Adjustable fog lamp on motor vehicle front bumper

Abstract

A lighting and/or signaling module that includes a housing delimiting a volume intended to receive at least one light source, an outer lens disposed on the housing and delimiting the volume and means for supporting the housing in rotation about a generally transverse axis. The outer lens has an exterior surface of revolution about the rotation axis. The module is preferably a fog lamp mounted on a vehicle front bumper. Bumper includes on its rear face means for fixing the lamp.

Claims

1. A lighting module for a lighting and/or signaling device, including: a housing delimiting a volume intended to receive at least one light source; an outer lens fixed to said housing and closing said volume; a support for rotatably supporting said lighting module to allow rotation of said lighting module about a generally transverse axis that is generally transverse to an optical axis of said lighting module; wherein said outer lens includes a transparent or translucent main portion, an exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion being a portion of a surface of revolution generally corresponding to an arc of an imaginary circle with an axis of inertia of said lighting module being close to said generally transverse axis; said support enabling said lighting module to be rotated to a desired position at which said lighting module may be fixed and after fixation, said at least one light source may transmit light through said transparent or translucent portion.

2. The lighting module according to claim 1, wherein said generally transverse axis crosses said volume of said housing.

3. The lighting module according to claim 2, wherein said generally transverse axis is situated at a distance from said axis of inertia that is less than 25% of a mean diameter of a maximum cross section of said lighting module.

4. The lighting module according to claim 2, wherein a transverse profile of said exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens is rectilinear.

5. The lighting module according to claim 2, wherein a transverse profile of said exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens is generally convex or concave from a viewing point situated in front of said exterior surface.

6. The lighting module according to claim 2, wherein said generally transverse axis is situated at a distance from said axis of inertia that is less than 15% of a mean diameter of a maximum cross section of said lighting module.

7. The lighting module according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes at least one wall, notably extending along said generally transverse axis, said at least one wall including a generally planar first portion and a concave second portion notably extending along a generally parabolic profile, from one end of said generally planar first portion.

8. The lighting module according to claim 7, wherein said generally planar first portion of said housing includes a first part extending from said concave second portion of said housing and a second part extending between said first part and said outer lens, partly covering said first part, said second part preferably being attached to said first part.

9. The lighting module according to claim 7, wherein said outer lens includes a retaining portion extending from at least part, or even the entirety, of a perimeter of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens.

10. The lighting module according to claim 9, wherein said retaining portion of said outer lens is generally aligned with said first portion of said at least one wall of said housing.

11. The lighting module according to claim 9, wherein said retaining portion of said outer lens supports a first fixing and/or positioning means adapted to cooperate with a second fixing and/or positioning means supported by said generally planar first portion of said at least one wall of said housing.

12. The lighting module according to claim 7, wherein said generally planar first portion of said at least one wall of said housing supports at least one light source.

13. The lighting module according to claim 12, wherein said concave second portion of said at least one wall of said housing is covered by a reflective surface configured to reflect rays emitted by said at least one light source as a predetermined statutory lighting and/or signaling beam passing through said outer lens.

14. The lighting module according to claim 12, wherein said generally planar first portion of said housing includes a first part extending from said concave second portion of said housing and a second part extending between said first part and said outer lens, partly covering said first part, said second part preferably being attached to said first part.

15. The lighting module according to claim 12, wherein said outer lens includes a retaining portion extending from at least part, or even the entirety, of a perimeter of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens.

16. A motor vehicle front or rear bumper, including a wall for protection of the vehicle, with an exterior face and an interior face and at least one orifice, and a lighting module fixed to said interior face of said wall facing said at least one orifice; wherein said lighting module is of claim 1.

17. The motor vehicle front or rear bumper according to claim 16, wherein said wall of said motor vehicle front or rear bumper includes on its interior face a fixation for fixing said lighting module cooperating with said support for supporting said housing of said lighting module, said fixation and said support being configured to allow manual angular adjustment of said lighting module and immobilization of said lighting module.

18. The motor vehicle front or rear bumper according to claim 16, wherein said exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens extends, relative to said generally transverse axis of said lighting module, over a sector greater than that of said at least one orifice in said wall, so as to cover the whole of said at least one orifice with said outer lens over a range of angular adjustment of said lighting module about said generally transverse axis, said range of angular adjustment being preferably greater than 10.

19. The motor vehicle front or rear bumper according to claim 16, wherein said exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens is at an essentially constant distance from a contour of said at least one orifice on said interior face of said wall of said motor vehicle front or rear bumper.

20. The motor vehicle front or rear bumper according to claim 16, wherein said exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens extends, relative to said generally transverse axis of said lighting module, over a sector greater than that of said at least one orifice in said wall, so as to cover the whole of said at least one orifice with said outer lens over a range of angular adjustment of said lighting module about said generally transverse axis, said range of angular adjustment being preferably greater than 50.

21. The motor vehicle front or rear bumper according to claim 16, wherein said lighting module is fixed to said interior face so that it is mobile in rotation, notably so as to allow angular adjustment of said lighting module.

22. The motor vehicle front or rear bumper according to claim 21, wherein said exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens is at an essentially constant distance from a contour of said at least one orifice on said interior face of said wall of said motor vehicle front or rear bumper.

23. The motor vehicle front or rear bumper according to claim 21, wherein said exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens extends, relative to said generally transverse axis of said lighting module, over a sector greater than that of said at least one orifice in said wall, so as to cover the whole of said at least one orifice with said outer lens over a range of angular adjustment of said lighting module about said generally transverse axis, said range of angular adjustment being preferably greater than 50.

24. The motor vehicle front or rear bumper according to claim 21, wherein said wall of said motor vehicle front or rear bumper includes on its interior face a fixation for fixing said lighting module cooperating with said support for supporting said housing of said lighting module, said fixation and said support being configured to allow manual angular adjustment of said lighting module and immobilization of said lighting module.

25. The lighting module according to claim 1, wherein a transverse profile of said exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens is generally convex or concave from a viewing point situated in front of said exterior surface.

26. The lighting module according to claim 1, wherein a transverse profile of said exterior surface of said transparent or translucent main portion of said outer lens is rectilinear.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

(1) Other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood in the light of the description and the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a general view of a vehicle front bumper in accordance with the invention, including two orifices behind which are disposed lighting modules in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a front view of a lighting module in accordance with the invention and means for fixing it to the bumper;

(4) FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of the bumper and the lighting module in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of the bumper and the lighting module in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 shows a front bumper or bumper face bar 2 in accordance with the invention. It includes a protective wall provided with two orifices 6 behind which are disposed fog lamps 4 or 104. The orifices 6 and the fog lamps 4 or 104 are disposed at low positions of the bumper face bar 2 so as to optimize the lighting in the presence of fog.

(7) FIG. 2 is a front view of one of the fog lamps 4 or 104 of the bumper face bar 2 from FIG. 1. The fog lamp 4 or 104 includes a transparent outer lens 14 or 114 through which the beam produced by the fog lamp 4 or 104 is transmitted. The transparent outer lens 14 or 114 is mounted on a housing (not visible in FIG. 2) essentially corresponding to the rear part of the fog lamp 4 or 104 and supporting the journals 16 and 18 serving as means for supporting the housing in rotation about an axis 8. This axis 8 extends essentially transversely to the vehicle. The journals 16 and 18 cooperate with respective bearings 10 and 12 joined to the wall of the bumper face bar 2. These bearings 10 and 12 may be of the cap type, that is to say with a removable part that can be held in place by means of clamping screws.

(8) The fog lamp 4 or 104 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 extends essentially in the transverse direction. It may nevertheless have other shapes, such as a less elongated or more elongated shape, for example.

(9) The transparent outer lens 14 or 114 has a transparent main portion 15 or 115 corresponding to the area with the vertical lines in FIG. 2 and a secondary portion corresponding to the area free of vertical lines surrounding the transparent main portion 15 or 115. It can be seen that the transparent main portion 15 or 115 can have a complex contour, in this instance a lower contour the ends of which are rounded to the point of rising as far as the upper contour. This contour is an example, other contours being equally envisageable.

(10) FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1 of the bumper face bar 2 from FIG. 1. The section is situated essentially at the center of the fog lamp 4 or 104 in the transverse direction. There can clearly be seen in it the orifice 6 present in the wall of the housing of the bumper face bar 2. The orifice 6 moreover forms a recess so that the contour of the orifice 6 on the rear face of the bumper face bar 2 is formed by the edge surface of the wall of the bumper face bar 2. In other configurations, the wall may nevertheless have other shapes, such as a curved shape, for example.

(11) The transparent outer lens 14 or 114 and the housing 24 of the fog lamp 4 or 104 is clearly visible in FIG. 3. The housing 24 essentially includes a generally flat horizontal first portion 25 and a second portion 23 extending along a parabolic profile from the rear edge of the first portion 25. A plate 34 with electrical power supply tracks is disposed against the internal face of the first portion 25 of the housing 24. The plate 34 in question supports a light source 32 of the light-emitting diode (LED) type. The plate 34 is electrically connected to a connector 36 disposed at a position at the rear of the housing 24. The internal face of the second portion 23 of the housing 24 is covered by a reflective coating 26. The latter may be molded at the same time as the housing 24. The light rays emitted by the light source or sources are reflected by the reflective coating 26 so as to form a lighting beam.

(12) The transparent outer lens 14 or 114 includes a transparent or translucent main portion 15 or 115, the exterior surface of which is a surface of revolution about the axis 8. It also includes an upper portion 17 generally aligned by the first portion 25 of the housing 24. The internal face of this upper portion 17 is covered with a reflective coating 22. The latter may be molded at the same time as the transparent outer lens 14 or 114. The benefit of this reflective coating 22 is to reflect the rays reflected by the reflector 26 toward this surface. In the absence of this reflective surface, these rays would otherwise be essentially absorbed and therefore lost.

(13) The transparent outer lens 14 or 114 includes at each of its upper and lower edges a shoulder 28 and 30 serving as positioning means relative to the housing 24.

(14) The fog lamp 4 or 104 may also include a fan 38 intended to force a flow of air into the volume of the housing 24 of the fog lamp 4 or 104, with a view to cooling the light source or sources and all the components of the fog lamp 4 or 104 in the vicinity of these light sources liable to become heated.

(15) The profile of the transparent main portion 15 or 115 of the transparent outer lens 14 or 114 traces an arc the corresponding circle 20 of which is represented in dashed line in FIGS. 3 and 4. It can be seen, on the one hand, that this circle 20 encloses the greater part of the fog lamp 4 or 104 and, on the other hand, that the majority of the circle 20 is occupied by the fog lamp 4 or 104. This amounts to saying that the axis of inertia of the fog lamp 4 or 104 is close to the pivot or rotation axis 8, or even coincides with this pivot or rotation axis 8. The pivot or rotation axis 8 is preferably situated at a distance from a transverse axis of inertia that is less than 25%, preferably 15%, of the mean diameter of the maximum cross section of the module.

(16) During assembly of the vehicle, in particular during assembly of the bumper face bar 2 and the fog lamps 4 or 104 to the vehicle, the fog lamps 4 or 104 may be adjusted manually on the assembly line. To do this, it suffices for the operative to manipulate the means for fixing the fog lamps 4 or 104 on the bumper face bar 2, notably by means of a tool for driving a clamping screw at the level of the means for fixing it to the bumper face bar 2. The distance between the exterior surface of the transparent outer lens 14 or 114 and the contour of the orifice 6 remains constant. A seal may moreover be provided on the contour of the orifice 6, this seal cooperating with the exterior surface of the transparent outer lens 14 or 114.

(17) The profile of the transparent main portion 15 or 115 of the transparent outer lens 14 or 114 in a horizontal plane may be essentially rectilinear or curved. In the case of a curved profile, it may be essentially convex or concave from a viewing point situated in front of the surface. In other words, this means that the transparent main portion 15 or 115 of the transparent outer lens 14 or 114 may be barrel-shaped or diabolo-shaped.

(18) FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. 3, although the module conforms to a second embodiment of the invention. The reference numbers of the first embodiment are used in the second embodiment for the same or corresponding elements, except that these numbers are increased by 100 in order to distinguish clearly between the two embodiments. Reference is furthermore made to the description of the first embodiment. Specific numbers between 100 and 200 are used for specific elements.

(19) The second embodiment, shown in FIG. 4, is distinguished from the first embodiment essentially in that the retaining portion 117 of the outer lens 114 is substantially shorter. To this end, the first portion 125 of the wall of the housing 124 includes a first portion 125.sup.1 extending directly from the second portion 123 of the wall of the housing 124, forming the reflector, to a second part 125.sup.2 preferably attached to and extending the latter. To this end, the second part 125.sup.2 partly covers the free end of the first part 125.sup.1. The plate 134 is disposed against the first part 125.sup.1 and has its front edge sandwiched between the first part 125.sup.1 and the second part 125.sup.2.

(20) Compared to the first embodiment, the retaining portion 117 no longer includes a reflective coating. The second part 125.sup.2 of the first portion 125 of the wall of the housing 124 may include a reflective coating 122 on its interior face. The first part 125.sup.1 may include at least one pin, preferably a plurality of pins, for positioning the plate 134 and possibly for positioning the second part 125.sup.2.

(21) 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.