Lower grille assembly preventing light leakage

Abstract

A lower grille assembly preventing light leakage and fixedly connected to a bumper skin of a vehicle and comprising a lower grille body with a buckle mounting orifice and a lower grille trim with a buckle, wherein the lower grille trim is fixedly connected to the lower grille body by means of the buckle and the buckle mounting orifice; a buckle flange extending outward on the buckle of the lower grille trim, the buckle including a U-shaped groove for receiving an end of the skin and in a clearance fit with the end, so as to clamp and support the skin, effectively ensuring a Z-direction clearance between the trim and the skin, preventing the skin from falling due to its dead weight, and avoiding light leakage due to an increased Z-direction clearance between the skin and the lower grille assembly resulting from deformation of the lower grille assembly.

Claims

1. A lower grille assembly configured to reduce light leakage, the lower grille assembly being fixedly connected to a bumper skin of a vehicle and comprising: a lower grille body defining a buckle mounting orifice; and a lower grille trim including a buckle, wherein the lower grille trim is fixedly connected to the lower grille body by the buckle and the buckle mounting orifice, wherein the buckle includes a buckle flange and defines a U-shaped groove configured to receive an end of the bumper skin, the end of the bumper skin having a clearance fit with the U-shaped groove, independently of the lower grille trim being fixedly connected to the lower grille body, such that the lower grille trim isolates the end of the bumper skin from direct contact with the lower grille body, and the lower grille trim clamps and supports the bumper skin to prevent the bumper skin from falling due to a dead weight of the bumper skin; wherein at least one of: a wall thickness of the buckle flange is not less than 2.0 mm; and an overlap between the buckle flange and the bumper skin is not less than 3.0 mm.

2. The lower grille assembly according to claim 1, wherein a clearance between the buckle flange and the lower grille body is not less than 1.0 mm.

3. The lower grille assembly according to claim 1, wherein a minimum clearance between the buckle flange and the bumper skin is 0.3 mm-0.5 mm.

4. A grille assembly for a vehicle, the grille assembly comprising: a lower grille trim including a U-shaped buckle, the U-shaped buckle including a buckle flange; and a lower grille body defining a buckle mounting orifice, the U-shaped buckle at least partly fitting in the buckle mounting orifice so that the lower grille trim is fixedly connected to the lower grille body; wherein the U-shaped buckle is configured to receive an end of a bumper skin, the end of the bumper skin being at least partly secured by the buckle flange, independently of the lower grille trim being fixedly connected to the lower grille body, such that the lower grille trim isolates the end of the bumper skin from direct contact with the lower grille body, and the lower grille trim clamps and supports the bumper skin to prevent the bumper skin from falling due to a dead weight of the bumper skin; wherein at least one of: a wall thickness of the buckle flange is not less than 2.0 mm; and an overlap between the buckle flange and the bumper skin is not less than 3.0 mm.

5. A lower grille assembly configured to reduce light leakage, the lower grille assembly being fixedly connected to a bumper skin of a vehicle and comprising: a lower grille body defining a buckle mounting orifice; and a lower grille trim including a buckle, wherein the buckle engages with the buckle mounting orifice so that the lower grille trim is fixedly connected to the lower grille body, wherein the buckle includes a buckle flange and defines a U-shaped groove configured to receive an end of the bumper skin, the end of the bumper skin having a clearance fit with the U-shaped groove, independently of the lower grille trim being fixedly connected to the lower grille body, such that the lower grille trim isolates the end of the bumper skin from direct contact with the lower grille body, and the lower grille trim clamps and supports the bumper skin to prevent the bumper skin from falling due to a dead weight of the bumper skin; and wherein the buckle and the buckle flange are integrated as one single portion in a same transverse position on the lower grille trim.

6. The lower grille assembly according to claim 5, wherein the buckle mounting orifice is a through opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 is an overall structural schematic view of a vehicle front bumper assembly of the prior art and adapted to the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the vehicle bumper assembly of FIG. 1, which illustrates the positional relationship between a lower grille body, a lower grille trim and a skin of the prior art; and

(3) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the vehicle bumper assembly of FIG. 1, which illustrates the positional relationship between a lower grille body, a lower grille trim and a skin according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(4) The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in details with reference to the drawings.

(5) As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle front bumper assembly of the present invention also comprises a lower grille body 1, a lower grille trim 2 and a skin 3.

(6) In relation with FIGS. 1 and 3, the lower grille assembly of the present invention comprises a lower grille body 1 with a buckle mounting orifice 11 and a lower grille trim 2 with a buckle 21. Similar to the prior art as shown in FIG. 2, the lower grille trim 2 is fixedly connected to the lower grille body 1 through the buckle 21 and the buckle mounting orifice 11; and different from the prior art, a buckle flange 22 extending outward is provided on the buckle 21 of the lower grille trim 2, such that the buckle 21 is formed to comprise a U-shaped groove for receiving an end of the skin 3 and with a clearance fit with the end, so as to clamp and support the skin 3, thereby effectively ensuring a Z-direction clearance between the trim and the skin 3, preventing the skin 3 from falling due to its dead weight, and avoiding a serious light leakage due to an increased Z-direction clearance between the skin 3 and the lower grille assembly resulting from deformation of the lower grille assembly.

(7) Consequently, the lower grille assembly of the present invention is able to prevent light leakage by ensuring the required Z-direction clearance between the lower grill trim 2 and the skin 3. In addition, the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to assemble. There is no need to change the overall configuration of the lower grille assembly and the sequence of assembling.

(8) Additionally, in the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, the clearance d1 between the buckle flange 22 and the lower grille body 1 is not less than 1.0 mm, the minimum Z-direction clearance d2 between the buckle flange 22 and the skin 3 is 0.3 mm-0.5 mm, the wall thickness t of the buckle flange 22 is not less than 2.0 mm, and the overlap d3 between the buckle flange 22 and the skin 3 is not less than 3.0 mm.

(9) The above contents are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Variations can be made to the above embodiments of the present invention. Any simple and equivalent variation and modification made according to the claims and description of the present invention falls within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.