Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S43/00—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights
  • F21S43/20—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters
  • F21S43/235—Light guides
  • F21S43/247—Light guides with a single light source being coupled into the light guide
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S43/00—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights
  • F21S43/20—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters
  • F21S43/235—Light guides
  • F21S43/236—Light guides characterised by the shape of the light guide
  • F21S43/237—Light guides characterised by the shape of the light guide rod-shaped
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S43/00—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights
  • F21S43/20—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters
  • F21S43/235—Light guides
  • F21S43/242—Light guides characterised by the emission area
  • F21S43/245—Light guides characterised by the emission area emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S43/00—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights
  • F21S43/20—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters
  • F21S43/235—Light guides
  • F21S43/249—Light guides with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide

Definitions

• the invention relates to lighting devices comprising light guides, and in particular those used in vehicles, possibly of the automotive type.
• light guides are used to form light bar species. These light guides are supplied with light, at at least one of their opposite ends, by light sources such as light-emitting diodes (or LEDs). The light propagates inside the light guide and is transferred to the outside by its external (lateral) face.
• light sources such as light-emitting diodes (or LEDs).
• the light propagates inside the light guide and is transferred to the outside by its external (lateral) face.
• planar light guide makes it possible to produce lighting devices of relatively large dimensions, but prohibits the effects of style and / or three-dimensional effects (such as for example a volume or depth effect).
• the invention therefore aims to propose an alternative solution that improves the situation.
• a lighting device comprising at least
• a light guide which has two opposite ends, at least one of which is coupled to a light source, and a reflector which has at least one concave section and which is intended to be placed facing a rear part of the light guide for reflecting to a front portion thereof of the guided light that is from the light source.
• This lighting device is characterized in that it further comprises a screen having at least one transparent central portion and intended to be placed facing at least a portion of the front part of the light guide so as to be illuminated by the light it transfers to the outside and thus induce a style effect and / or a three-dimensional effect.
• the lighting device according to the invention may comprise other features that can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:
• each light guide can be housed in a housing that comprises its reflector in a concave sectional area;
• each central part of the screen can be grooved or grained or sanded or polished;
• Its screen may have a concave section which is defined by a central portion and two side portions, located on either side of this central portion, so as to enhance the three-dimensional effect and / or the style effect;
• the side portions may be transparent and grooved, or transparent and grained, or transparent and sanded, or transparent and polished, or metallized;
• its screen may have a section of variable shape between its two opposite ends;
• the section of the screen may have a widening flare
• each light guide may comprise a substantially flat portion; the substantially flat portion may be provided with a relief arranged to promote the reflection of light towards the front portion of its light guide;
• the relief may consist of grooves substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the general direction of the light guide;
• the grooves may have a section of triangular shape
• each light source may comprise at least one light-emitting diode
• - its reflector may comprise at least two concave sections which are intended to be placed respectively facing the rear parts of corresponding light guides, and its screen may comprise at least two central parts which are intended to be placed respectively opposite the parts before these corresponding light guides;
• each light guide and / or its reflector and / or its screen may be made of polycarbonate (or PC);
• its reflector may comprise a metallized internal face.
• the invention also proposes an optical unit comprising at least one lighting device of the type of that presented above.
• the invention can for example be used in the field of vehicles, possibly of the automotive type.
• FIG. 1 schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, a first exemplary embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention, before assembly,
• FIG. 2 schematically illustrates, in a perspective view (from above), the lighting device of FIG. 1 after assembly,
• FIG. 3 schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, one of the two ends of the lighting device of FIG. 1, before assembly
• - Figure 4 schematically illustrates, in a cross-sectional view, a second embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention.
• the lighting device (D) is intended to be part of an optical unit (not shown) of a vehicle, possibly of automotive type. But, the invention is not limited to this application.
• a lighting device (D), according to the invention, can indeed equip any type of system, equipment or device, including interior or exterior walls of building 5 (possibly by providing additional sealing means to protect the interior of the building. 'electronic).
• optical block can be a headlight (or front projector), a fire (rear).
• a lighting device D comprises at least one light guide GL, at least one light source SL, a reflector RL and an EC screen.
• the device 5 (lighting) D has only one light guide GL. But, it could include several, at least two, as is the case of the second embodiment illustrated in Figure 4 (which has three).
• Each light guide GL has two ends E1 and E2 which are opposite to each other and at least one of which is coupled to a light source SL).
• the light which is generated by a light source SL, enters through an end face of the light guide GL, which is here at its first end E1, and propagates internally (this is to say in its mass).
• Each light source SL may comprise at least one light emitting diode (or LED) whose light emitting end is placed substantially against an end face of the first end E1 of the light guide GL, which has been chosen for injection of light.
• This support plate may for example be a printed circuit board, of the PCB type ("Printed Circuit Board”), rigid or flexible (“type” Flex ").
• Each light-emitting diode SL may be coupled to the light guide GL either directly, for example by gluing or embedding) in an orifice defined in its injection end face, or indirectly, for example via the support plate.
• Each light-emitting diode SL may be arranged to emit white light or a colored light. Moreover, in the presence of at least two light-emitting diodes SL, the latter can be arranged to emit lights of different or identical colors.
• each light guide GL has a section of generally circular shape. But this is not obligatory. This section could indeed be rectangular or square or pentagonal or hexagonal, for example.
• each light guide GL has at least one curvature.
• each GL light guide could have several curvatures (at least two), possibly in different planes, or none (purely rectilinear case). Note that in the presence of several light guides GL, the latter (GL) may have different shapes (and therefore curvatures).
• each light guide GL may comprise a substantially flat portion PP intended to promote the reflection of light towards the front portion PV.
• this substantially planar portion PP may be
• rear part PR is understood to mean the part of a light guide GL whose external face (perpendicular to an end face) is substantially oriented towards the reflector RL, and by "front part PV" the
• the RF relief is intended to optimize the transfer towards the front part PV of a light guide GL, on the one hand, of the light which has been reflected by the reflector RL, and on the other hand, of the light which is spread inside this
• the term "light transfer” is understood to mean a deflection caused by a reflection or a refraction, or even a diffraction, at a material-air or air-material interface, and therefore at the level of the possible RF relief (side internal or external).
• the RF relief may for example consist of grooves (or ribs, which amounts to the same) which are, on the one hand, substantially parallel to each other (and therefore here substantially perpendicular to the general direction of a light guide GL It is important to note that due to the possible curvatures that a light guide GL presents, the grooves (or ribs)
• RF can no longer be locally parallel to each other (especially in the curvature zones). Parallelism must be understood here as a general tendency.
• the grooves (or ribs) RF may have a section of substantially triangular shape (optionally isosceles), or more generally in the form of a sawtooth.
• RF relief is not necessarily made of lines (grooves or ribs or streaks). It may indeed consist of
• 3D three-dimensional
• Each GL light guide can for example be made by molding in a synthetic material, for example PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA. Moreover, each GL light guide can be made by molding in a synthetic material, for example PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA. Moreover, each GL light guide can be made by molding in a synthetic material, for example PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA. Moreover, each GL light guide can be made by molding in a synthetic material, for example PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA. Moreover, each GL light guide can be
• the reflector RL has at least one concave section and is intended to be placed facing a rear portion PR of each light guide GL in order to reflect towards a front portion PV of the latter GL of the guided light which is derived from each light source SL to which he is
• each light guide GL can be housed inside a housing LR that comprises the reflector RL in a concave sectional area.
• This housing does not necessarily imply that the outer face) of the rear portion PR of each light guide GL is partially or completely in contact with the inner face which defines a housing LR of the reflector RL. Indeed, it is conceivable that a light guide GL is slightly spaced from the inner face which defines a housing LR of the reflector RL.
• the device comprises three light guides GL (here of slightly different shapes). Therefore, its reflector RL comprises three housings LR respectively adapted to these three light guides GL.
• each housing LR has a shape similar to that of the light guide GL which it must partially accommodate.
• the reflective nature of the inner face of the reflector RL can come from a metallization (at least each LR housing it comprises).
• a reflector RL can for example be made by molding in a synthetic material, for example PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA or PPTD40.
• the screen EC has at least one central part PC which is transparent and which is intended to be placed facing at least part of the front part PV of a light guide GL in order to be illuminated by the light that it transfers to the outside and thus induce a style effect and / or a three-dimensional effect.
• three-dimensional (or 3D) effect means a volume effect) giving an observer an impression of mass and / or thickness (or depth) and / or fleshiness at least when the device D operates.
• the screen EC has as many parts with a concave section as there are
• the screen EC has only one portion with a concave section, whereas in the nonlimiting example of FIG. 4, it comprises three. It will be understood that each portion with a concave section defines a housing which has a shape similar to that of the light guide GL which it must partially accommodate, considered
• Each screen portion EC concave section is defined by a central portion PC and two side portions PL which are located on either side of this central portion PC. It will be understood that each housing of the screen EC is intended to house at least partially the front portion PV of the
• each light guide GL does not necessarily imply that the outer face of the front portion PV of each light guide GL is partially or completely in contact with the inner face which defines a housing of the EC screen. Indeed, it is conceivable that a light guide GL is slightly
• each concave section EC screen portion is intended to enhance the three-dimensional effect and / or the style effect offered by the device D (at least when it works). They in particular to give the impression that the corresponding GL light guide is wider than it actually is, without the need to use more LEDs (which offers a real economic interest ).
• each central part PC is a part
• the side portions PL may be either transparent and grooved, or
• each central portion PC may be optionally grooved, or grained, or sanded, or polished. Sandblasting more particularly makes it possible to mask a light guide GL and to induce a volume effect (strengthening of the width and the thickness) when the device D operates.
• Each zone separating two adjacent concave section EC screen portions may optionally be metallized.
• the screen EC may have a section whose shape varies between its two opposite ends (respectively close to the ends E1 and E2 of the
• this section of the screen EC may have a flare that increases from the end which is located in the vicinity of the first end E1 of a light guide GL. But, increasing flaring and flaring flare sections can coexist.
• the EC screen can for example be made by molding in a synthetic material, for example PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA or APEC (especially when located in a zone that can be thermally hot).
• the EC display may be colored in the mass.
• the device D When the device D is part of an optical block, its screen EC is intended to be placed upstream of the lens of this optical block (that is to say on the inside).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)
• Planar Illumination Modules (AREA)
• Light Guides In General And Applications Therefor (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=42320879

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (13)

Family Cites Families (15)

• 2009
  • 2009-11-27 FR FR0958455A patent/FR2953276B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2010
  • 2010-11-24 ES ES10805270.5T patent/ES2584336T3/es active Active
  • 2010-11-24 EP EP10805270.5A patent/EP2504619B1/de active Active
  • 2010-11-24 US US13/510,051 patent/US20120250345A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2010-11-24 WO PCT/FR2010/052517 patent/WO2011067515A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2010-11-24 BR BR112012012602-4A patent/BR112012012602A2/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2010-11-24 CN CN2010800532573A patent/CN102639929A/zh active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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