FR3056679A1 - DEVICE WITH MASTER AND SLAVE LIGHT MODULES - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting or signaling device comprising a first light module called master module (1) and at least one second light module called slave module (2), each of said master and slave modules comprising a source light source (11, 12), wherein said master module (1) comprises a control circuit (13) arranged to drive the light source (11) of the master module and the light source (12) of the slave module.

Description

® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY © Publication number: 3,056,679 (to be used only for reproduction orders) © National registration number: 16 59136

COURBEVOIE © Int Cl ⁸ : F21 S 41/00 (2017.01), F21 S 43/00, F 21 V23 / 00

A1 PATENT APPLICATION

®) Date of filing: 09.29.16. (© Applicant (s): VALEO VISION Joint-stock company (© Priority: simplified - FR. @ Inventor (s): CHERREAU CHRISTOPHE, RENAUD PIERRE, DORN DAVID, GARROUSTE LAURENT and (43) Date of public availability of the BAKARY SILAS. request: 30.03.18 Bulletin 18/13. ©) List of documents cited in the report preliminary research: Refer to end of present booklet (© References to other national documents (73) Holder (s): VALEO VISION Joint stock company related: folded. ©) Extension request (s): (© Agent (s): VALEO VISION Limited company.

154 / DEVICE WITH MASTER AND SLAVE LIGHT MODULES.

FR 3 056 679 - A1

The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting or signaling device comprising a first light module called a master module (1) and at least a second light module called a slave module (2), each of said master and slave modules comprising a light source. (11,12), wherein said master module (1) comprises a control circuit (13) arranged to control the light source (11) of the master module and the light source (12) of the slave module.

DEVICE WITH MASTER AND SLAVE LIGHT MODULES

The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting or signaling device comprising at least two light modules.

The invention relates more particularly to the control of the light modules of this device.

Vehicle lighting and signaling devices conventionally comprise a plurality of light modules each comprising a light source to be controlled to perform one or more light function (s). Among these functions, there may be mentioned in particular the high beam light function, the code light or low beam light function, the position light or PL light for Parking Light function in English, the daytime running light function or DRL for Day Running Light in English and the light function for direction change indicator or TI for Turn indicator in English.

To control these light modules, the vehicle generally comprises a single control device placed at a distance from the light modules. The control device is connected to the vehicle's power supply (battery), to the vehicle's on-board computer and to the light modules by electric cables or wires.

The control device being distant from the light modules, such an architecture requires a large quantity of electric cables or wires, which increases the cost and the weight of the lighting device.

Furthermore, it is generally necessary to make splices or connectors, at the outlet of the control device, at the level of certain cables to multiply each of them in as many cables as there are light modules to be controlled. This results in an additional cost of the device and possibly reliability problems.

Finally, the control device is generally a standard device oversized so as to be able to control a large number of light modules and be used by a large number of vehicle models. This control device is therefore not always adapted to the precise needs of the vehicle in which it is mounted.

The invention aims to overcome all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks.

According to the invention, it is proposed to replace the single control device placed at a distance from the light modules with a plurality of control devices arranged in a certain number of light modules, each control device controlling the light source of the light module in which it is placed and the light source of at least one other light module, this other light module advantageously ensuring the same light function.

The subject of the invention is therefore a vehicle lighting or signaling device comprising a first light module called a master module and at least a second light module called a slave module, each of the master and slave modules comprising a light source, in which said master module comprises a control circuit arranged to control the light source of the master module and the light source of the slave module.

Thus, according to the invention, the control circuit is present in one of the light modules of the lighting device and is arranged to control the light sources of at least two light modules, namely a master module (which includes the control) and at least one slave module. This makes it possible to reduce the length of cable or electric wire between the control circuit and the light modules.

Advantageously, the control circuit is arranged to control the light sources of close light modules and ensuring the same light function within the vehicle. This makes it possible to further reduce the length of cable or electric wire between the control circuit and the light modules.

In the present patent application, the control circuit is an electrical conversion device intended to convert the electrical energy coming from the electrical network of the vehicle into an energy suitable for supplying the light sources of the lighting and / or signaling device. It also advantageously includes one or more of the functions:

- a diagnostic function;

a limitation function (or "derating" in English) to reduce the current supplied to the light module when the temperature of the latter is too high;

- 1 me function of gradation intensity bright (or "Dimming" In language English) for feed, if need by intermittent, sources bright with current higher or equal to the current

minimum required for the light source to operate.

This control circuit is commonly called "driver" (meaning "pilot" in English) in the field of lighting.

According to a particular embodiment, the master module comprises a connector for connecting the control circuit to an electrical supply device via a first wired link and to the slave module via a second wired link. The first wire link can also connect the control circuit to the vehicle's on-board computer for, for example, the transmission of diagnostics.

Thus, the device of the invention does not include splices for connecting the control circuit to the various light modules.

According to a particular embodiment, the control circuit is configured to perform at least one light function from the group of light functions:

- function of fire of road, - function of fire of coded, - function of fire of position, - function of fire diurnal, - function of change of direction.

The following device one or more of the invention may further characterize the slave module also includes a connector for receiving the second wired link;

the light source of the light modules is an electroluminescent source; it includes for example one or more LEDs or LEDs in English (for Light Emitting Diodes);

- the master module comprises a support on which are mounted its light source and the control circuit;

- the slave module includes a support on which its light source is mounted;

- the light module support is made of a thermally conductive material; the light source of the master module is in thermal contact with the support of the master module and the light source of the slave module is in thermal contact with the support of the slave module; the support of the modules then contributes to the cooling of the light sources;

the master module further comprises a printed circuit on which the control circuit is mounted, said printed circuit connecting the control circuit to the light source of the master module;

- The slave module also includes a simplified printed circuit connected to the light source of the slave module.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description of the following nonlimiting examples, for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings, among which:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view from the front and from below of a master module according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 represents a perspective view from the front and from below of a slave module according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 represents an overall perspective view from behind and from above of a light device according to the invention comprising the master module of FIG. 1 and the slave module of FIG. 2.

According to the invention, the control circuit of the light modules, usually unique and placed at a distance from the light modules, is replaced by one or more control circuits each responsible for driving at least two light modules, this or these control circuits being arranged in the light modules. As mentioned above, the light modules comprising the control circuits are called master modules and the others are called slave modules. The control circuit contained in a master module controls the light source of this master module and the light source of at least one slave module.

The control circuit can control the light source of the master module and that (s) of the slave module (s) for a given light function among the high beam, code light, position, daytime running light or change of direction or for several of them.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 which will be described together, the master module 1 comprises a support 10 on which a light source 11 is mounted, a printed circuit board 12, a control circuit 13 and a connector 14.

This module is intended to emit a light beam or part of a light beam. The light source 11 comprises one or more light-emitting diodes.

The support 10 is formed by a stamped metal plate. It is made of a thermally conductive material, for example aluminum. The light source 11 is in thermal contact with the support so that the latter can dissipate the heat produced by the light source when it is in operation. The support also allows the heat produced by the control circuit 13 to be removed.

The control circuit 13 is mounted on a first face of the printed circuit board 12 while the connector 14 is mounted on the opposite face. It is intended to control the light source 11 and the light source of at least one other light module.

The printed circuit board 12 is fixed, like the light source 11, on a first face of the support 10 so that the control circuit 13 is disposed on the side of this first face of the support and that the connector 14 passes through the support via a through hole 15 and opens on the opposite face of the support.

The printed circuit board 12 is used here to connect, via electrical tracks, the connector 14 to the piloting circuit 13 and to connect the piloting circuit 13 to the light source 11. The piloting circuit is advantageously isolated from electromagnetic disturbances by a Faraday cage to ensure its proper functioning and performance.

The slave module 2, shown in isolation in FIG. 2, also comprises a support 20, a light source 21, a printed circuit board 22 and a connector 24 arranged between them in a substantially identical manner as in the master module. The printed circuit board 22 is used here to connect the connector 24 to the light source 21.

The master module 1 is connected to the power supply (battery) of the vehicle and possibly to the on-board computer of the vehicle via the connector 14 and a plurality of wires or cables 30. It is also connected to the slave module 2 via the connectors 14 and 24 and a plurality of wires or cables 31.

In the embodiment of the figures, the cables 30 and 31 are connected via a male connector 32 to the connector 14, which is then a female connector into which the male connector 32 is inserted. Similarly, a male connector 33 is provided to connect the other end of the cables 31 to the connector 24 which is also a female socket.

Alternatively, the cables 30 and 31 can be soldered directly to the printed circuit boards 12 and 22 to reduce the cost of the device.

As mentioned above, the control circuit 13 is configured to control the light source 11 of the master module and the light source 21 of the slave module.

More generally, according to the invention, the control circuit present in the master module is intended to control the light source of the master module and the light source of one or more slave modules.

The control circuit 13 is a specific integrated circuit (or ASIC for Application Specifies Integrated Circuit in English) which is dimensioned as a function of the number of modules to be controlled and of the number of light functions (code light, position light, daytime running light ...) to implement. We can indeed consider having a control circuit per group of light modules (1 slave module + n slave modules) and per light function. We can also consider having a control circuit implementing two light functions, for example code light and daytime running light) for the same group of light modules.

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Claims (10)

1) Vehicle lighting or signaling device comprising a first light module called a master module (1) and at least a second light module called a slave module (2), each of said master and slave modules comprising a light source (11, 12 ), wherein said master module (1) comprises a control circuit (13) arranged to control the light source (11) of the master module and the light source of the slave module. 2) Device according to claim 1, wherein the master module (1) comprises a connector (14) for connecting the control circuit (13) to an electrical supply device via a first wired link (30) and to the slave module (2) via a second wired link (31). 3) Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit (13) is configured to perform at least one light function from the group of light functions: - high beam function, - code light function, - position light function, - daytime running light function, - direction change function. 4) Device according to one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the slave module (2) comprises a connector (24) for receiving the second wired link (31). 5) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the light source (11,21) of the master and slave modules is an electroluminescent source. 6) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the master module (1) comprises a support (10) on which are mounted its light source (11) and the control circuit (13). 7) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the slave module (2) comprises a support (20) on which is mounted its light source (21). 8) Device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the support (10,20) of the master and slave modules is made of a thermally conductive material. 9) Device according to claim 8, wherein the light source (11) of the master module is in thermal contact with the support (10) of said master module and the light source (21) of the slave module is in thermal contact with the support ( 20) of said slave module. 10) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the master module further comprises a printed circuit on which is mounted the control circuit for connecting the control circuit to the light source. 1/1