Illumination device for motor vehicle headlight and motor vehicle headlight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12584602-B2
Application number	US-202418655622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2024
Priority date	May 12, 2023
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

Illumination device for a motor vehicle headlight. The device has a light source, a light-permeable body (LPB), a light injection element for injecting light from the light source into the LPB, and a projection device. Light from the light source forms a light distribution with a cut-off line formed by a screen edge of a screen device, which is formed by a boundary surface of the LPB. A sign light light source (SLLS) and a further sign light light injection element (SLLIE) associated with the SLLS are provided. The SLLIE forms the light emitted by the SLLS into a third light beam and directs the third light beam onto the boundary surface, which re-enter the LPB and are projected by the projection optics device as a sign light light beam into a region of the light distribution lying above the cut-off line and are displayed as sign light light distribution.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An illumination device ( 1 ) for a motor vehicle headlight for producing a light distribution (LV), the illumination device comprising:
at least one light source ( 10 ); a light-permeable body ( 100 ); at least one light injection element ( 101 ) for injecting light emitted by the at least one light source ( 10 ) into the light-permeable body ( 100 ); and a projection device ( 500 ), wherein the light-permeable body ( 100 ) has a screen device ( 103 ) with a screen edge region ( 104 ) and the screen device ( 103 ) is arranged between the light injection element ( 101 ) and the projection device ( 500 ) in a light propagation direction, wherein light (S 10 ) from the at least one light source ( 10 ) enters the light-permeable body ( 100 ) via the light injection element ( 101 ), which light propagates in the light-permeable body ( 100 ) as a first light beam (S 1 ), and wherein the screen device ( 103 ) modifies the first light beam (S 1 ) into a modified second light beam (S 2 ), which is displayed by the projection device ( 500 ) as the light distribution (LV) to be produced, wherein the light distribution (LV) has a cut-off line (HD), wherein the shape and position of the cut-off line (HD) is determined by a screen edge region or a screen edge ( 104 ) of the screen device ( 103 ), wherein the screen device ( 103 ) is formed by at least one boundary surface ( 106 ) of the light-permeable body ( 100 ), and wherein the illumination device ( 1 ) has at least one further light source, the so-called sign light light source ( 20 ), as well as a further sign light light injection element ( 120 ) associated with the sign light light source ( 20 ), wherein the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) forms the light (S 20 ) emitted by the sign light light source ( 20 ) into a third light beam (S 3 ) and directs the third light beam (S 3 ) onto the boundary surface ( 106 ), such that substantially all light rays of the third light beam (S 3 ) enter the light-permeable body ( 100 ), and wherein at least some of the light rays (S 4 ) which have re-entered the light-permeable body ( 100 ) are projected by the projection optics device ( 500 ) as a sign light light beam (SL) into a region (B) of the light distribution (LV) lying above the cut-off line (HD).

2 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) comes into contact with the light injection element ( 101 ) in a common contact region or in a common contact area ( 130 ).

3 . The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein the contact region or contact area ( 130 ) is positioned in relation to or at a distance from the at least one light source ( 10 ) such that at least some of the light rays (S 130 ) coming from the light source ( 10 ) which enter the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) via the contact region or contact area ( 130 ) are totally reflected at a light exit surface ( 122 ) of the sign light light injection element ( 120 ).

4 . The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein the contact region or contact area ( 130 ) is positioned in relation to or at a distance from the at least one light source ( 10 ) such that at least some of the light rays (S 131 ) coming from the light source ( 10 ) which strike a light injection element boundary surface ( 131 ) of the light injection element ( 101 ) upstream of the contact region or contact area ( 130 ) are totally reflected at the light injection element boundary surface ( 131 ) into the light injection element ( 101 ) in the direction of the light-permeable body ( 100 ).

5 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein a light entry surface ( 121 ) of the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) is concave, and/or a light exit surface ( 122 ) of the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) is convex.

6 . The illumination device according to claim 5 , wherein the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) has a focal point (F 121 ), and the sign light light source ( 20 ) is arranged substantially in the focal point (F 121 ).

7 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) and the light injection element ( 101 ) are integrally formed from the same material, optionally by the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) and the light injection element ( 101 ) being injection moulded together in an injection moulding process.

8 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source ( 10 ) and the sign light light source ( 20 ) are arranged in such a way that the main light beam directions (X 1 , X 2 ) of the at least one light source ( 10 ) and the sign light light source ( 20 ) run parallel to one another.

9 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source ( 10 ) and the sign light light source ( 20 ) are arranged in a common plane and/or the at least one light source ( 10 ) and the sign light light source ( 20 ) are arranged on a common printed circuit board.

10 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitted by the sign light light source ( 20 ) is emitted by the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) directly onto the boundary surface ( 106 ).

11 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the light injection element ( 101 ) forms the light, which is emitted by the light source ( 10 ) and enters the light injection element ( 101 ), into the first light beam (S 1 ), wherein the light beam (S 1 ) is directed into the screen edge region or into a region of the screen edge ( 104 ) of the screen device ( 103 ).

12 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) illuminates the boundary surface ( 106 ), which forms the screen device ( 103 ) or is at least part of the screen device ( 103 ), with the third light beam (S 3 ) in such a way that a maximum of the illuminance of the light pattern (L 106 ) formed on the boundary surface ( 106 ) is at a distance greater than zero from the screen edge ( 104 ) and/or the light pattern (L 106 ) is at a distance greater than zero from the screen edge ( 104 ).

13 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) is designed in such a way that the light beam (S 3 ) emerging from the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) is widened in the horizontal direction.

14 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) is designed in such a way that the light rays of the light beam (S 3 ) emerging from the sign light light injection element ( 120 ) converge in the vertical direction.

15 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the boundary surface ( 106 ) is convex in the vertical direction.

16 . The illumination device according to claim 15 , wherein the boundary surface ( 106 ) lies within or substantially within the Petzval surface or a focal surface of the projection device ( 500 ).

17 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the boundary surface ( 106 ) of the light-permeable body ( 101 ) has a light diffusing structure.

18 . The illumination device according to claim 17 , wherein the light diffusing structure is a grain.

19 . The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination device ( 1 ) further comprises an additional light module, which is designed to produce additional ful

Assignees

• Zkw Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Knobloch Christian
• Schmidt Patrick
• Seitl Daniel

Classifications

• F21S41/40

  characterised by screens, non-reflecting members, light-shielding members or fixed shades · CPC title

• F21W2102/135

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

• F21S41/143 Primary

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

• F21W2102/18

  for overhead signs · CPC title

• F21W2102/13

  for high-beam region or low-beam region · CPC title