Lighting device for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025075872-A1
Application number	US-202418825782-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 5, 2024
Priority date	Sep 5, 2023
Publication date	Mar 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lighting device for vehicles having a light source unit and having an optical unit that contains a reflector with at least one reflector surface for creating a specified light distribution, wherein the light source unit has a first light source that is arranged in a focal point region of the reflector surface. A second light source is arranged outside the focal point region of the reflector surface. A lens is arranged ahead of the reflector surface in the direction of light emission. The second light source is arranged outside the focal point region such that the light emitted by the second light source strikes a lens segment of the lens which a light emitted by the first light source and reflected by the reflector surface does not strike, so that all lens segments of the lens are illuminated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A lighting device for vehicles comprising:
an optical unit that comprises a reflector with at least one reflector surface to create a specified light distribution; a light source unit comprising a first light source that is arranged in a focal point region of the reflector surface, and a second light source that is arranged outside the focal point region of the reflector surface; and a lens arranged ahead of the reflector surface in a direction of light emission, wherein the second light source is arranged outside the focal point region such that the light emitted by the second light source strikes a lens segment of the lens which a light emitted by the first light source and reflected by the reflector surface does not strike, so that all lens segments of the lens are illuminated.

2 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the second light source is arranged at such a distance from the first light source and/or wherein the light emitted by the first light source strikes a lighting function segment of the reflector surface, and wherein the light emitted by the second light source strikes a diffused light segment of the reflector surface.

3 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the second light beam formed by the second light is reflected by the reflector surface in a larger aperture angle than a first light beam formed by the first light.

4 . The lighting device according to claim 3 , wherein the lighting function segment of the reflector surface is designed such that the first light beam, after its reflection, is not emitted beyond an edge of the lens segment associated with the reflector surface.

5 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the diffused light segment of the reflector surface is designed such that the second light beam reflected at the diffused light segment is emitted beyond an edge of the lens segment associated with the reflector surface having the same diffused light segment, wherein a different lens segment is illuminated that is associated with a further reflector surface, which is irradiated by a further first light source in order to create a further light distribution, and wherein a drive is arranged so that the second light source associated with the reflector surface is even switched on if the first light source associated with the reflector surface is switched on for creating the specified light distribution and the first light source associated with the further reflector surface is switched off for creating the additional light distribution.

6 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector is arranged between the first light source and the second light source and the lens of the optical unit in the direction of light guidance.

7 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting function segment of the reflector surface is designed such that the light emitted by the first light source is reflected in accordance with the specified light distribution toward the lens segment at which the first light beam is projected into the vehicle near field.

8 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector surface and the lens are designed such that the specified light distribution is created.

9 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first light source and the second light source are each designed as an LED light source, which are positioned on a common printed circuit board.

10 . The lighting device according to claim 9 , wherein the printed circuit board runs substantially parallel to an optical axis of the lens.

11 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein multiple reflector surfaces and first light sources associated with each of the same are provided for creating a first light beam, which are directed at different lens segments of the lens for creating the same light distribution and/or for creating different light distributions.

12 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the second light source is associated with such a reflector surface that serves to create the specified light distribution and serves in combination with further reflector surfaces to create a different light distribution.

13 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector surface associated with the first light source and with the second light source, and the lens segment associated with the first reflector surface, serve to create a low beam light distribution.

14 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector surface that captures only the light of the first light source reflects the first light beam that is projected by the lens segment associated with the second reflector surface to form a high beam light distribution that is superimposed with the low beam light distribution created by the first reflector surfaces and lens segments.

15 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the lens segments and/or the reflector surfaces are joined to one another as a single piece in each case.

Assignees

• Hella Gmbh & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Buechner Arnd-Claus
• Herold Florian
• Schwan Alexander
• Voelker Sebastian

Classifications

• F21V19/001

  the light sources being semiconductors devices, e.g. LEDs · CPC title

• F21S41/148 Primary

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

• F21S41/37

  characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings · CPC title

• F21S41/365

  successively reflecting the light · CPC title

• F21S41/25

  Projection lenses · CPC title