HEADLAMP TRANSPORT DEVICE

Abstract

A motor vehicle front end having one, preferably two, headlamps, wherein the headlamp is intended and constructed so as to be fastened in an assembly position onto the motor vehicle, in particular onto the motor vehicle front end, and wherein the headlamp is fastened by means of a transport holder on the front end in a transport position, the transport position being different from the assembly position. The transport position is offset frontward and/or downward relative to the assembly position, in order to provide a front end, motor vehicle, and method that make it possible to create motor vehicle designs with which pre-assembly of the headlamps in the assembly position thereof is not possible, without thereby incurring additional logistical complexity on the assembly lines for the vehicle, or wherein this additional complexity is at least largely avoided.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle front end comprising at least one, preferably two headlamps (9), wherein the headlamp is intended and constructed so as to be fastened in an assembly position onto the motor vehicle, in particular onto the motor vehicle front end, and wherein the headlamp (9) is fastened by means of a transport holder (3) on the front end in a transport position, the transport position being different from the assembly position.

2. The motor vehicle front end according to claim 1, wherein the transport position is offset frontward and/or downward relative to the assembly position.

3. The motor vehicle front end according to claim 1, wherein the transport holder (3) has a first locking element (6) for producing a releasable positive-locking connection of the transport holder to the headlamp.

4. The motor vehicle front end according to claim 3, wherein the transport holder (3) has a second locking element (7) for producing a releasable positive-locking connection of the transport holder to the motor vehicle front end.

5. The motor vehicle front end according to claim 2, wherein the transport holder (3) has a first locking element (6) for producing a releasable positive-locking connection of the transport holder to the headlamp.

6. The motor vehicle front end according to claim 5, wherein the transport holder (3) has a second locking element (7) for producing a releasable positive-locking connection of the transport holder to the motor vehicle front end.

7. A motor vehicle comprising the motor vehicle front end according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the motor vehicle has an auto body element (10), in particular, a fender, that is designed so as to cover a portion of the headlamp (9) as viewed from the front in the longitudinal direction (4) of the motor vehicle.

8. A method for assembling a motor vehicle front end, comprising the steps of: a motor vehicle headlamp (9) is fastened onto a motor vehicle front end at a first production facility with a transport holder (3) in a transport position, and next; the motor vehicle front end is transported to a second production facility at which the motor vehicle front end is assembled onto a motor vehicle, wherein the headlamp (9) is brought from the transport position into the intended assembly position thereof and the transport holder (3) is removed and transported back to the first production facility to be reused there.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, when the motor vehicle front end is being assembled onto the motor vehicle, first the motor vehicle front end is fastened onto the motor vehicle, and then the headlamp (9) is released from the motor vehicle front end and fastened onto the motor vehicle in the intended assembly position thereof.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, when the headlamp (9) is being released from the motor vehicle front end, the headlamp (9) is first released from the transport holder (3), wherein preferably a first locking element (6) is unlocked.

11. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, after being released from the motor vehicle front end, the headlamp (9) is moved, preferably by hand, into the assembly position thereof past an auto body element, in particular, a fender, that is designed so as to cover a portion of the headlamp (9) as viewed from the front in the longitudinal direction (4) of the motor vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, after being released from the motor vehicle front end, the headlamp (9) is moved, preferably by hand, into the assembly position thereof past an auto body element, in particular, a fender, that is designed so as to cover a portion of the headlamp (9) as viewed from the front in the longitudinal direction (4) of the motor vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, after the headlamp (9) has been broughtpreferably, fastenedto the assembly position thereof, the transport holder is released from the motor vehicle front end, wherein, preferably, a second locking element (7) is unlocked.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein, after the headlamp (9) has been broughtpreferably, fastenedto the assembly position thereof, the transport holder is released from the motor vehicle front end, wherein, preferably, a second locking element (7) is unlocked.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein, after the headlamp (9) has been broughtpreferably, fastenedto the assembly position thereof, the transport holder is released from the motor vehicle front end, wherein, preferably, a second locking element (7) is unlocked.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein, after the headlamp (9) has been broughtpreferably, fastenedto the assembly position thereof, the transport holder is released from the motor vehicle front end, wherein, preferably, a second locking element (7) is unlocked.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention shall be described in greater detail hereinbelow, schematically with reference to FIGS. 1-9.

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a depiction of a structural member, namely, a mounting bracket of an exemplary front end according to the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates the structural member from FIG. 1, with a transport holder accommodated thereon;

[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates the arrangement from FIG. 2, with a headlamp accommodated in the assembly position thereof;

[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed depiction of the transport holder from FIGS. 2 and 3; and

[0030] FIGS. 5-9 schematically illustrate individual method steps in the assembly of the front end according to a method according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] For better visual clarity, the illustrated example of the front end in FIGS. 1-4 depicts only a part of the mounting bracket, i.e., the essential structural member 1 bearing the different installation components. The structural member 1 comprises receiving elements 2 for the connection of the transport holder 3 to the front end, this connection advantageously being a positive-locking connection in the example illustrated. To connect the headlamp 9 to the transport holder 3, the transport holder 3 advantageously comprises a first locking element 6, which can advantageously be operated with a first operating element 4a, 4b. The first operating element is depicted in the locked (4a) and unlocked (4b) state, respectively, of the first locking element 6.

[0032] The exemplary transport holder 3 further advantageously comprises a second locking element 7 for the connection to the front end. This second locking element is preferably operated by the second operating element 5a, 5b. The second operating element is also depicted in the locked (5a), and unlocked (5b) state, respectively, of the second locking element 7.

[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates the situation of assembly of the front end according to an exemplary method according to the present invention immediately after the front end has been fastened onto the motor vehicle. The structural member 1 is already firmly connected to the auto body of the motor vehicle. The headlamp 9 is still firmly connected to the structural member 1 by the transport holder 3. As can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, which depict the same point in time in the method but from a different direction, the headlamp is located in a position spaced apart from an auto body element 10. As can be seen in FIG. 5, were the headlamp 9 to be moved from this transport position in a rectilinear motion along the longitudinal direction Y of the vehicle in the direction of the assembly position thereof, then the headlamp would collide with the auto body element 10. Thanks to the method according to the present invention, however, the headlamp is located in the transport position thereof, which is offset frontward and downward relative to the assembly position.

[0034] After the first locking element 6 is unlocked and the connection of the headlamp 9 to the transport holder 3 is thereby released, the headlamp 9 can now be manually brought into the assembly position thereof depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8. As can be seen, in particular, in FIG. 8, the headlamp 9 is also covered therein by a part of the auto body element 10, so that the headlamp must be guided past this coverage area 11 during the manual assembly.

[0035] In the example depicted, when the headlamp 9 is fastened in the assembly position thereof, the second locking element 7 is unlocked. The transport holder 3 can thenin the example illustratedbe advantageously released and removed from the structural member 1 in the width direction X of the motor vehicle. The transport holder 3 can now be returned to a first production facility and reused there.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0036] 1 Structural member [0037] 2 Receiving element [0038] 3 Transport holder [0039] 4a First operating element, locked [0040] 4b First operating element, unlocked [0041] 5a Second operating element, locked [0042] 5b Second operating element, unlocked [0043] 6 First locking element [0044] 7 Second locking element [0045] 8 Auto body [0046] 9 Headlamp [0047] 10 Auto body element [0048] 11 Coverage area [0049] X Width direction [0050] Y Longitudinal direction [0051] Z Height direction