EP1702793B1 - Lamp arrangement - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a luminaire arrangement, in particular in the automotive sector.

Although applicable to any lighting arrangements, the present invention and the problems underlying it are explained in more detail with respect to a light assembly in the automotive sector.

Luminaire arrangements in the automotive sector, for example, serve road safety. With their help, the roadway is illuminated in front of the vehicle in the dark or poor visibility. Further, the lamp assemblies serve to visualize the motor vehicle for subsequent vehicles by either emitting light or by reflecting the light from the subsequent vehicle.

Due to a strong influence of the vehicle design on the image of a motor vehicle, luminaire arrangements in the motor vehicle sector are more subject to influences of the vehicle design than previously. Therefore, meanwhile, in the construction and design of headlamps for vehicles to take account of boundary conditions that played only a minor role in the development and construction of lighting arrangements or headlamps a few years ago. For example, in vehicle lights or vehicle headlights, a brilliant, transparent appearance of the luminaire is now desired. For this purpose, find brilliant, transparent cover plates use that cover a receiving area of the housing. Due to these transparent cover plates a very good view of the headlights or lighting arrangements from the outside is possible. It is desirable for visual considerations, a modern design, such as a tube design to realize.

For this reason, a luminaire assembly is often provided with a trim to highlight the visual appearance of this luminaire assembly. In such a trim is usually a one-piece or composed of several parts panel, which should give the luminaire assembly a particularly high quality characteristics. The luminaire arrangement provided with a trim panel can be arranged, for example, in the receiving area of the housing behind the transparent cover, so that not only the luminaire arrangement itself but also the respective trim panel can be seen from the outside.

The publication DE 199 06 527 A1 describes generally a lighting arrangement for a motor vehicle with a cover and a housing in which a double Ellepsoid headlight is arranged, the one Incandescent lamp having a reflector. In this case, a diaphragm is provided, which fixes the double Ellepsoid headlights and which has a conical shape.

In general, modern headlights often have so-called projection modules, in the front section of a lens is integrated. The lens may, in strong sunlight to focus the reflected sunlight on underlying parts of the headlight or the aperture lead, which are thereby thermally damaged.

A solution known to the Applicant provides for the high-gloss finish of the components in the focal point of the lens with respect to the solar radiation in order to reflect the heat radiation.

In this approach, however, the fact has proved to be disadvantageous that modern lighting arrangements generally have a one-piece aperture, so that the highly glossy to be executed portion of the aperture with an increased effort, for example by a cumbersome and costly masking, must be treated, for example a black panel with some high-gloss areas produce. Masking, that is, the treatment of selected areas, is usually very complex and provides poorly satisfactory results.

It is also possible, the aperture of the lamp assembly with an additional radiation protection element To provide protection element, which is designed as a single part high gloss.

In this approach, however, the fact has proved to be disadvantageous that a one-piece base trim device is often provided with individual additional decorative shutter means to achieve a differentiated visual impression. Thus, in addition to the additional decorative panel means additional heat protection elements must be prepared, treated and attached to the base ornamental panel device.

The heat protection elements must be made in a separate tool by means of a separate manufacturing process and surface treated for a reflection of the bundled solar radiation. This represents a complex and costly additional effort. Furthermore, the heat or radiation protection elements must be fastened by means of fastening devices on the diaphragm device, which represents a further disadvantageous process.

The DE 202 09 130 U1 describes a headlamp for a motor vehicle with at least two chambers for receiving a lamp, each lamp having at least one light source and a light source associated reflector for generating the light distribution. The chambers are separated by a dividing wall photometrically.

The US 5,021,930 relates to a vehicle headlight construction in which the chromatic aberration is essentially eliminated. The headlamp includes an elliptical reflector, a light source disposed at a first focus of the elliptical reflector, a condenser lens substantially focused on the second focus of the elliptical reflector, and an outer lens provided in front of the condenser lens. According to the invention, the radius of curvature of the outer lens is reduced in its vertical center portion to thereby form an angled portion through which the light passes from the light source.

The DE 20 2004 012 321 U1 describes a cover frame for a headlight of a motor vehicle with a receptacle for at least one light module, wherein the cover frame consists of a processable in particular by injection molding plastic, characterized in that in the region of the receptacle for the at least one light module, a heat protection component for thermal separation of the light module from the cover is provided.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide a cost-manufacturable lighting arrangement in which the exposed to excessive heat radiation components of the lamp assembly are protected from heat damage.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a luminaire arrangement having the features of patent claim 1.

The idea underlying the present invention is that the luminaire arrangement has a housing for accommodating at least one light source, a base ornamental panel device for covering non-technologically relevant sections of the luminaire arrangement in the housing and at least one additional ornamental panel means, which can be attached to the base ornamental panel device and at least one radiation protection section having a high reflection coefficient.

The present invention has the advantage over the prior art that the luminaire arrangement consists of fewer individual parts and thus the manufacturing and assembly costs can be reduced due to the reduced process steps, since the necessary radiation protection is already designed as part integrated in a decorative screen means.

Thus, the additional decorative panel means can be prepared together with the radiation protection element in a single tool by means of a single manufacturing process and holistically surface-treated by means of a common treatment method. This reduces, as already explained above, both the manufacturing and the installation costs.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the present invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the description with reference to the figures of the drawing.

According to the invention, the at least one additional ornamental panel means consists of the at least one radiation protection section and an aperture ring integrally formed with the at least one radiation protection section.

According to a preferred embodiment of the integrally formed diaphragm ring is attached to an associated cylindrical pipe section of the base trim device. The aperture ring serves primarily to create a visually pleasing overall impression of the luminaire arrangement from the outside.

According to the invention, the at least one radiation protection section is formed as an extended reflection section protruding from the diaphragm ring in the axial direction for reflecting the radiation incident from a lens accommodated by the base ornamental shutter device. Preferably, the at least one radiation protection section protrudes in the installed state of the additional ornamental diaphragm means in the axial direction from the underside of the diaphragm ring. Thus, the radiation protection portion is in the reflected from the lens beam path of the sun and protects under the radiation protection portion located portions of the lamp assembly from heat damage.

Advantageously, the at least one radiation protection section is arranged in the respective focal point of the lens of the luminaire arrangement with respect to the solar radiation reflected by the lens for protection of underlying components of the luminaire arrangement. In this case, the radiation protection section, for example, as a protruding tab with rounded peripheral edge or the like be formed in order to make the overall visual impression of the luminaire arrangement positive.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the at least one additional ornamental panel means integrally made of a suitable plastic and is produced in a holistic mirror-finished. The high-gloss mirroring provides the additional decorative means and thus also the radiation protection portion a high reflection coefficient, so that this reflects the incident solar radiation for heat protection from the light assembly well out. The visible surfaces of the additional ornamental panel means advantageously have a coating to ensure the high-gloss mirroring, wherein the coating may contain, for example, aluminum, chromium and / or silver or an alloy thereof.

Preferably, the at least one additional ornamental panel means comprises a fastening means for releasably attaching to the base trim panel means. The fastening device may be formed, for example, as a plug-in, clips and / or latching connection. As a result, a simple installation of an additional diaphragm and the radiation protection element attached thereto is ensured.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the lighting arrangement comprises a turn signal lamp, a dimming lamp, a floor lamp, a high beam, a stop lamp, a warning lamp and / or a reflex area, wherein each of these lamps or areas may each be formed with an additional decorative panel according to the invention with integrated sun protection device.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Leuchtenanordnung gemäß einem bevorzugten Ausführungsbeispiel der vorliegenden Erfindung; und

Fig. 2

ein vergrößert dargestellter Teilausschnitt der Leuchtenanordnung aus Fig. 1.

The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments indicated in the schematic figures of the drawing. From the figures show:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a lamp assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 2

an enlarged partial section of the lamp assembly Fig. 1 ,

In the figures, the same reference numerals designate the same or functionally identical components, unless indicated otherwise.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light assembly 1 is made Fig. 1 preferably provided in an associated body portion of a motor vehicle. The luminaire arrangement 1 according to Fig. 1 includes, for example, three lights, wherein a first lens 2, for example for a parking and / or high beam, a second lens 3, for example, for a low beam, and a third lens 4, for example, a flashing light, each in three associated cylindrical tube sections 7, 8 and 9 of a base ornamental panel 5 of the lamp assembly 1 are added.

The base ornamental panel 5 has, for example, a concavely curved surface section 6, from which the three cylindrical pipe sections 7, 8 and 9 protrude in the direction of the outside of the lamp arrangement 1.

As in Fig. 1 is further illustrated, the light assembly 1 preferably comprises additional ornamental panel means, each associated with an associated cylindrical tube section 7, 8 and 9 of the lamp assembly 1 and attached thereto by means of suitable fastening means.

Fig. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of a partial section of the lamp assembly 1 from Fig. 1 , wherein, by way of example, the area of the cylindrical tube section 8 for receiving the lens for the dipped beam is shown enlarged with a plugged additional trim element 10. However, the following description is general and can be applied without limitation to the individual lamp sections of the lamp assembly 1.

As in Fig. 2 it can be seen, there is the additional decorative panel means 10 placed on the cylindrical tube section 7 consists of a diaphragm ring 11 for generating a visual aesthetic overall impression of the lamp assembly 1 and a radiation protection section 13 formed integrally with the diaphragm ring 11.

The radiation protection section 13 is preferably provided on the underside of the diaphragm ring 11 and protrudes in the axial direction beyond the edge region of the diaphragm ring 11 in the direction of the outside of the lamp arrangement 1. The radiation protection section 13 is for design reasons preferably as rounded Tab, as a semi-oval or crescent-shaped flat plate, as a semi-oval or crescent-shaped curved portion or the like formed and provided in the edge region of the diaphragm ring 11 of this above, in which the solar radiation reflected by the lens 3 has its maximum incidence region. Ie. the radiation protection section 13 is preferably arranged at the focal point of the lens 3 with respect to the solar radiation reflected by the lens 3. This ensures that the radiation protection section 13 protects the components of the luminaire arrangement 1 arranged under the radiation protection section 13 from the incident reflected solar radiation and thus from heat damage.

The radial and axial extent, the curvature or other geometric dimensions of the radiation protection section 13 are preferably to be adapted to the dimensions of the components to be protected of the light assembly 1 as well as to the characteristic properties of the lens 3 such that the solar radiation reflected by the lens 3 substantially be reflected on the radiation protection section 13 and reflected by this out of the lamp assembly.

The additional trim device 10, consisting of the aperture ring 11 and the radiation protection section 13, is preferably produced in a single tool by means of an injection molding process. As the material for the additional ornamental panel 10, a material having a high reflection coefficient is preferably used. Advantageously, an opaque, opaque coating is provided on the additional decorative panel means 10 for providing a high reflection coefficient. In particular, for manufacturing reasons, it is particularly advantageous if aluminum or an alloy containing aluminum is used for the material of the coating. Aluminum is particularly suitable because it can be easily applied with existing evaporation systems. Additionally or alternatively, a material of silver, chromium, nickel, brass, stainless steel etc. or an alloy thereof can be provided for the coating. It would also be conceivable that the coating is designed as a metallically coated plastic film or as a plastic film coated with metal. Preferably, the additional trim panel 10 is a coated plastic with a coating having a high reflection coefficient and explained above, wherein the plastic is subjected to a so-called high-gloss process for a high-gloss mirroring. As a material, however, plastic does not necessarily have to be used, although plastic is particularly advantageous because of its manufacturing advantages.

As the coating method, e.g. a common CVD process (CVD = Chemical Vapor Deposition) or a PVD process (PVD = Physical Vapor Deposition). However, other methods would be conceivable, for example, the coating can also be produced by spraying, vapor deposition, deposition, spin-coating, sputtering or the like.

The high-gloss surface of the additional ornamental panel means serves by the reflection of incident radiation from the lamp assembly 1 both protection of below the radiation protection section 13 provided components of the lamp assembly 1 and a visually pleasing appearance of the entire lamp assembly 1. For example, the base ornamental panel device 5 cost only formed black and with the high gloss treated, for example, high-gloss, additional ornamental aperture means 10 are equipped such that overall a noble and impressive overall visual impression is guaranteed.

The diaphragm ring 11 preferably has suitable fastening means for attachment to the associated cylindrical tube section 8 of the base trim device 5. As a fastening means, for example, a plug, latch or clip connection is used. The individual clips or the individual locking lugs are preferably provided on the diaphragm ring 11 such that they are hidden from the outside after attachment of the diaphragm ring 11 to the associated cylindrical tube section 8, in order not to adversely affect the overall visual impression.

By the present inventive concept, the radiation protection elements necessarily provided for thermal protection of components of the luminaire arrangement are integrally formed with other decorative parts of the luminaire arrangement such that they can be produced as a single component by means of a single common tool and a common manufacturing process. Thereby, it is also possible to form additional trim means consisting of a trim part, in this case the aperture ring 11, and a radiation protection element, in the present case the radiation protection section 13, by a method described above with a high-gloss coating.

Due to the one-piece design of the radiation protection section and the additional trim part to a single additional component, the entire lamp assembly consists of fewer parts in comparison to the state of the art. In addition, the individual process steps for producing the luminaire arrangement can be reduced. Overall, this reduces assembly costs and installation costs.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not limited thereto, but modifiable in many ways.

For example, the present invention is not limited to the specified materials, materials and shapes. Rather, other types and forms of radiation protection sections as well as other coating materials or treatment methods can be used here, which impart a surface with a high coefficient to the additional ornamental panel means and in particular its radiation protection section.

The present invention is further not limited to the indicated light sources, but can be applied to any light sources for or in a motor vehicle or other uses.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

light assembly

2

first lens

3

second lens

4

third lens

5

Basic trims facility

6

concave curved surface section

7

cylindrical pipe section

8th

cylindrical pipe section

9

cylindrical pipe section

10

additional ornamental means

11

aperture ring

13

Radiation protection section

Claims (10)

1. A lamp arrangement (1), especially in the field of motor vehicles, comprising:

   a housing for accommodating at least one light source;

   a basic decorative screen device (5) for covering sections of the lamp arrangement in the housing which are not relevant in respect of lighting;

   with the lamp arrangement comprising at least one additional decorative screen means (10) which consists of at least one radiation protection section (13) with a high reflection coefficient and at least one aperture ring (11) which is integrally arranged with the one radiation protection section (13), with the integrally arranged aperture ring (11) with the radiation protection section (13) being attachable to the decorative screen device (5), and characterized in that the at least one radiation protection section (13) is arranged as an extended reflection section protruding axially from the aperture ring (11) for reflecting out incident radiation from the lamp arrangement (1).
2. A lamp arrangement (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the integrally arranged aperture ring (11) can be attached to an associated cylindrical tube section (7) of the basic decorative screen device (5).
3. A lamp arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one radiation protection section (13) of the at least one additional decorative screen means (10) protrudes in the mounted state of the additional decorative screen means (10) axially from the bottom side of the aperture ring (11).
4. A lamp arrangement (1) according to at least of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one radiation protection section (13) is arranged in the region of the respective focal point of a lens (3) accommodated by the basic decorative screen device (5) with respect to the solar radiation reflected by the lens (3) for thermal protection of components of the lamp arrangement (1) disposed beneath the at least one radiation protection section (13).
5. A lamp arrangement (1) according to at least of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one additional decorative screen means (10) is made entirely of a suitable plastic material and is high-sheen reflective.
6. A lamp arrangement (1) according to at least of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one additional decorative screen means (10) has a coating on the visible areas, e.g. aluminum, chromium and/or silver, or a coating containing an alloy thereof.
7. A lamp arrangement (1) according to at least of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one additional decorative screen means (10) comprises a fastening device for releasable fastening to the basic decorative screen device (5).
8. A lamp arrangement (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the fastening device is arranged as a plug-in, clip-on and/or latching connection.
9. A lamp arrangement (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lamp arrangement (1) comprises a direction indicator lamp, a low-beam light, a stand light, a high-beam light, a brake light, a warning light and/or a reflective area.
10. A motor vehicle with a lamp arrangement (1) which is arranged according to at least one of the preceding claims.

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