The invention relates to an arrangement for a vehicle lamp, specifically a vehicle headlamp, with a flexible printed circuit board, with a means of reinforcement of one area of the flexible printed circuit board that is connected to the flexible printed circuit board, with an LED that is arranged in this area on the printed circuit board, and a means of shaping light that can be emitted by the LED, where this means of shaping light features at least one light-shaping optical means, where the means of reinforcement is connected to the means of shaping light,
Such an arrangement is known from document EP 1 684 003 B1. With this arrangement known from document EP 1 684 003 B1, the means of reinforcement, designated there as a heat dissipating element, provides for an aperture for holding and retaining of a first fixing pin with which the means of shaping light, designated there as a three-dimensional optical component, is equipped. In the aperture, protruding elements, designated there as retaining tabs, are provided for that are deformed by the insertion of the first fixing pin and that hold the first fixing pin following deformation.
The first fixing pins serve not only to fasten but also to position the means of shaping light, on the one hand, and the means of reinforcement or the flexible printed circuit board, on the other.
A further solution is disclosed in the document WO 2011/042195 A1. The means of shaping light designated there as a optic features a mandrel on a side facing the printed circuit board that is inserted through the flexible printed circuit board into an aperture in the means of reinforcement that is arranged on the back of the printed circuit board and is designated as a holding body in that document. A locking tab of the means of reinforcement extends into the aperture and clamps the mandrel inserted into the aperture.
With the arrangement from document WO 2011/042195 A1, special care must be taken particularly during assembly work as the slightest negligence can lead to the mandrels being damaged when they are inserted into the apertures. It is then not always possible to use them for positioning and connecting.
This was also a reason to search for an alternative solution for the connection between the means of shaping light and the means of reinforcement.
An alternative solution was found in that the means of reinforcement features at least one protruding element that comes into contact under tension with a connecting element of the means of shaping light or with a connecting element connected to such means and/or engages an indentation of the connecting element.
The inventive solution creates an interlocking and/or friction connection. Whereas the means of shaping light can be manufactured from only a certain group of materials due to the desired optical properties and thus the current state of technology also dictates the material for the protruding element, to the extent that the means of shaping light is monolithic, with the inventive solution the protruding element is part of the means of reinforcement. This does not have to fulfill any optical requirements. The material can therefore be chosen, for example, with regard to the mechanical requirements. This means that it is possible, for example, to manufacture the means of reinforcement from a material that is not only able to fulfill the reinforcing properties but also feature a protruding element that features the mechanical properties required for permanent mounting and easy assembly.
It is possible for the protruding element to be elastic or to have an elastic connection with the other means of reinforcement. It is in particular possible for the protruding element or its connection to be more elastic than the other means of reinforcement and less elastic than the flexible printed circuit board. It is, however, also possible for the means of reinforcement or at least the protruding element to be at least partially plastically shaped.
The reinforcing element can, for example, be manufactured from sheet metal. This can be, for example, an aluminum sheet. A sheet made of a copper alloy, a stainless steel sheet or a spring steel sheet can also be used.
The at least one protruding element can be aligned to a direction opposite to a movement for disconnecting the connection between the reinforcing means and the connecting element. This makes it possible to simplify or achieve clamping or latching between the at least one protruding element and the connecting element.
The at least one protruding element can be a curve that can be manufactured in particular by pressing.
The connecting element can feature at least one indentation into which the protruding element engages. It is possible for the connecting element to feature several adjacent indentations. These can be grooves between which ribs are formed. The protruding element can engage between these.
The at least one indentation, several of the indentations or all indentations of the connecting element can feature an undercut aperture and the at least one protruding element can engage in the undercut.
The connecting element can feature panels opposite each other between which a holder is formed which accommodates at least part of the reinforcing means.
The reinforcing means can be clamped in between the panels.
The protruding elements of the reinforcing means can engage in the indentations of the connecting element, where the indentations are provided for on the opposite panels.
Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.
The reinforcing means 1 shown in
At four places in a transitional area between the bar 11 and the legs 12, tongues 13 in pairs opposite each other are shown as protruding elements. The ends of these tongues 13 extend laterally beyond the legs 12. The tongues 12 can be manufactured by means of punching and bending. The protruding elements 12 can be elastically deformed when little force is applied.
The means of shaping light features three connecting elements 21, 22 that are shown in
The means of reinforcement 1 can, as shown in
The variant of the means of reinforcement 1 shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2020 122 825.2 | Sep 2020 | DE | national |
This application claims priority to PCT Application No. PCT/EP2021/073401, filed Mar. 10, 2022, which itself claims priority to German Application No. 10 2020 122825.2, filed Sep. 1, 2020, the entireties of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/EP2021/073401 | Aug 2021 | US |
Child | 18178517 | US |