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
  • F21S43/236—Light guides characterised by the shape of the light guide
  • F21S43/239—Light guides characterised by the shape of the light guide plate-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
  • F21S43/249—Light guides with two or more light sources 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
  • F21S43/50—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers
• • 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
  • F21S43/10—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights characterised by the light source
  • F21S43/13—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights characterised by the light source characterised by the type of light source
  • F21S43/14—Light emitting diodes [LED]
• • 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
  • F21S43/10—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights characterised by the light source
  • F21S43/13—Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights characterised by the light source characterised by the type of light source
  • F21S43/15—Strips of light sources

Definitions

• the invention relates to lighting devices which comprise a photon source and a light guide which must participate in the performance of a photometric function.
• photometric function means both a photometric lighting function, a photometric signaling function or a photometric light effect function, possibly decorative.
• lighting devices comprising a source generating photons and a light guide receiving in a first zone the photons generated in order to guide them towards a second zone. so that they participate in a chosen photometric function.
• lighting devices generally constitute front lights, but that they can also be part of optical units ensuring several photometric functions including their own.
• the photometric function of the lighting device can, for example, be chosen from a direction change indicator (or flashing) function and a daytime running light (or DRL ("Daytime") function.
• the invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation.
• a lighting device comprising a source generating photons, and a light guide receiving in a first zone the photons generated in order to guide them to a second zone so that they participate in a chosen photometric function.
• It also includes an opaque plate, having dimensions similar to the dimensions of the transverse groove, and is housed in the latter in order to allow illumination by the photons generated from a portion of the second zone belonging to one of these two parts of the light guide, is unused in order to allow the entire second zone to be illuminated by the photons generated.
• the lighting device may include other characteristics which can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular: - in a first embodiment, its photon source can comprise either K light diodes, with K> 1, generating photons for one of the two parts of the light guide, or N light diodes, with N> K, generating photons for the two parts of the light guide. In this case, it may include an electronic control circuit controlling the operation of the light diodes which belong to the photon source;
• its photon source can comprise N light diodes, with N> 2, a first group of K light diodes generating photons for a first of the two parts of the light guide, with K ⁇ N, and a second group of N - K others of these light diodes generating photons for a second of the two parts of the light guide.
• it may include an electronic control circuit operating either only the first group when the opaque plate is housed in the transverse groove, or the first and second groups when the opaque plate is unused;
• It can include an electronic card on which the photon source is installed;
• the electronic card can include the electronic control circuit; the electronic card can be installed in front of the first zone of the light guide;
• the first zone of the light guide can be at least part of a rear face of the latter which is opposite to a front face constituting at least the second zone of the light guide;
• the photometric function can be chosen from a direction change indicator function and a daytime running light (or DRL) function.
• the invention also provides an optical unit intended to equip a vehicle and comprising a lighting device of the type presented above.
• the invention also provides a vehicle, possibly of the automobile type, and comprising at least one lighting device of the type presented above and / or at least one optical unit of the type presented above. before.
• FIG. 1 schematically illustrates, in a sectional view in a longitudinal plane, an example of an optical unit comprising a first embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention, placed in a first configuration
• FIG. 2 schematically illustrates, in a sectional view in a longitudinal plane, the optical unit of FIG. 1 with its lighting device according to the invention, placed in a second configuration
• FIG. 3 illustrates schematically, in a sectional view in a longitudinal plane, an example of an optical unit comprising a second embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention, placed in a first configuration.
• the object of the invention is in particular to propose a configurable ED lighting device intended to provide a chosen photometric function.
• the lighting device DE is intended to be part of a vehicle of the automobile type, such as for example a car. But the invention is not limited to this application. Indeed, the lighting device DE can be an equipment which can be added and used in numerous systems or which can be part of other equipment which is itself part of a system. Thus, the DE lighting device can be part of any vehicle (land, sea (or river), or air), of any installation, including of industrial type, of any device ( or system), including consumer type, and any building, for example.
• the lighting device DE is intended to be part of an optical unit BO constituting a headlight (or headlamp) before a motor vehicle and providing at least two photometric functions. But it could constitute a vehicle front light, for example.
• the lighting device DE is intended to provide a photometric signaling function.
• this is a direction change indicator (or flashing) function.
• it could also be a daytime running light (or DRL) function.
• the invention is not limited to this application.
• the lighting device DE is a light device which can provide a photometric signaling or lighting or light effect (possibly decorative) function.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 There is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a part of an optical unit BO of the vehicle, comprising a first embodiment of a lighting device DE according to the invention, placed respectively in first and second different configurations , which we will come back to later. Also schematically illustrated in FIG. 3, a part of this same optical unit BO of the vehicle, comprising a second embodiment of a lighting device DE according to the invention, placed in a first configuration.
• the optical unit BO (here a front projector) comprises, in particular, a housing BB delimiting with a protective glass GP a cavity housing in particular a lighting device DE according to the invention.
• the BB box is intended, here, to be secured to a front part of the body of a vehicle. It is made of a rigid material, such as for example a plastic or synthetic material. In this case, it can be produced by molding.
• the GP protective glass can, for example, be made of glass or plastic. It is fixedly secured to a front part of the housing BB, for example by gluing, welding or screwing. Furthermore, it can optionally have one or more colors chosen from crystal white, red and orange (or amber).
• a DE lighting device comprises at least one source SP, a light guide GL and an opaque plate PO.
• the lighting device DE when it is an equipment in itself, it also comprises a housing delimiting with a protective glass a cavity housing in particular its source SP, its light guide GL and its opaque plate PO.
• the SP source is arranged so as to generate photons which define a light, for example of white or orange color or even amber.
• this source of photons SP may include light diodes DLj.
• the latter (DLj) can be light-emitting diodes, of the conventional type (or LED (“Light-Emitting Diode”)) or of organic type (or OLED (“Organic Light-Emitting Diode”)), or else laser diodes.
• these light-emitting diodes DLj can be installed on an electronic card CE, for example with integrated or printed circuits, and possibly of the PCB (“Printed Circuit Board”) type.
• This electronic card CE is then part of the lighting device DE. In the example illustrated, it is fixedly secured to an internal face of the housing BB.
• the operation of the photon source SP is controlled by an electronic control circuit CC which can, for example and as illustrated without limitation in FIGS. 1 to 3, form part of the electronic card CE and therefore of the lighting device DE, and which we will come back to later.
• an electronic control circuit CC which can, for example and as illustrated without limitation in FIGS. 1 to 3, form part of the electronic card CE and therefore of the lighting device DE, and which we will come back to later.
• the light guide GL is arranged so as to receive in a first zone Z1 the photons generated by the source SP in order to guide them to a second zone Z2 so that they participate in a chosen photometric function.
• the directions x1, x2 and x3 are respectively the directions of the length, the thickness and the width of the light guide GL.
• the opaque plate PO has dimensions which are similar to the dimensions of the transverse groove RT, so that it can be housed therein in a first configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.
• this opaque plate PO is either housed in the transverse groove RT in order to allow illumination by the photons generated of a portion PZj of the second zone Z2 belonging to one of the two parts PGj of the light guide GL (as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3), is unused in order to allow illumination of the whole (PZ1 + PZ2) of the second zone Z2 by the photons generated.
• the lighting device DE is thus configurable because when the opaque plate PO is used (FIGS. 1 and 3) only a portion PZj of the second zone Z2 is illuminated (which constitutes a first configuration), and when the opaque plate PO is not used (FIG. 2), the entire second zone Z2 is illuminated (which constitutes a second configuration).
• the second configuration not using the opaque plate PO
• lighting is obtained over the entire length (along x1) of the light guide GL
• the first configuration using the opaque plate PO
• lighting is obtained over a length (along x1) which is reduced compared to the total length of the light guide GL.
• the opaque plate PO prevents the photons which have entered the first part PG1 of the light guide GL from passing into the second part PG2 of the light guide GL, and therefore prevents the lighting of the second portion PZ2 of the second zone Z2 of the light guide GL.
• two transverse grooves RT three different lighting lengths are obtained (small, medium and total).
• At least two embodiments of the lighting device DE can be envisaged.
• the number of light diodes DLj (N or K) of the photon source SP is chosen as a function of the desired lighting length.
• the lighting device DE comprises an electronic control circuit CC which controls the operation of the light diodes DLj belonging to the photon source SP.
• the same electronic control circuit CC can be used for the two configurations with N or K light diodes DLj, and therefore on the two possible CE electronic cards.
• the photon source SP comprises a fixed number N of light diodes DLj, with N> 2 for the two configurations.
• These N light diodes DLj are subdivided into first and second groups.
• the first group of K light diodes DL1 therefore generates photons which make it possible to obtain a reduced lighting length on the first portion PZ1 of the second zone Z2, while the second group of N - K light diodes DL2 generates photons which allow a reduced lighting length to be obtained on the second portion PZ2 of the second zone Z2.
• the lighting device DE comprises an electronic control circuit CC which operates either only the first group when the opaque plate PO is housed in the transverse groove RT (first configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 ), or the first and second groups when the opaque plate PO is unused (second configuration equivalent to that illustrated in FIG. 2). Consequently, in the first configuration, a reduced lighting length is obtained over the first portion PZ1 of the second zone Z2, while in the second configuration, a complete lighting length is obtained over the whole of the second zone Z2 (at know its first PZ1 and second PZ2 portions).
• CE electronic card comprising N light diodes DLj and an electronic control circuit CC which is configured so as to control the operation either by itself first group of K light-emitting diodes DL1, i.e. of the first group of K DL1 light diodes and the second group of N - K other DL2 light diodes, depending on the configuration required.
• the electronic control circuit CC operates either only the first group (DL1) when the opaque plate PO is housed in the transverse groove RT, in order to obtain a first reduced lighting length on the first portion PZ1 of the second zone Z2, i.e. the first and second groups (DL1 + DL2) when the opaque plate PO is not used, to obtain a complete lighting length over the entire second zone Z2 (namely its first PZ1 and second PZ2 portions), or even only the second group (DL2) when the opaque plate PO is housed in the transverse groove RT, to obtain a second reduced lighting length on the second portion PZ2 of the second zone Z2.
• the electronic card CE can be installed in front of the first zone
• the first zone Z1 of the light guide GL can be at least part of the rear face FR of the latter (GL), which is opposite to its front face FV which constitutes at least the second zone Z2 of the light guide GL.
• the first zone Z1 of the light guide GL is placed at one of the two ends (longitudinal) of the latter (GL).
• the first zone Z1 extends over the entire rear face FR and the second zone Z2 extends over the entire front face FV. But the first zone Z1 could extend over part of the rear face FR and / or the second zone Z2 could extend over part of the front face FV.
• the rear face FR may include three-dimensional (or 3D) structures suitable for introducing the photons into the light guide GL in preferred directions so that they preferentially reach places in the second zone Z2 which are a function of the place in the first zone Z1 through which they entered.
• 3D structures can, for example, be prisms, ribs, gadroons (species of ribs) or studs
• the possible electronic control circuit CC can be arranged so as to operate the light diodes DLj one after the other, in order to create a scrolling effect (from right to left or from left to the right) as required. But it is not compulsory. Indeed, it could make them work all together (either DL1, or DL1 + DL2, or even possibly only DL2 (in the variant)).
• the light guide GL can be produced by molding a material such as polycarbonate (or PC) or poly methyl methacrylate (or PMMA). It can, moreover, possibly be of the so-called “flat” (or “fiat guide”) type.
• the optical plate PO can be produced by molding a material such as polyethylene (or PE) or polypropylene (or PP) or even polycarbonate (or PC).
• PE polyethylene
• PP polypropylene
• PC polycarbonate

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Planar Illumination Modules (AREA)
• Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=65243831

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2018
  • 2018-09-25 FR FR1858698A patent/FR3086368B1/fr active Active
• 2019
  • 2019-09-06 EP EP19787332.6A patent/EP3857121B1/de active Active
  • 2019-09-06 CN CN201980062576.1A patent/CN112752924B/zh active Active
  • 2019-09-06 WO PCT/FR2019/052058 patent/WO2020065162A1/fr unknown

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