Abstract:
An assembly for securing to a body part of a motor vehicle, a headlamp washer that is retractable through an opening made in this body part, the assembly having a support intended to receive the headlamp washer and a base, wherein one or the other of the base or the support comprises integrally produced connecting elements, these connecting elements being dimensioned such that they, alone, allow the body part to be sandwiched between the base and the support and allow this sandwiching to be maintained durably.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is the U.S. National Phase application of PCT Application No. PCT/FR2013/052543 filed Oct. 23, 2013, which claims priority to the French application 1260261 filed on Oct. 26, 2012, which applications are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates to an assembly for securing a retractable headlamp washer on a vehicle body part. 
         [0004]    The headlamp washer is a device mounted near the vehicle headlamps to spray the glass with water or a cleaning mixture. 
         [0005]    It is part of a subassembly called the “headlamp washer kit” comprising the headlamp washer and a cylinder coupled to a return spring for moving the headlamp washer. A mounting bracket is provided to hold the headlamp washer kit on the vehicle body while a cover, attached or not to the retractable cylinder, hides the headlamp washer when it is in a retracted position inside the vehicle body. For the purposes of clarity, we will refer to the headlamp washer assembly as the “headlamp washer kit” considering the headlamp washer, the spring and the cylinder as a single unit. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    Document EP 1125808 A2 describes an assembly for securing a headlamp washer comprising a headlamp washer bracket using in particular screws. Screws are the added securing means most commonly used, but other added securing means are also encountered, for example metal clips. In general, the added securing means press the headlamp washer bracket forcefully against the body and eliminate the clearance while ensuring the attachment. Permanent securing means are also used, such as welds or glue spots. 
         [0008]    Thus, the existing solutions propose assemblies for securing headlamp washers involving the use of added or permanent fasteners to perform several functions, mainly to withstand vibrations while driving but also undergo repeated cylinder displacement cycles. 
         [0009]    Moreover, these added or permanent fasteners are also intended to take up the clearance between the body and the mounting bracket, holding the headlamp washer in cantilever position reliably and durably, so that after the vehicle has been in use for several years the weight and vibrations of the headlamp washer do not lead to the appearance of clearance between the body and the mounting bracket. 
         [0010]    During assembly on the vehicle, such mounting bracket solutions require a supply of added fasteners, an additional step of installing these added fastening means and involve the use of additional production equipment such as a power screwdriver, a welding set or a bonding device, for example. Moreover, when the securing means are screws or clips, the recyclability of the complete bumper is reduced due to the difficulty in separating these securing means, which are small metal components. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    One objective of the invention is to propose a solution in which the headlamp washer carrier is held against the body, without having the aforementioned disadvantages. 
         [0012]    The invention therefore relates to an assembly for securing, to a body part of a motor vehicle, a headlamp washer that is retractable through an opening made in this body part, the assembly having a support intended to receive the headlamp washer and a base, characterised in that the assembly composed of one or the other of the base or the support comprises integrally produced connecting elements, these connecting elements being dimensioned such that they, alone, allow the body part to be sandwiched between the base and the support and allow this sandwiching to be maintained durably 
         [0013]    Thus, this type of securing assembly holds a headlamp washer bracket durably, pressing it strongly against the vehicle body even though the headlamp washer is essentially in cantilever with respect to the body. 
         [0014]    In addition, this type of securing assembly removes the need to supply added fasteners and eliminates the steps of installing these added fasteners as well as possible welding or gluing steps. This reduces the investments related to the associated production equipment and the space occupied by this equipment next to the production line. 
         [0015]    Durable is taken to mean that, under normal situations of life of the system and for a period of approximately 10 years or after 100 000 km of use, there is no degradation in visual appearance, especially regarding the clearances and alignment of the hatch with respect to the skin and the clearances between the components of the headlamp washer nor any functional degradation such as jamming of the cylinder or appearance of vibrations. 
         [0016]    The securing assembly as defined above may further comprise one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.
       Bearing surfaces between the support and the body part are formed by one side of the body part and the only bearing surfaces holding in position the support are the bearing surfaces between the support and the body part.   The support comprises upper and lower proximal bearing surface areas, the upper and lower proximal bearing surface areas resting against the edge of the opening of the body part.   The securing assembly includes a lower distal bearing surface area which rests against the body part at a distance allowing the upper proximal bearing surface area to be pressed durably against the body part.   The upper proximal bearing surface area has an edge adapted to rest on the body part, the edge having a width of less than or equal to 12 mm.   The distance between the lower proximal bearing surface area and the lower distal bearing surface area is less than or equal to 40 mm and preferably between 10 mm and 30 mm.   The connecting elements are latching lugs.   The horizontal and vertical positioning of the base relative to the support is ensured by projections integrally produced with the base or with the support.   The support is essentially in cantilever with respect to the bearing surface of the body against which the upper proximal bearing surface area is pressed.   The securing assembly comprises a leg adapted to maintain the support at least partly. Thus, the forces and vibrations to which the headlamp washer is subjected are transmitted to the vehicle body firstly by the connecting elements and secondly by the leg.       
 
         [0026]    These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
         [0027]    It will be easier to understand the invention on reading the description below, given as an example and referring to the drawings, on which: 
           [0028]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a securing assembly of a retractable headlamp washer device comprising a base and an embodiment; 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view in cross-section of the assembly for securing a retractable headlamp washer device of  FIG. 1  without the base; 
           [0030]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the base of  FIG. 1  without the support; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view in elevation of the securing assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0032]      FIG. 1  shows a securing assembly  10  of a retractable headlamp washer device which comprises a support  12  for receiving the headlamp washer (not shown) and a base  13  to cooperate with the support  12  for holding the headlamp washer in cantilever position on a vehicle body or body part  14 . 
         [0033]    The securing assembly  10  has a substantially semi-tubular section  15  adapted to receive the headlamp washer cylinder whose body is generally cylindrical. When the securing assembly  10  is mounted on the body part  14  of the vehicle, the support  12  is housed inside the body part  14  of the vehicle and supports the headlamp washer. The semi-tubular section  15  is extended by a portion  16  of substantially parallelepipedic volume forming the housing, in the retracted position, of the end of the cylinder comprising the nozzle or nozzles and which is located close to the body  11  when the headlamp washer support  12  is mounted on the vehicle. We see that this parallelepipedic portion comprises apertures  20  adapted to receive the connecting elements  22  of the base  13 . In the present case, these connecting elements  22  are latching lugs integrally produced with the base  13 . The latter also comprises a flat edge  18  on the periphery and of which a part is adapted to be pressed against a bearing surface area outside the body  11 . The support  12  is therefore entirely in cantilever with respect to the inner bearing surface of the body  11  and the flat edge  18  of the parallelepipedic portion  16  is pressed against an inner edge of an opening of the body part  14 . 
         [0034]    In fact, bearing surfaces between the support  12  and the body part  14  are formed by one side of the body part  14  and the only bearing surfaces holding the support  12  in position are the bearing surfaces between the support  12  and the body part  14 . We also see that the support  12  has a groove  24  adapted to receive a foolproofing projection  26  of the base  13 . 
         [0035]    In addition, between the semi-tubular section  15  and the parallelepipedic portion  16  there are two substantially horizontal and flat attachment portions  28  having holes  29  adapted to receive mounting screws holding the headlamp washer on the support  12  of the securing assembly  10 . 
         [0036]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show that the flat edge  18  of the support  12  includes an upper proximal bearing surface area  30 , a lower proximal bearing surface area  32  and a lower distal bearing surface area  33  which rest against the inner wall of the opening of the body part  14 . It would also be possible to consider having a bearing surface area which does not include a flat edge  18 , the upper proximal bearing surface area  30  in this case being formed by the wall thickness of the bracket or support  12 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 2  shows that the upper proximal bearing surface area  30  rests on an upper part of the edge of the opening, that the lower proximal bearing surface area  32  rests on a lower portion of the edge of the opening and that the lower distal bearing surface area  33  rests against the body part  14  at a distance allowing the upper proximal support area  30  to be pressed durably against the body part  14 . To obtain this support, the lower proximal bearing surface area  32  is connected to the lower distal bearing surface area  33  by a substantially horizontal rib  35  and an inclined rib  36 . 
         [0038]    In fact, the lower distal area  33  is located in a position lower than the lower proximal area  32  to form, with the ribs  35 ,  36 , a leg  37  which acts against the cantilever effect by taking up the forces and improving stability. These two ribs  35 ,  36 , due to a design with tight tolerances and clearances between the support areas on the body part  14 , produce a lever arm effect between the lower distal bearing surface area  33  and lower proximal bearing surface area  32 . Thus, the leg  37  formed by the ribs  35 ,  36  is adapted to maintain the support at least partially. In fact the leg  37  transmits to the body part  14  some of the forces generated by the support cantilever and also transmits to the body part  14  some of the vibrations of the support when driving the vehicle. 
         [0039]    In the example, the upper proximal bearing surface area  30  has a width Ps of 8 mm, the lower proximal bearing surface area has a width Pi of 1.5 mm and the lower distal bearing surface area  33  has a width Di of 1.5 mm. The distance between the lower proximal bearing surface area width Pi and the lower distal bearing surface area width Di is 15 mm. In the example, the contact area of the upper proximal bearing surface area  30  is at least five times the contact area of the lower proximal bearing surface area  32  and at least five times the contact area of the lower distal bearing surface area  33 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 3  shows that the base  13  has a parallelepipedic shape adapted to fit in the opening of the vehicle body or body part  14  and inside the support  12  with which it cooperates to form the securing assembly. The base  13  comprises a flat peripheral edge  38  allowing it to be pressed against the skin of the body part  14 . Connecting means  22  are integrally produced with the base  13  and arranged on an upper side  40 A and on a lower side  40 B of the base  13 . These connecting means  22  are able to cooperate with support  12  which are apertures  20  in this example. Thus, the base  13  has four outer sides: an upper side  40 A, a lower side  40 B and two lateral sides  40 C,  40 D, each side having thin centring projections  42  designed to facilitate the horizontal and vertical positioning as well as the centring of the base  13  inside the support  12  and the body part  14 . 
         [0041]    The lateral side  40 C has a foolproofing projection  26  to ensure the base  13  is positioned correctly with respect to the body part  14  and to the support  12  during assembly. This projection  26  cooperates with the groove  24  of the support  12  and with a recess  44  in the body part  14 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 4  shows the support  12  and the base  13  which are mounted on the vehicle body or body part  14 . The connecting elements  22  of the base  13  cooperate with the holes in the support  12 , and the flat edge  38  of the base  13  rests on the body part  14 . Thus, the base  13  and the support  12  are attached to the body part  14 , the body part  14  being sandwiched between the flat edge  38  of the base  13  and the support  12 . The connecting elements  22  and the holes are therefore the only means of attaching the base and the support on the vehicle body or body part  14 . They are shaped to maintain the sandwiching durably but also to provide durable predetermined positioning of the support  12  and the base  13  relative to the vehicle body or body part  14 . 
         [0043]    Obviously, numerous modifications can be made without leaving the scope of the invention. In particular, the distance between the lower proximal bearing surface area width Pi ( FIG. 2 ) and the lower distal bearing surface area width Di could be between 0 mm and 40 mm, and preferably between 30 mm and 40 mm. The bearing surface edges on the periphery of the support  12  or the base  13  may be continuous or discontinuous. One of the areas  30 ,  32  could also comprise a portion which would rest on the outer wall of the body part  14 . The connecting elements  22  could be integrally produced with the support  12  and the corresponding holes located on the base  13 . The rib  36  could be strengthened by a substantially vertical network of ribs, connecting it to the parallelepipedic portion  16  and/or to the rib  35 . Lastly, the number or position of centring projections  42  could be different. For example, one side of the base  13  could have three projections  42  and the opposite side none at all. 
         [0044]    While the process and method herein described constitute preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise process and method, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.