AT520399B1 - LIGHTING DEVICE AND / OR SIGNALING DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

Lighting device and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle, comprising: at least one light guide (100) with a light coupling point (110), a feed section (120), a decoupling section (130) and a light guide end (140), and at least one of the at least one light guide (100) associated light source (101) - at least one screen component (200) with a screen surface (210), which is arranged after the light guide (100), - a lens (300) arranged in the light exit direction after the screen component (200) ) with a light coupling point (310) and at least one light source (301) assigned to the lens (300), the diaphragm surface (210) having an at least partially transparent diaphragm section (211) which is assigned to the at least one light guide (100) and in the direction of light exit this is arranged, the diaphragm section (211) having a wall thickness profile in the direction of the light guide end (140) , wherein the wall thickness decreases or increases in the direction of the light guide end (140).

Description

description

LIGHTING DEVICE AND / OR SIGNALING DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

[0001] The invention relates to a lighting device and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

- At least one light guide with a light coupling point, a feed line section, a decoupling section and a light guide end, as well as at least one light source assigned to the at least one light guide, which can feed light into the light guide via the light coupling point and the subsequent feed line section, and with light fed into the light guide by means of exits in the coupling-out section of the at least one light guide via a light exit region of the coupling-out section,

- At least one screen component with a screen surface, wherein the screen component in the area of the light coupling point and the supply section of the at least one light guide in the direction of the light emitted by the at least one light guide - hereinafter referred to as the light exit direction - is arranged after the light guide,

- A lens arranged in the light exit direction after the diaphragm component with a light coupling point and at least one light source assigned to the lens, which can feed in light via the light coupling point of the lens, wherein the light that is fed in emerges via the lens essentially in the light exit direction, and the arrangement of the lens in relation to the at least one light guide enables at least partial irradiation of the light emitted by the at least one light guide.

The invention further relates to a motor vehicle headlight which comprises at least one lighting and / or signaling device according to the invention.

In motor vehicle headlights, light guides are often used into which the light from a light source, in particular an LED, is fed in order to be able to implement a desired light distribution or light distributions and / or (a) signaling function (s) with simple means.

The structure and function of a typical motor vehicle headlight with a light guide are shown, inter alia, in DE 10 2006 035 842 A1. A vehicle lamp, in particular a side indicator, is described as a possible embodiment, which comprises at least one elongated light guide and has at least one area arranged laterally on the light guide with a thinner cross-section, the side area (s) being formed completely or at least in a predetermined sub-area as opaque and thus serve as a cover.

Furthermore, DE 200 16 898 U1 shows a lamp for vehicles with a housing and a cover plate closing the housing, which together form a lamp chamber in which elongated light guide elements are arranged side by side, with light sources arranged in a region of end faces of the light guide elements for feeding the light into the light guide elements, the cover frame having a panel element in an edge area, by means of which the light sources of the lamp chamber are shielded.

The prior art cited in the above-mentioned document also shows a diaphragm which is arranged in front of a light coupling point and the subsequent supply area of a light guide in order to cover said area.

In particular, the lead section of light guides is generally used to mix the light in order to achieve homogeneous light extraction from the beginning of the field of vision or the light exit surface of a light guide, the light not being extracted from the lead section and therefore generally not having any extraction elements .

However, since the luminous surface of the light guide be abruptly by an adjusted aperture

is bordered, the light impression of the light guide appears to be cut off, which is contrary to a homogeneous light impression.

Another disadvantage of this arrangement and the fact that a part or section of a light guide is not used for a light distribution or a luminous impression, is the additional space that is required for this.

[0010] The object of the invention is to provide an improved lighting and / or signaling device.

This object is achieved in that the diaphragm surface has an at least partially light-permeable diaphragm section which is assigned to the at least one light guide and is arranged after this in the light exit direction.

The outline of this partially translucent aperture section can be formed by a simple geometric curve, for example circle, triangle, square, etc., but can also reshape characters or complex contours, so that, for example, homogeneously luminous logos are made possible.

It can also be provided that the aperture surface of the at least one aperture component is at least partially, at least partially translucent, the aperture surface having a wall thickness profile in the direction of the light coupling point of the lens.

The aperture surface is the surface that is essentially set up to influence or weaken the light emerging from the light guide in its further propagation, preferably in the light exit direction of the light guide.

With "at least partially translucent" is meant that the screen surface has a transmittance of less than 1 and thereby regulates the light emerging from the light guide or attenuates it with regard to the transmittance.

Thus, a completely opaque or opaque medium would have a transmittance equal to zero or essentially equal to zero.

In contrast, media which leave the intensity of the transmitted light unchanged have a transmittance equal to one or essentially equal to one.

[0018] Areas of the screen surface can have a degree of transmission equal to one.

For example, it can be provided that the screen surface has a type of transmittance profile.

It can also be provided that the entire panel component is at least partially translucent.

It should be noted that the above descriptions with regard to the definition “at least partially translucent” can also apply to the diaphragm section.

It is advantageously provided if the wall thickness of the diaphragm surface increases in the direction of the light coupling point of the lens.

[0023] The diaphragm section can advantageously have a wall thickness profile in the direction of the light guide end, the wall thickness decreasing in the direction of the light guide end.

[0024] It can also be provided that the diaphragm section has a wall thickness profile in the direction of the light guide end, the wall thickness increasing in the direction of the light guide end.

Here, the course of the wall thickness is generally adapted to the luminosity and the shape of the light guide.

It can be useful if the decoupling elements are designed as prisms in the decoupling section of the at least one light guide.

It can also be advantageous if the decoupling elements in the decoupling section have a size and / or distance profile.

It is advantageously provided that decoupling elements are arranged in the feed line section in order to enable the light fed in by the at least one light source to exit in a targeted manner away from the decoupling section.

In addition, it can be advantageous if the decoupling elements in the supply line section are designed as cylindrically shaped grooves.

It can be useful if the size or the dimensions of the decoupling elements in the feed line increases along the light guide in the direction of the end of the light guide.

However, it can also be advantageous if the size or the dimensions of the coupling-out elements in the feed line section decreases along the light guide in the direction of the end of the light guide.

In an expedient embodiment it can be provided that the at least one light source of the at least one light guide is designed as an LED.

It can also be advantageous if the at least one light source of the lens is designed as an LED.

In general, the at least one light source can be formed from one or more LEDs, which can be controlled and dimmed independently of one another.

Furthermore, this fact also applies to the use of several light sources; let these only be assigned to the light guide and / or the lens.

In a further embodiment, the device can comprise at least two light guides.

It is advantageous if the screen surface of the at least one screen component comprises two screen sections which are each assigned to a light guide.

[0038] It can further be provided that the light guides can be controlled independently of one another.

Advantageously, the light pane can have scattering elements for scattering or distributing the light coupled in by the at least one light source.

It is advantageous if the device comprises a housing with a housing cover.

It can be provided that the light source assigned to the at least one light guide and the light disk are at least two different light sources.

The light pane can advantageously have at least one at least partially light-permeable light exit window.

[0043] It can also be provided that the housing cover has at least one at least partially light-permeable light exit window.

It can be advantageous if a cover film is arranged in the light exit direction after the lens, the cover film having opaque and at least partially translucent areas. These partially translucent areas in turn function as light exit windows, as described above.

An objective lighting and / or signaling device can be provided for generating a flashing light distribution or flashing light function, a low beam distribution and / or a charge status display of a vehicle, in particular an electric motor vehicle.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to drawings. Here show:

Fig. 1 shows an exemplary lighting and / or signaling device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the example from FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the section II-II of the example from FIG.

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of a region from FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the section III-III from FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, FIG. 6 shows an exemplary light guide, and FIG

FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of FIG. 6 from above.

Fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a lighting and / or signaling device 1 according to the invention in assembled form.

FIG. 2 shows the exemplary embodiment of the device from FIG. 1, comprising a light guide 100 with a light coupling point 110, a decoupling section 130 and a light guide end 140, as well as a light source 101 assigned to the light guide 100, which transmits light into the light guide 100 can feed the light coupling point 110 and a subsequent feed line section 120 and is designed as an LED in the example from FIG. 2, wherein light fed into the light guide 100 exits via a light exit area by means of decoupling elements 131 arranged in the output section 130 of the light guide 100.

In the example shown in the figures, the decoupling elements 131 of the decoupling section 130 extend over the entire decoupling section 130 to the light guide end 140, as can be seen in FIG. 6, an arrangement of the decoupling elements that does not extend over the entire decoupling section 130 131 is conceivable.

Furthermore, the decoupling elements 131 of the decoupling section 130 can be designed as prisms, as can be seen in FIG. 7.

Furthermore, in Fig. 2 a light emitted in the direction of a light guide - hereinafter referred to as the light exit direction, which is shown inter alia in Fig. 3 and 4 - downstream lens 300 with a light coupling point 310 and a light source associated with the lens 300 301, preferably designed as an LED, which can feed in light via the light coupling point 310 of the lens 300, is shown. The light fed in via the light coupling point 310 of the light disk 300 exits via the light disk 300, the arrangement of the light disk 300 in relation to the light guide 100 allowing at least partial transmission of the light emitted from the light guide 100 and with that generated from the light disk 300 and emitted light forms a common light distribution or a common luminous impression on the lens 300.

The lens 300 can also contain scattering elements 320, which are shown in FIG. 4 and can be arranged, for example, in the light exit direction on the rear side of the lens 300 in order to distribute or to distribute the light coupled in from the light source 301 in the lens 300 scatter and decouple in the light exit direction.

In addition, the light pane 300 can have light exit windows 311 in the light exit direction, which are at least partially transparent. This enables the implementation of illuminated design elements, pictograms, logos and the like.

To implement such light exit windows 311, for example, a cover film can be arranged after the lens 300 in the light exit direction. This cover film can preferably have opaque and at least partially light-permeable areas, the at least partially light-permeable areas being the previously mentioned light exit windows 311.

For example, the housing cover can also have such light exit windows 311, it being possible for the light emitted by the lens 300 and the light guide 100 to exit exclusively through the light exit window 311.

The light exit window 311 can likewise be designed as a color filter in order to generate a colored logo on the light disk 300, which is designed to stand out from the light disk. Here, the prefabricated logo can be applied to the light pane 300 in the form of a film.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned examples with regard to the light emission

Step window 311 does not represent an exhaustive embodiment.

In order to produce a homogeneous luminous impression of the common light distribution, a screen component 200 with a screen surface 210, which is at least partially, at least partially transparent, and in the area of the light coupling point 110 and the feed section 120 is between the light guide 100 and the lens 300 of the light guide 100 is arranged.

The aperture surface 210 is here the surface which is essentially set up to influence or weaken the further propagation of the light emerging from the light guide 100, preferably in the light exit direction of the light guide 100.

In the example shown in the figures, the entire diaphragm surface 210 is partially translucent, which means that the diaphragm surface 210 has a degree of transmittance less than 1, which regulates the amount of light emerging from the light guide 100 or from the supply section 120.

Furthermore, the screen surface 210 has a screen section 211 which is assigned to the light guide 100 and essentially covers or covers it, the screen section 211 also being partially translucent.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the diaphragm surface extends in the direction of the light coupling point 310 of the lens 300 and has a wall thickness profile in the direction of the light coupling point 310 of the lens 300, which is shown by way of example in FIG.

In general, the diaphragm surface 210 covers the light coupling point 110 of the light guide 100 and runs in the direction of the light coupling point 310 of the lens 300, the diaphragm surface 210 not having to extend completely to the light coupling point 310 of the lens 300.

Since a common, homogeneous luminous impression of the entire lens 300 is sought, the light coupling points 110, 310 and their arrangement to one another represent particularly critical areas. Without further light shaping, i.e. Without a targeted attenuation of at least one of these areas or locations by the panel component 200, the luminous impression of the lens 300 would have bright or over-shining areas or locations.

With the help of the at least partially translucent diaphragm surface 210 and its wall thickness profile, which increases in the direction of the light coupling point 310 of the lens 300, as shown in FIG. 5, a smooth transition of the brightness gradient appearing on the lens 300 through the Light disk 300 generated via the light coupling point 310 and distributed in the light disk 300 as well as the light of the light guide 100 radiating through the light disk, so that the luminous impression of the light disk 300 appears homogeneous.

The cross-sectional view of the diaphragm component 200 shown in FIG. 5 shows different wall thicknesses of the diaphragm surface 210, which are identified by do, d4 ”and d2, the exemplary wall thickness profile from FIG. 5 extending in the direction of the light coupling point 310 of the lens 300 with do = d + ı <d ».

For an improved homogenization of the luminous impression of the lens 300, the diaphragm section 211 can also have a wall thickness profile.

Depending on the shape of the light guide 100 in the area of the light coupling point 110 and the feed section 120 in relation to the desired light exit direction, the wall thickness of the diaphragm section 211 can increase or decrease in the direction of the light guide end 140.

If the direction of light exit from a curved feed line section 120 runs essentially parallel to the desired light exit direction of the coupling-out section 130 of the light guide 100, as shown in FIG. 2, it may be advisable to design the wall thickness of the diaphragm section 211 to decrease in the direction of the light guide end 140 .

With a light exit direction of the light coupling point 110 that runs essentially orthogonally to the desired light exit direction of the decoupling section 130 of the light guide 100, a wall thickness of the panel section 211 that increases in the direction of the light guide end 140 may be desirable.

Basically, the wall thickness or the wall thickness profile of the diaphragm surface 210 is matched to the light intensity of the respective light guide 100 used and the lens 300 and the corresponding light sources 101, 301.

In order to specifically couple light out of the feed section 120, decoupling elements 121 can be arranged in the feed section 120, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Since the feed section of a light guide generally ensures that the light fed in is mixed, the decoupling elements 121 in the feed section 120 of the light guide 100 are designed in such a way that, despite the targeted decoupling of light in the feed section 120, the mixing of the light is not significantly influenced, so that the light prepared for the coupling-out section 130 in the sense of intermixing essentially does not experience any significant losses or changes.

For this purpose, the decoupling elements 121 of the supply line section 120 are designed in the form of cylindrical grooves, since such a shape has a less strongly directed radiation characteristic than a prisms usually used for decoupling light, which are arranged, for example, in the decoupling section 130 of the light guide 100, as shown in FIG.

If the decoupling elements 121 are arranged in the feed section 120 only over a short section along the feed section 120, the distance between the individual decoupling elements 121 and their size or the radius of the cylindrical grooves can be the same.

In this case, the distance between the individual decoupling elements 121 of the feed area can be selected such that it corresponds to the distance between the individual decoupling elements 131 of the decoupling section 130, for example prisms.

When the light is coupled out over a longer section or area of the supply line section 120, the size and / or the radius of the cylindrical grooves 121 and the depth of the grooves 121 in the supply line section 120 can be designed to run, the dimensions such as size , Distance between the individual grooves, radius of the cylindrical grooves and / or depth along the light guide 100 in the direction of the light guide end 140 are designed to increase or decrease.

Furthermore, the device can comprise a housing 10 containing the light guide 100, the light disk 300, the light sources 101, 301 and the screen component with a housing cover 20, which are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example.

Aside from the exemplary embodiment of the device 1 shown in the figures with a light guide 100, two light guides 100 can also be provided, the screen surface 210 being able to have a further screen section 211 for this purpose.

Furthermore, the light guides 100 can be controlled independently of one another.

REFERENCE LIST

1 ... device

10 ... housing

20 ... housing cover

100 ... light guide

101,301 ... light source

110 ... light coupling point

120 ... feed line section

121 ... decoupling element of supply line section 130 ... decoupling section

131 ... decoupling element of the decoupling section 140 ... light guide end

200 ... cover component

210 ... aperture area

211 ... aperture section

300 ... lens

310 ... light coupling point of the lens

311 ... light exit window

320 ... scattering elements

Claims (21)

Claims 1. Lighting device and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle, comprising: - At least one light guide (100) with a light coupling point (110), a feed section (120), a decoupling section (130) and a light guide end (140), as well as at least one light source (101) assigned to the at least one light guide (100), which light can feed into the light guide (100) via the light coupling point (110) and the subsequent feed line section (120), and wherein light fed into the light guide (100) by means of decoupling elements (131) arranged in the output section (130) of the at least one light guide (100) exits via a light exit area of the coupling-out section (130), - At least one screen component (200) with a screen surface (210), the screen component (200) in the area of the light coupling point (110) and the feed section (120) of the at least one light guide (100) in the direction of the at least one light guide (100) emitted light - hereinafter referred to as the light exit direction - is arranged after the light guide (100), characterized in that the screen surface (210) has an at least partially light-permeable screen section (211) which is assigned to the at least one light guide (100) and is arranged after this in the light exit direction, wherein the diaphragm section (211) has a wall thickness profile in the direction of the light guide end (140), the wall thickness decreasing or increasing in the direction of the light guide end (140). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device further comprises a lens (300) arranged in the light exit direction after the panel component (200) with a light coupling point (310) and at least one light source (301) assigned to the lens (300) , which lens (300) can feed light via the light coupling point (310) of the lens (300), with the light being fed in via the lens (300) essentially exiting in the light exit direction, and the arrangement of the lens (300) in relation to the at least a light guide (100) enables at least partial irradiation of the light emitted by the at least one light guide (100). 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the diaphragm surface (210) of the at least one diaphragm component (200) is at least partially, at least partially translucent, the diaphragm surface (210) having a wall thickness profile in the direction of the light coupling point (310) of the lens (300). 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the diaphragm section (211) is designed as a homogeneously luminous characters or logos. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the decoupling elements (131) in the decoupling section (130) of the at least one light guide (100) are designed as prisms. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the decoupling elements (131) in the decoupling section (130) have a size and / or distance profile. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that decoupling elements (121) are arranged in the feed line section (120) to enable the light fed in from the at least one light source (101) to exit away from the output section (130) . 8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the decoupling elements (121) in the supply line section (120) are designed as cylindrically shaped grooves. 9. Apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the size or the dimensions of the coupling-out elements (121) in the feed line section (120) increases or decreases along the light guide in the direction of the light guide end (140). 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the at least one light source (101) of the at least one light guide (100) and the light disc (300) is designed as an LED. 11. Device according to one of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that the at least one light source (301) of the lens (300) is designed as an LED. 12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the device comprises at least two, preferably exactly two light guides (100). 13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that the screen surface (210) of the at least one screen component (200) comprises two screen sections (211) which are each assigned to a light guide (100). 14. Apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the light guides (100) can be controlled independently of one another. 15. Device according to one of claims 2 to 14, characterized in that the lens (300) has scattering elements (320) for scattering and / or distribution of the light coupled in by the at least one light source (301). 16. Device according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the device comprises a housing (10) with a housing cover (20). 17. Device according to one of claims 2 to 16, characterized in that the light source (301) assigned to the at least one light guide (100) and the light disc (300) are at least two different light sources. 18. Device according to one of claims 2 to 17, characterized in that the light disc (300) has at least one at least partially light-permeable light exit window (311). 19. Device according to one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the housing cover (20) has at least one at least partially translucent light exit window (311). 20. Device according to one of claims 2 to 18, characterized in that a cover film is arranged in the light exit direction after the lens (300), the cover film having opaque and at least partially light-permeable areas. 21. Motor vehicle headlight, comprising at least one lighting and / or signaling device according to one of claims 1 to 20. 4 sheets of drawings