CN113074352A

CN113074352A - Optical system and vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN113074352A
Application number: CN202010008207.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 倪泽斌; 史新刚
Original assignee: Foshan Ichikoh Valeo Auto Lighting Systems Co Ltd
Current assignee: Foshan Ichikoh Valeo Auto Lighting Systems Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-01-03
Filing date: 2020-01-03
Publication date: 2021-07-06

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical system and a vehicle. The optical system is for a vehicle and has a light source (2) and a light guide assembly comprising a first light guide member (10) and a second light guide member (20), the first light guide member (10) having a first light entry portion (11) facing the light source (2) and a first light exit portion (12) facing away from the light source (2), the second light guide member (10) having a second light entry portion (21) facing the first light guide member (10), wherein the second light entry portion (21) has teeth, each tooth convergently guiding light from the light source and guided by the first light guide member (10) into the second light guide member (20).

Description

Optical system and vehicle

Technical Field

The invention relates to an optical system for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a vehicle having the optical system.

Background

Light guides are increasingly used in vehicles, in particular in vehicle lamps, to guide light from a light source and to emit the light outwards at a desired location. The light guide can in this case, in addition to contributing to the satisfaction of various predetermined lighting and/or signaling functions, also enable the light exit region to assume various shapes to match the shape of the entire vehicle.

In order to achieve a uniform lighting effect when the area to be lit has a certain width and a long length, the light guide is generally provided with a plurality of light sources. However, in some cases, it is difficult to secure a light extraction effect when a very low number of light sources are allocated to a wide and long light guide, for example, due to structural space and cost limitations.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to propose an optical system which is able to solve at least partially the above mentioned problems.

According to the present invention, an optical system is proposed, which is used for a vehicle and has a light source and a light guide assembly including a first light guide member having a first light incoming portion facing the light source and a first light outgoing portion facing away from the light source and a second light guide member having a second light incoming portion facing the first light guide member, wherein the second light incoming portion has tooth portions each of which convergently guides light from the light source and guided through the first light guide member into the second light guide member.

With such an optical system of the present invention, compared to a case where the light incident portion of the conventional light guide is not processed at all, for example, the light incident portion is a plane, light is convergently guided into the corresponding light guide member through the arranged tooth portions, whereby it is possible to achieve better light mixing over the width of the light guide member and a more uniform lighting effect over the length of the light guide member.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first light incident portion converges light in a first direction, and the first light exiting portion diverges light in a second direction. Here, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the light source. In case the light source is for example a point light source or can be considered as a point light source, the light emitted by the light source is a cone-shaped beam of light, which is adapted in both directions by the first light guiding member, which is advantageous for as much light as possible to reach the second light guiding member as uniformly as possible.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first light incident portion has a cross section in a shape of a tooth, and each tooth is capable of deflecting light to change a propagation direction of the light. Preferably, the first light incident portion has a rotational symmetry structure.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first light emergent portion is a semi-cylindrical surface. For example, the first light exit portion has a cross section formed by a plurality of arc-shaped segments, for example, a half-8-shaped cross section. This facilitates uniform diffusion of light. Other shapes of the first light exit portion are also possible.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the second light guiding member is constituted by at least one light guiding unit, preferably a rod-shaped light guiding unit, the light guiding units being arranged side by side with each other on a side facing the first light guiding member, and the ends of the light guiding units in combination form the second light entry portion. The light-guiding units can be arranged adjacent to one another or connected to one another by means of bridge parts. For example, the rod-shaped light guide unit may have a circular cross-section as a conventional light guide rod, and is provided with a light decoupling structure to break a total reflection condition of light at the light guide unit so that the light may be emitted from a face opposite to the light decoupling structure. The light-decoupling structure, which is also referred to as an optical tooth, extends in the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding unit.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the teeth are provided at an end side of each light guiding unit, i.e. an end side facing the first light guiding member. The diameter of the light guiding unit is typically between 8-12 mm. The end side of each light guide unit is provided with, for example, 2 to 5 teeth, preferably three teeth. Of course, the light-guiding units can also have any suitable number of different teeth from one another.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the middle tooth portion among the tooth portions of the light guiding unit of the second light guiding member is in the form of a face sheet of a convex surface, for example, a columnar convex surface, and the tooth portions on both sides have a light incoupling surface and a light reflecting surface. This is to take into account that the light reaches the second light-guiding member at different angles, because in a cross-section of the light beam, the closer to both sides, with reference to the optical axis, the greater the angle the ray makes with the optical axis. By providing the light incoupling surface, light guidance is facilitated. The light reflecting surface may be a convex curved surface that converges light. By this arrangement, the adaptation of the light at the end of the second light-guiding member is facilitated.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second light guide member has a light mixing section in which light entering the second light guide member is condensed, and a light exit section. The light is converged and then dispersed again, thereby realizing a good light mixing effect. In particular, with this configuration, the length of the light mixing section can be shortened, thereby improving the efficiency of the light guide member.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the light guiding units can be separated from each other in the light exit section. This enables a richer styling. For example, the light-guiding unit can branch into two parts at the light exit section, which have different directions of extension. Or the light guide units are spaced apart at the light exit section, which enables a wider width to be lit.

The invention also aims to provide a vehicle, which is provided with the optical system.

Drawings

The invention is further elucidated below with the aid of the drawing. Wherein the content of the first and second substances,

figure 1 shows in part a schematic representation of an optical system according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the optical system of FIG. 1;

fig. 3 shows a representation of a section a-a of the optical system of fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention are exemplarily described below. As will be realized by those skilled in the art, the illustrated embodiments can be modified in various different ways, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. In the following, the same reference numbers generally indicate functionally identical or similar elements.

Fig. 1 shows a partial section of an optical system 1 according to the invention, in particular a section of a light entry point of the optical system 1. The optical system 1 has a light source 2 and a light guide assembly comprising a first light guide member 10 and a second light guide member 20. By "light-guiding member" is understood a member which guides light, i.e. in which light can propagate, and if necessary also changes the propagation direction of light, in particular at the light entry and/or light exit portion of the light-guiding member. To this end, the light-guiding member may have a specific geometry. This will be further explained below.

The first light guide member 10 has a first light incident portion 11 facing the light source 2 and a first light exiting portion 12 facing away from the light source 2, and the second light guide member 20 has a second light incident portion 21 facing the first light guide member 10.

The second light-guiding member of the optical system 1 has a given length, width and thickness. For ease of illustration, a cartesian coordinate system is introduced in the drawings, wherein the X-direction is the longitudinal extension direction of the second light-guiding member, the Y-direction is the width direction, and the Z-direction is the thickness direction. Of course, this is merely exemplary. The second light-guiding member does not necessarily have to extend straight but may also have a curved course.

The light source 2 is preferably a light emitting diode, which can be regarded approximately as a point light source. The light beam emitted by the light source 2 is thus cone-shaped, i.e. the light beam is centered on the light source with a beam angle of, for example, 120 °. Due to the beam angle limitation, if a light source is required to light a very wide light-guiding member, the distance of the light source from the end face of the light-guiding member is relatively large, otherwise the intensity of light reaching both sides of the associated light-guiding member is lower than that in the central portion, particularly at the starting end of the light-guiding member, so that a non-uniform lighting effect occurs over at least part of the length of the light-guiding member.

The first light incident portion 11 of the first light guide member 10 faces the light source 2. The first light incident portion 11 has a tooth-shaped cross section. As can be seen in particular from fig. 1, the first light entry is formed by a rotation of the toothed cross section, for example by 180 degrees, about a rotation axis, not shown. Therefore, the first light incident portion 11 has a rotating structure having a plurality of semi-annular teeth. The light source may be at the axis of rotation. The first light incident portion 11 has a first protrusion 13 at the center and second protrusions 14 located at both sides of the first protrusion 13, and the number of the second protrusions may be set as required as long as all the light emitted from the light source can be received by the first light incident portion. Here, the first light incident portion has a strong deflecting action on light in a first direction, that is, the Z direction, specifically, deflects light toward a plane perpendicular to the Z direction and on which the optical axis is located, and the deflecting action in the other direction is relatively weak. In fig. 3 is shown an optical path diagram through a section a-a of the central part of the optical system, wherein the part of the light from the light source 2 in the center of the beam angle reaches the first protrusion 13, which directly converges the light, i.e. deflects the diverging beam in the direction of the optical axis; while the relatively outer portion at the beam angle reaches the second protrusions 14 on both sides, and the light entering the second protrusions is reflected toward the optical axis by the outer light reflecting surfaces.

The first light outgoing portion 12 of the first light guide member 10 is a semi-cylindrical surface. "semi-cylindrical" is understood to mean one of the two halves of the entire cylindrical surface divided by a plane passing through the center line, for example if the cylindrical surface has a circular circumferential extension of 360 °, the semi-cylindrical surface has an extension of 180 °. The first light extraction portion 12 has a strong deflecting action on light in the second direction, i.e., the Y direction, specifically, diverges light in a direction away from the optical axis, and has a relatively weak deflecting action in other directions. This can be seen particularly well in the beam path of fig. 2. It should be noted that only a part of the light beams emitted from the light source is shown in fig. 2, and the light beams exiting from the other part of the first light exit portion 12 may be deflected to both sides with reference to the optical axis as shown in the light beams. This enables a wider range of light coverage without changing other conditions and at the same time a more uniform distribution of light in the Y direction.

The cross section of the first light exit portion 12 may be formed by one or more arc-shaped sections. Preferably, the first light emergent portion 12 has a half-8-shaped cross section.

Therefore, light emitted from the light source reaches the second light guide member while converging in the Z direction toward the site FZ and diffusing in the Y direction via the first light guide member.

The second light guide member 20 is provided at a second light incident portion 21 thereof facing the first light guide member 10 with a plurality of tooth portions that convergently guide the arriving light into the second light guide member 20. In other words, for the second light-guiding member 20, each tooth portion corresponds to one convergence point.

In the example shown, the second light-guiding member 20 is constituted by light-guiding

units

30, 40, 50, 60, 70, here 5 in number, although other numbers of light-guiding units may also be provided. These light guide units are arranged adjacent to each other at least at the second light incident portion 21. The structure of the individual light guide units is similar to a conventional elongated rod-shaped light guide rod, except for the structure of the light entrance end, i.e. it has, for example, a circular cross section and has a light mixing section and a light exit section, where light decoupling structures, such as

optical teeth

35, 45, 55, 65, 75, are arranged to break the total reflection conditions of the light so that the light can exit the light exit section. The light-mixing section of the light-guiding unit forms the light-mixing section 23 of the second light-guiding member 20, for which light-mixing section 23 its cross-section can be seen as being formed by a plurality of circles (here 5) with overlapping areas.

The tooth portion at the second light incident portion 21 of the second light guide member 20 will now be described in detail.

In the example shown, each light guiding

unit

30, 40, 50, 60, 70 is provided with three

teeth

32a, 32b, 32c, 42a, 42b, 42c, 52a, 52b, 52c, 62a, 62b, 62c, 72a, 72b, 72c, respectively, at the respective

light entry side

31, 41, 51, 61, 71. The individual teeth may be different from each other. The

teeth

52a, 52b, 52c of the central light guide unit 50 have convex surfaces which converge the arriving light rays respectively directly, as can be seen from fig. 2, the tooth 52a converges the light in the Y direction at a point FY1 in the light-mixing section 23, the other teeth also having their own light convergence points. On both sides of the central light guide unit 50, the

teeth

32a, 32b, 32c, 72a, 72b, 72c of the

light guide units

30, 70 remote from the light guide unit 50 have a light incoupling surface and a light reflecting surface. The optical path of the light reaching the tooth portion is described with reference to the tooth portion 72c in fig. 2, that is, the light reaching the tooth portion 72c enters the light guide unit 70 through the light incoupling surface 72i, continues to propagate to the light reflecting surface 72r, and is converged at a position FY2 in the light mixing section 23 after being reflected by the light reflecting surface 72 r. Likewise, for the teeth of the

light guide unit

30, 70, each tooth also has its own light converging point. The

light guide units

40, 60 located between the central light guide unit 50 and the outer

light guide units

30, 70 may have

convex tooth portions

42c, 62a and

tooth portions

42a, 42b, 62c formed by light incoupling surfaces and light reflecting surfaces, which converge light similarly to the above description of the tooth portions of the light guide unit 50 and the

light guide units

30, 70, wherein the convex tooth portions face the central light guide unit and the tooth portions formed by the light incoupling surfaces and the light reflecting surfaces face the outer light guide unit.

Through the design scheme, each tooth part respectively converges light in the light mixing section 23, the converging parts are approximately distributed along the whole width of the light mixing section, and the light is converged at each converging part and then is divergently propagated again, so that a more uniform lighting effect can be realized. Furthermore, this may also at least partially reduce the length D of the light-mixing section, thereby increasing the effective utilization length of the light-guiding member.

The tooth portion of each light guide unit is not limited to three shown in the drawings, and the number of tooth portions may be set according to the size of the light guide unit itself. The number of teeth per light-guiding unit is for example between 2 and 5. Of course, other numbers are possible as long as the above-described light condensing function can be accomplished.

It is noted that, for the sake of clarity of illustration, only the light path through a part of the teeth is shown in the figures; furthermore, the deflection occurs when light passes from one medium into another medium having a different refractive index, and the main direction of deflection of the light at the relevant interface is only schematically shown in the drawing to simplify the illustration.

In an example not shown, the second light guide member 20 may be bifurcated at the light exit section 24 to direct light to a different area. Alternatively, the second light guide members 20 may be spaced apart from each other at the light exit section 24, for example by 1mm or other distance, whereby a wider area may be lit. In this case, different light exit areas can be lit with light sources arranged at the same location, thereby achieving an economical solution.

In an example not shown, the second light guiding member 20 may also be plate-shaped with a predetermined width, for which purpose the second light guiding member 20 is provided with a light reflector, either separately or integrally, at the bottom surface to reflect light towards the light exit surface, so that the light can leave the second light guiding member. In this case, the light incident portion 21 of the second light guide member may be provided with the tooth portions having the converging action to the light as described above, and the tooth portions may be distributed along the Y direction.

The optical system shown in particular in fig. 2 can be seen as one unit, which can be arranged side by side in the Y-direction, resulting in a system with a wider width.

The first light-guiding member 10 and the second light-guiding member 20 of the optical system 1 may be connected to each other by means of a bridge not shown, so that they are in one piece, which further facilitates the mounting.

The light source 2 may be a light emitting diode, which is capable of emitting light of, for example, white, yellow, red or other colors.

The above-described optical system 1 can be used for vehicle lights, in particular signal lights, such as tail lights, turn signals, position lights, etc., of vehicles, in particular of motor vehicles.

The present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and various other modifications may be adopted. While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.

Claims

1. An optical system (1) for a vehicle and having a light source (2) and a light guide assembly comprising a first light guide member (10) and a second light guide member (20), the first light guide member (10) having a first light entry portion (11) facing the light source (2) and a first light exit portion (12) facing away from the light source (2), the second light guide member (20) having a second light entry portion (21) facing the first light guide member (10),

characterized in that the second light entry portion (21) has tooth portions each of which convergently guides light from a light source and guided by the first light guide member (10) into the second light guide member (20).

2. The optical system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first light entry portion (11) converges light in a first direction (Z) and the first light exit portion (12) diverges light in a second direction (Y).

3. The optical system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the first light entry portion (11) has a toothed cross section.

4. The optical system (1) according to claim 3, wherein the first light entry portion (11) is a rotary structure.

5. The optical system (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the first light exit portion (12) is a semi-cylindrical surface.

6. The optical system (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the first light exit portion (12) has a cross section consisting of one or more arc-shaped segments.

7. The optical system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the second light-guiding member (20) is constituted by at least one light-guiding unit (30, 40, 50, 60, 70) which, on the side facing the first light-guiding member, are arranged alongside one another and whose ends in combination form the second light entry portion (21).

8. The optical system (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the teeth are arranged at the end side of each light guiding unit.

9. The optical system (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the middle one of the teeth of the light guiding unit (30, 40, 50, 60, 70) of the second light guiding member (20) is in the form of a convex facet, the teeth on both sides having a light in-coupling face and a light reflecting face.

10. The optical system (1) according to claim 7, wherein said second light-guiding member (20) has a light-mixing section (23) and a light-exiting section (24), light entering said second light-guiding member (20) being concentrated in said light-mixing section (23).

11. The optical system (1) according to claim 10, wherein the light guiding units (30, 40, 50, 60, 70) are separable from each other at the light exit section (24).

12. Optical system (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the end of each light guiding unit is provided with 2 to 5 teeth.

13. A vehicle, characterized in that it has an optical system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.