Ventilator Mount for Vehicle Lighting Device

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lighting devices for vehicles, particularly those with fans, face difficulties in easily installing or removing the fan due to its permanent integration with the lighting device, making maintenance and replacement challenging, especially when the fan becomes defective.

Innovation Solution

A holder for the fan with fastening elements and devices that allows secure attachment and detachment of the fan within the lighting device, enabling easy installation and removal through an insertion opening, independent of the fan's initial position, using thermoplastic materials for multiple screwing capabilities and guide devices for secure fastening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the fan is permanently installed or integrally connected to components in the lighting device, then the structural stability and cooling effectiveness are improved, but the ease of repair and replacement of the fan deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidease of fan replacement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device is segmented into modular components: the housing, the fan assembly, and the mounting bracket. The fan is mounted on a separate bracket that can be independently removed from the housing, allowing the fan to be replaced without replacing the entire lighting device or disassembling the housing structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The fan assembly is extracted from the housing as a separate removable unit. The bracket serves as an intermediary component that allows the fan to be taken out of the housing easily through an opening, separating the fan replacement process from the housing structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If the fan is permanently installed in the lighting device, then the cooling performance is maintained, but the ease of operation for fan maintenance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidease of fan maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting system transitions from a permanent fixed connection to a dynamic removable connection. The bracket can be easily attached and detached from the housing through the opening, allowing the fan to be maintained while preserving the cooling function when properly installed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Strength

If attachment elements are positioned inside the housing requiring access through the insertion opening, then the fan can be secured to the housing, but the ease of repair deteriorates due to difficult access

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefastening securityVSAvoidaccessibility of attachment elements
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The bracket serves as an intermediary component between the fan and the housing. It provides attachment elements that can be accessed through the opening in the housing, allowing secure fastening without requiring direct access to the interior mounting points of the housing itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Device complexity

If the fan is integrally connected to the lighting device components, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of repair and replacement of the fan deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrationVSAvoidfan replaceability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The integral connection is segmented into separate components: the housing, the bracket, and the fan. This segmentation maintains a relatively simple overall structure while enabling the fan to be replaced by removing only the bracket assembly rather than the entire lighting device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2327928B1Mount for a ventilator of a lighting device and lighting device
Publication Date: 2018.08.15 HELLA GMBH & CO KGAA
  • EP2327928B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2327928B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2327928B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The holder (10) has a fastening element and a fastening device (11) for fastening a fan (20) and the holder in inner region of a lighting device, respectively. The fastening device has a through-hole (12) with an internal thread for receiving a fastening screw (13), and a blind hole with or without an internal thread, and a guiding device (14) for guiding the screw. The guiding device is detachably fastened at the holder by a film hinge or by locking elements (15). The through-hole is arranged in a slanting position to the blind hole. An independent claim is also included for a lighting device for a vehicle.