IP Library Granted Patent US 11,060,684
Granted Patent B2
US 11,060,684 · App. 16/648,552 · Granted Jul 13, 2021

Motor vehicle illumination device comprising micro-optical systems provided with sub-divided incidence micro-optical elements

Inventor: Andreas Moser (Perg, AT)
Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
F21S41/265
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,060,684
App. No.
16/648,552
Granted
Jul 13, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle illumination device ( 1 ) for generating light distribution, comprising an optical imaging system ( 2 ) and at least one light source ( 3 ) associated with the optical imaging system, in which: the optical imaging system ( 2 ) comprises a collimator ( 4 ), an incidence optical element ( 5 ) and an emergence optical element ( 6 ); the collimator ( 4 ) is arranged between the at least one light source ( 3 ) and the incidence optical element ( 5 ) and is designed to collimate light beams produced by the at least one light source ( 3 ) in order to produce collimated light beams, and to guide the collimated light beams ( 7 ) towards the incidence optical element ( 5 ) of the optical imaging system ( 2 ); the incidence optical element ( 5 ) comprises a plurality of integrally formed incidence micro-optical elements ( 50 to 58 ), a first optical axis ( 50 a to 58 a ) being associated with each incidence micro-optical element ( 50 to 58 ) and all first optical axes ( 50 a to 58 a ) extending in the same direction corresponding to the direction of propagation of the collimated light beams ( 7 ); the emergence optical element ( 6 ) comprises a plurality of integrally formed emergence micro-optical elements ( 60 ), a second optical axis ( 60 a ) being associated with each emergence micro-optical element ( 60 ) and all second optical axes ( 60 a ) extending in the same direction; each incidence micro-optical element ( 50 - 58 ) comprises a light incidence surface ( 50 b to 58 b ) facing the collimated light beams and a light emergence surface ( 50 c to 58 c ) facing the emergence optical element ( 6 ), all of the light emergence surfaces ( 50 c to 58 c ) forming a common, preferably flat surface ( 8 ); and at least two differently formed incidence micro-optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) are associated with each emergence micro-optical element ( 60 ) in such a way that light beams ( 9 a to 9 c ) hitting the at least two differently formed incidence micro-optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) and passing through said at least two differently formed incidence micro-optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) exclusively hit the emergence micro-optical element ( 60 ) associated with the at least two differently formed incidence micro-optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) and form different sub-regions of the light distribution after having passed though the emergence micro-optical system ( 60 ).

Claims (18)

1. A motor-vehicle illumination device ( 1 ) for generating a light distribution, comprising:

an optical imaging system ( 2 ); and

at least one light source ( 3 ) assigned to the optical imaging system,

wherein the optical imaging system ( 2 ) comprises a collimator ( 4 ), an incidence optical element ( 5 ) and an emergence optical element ( 6 ), wherein the collimator ( 4 ) is arranged between the at least one light source ( 3 ) and the incidence optical element ( 5 ) and is configured to collimate light beams generated by the at least one light source ( 3 ) and to direct the collimated light beams ( 7 ) onto the incidence optical element ( 5 ) of the optical imaging system ( 2 ),

wherein the incidence optical element ( 5 ) has a plurality of micro-incidence optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) constructed integrally with one another, wherein a first optical axis ( 50 a to 58 a ) is assigned to each micro-incidence optical element ( 50 to 58 ), wherein all first optical axes ( 50 a to 58 a ) run in the same direction, which direction corresponds to the propagation direction of the collimated light beams ( 7 ), wherein the emergence optical element ( 6 ) has a plurality of micro-emergence optical elements ( 60 ) constructed integrally with one another, wherein a second optical axis ( 60 a ) is assigned to each micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ), wherein all second optical axes ( 60 a ) run in the same direction, wherein each micro-incidence optical element ( 50 to 58 ) has a light incidence surface ( 50 b to 58 b ) facing the collimated light beams and a light emergence surface ( 50 c to 58 c ) facing the emergence optical element ( 6 ), wherein all light emergence surfaces ( 50 c to 58 c ) form a common surface ( 8 ),

wherein at least two differently constructed micro-incidence optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) are assigned to each micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ) in such a manner that light beams ( 9 a to 9 c ) incident onto the at least two differently constructed micro-incidence optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) and passing through these at least two differently constructed micro-incidence optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) are incident exclusively onto the micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ) assigned to the at least two differently constructed micro-incidence optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) and form different part regions of the light distribution after passage through the micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ),

wherein at least one first micro-incidence optical element ( 54 ) of the at least two differently constructed micro-incidence optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) assigned and/or corresponding to the micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ) is constructed in such a manner and corresponds and/or is assigned to the micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ) in such a manner that collimated light beams ( 7 ) incident onto this at least one first micro-incidence optical element ( 54 ) propagate in the direction of an HV region of the light distribution after emergence from the micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ), and

wherein at least one second micro-incidence optical element ( 50 to 53 , 55 to 58 ) of the at least two differently constructed micro-incidence optical elements assigned and/or corresponding to the micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ) is constructed in such a manner and corresponds and/or is assigned to the micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ) in such a manner that collimated light beams ( 7 ) incident onto this at least one second micro-incidence optical element ( 50 to 53 , 55 to 58 ) propagate in the direction outside of an HV region of the light distribution after emergence from the micro-emergence optical element ( 60 ).

2. The motor-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two micro-incidence optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) are arranged in an N×M micro-incidence-optical-element array, where N≥2 or M≥2.

3. The motor-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the incidence optical element ( 5 ) is configured to generate an intermediate image, which intermediate image is imaged by the emergence optical element ( 6 ) in front of the motor-vehicle illumination device ( 1 ).

4. The motor-vehicle illumination device according to claim 3 , wherein the intermediate image is located in front of the emergence optical element ( 6 ).

5. The motor-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one first micro-incidence optical element ( 54 ) is constructed as a plano-convex lens.

6. The motor-vehicle illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least two micro-incidence optical elements ( 50 to 58 ) are arranged in a 3×3 micro-incidence-optical-element array.

7. The motor-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one second micro-incidence optical element ( 50 to 53 , 55 to 58 ) is constructed as a plano-concave lens or as a plano-concave lenspiece or as a plano-convex lenspiece.

8. The motor-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the light incidence surfaces ( 50 b to 58 b ) are constructed as free-form surfaces.

9. A motor-vehicle headlamp having at least one motor-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1 .

10. A motor-vehicle headlamp, which is constructed as a motor-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1 .

11. A motor vehicle having at least one motor-vehicle headlamp according to claim 9 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2020
From: MOSER, ANDREAS
To: ZKW GROUP GMBH
Reel/Frame 052172/0204 →
Priority Claims (1)
AT A 50826/2017 · Sep 27, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200217471A1 · Jul 9, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,188,629