FR2950129A1 - LIGHTING AND / OR SIGNALING DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE. - Google Patents

Abstract

Optical module (10) for a lighting and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle comprising: - a first optical deflection element (12) which has a focus (F1), - a support (20) for this optical deflection element (12) with a bearing surface (61) located at a distance (d) from the focus (F1), - an adapter (70) bearing against said bearing surface, - a printed circuit (80) attached to said adapter at least one LED fixed on said printed circuit, the adapter being configured so that the light emitting element of the LED is positioned substantially on the focus F1.

Description

Lighting and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle

The invention relates to a lighting and / or signaling module comprising an LED adapter fixed on its printed circuit intended to bear on the support of a first optical element of this module. Lighting and / or signaling devices for a motor vehicle, such as headlamps and taillights, consist of a housing closed by a closure glass and containing one or more optical modules. The light beams emitted by these devices are made by this or these optical modules, which can work together or separately. These optical modules comprise a light source associated with one or more optical deflection elements, and possibly caches, for modulating the shape of the beam as well as the distribution of the light intensity in this beam. In some of these optical modules, the light sources comprise one or more light-emitting diodes, also called LEDs or LEDs. Light emitting diodes are composed of one or more light emitting elements that emit light when it is electrically powered. For this, the photoemissive element is placed on a substrate comprising two electrodes in contact with the light emissive element to enable it to be tensioned. The light emitting element may be covered with a transparent protective element, modifying or not the beam emitted by the photoemissive element.

The optical deflection elements in the present application are optical elements for deflecting the light beams. These are, for example, reflectors, which deflect light by reflecting it, or lenses, which deflect light by one or more refractions. Several combinations of optical elements are possible. First, the light source can be associated with a single optical element. For example a convergent lens or a parabolic reflector, at the focus of which is placed the light source. It is also possible to use an elliptical reflector combined with a second generally convergent optical element, for example a lens. An example of these optical modules having in addition one or more LEDs as a light source is described in document FR2839139. For optical modules using LEDs, to allow power management of these LEDs, see the modulation of the current to which these LEDs are subjected, these are generally placed on printed circuits. The printed circuit board on which the LED is fixed is fixed on a support positioning it in the optical module. This positioning must be precise so that the association with the optical elements generates the desired shape of light beam. In particular, the photoemissive element must be positioned precisely with respect to the focus of the first optical element, which collects the rays emitted from the surface of the light emitting element. In some optical modules used today, it is the support element of the first optical element that also supports the printed circuit, so that by correctly setting this support with respect to the size of the LED and the thickness of its printed circuit, it ensures the positioning of the light emitting element with respect to the focus of the first optical element. Each circuit board is adapted to the electrical characteristics of the LED or LEDs it carries. As a result, LEDs with different characteristics will present different printed circuits. In particular, depending on the LED used, this circuit will generally have a different thickness. The problem is that if you want to change the LED and replace it with an LED with different characteristics, you will have to use a different printed circuit, the thickness of which differs. The photoemissive element will no longer be correctly positioned relative to the focus. Therefore, once an optical module designed or realized, we find ourselves obliged to use an LED with the same characteristics. The object of the present invention is therefore to find a solution to allow the use of different LEDs of different characteristics for the same optical module of lighting and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle, including the support of the first deflection element Optical also supports an LED fixed on its circuit board.

Thus an object of the present invention is an optical module for a lighting and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle comprising: a first optical deflection element which has a focus, a support of this optical deflection element, support comprising a bearing surface situated at a given distance from the focal point, - an adapter resting against this bearing surface, - a printed circuit fixed to this adapter, - at least one LED fixed on this printed circuit, this printed circuit electrically feeding this LED, this LED comprising a light emitting element and emitting light rays towards the first optical deflection element, the adapter being configured so that the photoemissive element is positioned in the vicinity of the focus F1 or on the focus F1 .

Thus, it is possible to use a new LED of different characteristic. To do this, we only remove the adapter and modify it so that it has a different configuration allowing a correct positioning of the new LED. Alternatively, you can also use another adapter already configured to allow the correct positioning of the new LED.

It also makes it possible to design standard optical modules that can accommodate different types of LEDs with different characteristics. The optical module according to the invention may also have, in addition to the main features set forth in the preceding paragraphs, one or more of the following additional features: the support comprises a withdrawal, the bottom of the withdrawal being constituted at least in part by the surface of the support; this allows a simple design of the bracket and the adapter; the depth of this withdrawal is equal to the sum of the thickness of the adapter, the thickness of the printed circuit and the thickness of the bottom of the LED up to the illuminating face of its light emitting element; the underside of the LED corresponds to the underside of the photoemissive element when it is directly attached to the circuit board, or below the substrate when the LED includes one; the term below is designated with reference to the direction of illumination by the LED; thus LEDs can be adapted to printed circuits of different thicknesses by simply adjusting the thickness of the adapter; the first optical deflection element may for example be a reflector; the optical module of the invention according to the invention has the following characteristics: the first optical deflection element is a reflector and has a second focus towards which the rays reflected by the reflector converge and coming from the focus F1, the optical module comprises a second optical deflection element admitting a third focus substantially positioned at the second focus so that the rays passing through the second focus are parallel to the optical axis of the optical module once deflected by the second element optical, * the support is a cache comprising a cache surface located in a plane comprising said optical axis, this cache surface having a cutoff edge located in the vicinity of the second focus, so that the beam emitted by the optical module has a cut, * the depth of shrinkage corresponding to the distance between the bearing surface and the surface of hidden. In this case, the invention is particularly interesting given the positioning constraints. Thus, it will be possible to change LEDs without moving the different foci and the cutting edge relative to each other; the cache surface presenting the cutting edge is reflective; this embodiment allows to return some light rays in the beam while maintaining the cut; it will thus be possible to have a more intense light beam or to use a less powerful LED; the first optical deflection element is a reflector and the second optical deflection element is a convergent lens or with convergent sections, or a parabolic reflector or with parabolic sections; according to an alternative embodiment the second optical deflection element is fixed, indirectly or directly to the first optical deflection element; the first optical deflection element is an elliptical reflector; the optical module according to the invention comprises means for fixing the adapter to said support making it possible to separate the adapter from the support and to remove it from the optical module without separating the first optical deflection element from said support; it is thus not necessary to adjust the positioning of the first optical deflection element relative to the support once a new LED positioned in the module, simply attach the adapter corresponding to the chosen LED, fixed on its printed circuit; the fixing means is mechanically operable from the outside of the optical module; this makes it easy to replace the LED while the optical module is already equipped with it; the support comprises a through hole, the fastening means passing through said through hole to attach to the adapter; this allows a simple mounting of the adapter on the support, while maintaining a simple design of the adapter and the support; according to an alternative embodiment the hole of the adapter is not through, allowing in this case to have a top surface of the smooth adapter to facilitate the fixing of the printed circuit, for example by gluing; - The through hole of the support may have a diameter greater than that of the hole of the adapter, so as to allow a positioning game of the adapter before attachment to the support; the first optical deflection element is a reflector and the optical module comprises an opening between the support and the reflector, at the rear and / or on the reflector side, said withdrawal opening into this opening so as to allow the removal of the adapter by a generally translational movement; generally speaking, we mean the majority of the movement, the movement being able for example to be a translation ending in a slight rotation at the end of the movement, to allow an element fixed onto the printed circuit to pass; the support comprises positioning means in two distinct directions contained in a plane parallel to the bearing surface; the adapter can thus be positioned more precisely; - The support comprises a withdrawal, the bottom of the withdrawal being formed at least in part by the bearing surface, and the withdrawal is defined by two walls at right angles constituting the separate positioning means; the support has a cache surface as previously stated, and the wall of the recess located along the cutting edge has a cut-out, such that the ends of this wall are closer to the rear of the reflector than the middle of this wall; is not; thus the thickness of material between the cutting edge and the wall of the corresponding shrinkage is increased on the sides; the material at this level is thus reinforced and the cutting edge is less likely to deform to heat; Another object of the present invention is an LED adapter fixed on its printed circuit, in particular for a module as described above. This adapter comprises a first face for fixing the printed circuit, and a second face opposite to the first face, the second face comprising means for receiving a fixing means. This adapter can thus be used in a module as described above to place a given characteristic LED. This adapter may also have, in addition to the main features set forth in the preceding paragraphs, one or more of the following additional features: the receiving means is a non-through screwing hole; - Its first and second faces are joined by walls, at least two of these walls forming an angle must; a first of these walls comprises a cutout so that the distance between its ends and a second wall situated opposite this wall is shorter than the distance between the middle of the first wall and the second wall; .

Another object of the present invention is an optical module whose support is adapted to receive an LED adapter fixed on a PCB, for example an adapter as described above. This optical module for a lighting and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle comprising: a reflector which has a first focus and a second focus, to which the rays reflected by the reflector converge and coming from the first focus, a second optical deflection element having a third focus substantially positioned at the second focus so that the rays passing through the second focus are parallel to the optical axis when deflected by the second optical deflection member; optical deflection element, the support being a cache comprising a cache surface located in a plane comprising the optical axis of the optical module, the cache surface having a cutoff edge located in the vicinity of the second focus, so that the beam emitted by the optical module has a cutoff. The support of this optical module comprises a withdrawal, the bottom of the withdrawal being formed at least in part by a bearing surface located at a given distance from the focus. This optical module further comprises an opening between the support and the reflector, at the rear or on the reflector side, the withdrawal opening into this opening so as to allow at least the passage of an LED fixed on its printed circuit, especially for an LED fixed on an adapter as described above. This optical module may also have a support having a through hole accessible on one side from outside the module and opening to the other in said withdrawal. Another object of the present invention is together, or "kit", comprising: an optical module comprising a first optical deflection element which has a focus and a support for this optical deflection element, the support comprising a surface of support located at a given distance from this focus, - at least two LED adapters fixed on a printed circuit, including adapters as described above, these adapters each having a first face on which is intended to be fixed said printed circuit, and a second face opposite to the first face, characterized in that the two adapters have a thickness between their first and second surfaces, the thickness of a first adapter differing from the thickness of the second adapter by a determined difference. These differences are generally from 1 to 15 tenths of a millimeter. This set may also have, in addition to the main features set forth in the preceding paragraphs, one or more of the following additional features: - apart from their thicknesses, the other dimensions of these adapters are identical; this facilitates the interchangeability of the adapters; the assembly comprises at least two printed circuits whose thicknesses differ by a difference identical to the difference between the thicknesses of these adapters, each printed circuit being intended to receive at least one LED; the adapter thickness deviation will thus compensate for the difference in thickness between the printed circuits; by simply positioning against the bearing surface, the photoemissive elements of the various LEDs are correctly positioned relative to the focus. Another object of the present invention is a method of replacing in an optical module a first LED fixed on a first printed circuit by a second LED fixed on a second printed circuit, the thickness of the first printed circuit having a given gap with the second printed circuit, said optical module comprising: - a first optical deflection element which has a first focus, - a support of this optical deflection element, this support comprising a bearing surface located at a given distance from the first focus, a first adapter bearing against the bearing surface, said first printed circuit fixed to the first adapter, the LED fixed to the first adapter, said LED comprising a light emitting element which emits light rays towards the first optical deflection element and which is positioned at the first focus or on the first focus. This method comprises the steps of: - disconnecting the first adapter from the support, - removing this first adapter from the optical module, - fixing the second printed circuit on a second adapter, the thickness of which has a gap with the thickness of the first equal adapter the gap between the thickness of the first printed circuit and the second printed circuit, - placing the second adapter on the support surface, so that the photoemissive element of the second LED is positioned in the vicinity or on the first focus . Generally speaking, in the present application, the term "in the vicinity of the first focus" is intended to be positioned on the focal point or at a distance therefrom such that the ray issuing from the light source emerges substantially parallel to the optical axis. . This distance may for example equal to one-tenth of the focal length of the reflector. Any combination of these complementary features previously mentioned, to the extent that they are not mutually exclusive, is an advantageous embodiment of the invention. The invention also relates to a lighting and / or signaling device comprising an optical module as described above. The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising such a lighting and / or signaling device. According to an alternative embodiment, the adapter is thermal conductor and is connected to a heat sink, to evacuate the heat produced by the LED.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, for the understanding of which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic general perspective view of a example of optical system to which the present invention applies; FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an optical module according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is an enlargement of the area surrounded in dashed lines in FIG. 5; FIG. 4a is a perspective view showing two circuits printed on adapters according to the present invention; - Figure 4b is a schematic sectional view of Figure 4a; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an adapter according to the present invention, placed in a support of first optical deflection element; - Figure 6 is an alternative embodiment with two modules according to the present invention; - Figure 7 is a projector comprising at least one module according to the present invention.

The different elements appearing in several figures will, unless otherwise specified, have the same reference. Moreover, the elements appearing in several figures, will not be systematically described or cited again for each figure. Figure 1 shows the different optical elements of the present invention. The lighting module 10 comprises, arranged from rear to front along a horizontal longitudinal optical axis A-A, a first optical deflection element, which is for example as in the example shown a reflector 12 of the elliptical type. The lighting module also comprises a light source 14 which is arranged in the vicinity of a first focus F1 of the reflector 12, and a second optical deflection element 16 whose focal plane is arranged in the vicinity of the second focus F2 of the reflector 12. In the illustrated example, the second optical deflection element is a converging lens.

The lens 16 could also be replaced by a parabolic reflector or with parabolic sections, having a focus positioned on or in the vicinity of the second focus F2. The optical axis AA defines here, without limitation, a horizontal longitudinal direction and a back-to-front orientation, which corresponds to a left-to-right orientation in FIG. 1 and from right to left on 2 and 5. L optical axis AA is for example substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of a vehicle (not shown) equipped with the lighting module 10. In the following description, without limitation, we will use a vertical orientation that corresponds to a direction from top to bottom in Figure 3. The direction along the axis AA is the longitudinal direction. The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction is the transverse direction. An LED 14 emits its light energy in less than a "half space" above the cache surface 22 towards the inner face of the elliptical surface of the reflector 12. In the illustrated example, the light emitting element is encapsulated in a protective resin dome. The convergent lens 16 is here a piece of revolution around the longitudinal optical axis A-A. The lens 16 has, vis-à-vis the reflector 12, a transverse input surface 17 for the light rays. According to the embodiment shown here, the reflector 12 comprises an elliptical surface which is formed as a substantially angular sector of a part of revolution, and which extends in the half space above an axial plane horizontal passing through the longitudinal optical axis AA.

It should be noted that the elliptical surface may not be perfectly elliptical and may have several specific profiles intended to optimize the light distribution in the lighting beam produced by the module 10, according to the lighting function performed by the module 10. reflector 12 defines a reflection volume for the light rays emitted by the source 14, that is to say a volume in which the light rays are emitted and in which the light rays are reflected. This reflection volume is delimited, in its upper part, by the internal reflection face 20 of the elliptical surface, and vertically downwards by the reflecting face of the cache surface 22. The cache surface 22 extends here in a horizontal axial plane. The cover surface 22 is delimited, at the rear, at its intersection a trailing edge, and at the front, by a cutting edge 28. It can be provided alternatively that the cache surface 22 is delimited at the rear by a line segment perpendicular to the axis AA and passing in the immediate vicinity of the LED 14, in front of the latter. The cutting edge 28 of the cover surface 22 is arranged on or in the vicinity of the second focus F2 of the reflector 12, so as to form a sufficiently sharp cut in the illumination beam produced by the illumination module 10. focal point of the lens 16, in a horizontal plane passing through the focus F2 of the lens 16, forms a curved profile, concave forward. According to the embodiment, the curved shape of this profile is more or less complex, and can be compared in first approximation to an arc of a circle. Therefore, preferably, the cutoff edge 28 has a curved profile, in the horizontal plane, so as to follow generally the profile of the focal plane of the lens 16.

Figure 2 also schematically illustrates an optical module in section substantially identical to that illustrated in Figure 1. The optical elements already described is added more details on the attachment of the various elements. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the first optical deflection element, namely in this case the reflector 12, is supported by a support 20.

This support 20 comprises a bearing surface 61 situated at a given distance d from the first focus F1 of the reflector 12. An adapter 70 is placed and fixed on this bearing surface 20. A printed circuit 80 is attached to the adapter 70. This printed circuit supplies and drives an LED, fixed on this printed circuit. The LED comprises a photoemissive element 14 which emits light rays towards the reflector 12.

The adapter 70 is configured so that said light emitting element 14 is positioned substantially in the vicinity of the focus F1 of the reflector 12. In the illustrated case, as the light source 14 is arranged in the vicinity of the first focus F1 of the elliptical reflector 12, some radii R1 emitted at the focus F1 or very close thereto by the photoemissive element 14, after being reflected on the inner face of the elliptical surface of the reflector 12, are returned to the second focus F2 of the reflector 18, or in the vicinity of it. As already explained above and as will be illustrated below, this precise positioning is important. The support 20 described allows thanks to this support surface the placement of an adapter whose configuration will allow this positioning, in a simple manner. This bearing surface also makes it possible to take another LED than that illustrated, fixed on a printed circuit of different thickness. It will suffice to vary the shape of the adapter 70, by changing or machining without changing the arrangement of the support 20 and the reflector 12. The support 20 comprises a withdrawal 60 whose bottom is constituted at least in part by the bearing surface 61. The depth of the withdrawal is equal to the sum of the thickness of the adapter 70, the thickness of the printed circuit 80 and the thickness of the underside of the LED up to the face illuminating its sound the light emitting element 14. As can be seen in Figure 3, the light emitting element 14 is thus simply by positioning the adapter on the bearing face 61 in the horizontal plane containing the first focus F1. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the adapter 70 is particularly advantageous because other elements must also be correctly positioned relative to the focal points of the reflector 12, namely the convergent lens 16 and the cut-off edge. R1 light rays from the focus F1 are reflected to the second focus F2 of the reflector that corresponds to that of the lens 16. The lens then refracts the radius R1 parallel to the optical axis AA. A concentrated light image is thus obtained which is projected, at the front of the lighting module 10, by the lens 16, in a direction substantially parallel to the optical axis A-A.

Part of the light rays emitted by the source 14 and which are not emitted exactly at the focus F1 will pass over the focus F2 and the cutoff edge 28 and will be refracted downwards by the lens. The support 20 comprises the cache surface 22, so that a portion of the light rays R2 emitted by the source 14 and which are not emitted exactly at the focus F1 and which would pass below the cutting edge 28, if there was no cache area 22, will be intercepted by the latter. As this reflective surface is reflective, the light rays R2 are reflected a second time forward, passing above the cutoff edge 28 and the focus F2, and will be refracted downwards by the lens 16. The rays The light emitted next to the first focus F1 is thus emitted under the cut-off in the lighting beam. This lighting module 10 according to the invention makes it possible to make a clean cut with this LED, because it projects the image of the cutoff edge at the front 28. The shape of the cutoff in the lighting beam is thus determined. by the profile of the cutting edge 28, in a projection on a vertical and transverse plane. According to a variant not shown the cache surface can be made non-reflective. In this case, it absorbs the light rays that meet it. The light beam will be less intense.

In the illustrated example, the photoemissive element is placed on a substrate 15 carrying the electrodes of the LED. This substrate is directly attached to the printed circuit board 80. It is also possible to use an LED whose photoemissive element is directly in contact with the printed circuit. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the surface of the light emitting element 14 is flush with the plane containing the cover surface 22. This is facilitated by the fact that the bearing surface 61 is parallel to the cover surface 22. The bearing surface and the cover surface are horizontal in this figure. The depth of the withdrawal 60 is equal to the shortest distance d between the bearing surface 61 and the plane containing the surface 22 of the cover.

As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the adapter 70 is fixed to the support 20 by means of a screw 90 which is screwed into a hole of the adapter 70. This screw makes it possible to separate the adapter from the support 20 and remove it from the optical module without separating said reflector 12 from the support 20. This screw passes through a through hole 26 of the support 20, to be fixed by one of its ends 91 to the adapter 70, and is screwed from below the support 20. The screw head 92 is supported on the underside of the support 20. It is thus mechanically operable from outside said optical module 10. The hole of the adapter 70 is non-traversing. It is thus possible to increase the bonding surface on the printed circuit 80. The through hole 26 of the support 20 has a diameter greater than that of the hole of the adapter 70. The optical module comprises an opening 13 between the support 20 and the reflector 12 , at the back of the reflector. The withdrawal 60 opens into this opening 13. Thus, to remove the LED from the optical module 10, the screw is unscrewed and the adapter is removed by a translational movement R, through the opening 13. In the illustrated case, no protective dome covers the photoemissive element 14. However, when a dome is present and the top of the opening 13 is in the plane of the illuminating surface of the light emitting element 14, at the end of the movement of translation, the back of the adapter is slightly turned upward to let this dome. The movement remains, in the sense of the present application, globally translation.

To replace the LED, another LED mounted on a printed circuit board is used, either mounted on the adapter or modified on another adapter with the required configuration. The modified adapter or other adapter is inserted in the opposite direction through the opening 13, so that it rests in contact with the bearing surface 61. The configuration of the modified adapter or the new adapter, to know in this example its thickness, is chosen according to the thickness of the printed circuit and the shortest distance between the underside of the LED and the illuminating surface of the light emitting element 14. Thus, this illuminating surface is found positioned in a plane including the first focus F1. A screw 90 is then passed through the through hole 26 of the support 20, it is screwed into the adapter, and the lateral positioning of the adapter is adjusted in the recess 60 so that the photoemissive element 14 is on the first one. F1 focus. Once this is done, tighten the screw securely to secure the adapter. Figures 4a and 4b show two printed circuits on which LEDs are attached.

The first printed circuit 80 comprises an LED with a light emitting element 14 fixed on a substrate 42, fixed and connected to the printed circuit board 80. The printed circuit tracks 80 are connected to the electrodes of the LED, to the connection points 86 and 88 for connecting the electrical circuit to a power supply, not shown, and possibly a control module, not shown as well. These connection points may be connectors allowing the connection of the printed circuit, for example once the adapter mounted. The first adapter 70 carries the first printed circuit 80. The second printed circuit 180 comprises two LEDs, not shown, fixed to the second printed circuit 180 at connection points 182 and 184. The driving of these two LEDs requires more tracks and components. The second printed circuit 180 is thus thicker than the first printed circuit 80. There is therefore a gap A, between the second printed circuit 180 and the first printed circuit 80. In order to allow the interchangeability of the LEDs carried by the first printed circuit 80 and the second printed circuit 180, a second adapter 170 is used to carry the second printed circuit 180. This second adapter 170 is identical in shape to the first adapter 70, except that it has a smaller thickness than the first one. adapter. This difference in thickness between the adapter is equal to the difference in thickness between the two printed circuits, and thus makes it possible to compensate for it so that these two types of LED assembly can be placed in the optical module 10, so that the illuminating surfaces of the photoemissive elements are in the vicinity of the first focus F1. The second adapter 170 is therefore thinner by a gap A than the first adapter 70. Note that in certain variants of the invention, for example as in the illustrated case, the positioning of the LEDs is such that the central point of the illuminating surface for the first LED is positioned laterally and longitudinally on the adapter at the same level as the center point of the illuminating surface or all of the illuminating surfaces for the LED or LEDs of the second printed circuit.

The identical shape of the two adapters, apart from their thickness, will allow them to be positioned identically longitudinally and transversely as well. Each adapter 70, 170 comprises walls, joining the surface in contact with the printed circuit 80, 180 and the surface accommodating the screw head 92. These walls are perpendicular to these surfaces. As the recess also has walls perpendicular to the bearing surface 61, these walls will allow to wedge the adapter in the withdrawal and thus position it precisely. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 5, when the adapter slides along the bearing surface, during assembly, a transverse wall 72 of the adapter abuts with a transverse wall 62 of the withdrawal 60. it is also possible to wedge a longitudinal wall 73 of the adapter against a longitudinal wall 63 of the recess 60. Thus it is easier to position the adapter 70 in the recess 60, and thus the illuminating surfaces, in two distinct directions contained in a plane parallel to the bearing surface 61.

In this example, these two directions are a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction. To further facilitate this positioning, the two transverse and longitudinal walls are at right angles. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the wall of the recess 60 situated along the cut-off edge 28 has a particular cut-out, namely a horizontal slot whose bottom is oriented towards the cutting edge 28. Thus the ends of this wall 62 are closer to the rear of the reflector 12 than the middle 65 of this wall is, the latter being closer to the cutting edge. It is thus possible to bring the LED closer to the cutting edge, while maintaining a sufficient thickness of material between the ends of the cutting edge 28 and the ends of the wall 62. The cutting edge 28 is thus less sensitive to deformation due to the heat.

This cutting can of course take other forms, such as staircuts to the cutting edge 28, or other forms. The adapter 70, 170 preferably has, but not necessarily, a shape partially complementary to this cutting. For example, the first transverse wall 72 of the adapter 70, located on the side of the cutting edge 28, comprises a cutout so that the distance between its ends and the opposite transverse wall 71 is shorter than the distance between the middle of said first transverse wall 72 and the opposite transverse wall 71. Figure 6 shows an embodiment with two modules according to the present invention. These are very close to the one illustrated in the previous figures. They each comprise a combination of LED 114, 214 each associated with a reflector 112, 212, and a lens 116, 216, according to the optical principles described above. These optical modules respectively have optical axes A'-A 'and A "-A". The support 120 of the first reflector 112 has a recess 160, with an opening at the rear and on the side toward the second module. The support 220 of the second reflector 212 has a recess 260, with an opening at the rear and on the side toward the first module. Each support has a cut-off edge, respectively 128 and 228. An adapter 170 common to the two modules makes it possible to position both the LED 114 of the first module and that 214 of the second module at the first foci of the two reflectors 112, 212. According to some embodiments, this also makes it possible, when the LEDs of the two modules are carried by a common printed circuit, to be able to position the two optical modules with respect to each other, if their position can be adjusted. This type of embodiment can be adapted to more than two aligned modules. In the latter case, if a single adapter is used, removal of the module (s) between the modules at the ends of the array will include two side openings to the adjacent modules, in addition to the rear opening.

Figure 7 illustrates a vehicle headlight 46 having four optical modules according to the present invention, together generating a code beam. The two modules at the top have an oblique cutting edge 28. They may have a common printed circuit to facilitate their orientation relative to each other, so that their elementary beams are superimposed on 25 meters. They make it possible to generate the oblique portion of the cut of the code beam. The modules of the bottom 50 generate wider beams with a horizontal cut to achieve the complement of the code beam, superimposed with the beams of the top modules 28. These bottom modules can also have an adapter and a common printed circuit. The number of modules, their configuration and their layout is however not limiting.

Claims (18)

CLAIMS1- Optical module (10) for a lighting and / or signaling device (46) for a motor vehicle comprising: a first optical deflection element (12) which has a focus (F1), a support (20) of this element optical deflection device (12), said support comprising a bearing surface (61) located at a given distance (d) from said focus (F1), an adapter (70) bearing against said bearing surface, - a printed circuit board (80) attached to said adapter, at least one LED fixed on said printed circuit, the printed circuit electrically feeding said LED, said LED comprising a light emitting element (14) and emitting light rays to said first optical deflection element (12), the adapter being configured so that said light emitting element is positioned substantially in the vicinity of the focus F1 or the focus F1. 2- optical module (10) according to claim according to claim 1, characterized in that said support (20) comprises a recess (60), the bottom of said withdrawal being formed at least in part by said bearing surface (61) . 3- optical module (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the depth of said shrinkage is equal to the sum of the thickness of said adapter (60), the thickness of the printed circuit (80) and the thickness from the bottom of the LED to the illuminating face of its light emitting element (14). 4- optical module (10) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: - said first optical deflection element is a reflector (12) and has a second focus (F2) to which converge the rays reflected by the reflector and from the focus F1, - said optical module (10) comprises a second optical deflection element (16) admitting a third focus (F3) substantially positioned at the second focus (F2) so that the rays passing through the second focus (F2) are parallel to the optical axis (A) of the optical module (10) once deviated by the second optical element, - said support (20) is a cache comprising a cache surface located in a plane comprising said optical axis (A), said cache surface having a cutoff edge (28) located in the vicinity of the second focus (F2), so that the beam emitted by said optical module has a cutoff, - the depth of said shrinkage corre at the distance between the support surface and the cache surface. 5- optical module (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises an opening (13) between the support (20) and the reflector (12), at the rear or on the reflector side, said withdrawal (60) opening into this opening so as to allow at least the passage of the LED fixed on said adapter. 6- optical module (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for fixing the adapter (70) to said support (20) for separating the adapter from the support and the removing from the optical module without separating said first optical deflection element (12) from said support. 7- optical module (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that said fixing means (90) is mechanically operable from outside said optical module. 8- optical module (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the support (20) comprises a through hole (26), said fixing means (90) passing through said through hole to attach to the adapter (70) . 9- optical module (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first optical deflection element is a reflector (12), in that said support (20) comprises a recess (60), the bottom said shrinkage being constituted at least in part by said bearing surface (61), and in that said optical module comprises an opening (13) between the support (20) and the reflector (12), at the rear and / or on the side of the reflector, said recess (60) opening into this opening so as to allow removal of the adapter by a generally translational movement. 10- optical module (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said support (20) comprises positioning means according to two distinct directions contained in a plane parallel to the bearing surface (61). 11- optical module (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that said support (20) comprises a recess (60), the bottom of said withdrawal being formed at least in part by said bearing surface (61), and said withdrawal (60) is delimited by two right-angled walls constituting said distinct positioning means. 12- adapter (70, 170) LED fixed on its printed circuit (80, 180), characterized in that it comprises a first face for fixing said printed circuit (80, 180), and a second face opposite to the first face characterized in that the second face comprises means for receiving a fixing means, said adapter being suitable for use in an optical module according to one of claims 1 to 11. 13- Adapter (70, 170) according to claim 12, characterized in that said receiving means is a non-through screw hole (26). 14. An adapter (70, 170) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that said first and second faces are joined by walls, at least two of these walls forming an angle must. 15- adapter (70, 170) according to claim 14, characterized in that a first of said walls comprises a cutout, so that the distance between its ends and a second wall located opposite the wall is shorter than the distance between the middle of said first wall and the second wall. 16- Assembly comprising: - an optical module (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11 comprising a first optical deflection element (12) which admits a focus (F1) and a support (20) of this optical deflection element (12), said support comprising a support surface (61) located at a given distance (d) from said focus (F1), - at least two adapters (70 and 170) of LEDs fixed on a printed circuit, in particular adapters according to one of claims 12 to 15, said adapters (70 and 170) each having a first face on which is intended to be fixed said printed circuit (80, 180), and a second face opposite to the first face characterized in that the two adapters have a thickness between their first and second surfaces, the thickness of a first adapter differing from the thickness of the second adapter by a determined distance (0). 17. An assembly according to claim 16, characterized in that, apart from their thicknesses, the other dimensions of the adapters (70 and 170) are identical. 18- A method of replacing in an optical module (10) a first LED fixed on a first printed circuit 80 by a second LED fixed on a second printed circuit 180, the thickness of the first printed circuit having a given distance with the second printed circuit board, said optical module (10) comprising: - a first optical deflection element (12) which has a first focus (F1), - a support (20) for this optical deflection element (12), said support comprising a a bearing surface (61) located at a given distance (d) from said first focus (F1), a first adapter (70) bearing against said bearing surface, - said first printed circuit (80) attached to said first adapter, said LED attached to said first adapter, said LED comprising a photoemissive element (14) which emits light rays to said optical deflection element (12) and which is positioned at the focus F1 or on the focus F1; said method comprising the steps of: detaching the first adapter (70) from said carrier, removing said first adapter from said optical module, - attaching the second printed circuit (180) to a second adapter (170), the thickness of which has a gap with the thickness of the first adapter (70) equal to the difference between the thickness of the first printed circuit (80) and the second printed circuit (180), - placing the second adapter on the support surface, so that the the photoemissive element of the second LED is positioned at the first focus F1 or at the first focus F1.