Reflector for vehicle lamps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10690310-B2
Application number	US-201816200381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Sep 17, 2018
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A reflector device configured for vehicle lamps which is configured for causing light to exit along a plurality of paths using a single light source and a single reflector, may include a fluid, the position of which is changed in a response to magnetism, is provided at the reflector such that the exit path of light is changed depending on the flow of the fluid, whereby it is possible to realize a lamp having various functions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reflector device for vehicle lamps, the reflector device comprising:
a light source unit for emitting light;
a variable reflector having therein a reaction fluid that reacts to magnetism and a non -reaction fluid that does not react to the magnetism,
wherein the variable reflector further includes a first portion located in a movement path of the light emitted from the light source unit and a second portion located to deviate from the movement path of the light, and
wherein the first portion located in the movement path of the light is configured to reflect incident light such that the light of the light source unit exits to an outside of the reflector device; and
an electromagnet unit mounted at the variable reflector for selectively generating the magnetism to control a fluid flow of the reaction fluid such that the reaction fluid or the non -reaction fluid is selectively disposed in the movement path of the light, whereby the light of the light source unit is reflected by one of the reaction fluid and the non-reaction fluid or is transmitted through another of the reaction fluid and the non-reaction fluid and then reflected by the variable reflector to adjust an exit direction of the light,
wherein the variable reflector includes:
a bent reflection unit located in the movement path of the light for reflecting the light; and
a reception unit formed to fluidically-communicate with the bent reflection the reception unit extending to deviate from the movement path of the light,

wherein the electromagnet unit is disposed at an outside of the second portion located to deviate from the movement path of the light,
wherein the bent reflection unit includes:
a reflection panel extending from the reception unit and formed to be bent such that the light of the light source unit is reflected by the reflection panel and exits to an outside of the reflector device;
a transparent panel extending from the reception unit, spaced from the reflection panel toward the light source unit without contact to the reflection panel, and formed to be bent for transmitting the light of the light source unit; and
lens connecting an end of the transparent pantli ancLpin end of the reflection panel for defining an internal space, and

wherein the internal space defined by the transparent panel, the reflection panel and the lens and the reception unit forms a closed space in which the reaction fluid and the non-reaction fluid are disposed.

2. The reflector device of claim 1 ,
wherein the reaction fluid and the non-reaction fluid have different densities, the reaction fluid is polar, and the non-reaction fluid is nonpolar.

3. The reflector device of claim 1 , wherein the reaction fluid and the non-reaction fluid are disposed in the bent reflection unit and the reception unit to flow therebetween.

4. The reflector device of claim 3 ,
wherein an exit direction of light which is reflected by the transparent panel due to the reaction fluid or the non-reaction fluid filling the internal space is different from an exit direction of light which is transmitted through the non-reaction fluid or the reaction fluid and is reflected by the reflection panel.

5. The reflector device of claim 4 ,
wherein the variable reflector further includes an additional reflection unit disposed to correspond to the exit direction of light which is reflected by the reflection panel or the transparent panel for changing an exit direction of incident light of the additional reflection unit.

6. The reflector device of claim 4 ,
wherein the variable reflector further includes a color lens unit disposed so as to correspond to the exit direction of light which is reflected by the reflection panel or the transparent panel for changing a color of incident light of the variable reflector.

7. The reflector device of claim 3 ,
wherein the bent reflection unit is located to correspond to a direction in which the light is emitted from the light source unit, the reception unit is formed to be located on a side opposite to an emission direction of light, and the bent reflection unit extends to the reception unit such that the reaction fluid and the non-reaction fluid are fluidically connected to each other to flow therebetween.

8. The reflector device of claim 3 ,
wherein the bent reflection unit is formed to extend to the light source unit, and is formed such that a section of the bent reflection unit facing the light source unit is planar.

9. The reflector device of claim 8 ,
wherein the bent reflection unit is provided at an end portion thereof from which light exits with a plurality of protrusions for diffusing the light exiting from the plurality of protrusions.

10. The reflector device of claim 3 ,
wherein the electromagnet unit is mounted at the reception unit such that, when the magnetism is generated from the electromagnet unit, the reaction fluid moves and is disposed in the reception unit and the non-reaction fluid is disposed in the bent reflection unit.

11. The reflector device of claim 1 , wherein the variable reflector includes:
a linear reflection unit formed to extend the movement path of the light for reflecting incident light such that the light exits to the outside of the reflector device; and
an internal reception unit formed to fluidically-communicate with the linear reflection unit, the internal reception unit being formed to deviate from the movement path of the light,
wherein the reaction fluid and the non-reaction fluid are disposed in the linear reflection unit and the internal reception unit to flow therebetween.

12. The reflector device of claim 11 ,
wherein an end portion of the linear reflection unit, on which the light emitted from the light source unit is incident, is formed to be inclined, Whereby the movement path of the light is changed when the light is reflected by the reaction fluid or the non-reaction fluid filling the linear reflection unit.

13. The reflector device of claim 11 ,
wherein the linear reflection unit and the internal reception unit are formed to extend linearly and are disposed to overlap each other, and
wherein the electromagnet unit is mounted at the internal reception unit such that, when the magnetism is generated from the electromagnet unit, the reaction fluid moves and is disposed in the internal reception unit and the non-reaction fluid is disposed in the linear reflection unit.

14. The reflector device of claim 13 ,
wherein the linear reflection unit is provided at a section thereof that overlaps the internal reception unit, with a plurality of optics.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Hong Seung Pyo

Classifications

• F21S41/67 Primary

  by acting on reflectors · CPC title

• F21S41/33

  Multi-surface reflectors, e.g. reflectors with facets or reflectors with portions of different curvature · CPC title

• F21S41/25

  Projection lenses · CPC title

• F21S43/31

  Optical layout thereof · CPC title

• F21S41/32 Primary

  Optical layout thereof · CPC title