IP Library Granted Patent US 11,193,641
Granted Patent B2
US 11,193,641 · App. 16/969,364 · Granted Dec 7, 2021

Motor vehicle headlight having waveguide elements arranged in matrix form

Inventors: Lukas Taudt (Wieselburg, AT); Nina Brauner (Wieselburg, AT); Josef Hechenberger (Mondsee, AT); Matthias Kern (Prinzersdorf, AT); Christoph Längauer (Lunz am See, AT); Mathias Schragl (Zarnsdorf, AT)
Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
F21S41/24F21S41/143F21S41/153G02B6/0046
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,193,641
App. No.
16/969,364
Granted
Dec 7, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle headlight ( 1 ) having a lamp unit ( 2 ), which has at least one light source ( 3 ) and an optical attachment ( 4 ) having a light emission surface ( 5 ), and having a projection lens ( 7 ) downstream of the lamp unit, wherein the optical attachment has a plurality of waveguide elements ( 6 ), each having a light coupling surface ( 8 ) for feeding in light from the at least one light source and having light decoupling surfaces ( 9 ) arranged in the light emission surface of the optical attachment and projects a light pattern forward in the traffic space, the waveguide elements extend between the light coupling surface and the light decoupling surface, wherein the light decoupling surface has a greater area than the light coupling surface, and each waveguide element is laterally delimited by two lateral surfaces ( 10 ), from above by a roof surface ( 11 ) and below by a floor surface ( 12 ) and tapers between the light decoupling surface and the light coupling surface, wherein the width of the floor surface decreases proceeding from the light emission surface, wherein the floor surface ( 12 ) and/or the roof surface ( 11 ) of at least one waveguide element ( 6 ) has exactly one constriction ( 14 ) in respect of the width thereof between the light decoupling surface ( 9 ) and the light coupling surface ( 8 ), which has the smallest width (b m ) of the floor surface and/or of the roof surface.

Claims (12)

1. A motor-vehicle headlamp ( 1 ) comprising:

a lighting unit ( 2 ), which includes at least one light source ( 3 ) and an adapter optics ( 4 ) having a light exit surface ( 5 ), and

a projection optics ( 7 ) downstream of the lighting unit, wherein the adapter optics includes a plurality of optical waveguide elements ( 6 ), each having a light in-coupling surface ( 8 ) for feeding in light from the at least one light source and having light out-coupling surfaces ( 9 ) located in the light exit surface of the adapter optics, and is configured to project the light forward into traffic space, the optical waveguide elements extending between the light in-coupling surface and the light out-coupling surface, the light out-coupling surface having a larger area than the light in-coupling surface, and each optical waveguide element is delimited laterally by two side surfaces ( 10 ), at the top by a top surface ( 11 ), and at the bottom by a base surface ( 12 ) and each optical waveguide element tapers between the light out-coupling surface and the light in-coupling surface, wherein the width of the base surface and/or the width of the top surface decreases starting from both the light in-coupling surface and the light exit surface,

wherein the base surface ( 12 ) and/or the top surface ( 11 ) of at least one optical waveguide element ( 6 ) has precisely one constriction ( 14 ) with regard to its width between the light out-coupling surface ( 9 ) and the light in-coupling surface ( 8 ), wherein the constriction has the minimum width (b m ) of the base surface and/or the top surface.

2. The motor-vehicle headlamp ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the top surface ( 11 ) and/or the bottom surface ( 12 ) merges via narrow chamfers ( 13 ) into the side surfaces ( 10 ) on both sides.

3. The motor-vehicle headlamp ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical waveguide elements ( 6 ) are combined in a matrix-like arrangement.

4. The motor-vehicle headlamp ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein optical waveguide elements ( 6 ) of a lowermost row of an at least two-line matrix of optical waveguide elements have a constriction ( 14 ).

5. The motor-vehicle headlamp ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein optical waveguide elements ( 6 ) of an uppermost row of an at least two-line matrix of optical waveguide elements have a constriction ( 14 ).

6. The motor-vehicle headlamp ( 1 ) according claim 3 , wherein_the light out-coupling surfaces ( 9 ) of the optical waveguide elements ( 6 ) coincide to form the light exit surface ( 5 ) of the adapter optics ( 4 ).

7. The motor-vehicle headlamp ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical waveguide elements ( 6 ) are integrally connected to one another in their front region.

8. The motor-vehicle headlamp ( 1 ) according claim 1 , wherein the width (b m ) of the constriction ( 14 ) is 10% to 80% of the width (b e ) of the light in-coupling surface ( 8 ).

9. The motor-vehicle headlamp ( 1 ) according claim 1 , wherein the constriction ( 14 ) is formed in the half of the optical waveguide element ( 6 ) nearest to the light in-coupling surface ( 8 ).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 12, 2020
From: TAUDT, LUKAS; BRAUNER, NINA; HECHENBERGER, JOSEF; KERN, MATTHIAS; LÄNGAUER, CHRISTOPH; SCHRAGL, MATHIAS
To: ZKW GROUP GMBH
Reel/Frame 053479/0641 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 18157331 · Feb 19, 2018 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210048161A1 · Feb 18, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,449,106