Automotive Lighting Decorative Element Welding and Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automotive lighting and/or signaling devices face challenges in securely and durably attaching external decorative elements due to issues with glue deterioration from environmental factors and water infiltration through welding gaps, leading to increased costs and assembly complexity.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a decorative element with a welding pin and spacer/conveyor element configuration that allows for a stable laser or ultrasonic welding connection to the lenticular body, accompanied by a gap for liquid outflow and filling elements to prevent water stagnation, ensuring a durable and cost-effective attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If gluing is used to attach the decorative element to the lenticular body, then the attachment process is simple, but the attachment reliability deteriorates over time due to glue deterioration from atmospheric agents, vibrations, and thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding mechanism (gluing) with a mechanical bonding mechanism (welding). The welding process creates a permanent mechanical bond between the decorative element and lenticular body through melting and fusion, eliminating the deterioration issues associated with adhesive degradation from atmospheric exposure, vibrations, and thermal cycling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bonding parameter from chemical adhesion to thermal-mechanical fusion. By applying heat and pressure during welding, the materials undergo phase changes and molecular restructuring to form a permanent bond, transforming the attachment mechanism from reversible chemical bonding to irreversible mechanical fusion.
2Reliability
If welding is used to attach the decorative element to the lenticular body, then the attachment reliability improves, but gaps may form between the components allowing water infiltration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sealing element as an intermediary component between the decorative element and lenticular body. This sealing element fills and seals the gaps that naturally form during welding, preventing water and atmospheric agents from infiltrating the joint while allowing the welding process to proceed with its inherent gap formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the attachment system into distinct functional components: the welding joint for structural attachment and the sealing element for environmental protection. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specialized function optimally without compromising the other.
3Reliability
If perimeter seals are added to protect glued joints, then the attachment reliability improves, but the device complexity and assembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the attachment function and sealing function into a single integrated welding process. The welding operation simultaneously creates the structural bond and defines the sealed joint geometry, eliminating the need for separate sealing components and assembly steps that would be required with adhesive-based solutions.
4Strength
If welding joints are made larger to ensure stable attachment, then the attachment strength improves, but the gap formation and water infiltration risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the welding joint into two distinct functional zones: a small core welding area for structural strength and a larger sealing zone for environmental protection. The sealing element is positioned to fill the broader joint region, allowing the core weld to remain compact and strong while the sealed gap provides water infiltration protection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method provides a stable and economical attachment of decorative elements to automotive lighting and/or signaling devices, preventing water infiltration and maintaining functionality over time without hermetic insulation, thus addressing the drawbacks of prior art solutions.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for a stable laser or ultrasonic welding connection to the lenticular body
Implementation Method 2
allowing for a stable laser or ultrasonic welding connection to the lenticular body
Implementation Method 3
conveyor elements (56) which favor the downward flow of liquids through said minimum clearance (48)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A lighting and/or signaling device (4), in particular for the automotive industry, comprising a container body (8) which delimits a containment housing (12) closed by a lenticular body (20), which accommodates at least one light source (16) adapted to emit a light beam which at least partially crosses the lenticular body (20), at least one decorative element (28), applied on an external wall (32) of the lenticular body (20), opposite to the containment housing (12). An internal wall (36) of the decorative element (28), directly facing the external wall (32) of the lenticular body (20), comprises at least one welding pin (40), which creates a welding point with the lenticular body (20), at least one spacer element (44) which determines a minimum clearance (48) and a volume or gap (52) between the external wall (32) of the lenticular body (20) and the internal wall (36) of the element decorative element (28), at least one conveyor element (56) which favors the outflow of liquids which have penetrated through said clearance (48) into said volume (52).