IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,605,428
Granted Patent B2
US 10,605,428 · App. 16/326,271 · Granted Mar 31, 2020

Lighting unit for a motor vehicle headlight for generating at least two light distributions

Inventor: Markus Ecker-Endl (Krems an der Donau, AT)
Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
F21S41/663F21S41/147F21S41/148F21S41/27F21S41/285F21S41/321F21S41/322F21S41/336F21S41/337
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,605,428
App. No.
16/326,271
Granted
Mar 31, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting unit for a motor vehicle headlight for generating at least two light distributions, wherein the lighting unit comprises: a first light source ( 1 ) for generating a first light distribution, a second light source ( 2 ) for generating a second light distribution, a reflector ( 3 ), an exit lens ( 4 ) and collimators ( 5, 6; 5, 6 a, 6 b, 6 c ) into which the light sources ( 1, 2 ) can feed light, wherein the reflector ( 3 ) deflects, in the direction of the exit lens ( 4 ), the light rays of the light beams (S 1 , S 2 ) exiting the collimators ( 5, 6; 5, 6 a, 6 b, 6 c ), the reflector ( 3 ), exit lens ( 4 ) and collimators ( 5, 6; 5, 6 a, 6 b, 6 c ) are formed from a translucent body ( 100 ) in which light rays (S 1 , S 2 ) propagate by means of total reflection, the reflector ( 3 ) has a first reflector surface region ( 30 ) which receives light exclusively from the at least one first light source ( 1 ), and the reflector ( 3 ) has a second reflector surface region ( 31 ) which receives light exclusively from the at least one second light source ( 2 ), and wherein the exit lens ( 4 ) has a first exit lens region ( 40 ) which receives light exclusively from the first reflector surface region ( 30 ), and the exit lens ( 4 ) has a second exit lens region ( 41 ) which receives light exclusively from the second reflector surface region ( 31 ), and wherein light irradiated via the first exit lens region ( 40 ) is imaged as a first light distribution and light irradiated via the second exit lens region ( 4 ) is imaged as a second light distribution.

Claims (45)

1. A lighting unit for a motor vehicle headlight for generating at least two light distributions, wherein the lighting unit comprises:

at least one first light source ( 1 ) for generating a first light distribution,

at least one second light source ( 2 ) for generating a second light distribution,

a reflector ( 3 ),

an exit lens ( 4 ), in particular in the form of a projection lens, and

collimators ( 5 , 6 ; 5 , 6 a , 6 b , 6 c ) into which the light sources ( 1 , 2 ) can feed light, wherein

light of the at least one first light source ( 1 ) is oriented by the at least one collimator ( 5 ) associated with the at least one first light source ( 1 ) to form a first light beam (S 1 ), and

light of the at least one second light source ( 2 ) is oriented by the at least one collimator ( 6 ; 6 a , 6 b , 6 c ) associated with the at least one second light source ( 2 ) to form a second light beam (S 1 ),

wherein the reflector ( 3 ) deflects, in the direction of the exit lens ( 4 ), the light rays of the light beams (S 1 , S 2 ) exiting the collimators ( 5 , 6 ; 5 , 6 a , 6 b , 6 c ), and wherein the exit lens ( 4 ) images the light rays reflected by the reflector ( 3 ) in the form of the first and the second light distribution,

wherein the reflector ( 3 ), exit lens ( 4 ) and collimators ( 5 , 6 ; 5 , 6 a , 6 b , 6 c ) are formed from a translucent body ( 100 ), and wherein the light rays (S 1 , S 2 ) propagating in the translucent body ( 101 ) are totally reflected at a reflector delimiting surface of the reflector ( 3 ′) and preferably at the collimator delimiting surfaces ( 5 ′, 6 ′; 5 ′, 6 a ′, 6 b ′, 6 c ′) of the collimators ( 5 , 6 ; 5 , 6 a , 6 b , 6 c ),

wherein the reflector ( 3 ) has a first reflector surface region ( 30 ) which receives light exclusively from the at least one first light source ( 1 ),

wherein the reflector ( 3 ) has a second reflector surface region ( 31 ) which receives light exclusively from the at least one second light source ( 2 ),

wherein the exit lens ( 4 ) has a first exit lens region ( 40 ) which receives light exclusively from the first reflector surface region ( 30 ),

wherein the exit lens ( 4 ) has a second exit lens region ( 41 ) which receives light exclusively from the second reflector surface region ( 31 ), and

wherein light irradiated via the first exit lens region ( 40 ) is imaged as a first light distribution and light irradiated via the second exit lens region ( 4 ) is imaged as a second light distribution.

2. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the light sources each comprise one or more LEDs, wherein the light sources ( 1 , 2 ) are single-chip LEDs.

3. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the exit lens ( 4 ) is formed as a flat or planar surface.

4. The lighting unit according to claim 3 , wherein the exit lens ( 4 ) runs at an angle of 90° to a light exit plane of at least one collimator ( 5 , 6 ; 5 , 6 a , 6 b , 6 c ).

5. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector ( 3 ) is formed as a flat surface.

6. The lighting unit according to claim 5 , wherein the reflector ( 3 ) runs at an angle of 45° to a light exit plane of at least one collimator ( 5 , 6 ; 5 , 6 a , 6 b , 6 c ).

7. The lighting unit according to claim 3 , wherein the exit lens ( 4 ) runs at an angle of 45° to the reflector ( 3 ).

8. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first reflector surface region ( 30 ) has a structuring which is configured such that the first reflector surface region ( 30 ) is divided into facets, with which light rays reflected by the reflector surface region ( 30 ) are deflected in a vertical and/or horizontal direction in order to generate the first light distribution.

9. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second reflector surface region ( 31 ) has a structuring which is configured such that the second reflector surface region ( 31 ) is divided into facets, with which light rays reflected by the reflector surface region ( 31 ) are deflected in a vertical and/or horizontal direction in order to generate the second light distribution.

10. The lighting unit according to claim 8 , wherein facets of the first and second reflector surface regions ( 30 , 31 ) are different from one another.

11. The lighting unit according to claim 10 , wherein the first reflector surface region ( 30 ) has one or more rows of facet elements ( 30 ′) running transversely in the horizontal direction.

12. The lighting unit according to claim 11 , wherein adjacent facet elements ( 30 ′) within a row and/or facet elements ( 30 ′) in adjacent rows transition into one another discontinuously.

13. The lighting unit according to claim 11 , wherein:

all facet elements are convex or concave,

part of the facet elements are convex and another part are concave,

at least all facet elements within a row or all facet elements are convex,

at least all facet elements within a row or all facet elements are concave, or

the facet elements at least within a row are convex and concave in alternation.

14. The lighting unit according to claim 9 , wherein the second reflector surface region ( 31 ) has one or more rows of facet elements ( 31 ′) running transversely in the horizontal direction.

15. The lighting unit according to claim 14 , wherein adjacent facet elements ( 31 ′) within a row and/or facet elements ( 31 ′) in adjacent rows transition into one another continuously.

16. The lighting unit according to claim 14 , wherein:

all facet elements are convex or concave,

part of the facet elements are convex and another part are concave,

at least all facet elements within a row or all facet elements are convex,

at least all facet elements within a row or all facet elements are concave, or

the facet elements at least within a row are convex and concave in alternation.

17. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one collimator ( 5 ), which is associated with the at least one first light source ( 1 ), directs the luminous flux of the first light source ( 1 ) substantially in parallel, wherein the luminous flux runs normal to an exit plane of the collimator ( 5 ).

18. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one collimator ( 6 ; 6 a , 6 b , 6 c ), which is associated with the at least one second light source ( 2 ), directs the luminous flux of the second light source ( 2 ) substantially in parallel in a first, vertical direction, and fans out said luminous flux in a second, horizontal direction.

19. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the separation ( 300 ) into the first reflector surface region ( 30 ) and the second reflector surface region ( 31 ) runs horizontally.

20. A lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight, which lighting device comprises one or more lighting units according to claim 1 .

21. A motor vehicle headlight comprising at least one lighting unit according to claim 1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 3, 2019
From: ECKER-ENDL, MARKUS
To: ZKW GROUP GMBH
Reel/Frame 050244/0346 →
Priority Claims (1)
AT A 50749/2016 · Aug 19, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190186708A1 · Jun 20, 2019
Cited By (2)
US 12,228,260 US 12,467,597