Automotive lighting module with combined low and high beam functions and an adjustable light source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017166109-A1
Application number	US-201615374431-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2016
Priority date	Dec 10, 2015
Publication date	Jun 15, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A motor vehicle lighting module including an optical axis, a first optical system with at least one first light source, the system being configured to form a first lighting beam along the optical axis, with a horizontal cutoff; and a second optical system with at least one second light source, the system being configured to produce, in combination with the first optical system, a second lighting beam along the optical axis, that is vertically more extensive than the first beam. The first light source or sources have a variable lighting power varying between a high level and a low level, the first beam being produced at the low level of lighting power and the second beam being produced at the high level.

First claim

1 . A motor vehicle lighting module, comprising:
an optical axis; a first optical system with at least one first light source, said system being configured to form a first lighting beam along the optical axis, with a horizontal cutoff; a second optical system with at least one second light source, said system being configured to produce, in combination with the first optical system, a second lighting beam along the optical axis, that is vertically more extensive than the first beam;
wherein
the first light source or sources have a variable lighting power varying between a high level and a low level, the first beam being produced at the low level of lighting power and the second beam being produced at the high level.

2 . The lighting module according to claim 1 , wherein the first light sources comprises at least one main light zone and at least one auxiliary light zone, said main and auxiliary zone(s) being able to be electrically powered separately, the low level of lighting power being produced by powering the main zone or zones only and the high level of power being produced by powering the main and auxiliary zone(s).

3 . The lighting module according to claim 2 , wherein the main and auxiliary light zone(s) of the or each of the first light sources are arranged on one and the same component.

4 . The lighting module according to claim 2 , wherein the main and auxiliary light zone(s) of the or each of the first light sources are arranged on several components.

5 . The lighting module according to claim 2 , wherein the auxiliary light zone(s) of the or of each of the first light sources are arranged, along the optical axis, forward of the main light zone or zones.

6 . The lighting module according to claim 1 , wherein the high level of lighting power is greater than or equal to 150% of the low level.

7 . The lighting module according to claim 1 , wherein the second beam has a mean light flux in a zone which is greater than or equal to 150% of the mean light flux of the first beam in the zone, said zone being situated beneath the optical axis.

8 . The lighting module according to claim 1 , wherein the first light source or sources are arranged in such a way as to illuminate in a first direction, the second light source or sources being arranged in such a way as to illuminate in a second direction which is the opposite of the first direction.

9 . The lighting module according to claim 1 , wherein the first light source or sources and the second light source or sources are arranged on opposite faces of a common support.

10 . The lighting module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second optical systems comprises a reflective surface able to reflect the rays emitted by the first and/or second light source or sources, respectively, toward a cutoff edge situated on the optical axis of the module.

11 . The lighting module according to claim 10 , wherein the reflective surface of the first and/or of the second optical system has the shape of a half-shell, preferably with an elliptical profile.

12 . The lighting module according to claim 1 , comprising an electronic control unit controlling the first and second light source(s), and configured to power the first light source or sources at the low level to form the first beam and to power said light source or sources at the high level and the second light source or sources to form the second beam.

13 . The lighting module according to claim 1 , wherein the first light sources are two in number, arranged respectively one on each side of the optical axis of the module.

14 . The lighting module according to claim 10 , wherein the reflective surface of the first optical system comprises two portions of a surface of revolution about two optical axes of said optical system, said axes converging toward the optical axis of the module.

15 . The lighting module according to claim 2 , wherein the main light zone or zones of each of the two first light sources are centered on one of the two optical axes of the first optical system respectively, and the auxiliary light zones are arranged laterally to said corresponding optical axis on the side of the optical axis of the module and forward of the main light zones.

16 . The lighting module according to claim 15 , wherein the main light zones of each of the two first light sources are aligned in a first direction perpendicular to the corresponding optical axis of the first optical system.

17 . The lighting module according to claim 16 , wherein the auxiliary light zones of each of the two first light sources are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the corresponding optical axis of the first optical system, said second direction being situated forward of the corresponding first perpendicular direction.

18 . The lighting module according to claim 1 , comprising a lens configured to receive rays of light from the first and second optical systems in order to form the first and second beams.

Assignees

• Valeo Vision

Inventors

• Meyrenaud Jean-Luc
• De-Lamberterie Antoine

Classifications

• F21S41/148

  the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis · CPC title

• F21S41/153

  arranged in a matrix · CPC title

• F21V13/04

  the elements being reflectors and refractors {(for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40)} · CPC title

• F21W2107/10

  for land vehicles · CPC title

• F21V23/003

  the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array · CPC title