FR2787401A1 - Vehicle instrument panel arrangement, has powerful lamp supported by the panel hood to illuminate the displays - Google Patents

Abstract

The instrument panel includes a box (10) has a hood (14) overhanging the instrument displays (20,22,24). There are lighting units having a light source (50) of high power supported by the hood and adapted to light the instrument displays from the front.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of dashboards

for motor vehicles.

  More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of lighting means for dashboards of motor vehicles. Those skilled in the art know that it is necessary to have means capable of lighting dashboards for motor vehicles. Such an arrangement is indeed necessary to allow visual access to the information available on the dashboard, when lighting

  insufficient ambient (for example at night, when crossing a tunnel ...).

  Many provisions have already been proposed for this purpose.

  For example, numerous lighting means have been proposed based on filament lamps, light-emitting diodes, or equivalent means, suitable for illuminating an indicator dial comprising screen-printed areas, needle indicators, etc. rear, by the

edge, from the front ...

  Known dashboards have already done great service.

  However, they are not always satisfactory.

  The present invention now aims to propose new means capable of illuminating a dashboard for a motor vehicle. This object is achieved according to the present invention thanks to a dashboard comprising a housing having a covering element or "flange" protruding from the front of indicator means, characterized in that it comprises lighting means consisting of at least one high-power light source, supported by the covering means and

  adapted to illuminate said indicator means from the front.

  Other features, purposes and advantages of this

  invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows and

  with reference to the appended drawings, given by way of nonlimiting example and in which: - Figure 1 shows a schematic front perspective view of a dashboard according to the present invention, - Figure 2 shows a schematic view in cross section of such a dashboard, and - Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a light emitting diode capable of being used in an embodiment

  of the present invention.

  We see in the accompanying figures, a dashboard according to the present invention comprising a housing 10. The latter can be the subject of many variants as to its geometry and its methods of realization (in particular as regards its constituent material or its structure; this housing 10 can be produced in the form of a single element or of several shells assembled together). For these reasons, the

  housing 10 will not be described in detail below.

  The rear part 12 of the housing 10 preferably houses indicator means, such as a static display 20, for example an LCD display,

  and needle indicators 22, 24, etc ...

  Preferably, the hands 23, 25 of these indicators are carried by a respective motor means 26, such as a logometer or a stepping motor, itself carried by a printed circuit 28 arranged in the rear part

12 above of the housing 10.

  This rear part 12 of the housing 10 can itself be the subject of numerous variants. It can for example be a box housing the

  printed circuit 28 and the aforementioned indicator means.

  Preferably, the dashboard according to the present invention further comprises a dial 30 disposed in front of the indicator means (but preferably behind the hands 23, 25). Such a dial 30 can be formed for example using a plastic sheet, for example polyacetal, such as a screen-printed "Makrofol" sheet to thus present translucent areas associated in particular with indicators to

  needle, for example in the form of ranges of reference values.

  The part 14 of the housing 10 located in front of the aforesaid rear part 12 constitutes a covering means generally called "flange" since it enhances the front part of the housing relative to this part

rear 12 above.

  Generally, the flange 14 is closed at its contour

  opening by a transparent window 40.

  The flange 14 also serves as a sun visor to avoid direct lighting of the indicator means 20, 22, 24, harmful for good

visual observation.

  As indicated above, in the context of the present invention, the lighting means of the dashboard consist of at least one light source 50 of high power supported by the covering means 14 and adapted to illuminate said indicator means

, 22, 24 from the front.

  As can be seen in the appended FIGS. 1 and 2, these lighting means 50 are preferably placed on the upper wall 15 of the flange 14. More precisely still, in the context of the present invention, the lighting means comprise preferably two identical light sources 50 juxtaposed laterally in the direction of the length of the dashboard on the upper wall 15 of the flange 14. These means 50 are preferably formed of high power light emitting diodes, such as the diodes marketed by the company HEWLETT - PACKARD under the name "PIRANHA". More precisely still such diodes called "PIRANHA" correspond to the diodes marketed by the company HEWLETT-PACKARD, under the

  references HPWR, in particular HPWR-M300, HPWA, in particular HPWA-

  MX00 / DX00, and HPWT, including HPWT-MX00 / DX00.

  More precisely still, preferably, these sources 50 are carried by two metal blades 60, 70. Thus, these blades 60, 70, provide both the mechanical support of the light sources 50 and their

power supply.

  Fixing the light sources 50 on the blades 60, 70 can be carried out according to any arrangement known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the sources 50 are fixed to the metal blades 60, 70 by mechanical means, such as by welding, cold clamping or the like. More precisely still, preferably each of the metal blades 60, 70 have a rectilinear front section 62, 72 oriented parallel to the front edge of the flange 14, this section 62, 72 being extended towards the rear by a branch 64, 74 generally transverse to the front edge of the flange 14, said branch 64, 74 ending on the rear of the housing in the form of a curvature 66, 76 suitable for coming to rest against homologous contacts, in the form of sliding contacts, provided on the printed circuit 28. Alternatively, however, the electrical connection between the blades 60, and the external supply means to the dashboard can be

  produced by any other suitable variant known to those skilled in the art.

  It will be observed on examining FIG. 1, that preferably the diodes 50 are thus arranged between the two front sections 62, 72 of the metal strips and have their terminals connected respectively to these two sections. The blades 60, 70 can themselves be supported on the housing 10 by any suitable means. Thus, for example, one can consider overmolding the housing 10 on the blades 60, 70. As a variant, the blades 60, 70, can be mechanically fixed on the housing 10, for example by

buttressing or equivalent means.

  Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure proposed in the context of the present invention allows a simple, economical realization

and reliable lighting means.

  More precisely still, preferably, within the framework of the present invention, the diodes 50 are placed in openings 16

  formed in the upper wall 15 of the flange 14.

  More precisely still, the central axis OO of the openings 16 is centered on the main area of interest of the displays 20, 22, 24 and preferably inclined relative to the dial 30 according to an inclination c between 30 and 90, very advantageously included between 40 and 600, to avoid shadow effects on the indicating means, including in the case where these include needle indicators as referenced in

22, 24 in the appended figures.

  Furthermore, as can be seen in FIG. 2, preferably, these openings 16 are masked by a partition segment 17 projecting towards the inside of the dashboard and downwards from the upper wall 15 in front of said panels. openings 16. We see in Figure 2, one of the blades, 70 which runs along the outer surface of the wall 15 (or alternatively can be molded into the mass of the housing 10) and which is connected at its end front to the light sources 50 and which ends at its rear end in the form of bends 66, 76 capable of resting against

the printed circuit 28.

  It will also be noted on examining FIG. 2 that the dashboard according to the present invention can easily be integrated into a

  dashboard with the general reference 60.

  Illustrated in Figure 3 appended in perspective, a preferred embodiment of a high power LED diode type "PIRANHA" can be used preferentially in the context of the present invention.

  Such diodes typically emit a light cone of +/-

  40 "with respect to a central axis, ie an angle at the apex A of 800.

  Of course the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiment which has just been described, but extends to all variants

conform to his spirit.

Claims (14)

  1. Dashboard for motor vehicles comprising a boot (10) having a covering element or flange (14) projecting from the front of indicator means (20, 22, 24), characterized in that it comprises lighting means consisting of at least one high-power light source (50) supported by the covering means (14) and adapted to illuminate said indicator means (20, 22, 24) from the front.   2. dashboard according to claim 1, characterized in that the lighting means (50) are supported by the upper wall (15) of the dashboard.   3. dashboard according to one of claims 1 or 2,   characterized in that the lighting means comprise two light sources (50).   4. Dashboard according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized   by the fact that the lighting means comprise two light sources (50) juxtaposed laterally along the length of the dashboard.   5. Dashboard according to one of claims 1 to 4,   characterized in that the lighting means (50) are formed of light emitting diodes.   6. Dashboard according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized   by the fact that the lighting means (50) are carried by two blades metallic (60, 70).   7. dashboard according to claim 6, characterized in that the lighting means (50) are mechanically supported and connected   electrically to the metal blades (60, 70).   8. dashboard according to one of claims 6 or 7,   characterized in that the metal blades (60, 70) are fixed   mechanically on the housing (10).   9. dashboard according to one of claims 6 to 8,   characterized by the fact that the housing (10) is molded onto the blades metallic (60, 70).   10. Dashboard according to one of claims 6 to 8,   characterized in that the metal blades (60, 70) are fixed   mechanically, by bolting, on the housing (10).   11. Dashboard according to one of claims 6 to 10,   characterized by the fact that the metal blades (60, 70) comprise curvatures (66, 76) able to rest by sliding contact on tracks of a printed circuit (28).   12. Dashboard according to one of claims 1 to 11,   characterized in that the lighting means (50) are placed opposite at least one opening (16) formed in the upper wall (15) covering means (14).   13. dashboard according to claim 12, characterized in that a partition segment (17) integrally with the upper wall   (15) covering means mask the openings (16).   14. dashboard according to one of claims 1 to 13,   characterized in that the central emission axis of the lighting means (50) is centered on the main area of interest of the indicating means (20, 22, 24) and inclined at an angle between 30 and 90 , very advantageously   at 60 relative to the plane of an indicator dial (30).