US-12618536-B2 - Housing module for a lighting element

US12618536B2US 12618536 B2US12618536 B2US 12618536B2US-12618536-B2

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein relates to a housing module for a lighting element for a vehicle. The housing module includes a base body, a fastening interface provided on the base body for fastening the housing module to a lighting element, and a receptacle provided on the base body for arranging a cable holder. The receptacle includes an opening and a plurality of sliding elements partially surrounding the opening, wherein the sliding elements are arranged on a first side of a surface of the base body comprising the opening. The sliding elements are configured to urge a plurality of flexible latching elements of the cable holder projecting from a second side opposite the first side through the surface onto the first side from a locking position to a release position when the cable holder rotates in the opening.

Inventors

Britta Jekosch
Ralf Seiger

Assignees

HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20250610

Claims (8)

1 . A housing module for a lighting element for a vehicle, wherein the housing module comprises: a base body; a fastening interface provided on the base body for fastening the housing module to a lighting element; a receptacle provided on the base body for arranging a cable holder, wherein the receptacle comprises an opening and a plurality of sliding elements partially surrounding the opening, wherein the plurality of sliding elements are arranged on and protrude from a first side of a surface of the base body comprising the opening, wherein the plurality of sliding elements are configured to urge a plurality of flexible latching elements of the cable holder projecting from a second side opposite the first side through the surface onto the first side from a locking position to a release position when the cable holder rotates in the opening, wherein the plurality of latching elements overlie the surface by an undercut and thereby conditionally secure the cable holder to the housing module in the locking position, and the plurality of latching elements are compressed so as to be movable through the opening to release the cable holder from the housing module in the release position, wherein each of the plurality of sliding elements are spaced apart from each other about a periphery of the opening, and wherein the opening between respective ones of the plurality of sliding elements defines a plurality of contact surfaces on the first side of the surface of the base body, such that the plurality of latching elements engage the plurality of contact surfaces when the cable holder is in the locking position to prevent withdrawal of the cable holder from the opening, and wherein the plurality of sliding elements urge the plurality of latching elements radially inward during rotation of the cable holder into the release position.
2 . The housing module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sliding elements continuously surround the opening with the exception of the contact surfaces formed between the respective sliding elements.
3 . The housing module of claim 1 , wherein respective sliding elements of the plurality of sliding elements are arranged opposite of the opening from each other in order to jointly and simultaneously urge respective latching elements of the plurality of latching elements into the release position when the cable holder is rotated in the opening.
4 . The housing module of claim 1 , wherein respective sliding elements of the plurality of sliding elements form an edge surface of portions of the opening.
5 . The housing module of claim 1 , wherein a space for movement is formed on the second side, in which the cable holder is rotatable between the locking position and the release position.
6 . A lighting element comprising a plurality of housing modules according to claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of cable holders arranged in the opening of the base body of a respective housing module.
7 . A vehicle comprising a plurality of lighting elements according to claim 6 .
8 . A housing module for a lighting element for a vehicle, wherein the housing module comprises: a base body; a fastening interface provided on the base body for fastening the housing module to a lighting element; a receptacle provided on the base body for arranging a cable holder, wherein the receptacle comprises an opening and a plurality of sliding elements partially surrounding the opening, wherein the plurality of sliding elements are arranged on a first side of a surface of the base body comprising the opening, wherein the plurality of sliding elements are configured to urge a plurality of flexible latching elements of the cable holder projecting from a second side opposite the first side through the surface onto the first side from a locking position to a release position when the cable holder rotates in the opening, wherein the plurality of latching elements overlie the surface by an undercut and thereby conditionally secure the cable holder to the housing module in the locking position, and the plurality of latching elements are compressed so as to be movable through the opening to release the cable holder from the housing module in the release position, and wherein respective sliding elements of the plurality of sliding elements are bent towards each other in order to urge respective latching elements of the plurality of latching elements on a trajectory predetermined by the plurality of sliding elements from the locking position to the release position when the cable holder is rotated.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2022/086901, filed Dec. 20, 2022, the disclosures of which is incorporated by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a housing module for a lighting element of a vehicle, a lighting element for a vehicle, a vehicle and a method for arranging a component on a lighting element. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Lighting elements for vehicles, such as headlights or taillights, are complex components with a large number of components that are accommodated in a very limited installation space. Particularly in the case of lighting elements with a movement function for illuminating curves, for example, or for adapting to a particular vehicle position, it is necessary for cables arranged in a lighting element to be secured in their position so that jamming of a cable during movement of a component of the lighting element is avoided. Cable holders are generally used to secure the respective cables in a fixed position in a lighting element. However, fixed cable holders lead to the problem that components on which a cable holder is arranged can no longer be removed. This can lead to the situation where in the event of a failure of a light source, the complete lighting element must be repaired either in a complex process by a technician or be replaced completely. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Against this background, it is a problem underlying the invention disclosed herein to provide a possibility for replacing components of a lighting element with position-fixed cables, which can also be carried out by a non-technically trained user. In order to solve the aforementioned problem, according to a first aspect of the invention disclosed herein, a housing module for a lighting element for a vehicle is disclosed. The housing module disclosed herein comprises a base body, a fastening interface provided on the base body for fastening the housing module to a lighting element, and a receptacle provided on the base body for arranging a cable holder. The receptacle comprises an opening and a number of sliding elements partially surrounding the opening, wherein the number of sliding elements are arranged on a first side of a surface of the base body comprising the opening, wherein the plurality of sliding elements are configured to urge a plurality of flexible latching elements of the cable holder projecting from a second side opposite the first side through the surface onto the first side from a locking position to a release position when the cable holder rotates in the opening, wherein the plurality of latching elements overlie the surface by an undercut and thereby conditionally secure the cable holder to the housing module in the locked position, and the plurality of latching elements are compressed so as to be movable through the opening to release the cable holder from the housing module in the release position. In the context of the presented invention, a “cable holder” means an element for securing a cable in a fixed position. In particular, a cable holder comprises a cable fixing means and a latching means comprising a number of latching elements. By a number of elements is meant in the context of the presented housing module at least one element, i.e., a single element or a plurality of elements. The invention disclosed herein is based on the principle that a receptacle is provided on a housing module on which a cable holder can be arranged or into which a cable holder can be inserted. For this purpose, the receptacle comprises an opening and a number of sliding elements. Preferably, two sliding elements can surround an opening, for example. The sliding elements serve to move, i.e., compress, latching elements of the cable holder when the cable holder is rotated from its locking position to its release position. According to an embodiment, respective sliding elements of the plurality of sliding elements are spaced apart from each other so that the plurality of latching elements engage respective abutment surfaces formed between the respective sliding elements when the cable holder is in the locked position. In order to release or decompress latching elements of the cable holder when the cable holder is rotated from its release position to its locking position, respective sliding elements may be spaced apart from each other so as to form abutment surfaces on which latching elements urging outwardly between the sliding elements abut or engage in an undercut. According to another embodiment, the number of sliding elements continuously surrounds the opening, with the exception of the contact surfaces formed between the respective sliding elements. Sliding elements bordering the opening, i.e., sliding elements arranged at an edge of the opening and aligned with the opening, for example, force the latching elements into the opening when the cable holder moves from the locked position to the