Screw connection in a headlight

The invention relates to a screw connection (1) in ha headlight of a motor vehicle, which has a threaded element (10) with a screw shaft (11) that is screwed into a screw-in opening (12) of a headlight component (13). According to the invention, a protective sleeve (14) has been provided and mounted on at least a portion of the screw shaft (11) in such a way that the protective sleeve (14) covers the screw-in opening (12).

CROSS REFERENCE

This application claims priority to PCT Application No. PCT/EP2013/063759, filed Jun. 29, 2013, which itself claims priority to German Application No. 10 2012 106689.2, filed Jul. 24, 2012, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention proposes a screw connection in a headlight of a motor vehicle, which has a threaded element with a screw shaft that is screwed into a screw-in opening of a headlight component.

BACKGROUND

DE 38 41 632 C2 discloses a screw connection in a headlight of a motor vehicle, showing a threaded element with a screw shaft that is screwed into a screw-in opening. The headlight component is formed by a frame mounted on the motor vehicle. During the process of screwing the screw shaft into the screw-in opening, it is possible that screw shavings are generated from the material of the headlight component, especially when the threaded element has a self-tapping screw thread. The screw shavings thus generated can enter the headlight and interfere with the function of the headlight or after the headlight has been installed the screw shavings can be visible from outside of the headlight.

DE 10 2007 028 988 A1 discloses a further headlight with a screw connection, and the threaded element has a head, which forms a ball-shaped head for a flexible connection of a light module. When the threaded element is screwed into the frame, which forms the headlight component with the screw-in opening, and the screw thread of the screw shaft is designed as a self-tapping screw thread, it is disadvantageously possible that screw shavings can enter the headlight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has the objective of further developing a screw connection in a headlight of a motor vehicle in such a way that screw shavings generated during the screw connection are prevented from penetrating the headlight.

The invention includes the technical knowledge that the screw connection is provided with a protective sleeve which encloses at least a portion of the screw shaft in such a way that the protective sleeve covers the screw-in opening.

To provide the screw connection with a protective sleeve has the special advantage that the protective sleeve is covering and sealing the screw-in opening so that screw shavings generated when screwing the screw shaft into the screw-in opening are prevented from entering in an uncontrolled manner the headlight. For example, the screw shaft can be designed with a self-tapping screw thread, and when the screw shaft is screwed into screw-in opening, screw shavings could be generated which could be pushed out of the screw-in opening in a direction opposite to the screw-in direction. Therefore, the protective sleeve is mounted over a portion of the screw shaft in such a way that the protective sleeve covers the side of the screw-in opening in the headlight component from which the screw shavings are pushed out. The screw shaft basically describes the shaft of the threaded element which is not necessarily provided with a screw thread over its entire length. For example, the protective sleeve can be mounted on a portion that is not provided with a screw thread.

The end of the screw-in opening can be designed in a projection in the headlight component, wherein the protective sleeve can enclose the outside of the projection. For example, the projection can form a screw dome, and the screw dome is provided with a hole, which forms the screw-in opening and into which the screw shaft of the threaded element is screwed. When prior to screwing in the threaded element the protective sleeve is located on the screw shaft, the protective sleeve can completely enclose the projection and thus prevent the generating screw shavings from entering the headlight.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the protective sleeve, the protective sleeve can have a shaft portion and a spout-formed sleeve portion, wherein the shaft portion is mounted on the screw shaft and the sleeve portion encloses the projection. The protective sleeve can be designed in such a way that it rotates symmetrically about a central axis which coincides with the central axis of the threaded element when the protective sleeve is mounted on the screw shaft. The internal diameter of the sleeve portion can correspond approximately to the external diameter of the projection, wherein it is of special advantage when the sleeve portion has a diameter that is slightly smaller than the projection, which would result in a sealing effect between the sleeve portion and the projection. When the screw element is screwed into the headlight component, the sleeve portion is slightly expanded when pushed over the projection and the shaft portion remains on the screw shaft.

Even in screwed-in condition, a portion of the screw shaft, on which the shaft portion of the protective sleeve has been mounted, can still protrude from the screw-in opening. For example, the threaded element can have a head and the protective sleeve is retained between the headlight component and the head of the threaded element. As a result, the protective sleeve is securely mounted on the threaded element and can permanently remain in the headlight of the motor vehicle as a component of the screw connection.

For example, the threaded element can form a ball-shaped head with a spherical head of the threaded element for receiving an element in the headlight, wherein the headlight component forms, for example, a housing of the headlight.

Alternatively, the headlight component can also form a support frame on which a light module is mounted by means of the threaded element.

The protective sleeve can consist of elastic material, in particular rubber material or soft plastic material. For example, the protective sleeve can consist of elastomer. In particular, the protective sleeve can have a length that is determined in such a way that it covers the screw-in opening already when the screw shaft is screwed into the screw-in opening. At the same time, the protective sleeve can be mounted in self-retaining manner on the threaded element or the headlight component. An advantageous embodiment can provide that the protective sleeve is pulled over the screw shaft or injection-molded on the screw shaft, so that no additional component has to be assembled when mounting the screw connection. However, alternatively, provision can also be made to attach the protective sleeve on the projection of the headlight component before the screw shaft is screwed through the shaft portion of the protective sleeve and into the screw-in opening in the process of screwing the threaded element into the screw-in opening.

Furthermore, the present invention involves also a protective sleeve for a screw connection in a headlight of a motor vehicle, wherein the screw connection has a threaded element with a screw shaft which can be screwed into a screw-in opening of a headlight component, wherein the protective sleeve is designed to be mounted on at least a portion of the screw shaft and to cover the screw-in opening. For this purpose, the protective sleeve can have a shaft portion for being mounted on the threaded element and a spout-formed sleeve portion for covering the screw-in opening. In particular, the protective sleeve can consist of elastic material, especially rubber material or soft plastic material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1shows a screw connection1in a headlight of a motor vehicle which has a threaded element10with a screw shaft that is screwed into a screw-in opening12of a headlight component13. The headlight component13is designed in an exemplary manner as a housing13of the headlight. A projection15, which extends to the inside of the housing19, is integrally molded to the housing13. The screw-in opening12is located at the end of the projection15. When the screw shaft11of the threaded element10is screwed into the screw-in opening12, the threaded element10extends along the extension direction of the projection15, and even when the threaded element10has been screwed in, a portion of the screw shaft11still protrudes from the headlight component13.

The threaded element10has a head18which is designed as a ball-shaped head, and a further component of the headlight can be flexibly incorporated on the head of the threaded element18. For example, it is possible to attach an additional high beam reflector, a support frame for a light module or a static cornering light on the head of the threaded element18.

The screw-in direction for screwing the threaded element10into the screw-in opening12is represented with an arrow and shows that the screwing process is performed from the inside of the housing19. The screw shaft11has a self-tapping screw thread, and the process of screwing the threaded element10into the screw-in opening12of the projection15can result in the fact that screw shavings are generated which can enter the housing13of the headlight. The screw shavings20are generated when the threaded element10is screwed into the screw-in opening12, especially when the screw shaft11of the threaded element10has a self-tapping screw thread. At the same time, the screw shavings20consist of the material of the headlight component13which forms, for example, the housing13of the headlight. According to the invention, a protective sleeve has been mounted on the screw shaft11of the threaded element10to prevent an uncontrolled release of the screw shavings20. The protective sleeve14covers the screw-in opening12in such a way that the screw shavings are prevented from entering in an uncontrolled manner the inside of the housing19. The picture shows the protective sleeve14in the form of a diagram.FIG. 2shows a cross-sectional view of the screw connection1in which the arrangement of the protective sleeve14is depicted in more detail.

FIG. 2shows a cross-sectional view of the screw connection1, which has the characteristics of the present invention. The screw connection1comprises a threaded element10that is screwed into a headlight component13, and the headlight component13is designed in an exemplary manner as a housing13of a headlight. The threaded element10comprises a head18which has a spherical shape and forms a component of a ball joint, so as to attach on the threaded element10a component in the housing13of the headlight which forms, for example, an additional high beam reflector, a support frame for a light module or a static cornering light or the like. According to a further example, it is also possible to attach a headlight range adjuster on the head18of the threaded element. From the inside of the housing19, the threaded element10is screwed into a screw-in opening12, and the screw-in opening12forms the opening of a drill hole into which a screw shaft11of the threaded element10is screwed. The screw shaft11has a screw thread portion which cuts a counter thread during the process of screwing the threaded element into the drill hole. In the process, screw shavings20are generated which are pushed out of the screw-in opening12.

According to the invention, provision has been made for a protective sleeve14, which covers the screw-in opening12, to prevent the screw shavings20from entering the inside19of the housing13. The protective sleeve14has a shaft portion16and a sleeve portion17, and the shaft portion16of the protective sleeve14is attached on a portion of the screw shaft which extends between the head of the threaded element18and the screw-in opening12. At the same time, the sleeve portion17extends in the direction of the screw-in opening12and covers it. As a result, screw shavings20that are generated when screwing the screw shaft11into the screw-in opening12can be collected inside the protective sleeve14, which prevents the screw shavings20from entering the housing13of the headlight.

The drill hole in the headlight component13, which has at its end the screw-in opening12, is designed in a projection15, and the projection protrudes into the inside of the housing19. At the same time, the protective sleeve14is arranged between the head of the threaded element18and the screw-in opening12that the sleeve portion17encloses and seals the outside of the projection15. Furthermore, the shaft portion16of the protective sleeve14encloses the screw shaft11in such a way that the screw shavings20from the portion shown can no longer be pushed out of the internal sleeve portion17when the threaded element10is screwed into the screw-in opening12. As a result, during the process of screwing the threaded element10into the headlight component13, the screw shavings20are prevented from entering the housing of the headlight. Even after the screw connection1has been formed, the protective sleeve14remains in the position shown, and when the headlight is put in operation, the screw shavings20are permanently retained by the protective sleeve14and thus prevented from entering the inside of the housing19.

The design of the present invention is not restricted to the preferred embodiment described above. Instead, it is possible to use a plurality of variants which can utilize the demonstrated solution even with basically different embodiments. All characteristics and/or advantages resulting from the claims, the description or the drawings, including structural details or spatial arrangements, can be important for the invention as individual components, as well as in different combinations. A potential attachment of the protective sleeve14prior to connecting the threaded element10with the headlight component13has not been shown. For example, before screwing the threaded element10into the screw-in opening12, the protective sleeve14can be mounted on the screw shaft11, so that the threaded element10forms together with the protective sleeve14an individually manageable structural compound. It is also possible to vulcanize or injection-mold the material of the protective sleeve14on the screw shaft11. Alternatively, it is possible to attach the protective sleeve14with the sleeve portion17before connecting the threaded element10with the headlight component17, for example, to mount the protective sleeve on the projection15and subsequently screw in the threaded element10.

REFERENCE LIST

18head of the threaded element, ball-shaped head

19inside of the housing