Scanner with beam-delimiting device for vehicle lighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10731818-B2
Application number	US-201414505120-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2012
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

An illumination device is provided for a motor vehicle, including a light source consisting of a number of semiconductor diodes, and a scanner onto which a light beam produced by light of the light source falls and which modifies the position of the light beam during operation of the illumination device and thereby moves a light spot generated by the light beam at a distance from the illumination device. The moved light spot allows a predetermined light distribution to be generated. The illumination device is characterized in that a beam delimiting device, which allows the cross-section of the light beam to be delimited along a predetermined boundary, is provided between the light source and the scanner. The illumination device is designed in such a way that one or more light-shadow lines can be formed in the predetermined light distribution by way of at least one section of the predetermined boundary.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination device for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a light source constructed of a number of semiconductor diodes;
a scanner onto which a light beam generated by light of the light source falls, the scanner changing position of the light beam during operation of the illumination device to move a light spot generated by the light beam at a distance from the illumination device, wherein a predetermined light distribution is generated by the moved light spot; and
a beam-delimiting device arranged in a path of the light beam between the light source and the scanner, the beam-delimiting device having an opaque portion configured to block passage of a portion of the light beam, the beam-delimiting device being configured to delimit a cross section of the light beam between the light source and the scanner along a predetermined boundary, wherein one or more light-dark boundaries are formed in the predetermined light distribution by at least one segment of the predetermined boundary,
wherein
the beam-delimiting device includes an aperture,
the cross-section of the light beam along the predetermined boundary is delimited by an opening of the aperture,
the aperture is arranged within an optical system that guides the light beam toward the aperture opening and directs the light beam from the opening onto the scanner, and
the optical system comprises a lens in front of the aperture and a lens behind the aperture.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the number of semiconductor diodes comprises one or more laser diodes.

3. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined boundary comprises one or more straight lines with which one or more of the light-dark boundaries in the predetermined light distribution are formed, the predetermined boundary being a parallelogram.

4. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined boundary comprises one or more straight lines with which one or more of the light-dark boundaries in the predetermined light distribution are formed, the predetermined boundary being a parallelogram.

5. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the opening of the aperture is variable.

6. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the beam-delimiting device comprises an optical fiber in which light of the light source is conducted.

7. The illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a conversion element for converting light of the light source into white light,
wherein the light source generates monochromatic light that is converted by the conversion element into the white light.

8. The illumination device according to claim 7 , wherein the conversion element is arranged between the light source and the scanner.

9. The illumination device according to claim 8 , wherein the beam-delimiting device comprises an aperture having an opening, and further wherein the conversion element is arranged in the opening of the aperture.

10. The illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
exit optics arranged to generate the light spot, the exit optics being arranged downstream of the scanner.

11. The illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to variably control a scanning speed with which the light spot is moved, a scanning path along which the light spot is moved and/or a size of the light spot to generate the predetermined light distribution.

12. The illumination device according to claim 11 , wherein the scanner is a vector scanner with which the scanning speed and/or the scanning path is variable.

13. The illumination device according to claim 12 , wherein the size of the light spot is varied via exit optics arranged downstream of the scanner.

14. The illumination device according to claim 13 , wherein the exit optics comprise a lens and/or a reflector having a variable reflector power.

15. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination device comprises a headlight and/or a signal light of the motor vehicle.

16. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination device comprises a headlight configured such that low-beam characteristics and/or high-beam characteristics are generated as the predetermined light distribution during operation of the illumination device.

17. A motor vehicle, comprising:
one or more illumination devices, each illumination device comprising:
a light source constructed of a number of semiconductor diodes;
a scanner onto which a light beam generated by light of the light source falls, the scanner changing position of the light beam during operation of the illumination device to move a light spot generated by the light beam at a distance from the illumination device, wherein a predetermined light distribution is generated by the moved light spot; and

a beam-delimiting device arranged in a path of the light beam between the light source and the scanner, the beam-delimiting device having an opaque portion configured to block passage of a portion of the light beam, the beam-delimiting device being configured to delimit a cross section of the light beam between the light source and the scanner along a predetermined boundary, wherein one or more light-dark boundaries are formed in the predetermined light distribution by at least one segment of the predetermined boundary,
wherein
the beam-delimiting device includes an aperture,
the cross-section of the light beam along the predetermined boundary is delimited by an opening of the aperture,
the aperture is arranged within an optical system that guides the light beam toward the aperture opening and directs the light beam from the opening onto the scanner, and

the optical system comprises a lens in front of the aperture and a lens behind the aperture.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Erdl Helmut
• Hanafi Abdelmalek

Classifications

• F21S41/176 Primary

  Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element · CPC title

• F21S41/147

  the main emission direction of the LED being angled to the optical axis of the illuminating device · CPC title

• F21S41/68

  by acting on screens · CPC title

• F21S41/25

  Projection lenses · CPC title

• G02B26/101

  with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129) · CPC title