DE20113287U1 - Lighting device for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

MAUCHER, BORJES & COLLEAGUES

PATENT AND LAW FIRM

Patent Attorney Dipl.-Ing. W. Maucher · Patent and Attorney H. Börjes-Pestalozza

Hella KG Hueck & Co. SAK ⁸ SPSf. ~

Rixbecker Str. 75 D-79102 Fre,b«rg,. Br.

59552 Lippstadt Telephone (07 61) 79 174 O

Fax (07 61) 79 174 30

Our file ■ Please always indicate

G 01' 333 H :

Hu/be

Lighting equipment for vehicles

The invention relates to a lighting device for vehicles, in particular an interior light, which has an electroluminescent film as a light source, which can be connected to at least one electrical connection line via an electrical connection part, wherein the connection part has a clamp with a receptacle for a connection area of the electroluminescent film, wherein the clamp has contact points on both sides of this receptacle, which

" Electroluminescent foil clamped between them, and

wherein at least one contact point engaging an electrical connection point of the electroluminescent film is designed as a contact element which can be electrically connected to the connecting line.

Such a lighting device designed as an interior light is known from practice. It has an electroluminescent film which is arranged on a light housing for illuminating a vehicle interior. The electroluminescent film is connected via an electrical connecting part to stranded wires of an electrical connecting line which serves to supply power to the interior light. The connecting part

has a terminal with a receptacle on the side facing the electroluminescent film, into which a connection area of the electroluminescent film engages. The terminal has contact points on both sides of the receptacle, between which the electroluminescent film is clamped. The electroluminescent film has conductor tracks in the connection area, one end of which contacts a contact point on the terminal designed as a contact element, and the other end of which is connected to an electrode of the electroluminescent film. The contact elements are each connected to a socket that is crimped to a wire of the electrical connection cable. However, the electrical connection of the electroluminescent film still requires a relatively large amount of space and is also comparatively heavy. Another disadvantage is that crimping the wires of the connection cable to the sockets of the connecting part when assembling the lighting device and/or in the event of a repair is still comparatively complex and complicated.

The object is therefore to create a lighting device of the type mentioned above which enables simple installation and a space-saving arrangement of the lighting device in a vehicle.

The solution to this problem consists in that the connecting part for connecting to a conductor foil having electrical conductor tracks as connecting lines has, in addition to the first terminal, a second terminal with a receptacle for a connection area of the conductor foil, that the second terminal has contact points on both sides of this receptacle which clamp the conductor foil between them in the position of use, that at least one contact point engaging an electrical contact point of the conductor foil is designed as a contact element, and that this contact element is electrically connected to the contact element engaging the electroluminescent foil.

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The lighting device is therefore supplied with power via a conductor foil, so that the electrical cables required for the lighting device's power supply can be designed to be flat and thus compact. For example, in the case of a lighting device mounted on the roof, the conductor foil can be laid behind the roof lining to save space. The conductor foil also advantageously enables the power supply cables to be light. Since the connecting part is or can be connected directly to the conductor foil via a terminal, the lighting device can be

&psgr; direction can be easily connected to the conductor foil during assembly with correspondingly low assembly effort. The conductor foil can optionally be part of a bus system to which other lighting devices and/or similar electrical components are connected.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least one clamp has clamping parts arranged on both sides of the receptacle, which can be moved from an open position into a clamping position, that the contact points are provided on the inner sides of these clamping parts facing each other in the clamping position, that the clamping parts in the clamping position are held in place by means of

" a locking mechanism relative to one another, and that this locking mechanism preferably has a snap-in connection. The connecting part of the lighting device can then be easily clipped onto the connection area of the conductor foil when assembling the lighting device in order to connect the lighting device to the vehicle's power supply. It is even possible to release the locking mechanism of the clamping parts again after clipping on the clamping parts in order to remove the connection area of the electroluminescent or conductor foil from the clamp's receptacle. The connecting part can therefore be detachably connected to the electroluminescent foil and/or the conductor foil. The connecting part can also be used to connect a conductor foil to another

To connect a conductor foil or an electroluminescent foil with another electroluminescent foil.

It is advantageous if the clamping parts are connected to one another by a pivot bearing so that they can be pivoted from the open position into the clamping position. The pivot bearing can be designed as a hinge, whereby the clamping parts and the hinge are made of plastic and can optionally be connected to one another in one piece. The wall thickness of the connecting part in the area of the hinge can be greater than an adjacent area of the

&psgr; connecting part should be reduced.

A good electrical connection between the electroluminescent film and the conductor film can be achieved in that at least one clamping part of a clamp has a carrier part with a leaf spring element arranged thereon, that the contact point is arranged on the leaf spring element, and that the leaf spring element is supported against the carrier part at a distance from the contact point. Preferably, such a leaf spring element is provided on both the first clamp and the second clamp, and these leaf spring elements can be connected to one another in one piece. This results in particularly simple assembly when producing the connecting part.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the receptacle for the first terminal and the receptacle for the second terminal are arranged at opposite end regions of the connecting part and are preferably aligned with their planes of extension in a straight extension to one another. The connecting part and the electroluminescent film then form a continuation of the conductor film and can in particular be arranged in a straight extension of the conductor film.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that a first clamping part of the first clamp and a first clamping part of the second clamp are each formed by a wall region of a housing part that extends over both clamps and is preferably approximately plate-shaped, and that the second clamping part of the first clamp and the second clamping part of the second clamp are each connected to this housing part by a pivot bearing so that it can be pivoted from the open position into the clamping position. The second clamping parts of the first and second clamps can each be formed in one piece with the housing part, for example as a plastic injection-molded part, which enables the connecting part to be manufactured inexpensively.

In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the receptacle of the first terminal and the receptacle of the second terminal are arranged offset from one another transversely to their planes of extension and are spaced apart from one another by a clamping part located between them, and that this clamping part has at least one contact point for the electroluminescent film facing the receptacle of the first terminal and at least one contact point for the conductor film facing the receptacle of the second terminal. The conductor film can then be attached to the rear side

" of the electroluminescent film run approximately parallel to it, which enables an even more compact arrangement of the lighting device in the vehicle.

It is particularly advantageous if the receptacles of the first terminal and the second terminal are designed to match and if the connecting part is preferably designed symmetrically with respect to at least one central plane. The assembly of the connecting part is then even easier since it can be clamped to the conductor foil or the electroluminescent foil with one of its clamps as desired.

In an expedient embodiment of the invention, a retaining projection is provided as a strain relief for the connection area of the electroluminescent film and/or the connection area of the conductor film on the inside of at least one clamping part of a clamp, which engages in a hole in the electroluminescent film and/or the conductor film in the position of use. The connection area of the electroluminescent film or the conductor film is then held in a form-fitting manner in the receptacle of the clamp in the clamping position. If necessary, the retaining projection can have a barb or a lateral projection which prevents the film from accidentally detaching from the clamping part after the film has been placed on the projection when the clamp is in the open position.

In the following, embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. They show:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section along the plane designated I in Fig. 2 of a connecting part for connecting an electroluminescent film of a vehicle

interior light with a conductor foil that has conductor tracks for supplying power to the electroluminescent foil,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the connecting part shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view of the plane of the connecting part designated III in Fig. 1 and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a connecting part, in which

the two terminals are arranged on the same side of the connecting part.

A lighting device for vehicles has an electroluminescent film 1a as a light source, which is attached to a

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not shown in more detail. The electroluminescent film 1a is connected via an electrical connecting part 2 to a conductor film 1b which has electrical conductor tracks 3b which serve to supply power to the electroluminescent film 1a.

The connecting part 2 has a first clamp 4a with a first clamping part 5a and a second clamping part 6a, which are arranged on both sides of a receptacle 7a, into which a connection area 8a of the electroluminescent film 1a engages. The first clamping part 5a and the second clamping part 6a are connected to one another by a pivot bearing 9a and can be pivoted relative to one another between an open position and a clamping position. In the clamping position, the first clamping part 5a and the second clamping part 6a can be fixed relative to one another by means of a lock.

The clamping parts 5a, 6a have contact points 10a, 11a on their inner sides facing each other in the clamping position, which are arranged on both sides of the holder 7a and clamp the connection area 8a of the electroluminescent film 1a between them in the clamping position. Two contact points 10a spaced apart from each other are provided on the first clamping part 5a, each of which is designed as an electrical contact element that in the clamping position rests against a conductor track 3a of the electroluminescent film 1a.

The connecting part 2 further comprises a second terminal 4b with a first clamping part 5b and a second clamping part 6b, which are arranged on both sides of a receptacle 7b, into which a connection area 8b of the conductor foil 1b engages. The first clamping part 5b and the second clamping part 6b of the second terminal 4b are connected to one another by a pivot bearing 9b and can be pivoted relative to one another between an open position and a clamping position. In the clamping position, the first clamping part 5b and the second clamping part 6b of the second terminal 4b are connected by means of a

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8th
Locking can be set relative to each other.

The clamping parts 5b, 6b of the second clamp 4b have contact points 10b, 11b on their inner sides facing each other in the clamping position, which are arranged on both sides of the receptacle 7b of the second clamp 4b and clamp the connection area 8b of the conductor foil 1b between them in the clamping position. Two contact points 10b spaced apart from each other are provided on the first clamping part 5b, each of which is designed as an electrical contact element.

yO, which in the clamped position rests against a conductor track 3b of the conductor foil 1b. Each of these contact points 10b of the second terminal 4b is electrically connected to a contact point 10a of the first terminal 4a. Thus, the individual conductor tracks 3a of the electroluminescent foil 1a are each directly connected to a conductor track 3b of the conductor foil 1b via the connecting element 2.

The first clamping part 5a of the first clamp 4a has a carrier part 12a on which two leaf spring elements 13a are arranged, each of which forms one of the contact points 10a of the first clamp 4a.

These leaf spring elements 13a are each supported on both sides of their respective contact point 10a at a distance from the latter against the carrier part 12a. The sections of the leaf spring element 13a located on both sides of the contact point 10a between the latter and the support points of the leaf spring element 13a each extend obliquely to the plane of extension of the receptacle 7a of the first clamp 4a.

The first clamping part 5b of the second clamp 4b has a carrier part 12b on which two leaf spring elements 13b, 14b are arranged, each of which forms one of the contact points 10b of the second clamp 4b. These leaf spring elements 13b, 14b are supported on both sides of their contact points 10b at a distance from the latter against the carrier part 12b of the second clamp 4b. The leaf spring elements 13b, 14b extend on both sides of the contact point 10b between the latter and the support points of the

Leaf spring element 13b, 14b, the sections of the leaf spring element 13b, 14b each have their extension direction oblique to the extension plane of the receptacle 7b of the second clamp 4b.
5

As can be seen particularly clearly in Fig. 1, the locking mechanism, by means of which the clamping parts 5b, 6b of the second clamp 4b can be secured relative to one another in the clamping position, has a locking connection on both sides of these clamping parts 5b, 6b. This has a locking element 15b on the first clamping part 5b of the second clamp 4b, which in the position of use engages over an edge region of the second clamping part 6b of the second clamp 4b with a locking projection. The locking elements 15b are arranged on the narrow side surfaces of the first clamping part 5b arranged transversely to the pivot axis of the pivot bearing 9b of the second clamp 5 4b and can each be deflected against the restoring force of their material in the direction of this pivot axis from a locking position to an unlocking position. At its end region remote from the receptacle 7b of the second clamp 4b, the locking element 15b has an insertion bevel for the second clamping part 6b of the second clamp 4b.

In a corresponding manner, the locking of the first clamp 4a also has a snap-in connection on both sides of its clamping parts 5a, 6a.

This has a locking element 15a on the first clamping part 5a of the first clamp 4a, which in the position of use overlaps with a locking projection on the edge area of the second clamping part 5a of the first clamp 4a. The locking element 15a is arranged on the narrow side surfaces of the first clamping part 5a of the first clamp 4a arranged transversely to the pivot axis of the pivot bearing 9a of the first clamp 4a and can be deflected against the restoring force of its material in the direction of this pivot axis from a locking position to an unlocking position. At its end area arranged away from the receptacle 7a of the first clamp 4a, the locking element 15a has a

Insertion bevel for the second clamping part 6a of the first clamp 4a.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 1 to 3, the receptacles 7a of the first terminal 4a and the receptacle 7b of the second terminal 4b are arranged at opposite end regions of the connecting part 2 in such a way that the connection region 8a of the electroluminescent film 1a engaging in the receptacle 7a of the first terminal 4a is connected to the connection region 8b of the conductor film 1b engaging in the receptacle 7b of the second terminal 4b in approximately a straight extension

) flees.

As can be seen particularly clearly in Fig. 1, the connecting part 2 has a housing part with an approximately rectangular cross-section and a base plate 16, side walls and a cover plate. The first clamping part 5a of the first clamp 4a and the first clamping part 5b of the second clamp 4b are each formed by a wall region of the base plate 16 extending continuously over both clamps 4a, 4b.

In the clamping position of the clamps 4a, 4b, the cover plate has three

* wall areas, of which a middle wall area 17 is firmly connected to the base plate 16 via the side walls of the housing part, while the other two wall areas forming the first clamping parts 5a, 5b are pivotably connected to the middle wall area 17 via the pivot bearings 9a, 9b. In Fig. 1 and 2 it can be seen that the pivot bearings 9a, 9b each have two tab parts 18a, 18b spaced apart from one another transversely to the longitudinal direction of the connecting part 2, which are connected at one end to the wall area 17 and at their other end to the corresponding clamping part 5a, 5b.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 4, the receptacle 7a of the first terminal 4a and the receptacle 7b of the second terminal 4b are provided with

their planes of extension are arranged approximately parallel to one another and are spaced apart from one another by a clamping part 19 located between them and common to both clamps 4a, 4b. This clamping part 19 has the contact point 10a for the electroluminescent film 1a on its side facing the receptacle 7a of the first clamp 4a and the contact point 10b for the conductor film 1b on its side facing the receptacle 7b of the second clamp 4b, whereby these contact points 10a, 10b are each provided on the clamping part 19 and connected to one another in one piece by electrically conductive leaf spring elements

W 13a, 13b are formed.

It should also be mentioned that the connecting part in both the embodiment according to Fig. 1 to 3 and the embodiment according to Fig. 4 is designed symmetrically with respect to a first central plane 20 running between the electroluminescent film 1a and the conductor film 1b. In addition, the connecting part is designed mirror-symmetrically with respect to a further central plane 21 which runs in the direction of extension of the receptacles 7a, 7b and at right angles to the planes of extension of the receptacles 7a, 7b. In the embodiment according to Fig. 4, this further central plane 21 is arranged parallel to the plane of the drawing.

As a strain relief for the connection area 8a of the electroluminescent film 1a, a holding projection 22a is provided on the first clamping part 5a of the first clamp 4a, which in the position of use passes through a hole in the connection area 8a of the electroluminescent film 1a. When the first clamp 4a is in the clamping position, the holding projection 22a engages in an opening in the second clamping part 6a of this clamp 4a. The holding projection 22a is designed in the shape of a hook in order to prevent the connection area 8a from accidentally slipping off the holding projection 22a when the first clamp 4a is in the open position.

For the connection area 8b of the conductor foil 1a, a hook-shaped retaining projection 22b is provided in a corresponding manner on the first clamping part 5b of the second clamp 4a, which in the position of use passes through a hole in the connection area 8b of the conductor foil 1b. In the clamping position of the second clamp 4b, the retaining projection 22b engages in an opening of the second clamping part 6b of this clamp 4b.

/Expectations

Claims (9)

1. Lighting device for vehicles, in particular an interior light, which has an electroluminescent film ( 1 a) as a light source, which can be connected to at least one electrical connecting line via an electrical connecting part ( 2 ), wherein the connecting part ( 2 ) has a clamp ( 4 a) with a receptacle ( 7 a) for a connection area ( 8 a) of the electroluminescent film ( 1 a), wherein the clamp ( 4 a) has contact points ( 11 a, 12 a) on both sides of this receptacle ( 8 a) which clamp the electroluminescent film ( 1 a) between them, and wherein at least one contact point ( 11 a, 12 a) engaging an electrical connection point of the electroluminescent film ( 1 a) is designed as a contact element which can be electrically connected to the connecting line, characterized in that the connecting part ( 2 ) is designed for connection to an electrical conductor track ( 3 b) as a conductor foil ( 1 b) having connecting lines, in addition to the first terminal ( 4 a), a second terminal ( 4 b) with a receptacle for a connection area ( 8 b) of the conductor foil ( 1 b), that the second terminal ( 4 b) has contact points ( 10 b, 11 b) on both sides of this receptacle ( 8 b) which clamp the conductor foil ( 1 b) between them in the position of use, that at least one contact point ( 10 b, 11 b) engaging an electrical contact point of the conductor foil ( 1 b) is designed as a contact element, and that this contact element is electrically connected to the contact element engaging the electroluminescent foil ( 1 a). 2. Lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one clamp ( 4 a, 4 b) has clamping parts ( 5 a, 6 a, 5 b, 6 b) arranged on both sides of the receptacle, which can be moved from an open position into a clamping position, that the contact points are provided on the inner sides of these clamping parts ( 5 a, 6 a, 5 b, 6 b) facing each other in the clamping position, that the clamping parts ( 5 a, 6 a, 5 b, 6 b) can be fixed relative to each other in the clamping position by means of a lock, and that this lock preferably has a snap-in connection. 3. Lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the clamping parts ( 5 a, 6 a, 5 b, 6 b) are connected to one another by a pivot bearing ( 9 a, 9 b) so as to be pivotable from the open position into the clamping position. 4. Lighting device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one clamping part ( 5 a, 6 a, 5 b, 6 b) of a clamp ( 4 a, 4 b) has a carrier part ( 12 a, 12 b) with a leaf spring element ( 13 a, 13 b) arranged thereon, that the contact point ( 10 a, 11 a, 10 b, 11 b) is arranged on the leaf spring element ( 13 a, 13 b), and that the leaf spring element ( 13 a, 13 b) is supported against the carrier part ( 12 a, 12 b) at a distance from the contact point ( 10 a, 11 a, 10 b, 11 b). 5. Lighting device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the receptacle ( 7a ) of the first terminal ( 4a ) and the receptacle ( 7b ) of the second terminal ( 4b ) are arranged at opposite end regions of the connecting part ( 2 ) and are preferably aligned with one another with their planes of extension in a straight extension. 6. Lighting device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a first clamping part ( 5 a) of the first clamp ( 4 a) and a first clamping part ( 5 b) of the second clamp ( 4 b) are each formed by a wall region of a preferably approximately plate-shaped housing part extending over both clamps, and that the second clamping part ( 6 a) of the first clamp ( 4 a) and the second clamping part ( 6 b) of the second clamp ( 4 b) are each connected to this housing part by a pivot bearing ( 9 a, 9 b) so as to be pivotable from the open position into the clamping position. 7. Lighting device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the receptacle ( 7 a) of the first terminal ( 4 a) and the receptacle ( 7 b) of the second terminal ( 4 b) are arranged offset from one another transversely to their planes of extension and are spaced apart from one another by a clamping part ( 19 ) located therebetween, and in that this clamping part ( 19 ) has at least one contact point ( 10 a) for the electroluminescent film facing the receptacle ( 7 a) of the first terminal ( 4 a) and at least one contact point ( 10 b) for the conductor film ( 1 b) facing the receptacle ( 7 b) of the second terminal ( 4 b). 8. Lighting device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the receptacles ( 7 a, 7 b) of the first terminal ( 4 a) and the second terminal ( 4 b) are designed to match and that the connecting part ( 2 ) is preferably designed symmetrically with respect to at least one central plane ( 20 , 21 ). 9. Lighting device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a holding projection ( 22 a, 22 b) is provided as a strain relief for the connection area (8 a) of the electroluminescent film ( 1 a) and/or the connection area ( 8 b) of the conductor film ( 1 b) on the inside of at least one clamping part ( 10 a, 11 a, 10 b, 11 b) of a terminal ( 4 a, 4 b), which in the position of use engages in a hole in the electroluminescent film ( 1 a) and/or the conductor film ( 1 b).