Method for producing a blinker module, blinker module, rear-view device, and motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11624489-B2
Application number	US-202017133763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2020
Priority date	Jun 19, 2018
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a blinker module for a rearview device of a motor vehicle includes the steps of providing at least one lighting element comprising at least one light guide and at least one light disk or lens and providing of at least one illuminant unit comprising at least one illuminant, wherein the illuminant unit is designed to couple light emitted by the illuminant into the lighting element. A blinker module, rearview device and motor vehicle, including the blinker module manufactured according to the method, are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a blinker module for a rearview device of a motor vehicle comprising the steps:
providing at least one lighting element comprising at least one light guide and at least one light disk or lens;
providing of at least one illuminant unit comprising at least one illuminant, wherein the illuminant unit is designed to couple light emitted by the illuminant into the lighting element; and
arranging at least one insert between the at least one light guide and the at least one light disk or lens, the at least one insert being designed as a cover or opaque design element, wherein at least one of the shape of the cover or opaque design element, color of the cover or opaque design element and a pattern on the cover or opaque design element is suited to provide at least one of a logo, an emblem, a flag, a symbol and an information as an imprint on the at least one insert, wherein the at least one insert is attached to a blinker module housing, and wherein the at least one insert covers the at least one light guide such that substantially no illumination will pass the at least one insert with its imprint so that the imprint can only be seen in daylight.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the lighting element comprises the step of forming the light guide and the light disk or lens by at least one of injection molding, in a single step, and as a single element.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one end section or middle section of the lighting element has at least one tapered section.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing at least one illuminant unit comprises
providing at least one illuminant in the form of at least one LED,
providing at least one electrical connection means for connecting the illuminant unit to an electrical current or voltage network, and
providing at least one circuit board,
wherein the illuminant unit is designed to couple light emitted by the illuminant into the lighting element or the light guide.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising providing a housing to which at least one of the illuminant unit and the lighting element is attached.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein at least the at least one circuit board of the illuminant unit is attached to the housing.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one insert is attached to the housing.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one insert is arranged to at least one of:
overlapping at least partly, an end portion of or a middle portion of the light guide,
extending along the contour of at least one edge or side of the light guide along the light propagation direction starting from the illuminant unit,
being slotted along the contour of at least one edge or side of the light guide along the light propagation direction starting from the illuminant unit, and
covering or screening at least the at least one illuminant.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one insert is attached to the housing at least along the contour of at least one edge or side of the light guide along the light propagation direction from the illuminant unit at least along one side of the light guide.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one insert is attached to the housing below the lower edge or side of the light guide and extends along the upper side of the light guide.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one insert is attached to the housing by means of at least one of welding, spraying, steaming, gluing, painting and/or injecting.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the light guide and the insert at least along a part of the extension along the light propagation direction starting from the illuminant unit taper in the direction of the illuminant unit.

13. A blinker module manufactured by a method according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide fulfils the blinker function and at least one of the cover or opaque design element, the light disk and the lens is designed to meet design requirements.

14. A rearview device for a motor vehicle comprising:
an upper casing;
a lower casing; and
at least one blinker module according to claim 12 ,
wherein the blinker module is attached between the upper and the lower casings or to the upper casing.

15. The rearview device of claim 14 , wherein a flush closure between the cover or lens on the one hand and at least one of the upper casing, the lower casing and a bezel of the review device, on the other hand, at least in regions.

16. A motor vehicle, comprising at least one rearview device according to claim 14 .

Assignees

• Motherson Innovations Co Ltd

Inventors

• Erhart Volker
• Meier Eugen
• Schmidt Oliver
• Rötzer Ilka
• Thompson Andrew
• Dickson James

Classifications

• F21S43/26

  Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255 · CPC title

• F21S43/40

  characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors · CPC title

• F21W2103/25

  for rear-view mirrors · CPC title

• F21S43/245

  emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces · CPC title

• F21S43/247

  with a single light source being coupled into the light guide · CPC title