CN112739565A

CN112739565A - Vehicle roof with light guide illumination element

Info

Publication number: CN112739565A
Application number: CN201980061457.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·格罗特
Original assignee: Webasto SE
Current assignee: Webasto SE
Priority date: 2018-09-20
Filing date: 2019-09-05
Publication date: 2021-04-30
Also published as: WO2020057996A1; DE102018123196A1; DE102018123196B4

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle roof (10) having a lighting element (12) for illuminating a vehicle interior (14), wherein the lighting element (12) is designed as a light guide or as a light-emitting diode strip. According to the invention, the lighting element (12) is surrounded in at least one section by an opaque tubular or tubular shading element (16, 18; 20). Alternatively, the lighting element (12) is U-shaped in a plane parallel to the roof of the vehicle and has two parallel side sections (22, 24) arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a base (26) arranged transversely to the side sections and connecting the side sections. The shading element surrounds the lighting element in the region of the base part, and a light source with an LED or LED module (28) is arranged on an end (30) of the edge section (22) facing away from the base part (26), and is designed for coupling light into the light guide.

Description

Vehicle roof with light guide illumination element

Technical Field

The invention relates to a vehicle roof having a lighting element for illuminating a vehicle interior, wherein the lighting element is designed as a light guide or alternatively as a light-emitting diode strip.

Background

A vehicle roof according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from DE 102016101873B 4. In this document, an illumination element is disclosed, which is configured as a light guide. The roof has a top opening with two guide rails for guiding a movable screen element for screening the top opening, wherein the screen element is a roller blind web and the guide rails comprise a receptacle in which the lighting element is arranged. Here, the light guide body for illuminating the vehicle interior space may be arranged in a rectangular shape around the roof opening.

A disadvantage of this known system is that each lighting element is designed to emit light in a coherent manner, so that for the design of the individual light-emitting sections, individual lighting elements are also provided. This limits the configuration possibilities of the ambience lighting and is structurally laborious and costly in embodiments with a plurality of individual lighting elements. Furthermore, more installation space is required when installing a plurality of individual lighting elements.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle roof which overcomes the disadvantages of the known systems.

This object is achieved by a vehicle roof according to the features of claim 1 and by a vehicle roof according to the features of claim 2.

In the vehicle roof according to claim 1, the lighting element is partially surrounded by at least one opaque tubular or tubular shading element.

By "opaque" is understood herein a measure of the light transmission of the tubular or tubular shading element. The light transmission or transmissivity can be reduced or the shading element can be configured such that no transmission of visible light occurs anymore in the area of the shading element.

Since the lighting element is surrounded in sections by the shading element, an ambience lighting can be realized comparatively simply in that selected sections of the lighting element are shaded, while the full brightness of the lighting element can be provided in the regions not surrounded by the shading element. In particular, a plurality of individual light emitting areas can be realized with only one lighting element without having to mount a plurality of individual lighting elements. In this way, a continuous light guide can be installed when using a light guide which is illuminated by a single light source. In the case of the use of light-emitting diode bars, a coherent light-emitting diode bar can be used instead of individual segments, so that electrical energy only has to be fed into the light-emitting diode bar at one point. This results in a low-cost production of the vehicle roof. On the other hand, since in the case of a light-emitting diode bar only one light source or one energy source has to be coupled, a reduction of the installation space required for the illumination is achieved.

In the vehicle roof according to the invention as claimed in claim 2, the illumination element is embodied as a light guide and is configured in a U-shaped manner in a plane parallel to the vehicle roof with two parallel edge sections arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a base part which is arranged transversely to the edge sections and connects these edge sections. The shading element surrounds the lighting element in the region of the base, wherein a (preferably sole) light source with LEDs or LED modules is arranged on the end of the edge section facing away from the base, and the light source is configured for coupling light into the light guide.

The advantage also arises here that a plurality of individual luminous regions can be realized with only one lighting element, thereby reducing the system costs and the installation space required for the lighting.

Preferred embodiments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims.

Preferably, the shading element has a transmission of less than 50%, in particular less than 10%, and in a particularly preferred embodiment the shading element does not allow transmission of visible light from the lighting element into the vehicle interior space. Thus, the illumination of the vehicle interior space can be reduced in certain sections or the lighting element can also be completely shaded in the section surrounded by the shading element.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the lighting element is U-shaped in the plane of the vehicle roof with two parallel edge sections arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The edge sections are connected by a base which is arranged transversely to the edge sections. In this case, the shading element can surround the lighting element in the region of the base, so that, as seen from the vehicle interior, the impression of two separate linear lighting elements is created, despite the fact that only a single lighting element has to be provided.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the shading element is designed as a shrink tube, which is shrunk onto the lighting element in sections. This provides a particularly simple and cost-effective adaptation to the lighting conditions.

In the case of a light guide body as illumination element, one (or more) LED or LED module(s) is/are preferably provided as light source(s) in order to couple light into the light guide body. In the U-shaped configuration of the lighting element, the LEDs or LED modules are arranged on the end of the edge section facing away from the base and are configured for coupling light into the light guide. For this purpose, for example, a coupling-in lens can be provided.

Preferably, in addition to the light shielding element on the base, i.e. at the center of the light guide, further light shielding elements may be provided on both ends of the illumination element. In this case, the light-shielding element is preferably arranged in the region of an end at which light from the LEDs or LED modules is coupled into the lighting element in the form of a light guide. In the embodiment with the light-emitting diode bars, the shading element is accordingly arranged at the end of the lighting element, at which the electrical energy is coupled into the lighting element. Thus, the area may be mechanically protected and optically covered. On the opposite end of the illumination element, the further light-shielding element serves, in the embodiment with a light guide, also to suppress radiation from the light guide in the longitudinal direction.

In the embodiment in which the illumination element is embodied as a light guide, the light guide is preferably configured such that light coupled into the light guide exits laterally from the light guide, wherein the outcoupling can be influenced. This is preferably achieved by providing structures on the surface of the light guide, which structures can be embodied, for example, as surface roughness and scatter or couple out light laterally from the light guide.

When a light guide is provided, it is preferably designed in one piece and is flexible, so that it can be bent in a desired shape, for example the aforementioned U-shape, and arranged on the vehicle roof. Thus, commercially available light guides can be simply matched to different shapes and sizes.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the roof has: the top is open; and two guide rails for guiding a movable shielding member for shielding the top opening; and a displaceably supported cover for selectively opening and closing the top opening. The cover can be at least partially transparent. Furthermore, it is alternatively possible to close the top opening by means of a fixedly fitted transparent cover and to implement only the shielding element for shielding the top opening to be displaceable. Preferably, each guide rail comprises a receptacle in which the lighting element is arranged.

In this embodiment of the vehicle roof with the roof opening, a roof ceiling is preferably provided on the inside of the vehicle roof, which roof ceiling terminates with a ceiling edge at the edge of the roof opening and in the region of which a receptacle for the lighting element is arranged. This provides the advantage that a comfortable ambience lighting is achieved along the entire edge of the top opening or along a specific section of the edge.

The shielding element is preferably a roller blind web and the lateral edge regions of the roller blind web are deflected in the deflection region of the guide rail, which at the same time forms a receptacle for the illumination element. In this case, it is preferably provided that the edge region of the roller blind web is first deflected downward by the deflection region from an orientation parallel to the roof and then deflected inward again parallel to the roof toward the roof opening. A 120 ° to 220 °, particularly preferably 180 °, turn of the edge region of the roller blind web is thus produced.

The receptacle for the lighting element is preferably substantially U-shaped and/or designed as a recess with an opening which is oriented substantially horizontally in the direction of the top opening. This provides the advantage that the edge region of the roller blind web can be turned around the convex outer surface of the receptacle and the receptacle also concavely encloses the lighting element, wherein the opening of the receptacle enables light to radiate horizontally from the lighting element in the direction of the top opening. Thus, the shading elements can be illuminated from below, which results in a comfortable and glare-free indirect illumination. Advantageously, the receptacle for the lighting element at the same time also forms a deflection for the roller blind web.

In one embodiment of the vehicle roof with the roof opening, a frame can be provided which surrounds the roof opening in a rectangular manner and is formed at least in part by two lateral guide rails and a frame front part oriented in the transverse direction of the vehicle and a frame rear part oriented in the transverse direction of the vehicle. In this case, a lighting element can be provided which is U-shaped and has two parallel edge sections which are arranged on two lateral guide rails, and a base which is arranged on the frame front part or the frame rear part. A particularly preferred configuration of the invention results if the lighting element is shielded from light by the shading element in the region of the base part (i.e. on the frame front part or the frame rear part). A particularly comfortable lighting situation is thus achieved, which, viewed from the vehicle interior, allows the two light-emitting areas to be viewed laterally along the roof opening, while the lighting elements are shaded in their regions transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction.

Drawings

The invention is explained in detail below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Shown here are:

fig. 1 is a top view from above of a frame for a vehicle roof according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross section of a side rail installed in a vehicle roof; and

fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of a cross section of the rail of fig. 2 with a receptacle for a lighting element.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a top view of a frame 50 of a roof module, which in the installed state surrounds a roof opening 34, not shown, of a vehicle roof.

The frame 50 has two guide rails 36 which are arranged laterally alongside the roof opening 34 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Further, the frame 50 is constituted by a frame front portion 52 and a frame rear portion 54, so that the guide rail 36, the frame front portion 52, and the frame rear portion 54 constitute a rectangular frame shape.

On the frame 50, a lighting element 12 is arranged, which has a coherent light guide into which the light of the LED module 28 is coupled. The lighting element 12 is U-shaped and has two

leg portions

22 and 24 and a base 26 connecting the two

leg portions

22 and 24. Light incoupling from the LED module 28 into the lighting element 12 is effected at an end 30 of the edge section 22 facing away from the base 26.

The lighting element 12 is surrounded by three opaque tube-shaped

shading elements

16, 18, 20 on different sections. The

opaque shading elements

16, 18, 20 are preferably completely opaque to visible light. In the configuration according to fig. 1, the lighting element 12 is surrounded by the shading element 16 in the region of the base 26. The shading element 16 is designed as a shrink tube and is shrunk onto the lighting element 12, which results in a particularly simple and cost-effective partial shading of the lighting element 12.

Further shading elements

18 and 20 are provided, by means of which the lighting element 12 is arranged at its two ends 30 and 32, i.e. at the ends of the

edge sections

22 and 24 facing away from the base 26. In the region of the LED module 28, therefore, a section of the lighting element 12 can be covered in which light of the LED module 28 is coupled into the lighting element 12. Thus, undesired radiation of light out of the lighting element 12 can be prevented in the incoupling region. At the end 32 of the opposite edge section 24 of the lighting element 12 facing away from the LED module 28, the further shading element 20 prevents light from being coupled out of the lighting element 12 in the longitudinal direction of the edge section 24. It is thus ensured that light is only emitted laterally from the lighting element 12.

The lateral coupling-out of light from the light guide of the illumination element 12 can be adjusted by targeted roughening of the surface of the light guide. For example, the light guide can have PMMA fibers surrounded by a transparent hose jacket, and the PMMA fibers have a surface structure in order to couple light out of these fibers, which are designed as light guides.

The frame 50 of fig. 1 surrounds the top opening 34 in the vehicle roof 10 in the mounted state (see fig. 2) and is also used with its guide rails 36 for guiding a displaceable cover 66 shown in fig. 2 in order to optionally open and close the top opening 34. For this purpose, the guide rail 36 has guide channels 68, by means of which the cover is movably supported. Furthermore, receptacles 38 for the lighting elements 12 are provided in each case on the guide rails 36, which receptacles are explained in more detail with reference to fig. 3.

Fig. 2 shows a section of the frame of fig. 1 in the installed state in the vehicle roof 10 in an enlarged manner. Accordingly, the cross section extends through the left-hand rail 36 of fig. 1, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The guide channel 70 is provided for the schematically shown drive cable of the cover 66. The receiving portion 38 is for receiving the illumination element 12 configured as a light guide. The receiving part 38 is shown enlarged again in fig. 3 and has an upper section 56 which is oriented substantially horizontally and a lower section 58 which is also oriented substantially horizontally. The two

sections

56 and 58 are connected to one another by a connecting section 60 on the side facing away from the top opening 34. The connecting section 60 is arranged at an angle of about 45 ° with respect to the lower section 58. In general, a U-shaped or V-shaped cross section may be provided in a manner formed by the two

sections

56 and 58 and the connecting section 60. Overall, the receiving portion 38 is therefore configured with a first recess 64 which receives the lighting element 12. In order to hold the lighting element 52 in the first recess 64, one of the

sections

56 and 58 has a projection 62 (or both sections have such a projection), which in the embodiment of fig. 3 is arranged on the lower section 58 of the receptacle 38. By means of this projection 62, the light guide of the lighting element 12 may simply be clamped in the first groove 64 of the receiving portion 38 between the upper section 56 and the lower section 58.

Since the recess 64 of the receiving portion 38 constitutes an opening towards the center of the top opening, light emitted laterally from the lighting element 12 radiates only substantially in this direction. Thus, undesired radiation downward into the vehicle interior 14 is prevented and glare is avoided. Also radiation upwards in the vertical direction is prevented.

As shown in fig. 2, a shielding element, schematically shown, in the form of a roller blind web 44 is provided in order to shield the top opening 34 of fig. 1 from solar radiation. A displaceable transparent cover 66 is used to close the top opening 34. In order to tension the roller blind web 44 transversely to the pull-out direction and thus transversely to the vehicle longitudinal direction, the edge region 46 of the roller blind web 44 is turned about 180 ° around the turning region 48 of the guide rail 36. The deflection of the edge region 46 first takes place downwards and then returns in the horizontal direction towards the center of the top opening 34. In order that the edge region 46 of the roller blind web 44 does not slide back around the deflection region 48, the edge region 46 is embodied in a reinforced manner in one section and is guided displaceably in a second groove 72 provided for this purpose of the guide rail 36 and is fixed in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

The convex outer surface of the receiving portion 38 constitutes a turning area 48 of the rail 36 and the concave inner side of the receiving portion 38 receives the lighting element 12. Since the receiving portion 38 receives the lighting element 12 at its concave inner surface and forms with its convex outer surface a deflection region 48, both functions are achieved by a single profile section of the guide rail 36. Thus, the provision of a separate receptacle for the lighting element 12 or a separate deflection region for the edge region 46 of the roller blind web 44 is dispensed with, so that the structure of the vehicle roof 10 is simplified. Preferably, the entire profile of the guide rail 36 is extruded (extruded) and made of aluminum.

Below the guide rail 36 in fig. 2, a roof ceiling 40 is provided, which covers the components located above it (for example the guide rail 36 with the receptacle 38 and the edge region 46 of the roller blind web 44) as seen from above the vehicle interior 14 in order to improve the appearance. The top ceiling 40 ends in the region of the top opening 34 with a ceiling edge 42 approximately at the level of the lower section 58 of the receptacle 38. It is thus ensured that light which is radiated from the lighting elements 12 between the lower section 58 and the upper section 56 of the receptacle 38 in a substantially horizontal direction in the direction of the top opening 34 can be radiated along the bottom side of the roller blind web 44 beyond the top ceiling 40 and in particular the ceiling edge 42. The roller blind web 44 is thus illuminated indirectly from below, seen from above from the vehicle interior 14, which provides particularly pleasant ambience lighting. The upper section 56 of the receptacle 38, its lower section 58 and the connecting section 60 bound the radiation of the lighting element 12 in a narrow angular range by means of a first recess 64 formed jointly by them and an opening of this recess assigned to the center of the top opening 34.

The invention thus results in a simple and cost-effective production of the vehicle roof and in a particularly comfortable lighting situation compared to known vehicle roofs. If the sectional positioning of the

shading elements

16, 18 and 20 of fig. 1 is considered, indirect illumination in the roof region takes place from the inside at both side regions of the top opening 34, while the regions at the frame front part 52 and the frame rear part 54 remain unlit. This situation is achieved despite the fact that, in order to simplify the structure of the vehicle roof 10, only a single, coherent lighting element 12 in the form of a light guide is provided and, in connection with this, only a single LED module 28 is provided.

List of reference numerals

10 vehicle roof

12 Lighting element

14 vehicle interior space

16 shading element

18 shading element

20 shading element

2212 edge section

2412 edge section

26 base

28 LED module

3022 end of

3222 end portion

34 open at the top

36 guide rail

38 receiving part

40 ceiling

42 ceiling edge

44 rolling curtain web

4644 edge region

4836 turning region

50 frame

52 front part of frame

54 rear part of frame

5638 of the first section

5838 lower section

60 connecting section

62 projection

64 grooves

66 cover member

68 guide channel

70 guide channel

72 groove

Claims

1. A vehicle roof (10) having a lighting element (12) for illuminating a vehicle interior (14), wherein the lighting element (12) is configured as a light guide or as a light-emitting diode strip,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the lighting element (12) is surrounded in at least one section by an opaque tubular or tubular shading element (16, 18; 20).

2. A vehicle roof (10) having a lighting element (12) for illuminating a vehicle interior (14), wherein the lighting element (12) is designed as a light guide,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the lighting element (12) is U-shaped in a plane parallel to the vehicle roof and has two parallel side sections (22, 24) arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a base (26) arranged transversely to the side sections and connecting the side sections, and

a shading element (16) surrounds the lighting element (12) in the region of the base (26), wherein,

a light source having an LED or LED module (28) is arranged on an end (30) of a side section (22) facing away from the base (26) and is designed for coupling light into the light guide.

3. The vehicle roof (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the shading element (16, 18; 20) is configured as a shrink hose which is shrunk onto the lighting element (12).

4. The vehicle roof (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the shading elements (16, 18; 20) have a transmission of less than 50%, preferably less than 10%, particularly preferably not allowed.

5. The vehicle roof (10) as claimed in one of the preceding claims 1 or 3 or 4, characterised in that the lighting element (12) is U-shaped in a plane parallel to the vehicle roof with two parallel edge sections (22, 24) arranged in the vehicle longitudinal direction and a base (26) arranged transversely to the edge sections and connecting the edge sections.

6. The vehicle roof (10) according to claim 5, characterised in that the shading element (16) surrounds the lighting element (12) in the region of the base part (26).

7. The vehicle roof (10) according to claim 6, characterised in that the lighting element (12) is designed as a light guide which is U-shaped and a light source, preferably the only light source, with an LED or LED module (28) is arranged on the end (30) of a side section (22) facing away from the base (26) and is designed for coupling light into the light guide.

8. The vehicle roof (10) according to one of the claims 2, 6 or 7, characterised in that a further shading element (18, 20) is provided which surrounds the lighting element (12) on both ends (30, 32) thereof.

9. The vehicle roof (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the illumination element (12) is configured as a light guide, such that light coupled into the light guide emerges laterally therefrom.

10. The vehicle roof (10) according to claim 9, characterised in that the light guide has a structure on its surface, preferably a roughened portion, which laterally couples out light coupled into the light guide from the light guide.

11. The vehicle roof (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element (12) is configured as a one-piece light guide.

12. The vehicle roof (10) as claimed in any of the preceding claims 2 and 6 to 10, characterised in that the lighting element (12) is flexibly constructed and arranged curvedly in a U-shape on the roof.

13. Vehicle roof (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has: a top opening (34); and a fixedly mounted or displaceable cover (66) for closing the top opening; and two guide rails (36) for guiding a movable shielding element for shielding the top opening, wherein each guide rail comprises a receiving portion (38) in which the lighting element (12) is arranged.

14. The vehicle roof (10) according to claim 13, characterised in that the vehicle roof (10) has a top ceiling (40) on the inside and that the top ceiling terminates with a ceiling edge (28) at the edge of the top opening (34) oriented parallel to the guide rail and the receptacle (38) is arranged in the region of this ceiling edge (42).

15. The vehicle roof (10) as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that the screen element is a roller blind web (44) and a side edge region (46) of the roller blind web (44) is deflected in a deflection region (48) of the guide rail (36), which deflection region also forms the receiving portion (38), wherein the edge region (46) is deflected by the deflection region (44) first downwards from an orientation parallel to the vehicle roof and then again parallel to the vehicle roof and towards the roof opening.

16. The vehicle roof (10) according to claim 15, characterised in that the receiving portion (36) is substantially U-shaped and/or configured as a groove (64) with an opening which is oriented substantially horizontally and in the direction of the roof opening (34).

17. The vehicle roof (10) according to one of the preceding claims 13 to 16, characterized in that a frame (50) is provided which surrounds the roof opening (34) rectangularly, wherein the frame laterally has the two guide rails (36) and has a frame front portion (52) oriented in the vehicle transverse direction and a frame rear portion (54) oriented in the vehicle transverse direction, wherein,

the U-shaped configuration of the lighting element (12) has two parallel edge sections (22, 24) and a base (26) which is arranged transversely to the edge sections and connects the edge sections, and

the edge sections are arranged on the two guide rails and the base is arranged on the frame front part or the frame rear part.

18. The vehicle roof (10) according to claim 17, characterised in that the lighting element (12) is shielded from light by the shading element (16) in the region of the base part (26).