Illumination apparatus for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10309605-B2
Application number	US-201515529575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2015
Priority date	Nov 26, 2014
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to an illumination apparatus (100), especially for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one laser light source (10); a wavelength conversion element (20) that is designed to receive excitation light from the at least one laser light source (10); and a reflector (30) having at least one reflector body (30′), which at least one reflector body (30′) comprises a reflecting surface (31), which reflecting surface (31) reflects the light emitted by the wave-length conversion element (20) in the visible wavelength range, wherein the reflector (30), at its reflector surface (30a) bearing the reflecting surface (31), is provided with the reflecting surface (31), wherein the reflector surface (30a) has at least one region (30a′, 30a″) that is free of the reflecting surface (31), and wherein the reflector surface (30a), at least in the region (30a′, 30a″) that is free of the reflecting surface (31), is embodied such that at least some of the excitation light incident in the region (30a′, 30a″) is absorbed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illumination apparatus ( 100 ) for a motor vehicle, the illumination apparatus comprising:
at least one laser light source ( 10 );
a wavelength conversion element ( 20 ) configured to receive excitation light from the at least one laser light source ( 10 ); and
a reflector ( 30 ) having at least one reflector body ( 30 ′), wherein the at least one reflector body ( 30 ′) comprises a reflecting surface ( 31 ), wherein the reflecting surface ( 31 ) is configured to reflect visible light emitted by the wavelength conversion element ( 20 ), and wherein the reflecting surface ( 31 ) is provided on a reflector surface ( 30 a ) of the at least one reflector body ( 30 ′),
wherein the reflector surface ( 30 a ) has at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) that is free of the reflecting surface ( 31 ), and wherein the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) that is free of the reflecting surface ( 31 ) is configured to absorb at least some of the excitation light incident in the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″),
wherein the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) is non-temperature resistant above a limit temperature, and
wherein above the certain limit temperature the at least one absorbing region is destroyed and the excitation light travels into a rear portion of the illumination apparatus.

2. The illumination apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reflector surface ( 30 a ) is coated with a reflecting material that forms the reflecting surface ( 31 ).

3. The illumination apparatus of claim 2 , wherein in the at least one region ( 30 a ′) that is free of the reflecting surface ( 31 ), the reflector surface ( 30 a ) is not coated with the reflecting material or, after coating, the reflecting material is removed in the at least one region ( 30 a ′) so that at least some incident excitation light is absorbed by the reflector surface.

4. The illumination apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reflector body ( 30 ′) has at least one through-hole ( 32 ), and wherein the at least one through-hole ( 32 ) is closed with a closure element ( 33 ), wherein a surface ( 33 ′) of the closure element ( 33 ) that is disposed on a side of the reflecting surface ( 31 ) forms the at least one region ( 30 a ″) that absorbs at least some of the excitation light.

5. The illumination apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the surface ( 33 ′) of the closure element ( 33 ) closes the entire at least one through-hole ( 32 ).

6. The illumination apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the closure element ( 33 ) is embodied and/or is inserted into the at least one through-hole ( 32 ) such that the surface ( 33 ′) transitions essentially continuously to the reflecting surface ( 31 ).

7. The illumination apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) is embodied such that most or all of the excitation light is absorbed.

8. The illumination apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the limit temperature is 120° C.

9. The illumination apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) is arranged in or on the reflector surface ( 30 a ) such that excitation light from the laser light ( 10 ) source directly incident on the reflector surface and/or excitation light that is emitted by the conversion element ( 20 ) is incident on the at least one region ( 30 a , 30 a ″).

10. The illumination apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) is arranged with respect to its surface extension, such that all of the excitation light directly from the laser light source ( 10 ) and incident on the reflector surface and/or all of the excitation light that is emitted by the conversion element ( 20 ) is incident on the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″).

11. The illumination apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) is arranged with respect to its surface extension, such that all of the excitation light incident on the reflector surface directly from the laser light source ( 10 ) and/or all of the excitation light that is emitted by the conversion element ( 20 ) is incident exactly and only on the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″).

12. A motor vehicle headlight having at least one illumination apparatus according to claim 1 .

13. A motor vehicle having at least one illumination apparatus according to claim 1 .

14. An illumination apparatus ( 100 ) for a motor vehicle, the illumination apparatus comprising:
at least one laser light source ( 10 );
a wavelength conversion element ( 20 ) configured to receive excitation light from the at least one laser light source ( 10 ); and
a reflector ( 30 ) having at least one reflector body ( 30 ′), wherein the at least one reflector body ( 30 ′) comprises a reflecting surface ( 31 ), wherein the reflecting surface ( 31 ) is configured to reflect visible light emitted by the wavelength conversion element ( 20 ), and wherein the reflecting surface ( 31 ) is provided on a reflector surface ( 30 a ) of the at least one reflector body ( 30 ′),
wherein the reflector surface ( 30 a ) has at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) that is free of the reflecting surface ( 31 ), and wherein the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) that is free of the reflecting surface ( 31 ) is configured to absorb at least some of the excitation light incident in the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″),
wherein the at least one region ( 30 a ′, 30 a ″) is non-temperature resistant above 120° C., and
wherein above 120° C., the at least one absorbing region is destroyed, thereby to permit the excitation light to travel into a rear portion of the illumination apparatus.

Assignees

• Zkw Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Schragl Martin
• Bemmer Christian

Classifications

• F21S41/16 Primary

  Laser light sources · CPC title

• F21S41/43

  characterised by the shape thereof · CPC title

• F21S41/40 Primary

  characterised by screens, non-reflecting members, light-shielding members or fixed shades · CPC title

• F21S41/37

  characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings · CPC title

• F21S41/14

  characterised by the type of light source · CPC title