Headlamp protector unit having a deflector configured to move a vehicle fender
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsBernd Linden, Bert Niessen, Jana Meuleman, Gregor Extra, Ilja Buerkle, Ines Steinke, Stefan Boennemann, Wilhelm Heger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus include a housing, a headlamp comprising at least a lens portion fixed to the housing at a connection interface, and a fender supported by a vehicle structure relative to the housing such that an edge of the fender at least partially overlaps the connection interface. A deflector is associated with the connection interface and is configured to move the fender outwardly relative to the vehicle structure in response to an input load to the headlamp.
Claims24
An apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
- a headlamp comprising at least a lens portion fixed to the housing at a connection interface;
- a fender supported by a vehicle structure relative to the housing such that an edge of the fender at least partially overlaps the connection interface;
- and
- a deflector associated with the connection interface and configured to move the fender outwardly relative to the vehicle structure in response to an input load to the headlamp.
A method comprising:
- fixing at least a lens portion of a headlamp to a housing at a connection interface;
- supporting a fender supported on a vehicle structure relative to the housing such that an edge of the fender at least partially overlaps the connection interface;
- and
- associating a deflector with the connection interface such that in response to an input load to the headlamp, the fender moves outwardly relative to the vehicle structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.