Patent Description:
A headlamp (also called a headlight) is a lighting device mounted on either side of the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead for traveling during darkness. The headlamp can be mounted with a headlamp mounting assembly. For example, both European patent application <CIT> and Japanese patent application <CIT> disclose a radiator core support panel constituting a frontmost part of a vehicular body and comprising side portions for mounting head-lamp units onto them, respectively. The frame formed by the side portion is an integral frame which might cause deformation and show misfits during operation under the influence of dynamic or static forces. Another Japanese patent application <CIT> discloses a headlamp with a mounting frame, and therefore omits mounting structures for the headlamp. Under the new pedestrian protection regulations, higher requirements are set for mounting structures of headlamps. Specifically, in order to protect pedestrians, after a collision in a headlamp area, the mounting structure of the headlamp needs to be easily collapsed or displaced, that is, the mounting structure of the headlamp needs to be "weak"; meanwhile, in terms of modal parameters, durability, and impact resistance of the headlamp, the headlamp need to maintain sufficient rigidity under external excitation, that is, the mounting structure of the headlamp needs to be "strong". Therefore, the difficulty of the design lies in achieving a trade-off between the "weakness" for pedestrian safety and protection and the "strength" for durability, impact resistance and modal parameters.

Accordingly, there is a need in the field for a novel vehicle headlamp mounting assembly and a vehicle to solve the above problem.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem in the prior art, that is, to provide a headlamp mounting structure which can achieve a trade-off between the "weakness" for pedestrian safety and protection and the "strength" for durability, impact resistance and modal parameters, the present invention provides a vehicle headlamp mounting assembly, which includes an upper mounting bracket, a middle mounting bracket, a lower mounting bracket, a fender bracket, a connecting plate, and a reinforcing bracket, wherein the lower mounting bracket is connected to a front longitudinal beam of a vehicle; the fender bracket is connected to a fender of the vehicle; a top end of the middle mounting bracket is connected to the upper mounting bracket, and a bottom end of the middle mounting bracket is connected to the lower mounting bracket; a rear end of the upper mounting bracket is connected to a top end of the reinforcing bracket via the fender bracket and the connecting plate in sequence; a bottom end of the reinforcing bracket is connected to the lower mounting bracket via at least one blind rivet; the fender bracket, the connecting plate and the reinforcing bracket are all arranged on an outer side relative to the middle mounting bracket; a first mounting structure is provided near an inner end of the upper mounting bracket; the fender bracket is provided with a second mounting structure; a third mounting structure is provided near the bottom end of the middle mounting bracket; a fourth mounting structure is provided near the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket; and when assembled, an upper part of a headlamp is fixed via the first mounting structure and the second mounting structure, and a lower part of the headlamp is fixed via the third mounting structure and the fourth mounting structure.

In a preferred technical scheme of the above vehicle headlamp mounting assembly, there are a plurality of the blind rivets, and the plurality of the blind rivets are sequentially arranged in a transverse direction on the lower mounting bracket.

In a preferred technical scheme of the above vehicle headlamp mounting assembly, there are two of the blind rivets, one of which connects an inner side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket to the lower mounting bracket, and the other of which connects an outer side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket to the lower mounting bracket.

In a preferred technical scheme of the above headlamp mounting assembly, the upper mounting bracket is of a strip-like structure, and the upper mounting bracket extends outward gradually from front to rear.

In a preferred technical scheme of the above vehicle headlamp mounting assembly, the connecting plate and the reinforcing bracket are both of a strip-like structure, a bottom end of the connecting plate is connected to the top end of the reinforcing bracket via a plurality of bolts, and a top side of the reinforcing bracket and a top side of the connecting plate are both backwardly inclined.

In a preferred technical scheme of the above vehicle headlamp mounting assembly, an inner end of the upper mounting bracket is connected to a water tank crossmember of the vehicle, and an inner side of the middle mounting bracket is connected to a water tank column of the vehicle.

In a preferred technical scheme of the above vehicle headlamp mounting assembly, the inner side of the middle mounting bracket is provided with a plurality of tab structures extending forward or backward; the plurality of tab structures are sequentially arranged in a height direction of the middle mounting bracket, with each tab structure connected to the water tank column via a bolt; and when assembled, an inner side face of each tab structure is attached to an outer surface of the water tank column.

In a preferred technical scheme of the above vehicle headlamp mounting assembly, the lower mounting bracket is connected to a front crash management system of the vehicle via a connecting bracket.

In a preferred technical scheme of the above vehicle headlamp mounting assembly, the first mounting structure is positioned lower than the second mounting structure, and the third mounting structure is positioned higher than the fourth mounting structure; the first mounting structure is arranged closer to a vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle compared with the third mounting structure, the third mounting structure is arranged closer to the vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle compared with the second mounting structure, and the second mounting structure is arranged closer to the vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle compared with the fourth mounting structure; and in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the third mounting structure and the fourth mounting structure are both located between the first mounting structure and the second mounting structure.

In a further aspect, the invention also provides a vehicle, which includes the above vehicle headlamp mounting assembly.

Those skilled in the art can understand that in the preferred technical schemes of the invention, the overall connection strength of the headlamp mounting assembly can be ensured through the connection of various components of the headlamp mounting assembly, so as to meet requirements with regard to modal parameters, durability and impact resistance, and in addition, the first mounting structure, the second mounting structure, the third mounting structure and the fourth mounting structure are separately arranged on four different components of the headlamp mounting assembly, so that deformation due to stress concentration on one single component can be prevented, that is, meeting the requirement of being "strong"; in the case of a vehicle-pedestrian collision, the headlamp will be partially displaced and the blind rivets provided will break under shear forces, so that the reinforcing bracket will be displaced backward, and also, mounting corners of the headlamp connected to the first mounting structure and the second mounting structure will also be broken, thus ensuring the overall displacement of the headlamp for pedestrian protection with the displacement generated when the headlamp collides with a pedestrian, that is, meeting the requirement of being "weak".

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only for explaining the technical principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the invention.

It should be noted that, in the description of the invention, the terms that indicate the direction or positional relationship, such as "middle", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "transverse", "longitudinal", "inner", and "outer" are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the figures, which is merely for ease of description instead of indicating or implying that the device or element must have a particular orientation and be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore, should not be construed as limiting the invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

In addition, it should also be noted that, in the description of the invention, the terms "mount", "provide" and "connect" should be interpreted in a broad sense unless explicitly defined and limited otherwise, which, for example, may mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection or an integral connection; may mean a mechanical connection, and may mean a direct connection, an indirect connection by means of an intermediary, or internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above-mentioned terms in the invention can be interpreted according to the specific situation.

Based on the need noted in the Background Art to provide a headlamp mounting structure which can achieve a trade-off between the "weakness" for pedestrian safety and protection and the "strength" for durability, impact resistance and modal parameters, the invention provides a vehicle headlamp mounting assembly and a vehicle, aiming at being able to meet requirements with regard to modal parameters, durability and impact resistance as well as enabling the headlamp to displace during a vehicle-pedestrian collision for pedestrian protection.

It should be noted that in the description of the invention, "longitudinal" refers to the front-rear direction, that is, corresponding to the direction along the X-axis of the standard vehicle coordinate system; "transverse" refers to the lateral direction, that is, corresponding to the direction along the Y-axis of the standard vehicle coordinate system; the vertical direction corresponds to the direction along the Z-axis of the standard vehicle coordinate system; and "front" refers to the direction toward the front of the vehicle, and "rear" refers to the direction toward the rear of the vehicle.

As shown in <FIG>, the vehicle of the invention includes a headlamp <NUM>, a front longitudinal beam <NUM>, a fender <NUM> and a headlamp mounting assembly. The vehicle headlamp mounting assembly includes an upper mounting bracket <NUM>, a middle mounting bracket <NUM>, a lower mounting bracket <NUM>, a fender bracket <NUM>, a connecting plate <NUM>, and a reinforcing bracket <NUM>. The lower mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to the front longitudinal beam <NUM>. The fender bracket <NUM> is connected to the fender <NUM>. A top end of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to the upper mounting bracket <NUM>, and a bottom end of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to the lower mounting bracket <NUM>. A rear end of the upper mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to a top end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> via the fender bracket <NUM> and the connecting plate <NUM> in sequence. A bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> is connected to the lower mounting bracket <NUM> via at least one blind rivet <NUM>. The fender bracket <NUM>, the connecting plate <NUM> and the reinforcing bracket <NUM> are all arranged on an outer side relative to the middle mounting bracket <NUM>. A first mounting structure <NUM> is provided near an inner end of the upper mounting bracket <NUM>. The fender bracket <NUM> is provided with a second mounting structure <NUM>. A third mounting structure <NUM> is provided near the bottom end of the middle mounting bracket <NUM>. A fourth mounting structure <NUM> is provided near the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM>. When assembled, an upper part of the headlamp <NUM> is fixed via the first mounting structure <NUM> and the second mounting structure <NUM>, and a lower part of the headlamp <NUM> is fixed via the third mounting structure <NUM> and the fourth mounting structure <NUM>.

It should be noted that the lower mounting bracket <NUM> may be connected to the front longitudinal beam <NUM> by bolts, rivets, or a combination thereof, which can be flexibly configured by those of skill in the art. For example, in the structure shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the lower mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to the front longitudinal beam <NUM> by two bolts arranged in the longitudinal direction. The fender bracket <NUM> may be connected to the fender <NUM> by bolts, rivets, or a combination thereof, which can be flexibly configured by those of skill in the art. For example, in the structure shown in <FIG>, the fender bracket <NUM> and the fender <NUM> are connected by two bolts arranged generally in the longitudinal direction. The top end of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> may be connected to the upper mounting bracket <NUM> by bolts, rivets, or a combination thereof, which can be flexibly configured by those of skill in the art. For example, in the structure shown in <FIG>, the top end of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to the upper mounting bracket <NUM> by two bolts arranged generally in the lateral direction. In a specific embodiment, the top end of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> is provided with two bends, each of which is connected to the upper mounting bracket <NUM> by a bolt. The bottom end of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> may be connected to the lower mounting bracket <NUM> by welding or other connection means, or a combination thereof, which can be flexibly configured by those of skill in the art. In one possible embodiment, the bottom end of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> is welded to the lower mounting bracket <NUM> by four welding points arranged generally in the lateral direction. The rear end of the upper mounting bracket <NUM> may be connected to the fender bracket <NUM> by bolts, rivets, or a combination thereof, which can be flexibly configured by those of skill in the art. For example, in the structure shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the rear end of the upper mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to the fender <NUM> by three bolts which are generally arranged in the XY plane and in a triangle shape, so as to ensure the strength and stability of the connection. The fender bracket <NUM> may be connected to the connecting plate <NUM> by bolts, rivets, or a combination thereof, which can be flexibly configured by those of skill in the art. For example, in the structure shown in <FIG>, the fender bracket <NUM> and the connecting plate <NUM> are connected by a bolt. In a specific embodiment, one side of the connecting plate <NUM> close to the fender bracket <NUM> is provided with a bend which is connected to the fender bracket <NUM> by a bolt. The connecting plate <NUM> may be connected to the top end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> by bolts, rivets, or a combination thereof, which can be flexibly configured by those of skill in the art. For example, in the structures shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the connecting plate <NUM> and the top end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> are connected by two bolts arranged in the lateral direction. The bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> is connected to the lower mounting bracket <NUM> by at least one blind rivet <NUM>, either by one blind rivet <NUM> or by a plurality of blind rivets <NUM>. In one possible embodiment, there are a plurality of the blind rivets <NUM>, and the plurality of the blind rivets <NUM> are sequentially arranged on the lower mounting bracket <NUM> in the transverse direction, that is, the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> and the lower mounting bracket <NUM> are connected by a plurality of blind rivets <NUM> arranged in the lateral direction. When there are at least three of the blind rivets <NUM>, they can be arranged at regular or irregular intervals, which can be flexibly configured by those skilled in the art according to the actual spatial arrangement and overall strength requirements. In a specific embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, there are two of the blind rivets <NUM>, where one of the two blind rivets <NUM> connects an inner side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> to the lower mounting bracket <NUM>, and the other of the two blind rivets <NUM> connects an outer side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> to the lower mounting bracket <NUM>.

It should be further explained that, compared with connecting the inner side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> to the lower mounting bracket <NUM> by a bolt, it is easier to meet the requirement of "weakness" of the headlamp mounting assembly by using the blind rivet <NUM> to connect the inner side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> to the lower mounting bracket <NUM> according to the invention, that is, after a collision in the area of the headlamp <NUM>, the impact force can cause the breakage of the blind rivet <NUM>, so that the headlamp <NUM> can be displaced. Moreover, compared with connecting the inner side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> to the lower mounting bracket <NUM> by clamping, the blind rivet <NUM> used in the invention to connect the inner side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> to the lower mounting bracket <NUM> can meet the requirements of the connection strength, and moreover, it is not prone to looseness under external excitation.

In a possible embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the headlamp <NUM> is connected, via two upper mounting corners separately, to the first mounting structure <NUM> and the second mounting structure <NUM>. The upper mounting corners may adopt a U-shaped structure, while the first mounting structure <NUM> and the second mounting structure <NUM> may be provided with screw holes which can be connected to the slot of the U-shaped structure by bolts. Likewise, the headlamp <NUM> is also connected, via two lower mounting corners separately, to the third mounting structure <NUM> and the fourth mounting structure <NUM>. The lower mounting corners may also adopt a U-shaped structure, while the third mounting structure <NUM> and the fourth mounting structure <NUM> may be provided with screw holes which can be connected to the slot of the U-shaped structure by bolts. One blind rivet <NUM> connects the inner side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> to the lower mounting bracket <NUM>, and another blind rivet <NUM> connects the outer side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> to the lower mounting bracket <NUM>. When a collision occurs in the area of the headlamp <NUM>, a front part of the headlamp <NUM> is subject to an impact force generated when colliding with the pedestrian. The impact force acts backward and is partially transmitted to the position of the blind rivets <NUM> through the headlamp <NUM>, so that the two blind rivets <NUM> on the inner side and outer side of the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> are broken by shear forces, thus ensuring the displacement of the lower part of the headlamp <NUM>. The impact force acts backward and is partially transmitted to the two upper mounting corners of the headlamp <NUM>, which leads to breakage of both upper mounting corners, thus ensuring the displacement of the upper part of the headlamp <NUM>. Preferably, the middle mounting bracket <NUM> can be partially weakened. For example, a cantilever structure is arranged along the Y-axis at the position of the third mounting structure <NUM> on the middle mounting bracket <NUM>, so as to ensure that the middle mounting bracket <NUM> can be deformed backward when the headlamp <NUM> is impacted, thus ensuring that the lower mounting corner connected to the third mounting structure <NUM> can also be displaced backward, thereby enabling the overall displacement of the headlamp <NUM>.

Preferably, the upper mounting bracket <NUM> is of a strip-like structure, and the upper mounting bracket <NUM> extends outward gradually from front to rear. Specifically, the front end of the upper mounting bracket <NUM>, compared with its rear end, is arranged closer to a vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle, so as to realize an oblique arrangement of the upper mounting bracket <NUM>. In a preferred embodiment, the plane where the upper mounting bracket <NUM> is located is completely or substantially in the XY plane, and the upper mounting bracket <NUM> may be provided with a flange and/or a reinforcing rib, so as to improve the structural strength of the upper mounting bracket <NUM> itself and meet the requirements with regard to its stiffness and modal parameters.

Preferably, the connecting plate <NUM> and the reinforcing bracket <NUM> are both of a strip-like structure, a bottom end of the connecting plate <NUM> is connected to the top end of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> via a plurality of bolts, and a top side of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> and a top side of the connecting plate <NUM> are both backwardly inclined. By configuring the top side of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> and the top side of the connecting plate <NUM> to be inclined backward, the reinforcing bracket <NUM> and the connecting plate <NUM> can be well adapted to the vehicle body, that is, the reinforcing bracket <NUM> and the connecting plate <NUM> can be located in a gap formed by the headlamp <NUM> and the fender, which facilitates the arrangement of the overall vehicle body. Moreover, both the reinforcing bracket <NUM> and the connecting plate <NUM> can be provided with a flange and/or a reinforcing rib, thereby improving the structural strength of the reinforcing bracket <NUM> and the connecting plate <NUM>, and meeting the requirements with regard to their stiffness and modal parameters. Hence, a structure with robustness is formed in the gap between the headlamp <NUM> and the fender.

As shown in <FIG>, the front of the vehicle is provided with a water tank crossmember <NUM> and a water tank column <NUM> which are connected to each other by bolts. The water tank crossmember <NUM> is used to install a water tank, while the water tank column <NUM> is used to support the water tank crossmember <NUM>. The water tank column <NUM> is connected to the front longitudinal beam <NUM> by two tapping rivets which are generally arranged vertically one above another (preferably, the water tank column <NUM> is arranged on an outer side of the front longitudinal beam <NUM>, thereby reducing the cantilever structure at the third and fourth mounting structures <NUM> and <NUM>, and reducing the leverage effect while simplifying the structure). Of course, the tapping rivets mentioned above can also be replaced with bolts. Preferably, an inner end of the upper mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to the water tank crossmember <NUM>, and an inner side of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to the water tank column <NUM>. The inner end of the upper mounting bracket <NUM> may be connected to the water tank crossmember <NUM> by bolts, rivets, or a combination thereof, which can be flexibly configured by those of skill in the art. For example, in the structure shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the inner end of the upper mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to the water tank crossmember <NUM> by four bolts. The inner side of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> may be connected to the water tank column <NUM> by bolts, rivets, or a combination thereof, which can be flexibly configured by those of skill in the art. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the inner side of the middle mounting bracket <NUM> is provided with a plurality of tab structures (shown as four tab structures in the figure) extending forward or backward (all shown as extending forward in the figure). The plurality of tab structures are sequentially arranged in a height direction of the middle mounting bracket <NUM>, with each tab structure connected to the water tank column <NUM> via a bolt. When assembled, an inner side face of each tab structure is attached to an outer surface of the water tank column <NUM>, thereby improving the tightness and reliability of the connection.

Preferably, the lower mounting bracket <NUM> is connected to a front crash management system (CMS) of the vehicle via a connecting bracket <NUM>. With the connecting bracket <NUM>, the stiffness of the headlamp mounting assembly along the Z-axis and Y-axis can be improved to meet vibration test requirements.

Preferably, the first mounting structure <NUM> is positioned lower than the second mounting structure <NUM>, and the third mounting structure <NUM> is positioned higher than the fourth mounting structure <NUM>; the first mounting structure <NUM> is arranged closer to a vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle compared with the third mounting structure <NUM>, the third mounting structure <NUM> is arranged closer to the vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle compared with the second mounting structure <NUM>, and the second mounting structure <NUM> is arranged closer to the vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle compared with the fourth mounting structure <NUM>; and in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the third mounting structure <NUM> and the fourth mounting structure <NUM> are both located between the first mounting structure <NUM> and the second mounting structure <NUM>. This arrangement is more conducive to improving the stability of the support to the headlamp <NUM>. For example, when viewed along the longitudinal direction (X-axis), the mounting positions of the two mounting corners at the bottom of the headlamp <NUM> are located between the mounting positions of the two mounting corners at the top of the headlamp <NUM>, so as to prevent the headlamp <NUM> from exerting uneven force on the headlamp mounting assembly in the longitudinal direction and influencing the overall mounting strength of the brackets of the headlamp <NUM>. In addition, when viewed in the YZ plane, through the above arrangement, the forces supporting the headlamp mounting assembly can be concentrated more on the front longitudinal beam <NUM>, the water tank crossmember <NUM> and the water tank column <NUM> with higher strength, thus preventing the fender <NUM> from being overloaded, thus meeting the overall arrangement and strength requirements of the vehicle body. In a more preferable embodiment, a center formed by the first mounting structure <NUM>, the second mounting structure <NUM>, the third mounting structure <NUM> and the fourth mounting structure <NUM> is close to the center of the headlamp <NUM> or coincides with the center of the headlamp <NUM>, thereby increasing the stiffness and strength of the overall structure.

Claim 1:
A vehicle headlamp mounting assembly, comprising: an upper mounting bracket (<NUM>), a middle mounting bracket (<NUM>), a lower mounting bracket (<NUM>), a fender bracket (<NUM>), a connecting plate (<NUM>), and a reinforcing bracket (<NUM>), wherein
the lower mounting bracket (<NUM>) is connected to a front longitudinal beam (<NUM>) of a vehicle; the fender bracket (<NUM>) is connected to a fender (<NUM>) of the vehicle; a top end of the middle mounting bracket (<NUM>) is connected to the upper mounting bracket (<NUM>), and a bottom end of the middle mounting bracket (<NUM>) is connected to the lower mounting bracket (<NUM>); a rear end of the upper mounting bracket (<NUM>) is connected to a top end of the reinforcing bracket (<NUM>) via the fender bracket (<NUM>) and the connecting plate (<NUM>) in sequence; a bottom end of the reinforcing bracket (<NUM>) is connected to the lower mounting bracket (<NUM>) via at least one blind rivet (<NUM>);
the fender bracket (<NUM>), the connecting plate (<NUM>) and the reinforcing bracket (<NUM>) are all arranged on an outer side relative to the middle mounting bracket (<NUM>); a first mounting structure (<NUM>) is provided near an inner end of the upper mounting bracket (<NUM>); the fender bracket (<NUM>) is provided with a second mounting structure (<NUM>); a third mounting structure (<NUM>) is provided near the bottom end of the middle mounting bracket (<NUM>); a fourth mounting structure (<NUM>) is provided near the bottom end of the reinforcing bracket (<NUM>); and
when assembled, an upper part of a headlamp (<NUM>) is fixed via the first mounting structure (<NUM>) and the second mounting structure (<NUM>), and a lower part of the headlamp (<NUM>) is fixed via the third mounting structure (<NUM>) and the fourth mounting structure (<NUM>).