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JP-2026076351-A - Automotive lighting and/or signaling device with external decorative elements and related assembly method

JP2026076351AJP 2026076351 AJP2026076351 AJP 2026076351AJP-2026076351-A

Abstract

[Problem] The present invention relates to automotive lighting and signaling devices equipped with external decorative elements, and a method for assembling the same. [Solution] A lighting and/or signaling device (4), particularly for the automotive industry, comprising: a container body separating a confinement housing (12) closed by a lens body, which houses at least one light source (16) configured to emit a ray that at least partially crosses the lens body; and at least one decorative element (28) applied to the outer wall (32) of the lens body opposite the confinement housing. The inner wall of the decorative element directly facing the outer wall of the lens body comprises at least one welding pin that creates a welding point with the lens body; at least one spacer element that determines the minimum distance and volume or gap between the outer wall of the lens body and the inner wall of the decorative element; and at least one transport element that is favorable for the outflow of liquid entering the volume through the gap. [Selection Diagram] Figure 3

Inventors

  • ロタリス，フランチェスカ
  • ザモロ，アントニオ
  • モロルド，カルロ

Assignees

  • マレッリ・オートモーティブ・ライティング・イタリー・ソチエタ・ペル・アツィオーニ

Dates

Publication Date
20260511
Application Date
20260218
Priority Date
20201130

Claims (16)

  1. - A container body (8) that separates the enclosed housing (12) closed by the lens body (20), - The confinement housing (12) houses at least one light source (16) configured to emit a ray that at least partially crosses the lens body (20) so as to transmit the ray to the outside of the confinement housing (12), - comprising at least one decorative element (28) applied to the outer wall (32) of the lens body (20) opposite to the enclosing housing (12), A lighting and/or signaling device for a vehicle, wherein the inner wall (36) of the decorative element (28) directly facing the outer wall (32) of the lens body (20) comprises at least one welding pin (40) that creates a welding point with the lens body (20), at least one spacer element (44) that determines the minimum distance (48) and volume or gap (52) between the outer wall (32) of the lens body (20) and the inner wall (36) of the decorative element (28), and at least one transport element (56) that is favorable for the outflow of liquid entering the volume (52) through the distance (48).
  2. The lighting and/or signaling device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the transport element (56) has the form of fins that are sloped to facilitate the downward flow of the liquid.
  3. The lighting and/or signaling device (4) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transport element (56) has a thickness greater than or equal to the spacing (48).
  4. The lighting and/or signaling device (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one filling element (60), which is impermeable to liquid and configured to at least partially fill the volume (52), is associated with the inner wall (36).
  5. The lighting and/or signaling device (4) according to claim 4, wherein the filling element (60) is an elastically compressible element inside the volume (52).
  6. The filling element (60) is an EPDM sponge, according to claim 4 or 5, for the lighting and/or signaling device (4).
  7. The filling element (60) is a sponge-like element comprising closed cells, as described in any one of claims 4 to 6, for the lighting and/or signaling device (4).
  8. The filling element (60) is at least partially compressed inside the volume (52), as described in any one of claims 4 to 7, for the lighting and/or signaling device (4).
  9. A lighting and/or signaling device (4) according to any one of claims 4 to 8, comprising a plurality of transport elements (56) arranged at intervals from one another by the filling element (60).
  10. The lighting and/or signaling device (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the transport element (56) and the spacer element (44) are identical to each other.
  11. The welding pin (40) is made of a material that is opaque to the welding laser, according to any one of claims 1 to 10, for the illumination and/or signaling device (4).
  12. The decorative element (28) on the outer surface (38) opposite to the inner wall (36) comprises a chrome-plated portion, as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, for the lighting and/or signaling device (4).
  13. The lighting and/or signaling device (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein at least one of the decorative elements (28) is opaque to the light rays.
  14. The steps of providing a lighting and/or signaling device (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, The steps include associating the decorative element (28) with the lens body (20) and bringing at least one of the welding pins (40) to contact the outer surface (32) of the lens body (20), A method for assembling a lighting and/or signaling device (4), comprising the step of performing welding to melt the welding pin (40) until contact is reached between the spacer element (44) and the outer surface (32) of the lens body (20).
  15. The assembly method according to claim 14, wherein the welding is ultrasonic welding or laser welding performed by directing a laser beam from the inside (64) of the lens body (20), which functions as a penetrating element, to a welding pin (40), which functions as an absorbing element.
  16. The assembly method according to claim 14 or 15, comprising the step of chroming the outer surface (38) of the decorative element (28) opposite to the inner wall (36), thereby avoiding chromium coating of the welding pin (40).

Description

This invention relates to an automotive lighting and/or signaling device with external decorative elements and an associated assembly method. The term "automotive lighting and/or signaling devices" is used herein in a very broad sense and includes rear or front automotive lighting, the latter also referred to as headlights or headlamps. As is well known, automotive lighting is a device intended to provide at least one lighting and/or signaling function for a vehicle, such as position lamps, turn signals, brake lights, rear fog lamps, reversing lamps, dip-beam headlights, and main-beam headlights. Furthermore, the term is also understood to include ceiling lights, dashboards, or parts thereof, and therefore automotive lighting and/or signaling devices are installed inside or outside the vehicle. As is known, the automotive lighting and/or signaling device comprises a hollow container body that substantially houses at least one light source and is closed by an external lens body. Preferably, the LED type light source is coupled to, for example, at least one optical guide that receives the light rays produced by the light source and transmits the light rays toward the lens body by conventional total internal reflection (TIR). For aesthetic reasons, light and/or signaling devices are provided with decorative elements on the exterior of the container. Such decorative elements often include chrome-plated portions. Decorating lighting and/or signaling equipment with such external decorative elements involves a series of technical challenges that must be overcome. To associate light with external decorative elements, a truly stable and lasting bond is achieved between the outer surface of the lens body and the inner wall of the decorative element associated with it. Such a bond is achieved by adhesive or welding. However, solutions that provide adhesion have drawbacks regarding adhesive degradation, as the direct action of atmospheric substances and the continuous vibrations and thermal stress experienced by lighting and/or signaling devices during their operation cause loss of their physicochemical properties and yield. To overcome the latter technical challenge, it is known that the periphery of the bonded portion is protected by appropriate surrounding sealing. However, the use of such gaskets inevitably involves a further increase in the cost of the components used, the overall cost of the lighting and/or signaling device, and the assembly process of the lighting itself. Therefore, in recent automotive lighting and/or signaling devices, it is preferred to join decorative elements to the lens body by welding processes, such as ultrasonic or laser welding. However, the shape or excessive size of the welded joint can lead to the formation of a gap between the decorative element and the lens body at the end of the welding process. Such gaps are sites of soil and especially water intrusion, and in the case of ice, expansion can cause separation of the decorative element. For all these reasons, conventional welding solutions have significant drawbacks. Therefore, there is a need to make available automotive lighting and/or signaling devices that have decorative elements capable of solving the technical problems mentioned in the prior art by reference to the prior art. Such requirements are met by the automotive lighting and/or signaling device described in claim 1 and by the method for assembling the automotive lighting and/or signaling device described in claim 13. Other embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims. Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of preferred, non-limiting embodiments. The assembled configuration and schematic perspective views from different angles of a lighting and/or signaling device according to embodiments of the present invention are shown.The assembled configuration and schematic perspective views from different angles of a lighting and/or signaling device according to embodiments of the present invention are shown.Figure 1-2 shows a schematic perspective view of the separated components of the lighting and/or signaling device.Figure 1 shows a front view of the detailed IV shown.Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the lighting and/or signaling device, taken along the line V-V in the cross-section of Figure 4.A cross-sectional view of a subsequent step for assembling a lighting and/or signaling device according to the present invention by welding is shown.A cross-sectional view of a subsequent step for assembling a lighting and/or signaling device according to the present invention by welding is shown.A cross-sectional view of a subsequent step for assembling a lighting and/or signaling device according to the present invention by welding is shown.Three schematic perspective views from different angles of decorative details of a lighting and/or signaling device according to the prese