ES2244152T3 - AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE LIGHT THAT UNDERSTANDS A SOURCE AND IS ABLE TO PRODUCE A NON-RECTILINE CUTTING. - Google Patents

Abstract

A MOTOR VEHICLE HEADLIGHT INCLUDES A LIGHT SOURCE (10), A MIRROR (20) AND A CRYSTAL (50) BEING THE PRACTICALLY ORIENTED SOURCE TRANSVERSALLY AT AN OPTICAL AXIS OF THE MIRROR. ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION THE MIRROR HAS AT LEAST ONE ZONE (Z) SUITABLE TO GENERATE IMAGES FROM THE SOURCE THAT SUBMIT A INCLINATION THAT VARIOUS IN A LIMITED INTERVAL AROUND AN INCLINATION GIVEN REGARDING THE HORIZONTAL, OPTICAL CORRECTION MEANS SUITABLE TO SAY THOSE THROUGH AN INCLINED PART (HC) OF A CUTTING OF THE BEAM GENERATED BY SUCH MIRROR (20), WHOSE INCLINATION CORRESPONDS TO SUCH INCLINATION GIVEN OF THE IMAGES. APPLICATION IN THE HEADLIGHTS TO MAKE A EUROPEAN CROSSING.

Description

Motor vehicle light comprising a source and capable of producing a non-rectilinear cutting beam.

The present invention relates in a manner general to the headlights of motor vehicles, and more specifically to a lighthouse capable of emitting a cutting beam, in which a part at least the cut has an oblique inclination, typically of 15º, with respect to the horizontal.

A cut of this type is for example defined by European regulations on the subject, and it entails, for a sense of movement on the right, a left semi-art horizontal and a right half-height raised 15º above the horizontal.

Already known headlight mirrors capable of generating by themselves, cooperating with an elongated light source axially oriented, a beam delimited by a cut of this kind.

Documents will be specially cited FR-A-2 536 502, FR-A-2 599 121, FR-A-2 609 148, FR-A-2 639 888, FR-A-2 664 667 on behalf of the Applicant.

These known mirrors, although they are generally satisfactory, however they are of a conception that it is difficult for get the result sought in terms of cut if the source, such as the cylindrical filament of a lamp incandescent, is not axially oriented, that is to say in parallel to the optical axis of the mirror.

Now, today we are looking to make headlights in which the source is oriented in the mirror always horizontally, but in this case transversely to the axis optical.

Such an orientation has especially to make headlights whose mirror has a dimension in height at least equal, even significantly greater, than its dimension in width

Certainly the Applicant has also developed reflective surfaces suitable for generating with a source with such an orientation, and without resorting to cups or analogues that hide a part of the radiation emitted by the source, cutting beams. So in FR-A-2 602 305 a mirror is described suitable to cooperate with a transverse source to generate a fog beam, and in FR-A-2 602 306 the description of a suitable mirror to cooperate selectively with two transverse sources to generate respectively a beam of crossing and a road beam according to the regulations of the States United of America, the crossing beam being delimited by a cut formed by two horizontal semiplanes displaced in height.

FR 2657680 describes a lighthouse with a fountain transverse and a mirror whose surfaces generate images in all Possible addresses An oblique cut is obtained by positioning these images along the line to form.

The present invention proposes a vehicle headlight automobile as defined in claim 1.

Preferred, but not limiting, aspects of lighthouse according to the invention are defined in the claims Dependents

Other aspects, objects and advantages of this invention will stand out better by reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, given as a non-limiting example and made with reference to attached drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a rear view of a lighthouse mirror, and the associated source, which allows explaining the mirror behavior in terms of image inclination generated;

- Figure 2 is a partial view from behind of another type of mirror and its source, which illustrates the same type of behavior;

- Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view of the mirror part and the source of figure 2;

- Figure 4 is a vertical section view axial illustrating the construction of a mirror to which it is applied advantageously the present invention;

- Figure 5 is a front view of the mirror of figure 4;

- Figure 6 illustrates the distribution, in a projection screen of source images generated by the mirror of figures 4 and 5;

- Figure 7 illustrates a first form of concrete embodiment of a beacon mirror according to the invention;

- Figures 8 and 9 illustrate schematically, respectively in axial horizontal section and in front view, the conception of a reflective surface of one of the parts of the mirror of figure 7;

- Figure 10 illustrates the distribution of images of the source obtained with the part conceived according to the Figures 8 and 9;

- Figures 11 and 12 illustrate schematically, respectively in axial horizontal section and with front view, a variant of the conception of a reflective surface of one of the parts of the mirror of figure 7;

- Figure 13 illustrates the distribution of images of the source obtained with the part conceived according to the Figures 11 and 12;

- Figures 14 to 27 illustrate by sets of Isocandela curves the photometric behavior of different parts of the mirror of figure 7 and its overall behavior;

- Figure 28 is a vertical section view axial of a headlamp according to another specific embodiment of the invention;

- figure 29 is a front view of figure 28;

- Figure 30 is a top view of a concealment element of the lighthouse of figures 28 and 29; Y

- Figure 31 illustrates in front view a shape of concrete embodiment of a lighthouse mirror of figures 28 and 29.

With reference first to Figure 1, has represented with front view a mirror 20 intended to project to infinity a luminous beam of lighting, housing at its bottom this mirror a light source constituted in this case by the filament generally cylindrical 10 of an incandescent lamp. The axis of the filament 10 is perpendicular to the optical axis of the mirror 20, which at in turn it is perpendicular to the plane of the sheet, and the axis of the filament it extends in this case horizontally.

It is understood that each point of the mirror 20 generate an image of the source 10 whose orientation, in a plane of projection perpendicular to the optical axis of the mirror, will depend on the coordinates of this point. A first element of the process for lead to the present invention is to locate in the mirror surface the points that generate images of the source with the same inclination with respect to the horizontal, and in this case an inclination of 15º in the direction of rotation against the hands of the clock, so that you can then, positioning these images properly, generate at least one part of the half-slope inclined at 15º of a European crossing beam normalized

Thus Figure 1 illustrates in view in raised from behind the known case of a mirror 20 that has a Revolution paraboloid-shaped reflective surface focused on the center of a transverse filament 10, and it has identified on this surface a certain number of lines of surface points (L_ {N}) generating images whose large axes all have the same inclination of N degrees with respect to the horizontal. The lines L_ {15} are shown with a thick line corresponding to oriented image inclinations of the source at 15º in one way or another with respect to the horizontal.

Therefore it is understood that a part Z of the mirror, as indicated with stripes, will generate images of the source having all an inclination that varies in limits relatively small around the 15th screwed orientation. Thus, it's possible:

- use the other parts of the surface of the mirror to form a beam such as a European crossing beam standardized, eventually in cooperation with optical provisions in the glass;

- specifically use part Z for less initiate the semi-art ascending to at least 15º of the beam, in This case also in cooperation with the crystal.

Figure 2 illustrates in view from behind a quarter of a mirror 20, which is made up of a piece of paraboloid focused behind the filament 10 and laterally with with respect to this, as well as the lines L_ {15} of iso-inclination of the images at 15º. Figure 3 illustrates the horizontal generatrix of this mirror room, as well as focus position F.

It is understood that a part Z of the mirror near the line L 15 will allow, with the parabolic surface described previously, generate filament images that, on a screen projection, will rotate around its homologous lateral edge of the edge of the filament in which the focus is located and in limits angles located at either side of the value of 15º, being located these images to the right of the reference center of the screen. Such a surface is therefore suitable for start the cut up to 15º, and at the same time generate a concentration spot immediately below this cut, as you will see in detail later in an embodiment of the present invention.

With reference now to figures 4 and 5, which illustrate a mirror / filament assembly to which the obtaining cut according to the invention, the cylindrical filament 10, which may be constituted so typical, either by the transverse filament of a lamp H3 standard mounted axially at the bottom of the mirror, either axial filament of an H1 or H7 lamp mounted laterally on the mirror.

The vertical generatrices high and low, respectively 20h and 20b, of mirror 20 are designed so that carry all the images of filament 10 below and essentially flush with the horizontal level, so that you can generate, as will be seen in detail below, cutting beams Clean of good quality.

Preferably, and with particular reference to Figure 4, these vertical generatrices are constructed drawing straight lines D1 tangent to the surface of filament 10, being straight on the back side of the filament in what refers to the upper generatrix 20h, and being on the front side of the filament as regards the generatrix 20b.

To each of these lines D1, corresponding to a light beam emitted by an edge of the filament 10, are respectively associated straight lines D2 parallel to the optical axis y-y del mirror, which in turn is noticeably parallel to the axis of the vehicle.

For each pair of lines (D1, D2) its BS bisector and the TG line that is perpendicular to this bisector.

Each generatrix is built progressively, starting from the bottom of the mirror 20 that is fixed on a dimension predetermined with respect to the filament, from the different TG lines obtained, to define a curved line, which from will now be designated as "evolutionary generatrix" to the extent that that does not present a fixed focus, but a set of foci that evolve progressively as a displacement along said generatrix. This distinguishes these generatrices of the fixed focus generatrices, that is parabolic, described above.

It is understood in this case that playing with the horizontal distance between the bottom of the mirror 20 and the filament 10, in this way it will be possible to conceive generatrices 20a, 20b or so open or closed around the fountain, and therefore play for a part in the size of the filament images generated, and on the other hand in the amount of luminous flux that the mirror recover at a given height.

The differential equation of the 20h generatrices and 20b, which is easy to solve by calculation means assisted by computer, can be expressed as follows:

Δz = Δb. (z. sen \ beta - y. cos?)

Δ y = ? Z. tg (β /2)

with the conditions initials:

z = -Filter

y = -F

in where:

(y, z): orthonormalized reference whose origin is in the center of the filament 10, being and the optical axis horizontal and z being vertical.

Rfil: filament radius, and

F: distance measured according to and between the center of the filament and the bottom of the mirror.

It is understood that, thanks to a conception of this type of generatrices 20h, 20b, each image is achieved of the filament 10 it generates is immediately below and flush of a horizontal cut that passes through the y-y axis.

Figure 6 illustrates the arrangement of the images, aligned below and flush with the horizontal plane, obtained with a mirror 20 that has the described vertical generatrix previously and a horizontal generatrix that presents a certain blur with respect to the source 10. These images They define a horizontal cut of very good sharpness.

From here it is understood that combining a surface of this type with a surface constituted for example on the Z part of figure 2, a cross beam can be made according to European regulations.

It will now be described with reference to Figure 7 a specific embodiment of a mirror defined with the vertical generatrix described above with reference to the figure 4, but capable of generating by itself, that is to say without the Intervention of the closing glass, a European type cross beam with the required horizontal width This beam is generated by dividing the mirror 20 in different parts as illustrated in figure 7.

In this figure, the mirror has a half upper 21 and a lower half 22, each of which involves nine parts, respectively 211 to 219 and 221 to 229.

In the example shown, the different parts they have relatively close widths, and typically comprised between 6 and 13 mm, and are basically characterized by generatrices different horizontals, defined as a function of displacement desired lateral and stepping of the light.

Thus the central parts 215 and 225 that generate filament 10 images that are horizontal or with very little inclination with respect to the horizontal, are intended to make the horizontal cut to a considerable extent. its Horizontal generatrix is advantageously a straight.

Parts 214 and 226 are those designed according to principles set forth above with reference to figures 1 to 3, and respectively cover most of two lines of isoinclination L_ {15} so that they generate filament images that are parallel or moderately inclined with respect to semicircular at 15º typical of a European crossing beam.

The positioning of the filament images generated by these two parts immediately below the semi-artery inclined is preferably performed as described previously. Thus, parts 214, 226 that are made up of pieces of parabolas, or presenting generatrices horizontal and vertical of different foci (determining the position of the focus of the horizontal generatrix in particular the symmetric or otherwise asymmetric positioning of the images with respect to the axial vertical plane passing through the center reference of the projection screen), or even and preferably presenting a parabolic horizontal generatrix and a generatrix evolutionary vertical as described above with reference to Figure 4

In this way, figures 8 and 9 illustrate the case in which part 214 is a surface generated by sliding the vertical generatrix of figure 4, so that it is parallel to the plane y0z, in a horizontal generatrix constituted by a piece of parabola whose focus F is located behind the filament 10, and in front to its center Therefore, the distribution of images as illustrated in figure 10, which shows that starts the horizontal half-hour hH of the beam and its ascending half-beam Hc, and participating in a spot of luminous concentration on the road axis.

Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the case in which the piece of parabola that defines the horizontal generatrix of the part 214 presents an axis O'y 'displaced laterally with respect to the axis main 0y of the mirror, so that the focus F approaches the lateral end of the filament 10 opposite the side on which the part 214, while the vertical generatrix is always of the type of the one illustrated in figure 4. The resulting images are illustrated in figure 13, and it is observed that the displacement side of focus F generates a shift of the side images of the inclined half-beam Hc, as well as a concentration spot under this half-block Hc, so that the shoulder is better illuminated Of the road.

The technician will know how to easily transpose the previous description to the case of part 226, with the same function, located in the lower half of the mirror. Where appropriate, and so that the concentration spot and the definition of the semi-inclined, it may be advantageous to use, for horizontal generatrices of parts 214 and 226, foci F positioned differently, being able to be one for example in front of a point between the center of the filament and one of its edges, and the other can be outside that same edge.

Logically, other solutions can be used to position the filament images in a manner analogous to the one illustrated in figures 10 and 13.

In particular, it is possible to provide the part 214 giving it a base surface located in continuity, and with the same equations, as the surfaces of adjacent parts of the mirror, as will be described later, and applying in these base surfaces, by projection along the Oy axis, elements optical correctors such as prisms and if necessary stretch marks intended to position images as indicated.

Another solution is to perform part 214 with a surface that extends in the continuity of those of the adjacent parts, and providing in the part of the closing glass that it is a counterpart of parts 214, 226 of the mirror prisms and if the Stretch marks case with the same function as those projected on the mirror as indicated above.

The other parts of the mirror 20 of Figure 7 are used to ensure a satisfactory light distribution of the light in the different parts of the beam. To do this, it adapts in each case the horizontal generatrices of these parts, which preferably they are the same for the top and for the lower part so that susceptible discontinuities are avoided of generating optical defects.

It will be observed in this case that if the generatrices of the different adjacent parts are coupled together continues (but not necessarily derivable), then the Mirror surface is also continuous as long as the surface is generated by sliding the vertical generatrix to along the horizontal generatrix.

It will also be noted that, if the central parts 215, 225 present the vertical generatrix as described with reference to figure 2, the other parts may eventually present, according to the function attributed to them, surfaces of different types, and especially surfaces derived from teachings of documents FR-A-2 536 502, FR-A-2 536 503, FR-A-2 602 305, FR-A-2 602 306, FR-A-2 609 146, FR-A-2 609 148, FR-A-2 639 888, FR-A-2 664 677 and FR-A-2 710 393, on behalf of the applicant.

Figures 14 to 22 illustrate by sets of isocandela curves the beam parts that are generated for example by parts 214, 213, 212, 211, 216, 217, 218, 219 and 215 of mirror of figure 7, while figures 23 and 24 illustrate the development obtained by superimposing the beam parts respectively of figures 14 to 17 and the beam parts of figures 18 to twenty-one.

Figure 25 illustrates the development of the part of beam generated by the upper half of the mirror of figure 11, while Figure 26 illustrates the development of the beam part generated by its lower half.

Figure 27 illustrates development globally obtained. It is observed that it is a beam that presents all qualities required in terms of width, thickness and concentration on the road axis.

It is observed in particular in figure 14 the light distribution obtained with part 214 of the mirror, obtained by the distribution of images of the type illustrated in the figure 13.

It will be noted here that the present invention allows to realize, thanks to the resource of a transversal source and of the various parts such as those described above, European cross beam mirrors whose width is noticeably wide less than height Classically the relationship between height and width can be between 1.2: 1 and 4: 1.

The present invention also applies to a lighthouse according to another specific embodiment of the invention, which will now be described with reference to figures 28 to 31.

Thus figures 28 to 30 represent a lighthouse that It mainly comprises a light source 10, such as the filament of an incandescent lamp or the arc of a lamp download, a first mirror 40, a concealment screen 30, a second mirror 20 and a glass 50.

The lighthouse also includes, as in the case above and not illustrated but classic in itself, a box and different auxiliary arrangements for assembly, connection electric, etc.

The mirror 40 is of the ellipsoidal type, large axis essentially vertical, and has a first F1 or high focus and a second focus F2 or low focus.

Source 10 is positioned at focus F1 or near him. Preferably, in the case of an elongated source, it extends horizontally and perpendicular to the optical axis AO as defined below.

The concealment screen 30 is a flat plate opaque, made for example of sheet metal, and has an opening 31 whose shape, preferably rectangular and large axis perpendicular to AO optical axis, is illustrated in Figure 3.

The plane of the hiding screen passes through the low focus F2 of the mirror 40 or near it, and is positioned from so that the focus F2 is located in front of the opening 31. It you will notice here that the preferred orientation of the real source 10 as described above it is the most adapted for "fill" the opening 31 evenly with the light reflected by the mirror 20.

Mirror 20 is a beam forming mirror of lighting which is for example similar to the lower half of the mirror described with reference to figure 7. Define an optical axis main AO and that is suitable to cooperate with the light passing through the opening 31 of the concealment screen to form the beam of European crossing

In the same spirit as before, the resource of a concealment screen 30 provided with an opening 31 whose large axis extends transversely to the optical axis AO of the headlamp allows to generate totally satisfactory beams with a mirror 20 whose height is considerable, and typically at least as large as its width

In addition, the fact that the virtual source is flat allows to build at the mirror level 20 an optical surface that generates a sharp cutting beam in a simpler way than with the three-dimensional source of the previous embodiment. In effect, while in the case of a three-dimensional source, its perimeter seen from the mirror 20 varies according to the point of observation in this mirror, the resource of a flat source allows make this form invariable, and in this case in the form of parallelogram, whatever the observation point.

In particular, the axial vertical section of the mirror 20 can be in this case a simple piece of parable whose focus Fb is located at the level of the leading edge (ie the most near the glass 50) of the opening 31 of the screen concealment 30, which has the effect of carrying all the images of the virtual source below and flush with the horizontal plane.

With reference now to Figure 31, it has been represented a concrete embodiment of the mirror 20 of a lighthouse of the type represented in figures 28 to 30. It is subdivided in two parts, namely an upper part 20a and a lower part 20b, the height of part 20b being preferably substantially greater than that of part 20a.

Each of these parts is subdivided into subparts that extend together, each subpart being suitable to generate a beam part whose position and width in the beam They are well controlled.

According to a particular embodiment, these subparts are formed by the orthogonal projection of stretch marks as for example cylindrical striations of vertical axes, in a base surface which is for example of the type defined in the documents FR-A-2 536 502 and FR-A-2 536 503.

A mirror of this type of projected stretch marks is described in particular in the document FR-A-2 710 393.

Advantageously, the upper part 20a generates, in this case with seven individual subparts 21a to 27a, beam parts of considerable width, with stretch marks projected with a radius of relatively small curvature. This part, close to the source virtual defined by aperture 31, it effectively generates images relatively large of the source, little conducive to generating parts concentration well defined in the beam, but on the contrary conducive to give the desired width.

The bottom 20b of the mirror, which generates smaller images of the source, on the contrary constituted by subparts 21b to 25b that ensure a staggering minor lateral, even practically null, so that it is believed in make a spot of adequate intensity concentration on the shaft Of the road.

Finally, subpart 24b, relatively extended, is made according to the invention to generate in a limited extent the half-length to 15º, for example using as a generally parabolic surface has been described above whose focus is judiciously positioned.

In this case too, the lighthouse allows generating a make totally satisfactory in particular in terms of definition cutting

It will be noted here that a peculiarity of this embodiment, according to which subpart 24b defining the inclined semicorte extends between the lower edge of the mirror and a level not at the height of the source, but noticeably under this, it can also logically be put into work, to one of the parts 214, 226 or both, in the embodiment of figure 7. This avoids working with more inclined images of the filament as they are generated by points located near the medium horizontal plane.

Logically, the present invention is not limited only to the described and represented embodiments, but the technician will know how to contribute any variant or modification according to his spirit.

Claims (15)

1. Motor vehicle headlamp, comprising a light source (10; 31), a mirror (20) and a glass (50), the source being oriented essentially transversely to an optical axis of the mirror, characterized in that the mirror on its base surface or the glass comprises, in front of at least a part of the mirror (214, 226; 24b) suitable for generating images of the source presenting all an inclination that varies with a limited interval around a given inclination with with respect to the horizontal and specifically intended to initiate an inclined part (Hc) of a cut of the beam generated by said mirror, whose inclination corresponds to said given inclination of the images, suitable optical correction means to position the said images at along the said inclined part of the cut. 2. Lighthouse according to claim 1, characterized in that the source (10; 31) is oriented horizontally. 3. Lighthouse according to claim 2, characterized in that the source (10) is a real source by volume. 4. Lighthouse according to claim 3, characterized in that the source extends at an intermediate height between the upper and lower edges of the mirror, and by the fact that the optical correction means are provided in two parts (214, 226) of the mirror located respectively in two opposite quadrants of the mirror. 5. Lighthouse according to claim 2, characterized in that the source is a flat source. 6. Lighthouse according to claim 5, characterized in that the source is defined from a light from a real source (10) and projected from a given plane motif (31), and by the fact that The optical correction means are provided in a part (24b) of the laterally displaced mirror that moves vertically away from said source. 7. Lighthouse according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the or each part (214, 226; 24b) of the mirror extends between an upper or lower edge of the mirror and an essentially horizontal plane (x0y) which pass near the flat fountain (31). 8. Lighthouse according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the or each part (214, 226; 24b) of the mirror extends between an upper or lower edge of the mirror and a boundary located at a distance from a plane essentially horizontal that passes near the flat source. 9. Lighthouse according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the or each part (214, 226; 24b) has, in front view of the mirror, an essentially rectangular perimeter of generally large vertical axis. 10. Lighthouse according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the correction means are constituted by a surface of the or each part of the mirror, which has an essentially parabolic horizontal generatrix. 11. Lighthouse according to claim 10 taken in combination with one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that said surface has a vertical generatrix such as a light beam (D1) emitted tangentially by an edge of the source and reflected (D2) parallel to said optical axis, the rays emitted by the rest of the source being reflected with a downward inclination with respect to said optical axis. 12. Lighthouse according to claim 10 taken in combination with one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that said surface has an essentially parabolic vertical generatrix whose focus extends near an edge of the flat source that is transverse to the optical axis 13. Lighthouse according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the axis (0'y ') of the horizontal generatrix is displaced laterally, with respect to the center of the source, towards the side of the mirror opposite to the one It contains the part that this horizontal generatrix has. 14. Lighthouse according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the optical correction means are constituted by optical elements projected on a base surface of the or said parts (214, 226; 24b) of the mirror continuously extending adjacent parts. 15. Headlight according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the optical correction means are constituted by optical elements formed in parts of the headlight glass that are homologous to the one or the mentioned parts (214, 226; 24b) of the mirror.