ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE, THE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE MODULE AND A SUPPORT PLATE, AND A METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING SUCH AN ASSEMBLY
20240219006 ยท 2024-07-04
Inventors
- Xavier DROUET (MARLY-LA-VILLE, FR)
- Laurent Silvestrini (Bussy, FR)
- Claire DAVIS (COMPIEGNE, FR)
- Buyin YU (COMPIEGNE, FR)
- Christophe Kleo (Attichy, FR)
Cpc classification
B32B17/10807
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B32B17/10541
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B32B17/10036
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
F21V19/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F21V19/004
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
B32B17/10293
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
F21Y2115/10
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
F21V19/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F21V19/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
Abstract
An assembly for vehicles, particularly automobiles, includes a glazing, a light-emitting diode module and a support plate, fixed to an inner face of an interior glass sheet, said support plate including several lugs extending from said support plate towards an interior space in order to retain the module and applying an illuminating part of the module against a bottom of an opening by spring effect and applying the base against an inner face of the interior glass sheet, and/or applying the illuminating part against a bottom of the opening, each application being performed indirectly by simultaneously pressing a spring element on the module and under the lugs.
Claims
1. An assembly for vehicles comprising a light-emitting diode module and laminated glazing comprising an interior glass sheet, an exterior glass sheet, and at least one interlayer sheet of plastic material located between said interior and exterior glass sheets, said laminated glazing having an external face intended to be oriented towards an exterior space, an edge and an inner face intended to be oriented towards an interior space, said interior glass sheet comprising a through opening and said light-emitting diode module comprising a light-emitting diode and comprising a base and an illuminating part disposed in said through opening, wherein the assembly comprises a support plate, fixed to an inner face of said interior glass sheet, said support plate comprising several lugs extending from said support plate in a direction of said interior space in order to retain said light-emitting diode module and applying said base against an inner face of said interior glass sheet by spring effect, and/or applying said illuminating part against a bottom of said through opening by spring effect spring, each application being carried out indirectly by simultaneously pressing a spring element on said light-emitting diode module and under said lugs.
2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said support plate has a hole present all about a periphery of said through opening.
3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lugs are four in number, a periphery of said through opening being divided into four quarters, said lugs are each arranged in a single peripheral quarter of said through opening.
4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lugs are oriented two by two with their bosses facing each other.
5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lugs are oriented two by two with their bosses opposite each other.
6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said application of said base against an inner face of said interior glass sheet by a spring effect and/or said application of said illuminating part against a bottom of said through opening by spring effect is carried out by pressing under said lugs, in a direction of said exterior space.
7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting diode module has a first pair of inclined faces and a second pair of inclined faces, a boss of lugs resting under each inclined face, in the direction of said exterior space.
8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting diode module is linked to said support plate by means of a spring element comprising a central zone resting on a base of said light-emitting diode module, a first pair of branches and a second pair of branches, said first pair of branches being secured under, respectively, a first pair of lugs and said second pair of branches being secured under, respectively, a second pair of lugs.
9. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said support plate comprises side guide walls.
10. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising means for blocking light leaking inwardly to the vehicle.
11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein said means for blocking leakage of light inwardly into the vehicle are a diffusion-barrier plate present adjacent to said support plate against said inner face of the interior glass sheet or else comprise a first diffusion-barrier plate taking the form of a blade present adjacent to the support plate as well as a second diffusion-barrier plate fixed against the first diffusion-barrier plate, so as to fill a gap located between said first diffusion-barrier plate and the inner face of the interior glass sheet, said second diffusion-barrier plate further comprising a lip protruding from said first diffusion-barrier plate and configured to take rest on said inner face.
12. A support plate for the assembly according to claim 1.
13. A method of assembling an assembly according to any claim 1, said method comprising: applying an adhesive material to said support plate and/or to said inner face of the interior glass sheet; depositing said support plate on said inner face; assembling said light-emitting diode module to said support plate, the assembling being carried out by means of a spring element and so that the application of said base against an inner face of said interior glass sheet by spring effect and/or the application of said illuminating part against a bottom of said through opening by spring effect is carried out indirectly by simultaneously pressing said spring element on said light-emitting diode module and under said lugs.
14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising marking said inner face of said interior glass sheet before applying the adhesive material.
15. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the assembly is for a motor vehicle.
16. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said illuminating part is applied against the entire bottom of said through opening.
17. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said support plate has a hole present all about the periphery of said through opening and has a general rectangular shape.
18. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein said support plate comprises side guide walls, one wall having at least a lateral support.
19. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein said diffusion-barrier plate is integral with said support plate.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] Described below, by way of non-limiting examples, will be several embodiments of the present invention referring to the appended figures in which:
[0037]
[0038]
[0039]
[0040]
[0041]
[0042]
[0043]
[0044]
[0045]
[0046]
[0047]
[0048]
[0049]
[0050]
[0051]
[0052]
[0053]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0054] In the following description, the term centripetal corresponds to an orientation towards the center of the considered device, or element, and the term centrifugal corresponds to an orientation that tends to move away from the center of the considered device, or element.
[0055] Referring to [
[0056] The glazing 1 is laminated and has an interior glass sheet 11 and an exterior glass sheet 12, as well as an interlayer sheet of plastic material 13 placed between them. The interlayer of plastic material 13 can be, for example, flexible polyurethane, a plasticizer-free thermoplastic such as ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) or polyvinyl butyral (PVB). The interlayer sheet of plastic material 13 has, for example, a thickness of between 0.2 mm and 1.1 mm, or even between 0.38 mm and 0.76 mm. The interior glass sheet 11 has an inner face 11a, oriented inwardly of glazing 1, and an interlayer face 11b (not visible in [
[0057] A glazing is said to be laminated in the sense that there is no gaseous space or empty space between the at least three sheets that constitute it in the exterior-interior transverse direction. Although this is not illustrated, the glazing may in particular comprise two plastic interlayer sheets.
[0058] Referring to [
[0059] The interior glass sheet 11 comprises an opening 20 that is herein cylindrical and executed over its entire thickness with a constant circular section over its entire depth and having a central axis X. The module 2, 102 comprises an illuminating part 21, also having a central axis that is coaxial with and coincides with the central axis X, and located in the opening 20. This illuminating part 20 has a first face 21a, having an orientation towards the interior space I, and a second face 21b, having an orientation towards the exterior space E. The module 2, 102 comprises a light-emitting diode (not visible) that can be located in the illuminating part 21. This illuminating part has an emitting surface, which emits light in the lateral direction, opposite the edge face (or edge) of the nearest interior glass sheet 11, as illustrated by the arrows L in [
[0060] The glazing 1 also comprises a support plate 3, 103 fixed by bonding to the first face 11a of the interior glass sheet 11 by virtue of an adhesive material 4 (layer of glue or double-sided adhesive tape). The support plate 3, 103 has a generally rectangular shape that is present all about the opening 20, at a distance from this opening. The support plate 3, 103 additionally has a hole 30, 130, over the entire thickness of the support plate. This hole may be cylindrical and have a central axis that is coaxial with and coincides with the central axis X; the diameter of this cylindrical hole is then greater than the diameter of the illuminating part 20. This hole can be parallelepipedal, as seen in [
[0061] The support plate 3, 103 may have guide walls 31, 32, 131, 132 to guide the positioning of the module 2, 102.
[0062] At least one side guide wall 31, 132 preferably has at least one lateral support 33, 133 in order to enable lateral support of the module 2 towards the other side wall, respectively 32, 131.
[0063] Regardless of the embodiment, a diffusion-barrier plate may be present adjacent to said support plate, against said inner face of the interior glass sheet. Said diffusion-barrier plate is, preferably, integral with said support plate because it is thus easier to manage its proper positioning; however, it can be attached to said support plate or be independent of the latter. It prevents the emission of raking light near the module, inwardly.
[0064] The adhesive material 4 is in the form of a layer having a thickness varying between 0.2 mm and 2.0 mm and preferably between 0.8 and 1.2 mm, particularly 1.0 mm and it is, preferably, present all about the opening 20, at a distance from this opening 20. The adhesive material 4 can be a UV crosslinking glue, for example based on acrylate, or else based on polyurethane or a mixture of acrylate and epoxy (SBT).
[0065] In the context of the first embodiment, referring to [
[0066] It is shown, in [
[0067] It is shown in this [
[0068] The first lug 14 of the first pair of lugs and the first lug 15 of the second pair of lugs can be configured so as to create a negative clearance of between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm with module 2. In this way, the contact between the second face 21b of the illuminating part 21 and the interlayer sheet of plastic material 13 (or a plastic pellet positioned in its place in the outer bottom of the opening 20) is ensured in order to correctly transmit light from the light emitting diode.
[0069] The light emission, located between faces 21a and 21 b, is aligned with the middle of the thickness of the interior glass sheet 11 with a tolerance of ?0.5 mm in order to enable suitable diffusion of the light coming from the light-emitting diode through the edge face of the interior glass sheet. Advantageously, the location tolerance of the central axis between faces 21a and 21b is ?0.1 mm in order to obtain an optimal coupling of the light emitted by the light-emitting diode to the interior glass sheet.
[0070] Indeed, the first lugs 14, 15 press respectively, via the internal inclination of their bosses, on the first inclined face 8 of the first pair of inclined faces and on the first inclined face 9 of the second pair of inclined faces. In the same way, the second lugs 14, 15 respectively support, via the internal inclination of their bosses, the second inclined face 8 of the first pair of inclined faces and the second inclined face 9 of the second pair of inclined faces.
[0071] By virtue of the invention, the thickness of the adhesive material 4 has no effect on the contact between the second face 21b and the interlayer sheet of plastic material 13 (or the contact with a plastic pellet positioned in its place in the outer bottom of the opening 20). Indeed, the first and second pairs of lugs 14, 14, 15, 15 as well as the first and second pairs of inclined faces 8, 8, 9, 9 are configured in such a way as to produce a force sufficient to flatten module 2 on the interlayer sheet of plastic material 13, even if the thickness of the adhesive material 4 varies.
[0072] [
[0073] In the context of the second embodiment, referring to [
[0074] The glazing 1 also comprises a spring element 116, independent of module 102, or even attached to this module 102, and to the support plate 103 and making it possible to link the module 102 to the support plate 103. The spring element 116 comprises a central zone 117, herein in the form of a disc, resting on the base 105 of module 102, a first pair of branches 118, 118, arranged on the side of the first protuberance 106 and connected to the zone 117, and a second pair of branches 119, 119, arranged on the side of the second protuberance 107 and also connected to the central zone 117.
[0075] The central zone 117 has a central axis that is coaxial with and coincides with the central axis X. The branches 118, 118, 119, 119 extend from the central zone 117 in centrifugal directions with respect to the center of this central zone and parallel to the inner face 11a of the interior glass sheet. The branches 118, 118, 119, 119 as well as the central zone 117 are flat, in order to reduce bulkiness. The branches 118, 118, 119, 119 are curved at 90? at their ends opposite the central zone and in the direction of the inner face 11a. These ends each respectively comprise an perforation 124, 124, 125, 125 (visible in [
[0076] The base 105 comprises a first pair of inclined faces 108, 108, arranged on the side of the first protuberance 106, and a second pair of inclined faces 109, 109 arranged on the side of the second protuberance 107.
[0077] Referring to [
[0078] The boss of the first lug 114 is located in the perforation 124 of the first branch 118 and the boss of the first lug 115 is located in the opening 125 of the first branch 119. The boss of the second lug 114 is located in the perforation 124 of the second branch 118 and the boss of the second lug 115 is located in the opening 125 of the second branch 119.
[0079] Thus, spring element 116 presses firmly on the module 102 so that the contact between the second face 21b of the illuminating part 21 and the interlayer sheet of plastic material 13 (or a plastic pellet positioned in its place in the outer bottom of the opening 20) is ensured in order to correctly transmit the light coming from the light-emitting diode. The spring element 116 has a thickness of between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm and can be made of steel of type 1.4310 AlSi 301.
[0080] The second face 21b is located in the middle of the thickness of the exterior glass sheet 11 with a tolerance of ?0.5 mm in order to enable suitable diffusion of the light coming from the light-emitting diode. Advantageously, the location tolerance of the second face 21b is ?0.1 mm in order to obtain optimum transmission of the light emitted by the light-emitting diode. By virtue of the invention, the thickness of the adhesive material 4, 104 has no effect on the contact between the second face 21b and the interlayer sheet of plastic material 13. Indeed, the application of the illuminating part 21 against a bottom of said opening 20 by spring effect is configured so as to produce a sufficient force to press module 2, 102 on the interlayer sheet of plastic material 13 (or a plastic pellet plastic positioned in its place in the outer bottom of the opening 20), even if the thickness of the adhesive material 4, 104 varies.
[0081] The bosses of the lugs 14, 14, 15, 15, 114, 114, 115, 115 are located at a distance of a few millimeters from the general plane of the support plate 3, 103 in order to give them a slight flexibility with respect to this support plate. To increase this flexibility, it is possible to provide for the support plate to be partially perforated at the junction with the lugs, as seen in [
[0082] The second glass sheet 12 can be opaque, transparent, tinted, made from inorganic or organic glass with various functionalities (solar control coating). The first glass sheet 11 is transparent (TL>85% or better TL>90% or even TL>91%) and can be monolithic, i.e. comprised of a single sheet of material, or be composite, i.e. comprised of several sheets of material between which is inserted at least one layer of adherent material, in the case of laminated glazing. The sheet(s) of material may be made of mineral glass, having for example undergone annealing or tempering, or of organic glass, particularly of plastic material such as polyvinyl butyral, PC, PMMA, PU, resin ionomer or polyolefin.
[0083] It should be noted that the second embodiment has been described up to the present referring only to [
[0084] For this purpose, [
[0085] More particularly, [
[0088] Said lugs 140, 140, 141 are shaped, in terms of the boss (shape, orientation), substantially identically to lugs 114, 114, 115.
[0089] As illustrated by [
[0090] As illustrated by [
[0091] [
[0094] The spring element 116 comprises two branches 147, 148 that meet at a connecting part 149 so that the spring element 116 substantially takes the shape of a V in the rest state.
[0095] The cooperation between the spring element 116 and the support plate 103 takes place, in this second variant, in a manner similar to that of the first variant of [
[0096] [
[0097] In this third variant, use is made of a spring element 116 substantially taking the form of a bar comprising two ends 150, 151. The support plate 103, for its part, comprises two lugs 152, 153 arranged, along the longitudinal axis of the module 102, on either side of the base 105.
[0098] Each of said ends 150, 151 have a substantially parallelepipedal shape, and comprise a face arranged opposite the support plate 103 and are provided with an opening 150, 151 configured to cooperate with one of said lugs 152, 153 (the cooperation is carried out by clipping a lug into an opening).
[0099] [
[0100] [
[0101] As already mentioned before, the illuminating part 21 has an emitting surface, which emits light in the lateral direction, opposite the edge face (or edge) of the closest interior glass sheet 11, as illustrated by the arrows L in [
[0105] It therefore emerges from the foregoing that the light emitted by the illuminating part 21 can be the source of optical/visual defects (halo, highlighting of roughness).
[0106] Also, regardless of the embodiment of the assembly for vehicles proposed by the invention, it can also be envisaged to remedy the aforementioned shortcomings by providing said assembly with means for blocking light leaking inwardly to the vehicle (i.e. means configured to block, at least partially, said second and third portions of light emitted according to the arrows L of [
[0107] According to a particular embodiment of said blocking means of light leakage, a diffusion-barrier plate 138 may be present adjacent to support plate 3, 103, against said inner face 11a of interior glass sheet 11. By adjacent to the support plate, reference is here made to the lateral edge of the support plate 103 through which light can be emitted according to the arrows L of [
[0108] According to another exemplary embodiment, illustrated in no way limiting by [
[0109] Moreover, in this other exemplary embodiment, said blocking means of light leakage also comprise a second diffusion-barrier plate 171 fixed, for example by bonding (for example by means of an adhesive tape), against a face of the first diffusion-barrier plate 170, so as to fill a gap located between said first diffusion-barrier plate 170 and the inner face 11a of the interior glass sheet 11. Said second diffusion-barrier plate 171 further comprises a lip 172 extending from the upper face of said second plate 171 (i.e. from the face positioned facing the first diffusion-barrier plate 170), projecting laterally with respect to said first diffusion-barrier plate 171 and configured to rest on the inner face 11a of the interior glass sheet 11. Said lip 172 comes for example integral with the second plate 171.
[0110] Said second diffusion-barrier plate 171 is advantageously made of plastic material so as to be able to be deformed and thus achieve the pressing on the glazing 1. Such a configuration (first and second diffusion-barrier plates 170, 171) proves to be particularly advantageous in that it makes it possible particularly to mask, at least partially, the halo effect, but also to absorb said third part of light as mentioned above so as to avoid the illumination of roughness on the surface of the glass.
[0111] The insertion of one or more diodes in a glazing 1 enables, for example, the following signaling functionalities: [0112] ambient lighting of the interior of the vehicle [0113] bright display of decorative patterns [0114] display of indicator lights intended for the driver of the vehicle or for passengers (example: alarm indicator for engine temperature in the automobile windshield, indicator of operation of the electric defrosting system, windows, etc.), [0115] display of indicator lights intended for people outside the vehicle (example: operating indicator for vehicle alarm in the side windows), [0116] light display on vehicle glazings (e.g. flashing light display on emergency vehicles, safety display with low power consumption indicating the presence of a vehicle in danger). The module may comprise a control signal receiver diode, particularly in the infrared, to remotely control the diodes.
[0117] The diode can be a simple semiconductor chip, for example of a size of the order of a hundred ?m. The diode can, however, comprise a protective envelope (temporary or not) to protect the chip during handling or to improve the compatibility between the materials of the chip and other materials. The diode can be encapsulated, i.e. comprising a semiconductor chip and an envelope, for example in epoxy type resin or in PMMA, encapsulating the chip and whose functions are multiple (protection against oxidation and humidity, scattering or focusing element, wavelength conversion).
[0118] The diode can be selected, particularly from at least one of the following light-emitting diodes: [0119] a diode with electrical contacts on opposite faces of the chip or on the same face of the chip, [0120] an emitting diode parallel to the (faces of) electrical contacts, [0121] a diode whose main direction of emission is perpendicular or oblique with respect to the emitting face of the chip, [0122] a diode having two main directions of emission oblique with respect to the emitting face of the chip giving the shape of a bat wing, the two directions being, for example, centered on angles between 20? and 40? and between ?20? and ?40? with half-angles at the top of the order of 10? to 20?, [0123] a diode having (only) two main directions of emission oblique with respect to the emitting surface of the diode, centered for example on angles between 60? and 85? and between ?60? and ?85? with half-angles at the top of the order of 10? to 30?, [0124] a diode arranged for guiding in the edge face or for emitting directly through one or the faces, or through the opening of the interior glass sheet (diode then called inverted).
[0125] The emission diagram of a source can be Lambertian. Typically, a collimated diode has a half-angle at the top that can go down to 2 or 3?. The module can thus incorporate all known functionalities in the field of glazing. Among the functionalities added to the glazing, mention may be made of: a hydrophobic/oleophobic, hydrophilic/oleophilic, antifouling photocatalytic, stack reflecting thermal radiation (solar control) or infrared (low-emissivity), or anti-reflective layer. The structure can advantageously comprise a mineral diffusing layer associated with one of the main faces that is a luminous face (by extraction of the radiation). The diffusing layer may be composed of elements containing particles and a binder, the binder making it possible to agglomerate the particles together. The particles can be metallic or metallic oxides, the particle size can be between 50 nm and 1 ?m, preferably the binder can be mineral for heat resistance. The diffusing layer may consist of particles agglomerated in a binder, said particles having an average diameter of between 0.3 and 2 microns, said binder being in a proportion comprising between 10 and 40% by volume and the particles forming aggregates with dimensions between 0.5 and 5 microns. The particles can be selected from semi-transparent particles and preferably mineral particles such as oxides, nitrides or carbides. The particles will preferably be selected from oxides of silica, alumina, zirconia, titanium, cerium, or a mixture of at least two of these oxides. For example, a diffusing mineral layer of approximately 10 ?m is selected.
[0126] The invention also relates to a method of assembling a light-emitting diode module 2, 102 with a glazing 1, as disclosed previously. During a first step E1, an adhesive material 4, 104 is applied to the inner face 11a of the interior glass sheet 11. Alternatively, the adhesive material 4, 104 is applied to the support plate 3, 103 or to both.
[0127] During a second step E2, the support plate 3, 103 is deposited on the adhesive material 4, 104. Alternatively, during a step carried out before the first step E1, a marking 40 is made, as illustrated in [
[0128] During a third step E3, the light-emitting diode module 2, 102 is assembled on the support plate 3, 103 by direct clipping, as for the first embodiment illustrated in [
[0129] The assembly of the light-emitting diode module 2, 102 with the support plate 3, 103 can also be achieved with a pressure screw, an elastic spacer made of a flexible material such as ethylene-propylene-diene monomer, a thermoplastic elastomer or a silicone.