Device for closing a vehicle optical housing opening, optical housing equipped with such a device and cord for the device

Abstract

A device for closing a vehicle optical housing opening, the device including a cap, the cap being configured to close the opening in response to a reversible movement. The device further includes flexible or articulated connecting means fixed to the cap and designed to be fixed to the housing so that, after opening, the cap remains attached to the housing by the connecting means.

Claims

1. A device for closing a vehicle optical housing opening, said device including a cap, said cap being configured to close said vehicle optical housing opening in response to a reversible movement of the cap with respect to the vehicle optical housing, wherein said device further includes flexible or articulated connecting means fixed to said cap and designed to be fixed to said vehicle optical housing so that, after opening, said cap remains attached to said vehicle optical housing by said connecting means.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said connecting means include a first flexible cord having two ends, a first end including means for fixing it to said cap and a second end including means for fixing it to said vehicle optical housing.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said device further includes means for detecting a first opening of said cap.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said means for detecting said first opening include a second flexible cord having two ends, a first end including means for fixing it either to said cap or to said vehicle optical housing and a second end connected to said first flexible cord, and in that said second flexible cord includes a portion that changes appearance irreversibly in response to traction, so that the movement of said cap in order to free said opening causes traction on said second flexible cord and therefore its change of appearance.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said first end of said second flexible cord includes means for fixing it to said vehicle optical housing and said second end of said second flexible cord is connected at a point of said first flexible cord between said first end and said second end of said first flexible cord.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said portion that changes appearance irreversibly is a weak portion of said second flexible cord.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein said portion that changes appearance irreversibly is a portion adapted to change color.

8. The device according to claim 2, wherein said cap includes fixing means adapted to cooperate with said fixing means of said first flexible cord to effect a simple press-on fixing of one end of said first flexible cord to said cap.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said fixing means of said cap adapted to cooperate with said fixing means of said first flexible cord are situated in a vicinity of a periphery of said cap.

10. The device according to claim 2, wherein: the first end is attached to an external surface of the cap; and the second end is attached to an external surface of the housing.

11. The device according to claim 4, wherein said first end of said second flexible cord includes means for fixing it to said cap and said second end of said second flexible cord is connected at a point of said first flexible cord between said first end and said second end of said first flexible cord.

12. The device according to claim 4, wherein said first end of said second flexible cord includes means for fixing it to said cap and said second end of said second flexible cord is connected to said first end of said first flexible cord.

13. The device according to claim 4, wherein said first end of said second flexible cord includes means for fixing it to said vehicle optical housing and said second end of said second flexible cord is connected to said second end of said first flexible cord.

14. The device according to claim 4, wherein said portion that changes appearance irreversibly is a weak portion of said second flexible cord.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said portion of said second flexible cord that changes appearance irreversibly is one of the following portions: said first end, said second end, a portion between said first end and said second end.

16. The device according to claim 4, wherein said portion that changes appearance irreversibly is a portion adapted to change color.

17. The device according to claim 4, wherein: the first end of the first cord is attached to an external surface of the cap; the second end of the first cord is attached to an external surface of the housing; and the first end of the second cord is attached to the external surface of the cap or the external surface of the housing.

18. A vehicle optical housing including an opening and a device according to claim 1.

19. The vehicle optical housing according to claim 18, comprising: a first flexible cord having two ends, a first end including means for fixing the first flexible cord to said cap and a second end including means for fixing the first flexible cord to said vehicle optical housing; a second flexible cord having two ends, a first end including means for fixing the second flexible cord either to said cap or to said vehicle optical housing and a second end connected to said first flexible cord, and wherein said housing includes means adapted to cooperate with one end of said first flexible cord and/or said second flexible cord to effect a press-on fixing of the one end of said first flexible cord and/or said flexible cord to said housing.

20. A Y-shaped flexible cord, comprising: three branches, and fixing means at first, second and third ends of respective ones of each of the branches, wherein the fixing means at the first end is adapted to be connected to a removable cap of a housing of a lighting module, the fixing means at the second end is adapted to be connected to an external surface of the housing of the lighting module, the fixing means at the third end is adapted to be connected to one of the cap and external surface of the housing of the lighting module, and one of said branches of the Y-shaped flexible cord includes a portion adapted to change appearance irreversibly in response to applied traction from movement of the cap.

21. The cord according to claim 20, wherein said portion that changes appearance irreversibly is a weak portion of said Y shaped flexible cord.

22. The cord according to claim 20, wherein said portion that changes appearance irreversibly is a portion adapted to change color.

23. A linear flexible cord, comprising: first fixing means at a first end, second fixing means at a second end, and third fixing means at a point between said first end and said second end, said linear flexible cord including a portion of the flexible cord adapted to change appearance irreversibly in response to linear tension produced by applied traction, the first fixing means being adapted to be connected to a removable cap of a housing of lighting module, the second fixing means being adapted to be connected to an external surface of the housing of the lighting module, and the third fixing means being adapted to be connected to one of the cap and housing of the lighting module.

24. The cord according to claim 23, wherein said portion that changes appearance irreversibly is a weak portion of said linear flexible cord.

25. The cord according to claim 23, wherein said portion that changes appearance irreversibly is a portion adapted to change color.

26. A vehicle lighting device, comprising: a vehicle optical lighting module having a housing; an opening formed in the vehicle optical lighting module; a cap configured to fit into the opening, to be attached to the housing at the opening in response to a first movement of the cap with respect to the housing, and be removed from the housing at the opening in response to a second movement of the cap reverse to the first movement; and a flexible or articulated connecting means having one end fixed to the cap and another end fixed to a surface of the housing so that, after opening and removal from the housing, the cap remains attached to the housing by the connecting means.

27. The device according to claim 26, comprising: said connecting means comprising a first flexible cord; and a second flexible cord having two ends, a first end being fixed to the cap or the housing and a second end connected to the first flexible cord, wherein the second flexible cord includes a portion that changes appearance irreversibly in response to traction, so that the movement of the cap to remove said cap from the housing causes traction on the second flexible cord to change the appearance.

28. The device according to claim 26, wherein: the one end is attached to an external surface of the cap; and the other end is attached to an external surface of the housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments and variants will be described hereinafter by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1A to 1D show diagrammatically four embodiments of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows in detail the embodiment from FIG. 1A and includes an enlarged view of a portion of the device;

(4) FIG. 3 shows in detail the embodiment from FIG. 1D; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows in cross section one way of fixing a cord to a cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) The invention aims to provide a device for closing an opening in an optical housing 400 of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. The device comprises a cap 300 and means for attaching the cap 300 to the housing 400 so that it cannot be lost. In accordance with one advantageous variant, the invention also makes it possible to detect the first opening of the cap 300. To this end, it proposes connecting means between the cap 300 and the housing 400 taking the form of a flexible or articulated element referred to hereinafter as an opening aid.

(7) In accordance with preferred embodiments, the opening aid includes a first cord 100 and a second cord 200 connected to each other. The first cord 100 has a first end A and a second end B. The second cord 200 has a first end C and a second end D. The function of the first cord 100 is to attach the cap 300 to the housing 400. By convention, in use, the first cord 100 will be considered to be fixed to the cap 300 by its first end A and to the housing 400 by its second end B.

(8) The second cord 200 is connected to the first cord 100. By convention, it will be considered that it is connected to it by its second end D. There are three ways to connect the second cord 200 to the first cord 100:

(9) The second end D is connected to the first cord 100 at a point between its two ends A, B,

(10) The second end D is connected to the first cord 100 by its first end A,

(11) The second end D is connected to the first cord 100 by its second end B.

(12) The function of the second cord 200 is to indicate the first opening of the cap 300. In the embodiments shown, this first opening is indicated by the breaking of the second cord 200. To this end it includes a weak point or portion 210 that may be situated at one of its ends C, D or at a point between its ends.

(13) In the first embodiment shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1A, the second cord 200 is connected by its second end D to a point between the first end A and the second end B of the first cord 100 and its first end C is fixed to the housing 400. When the cap 300 is rotated to remove it, this movement causes a displacement of the first end A of the first cord 100, in the clockwise or anticlockwise direction, and traction on the first cord 100; that traction is transmitted to the second cord 200 and causes it to break at the weak point or portion 210. The movement of the first end A of the first cord 100 and the traction exerted on the first cord 100 (and therefore indirectly on the second cord 200) are all the greater in that this first end A is fixed to the cap 300 at its periphery.

(14) The second embodiment shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1B is similar to the first embodiment but in this case the first end C of the second cord 200 is fixed to the cap 300. Traction on opening the cap 300 is therefore exerted directly on both the first cord 100 and the second cord 200. In this embodiment, it is advantageous for the first end A of the first cord 100 to be fixed near the center of the cap 300 and for the first end C of the second cord 200 to be fixed to the periphery of the cap 300 to obtain a greater traction on the second cord 200 than on the first cord 100.

(15) In the diagrammatic third embodiment shown in FIG. 1C, the second cord 200 is connected by its second end D to the first end A of the first cord 100, and therefore also to the cap 300, and its first end C is fixed to the housing 400. As in the second embodiment, it is advantageous for the second end D of the second cord 200 to be fixed to the cap 300 at its periphery to obtain a large displacement and therefore a high traction on the second cord 200.

(16) In the diagrammatic fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 1D, the second cord 200 is connected by its second end D to the second end B of the first cord 100, and therefore also to the housing 400, and its first end C is fixed to the cap 300. As in the second embodiment, it is advantageous for the first end C of the second cord 200 to be fixed to the cap 300 at its periphery to obtain a greater displacement and therefore a higher traction on the second cord 200.

(17) FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the FIG. 1A diagram. The cap 300 is of circular shape including a central portion 310 and is fixed to the housing 400 by rotation. The opening aid is of the Y-shaped type and is formed of:

(18) a first cord 100 the first end A of which is fixed to the cap 300 and the second end B of which is fixed to the housing 400; as shown in FIG. 2, the first end A is fixed near the central portion 310 of the cap 300, but it could be fixed to the periphery of the cap 300,

(19) a second cord 200 having a first end C fixed to the housing 400 and a second end D connected to the first cord 100, between its first end A and its second end B, approximately halfway between the first and second ends A, B of the first cord 100.

(20) The means for fixing the first and second cords 100, 200 to the housing 400 or the cap 300 will be described later.

(21) The second cord 200 is shorter than the first cord 100, approximately five times shorter as shown in FIG. 2.

(22) As can be seen in the enlarged view, the second cord 200 includes a weak point or portion 210 consisting in a large reduction of the diameter of this second cord 200, between its first and second ends C, D. Alternatively (not shown), this weak point or portion 210 could be situated at the level of its first end C or its second end D.

(23) The opening movement of the cap 300 in the direction of the arrow F causes a displacement of the first end A of the first cord 100 and tensions it; consequently, the second cord 200 is also tensioned and this opening movement of the cap 300 ultimately causes the second cord 200 to break at its weak point or portion 210. This tensioning of the first cord 100 and the second cord 200 will be all the greater if the first end A of the first cord 100 is fixed close to the periphery of the cap 300.

(24) The opening aid is made of plastic material, for example, the material having some elasticity imparting to the first and second cords 100, 200 the flexibility necessary for manipulating the cap 300 whilst allowing the weak point or portion 210 to break under tension.

(25) After opening it, the cap 300 remains attached to the housing 400 by the first cord 100 and the second cord 200 is broken, indicating the first opening.

(26) FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention corresponding to the FIG. 1D diagram.

(27) The first cord 100 is identical to that from FIG. 2. The second cord 200 on the other hand has a first end C fixed to the border of the cap 300 and a second end D that is common to the second end B of the first cord 100, both being fixed to the housing 400. As before, the second cord 200 includes a weak point or portion 210 between its first end C and its second end D.

(28) The opening movement of the cap 300 in the direction of the arrow F causes a displacement of the first end C of the second cord 200 and tensions it; this opening movement of the cap 300 ultimately causes the second cord 200 to break at its weak point or portion 210. This tensioning of the second cord 200 will be all the greater if the first end C of the second cord 200 is fixed close to the periphery of the cap 300.

(29) As shown in FIG. 4, the cap 300 is advantageously fixed in a fluid-tight manner to the housing 400. The latter accommodates internally various optical elements, not shown, such as one or more light sources, reflectors and/or light guides, etc.

(30) FIG. 4 also shows means for fixing a cord 150, which may be the first cord 100 or the second cord 200, to the cap 300. These fixing means include on the one hand a cavity 320 on the external face 301 of the cap 300 and on the other hand a protrusion 120 at the end of the cord 150, which protrusion 120 preferably extends orthogonally to a longitudinal axis of the cord 150, as shown in FIG. 4. Opposite the protrusion 120 relative to this longitudinal axis lies a flattening 130 of the cord 150. Alternatively, the cavity 320 could be at the end of the cord 150 and the protrusion 120 on the cap 300.

(31) The shapes of the protrusion 120 and of the cavity 320 are designed to cooperate with a view to a simple press-on fixing of the cord 150 to the cap 300 via the flattening 130, the protrusion 120 entering the cavity 320 with friction. To favor the correct assembly of the protrusion 120 in the cavity 320, the protrusion 120 may have on its surface a series of annular detents 121, for example, that are able to cooperate with homologous detents (not shown) on the internal surface of the cavity 320.

(32) Of course, the same fixing means may be used for fixing the cord 150 to the housing 400.

(33) The enlarged view in FIG. 2 shows other means for fixing the second cord 200. In this embodiment, the end C of the second cord 200 includes two barbs 140 forming a harpoon-like shape and a hoop 330 extends from the surface of the housing 400. Fixing is simply achieved by inserting the harpoon-shaped end of the second cord 200 into the hoop 330. The barbs 140 spread apart and make reverse movement difficult.

(34) Of course, the same fixing means may be used for fixing the second cord 200 to the cap 300.

(35) The foregoing description is not limiting on the invention. Accordingly, the opening aid could notably be designed to be fixed on by screwing it on, the ends A, B and C of the first and second cords 100, 200 then including screwholes.

(36) While the system, apparatus, process and method herein described constitute preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise system, apparatus, process and method, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.