CN120303152A

CN120303152A - Lighting device for motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: CN120303152A
Application number: CN202380082726.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: C·杜博斯克; M·拉米雷特
Original assignee: Valeo Vision SAS
Current assignee: Valeo Vision SAS
Priority date: 2022-11-30
Filing date: 2023-11-16
Publication date: 2025-07-11
Also published as: WO2024115129A1; EP4626748A1; FR3142530A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lighting device (1) for a vehicle (2), the lighting device comprising: a housing (10) having an open front surface (10.1); a primary light source (11) configured to emit a primary light ray (r1); a light collector (12) configured to generate a first light beam (Fx1) from the primary light ray (r1) toward an output optical element (13); the output optical element (13) being arranged on the front surface (10.1), characterized in that: the lighting device (1) comprises an optical module (14) arranged inside the housing (10) and configured to generate a second light beam (Fx2) toward the output optical element (13); the output optical element (13) being configured to transmit an overall light beam (F1) formed by the first light beam (Fx1) and the second light beam (Fx2) toward the outside of the vehicle (2).

Description

Lighting device for a motor vehicle

The present invention relates to a light emitting device for a vehicle. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to motor vehicles.

In the field of motor vehicles, a lighting device for a vehicle known to a person skilled in the art comprises:

a housing having an open front face,

At least one light source configured to emit light, the light being reflected from at least one light collector,

Said at least one light collector configured to generate a light beam from said light rays towards an output optical element,

-Said at least one output optical element comprising a plurality of optical sub-elements and configured to transmit said light beam towards the outside of said vehicle.

One disadvantage of the above prior art is that the light beams transmitted by the individual output optical sub-elements result in the light being seen by an observer from outside the vehicle having a non-uniform appearance.

Against this background, the present invention aims to propose a lighting device for a vehicle which proposes a solution to the above drawbacks.

To this end, the present invention proposes a light emitting device for a vehicle, the light emitting device comprising:

a housing having an open front face,

At least one primary light source configured to emit primary light, the primary light being reflected from at least one light collector,

The at least one light collector being configured to generate a first light beam from the primary light and to direct the first light beam towards at least one output optical element,

Said at least one output optical element arranged on said front face of said housing,

The method is characterized in that:

the light emitting device further comprises an optical module configured to generate a second light beam towards the at least one output optical element, the optical module being arranged inside the housing,

And is characterized in that:

-the at least one output optical element is configured to generate a total light beam formed by the first light beam and the second light beam and to transmit the total light beam towards the outside of the vehicle.

Thus, as will be seen in detail below, complementing the second light beam with the first light beam will allow the light transmitted by the light emitting device to present a uniform appearance.

According to non-limiting embodiments, the light emitting device may further comprise one or more of the following additional features, implemented alone or in any technically possible combination.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the optical module is a cylindrical light guide or a planar light guide.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the at least one output optical element is a lens.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the housing comprises a lower portion and an upper portion, and the optical module is arranged on the lower portion.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the light emitting device further comprises at least one secondary light source configured to generate a secondary light ray, the secondary light ray cooperating with the optical module to generate the second light beam.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the at least one output optical element comprises an optical subelement.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the housing comprises a lower portion and an upper portion, and at least one of the lower or upper faces comprises a spacer for separating the optical subelements of the output optical element.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the light emitting device comprises a plurality of primary light sources associated with each of the optical subelements of the output optical element.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the at least one secondary light source is configured to be activated when the at least one primary light source is deactivated during daytime, such that the optical module generates the second light beam.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the at least one secondary light source is configured to be activated at night when the at least one primary light source is activated, such that the optical module generates the second light beam.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the light emitting device is a lighting and/or signaling device.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the primary light source is a semiconductor light source. According to one non-limiting embodiment, the secondary light source is a semiconductor light source. According to one non-limiting embodiment, the semiconductor light source forms part of a light emitting diode or a laser diode.

The invention and its various applications will be better understood from a reading of the following description and a study of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top side view of a light emitting device according to one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the light emitting device comprising a primary light source, at least one light collector associated with the primary light source, an optical module associated with a secondary light source, and an output optical element;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of an output optical element of the light emitting device of FIG. 1, including an optical subelement, according to one non-limiting embodiment;

fig. 3 is a perspective view of the light emitting device of fig. 1 according to a first non-limiting embodiment variant;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the light emitting device of fig. 1 according to a second non-limiting embodiment variant;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a vehicle having a headlamp including night light features obtained by means of the light emitting device of FIG. 1;

fig. 6 is a front view of a vehicle having a headlamp including daytime light characteristics obtained by means of the light emitting device of fig. 1.

Elements that are identical in structure or function and that appear in different figures are denoted by the same reference numerals unless otherwise specified.

A light emitting device 1 for a vehicle 2 according to the present invention will now be described with reference to fig. 1 to 6. In one non-limiting embodiment, the vehicle 2 is a motor vehicle. "automotive vehicle" refers to any type of motorized vehicle. This embodiment is given as a non-limiting example in the rest of the present description. In the remainder of the description, the vehicle 2 is therefore also referred to as motor vehicle 2. The motor vehicle 2 has a longitudinal axis Ox, which is referred to as the vehicle axis Ox. In one non-limiting embodiment, the lighting device 1 is a lighting device to which signaling can be added to form lighting and signaling devices. In a non-limiting embodiment variant, the lighting device 1 is a headlight.

As shown in [ fig. 1], the light emitting device 1 includes:

The housing 10 is provided with a housing opening,

At least one primary light source 11,

At least one light collector 12, associated with said at least one light source 11,

At least one output optical element 13,

An optical module 14.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the light emitting device 1 further comprises at least one secondary light source 15 associated with said optical module 14.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the light emitting device 1 includes:

a single primary light source 11 is present,

A single light collector 12, associated with said at least one light source 11,

A single output optical element 13.

This non-limiting embodiment is given as a non-limiting example in the remainder of this specification.

The elements of the light emitting device 1 are described in detail below.

As shown in fig. 1, the housing 10 includes:

An open front face 10.1,

The closed rear face 10.2,

The lower portion 10.3 is provided with a seat,

An upper part 10.4.

The housing 10 is configured to receive the primary light source 11, the optical module 14 and the at least one associated secondary light source 15.

In a first non-limiting embodiment variant shown in fig. 3, the housing 10 does not have a partition 100.

In a second non-limiting embodiment variant, at least one of the lower portion 10.3 or the upper portion 10.4 of the housing 10 comprises a partition 100 for separating optical subelements 130 (shown in [ fig. 2 ]) of the output optical element 13. In one non-limiting embodiment, the baffles 100 are equally spaced. As illustrated by way of non-limiting example in fig. 4, the lower portion 10.3 and the upper portion 10.4 comprise such a baffle 100. In this case, it should be noted that the output optical element 13 and the optical module 14 are placed in front of these partitions 100. In particular, the baffle 100 prevents light from the primary light source 11 associated with an optical subelement 130 from passing through an adjacent optical subelement. Thus, the spacer 100 prevents light from escaping from one optical subelement 130 into another optical subelement 130. Thus, the baffle 100 allows for localized diffusion of light originating from the optical module 14.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the primary light source 11 is a semiconductor light source. In one non-limiting embodiment, the semiconductor light source forms part of a light emitting diode or laser diode. "light emitting diode" refers to any type of light emitting diode including, by way of non-limiting example, an LED (light emitting diode), an OLED (organic LED), an AMOLED (active matrix organic LED), or a FOLED (flexible OLED). As does the secondary light source(s) 15.

As illustrated in fig. 1, primary light source 11 is configured to emit primary light ray r1 (also referred to as ray r 1) that will reach and reflect from collector 12. In one non-limiting embodiment, the primary light source 11 is disposed on an electronic support 16, such as a PCBA ("printed Circuit Board Assembly") board in one non-limiting example.

The light collector 12 comprises a shell-shaped or cap-shaped support, and a reflective surface (not shown) on the inner face of the support, the reflective surface having an elliptical or parabolic profile.

The collector 12 is configured to collect the primary light ray r1 and to generate a first light beam Fx1 from said light ray r1 and to direct the first light beam towards the output optical element 13. Primary ray r1 reflects from the reflective surface of collector 12. When there are a plurality of light collectors 12, the light collectors 12 together form a reflector called a multi-cavity reflector. The first light beam Fx1 together with the second light beam Fx2 (described below) will form an overall light beam F1 of the light emitting device 1. The first beam Fx1 may produce a photometric illumination function f1 and the second beam Fx2 may produce a proportion of the photometric signal function f2 (if present) at night and a proportion of the daytime photometric function f3 (daytime illumination) during the day, also known as a DRL "daytime running light".

In one non-limiting embodiment, the overall beam F1 is a segmented beam. Thus, certain segments can be closed, for example, in order to prevent glare of a vehicle approaching the motor vehicle 2. In this case, the reflective surface of the collector 12 has several vertical sectors.

In a first non-limiting embodiment, the first light beam Fx1 is a high beam, i.e. a beam without a cutoff line.

In a second non-limiting embodiment, the first light beam Fx1 is a near light beam, i.e. a light beam having an inclined cutoff line and a flat cutoff line. The flat cutoff line and the inclined cutoff line define an upper portion of the corresponding portion of the first light beam Fx 1. It therefore has two parts, a first part (not shown) which represents an inclined cutoff, called "kink", in particular with an inclined part, and a second part (not shown) which has a flat cutoff, called "flat". In one non-limiting embodiment, the oblique cutoff includes an oblique portion and a flat portion that form an angle or kink therebetween.

In one non-limiting variant of the first and second non-limiting embodiments, the lighting device 1 is a very low lamp, with a height between 5 and 7 mm. In this case, in one non-limiting embodiment illustrated in [ fig. 2], the output optical element 13 comprises optical sub-elements 130, which are adjacent to each other and each generate a portion of the first light beam Fx 1. The first beam is comprised of a wide sub-beam produced by the plurality of optical sub-elements 130.1 shown in fig. 2 and a plurality of longer-range ion beams produced by the optical sub-elements 130.2 shown in fig. 2. The optical subelements 130.1 and 130.2 are referred to as "spots". Such an output optical element 13 is called a "line lens". Thus, the individual optical subelements 130 do not all project light in the same manner at the same location. Thus, the intensity of the emitted light is more or less.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the output optical element 13 is a projection lens, also referred to as a lens. It is a converging projection lens that projects an image of a reflecting surface to infinity. In a non-limiting embodiment, the projection lens is a plano-convex or biconvex or meniscus lens.

As shown in fig. 1, the output optical element 13 is arranged on the front face 10.1 of the housing 10. The output optical element 13 is configured to generate and transmit a total light beam F1 to the outside of the motor vehicle 2 along the vehicle axis Ox, the total light beam F1 being formed by the first light beam Fx1 and the second light beam Fx 2.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the output optical element 13 includes a plurality of optical sub-elements 130 that allow for various sub-functions to be performed, such as broad sub-beams and longer-range sub-beams. In this case, in one non-limiting embodiment, the light emitting device 1 comprises a plurality of primary light sources 11 associated with each of the optical sub-elements 130 of said output optical element 13.

It should be noted that when the overall light beam F1 has a first light beam Fx1 consisting of two parts, in one non-limiting embodiment, the light emitting device 1 comprises two output optical elements 13, one of which is associated with a first part of said first light beam Fx1 and the other of which is associated with a second part of said first light beam Fx 1. It should be noted that in this case, in one non-limiting embodiment, the two output optical elements 13 have the same common longitudinal axis perpendicular to the vehicle axis Ox. This makes it possible to generate a low beam. The first portion represents an oblique cutoff line, referred to as a "kink". It is also known as an oblique cutoff or kink. The second portion represents a flat cutoff, referred to as "flat". It is also called a flat cutoff or cutoff. In this case, in one non-limiting embodiment, one collector 12 is used to produce a first (kink) portion of the first beam Fx1 and three collectors 12 are used to produce a second (flat) portion of the first beam Fx 1.

As illustrated in fig. 1, the optical module 14 is configured to generate a second light beam Fx2 towards the output optical element 13. Thus, the second light beam Fx2 forms an overall light beam F1 of the light emitting device 1 together with the first light beam Fx 1.

To generate the second light beam Fx2, the optical module 14 is associated with at least one secondary light source 15. In a first non-limiting embodiment shown in fig. 3, the optical module is associated with a single secondary light source 15. In a second non-limiting embodiment, an optical module is associated with two secondary light sources 15. The optical module 14 comprises at least one end having a secondary light source 15 arranged facing it. Thus, in the non-limiting example of [ fig. 3], a single secondary light source 15 is arranged facing one of the ends of the optical module 14. Thus, in the non-limiting example of [ fig. 4], two secondary light sources 15 are arranged facing each of the ends of the optical module 14. Thus, two secondary light sources are arranged on both sides of the optical module 14, respectively. The one or more secondary light sources 15 are configured to emit secondary light rays r2 (shown in fig. 3 and 4) that cooperate with the optical module 14 to generate a second light beam Fx2. The secondary ray r2 enters the optical module 14 via one of the ends of the optical module 14 and passes through the optical module 14 in order to generate a second light beam Fx2.

The optical module 14 is disposed inside the housing 10. In one non-limiting embodiment, the optical module is arranged on the lower part 10.3 of the housing 10. This avoids placing the optical module in front of the primary light source 11. Thus, the optical module does not interfere with the first light beam generated by the collector 12. Furthermore, since there is space in the lower portion 10.3 for placing the optical module 14 therein, there is no need to increase the volume of the housing 10.

In non-limiting embodiments, the optical module 14 is a cylindrical light guide or a planar light guide. Thus, the optical module is also referred to as a light guide 14. In the non-limiting example of [ FIG. 1], the optical module is cylindrical. As illustrated in fig. 1, when the light guide 14 is arranged on the lower portion 10.3 of the housing 10, the light guide is arranged at a lower level than the output optical element 13 and than the primary light source 11. As illustrated in fig. 3 and 4, the light guide 14 extends along the entire length of the output optical element 13, so that its second light beam Fx2 can be distributed over the entire length of the output optical element 13. Thus, the light guide 14 is configured to illuminate the output optical element 13. It should be noted that the light guide 14 is visible through the output optical element 13.

It should be noted that the light guide 14 is illuminated towards the output optical element 13 and not towards the collector 12, and that the second light beam Fx2 is directed towards the output optical element 13 and not towards the collector 12.

In certain non-limiting embodiments, the optical module 14 is secured to the housing 10 by rivet forging, sintering, or screw fastening.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the at least one secondary light source 15 is configured to be activated when the primary light source 11 is deactivated during daytime, such that the optical module 14 generates the second light beam Fx2. Thus, when the primary light source 11 is off, the optical module 14 illuminates the output optical element 13 during the day. Thus, the optical module is visible through the output optical element 13 and illuminates the output optical element.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the at least one secondary light source 15 is configured to be activated at night when the at least one primary light source 11 is activated, such that the optical module 14 generates the second light beam.

Thus, the optical module 14 also illuminates the output optical element 13 at night. The optical module is visible through the output optical element 13 and illuminates the output optical element. Thus, when the primary light source 11 is on while the motor vehicle 2 is traveling at night, the same appearance of light characteristics is obtained as when the motor vehicle 2 is traveling in the daytime, i.e., when the primary light source 11 is off and the daytime running light (referred to as DRL) is on. It should be noted that the light characteristic is a characteristic of the manufacturer or model.

Fig. 5 shows the night light characteristic (in the form of a diagonal V) of the motor vehicle 2. It can be seen that the first light beam Fx1 allows performing the photometric illumination function f1 and the second light beam Fx2 allows performing a portion of the photometric signal function f2, while in one non-limiting embodiment another portion of the photometric signal function f2 is performed by a third light beam Fx3 generated by a complementary light module (not shown) to supplement the night light feature. Fig. 6 shows daytime light characteristics (in the form of a diagonal V) of the motor vehicle 2. It can be seen that in the absence of the first light beam Fx1, the second light beam Fx2 allows to generate a part of the daytime photometric function f3, while in one non-limiting embodiment another part of the daytime photometric function f3 is generated by a third light beam Fx3 generated by a complementary lighting module (not shown) to supplement the daytime light characteristics.

Furthermore, this makes it possible to improve the uniformity of the light emitted by the light emitting device 1 (i.e., the entire light beam F1). Therefore, no matter at which viewpoint the observer (illustrated by the eyes in [ fig. 1 ]) is positioned in order to observe the light emitting device 1 from outside the motor vehicle 2, an equivalent luminance level is obtained. This equivalent brightness level corresponds to the uniformity of the emitted light, which is required by the motor vehicle manufacturer. Thus, in particular in the case of "line" light, the light emitted by the light emitting device 1 is no longer non-uniform, but uniform, whether the observer is positioned facing the light beam Fx or at the sides thereof, and whether the viewpoint is looking at a vertical angle or at a horizontal angle. Thus, no more or less intense spots due to the sub-beam "spots" described above are seen.

Of course, the description of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the above-described fields. Thus, in another non-limiting embodiment, one or more of the output optical elements 12 are mirrors rather than projection lenses. Thus, when there are a plurality of light collectors 12 and a plurality of primary light sources 11, each light collector 12 is associated with a primary light source 11 and is configured to collect and direct its respective primary light ray r1 so as to generate and direct a first light beam Fx1 towards one or more output optical elements 13 or towards an optical sub-element 130 of an output optical element 13.

The described invention thus provides, inter alia, the following advantages:

At night, from the perspective of an external observer, it is possible to give the lighting device 1a uniform appearance, and

During the day, the lighting device 1 is allowed to provide daytime light characteristics very close to nighttime light characteristics,

Allowing the optical module 14 to be integrated into the pre-existing light-emitting device 1 at low cost, and thus making it possible not to increase the resulting volume of the light-emitting device 1,

By means of the optical module 14, which is directly visible from the outside of the vehicle 2, allows the appearance of the lighting device 1 to be uniform both during the day and during the night,

A single light characteristic can be obtained that is the same both during the day and during the night.

Claims

1. A light emitting device (1) for a vehicle (2), the light emitting device (1) comprising:

a housing (10) having an open front face (10.1),

At least one primary light source (11) configured to emit primary light rays (r 1) reflected from at least one light collector (12),

-Said at least one light collector (12) configured to generate a first light beam (Fx 1) from said primary light ray (r 1) and to direct said first light beam towards at least one output optical element (13),

-Said at least one output optical element (13) arranged on said front face (10.1) of said housing (10),

The method is characterized in that:

The light emitting device (1) further comprises an optical module (14) configured to generate a second light beam (Fx 2) towards the at least one output optical element (13), the optical module (14) being arranged inside the housing (10),

And is characterized in that:

-the at least one output optical element (13) is configured to generate a total light beam (F1) formed by the first light beam (Fx 1) and the second light beam (Fx 2) and to transmit the total light beam towards the outside of the vehicle (2).

2. The light emitting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the optical module (14) is a cylindrical light guide or a planar light guide.

3. The light emitting device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one output optical element (13) is a lens.

4. The light emitting device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (10) comprises a lower portion (10.3) and an upper portion (10.4), and the optical module (14) is arranged on the lower portion (10.3).

5. The light emitting device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the light emitting device (1) further comprises at least one secondary light source (15) configured to generate a secondary light ray (r 2) cooperating with the optical module (14) to generate the second light beam (Fx 2).

6. The light emitting device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one output optical element (13) comprises an optical subelement (130).

7. The light emitting device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the housing (10) comprises a lower portion (10.3) and an upper portion (10.4), and at least one of the lower portion (10.3) or the upper portion (10.4) comprises a spacer (100) for separating the optical sub-elements (130) of the output optical element (13).

8. The light emitting device (1) according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the light emitting device (1) comprises a plurality of primary light sources (11) associated with each of the optical subelements (130) of the output optical element (13).

9. The light emitting device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one secondary light source (15) is configured to be activated when the at least one primary light source (11) is deactivated during daytime, such that the optical module (14) generates the second light beam (Fx 2).

10. The light emitting device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one secondary light source (15) is configured to be activated at night when the at least one primary light source (11) is activated, such that the optical module (14) generates the second light beam (Fx 2).

11. The light emitting device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the light emitting device (1) is a lighting device or a lighting and signaling device.