Lighting device capable of controlling light radiation direction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11326765-B2
Application number	US-202117183096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2021
Priority date	Sep 3, 2020
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A lighting device configured for controlling a light radiation direction thereof, may include a housing provided with a light source; a lens unit provided in the housing, the lens unit being configured to concentrate the light generated from the light source; a length-variable unit mounted to the housing, the length-variable unit being configured so that a length thereof is changed, in a response to application of electricity thereto, in a direction in which the position of the lens unit is changed; and a controller configured to control a light radiation direction of the lens unit by setting a voltage of the electricity to be applied to the length-variable unit so that a length of the length-variable unit is changed according to a set voltage and the position of the lens unit is changed according to a change in the length of the length-variable unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting apparatus of controlling a light radiation direction, the lighting apparatus including:
a housing mounted with a light source configured to radiate light;
a lens unit mounted in the housing to be changeable in position thereof, the lens unit being configured to concentrate the light generated from the light source;
a length-variable unit mounted to the housing and connected to the lens unit, the length-variable unit being configured so that a length thereof is changed, in a response to application of electricity thereto, in a direction in which the position of the lens unit is changed;
wherein the length-variable unit includes a support portion configured to be bendable and connected to the lens unit and the housing; and a piezoelectric portion attached to the support portion and connected to the housing and configured to be changeable in length thereof upon receiving of the electricity to cause the support portion to bend; and
a controller configured to control a light radiation direction of the lens unit by setting a voltage of the electricity to be applied to the length-variable unit so that a length of the length-variable unit is changed according to a set voltage and the position of the lens unit is changed according to a change in the length of the length-variable unit.

2. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the housing includes a through-hole formed at a position of the housing corresponding to the lens unit, and
wherein the lens unit includes:
a condensing lens portion formed to concentrate the light incident thereon from the light source; and
a sliding portion extending from a periphery of the condensing lens portion to be slidably inserted into the through-hole.

3. The lighting apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the length-variable unit is mounted outside the housing, and is connected to the sliding portion of the lens unit so that the sliding portion moves through the through-hole according to a change in the length of the length-variable unit.

4. The lighting apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the through-hole includes:
an upper through-hole formed in the housing at a position above the condensing lens portion of the lens unit; and
a lower through-hole formed in the housing at a position below the condensing lens portion of the lens unit, and
wherein the sliding portion includes:
an upper sliding portion extending from an upper portion of the condensing lens portion to be inserted into the upper through-hole; and
a lower sliding portion extending from a lower portion of the condensing lens portion to be inserted into the lower through-hole.

5. The lighting apparatus of claim 4 , further including:
an elastic restoring unit having elastic restoring force to return the lens unit, having been moved by the length-variable unit, to an original position of the lens unit,
wherein one of the upper sliding portion and the lower sliding portion of the lens unit is connected to the length-variable unit, and a remaining one of the upper sliding portion and the lower sliding portion is connected to the elastic restoring unit.

6. The lighting apparatus of claim 4 ,
wherein the length-variable unit includes a first length-variable unit and a second length-variable unit configured to change in length in different directions from each other upon receiving the electricity, and
wherein each of the first length-variable unit and the second length-variable unit is connected to the upper sliding portion and the lower sliding portion of the lens unit, respectively.

7. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , further including:
a light distribution lens mounted in the housing so that the light that has passed through the lens unit is incident thereon and is radiated in a set direction therethrough.

8. The lighting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the housing is mounted with a moving shaft vertically penetrating the housing in an upward-downward direction to be movable, and
wherein the light distribution lens is connected to the moving shaft to be tilted according to a change in position of the moving shaft.

9. The lighting apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the housing is further mounted with a light-distribution-control length-variable unit connected to the moving shaft.

10. The lighting apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein a sliding slot is provided in the housing, and
wherein a first end of the moving shaft is pivotally connected to the housing and a second end of the moving shaft is connected to the light-distribution-control length-variable unit through the sliding slot to move in an axial direction of the housing along the sliding slot.

11. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive vehicle posture information according to movement of a vehicle and is configured to control the length-variable unit to move the lens unit upwards or downwards based on a posture of the vehicle according to movement of the vehicle in an upward-downward direction thereof.

12. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive vehicle travel information on a travel state of a vehicle and is configured to control the length-variable unit to move the lens unit upwards or downwards according to a traveling speed of the vehicle.

13. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive temperature information and is configured to control the length-variable unit based on pre-stored data on an influence of temperature on the length-variable unit to compensate for a change in length of the length-variable unit caused by the temperature.

14. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a heat dissipation unit to dissipate a heat generated from the light source.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Lim Jung Wook
• Ahn Byoung Suk
• Han Seung Sik
• Park Sung Ho
• Lee Ki Hong

Classifications

• F21W2102/00

  Exterior vehicle lighting devices for illuminating purposes · CPC title

• F21S45/47

  Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings · CPC title

• F21S41/64

  by changing their light transmissivity, e.g. by liquid crystal or electrochromic devices · CPC title

• F21S41/635

  by moving refractors, filters or transparent cover plates · CPC title

• F21S41/25

  Projection lenses · CPC title