Light module for a lighting apparatus of a vehicle

Abstract

A light module for a lighting apparatus of a vehicle having a reflector body, a light generating unit having at least one light source, a carrier on which the light generating unit is arranged. The light generating unit is replaceably arranged on the light module. The reflector body has at least one reference surface and the light generating unit has at least one locating surface. The locating surface can be brought to rest against the reference surface during insertion of the light generating unit into the light module in order to create a precisely positioned arrangement of the light generating unit on the reflector body.

Claims

1. A light module for a lighting apparatus of a vehicle, the light module comprising: a reflector body having at least one reference surface; a light generating unit having at least one light source and at least one locating surface; and a carrier on which the light generating unit is arranged, the light generating unit being replaceably arranged on the light module, wherein the locating surface is adapted to be brought to rest against the reference surface during insertion of the light generating unit in the light module in order to create a precisely positioned arrangement of the light generating unit on the reflector body, wherein the reflector body has a receiving opening, wherein the carrier covers the light generating unit when the carrier with the light generating unit is arranged on the reflector body, and wherein the light generating unit at least substantially closes the receiving opening in the reflector body.

2. The light module according to claim 1, wherein a first reference surface and a second reference surface are formed on the reflector body, and wherein locating surfaces on the light generating unit are associated with each of the reference surfaces.

3. The light module according to claim 1, wherein the reference surface and a corresponding locating surface are elongated in extent and are spaced laterally apart with respect to the elongated extent and are substantially parallel to one another.

4. The light module according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the carrier is a heat sink and/or wherein the light generating unit is retentively arranged on the carrier so that the light generating unit with the carrier is removeable from the light module as a structural unit.

5. The light module according to claim 1, wherein at least one stop is formed on the reflector body, against which stop a counterstop formed on the light generating unit is adapted to be brought to rest, via which the light generating unit is adapted to be aligned in a planar fashion on the reflector body in a plane spanned by the at least one locating surface.

6. The light module according to claim 5, wherein the reference surface and/or the stop at least partially border the receiving opening and/or are arranged adjacent to the receiving opening.

7. The light module according to claim 1, wherein a retaining clip is provided with which the carrier is braced on the reflector body such that at least the locating surface of the light generating unit comes to rest against the reference surface of the reflector body.

8. A light module for a lighting apparatus of a vehicle, the light module comprising: a reflector body having at least one reference surface; a light generating unit having at least one light source and at least one locating surface; and a carrier on which the light generating unit is arranged, the light generating unit being replaceably arranged on the light module, wherein the locating surface is adapted to be brought to rest against the reference surface during insertion of the light generating unit in the light module in order to create a precisely positioned arrangement of the light generating unit on the reflector body, wherein a retaining clip is provided with which the carrier is braced on the reflector body such that at least the locating surface of the light generating unit comes to rest against the reference surface of the reflector body, wherein the retaining clip has a manually operated snap-on part with which the retaining clip is elastically braced between the carrier and the reflector body, and wherein the retaining clip includes a steel material, a sheet-metal material, a plastic material, or an elastomer.

9. A light module for a lighting apparatus of a vehicle, the light module comprising: a reflector body having at least one reference surface; a light generating unit having at least one light source and at least one locating surface; and a carrier on which the light generating unit is arranged, the light generating unit being replaceably arranged on the light module, wherein the locating surface is adapted to be brought to rest against the reference surface during insertion of the light generating unit in the light module in order to create a precisely positioned arrangement of the light generating unit on the reflector body, wherein a retaining clip is provided with which the carrier is braced on the reflector body such that at least the locating surface of the light generating unit comes to rest against the reference surface of the reflector body, wherein the retaining clip preloads the carrier in a plane spanned by the at least one locating surface such that the counterstop comes to rest against the stop.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a light module for a lighting apparatus of a vehicle having a reflector body and having a carrier on which a light generating unit is arranged, wherein the carrier with the light generating unit has been removed from the reflector body,

(3) FIG. 2 is the light module from FIG. 1, wherein the carrier with the light generating unit is located on the reflector body, and

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the arrangement of the carrier with the light generating unit on the reflector body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows, in a perspective view, a light module 1 for a lighting apparatus of a vehicle having a reflector body 10, further including a light generating unit 11 with a light source 12, and a carrier 13 is provided on which the light generating unit 11 is arranged, and the spaced-apart arrangement of the carrier 13 with the light generating unit 11 makes it clear that the light generating unit 11 is replaceably arranged on the light module 1. The reflector body 10 constitutes a sort of base body here and has a receiving section 23, on which the light generating unit 11 with the carrier 13 can be accommodated. The receiving section 23 projects beyond a reflector surface 24 of the reflector body 10, and when the light generating unit 11 is accommodated on the receiving section 23, the light source 12 positions itself in a receiving opening 18 in the receiving section 23. When the light source 12 is activated, light can radiate into the reflector surface 24.

(6) According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the reflector body 10 has reference surfaces 14a and 14b facing toward the light generating unit 11, and the light generating unit 11 has locating surfaces 15a and 15b facing the reference surfaces 14a, 14b. If the light generating unit 11 is arranged on the reflector body 10, then the locating surfaces 15a, 15b come to rest against the reference surfaces 14a, 14b, so that a precisely positioned arrangement of the light generating unit 11 on the reflector body 10 is created. As a logical consequence, a precise positioning of the light source 12 relative to the reflector surface 24 of the reflector body 10 also occurs.

(7) The carrier 13 can be designed such that it also serves as a heat sink, and the carrier 13 can be braced on the reflector body 10 by an appropriate retainer. The position of the light generating unit 11 relative to the reflector body 10 is not referenced by means of the carrier 13, however, since the carrier provides merely a retaining function for accommodating the light generating unit 11, which retaining function is augmented, at most, by a cooling function. Because the carrier 13 is not part of the positioning arrangement of the light generating unit 11 on the reflector body 10, however, the direct contact of the locating surfaces 15a, 15b on the reference surfaces 14a, 14b produces an optimal alignment of the light generating unit 11 on the reflector body 10, without manufacturing and dimensional tolerances of the carrier 13 having an effect on the positioning of the light generating unit 11 on the reflector body 10.

(8) FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of the carrier 13 with the light generating unit 11 on the reflector body 10. The light generating unit 11 has a printed circuit board 21, on which the light source 12 is arranged (see FIG. 1 in this regard).

(9) A retaining clip 19, which extends around the back of the carrier 13 in a U-shape, serves to attach the carrier 13 to the reflector body 10. A spring preloading can be applied in the retaining clip 19 with a snap-on part 20, and the bracing of the retaining clip 19 with the snap-on part 20 results in a self-locking arrangement of the retaining clip 19 on or between the carrier 13 and the reflector body 10.

(10) FIG. 3 shows the light module 1 in a cross-sectional view in which a stop 16 on the reflector body 10 can be seen, against which stop a counterstop 17 on the light generating unit 11 is brought to rest. To this end, the carrier 13 is pushed rearward a distance by the retaining clip 19 so that the counterstop 17 rests against the stop 16, for which purpose the retaining clip 19 has an engagement point 22. The light generating unit 11 is displaced essentially in the flat plane of the reference surfaces until the counterstop 17 rests against the stop 16 in a defined manner so that the light generating unit 11 is precisely positioned on the reflector body 10. Moreover, it is especially advantageous here that the stop surfaces 14a, 14b and 16 are located on the same mold half as the reflector surfaces 24 in FIG. 1. As a result, mold-related dimensional deviations are precluded. Finally, operating the snap-on part 20 braces the retaining clip 19 in such a way that the arrangement shown is ensured for long-term operation of the light module 1.

(11) The invention is not limited in its implementation to the preferred exemplary embodiment provided above. Instead, a number of variants are possible that make use of the described solution even in embodiments that are fundamentally different in nature. All features and/or advantages, including design details, spatial arrangements, and method steps, that derive from the claims, the description, or the drawings, can be essential for the invention individually as well as in a wide variety of combinations.