FR2727913A1 - Motor vehicle headlamp with improved glass and trim retainer - Google Patents

Abstract

The headlamp has a shell (10), a front glass (20), a bulb and reflector inside the shell, a seal (40) between the edge of the shell and the periphery of the glass, and a decorative trim (30) placed at the periphery of the glass and attaching the glass to the shell. The glass has a inset lip (22) at its periphery, and the trim has a lip (31) that fits over the edge of the glass, forming a smooth line with the surface of the glass. The underside of the lip on the glass has a ridge (23) that presses against a sealing ring (40) set in a groove (12,13) formed at the edge of the shell. The decorative trim has an inward facing lip (33) that engages under the flared end (15) at the edge of the shell.

Description

 The present invention relates in general to motor vehicle headlamps, and more particularly to the means for sealingly assembling a lens and a headlamp housing as well as the trim means provided for notably aesthetic purposes around the lens. of a projector.

 The assembly of a housing and a projector glass is traditionally carried out using staples or elastic hooks ensuring the retention of these two elements and compressing a sealing means (glue, sealant or flexible joint).

 There is also known, in particular from document US-A-1 884 076, a projector in which the retaining hooks are masked by a peripheral trim covering the edges of the glass.

 Finally, US-A-2 261 222 discloses a headlamp comprising a housing and a lens a sealing means between a peripheral front edge of the housing the periphery of the lens, and a cover placed at the periphery of the lens and ensuring the ice retention on the housing.

 Such a known headlamp is however in no way adapted to the aesthetics of modern vehicles, in which it is desired, for reasons of style and aerodynamic coefficient, to have generally smooth, continuous and plunging surfaces at the front of the vehicle.

 The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art. To this end, it provides a headlight of the type mentioned above, characterized in that the lens comprises at its peripheral edge an inward recess, in that the hubcap comprises a first retaining part occupying a part substantial space of said recess and whose outer surface is substantially in the extension of the outer surface of the glass, in that the sealing means is located behind said first part, and in that the cover comprises a second part provided with means for its attachment to the projector housing.

Preferred, but not limiting, aspects of the projector of the invention are as follows
- the hubcap has a generally L-shaped profile, a first branch of which constitutes said first part and has a width and a thickness substantially equal to the width and offset of said part in an offset.

 - The other branch of the hubcap has a plurality of protruding hooking elements on the housing.

 - The front peripheral edge of the housing includes a part defining a shoulder for said attachment elements.

 - Said part of the housing defining a shoulder is constituted by a bead in which a groove is formed for the sealing means.

 - The hooked portion of the glass comprises a rib directed towards said groove and cooperating with the sealing means.

 Other aspects, aims and advantages of the present invention will appear better on reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of nonlimiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure is a view in axial vertical section through the transition region between a lens and a housing of a motor vehicle headlamp of the housing type.

 Referring to the figure, there is partially shown a housing 10 of a motor vehicle headlamp, which comprises a front opening closed by a window. At the edge of this opening, the housing has a bead 11 from which extend forward two continuous wings 12, 13 defining a groove also continuous to receive a sealing means, in particular an elastomer O-ring 40.

 Other sealing means, such as a putty or an adhesive, can also be used.

 The headlight glass is generally indicated at 20 and comprises a main central part 21, optionally provided with optical means for processing a beam, and a peripheral part 22.

 The peripheral part 22 extends over the entire periphery of the glass. It is located inwardly inwardly relative to the central part 21, this recess having a predetermined generally constant value.

 The width of the part 22 can be constant or variable.

 From the peripheral part 22 of the crystal extends continuously, in the direction of the groove 14 of the housing, a rib 23 of generally trapezoidal section.

 The seal 40 is able to be compressed at the bottom of the groove 14 by the rib 23 when retaining means are used to press the glass 20 onto the opening of the housing.

 The retaining means consist of a peripheral part generally indicated at 30, which at the same time forms a hubcap.

 This part 30 has a generally L-shaped profile, with a first part 31 which covers the peripheral part 22 of the glass 20. The clearance distance towards the interior of the part 22 relative to the central part 21 ice is chosen to be substantially equal to the thickness of the part 31 of the part 30, so that the external surface of this part 31 is placed substantially in the extension of the external surface of the central part of the glass, which gives a completely satisfactory result in terms of style.

 In addition, at any location on the periphery of the glass, the width of the part 31 of the part 30 is substantially equal to the width of the part 22 of the glass, so that the free edge of said part 31 comes place yourself near the transition between parts 21 and 22 of the glass. It will be noted that different values can be given to these widths depending on the edges (horizontal or vertical) of the glass to which we are placing.

 The part 30 comprises a second part 32 running along the bead 11 of the housing and comprising a plurality of hooking teeth 33 produced for example, in the case where the part 30 is made of sheet metal, by cutting and bending diagonally towards the inside legs.

 Alternatively, the part 30 can be produced by molding plastic material.

 According to yet another variant, the part 30 can be made in several parts, for example in two half-parts closing all around the glass.

 Each of these teeth 33 comes to bear against a rear face of the bead 11, the distance between the free edges of the teeth 33 and the part 31 being chosen so as to exert on the entire periphery of the ice a pressure allowing the rib 23 of compressing the seal 40.

 According to an important characteristic of the invention, the rib 23, the seal 40 and the groove 14 are located immediately behind the part 31 of the part 30, so that they are hidden from the outside by this part 31 to further improve the style of the projector.

 Furthermore, it is observed that the configuration of the part 30, in the general shape of "L", makes it possible to reduce the clearance between the headlight and the neighboring part C of the vehicle bodywork to a very low value.

 Finally, it will be noted that the invention makes it possible to use ice without the ice base, which makes it lighter and less expensive.

As can be seen in the figure, the example of embodiment described relates to a lens that is strongly inclined relative to a plane transverse to the optical axis.
Projector AO. The invention however applies to glass having any orientation.

 Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown, but those skilled in the art will be able to make any variant or modification in accordance with his spirit.

Claims (6)

 1. Motor vehicle headlamp, of the type comprising a housing (10), a lens (20), at least one lamp and a mirror inside the housing, a sealing means (40) between a front peripheral edge of the housing the periphery of the crystal, and a cover (30) placed on the periphery of the crystal and ensuring the retention of the crystal on the housing, characterized in that the crystal has at its peripheral edge a part (22) in inward recess, in that the hubcap (30) comprises a first retaining part (31) which occupies a substantial part of the space defined by said recess and whose outer surface is substantially in line with the surface outside of the glass (20), in that the sealing means (40) is located behind said first part (31), and in that the hubcap comprises a second part (32) provided with means (33 ) for its attachment to the housing (10) of the project actor.  2. Projector according to claim 1, characterized in that the trim (30) has a generally L-shaped profile, a first branch (31) of which constitutes said first part and has a width and a thickness substantially equal to the width and offset of said recessed portion.  3. Projector according to claim 2, characterized in that the other branch (32) of the hubcap comprises a plurality of projecting elements (33) for attachment to the housing.  4. Projector according to claim 3, characterized in that the front peripheral edge of the housing comprises a part (11) defining a shoulder for said hooking elements (33).  5. Projector according to claim 4, characterized in that said part of the housing defining a shoulder is constituted by a bead (11) in which is formed a groove (14) for the sealing means (40).  6. Projector according to claim 5, characterized in that the part (22) in recess of the glass comprises a rib (23) directed towards said groove and cooperating with the sealing means (40).