Motor vehicle taillight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9310044-B2
Application number	US-201314102817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 12, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A motor vehicle taillight ( 10 ) has at least a rear position light function, a turn signal light function, and a brake light function. The rear position light function and the turn signal light function are formed by a common first optical waveguide ( 15 ) and by first LED light sources ( 16, 17 ) that inject light into the first optical waveguide ( 15 ). The brake light function is formed by at least two second optical waveguides ( 23 ) and by second LED light sources ( 24 ) that inject light into the optical waveguides ( 23 ). The second optical waveguides ( 23 ) border the first optical waveguide ( 15 ) on at least two sides.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle taillight having at least a rear position light function, a turn signal light function and a brake light function, comprising:
a first optical waveguide and first LED light sources that inject light into the first optical waveguide to carry out the rear position light function and the turn signal light function; and
at least two second optical waveguides and second light sources that inject light into the second optical waveguides to carry out the brake light function, the second optical waveguides bordering the first optical waveguide on at least two sides, wherein
the first optical waveguide has a T-shape cross-section with two vertical limbs formed respectively with coupling-in optical surfaces for coupling in light and a horizontal limb with a coupling-out optical end, two total internal reflection surface formed in transition portions between the vertical limbs and the horizontal limb to redirect the light that is coupled into the vertical limbs into the horizontally extending limb.

2. The motor vehicle taillight of claim 1 , wherein each of the second optical waveguides has an L-shaped cross-section with vertical limb with a coupling-in optical end for coupling in light, a horizontal limb with a coupling-out optical end and a total internal reflection surface in a transition portion between the vertical limb and the horizontal limb to redirect the light that is coupled into the respective vertical limb into the respective horizontal limb.

3. The motor vehicle taillight of claim 2 , further comprising a first circuit board between the first optical wave guide and an upper one of the second optical waveguides, at least one of the first LED light sources being on a first side of the first circuit board and at least an upper one of the second LED light sources being on a second side of the first circuit board.

4. The motor vehicle taillight of claim 3 , further comprising a second circuit board between the first optical waveguide and a lower one of the second optical waveguides at least a lower one of the second LED light sources being on the second circuit board.

5. The motor vehicle taillight of claim 4 , further comprising a third circuit board between the second circuit board and the first optical waveguide, at least one of the first LED light sources being on the third circuit board.

6. The motor vehicle taillight of claim 1 , wherein the second LED light sources are positioned next to one another with a spacing of 10 to 20 mm.

7. A motor vehicle taillight having at least a rear position light function, a turn signal light function and a brake light function, comprising:
a first optical waveguide and first LED light sources that inject light into the first optical waveguide to carry out the rear position light function and the turn signal light function;
at least two second optical waveguides and second light sources that inject light into the second optical waveguides to carry out the brake light function, the second optical waveguides bordering the first optical waveguide on at least two sides; and
a cover plate through which light of the first and second optical waveguides exits, the second optical waveguides projecting light into a top and bottom covering segments of the cover plate, and the first optical waveguide projecting light into a central covering segment of the cover plate between the top and bottom covering segments.

8. The motor vehicle taillight of claim 7 , wherein substantially vertical sections of the covering segments are made of a light-transmissive material, and wherein substantially horizontal sections of the covering segments are made at least sectionally of an opaque material.

9. The motor vehicle taillight of claim 7 , wherein the cover plate further comprises substantially vertical intermediate covering segments made of a transparent or translucent material and positioned between the covering segments into which the optical waveguides project, and a three-dimensionally contoured visible component is positioned behind the intermediate covering segments.

10. The motor vehicle taillight of claim 7 , wherein the cover plate is substantially E-shaped.

Assignees

• Hella Kgaa Hueck & Co

Inventors

• Pusch Frank
• Ruths Thorsten

Classifications

• F21S48/2268

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F21S48/2262

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F21S48/25

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F21S48/236 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F21S48/215

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic