Headlight lens with two tunnel sections for separate light entry surfaces for a vehicle headlight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9732925-B2
Application number	US-201414506236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2010
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

Headlight lens for a vehicle headlight having a monolithic body of transparent material, the monolithic body including at least one light entry face, a light passage section and at least one optically operative light exit face.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Vehicle comprising a headlight, the headlight comprising a light source arrangement and a headlight lens of transparent material, the headlight lens having:
a light passage section; and
a light tunnel passing over into the light passage section via a bend that is curved in a vertical plane and the radius of curvature in the vertical plane is no smaller than 0.05 mm, the light tunnel comprising:
a first light tunnel section including a first light entry surface; and
a second light tunnel section including a second light entry surface,

wherein the first light tunnel section and the second light tunnel section merge into the light tunnel, and wherein the light passage section includes an optically operative light exit surface being configured for imaging the bend as a substantially horizontal light-dark-boundary by means of light of the light source arrangement irradiated into the first light entry surface and the second light entry surface.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first light tunnel section comprises a region on its surface which corresponds essentially to a part of the surface of an ellipsoid.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the second light tunnel section comprises a region on its surface which corresponds essentially to a part of the surface of an ellipsoid.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the first light entry surface is inclined with respect to the optical axis of the light passage section at an angle of between 5° and 70°.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the second light entry surface is inclined with respect to the optical axis of the light passage section at an angle of between 5° and 70°.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the bend is curved in its longitudinal extension.

7. Vehicle headlight comprising a light source arrangement and a headlight lens, the headlight lens having: a monolithic body of transparent material, the monolithic body including:
a light passage section having at least one optically operative light exit surface;
a light tunnel passing over into the light passage section via a bend that is curved in a vertical plane and the radius of curvature in the vertical plane is no smaller than 0.05 mm; the light tunnel comprising:
a first light tunnel section including a first light entry surface, the first light tunnel section merging into the light tunnel;
a second light tunnel section including a second light entry surface, the second light tunnel section merging into the light tunnel; and

the light passage section being configured for imaging the bend as a substantially horizontal light-dark-boundary by means of light of the light source arrangement irradiated into the first light entry surface and the second light entry surface.

8. The headlight of claim 7 , wherein the bend is curved in its longitudinal extension.

9. The headlight of claim 8 , wherein the first light tunnel section comprises a region on its surface which corresponds essentially to a part of the surface of an ellipsoid.

10. The headlight of claim 9 , wherein the second light tunnel section comprises a region on its surface which corresponds essentially to a part of the surface of an ellipsoid.

11. Vehicle headlight comprising a light source arrangement and a headlight lens being configured to project a substantially horizontal light-dark boundary, the headlight lens having: a monolithic body of transparent material, the monolithic body including:
a light passage section having at least one optically operative light exit surface;
a light tunnel passing over into the light passage section via a bend that is curved in a vertical plane and the radius of curvature in the vertical plane is no smaller than 0.05 mm, wherein it is provided for that total reflection is achieved at surfaces of the light tunnel essentially oriented in a direction of an optical axis of the light tunnel;
a first light tunnel section including a first light entry surface; the first light tunnel section merging into the light tunnel;
a second light tunnel section including a second light entry surface; the second light tunnel section merging into the light tunnel; and
the light passage section being configured for imaging the bend as the substantially horizontal light-dark-boundary by means of light of the light source arrangement irradiated into the first light entry surface and the second light entry surface.

12. The headlight of claim 11 , wherein the first light tunnel section comprises a region on its surface which corresponds essentially to a part of the surface of an ellipsoid.

13. The headlight of claim 12 , wherein the second light tunnel section comprises a region on its surface which corresponds essentially to a part of the surface of an ellipsoid.

Assignees

• Docter Optics Se

Inventors

• Fedosik Dmitry
• Wintzer Wolfram

Classifications

• F21S41/151

  arranged in one or more lines · CPC title

• F21S41/24

  Light guides · CPC title

• F21S41/265

  Composite lenses; Lenses with a patch-like shape · CPC title

• F21S41/321

  the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated · CPC title

• F21S41/663

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