Lamp device for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191634-A1
Application number	US-201615393613-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 29, 2016
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lamp device for a vehicle includes a lamp housing and a light-emitting unit disposed therein. The light-emitting unit includes a light-emitting surface adjustable in at least one of a shape, an intensity of illumination, or a color of illumination. The lamp device further includes a bracket that supports the light-emitting unit to be mounted in the lamp housing, and that is configured to change the shape of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit. The lamp device further includes a driving unit configured to apply a driving force to the bracket that changes the shape of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit. The lamp device is configured to at least partially change, based on a plurality of lighting modes, at least one of the shape of the light-emitting surface, the intensity of illumination emitted from the light-emitting surface, or the color of illumination emitted from the light-emitting surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A lamp device for a vehicle, the lamp device comprising:
a lamp housing; a light-emitting unit disposed in the lamp housing and comprising a light-emitting surface that is configured to be adjustable in at least one of a shape, an intensity of illumination, or a color of illumination; a bracket configured to support the light-emitting unit to be mounted in the lamp housing, and configured to change the shape of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit; and a driving unit configured to apply a driving force to the bracket that changes the shape of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit, the lamp device configured to at least partially change, based on a plurality of lighting modes, at least one of the shape of the light-emitting surface, the intensity of illumination emitted from the light-emitting surface, or the color of illumination emitted from the light-emitting surface.

2 . The lamp device according to claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting unit is disposed in surface contact with a first surface of the bracket, and
based on the driving unit applying the driving force to the bracket, the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit is changed in shape in conjunction with a change in shape of the bracket.

3 . The lamp device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving unit comprises:
an operating rod connected to a rear surface of the bracket; and a driving motor configured to drive the operating rod, the driving unit being a first driving unit among a plurality of driving units, and the plurality of driving units being coupled to the bracket.

4 . The lamp device according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of lighting modes comprises:
a traveling direction radiation mode in which light is emitted from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit in a forward traveling direction of the vehicle, a first lateral turning direction radiation mode in which light is emitted from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit in a first lateral direction of the vehicle, a second lateral turning direction radiation mode in which light is emitted from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit in a second lateral direction of the vehicle that is opposite the first lateral direction, a high beam radiation mode in which light is emitted from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit in an upward direction, and a low beam radiation mode in which light is emitted from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit in a downward direction, wherein the plurality of driving units comprises:
a first lateral driving unit configured to, based on the lamp device being in the traveling direction radiation mode, move the bracket so that light is emitted in the first lateral direction for the first lateral turning direction radiation mode;
a second lateral driving unit configured to, based on the lamp device being in the traveling direction radiation mode, move the bracket so that light is emitted in the second lateral direction for the second lateral turning direction radiation mode;
an upper driving unit configured to, based on the lamp device being in the traveling direction radiation mode, move the bracket so that light is emitted in an upward direction for the high beam radiation mode; and
a lower driving unit configured to, based on the lamp device being in the traveling direction radiation mode, move the bracket so that light is emitted in a downward direction for the low beam radiation mode,
wherein the upper driving unit, the lower driving unit, the first lateral driving unit, and the second lateral driving unit are coupled to a plurality of points on the rear surface of the bracket and configured to respectively change the shape of an upper end portion of the bracket, a lower end portion of the bracket, a first lateral end portion of the bracket, and a second lateral end portion of the bracket that is opposite the first lateral end portion.

5 . The lamp device according to claim 4 , wherein the bracket comprises:
a fixed portion corresponding to the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit that is configured to emit light for the traveling direction radiation mode; and movable portions configured to be moved by the first lateral driving unit, the second lateral driving unit, the upper driving unit, and the lower driving unit to change the shape of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit.

6 . The lamp device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a driving unit controller configured to control the plurality of driving units; and a light emission controller configured to control the intensity of illumination and the color of illumination emitted from an entire region or a partial region of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit, wherein the driving unit controller is configured to, in the first lateral turning direction radiation mode or the second lateral turning direction radiation mode, control the first lateral driving unit and the second lateral driving unit such that the first lateral end portion and the second lateral end portion of the bracket are bent forward or backward about the fixed portion of the bracket.

7 . The lamp device according to claim 6 , wherein the light emission controller is configured to, in the first lateral turning direction radiation mode or the second lateral turning direction radiation mode, control the light-emitting unit such that light emitted from a first lateral portion of the light-emitting surface corresponding to a direction in which the vehicle turns is different from light emitted from a second lateral portion of the light-emitting surface that is opposite the first lateral portion of the light-emitting surface.

8 . The lamp device according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of lighting modes further comprises a turn signal mode in which light is emitted from the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit in a turning direction of the vehicle,
the light-emitting unit further comprises a plurality of matrix light-emitting cells provided on the light-emitting surface in a form of a band shape extending in a vertical direction and spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction, and the light emission controller is further configured to, in the first lateral turning direction radiation mode or the second lateral turning direction radiation mode, control the light-emitting unit such that the plurality of matrix light-emitting cells flash or turn on to indicate the turning direction of the vehicle in the turn signal mode.

9 . The lamp device according to claim 6 , wherein the driving unit controller is further configured to:
control, in the high beam radiation mode or the low beam radiation mode, the upper driving unit and the lower driving unit such that the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the bracket are bent in a same direction about the fixed portion of the bracket.

10 . The lamp device according to claim 9 , wherein the light emission controller is further configured to:
control, in the high beam radiation mode or the low beam radiation mode, the light-emitting unit such that light emitted from an upper portion of the light-emitting surface is different than light emitted from a lower portion of the light-emitting surface.

11 . The lamp device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a vehicle inclination detection unit configured to detect a transverse inclination of the vehicle, a longitudinal inclination of the vehicle, and a state of a road ahead of the vehicle, wherein the driving unit controller is further configured to control t

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Na Taeyoung
• Kim Ana

Classifications

• F21S43/195

  Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors · CPC title

• F21W2102/00

  Exterior vehicle lighting devices for illuminating purposes · CPC title

• F21S41/19

  Attachment of light sources or lamp holders (achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657) · CPC title

• B60Q2300/132

  Pitch · CPC title

• B60Q1/076

  by electrical means {including means to transmit the movements, e.g. shafts or joints} · CPC title