US 12,345,389 B2
Optical device usable as a motor vehicle headlight
Michael Niederer, Kapellen-Drusweiler (DE); Peter Scholz, Karlsruhe (DE); Kurt Walz, Hagenbach (DE); and Ralf Lothar Weinand, Wörth am Rhein (DE)
Assigned to Eberspächer catem GmbH & Co. KG, Herxheim (DE)
Filed by Eberspächer catem GmbH & Co. KG, Herxheim (DE)
Filed on Oct. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/381,917.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2022 127 869.7 (DE), filed on Oct. 21, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0133535 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Prior Publication US 2024/0230056 A9, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. F21S 45/60 (2018.01); F21S 41/148 (2018.01); F21S 41/32 (2018.01)
CPC F21S 45/60 (2018.01) [F21S 41/148 (2018.01); F21S 41/32 (2018.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical device, comprising:
an optical system including a lens and/or a light source;
a device housing that surrounds the optical system;
a transparent cover which covers the optical system and which is connected to the device housing;
a heater housing; and
a PTC heating assembly that is provided in the heater housing, the PTC heating assembly being configured to heat a space between the device housing and the cover, the PTC heating assembly including at least one PTC element and strip conductors that are connected to the PTC element in an electrically conductive manner; and
a mounting frame surrounding the heater housing and forming a circumferential groove in which a seal is provided and in which a contact rim of the device housing is accommodated in a sealed manner;
wherein the PTC heating assembly is connected to the device housing of the cover with the interposition of a heat-conducting adapter, the heat-conducting adapter having, on a heating assembly side thereof, a heat coupling surface configured for the flat abutment against the PTC heating assembly and a heat decoupling surface configured for the flat abutment against the device housing and/or the cover.