Illumination device for a vehicle headlamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474026-B2
Application number	US-202218702051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2022
Priority date	Oct 22, 2021
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

Illumination device ( 10 ) for a motor vehicle headlamp for generating a low beam, wherein a vertical extension of the low beam extends along a VV-line from at least 0° down to at least −10° on the VV-line, said illumination device ( 10 ) comprises: —an optic body ( 100 ) comprising a common light input section ( 110 ), a light output section ( 130 ) and a shell surface ( 140 ) limiting the optic body ( 100 ), —a projection lens system ( 200 ) configured to project the light-rays in front of the illumination device ( 10 ), wherein the projection lens system ( 200 ) in combination with the optic body ( 100 ) are configured to generate the low beam illuminated by the projection lens system ( 200 ), wherein the optic body ( 100 ) comprises a first set of optically operative surfaces for guiding light-rays along a first light-ray path (LR 1 ), wherein the first set of operative surfaces comprises a first and second light deflection surface ( 300 a, 300 b ), and a first light exit surface ( 300 c ), wherein the first and second light deflection surfaces ( 300 a, 300 b ) are arranged on the shell surface ( 140 ), and wherein the first light exit surface ( 300 c ) is arranged on the light output section ( 130 ), wherein light rays following the first light-ray path (LR 1 ) are incident on the first deflection surface ( 300 a ) and are deflected to the second deflection surface ( 300 b ), and wherein light-rays incident on the second deflection surface ( 300 b ) are deflected to the first light exit surface ( 300 c ), and wherein light-rays emitted by the first light exit surface ( 300 c ) contribute to generate a first part of the low beam, and wherein the optic body ( 100 ) comprises a second set of optically operative surfaces for guiding light-rays along a second and a third light-ray path (LR 2 , LR 3 ), wherein the second set of optically operative surfaces comprises a third deflection surface ( 400 a ) and a second light exit surface ( 400 b ), wherein the third deflection surface ( 400 a ) is arranged on the shell surface ( 140 ) and the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) is arranged on the light output section ( 130 ) separate from the first light exit surface ( 300 c ), wherein light-rays following the second light-ray path (LR 2 ) are incident on the third deflection surface ( 400 a ) and are deflected to the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) for coupling out of the optic body ( 100 ), and wherein light rays following the third light-ray path (LR 3 ) are incident on the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) directly from the common light input section ( 110 ), wherein light-rays emitted by the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) contribute to generate a second part of the low beam.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An illumination device ( 10 ) for a motor vehicle headlamp for generating a low beam, wherein a vertical extension of the low beam extends along a V-V line from at least 0° down to at least −10° on the V-V line, said illumination device ( 10 ) comprising:
at least one light source ( 50 ) configured to emit light-rays in different light-ray paths;
an optic body ( 100 ) which comprises:
a common light input section ( 110 ) for coupling light-rays from the at least one light source ( 50 ) into the optic body ( 100 ), said light input section ( 110 ) having at least one light collecting element ( 120 ), which is assigned to a respective light source ( 50 ) and is configured to couple light rays from the assigned light source ( 50 ) into the optic body ( 100 ),
a light output section ( 130 ) for decoupling light-rays that are coupled into the optic body ( 100 ) via the common light input section ( 110 ), out of the optic body ( 100 ) in a main direction (X) of the illumination device ( 10 ), and
a shell surface ( 140 ) limiting the optic body ( 100 ), said shell surface ( 140 ) is configured to deflect light rays coupled into the optic body ( 100 ), which shell surface ( 140 ) extends between the common light input section ( 110 ) and the light output section ( 130 ); and

a projection lens system ( 200 ), comprising at least one lens, arranged downstream of the optic body ( 100 ) along the main direction (X) in order to receive light-rays emitted from light output section ( 130 ) of the optic body ( 100 ), wherein the projection lens system ( 200 ) is configured to project the light-rays in front of the illumination device ( 10 ),
wherein the projection lens system ( 200 ) in combination with the at least one light source ( 50 ) and the optic body ( 100 ) are configured to generate the low beam illuminated by the projection lens system ( 200 ),
wherein the optic body ( 100 ) comprises a first set of optically operative surfaces for guiding at least a part of the light-rays coupled into the optic body ( 100 ) via the common light input section ( 110 ) along a first light-ray path (LR 1 ) from the common light input section ( 110 ) to the light output section ( 130 ),
wherein the first set of operative surfaces comprises a first and second light deflection surface ( 300 a , 300 b ), and a first light exit surface ( 300 c ), wherein the first and second light deflection surfaces ( 300 a , 300 b ) are arranged on the shell surface ( 140 ), and wherein the first light exit surface ( 300 c ) is arranged on the light output section ( 130 ),
wherein light rays following the first light-ray path (LR 1 ) are incident on the first deflection surface ( 300 a ) and are deflected to the second deflection surface ( 300 b ), and wherein light-rays incident on the second deflection surface ( 300 b ) are deflected to the first light exit surface ( 300 c ) for coupling out of the optic body ( 100 ),
wherein light-rays emitted by the first light exit surface ( 300 c ) contribute to generate a first part of the low beam,
wherein the optic body ( 100 ) comprises a second set of optically operative surfaces for guiding at least a part of light-rays coupled into the optic body ( 100 ) via the common light input section ( 110 ) along a second and a third light-ray path (LR 2 , LR 3 ) from the common light input section ( 110 ) to the light output section ( 130 ),
wherein the second set of optically operative surfaces comprises a third deflection surface ( 400 a ) and a second light exit surface ( 400 b ), wherein the third deflection surface ( 400 a ) is arranged on the shell surface ( 140 ) and the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) is arranged on the light output section ( 130 ) separate from the first light exit surface ( 300 c ),
wherein light-rays following the second light-ray path (LR 2 ) are incident on the third deflection surface ( 400 a ) and are deflected to the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) for coupling out of the optic body ( 100 ), and wherein light rays following the third light-ray path (LR 3 ) are incident on the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) directly from the common light input section ( 110 ),
wherein light-rays emitted by the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) contribute to generate a second part of the low beam,
wherein the first part of the low beam contributed by the first light exit surface ( 300 c ) and the second part of the low beam contributed by the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) form a low beam, wherein the vertical extension of the low beam extends along the V-V line from at least 0° down to lower −10° on the V-V line, and
wherein the first light exit surface ( 300 c ) and the shell surface ( 140 ) intersect in a common surface section line ( 150 ), which builds an asymmetric cut-off boundary for the low beam.

2 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the second deflection surface ( 300 b ) and the third deflection surface ( 400 a ) are connected via a convex connection surface.

3 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the projection lens system ( 200 ) comprises an optical axis (A), wherein the first light exit surface ( 300 c ) has a surface vector, which is inclined to the optical axis (A) of the projection lens system ( 200 ).

4 . The illumination device according to claim 3 , wherein the second light exit surface ( 400 b ) has a surface vector, which is inclined to the optical axis (A) of the projection lens system ( 200 ).

5 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the light collecting element ( 120 ) is built as collimating optics.

6 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the light collecting element ( 120 ) comprises:
a first lens ( 120 a ) with an optical axis (A 1 ), wherein the first lens ( 120 a ) is configured to direct light incident on the first lens ( 120 a ) onto the first light ray path (LR 1 ), and a second lens ( 120 b ) with an optical axis (A 2 ), wherein the second lens ( 120 b ) is configured to direct light incident on the second lens ( 120 b ) onto the third light ray path (LR 3 ), wherein the first and second lenses ( 120 a , 120 b ) are arranged directly next to each other in a way that their optical axes (A 1 , A 2 ) have an offset to each other in a horizontal direction and/or in a vertical direction.

7 . The illumination device according to claim 6 , wherein the optical axes (A 1 , A 2 ) of the first and second lens ( 120 a , 120 b ) of the light collecting element ( 120 ) are pivoted to each other around an axis orthogonal to the main direction (X).

8 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the light collecting element ( 120 ) is built as a Compound Parabolic Concentrator.

9 . The illumination device according to claim 8 , wherein the Compound Parabolic Concentrator is a non-imaging Compound Parabolic Concentrator.

10 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the projection lens system ( 200 ) comprises an optical axis (A) and at least one focal point (F) arranged on the optical axis (A), and wherein the common surface section line ( 150 ) is arranged in the at least one focal point (F).

11 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the common light input section ( 110 ) and light output section ( 130 ) have an offset to each other along the main direction (X).

12 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination device ( 10 ) comprises at least two light sources ( 50 ), wherein the light sources ( 50 ) are arranged in a horizontal line substantial

Assignees

• Zkw Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Park Sunjung
• Mandl Bernhard
• Krist Benedikt
• Pühringer Jakob

Classifications

• F21S41/285 Primary

  Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805 · CPC title

• F21S41/151

  arranged in one or more lines · CPC title

• F21W2102/135

  the light having cut-off lines, i.e. clear borderlines between emitted regions and dark regions · CPC title

• F21S41/322

  the reflector using total internal reflection · CPC title

• F21S41/147

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