Lighting device for generating a segmented light distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9500335-B2
Application number	US-201314394293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2013
Priority date	May 9, 2012
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device ( 1 ) for a motor vehicle, comprising two or more lighting units ( 2 ), wherein each lighting unit ( 2 ) comprises: at least one reflector ( 3 ) and at least one light source ( 4 ) paired with the at least one reflector ( 3 ), wherein light from the at least one light source ( 4 ) is emitted into a region in front of the vehicle via the corresponding at least one reflector ( 3 ) in the installed state of the lighting device ( 1 ), and wherein the sub-light distributions of the two or more lighting units ( 2 ) form a light distribution of the lighting device ( 1 ), wherein the sub-light distributions of the individual lighting units ( 2 ) are arranged adjacently to one another in the horizontal direction, and wherein the reflectors ( 3 ) of the lighting units ( 2 ) are designed in such a way that the sub-light distribution of each lighting unit ( 2 ) has at least one sharp vertical light-dark boundary.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting device ( 1 ) for a motor vehicle, comprising two or more lighting units ( 2 ), wherein each lighting unit ( 2 ) comprises:
at least one reflector ( 3 ) and at least one light source ( 4 ) paired with the at least one reflector ( 3 ),
wherein light from the at least one light source ( 4 ) is emitted into a region in front of the vehicle via the corresponding at least one reflector ( 3 ) in the installed state of the lighting device ( 1 ), and
wherein sub-light distributions of the two or more lighting units ( 2 ) form a light distribution of the lighting device ( 1 ),
wherein the sub-light distributions of the individual lighting units ( 2 ) are arranged adjacently to one another in the horizontal direction, and wherein the reflectors ( 3 ) of the lighting units ( 2 ) are designed in such a way that the sub-light distribution of each lighting unit ( 2 ) has at least one sharp vertical light-dark boundary,
wherein the reflectors ( 3 ) are divided into groups each having at least one reflector, and wherein the reflectors are designed in such a way that the lighting units ( 2 ) with reflectors of a group produce a sub-light exposure of substantially identical form, and the sub-light exposures of the lighting units ( 2 ) with reflectors from different groups differ from one another, and
wherein each light source ( 4 ) of a lighting unit is paired with at least one beam shield ( 5 ).

2. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the sub-light distributions of adjacent lighting units ( 2 ) are portrayed at a distance from one another, bordering one another directly or overlapping one another.

3. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the reflectors ( 3 ) is designed in such a way that the sub-light distribution has exactly one vertical light-dark boundary.

4. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the reflectors ( 3 ) is designed in such a way that the sub-light distribution has two vertical light-dark boundaries.

5. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflectors ( 3 ) are designed in such a way that all lighting units ( 2 ) produce a sub-light exposure of substantially identical form.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the reflectors ( 3 ) have a reflecting surface that is segmented.

7. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the light sources ( 4 ) of the lighting units ( 3 ) each comprise at least one light-emitting diode.

8. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the light sources ( 4 ) of the lighting units ( 3 ) can be actuated independently of one another.

9. The lighting device according to claim 8 , wherein each of the light sources comprise two or more light-emitting diodes, wherein the light-emitting diodes can be actuated independently of one another or the light-emitting diodes are combined in groups and the individual groups can be actuated independently of one another.

10. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the light sources ( 4 ) can be dimmed.

11. The lighting device according to claim 10 wherein one or more outer light sources can be dimmed.

12. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein all light sources ( 4 ) are arranged on a common mounting body.

13. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflectors ( 3 ) or lighting units ( 2 ) are arranged in a horizontal plane.

14. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting units ( 2 ) are oriented identically.

15. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting units ( 2 ) are rotated relative to one another in the horizontal direction.

16. The lighting device according to claim 15 , wherein the degree of rotation increases starting with an outer lighting unit ( 2 ) with a continuation to inner lighting units ( 2 ).

17. A headlight for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one lighting device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 .

18. A headlight system for producing an overall light distribution, comprising a left headlight and a right headlight each according to claim 17 .

19. The headlight system according to claim 18 , wherein the left headlight produces a left part of the overall light distribution and the right headlight produces a right part of the overall light distribution.

20. The headlight system according to claim 19 , wherein the left and right parts of the overall light distribution overlap in the middle, as considered in the horizontal direction.

21. The lighting device according to claim 3 , wherein all of the reflectors are designed such that the sub-light distributions have exactly one vertical light-dark boundary.

22. The lighting device according to claim 4 , wherein all of the reflectors are designed such that the sub-light distributions have exactly two vertical light-dark boundaries.

23. The lighting device according to claim 7 , wherein the light sources of the lighting units each comprise two or more light-emitting diodes.

24. The lighting device according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more light sources which can be dimmed comprise light emitting diodes which can be dimmed.

Assignees

• Zizala Lichtsysteme Gmbh
• Zkw Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Moser Andreas
• Eichinger Bernd
• Frank Heimo

Classifications

• F21S41/43

  characterised by the shape thereof · CPC title

• F21S41/663 Primary

  by switching light sources (by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162) · CPC title

• F21S41/336

  with discontinuity at the junction between adjacent areas · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21S41/148

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