Light module for a motor vehicle comprising a light guide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776552-B2
Application number	US-201514926379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Nov 3, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A light module for a motor vehicle comprising:
a light guide with an input face and at least two branches each extending from the input face according to a specific length and a specific section; at least one light source arranged at the input face of the light guide, the input face being adapted to couple light rays emitted by the light source in the light guide; wherein the two branches are contiguous over a part of their length from the input face to a determined point of separation, the two sections of the branches overlapping over a zone of intersection which is present from the input face to the determined point of separation. The two sections are substantially constant along the branches from the input face over a length greater than or equal to the length of the branches between the input face and the determined point of separation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light module for a motor vehicle (V) consisting of:
a light guide consisting of an input face and at least two branches each extending from said input face according to a specific length (L, L′) and a specific section (S, S′);
at least one light source arranged at said input face of said light guide, said input face being adapted to couple the light rays emitted by said at least one light source in said light guide;
in which said at least two branches are contiguous over a part (D) of their length from said input face to a determined point of separation, said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches overlapping over a zone of intersection which is present from said input face to said determined point of separation and said sections (S, S′) being substantially constant along said at least two branches from said input face over a length greater than or equal to a length of said at least two branches between said input face and said determined point of separation;
in which an area of said zone of intersection decreases continuously from said input face to said determined point of separation.

2. The light module according to claim 1 , in which said sections (S, S′) are substantially constant over the entirety of said length (L, L′) of said at least two branches.

3. The light module according to claim 1 , in which said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches are tangential at said determined point of separation.

4. The light module according to claim 1 , in which said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches have an identical form.

5. Light module according to claim 1 , in which said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches have the same dimension.

6. The light module according to claim 1 , in which said light module comprises a plurality of light sources arranged at said input face of said light guide.

7. The light module according to claim 6 , in which said zone of intersection of said sections (S, S′) is dimensioned as a function of at least one of the following characteristics:
the arrangement of said plurality of light sources at said input face of said light guide;
the size of each of said plurality of light sources;
the number of said plurality of light sources.

8. The light module according to claim 6 , in which said plurality of light sources occupy a surface area (E) which is smaller than a surface area consisting of said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches such that said input face collects all the light rays emitted by said plurality of light sources.

9. The light module according to claim 6 , in which said plurality of light sources are arranged on two rows (r 1 , r 2 ), said plurality of light sources of one row (r 1 ) being arranged head-to-tail with said plurality of light sources of the other row (r 2 ).

10. The light module according to claim 6 , in which said plurality of light sources comprise first sources suitable for emitting white light to produce a first photometric function and second sources suitable for emitting amber light to produce a second photometric function.

11. The light module according to claim 10 , in which said first sources form a group of sources positioned substantially at a center of said input face and edged on either side by said second sources.

12. A lighting device for a motor vehicle (V) comprising a light module according to claim 1 , in which said light module further comprises a printed circuit board, and in which said lighting device further comprises a housing comprising a front face on which is arranged said light guide and a rear face on which is arranged said printed circuit board, said rear face comprising:
centering tabs for centering said light guide in said housing; and
centering ridges for centering said printed circuit board in said housing.

13. The lighting device according to claim 2 , in which said rear face further comprises two fixing clips for immobilizing said light guide in said housing and said light guide comprises two lugs which cooperate with said two fixing clips.

14. The lighting device according to claim 12 , in which said lighting device further comprises a heat sink arranged on a side of said rear face of said housing, said printed circuit board being placed between said rear face and said heat sink.

15. A light module for a motor vehicle (V) consisting of:
a light guide consisting of an input face and at least two branches each extending from said input face according to a specific length (L, L′) and a specific section (S, S′);
at least one light source arranged at said input face of said light guide, said input face being adapted to couple the light rays emitted by said at least one light source in said light guide;
in which said at least two branches are contiguous over a part (D) of their length from said input face to a determined point of separation, said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches overlapping over a zone of intersection which is present from said input face to said determined point of separation and said sections (S, S′) being substantially constant along said at least two branches from said input face over a length greater than or equal to a length of said at least two branches between said input face and said determined point of separation;
in which said sections (S, S′) are substantially constant over the entirety of said length (L, L′) of said at least two branches;
in which an area of said zone of intersection decreases continuously from said input face to said determined point of separation.

16. The light module according to claim 2 , in which said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches are tangential at said determined point of separation.

17. Light module according to claim 2 , in which said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches have the same dimension.

18. Light module according to claim 1 , in which said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches have the same dimension.

19. The light module according to claim 2 , in which said sections (S, S′) of said at least two branches have an identical form.

20. The light module according to claim 2 , in which said light module comprises a plurality of light sources arranged at said input face of said light guide.

Assignees

• Valeo Vision

Inventors

• Soenen Xavier
• Giraud Sylvain
• Chiron Jerome

Classifications

• F21S41/10

  characterised by the light source · CPC title

• F21S43/19

  Attachment of light sources or lamp holders · CPC title

• F21W2102/00

  Exterior vehicle lighting devices for illuminating purposes · CPC title

• F21S43/237

  rod-shaped · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title