insertion hole 221, and the distal end 120B of the light guide strip 120 is tightly inserted in the insertion hole 221. In this way, the distal end 120B of the light guide strip 120 is fixed relative to the distal end portion 220B / housing 200, and as described above, the proximal end 120Aof the light guide strip 120 is fixed relative to the base 210 / housing 200, and at the same time, the entire light guide strip 120 extends in the groove cavity 220D of the accommodating groove 220, thereby preliminarily ensuring the fixation of the light guide strip 120 by the housing 200. Preferably, the insertion hole 221 is configured as a non-circular hole, and the distal end 120B of the light guide strip 120 is configured as a non-cylindrical shape, and after the distal end 120B is tightly inserted into the insertion hole 221, the rotation / rolling of the light guide strip 120 relative to the groove cavity11NTD2122412024P02558CN220D can be effectively prevented / limited, for example, when the light guide strip 120 is integrally configured as a cylinder, a protrusion is formed on the outer surface of the distal end 120B of the light guide strip 120 to make the distal end 120B have a non-cylindrical shape, and then the circumferential rotation / rolling of the light guide strip 120 in the groove cavity 220D can be limited. Also, in other embodiments, the light guide strip 120 may also be configured in a prismatic shape, and its cross section may be a non-circular shape such as a polygon (e.g., a square, a regular hexagon, etc.).

[0054] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12, the groove inner wall 220C may be provided with a recess 223, and the light guide strip 120 may comprise a first limiting portion 121 protruding from the outer surface of the light guide strip 120, and the first limiting portion 121 is engaged in the recess 223 and is in contact with the edge of the recess 223, which may also effectively prevent / limit the rotation / rolling of the light guide strip 120 relative to the groove cavity 220D. Meanwhile, it should be understood that the concave-convex cooperation provided by the recess 223 and the first limiting portion 121 may itself form fool proofing structures, referred to herein as a primary fool proofing structures, whereby the engagement of the recess 223 and the corresponding first limiting portion 121 is accompanied by an insurance of the correct assembly of the light guide strip 120 having the first restricting portion 121 in the groove cavity 220D having the recess 223, comprising a guarantee that each of the light guide strips 120 is assembled in the corresponding groove cavity 220D without mismatch, and / or ensuring that the proximal end 120A and the distal end 120B of each of the light guide strips 120 correctly correspond to the proximal end portion 220A and the distal end portion 220B of the corresponding accommodating groove 220 without reversal. In this way, during the assembly process, the correctness of the assembly of the light guide strip 120 in the groove cavity 220D can be ensured only by focusing on and ensuring the engagement of the marked recess 223 with the marked first limiting portion 121, thereby playing a fool proofing role. Moreover, in some embodiments, the first limiting portion 121 and the recess 223 may also be shaped to further enable the first limiting portion 121 and the recess 223 to be provided with fool proof structures 121 A, 223 A matched with each other, herein referred to as a secondary fool proofing structures, for example, the first limiting portion 121 and the recess 223 are provided with inclined surfaces (as shown in FIG. 12) matched with each other as (secondary) fool proofing structures 121A, 223 A, to further ensure the correct assembly of12NTD2122412024P02558CN the light guide strip 120 in the groove cavity 220D.

[0055] With continued reference to FIG. 12, in some embodiments, the groove inner wall 220C may further comprise a clamping portion 222 protruding from the groove inner wall 220C, for example, the clamping portion 222 may be configured as a rib or protrusion provided on the groove inner wall 220C, and the clamping portion 222 is arranged to partially surround the light guide strip 120 and catch / lock or clamp the light guide strip 120, to further fix the light guide strip 120 and prevent the light guide strip 120 from disengaging from the groove cavity 220D.

[0056] The light source member 110 may be snap-fitted on the base 210. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIGS. 8-11, the base 210 is provided with a snapping through-hole 211 and forms a corresponding through-hole edge 212 surrounding the snapping through-hole 211. A snapping leg 130 extends from the light source member 110, and the snapping leg 130 can be engaged with the snapping through-hole 211 to clamp / mount the light source member 110 on the base 210. Specifically, the snapping leg 130 at least comprises an insertion segment 130A, and at least one pair of first elastic pieces 131 extend from the insertion segment 130A.When the light source member 110 is mounted to the base 210, the insertion segment 130A of the snapping leg 130 is inserted in / through the snapping through- hole 211 and engaged with the snapping through-hole 211, so that the first elastic pieces 131 are elastically bent and pass through the snapping through-hole 211, and then the first elastic pieces 131 elastically recover and bias the base 210 toward the light source member 110, and the base 210 is clamped between the first elastic pieces 131 and the light source member 110, thereby snap-fitting / mounting the light source member 110 on the base 210.

[0057] With continued reference to FIG. 6 and FIGS. 8 to 11, in some embodiments, the snapping leg 130 further comprises a fixation segment 130B positioned between the insertion section 130A and the light source member 110, at least one pair of second elastic pieces 132 are extended from the fixation segment 130B, and the fixation segment 130B may further comprise a shoulder 134 protruding relative to the insertion section 130A. When the light source member 110 is mounted to the base 210, the first elastic pieces 131 bias the base 210 toward the light source member 110 until the base 210 abuts against the shoulder 134 of the fixing section 130B, thus the light source member 110 is initially clamped on the base 210.13NTD2122412024P02558CNOn the other side of the base 210, the second elastic pieces 132 bias the base 210 toward the first elastic pieces 131 to clamp the base 210 together with the first elastic pieces 131, and can also balance the biasing force applied by the pair of first elastic pieces 131 to the base 210, preventing the base 210 from skewing due to unbalanced forces, so as to snap the light source member 110 to the base 210 more securely. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, the first elastic pieces 131 may be bent toward the light source member 110, and the second elastic pieces 132 may be bent away from the light source member 110 to present that the first elastic pieces 131 and the second elastic pieces 132 are bent toward each other, so as to better apply clamping forces to the base 210 from both sides of the base 210.

[0058] It should be understood that both the base 210 and the snapping leg 130 may be configured in a plate shape. The insertion segment 130A is adjacent to the fixation segment 130B, the snapping leg 130 is fixedly disposed on the light source member 110 by the fixation segment 130B, and the width of the fixation segment 130B may be greater than that of the insertion segment 130A, thereby forming the shoulder 134 described above. The first elastic pieces 131 and the second elastic pieces 132 are extended from two opposite side surfaces of the snapping leg 130 configured in a plate shape, and the first elastic pieces 131 and the second elastic pieces 132 elastically abut against two opposite side surfaces of the plate-shaped base 210 respectively to clamp the base 210.

[0059] With continued reference to FIG. 6 and FIGS. 8 to 11, in some embodiments, a second limiting portion 133 extends from the first elastic piece 131, for example, the second limiting portion 133 bends and extends from the free end of the first elastic piece 131, and after the light source member 110 is clamped and mounted to the base 210, the second limiting portion 133 is positioned in the snapping through-hole 211 and abuts against the through-hole edge 212 of the snapping through-hole 211 due to the elastic recovery force of the first elastic pieces 131, thereby preventing / limiting the movement of the snapping leg 130 in the snapping through-hole 211, and mounting the light source member 110 more securely to the base 210. Moreover, in some embodiments, the through-hole edge 212 may further comprise a first notch 212A formed thereon, and the second limiting portion 133 is tightly received or embedded in the first notch 212A, and the second limiting portion 133 is engaged with the first notch 212A and is in contact with the edge of the first notch 212A, which can further14NTD2122412024P02558CN limit the movement, including rotation, of the snapping leg 130 in the snapping through-hole 211.

[0060] Meanwhile, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11, the snapping leg 130 may be further provided with a third limiting portion 135, and the through-hole edge 212 further comprises a second notch 212B formed thereon. After the snapping leg 130 is inserted in the snapping through-hole 211, the third limiting portion 135 is positioned in the snapping through-hole 211 and is tightly received or embedded in the second notch 212B, and the third limiting portion 135 is engaged with the second notch 212B and is in contact with the edge of the second notch 212B (the through-hole edge 212) to prevent / limit movement, including rotation, of the snapping leg 130 in the snapping through-hole 211. For example, when the snapping leg 130 is configured in a plate shape, the edge portion of the snapping leg 130 may be configured as the third limiting portion 135, and / or the third limiting portion 135 may extend from the snapping leg 130, and a corresponding second notch 212B may be provided on the through-hole edge 212 to receive and be engaged with the third limiting portion 135.

[0061] It should be understood that the above description of the preferred embodiments is relatively detailed, and thus cannot be considered as limiting the protection scope of the present disclosure, and those of ordinary skill in the art can also make substitutions or modifications without departing from the protection scope of the claims of the present disclosure under the inspiration of the present disclosure, which all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure, and the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be defined by the appended claims.15NTD212241

Claims

2024P02558CNCLAIMS1. An ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle, wherein the ambient light assembly (I) comprises a plurality of ambient light units (100), and each of the ambient light units (100) comprises: a light source member (110); a light guide strip (120) comprising a proximal end (120A) and a distal end (120B), and the proximal end (120A) being connected to the light source member (110); wherein the light source members (110) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) are arranged adjacent to each other.

2. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the ambient light assembly (I) further comprises a housing (200) comprising: a base (210); a plurality of accommodating grooves (220), each comprising a proximal end portion (220A), a distal end portion (220B), a groove inner wall (220C) and a groove cavity (220D) defined by the groove inner wall (220C), the proximal end portion (220A) being arranged on the base (210), and the plurality of accommodating grooves (220) extending from the respective proximal end portion (220A) to the respective distal end portion (220B); wherein the light source members (110) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) are installed on the base (210), and the light guide strips (120) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) are respectively arranged in the groove cavities (220D) of the plurality of accommodating grooves (220) and extend from the respective proximal end portion (220A) of the accommodating groove (220) to the respective distal end portion (220B) of the accommodating groove (220).

3. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of accommodating grooves (220) are communicated with each other to form a communicated16NTD2122412024P02558CN area (R2), and the light guide strips (120) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) are arranged adjacent to each other in the communicated area (R2).

4. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of accommodating grooves (220) are intersected with each other in the communicated area (R2), and the light guide strips (120) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) are arranged crisscrossed with each other in the communicated area (R2); or, the plurality of accommodating grooves (220) are converged with each other in the communicated area (R2), and the light guide strips (120) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) are arranged overlapped with each other in the communicated area (R2).

5. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein an insertion hole (221) is formed in the distal end portion (220B) of the accommodating groove (220), and the distal end (120B) of the light guide strip (120) is tightly inserted in the insertion hole (221).

6. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the insertion hole (221) is configured as a non-circular hole, and the distal end (120B) of the light guide strip (120) is configured as a non-cylindrical shape to limit the rotation of the light guide strip (120) relative to the groove cavity (220D).

7. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the groove inner wall (220C) is provided with a recess (223), and the light guide strip (120) comprises a first limiting portion (121) protruding from an outer surface of the light guide strip (120), and wherein the first limiting portion (121) is engaged in the recess (223) to limit the rotation of the light guide strip (120) relative to the groove cavity (220D).

8. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the first limiting portion (121) and the recess (223) are provided with fool proofing structures (121 A,17NTD2122412024P02558CN223 A) matched with each other.

9. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the groove inner wall (220C) comprises a clamping portion (222) protruding from the groove inner wall (220C), and the clamping portion (222) is arranged to partially surround and clamp the light guide strip (120).

10. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the light source member (110) is snap-fitted on the base (210).

11. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the base (210) is provided with a snapping through-hole (211) to form a corresponding through-hole edge (212), a snapping leg (130) extends from the light source member (110) and at least comprises an insertion segment (130A), and at least one pair of first elastic pieces (131) extends from the insertion segment (130A); wherein the insertion segment (130A) of the snapping leg (130) is inserted in the snapping through-hole (211), so that the first elastic pieces (131) pass through the snapping through-hole (211) and bias the base (210) towards the light source member (110) to snap-fit the light source member (110) on the base (210).

12. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the snapping leg (130) further comprises a fixation segment (130B) positioned between the insertion segment (130A) and the light source member (110), and the fixation segment (130B) comprises a shoulder (134) protruding relative to the insertion segment (130A) and at least one pair of second elastic pieces (132) extending from the fixation segment (130B); wherein the first elastic pieces (131) bias the base (210) towards the light source member (110) until the base (210) abuts against the shoulder (134) of the fixation segment (130B), and the second elastic pieces (132) bias the base (210) towards the first elastic pieces (131) to clamp the base (210) together with the first elastic pieces (131).18NTD2122412024P02558CN13. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein a second limiting portion (133) extends from the first elastic piece (131) and is positioned in the snapping through-hole (211) to abut against the through-hole edge (212), so as to limit the movement of the snapping leg (130) in the snapping through-hole (211).

14. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the through-hole edge (212) comprises a first notch (212 A) formed thereon, and the second limiting portion (133) is received in the first notch (212A).

15. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the snapping leg (130) is provided with a third limiting portion (135), and the through-hole edge (212) further comprises a second notch (212B) formed thereon, wherein the third limiting portion (135) is positioned in the snapping through-hole (211) and received in the second notch (212B) to limit the movement of the snapping leg (130) in the snapping through-hole (211).

16. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the base (210) is provided with a plurality of apertures (213) respectively communicated with the proximal end portions (220A) of the plurality of accommodating grooves (220), and the proximal ends (120A) of the light guide strips (120) of the plurality of ambient light units (100) are respectively positioned in the plurality of apertures (213).

17. The ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the housing (200) further comprises a transparent groove cover (230) attached to the base (210) and / or the accommodating grooves (220) and covering the light guide strips (120).

18. A vehicle instrument panel (II) comprising the ambient light assembly (I) for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 17.19NTD2122412024P02558CN19. The vehicle instrument panel (II) according to claim 18, wherein the vehicle instrument panel (II) further comprises an air outlet assembly (300) which is elongated and comprises an air outlet, and the ambient light assembly (I) comprises two ambient light units (100), wherein the ambient light assembly (I) is arranged adjacent to the air outlet assembly(300), and the light source members (110) of the two ambient light units (100) are arranged along the air outlet assembly (300) and offset from the air outlet of the air outlet assembly (300), and the light guide strips (120) of the two ambient light units (100) extend along the air outlet assembly (300) to make the distal ends (120B) of the light guide strips (120) adjacent to end portions (300 A, 300B) of the air outlet assembly (300) respectively.

20. The vehicle instrument panel (II) according to claim 19, wherein the air outlet of the air outlet assembly (300) comprises an end air outlet (310) positioned at the end portion (300A, 300B) of the air outlet assembly (300) and adjacent to the distal end (120B) of the light guide strip (120).20NTD212241

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