Lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664847-B2
Application number	US-201314395998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2013
Priority date	May 9, 2012
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device ( 100 ) for a motor vehicle headlight, comprising a number of light sources ( 1 ), at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ), having a light entrance surface ( 2 a ) and a light exit surface ( 2 b ), wherein the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of light-guiding bodies ( 3 ), and wherein each light-guiding body ( 3 ) has a light entrance surface ( 3 a ), into which in each case at least one light source ( 1 ) feeds light, and wherein the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) lead into the common light exit surface ( 2 b ). According to the invention, at least one, preferably exactly one, position holder ( 4 ) is provided, by means of which the light entrance surfaces ( 3 a ) of the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) of the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) are held in position in relation to the light sources ( 1 ). Alternatively or additionally, provision can be made for the light exit surface ( 2 b ) of the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) to be provided with a transparent light plate ( 5 ) for the dimensional stabilization of the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting device ( 100 ) for a motor vehicle headlights comprising:
a plurality of light sources ( 1 );
at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) having a light entrance surface ( 2 a ) and a common light exit surface ( 2 b ), wherein the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of light-guiding bodies ( 3 ), and wherein each light-guiding body ( 3 ) has a light entrance surface ( 3 a ), into which in each case at least one light source ( 1 ) feeds light, and wherein the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) lead into the common light exit surface ( 2 b ); and
at least one position holder ( 4 ) which holds the light entrance surfaces ( 3 a ) of the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) of the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) in position in relation to the light sources ( 1 ), wherein the position holder ( 4 ) for each light-guiding body ( 3 ) has a receptacle ( 4 a ), in which the associated light-guiding body ( 3 ) is received and positioned with an accurate fit,
wherein the receptacles ( 4 a ) have a cross section tapering toward the rear, wherein this cross section is narrowed to a greater extent than that of the light-guiding body ( 3 ) such that delimiting walls of the receptacles ( 4 a ) have a greater convergence than delimiting walls of the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ), resulting in the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) contacting the delimiting walls of the receptacles ( 4 a ) in a narrow region substantially along a line.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the light exit surface ( 2 b ) of the attachment optical unit ( 2 ) is provided with a transparent light plate ( 5 ) for the dimensional stabilisation of the attachment optical unit ( 2 ).

3. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the position holder ( 4 ) is fabricated from a thermoplastic.

4. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the position holder ( 4 ) receives the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) at the end regions thereof facing the light entrance surfaces ( 3 a ).

5. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) are elongate, with a greater extension in the direction of propagation of the light than transversely thereto.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein each light source comprises one or more light-emitting diodes.

7. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) have a cross section tapering toward the light entrance surfaces ( 3 a ) thereof.

8. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) are formed in the manner of a truncated cone or in a trapezoidal manner.

9. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) is fabricated from a transparent and formable plastic.

10. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) is produced from a silicone material.

11. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) is produced from a poly(organo)siloxane.

12. A lighting module comprising at least one lighting device according to claim 1 .

13. A vehicle headlight comprising at least one lighting device according to claim 1 .

14. The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one position holder comprises exactly one position holder.

15. A lighting device ( 100 ) for a motor vehicle headlight comprising:
a plurality of light sources ( 1 );
at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) having a light entrance surface ( 2 a ) and a common light exit surface ( 2 b ), wherein the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of light-guiding bodies ( 3 ), and wherein each light-guiding body ( 3 ) has a light entrance surface ( 3 a ), into which in each case at least one light source ( 1 ) feeds light, wherein the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) lead into the common light exit surface ( 2 b ); and
a transparent, rigid light plate ( 5 ) for the dimensional stabilisation of the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ), said light plate being arranged after the light exit surface ( 2 b ) of the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ) in the direction of light propagation and directly against the light exit surface ( 2 b ) of the at least one attachment optical unit ( 2 ).

16. The lighting device according to claim 15 , wherein at least one position holder ( 4 ) is provided, by means of which the light entrance surfaces ( 3 a ) of the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ) are held in position in relation to the light sources ( 1 ).

17. The lighting device according to claim 15 , wherein the light exit surface ( 2 b ) of the attachment optical unit ( 2 ) is overmoulded with the transparent light plate ( 5 ).

18. The lighting device according to claim 15 , wherein the light exit surface is fabricated from a plastic.

19. The lighting device according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one position holder ( 4 ) is fabricated from black plastic.

20. The lighting device according to claim 16 , wherein the position holder ( 4 ) has a receptacle ( 4 a ) for each light-guiding body ( 3 ), in which receptacle the associated light-guiding body ( 3 ) is received and positioned with an accurate fit.

21. The lighting device according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one position holder comprises exactly one position holder.

22. The lighting device according to claim 17 , wherein the light exit surface ( 2 b ) is overmoulded over the entire area with the transparent light plate ( 5 ).

23. The lighting device according to claim 18 , wherein the plastic comprise polycarbonate or another thermoplastic.

24. The lighting device according to claim 19 , wherein the black plastic comprise a thermoplastic.

25. The lighting device according to claim 20 , wherein a material is introduced into the receptacles ( 4 a ), in each case between the position holder ( 4 ) and the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ), said material having a lower refractive index than the material of the light-guiding bodies ( 3 ).

26. The lighting device according to claim 25 , wherein the material with lower refractive index surrounds the light-guiding body ( 3 ) in such a way that said light-guiding body does not contact the position holder ( 4 ).

Assignees

• Zizala Lichtsysteme Gmbh
• Zkw Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Krenn Irmgard
• Plank Josef

Classifications

• F21S41/153

  arranged in a matrix · CPC title

• F21S41/24

  Light guides · CPC title

• F21S41/43

  characterised by the shape thereof · CPC title

• G02B6/0028

  Light guide, e.g. taper · CPC title

• F21S43/00

  Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights · CPC title