Lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10527248-B2
Application number	US-201615762855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device (1a) for a motor vehicle headlight, comprising a first light-guide (2) unit having a retaining bar (2a) and at least two outcoupling bars (2b) arranged at least at a distance from one another and protruding from the retaining bar (2a), a second light-guide unit (3) having a retaining bar (3a) and at least one outcoupling bar (3b) protruding from the retaining bar (3a), a number of light sources (4) for coupling light into the outcoupling bars (2b, 3b) of the light-guide units (2,3), wherein at least one light source (4) is associated with each outcoupling bar (2b, 3b), and comprising at least one lens (5), preferably a projection lens, arranged after the light-guide units (2, 3) for generating a light distribution, wherein each outcoupling bar (2b, 3b) has a light-outcoupling surface (2c, 3c) for emitting light into the at least one lens (5), wherein the first and the second light-guide units (2, 3) are separate components from one another, which are arranged in relation to one another in such a way that a respective outcoupling bar (3b) of the second light-guide unit (3) is arranged between neighbouring outcoupling bars (2b) of the first light-guide unit (2), and wherein an aperture (11) is arranged between the lens (5) and the light-outcoupling surfaces (2c, 3c) of the outcoupling bars (2b, 3b).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting device ( 1 a ) for a motor vehicle headlight comprising:
a first light-guide unit ( 2 ) having a retaining bar ( 2 a ) and at least two outcoupling bars ( 2 b ) spaced apart from one another and protruding from the retaining bar ( 2 a );
a second light-guide unit ( 3 ) having a retaining bar ( 3 a ) and at least one outcoupling bar ( 3 b ) protruding from the retaining bar ( 3 a );
a number of light sources ( 4 ) for coupling light into the outcoupling bars ( 2 b , 3 b ) of the first and second light-guide units ( 2 , 3 ), wherein at least one of the light sources ( 4 ) is associated with each of the outcoupling bars ( 2 b , 3 b ); and
at least one lens ( 5 ) arranged downstream of the first and second light-guide units ( 2 , 3 ) for generating a light distribution,
wherein each of the outcoupling bars ( 2 b , 3 b ) has a light-outcoupling surface ( 2 c , 3 c ) for emitting light into the at least one lens ( 5 ), wherein the first and second light-guide units ( 2 , 3 ) are components separate from one another and arranged such that a respective outcoupling bar ( 3 b ) of the second light-guide unit ( 3 ) is arranged between neighbouring outcoupling bars ( 2 b ) of the first light-guide unit ( 2 ), and
wherein an aperture ( 11 ) is arranged between the at least one lens ( 5 ) and the light-outcoupling surfaces ( 2 c , 3 c ) of the outcoupling bars ( 2 b , 3 b ) configured to limit the light coupled from the outcoupling bars ( 2 b , 3 b ) into the at least one lens ( 5 ) such that the light distribution emitted by the lighting device ( 1 a ) is limited by a single continuous straight bottom edge (UK), wherein the aperture ( 11 ) has an opening through which light is guided from the outcoupling bars into the at least one lens, wherein, when installed, an upper side of the opening is limited by a horizontal edge.

2. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein the aperture ( 11 ) is implemented integrally.

3. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first light-guide unit ( 2 ) has a number of n outcoupling bars protruding from the retaining bar, wherein the second light-guide unit has a number of n−1 outcoupling bars protruding from the retaining bar.

4. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 3 , wherein n=3, n=4, or n≥5.

5. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first light-guide unit ( 2 ) has a number of n outcoupling bars protruding from the retaining bar, wherein the second light-guide unit has a number of n outcoupling bars protruding from the retaining bar.

6. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 5 , wherein n=3, n=4, or n≥5.

7. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second light-guide units ( 2 , 3 ) are implemented as transparent solid bodies.

8. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second light-guide units ( 2 , 3 ) are implemented as light-guiding hollow bodies.

9. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one LED light source is associated with each outcoupling bar ( 2 b , 3 b ).

10. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the light sources associated with the outcoupling bars ( 2 b , 3 b ) are actuatable individually to generate a dynamic light distribution.

11. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 10 , wherein all of the light sources associated with the outcoupling bars ( 2 b , 3 b ) are actuatable individually to generate the dynamic light distribution.

12. A motor vehicle headlight comprising at least one lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 .

13. A motor vehicle comprising at least one lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 .

14. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein all of the light sources associated with the outcoupling bars ( 2 b , 3 b ) are actuatable individually to generate a dynamic light distribution.

15. A motor vehicle comprising two motor vehicle headlights, each of which comprises a lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 .

16. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lens ( 5 ) is a projection lens.

17. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein the single continuous straight bottom edge (UK) is in the form of a horizontal line.

18. The lighting device ( 1 a ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lens ( 5 ) is a projection lens and the single continuous straight bottom edge (UK) is in the form of a horizontal line.

Assignees

• Zkw Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Taudt Lukas
• Maier Udo

Classifications

• F21S41/153

  arranged in a matrix · CPC title

• F21S41/29

  Attachment thereof (for achieving variable light distribution F21S41/63) · CPC title

• F21S41/43

  characterised by the shape thereof · CPC title

• F21Y2105/10

  comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array of point-like light-generating elements · CPC title

• F21S41/255

  Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline · CPC title