DE102023000940A1 - rear light for a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a rear light (1) for a vehicle (2), the vehicle (2) having a bumper (3).The invention is characterized in that a partial surface (4) of the bumper (3) serves as the surface of the rear light (2), wherein a plurality of perforations (5) are provided in the partial surface (4) so that light from a light source (6) arranged behind the bumper (3) can penetrate through the perforations (5), and the partial surface (4) is at least partially perceptible as a painted surface when the light source (6) is in an inactive state.The invention further relates to a bumper (4) with a rear light (1).

Description

The invention relates to a rear light for a vehicle. The invention also relates to a bumper with a rear light.

From the DE 10 2015 013 622 A1 A rear light is known that can be installed with a small gap. This is made possible by an elastic foam material that is arranged in the edge area of the rear light.

Rear lights mounted in this way are, for example, mounted in a lamp housing made from deep-drawn sheet metal. The bumper itself consists of a plastic component. A plastic component, usually manufactured using an injection molding process, cannot be shaped arbitrarily, as this requires different shapes. This means that the design options for the geometry of the bumper and the geometry and arrangement of the rear lights are limited. Recycling plastic bumpers is also difficult because elements such as air intakes are made from different types of plastic than the bumper itself. In a recycling process, separating the different types of plastic is complicated or almost impossible. As a result, a contaminated plastic product can disadvantageously result after recycling.

Another disadvantage is that it has to be installed in a lamp housing, which is made of a deep-drawn aluminum component. However, this means that the aluminum material quickly reaches its load limit.

The DE 10 2018 007 088 A1 describes a headlight that includes several lighting functions. The individual functions are arranged in different surface areas. For example, the surface areas can be arranged around a manufacturer's logo so that the manufacturer's logo can be integrated into the headlight. However, even in such a design, the headlight must be mounted in a predetermined position, such as a rear spoiler or a radiator grille. Another disadvantage is that the design options are limited by the fact that the headlights are visible at all times, even when switched off. This means that not all desired design options can be implemented.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rear light which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages. In particular, a rear light and a bumper are to be proposed which offer greater design freedom.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a rear light with the features in claim 1, and here in particular in the characterizing part of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments emerge from the dependent claims. A bumper with such a rear light is also described.

At the core of the rear light according to the invention, a partial area of the bumper serves as the surface of the rear light, wherein a plurality of perforations are provided in the partial area so that light from a light source arranged behind the bumper can penetrate through the perforations, and the partial area is at least partially perceptible as a painted surface when the light source is inactive. This increases the design options because the light source is arranged behind the surface of the bumper. When the light source is inactive, it is therefore not visible. This distinguishes such an arrangement from a light source applied to a surface area of the bumper, such as in particular a plurality of OLEDs, which are permanently visible even when inactive.

The rear light is designed for a vehicle, whereby the vehicle has a bumper. The perforations allow the light from the light source to shine through the bumper to the outer surface of the vehicle. In particular, this means that a lamp pot is not required, since the light source is arranged behind an outer surface of the vehicle, or behind the bumper itself. Overall, a high degree of flexibility and individualization in the design can be achieved, whereby deviations can also be made within series production. In particular, there is no need to design a series tool.

A bumper is not just a limited area on the underside of the rear of the vehicle. Of course, the rear light can also be designed as described in a body component at the rear of the vehicle that is located adjacent to the actual bumper.

Preferably, the majority of perforations can be sealed by a diffuser. The diffuser can protect in particular against moisture and dirt. The diffuser can be colorless or transparent, for example. In the inactive state of the light source, ie without lighting, the sheet metal of the bumper is in the corresponding car color. Since the perforations are very fine, they are hardly or not at all visible with the naked eye at first glance.

According to a very advantageous development of the idea, it can be provided that the diffuser is designed as an acrylic glass plate and/or contains fiberglass material. The diffuser can thus be designed as a light guide and have a luminous effect.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the diffuser can be used as a light collector, so that a 3D effect is achieved. This allows a shape of the rear light to be formed virtually and motifs or similar can be projected onto it.

According to a very advantageous development of the idea, it can be provided that the partial surface is made of aluminum. The perforations are therefore made of an aluminum material. In particular, an aluminum sheet can be used. This can achieve advantages compared to a plastic material, particularly in terms of stability. The light source can be attached directly behind the aluminum sheet, which means that a lamp pot can be dispensed with. In particular, a deep-drawn area of the aluminum sheet can be dispensed with, which means that the stability of the material can be ensured. The bumper can be made of several parts, i.e. composed of a plurality of aluminum sheets.

According to a very advantageous development of the idea, the bumper can be made of aluminum. This means that there is no visible difference between the partial area and the bumper itself. The bumper and the partial area can be perceived as a single component and therefore do not directly affect the design of the vehicle.

A further advantageous embodiment can provide that the partial surface or the bumper with the partial surface is made of at least one anodized aluminum sheet. The perforations can be introduced using a laser, for example.
Advantageously, the bumper can be painted in the same color as the vehicle, so that the light source, which is arranged behind the bumper, cannot be seen by a person outside the vehicle when the light source is inactive. This results in increased design freedom. Furthermore, the use of aluminum sheet instead of plastic material means that there are fewer design restrictions on production.

The invention further relates to a bumper comprising a rear light according to the invention. The same features and advantages apply to the bumper as described with regard to the rear light.

Further advantageous embodiments of the rear light according to the invention and of the bumper also emerge from the exemplary embodiment which is described in more detail below with reference to the figures.

• 1 eine Schnittdarstellung durch eine Heckleuchte aus dem Stand der Technik;
• 2 eine Schnittdarstellung einer Heckleuchte gemäß einer Ausführungsform;
• 3 eine Schnittdarstellung einer Heckleuchte gemäß einer weiteren Ausführungsform;
• 4 eine Schnittdarstellung einer Heckleuchte gemäß einer weiteren Ausführungsform;
• 5 mögliche Ausführungsformen von Streuscheiben; und
• 6 ein Fahrzeug mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Heckleuchte bzw. mit einem erfindungsgemäßen Stoßfänger.

The following show:

• 1 a sectional view through a rear light from the prior art;
• 2 a sectional view of a rear light according to an embodiment;
• 3 a sectional view of a rear light according to another embodiment;
• 4 a sectional view of a rear light according to another embodiment;
• 5 possible designs of diffusers; and
• 6 a vehicle with a rear light according to the invention or with a bumper according to the invention.

1 shows a rear light 1' in a sectional view from the prior art. A lamp pot 11 is arranged in a plastic bumper 10. A light source 12 is arranged in the lamp pot 11, which has, for example, OLEDs that are visible from the outside. The disadvantage is that a lamp pot 11 is necessary to attach the light source, which consists in particular of a deep-drawn aluminum sheet. Furthermore, the light source 12 is also visible when inactive, so that the design freedom is limited.

In the presentation of the 2 a possible embodiment of the rear light 1 is shown in a possible embodiment. The light source 6 is arranged here behind the bumper 3, so that the rear light 1 cannot be seen from outside the vehicle in an inactive state. A plurality of perforations 5 are provided in a partial area 4 of the bumper 3, so that the light rays of the light source 6 can virtually shine through the bumper 3. The light source 6 can advantageously be mounted directly on the bumper 3, thereby avoiding the need for a lamp pot. can be omitted. In particular, the partial surface 4 or the complete bumper 3 can be made of aluminum sheet. For example, the crash behavior of the vehicle can be influenced by the wall thickness of the aluminum sheet and the beads incorporated. Aluminum is preferably used because it is produced using an anodizing process. This ensures a wide variety of colors as well as corrosion protection.

Another variant of the rear light 1 is in 3 The same components are provided with the same reference symbols, so that this does not need to be discussed in detail. In contrast to 2 Here, a diffuser 7 is mounted in the area of the perforations 5. The diffuser 7 can be made of acrylic glass, for example, and can therefore serve as a light guide. Furthermore, the diffuser 7 can prevent moisture or dirt from reaching the light source 6 through the perforations 5. If the diffuser 7 is made of a transparent material, the partial surface 4 appears in the paintwork of the vehicle color.

In 4 A further embodiment of the rear light 1 is shown, with bulges arranged on the lens 7. This can enhance a 3D effect. For example, different geometric motifs can be applied to the lens 7. These are shown in the following 5 shown.

According to 5 For example, different geometries or a manufacturer's logo can be implemented on the lens 7 using the bulges. When the light source 6 is active, these can create a 3D effect that can influence the appearance of the rear light 1.

In 6 a vehicle 2 is shown with a bumper 3 on which a tail light 1 is arranged. The tail light 1 is arranged on a partial surface 4, whereby the partial surface 4 can be designed as desired. For example, this can be designed as a type of bar that runs along the bumper 3. For example, the tail light 1 can be arranged as such a bar above the bumper 3, whereby the tail light can be partially integrated into the actual bumper and partially into the general rear area of the vehicle 2. The aforementioned features also apply to such a tail light 1. The term bumper 3 is to be understood broadly and includes in particular all areas at the rear of the vehicle that form a body.

Of course, the described variants of the rear light 1 can be used in the 2 to 6 also combine with each other, so that different possibilities arise. For example, the shape of the diffuser 7, the perforations 5 or the partial area 4 can be designed differently. There are hardly any limits to the design possibilities.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102015013622 A1 [0002]
• DE 102018007088 A1 [0005]

Claims (8)

Rear light (1) for a vehicle (2), the vehicle (2) having a bumper (3), characterized in that a partial surface (4) of the bumper (3) serves as the surface of the rear light (2), wherein a plurality of perforations (5) are provided in the partial surface (4) so that light from a light source (6) arranged behind the bumper (3) can penetrate through the perforations (5), and the partial surface (4) is at least partially perceptible as a paint surface when the light source (6) is in an inactive state. Rear light (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the plurality of perforations (5) are sealed by a diffuser (7). Rear light (1) after claim 2 , characterized in that the diffusion screen (7) is designed as an acrylic glass plate and/or contains glass fiber material. Rear light (1) after claim 2 or 3 , characterized in that the diffuser (7) serves as a light collector, so that a 3D effect is achieved. Rear light (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 4 , characterized in that the partial surface (4) is made of aluminum. Rear light (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the bumper (3) is made of aluminum. Rear light (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 6 , characterized in that the partial surface (4) or the bumper (3) with the partial surface (4) is formed from at least one anodized aluminum sheet. Bumper (3) comprising a rear light (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 7 .

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