Lighting device for a motor vehicle, in particular a high-definition headlamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12504141-B2
Application number	US-202418745966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2024
Priority date	Jun 20, 2023
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A lighting device for a motor vehicle, in particular a high-definition headlamp, includes an imaging component that has an active surface on which light-emitting diodes or laser diodes are arranged in a matrix to generate pixels in a light distribution in a targeted manner, and a projection lens with which the light emitted from the active surface is projected outward from the motor vehicle when the lighting device is in operation. The lighting device is designed to switch the projection lens from a first setting to a second and from the second setting to the first. The projection lens has a first focal length in the first setting, and a second focal length in the second setting, which is greater than the first focal length.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A lighting device for a motor vehicle, the lighting device comprising:
an imaging component that has an active surface on which light-emitting diodes or laser diodes are arranged in a matrix to generate pixels in a light distribution in a targeted manner; and a projection lens defining an optical axis, wherein light emitted from the active surface passes through the projection lens in a direction of the optical axis and the light emitted from the active surface is projected outward from the motor vehicle via the projection lens when the lighting device is in operation, wherein the projection lens switches from a first setting to a second setting and from the second setting to the first setting, wherein the projection lens moves in the direction of the optical axis relative to the imaging component when switching between the first setting and the second setting, and wherein the projection lens has a first focal length in the first setting, and a second focal length in the second setting, wherein the second focal length is greater than the first focal length.

2 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging component is a solid-state LED array.

3 . The lighting device according to claim 2 , wherein the imaging component is an SSL-HD module.

4 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , further including an adjuster to move the projection lens in the direction of the optical axis and switch the projection lens from the first setting to the second setting and from the second setting to the first setting.

5 . The lighting device according to claim 4 , wherein the adjuster includes an electromagnet and at least one spring.

6 . The lighting device according to claim 4 , wherein the adjuster includes a motor.

7 . The lighting device according to claim 6 , wherein the adjuster includes a stepper motor.

8 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the projection lens includes a lens assembly.

9 . The lighting device according to claim 8 , wherein the projection lens switches from the first setting to the second setting and from the second setting to the first setting via movement of the lens assembly in relation to the active surface on the imaging component in the direction of the optical axis.

10 . The lighting device according to claim 8 , wherein the projection lens and/or the lens assembly includes numerous lenses through which the light emitted from the active surface of the imaging component passes successively in the direction of the optical axis when the lighting device is in operation.

11 . The lighting device according to claim 10 , wherein at least two lenses in the projection lens and/or the lens assembly move in relation to one another in the direction of the optical axis to switch the projection lens from the first setting to the second setting and from the second setting to the first setting.

12 . The lighting device according to claim 10 , wherein the numerous lenses includes at least three lenses.

13 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting device switches back and forth between different fields of view via movement of the projection lens in the direction of the optical axis from the first setting to the second setting, and from the second setting to the first setting.

14 . The lighting device according to claim 13 , wherein a first field of view has a first image angle (α 1 ), and a second field of view has a second image angle (α 2 ), wherein the second image angle (α 2 ) is smaller than the first image angle (α 1 ).

15 . The lighting device according to claim 14 , wherein the first field of view relates to a headlamp light distribution, and the second field of view relates to a video projection in front of the motor vehicle.

16 . The lighting device according to claim 14 , wherein the first field of view relates to a first high beam light distribution mode and the second field of view relates to a second high beam light distribution mode that differs from the first high beam light distribution mode.

17 . The lighting device according to claim 14 , wherein the projection lens switches to the second setting when the lighting device is shut off.

Assignees

• Hella Gmbh & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Gatsios Sebastian
• Herold Florian
• Kliebisch Dirk
• Möllers Ingo
• Schwan Alexander
• Vogel Patrick

Classifications

• F21S41/27

  Thick lenses · CPC title

• F21S41/635 Primary

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

• F21S41/265

  Composite lenses; Lenses with a patch-like shape · CPC title

• F21S41/663

  by switching light sources (by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162) · CPC title

• F21S41/153

  arranged in a matrix · CPC title