LED illumination unit having mask and reflector

1. An illumination unit for a motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one LED having a light emission area,

a main light exit aperture,

a reflector configured for deflecting light by the LED towards the main light exit aperture, and

a shading element formed as a sheet having a through-hole therethrough, the shading element positioned between the reflector and the LED to allow only substantially essentially orthogonally emitted light from the LED through the through-hole in the sheet toward the reflector,

wherein a longitudinal axis of at least a portion of the sheet extends perpendicularly with respect to light emitted essentially orthogonally by the LED, and

wherein essentially non-orthogonally emitted light encounters the portion of the sheet that extends perpendicularly with respect to the essentially orthogonally emitted light.

2. The illumination unit according to claim 1 , wherein the shading element comprises at least a first shading area and a second shading area, wherein the first shading area is arranged offset relative to the second shading area.

3. The illumination unit according to claim 1 , wherein the shading element has a surface, wherein the surface of the shading element has a glossy surface.

4. The illumination unit according to claim 1 , wherein the shading element is made from metal or plastic material.

5. The illumination unit according to claim 1 , wherein the shading element has a lower side being in the color white.

6. The illumination unit according to claim 1 , further comprising an assembly body on which the LED is arranged.

7. The illumination unit according to claim 6 , wherein the assembly body is a heatsink.

8. The illumination unit according to claim 6 , wherein the assembly body comprises at least one cooling fin.