FR3064047A1 - VEHICLE OPTICAL BLOCK WITH A LIGHT BEAM CONFIGURABLE BY DISPLACING A LENS - Google Patents

Abstract

An optical unit (BO) is intended to equip a vehicle and comprises a housing (BB) defining a cavity (CB) closed at the front by a protective glass (GP) and housing: - a source of photons (SP) fixed - a fixed reflector (RP), - a lens (LT) defining with the photons a light beam (FL) having a main direction with respect to the protective glass (GP) and a divergence and providing a photometric signaling function a platen (PL) to which the lens (LT) is fixedly attached, and - displacement means (MD) capable of translating and / or rotating the platen (PL) relative to the casing (BB) so as to placing the lens (LT) in a selected position relative to the reflector (RP), capable of inducing selected main direction and divergence.

Description

Holder (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Société anonyme.

Extension request (s)

Agent (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Public limited company.

VEHICLE OPTICAL BLOCK WITH LIGHT BEAM CONFIGURABLE BY MOVING A LENS.

FR 3 064 047 - A1) 5 /) An optical unit (BO) is intended to equip a vehicle and includes a box (BB) delimiting a cavity (CB) closed at the front by a protective glass (GP) and housing :

- a fixed photon source (SP),

- a fixed reflector (RP),

- a lens (LT) defining with the photons a beam of light (FL) having a main direction relative to the protective glass (GP) and a divergence and ensuring a photometric signaling function,

- a plate (PL) to which the lens (LT) is fixedly attached, and

- displacement means (MD) suitable for translating and / or rotating the plate (PL) relative to the housing (BB) in order to place the lens (LT) in a chosen position relative to the reflector (RP), which is clean to induce the main direction and divergence chosen.

i

VEHICLE BLOCK WITH LIGHT BEAM CONFIGURABLE BY MOVING A LENS

The invention relates to optical units which are intended to equip vehicles, possibly of the automobile type, and to provide at least one photometric signaling function.

Certain vehicles, generally of the automobile type, comprise at least one optical unit comprising a housing delimiting a cavity closed at the front by a protective glass and housing a photon source, a reflector, and a lens situated downstream from the photons. This lens is responsible for defining with the photons generated a light beam having a main direction relative to the protective glass and a divergence and ensuring at least one photometric signaling function, such as for example a high beam function, or a low beam function, or a fog light function.

In order to allow a configuration (or modulation) of the light beam according to the context of the vehicle, and in particular the choice of its main direction relative to the protective glass and its divergence, several solutions have been proposed.

Some of these solutions consist in moving the reflector, generally parabolic, relative to the lens and the light source. This type of solution induces play which affects the precise positioning of the reflector, and therefore does not allow sufficiently precise control of the main direction and of the divergence of the light beam.

Other solutions, notably described in patent documents FR 2867835, EP 0816748 and US 6,186,651, consist in varying the relative position of the lens relative to the photon source or vice versa. These solutions use technical means which, unfortunately, prove to be complex and / or bulky and / or heavy and / or expensive.

The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation.

It notably proposes for this purpose an optical unit intended to equip a vehicle and comprising a housing delimiting a cavity closed at the front by a protective glass and housing a source of photons suitable for generating photons, a reflector suitable for reflecting photons generated towards the front, and a lens located downstream of the photon source and suitable for defining with the photons generated a beam of light having a main direction relative to the protective glass and a divergence and ensuring at least one photometric function signaling.

This optical unit is characterized by the fact that:

- The reflector is fixed, and îo - the cavity also houses, on the one hand, a plate comprising a front end to which is fixedly secured the lens and a rear end, and, on the other hand, at least part of the means displacement which is fixedly secured this rear end and adapted to translate and / or to rotate the plate relative to the housing in order to place the lens in a chosen position relative to the reflector, capable of inducing the main direction and divergence chosen.

Thus, there is an optical unit delivering a light beam that can be configured very precisely and very simply, using technical means implementing a leverage effect and inexpensive.

0 The optical unit according to the invention may include other characteristics which can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

- The plate may have a general L shape, with a long side having its rear end and secured to the displacement means, and a short side forming part of its front end and to which is fixedly secured the lens;

- The displacement means can comprise, on the one hand, a support piece to which the plate is fixedly secured, on the other hand, a rack on which the part is mounted to rotate

0 support, thirdly, a first electric motor capable of translating the rack, and, fourthly, a second electric motor capable of rotating the support piece relative to the rack;

as a variant, the displacement means may comprise, firstly, a support piece to which the plate is fixedly secured, secondly, an endless screw on which the support piece is rotatably mounted, firstly, a first electric motor capable of rotating the endless screw to translate the plate, and, fourthly, a second electric motor capable of rotating the support piece relative to the screw unending ;

- The reflector may include a central part in which is defined at least one hole through which the photon source passes;

îo - the photon source can be chosen from a set of at least one light-emitting diode, a set of at least one laser diode, a discharge lamp and a filament lamp;

the photometric signaling function can be chosen from a main beam function, a dipped beam function and a fog lamp function;

- it can be a headlight.

The invention also provides a vehicle, possibly of the automotive type, and comprising at least one optical unit of the type presented above.

0 Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawing, in which the single figure schematically illustrates, in a sectional view, part of an example for producing an optical unit according to the invention.

The purpose of the invention is in particular to propose an optical unit BO 25 intended to equip a vehicle and suitable for delivering a configurable (or modular) light beam FL and ensuring at least one photometric signaling function.

It is considered in what follows, by way of nonlimiting example, that the optical unit BO is intended to equip a vehicle of the automotive type, such as

0 for example a car. However, the invention is not limited to this type of vehicle. Indeed, it relates to any vehicle comprising at least one optical unit, whether land, sea (or river), or air.

Furthermore, it is considered in what follows, by way of nonlimiting example, that the photometric signaling function is a main beam function or a low beam function. Consequently, the optical unit BO constitutes a headlight (or headlight) of a vehicle. However, the invention is not limited to these types of photometric signaling function. It also relates in particular to the fog light function.

In the single figure, the direction X is a so-called longitudinal direction because it is parallel to a longitudinal side of a vehicle, the direction Y is a direction called transverse because it is perpendicular to the longitudinal sides of this vehicle and therefore perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, and the direction Z is a vertical direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal X and transverse Y directions.

There is schematically illustrated in the single figure, an exemplary embodiment of an optical unit BO according to the invention.

As illustrated, an optical unit BO, according to the invention, comprises a housing BB, a protective lens GP, at least one photon source SP, a reflector RP, a lens LT, a plate PL, and displacement means MD .

0 The BB box delimits a cavity CB which is closed at the front by the protective glass GP and which houses the (each) photon source SP, the reflector RP, the lens LT, the plate PL, and at least part displacement means MD.

The (each) SP photon source is fixedly installed in a rear part of the cavity CB and is capable of generating photons.

For example, the (each) source of SP photons can be chosen from a set of at least one light-emitting diode, a set of at least one laser diode, a discharge lamp and a filament lamp.

When the (each) SP photon source includes a set

0 of at least one light-emitting diode, the latter may be of the conventional type (or LED ("Light-Emitting Diode >>)) or of the organic type (or OLED (" Organic Light-Emitting Diode >>)).

The RP reflector is fixedly installed in the rear part of the cavity

CB and is able to reflect photons generated towards the front, and therefore towards the LT lens.

For example, this reflector RP can have a general shape of a truncated paraboloid of revolution, the peripheral edge of which can, as shown without limitation, be extended by a substantially circular cylindrical wall which defines a mask. It will be noted that this mask can optionally be used to separate two neighboring photometric functions provided by the optical unit BO. Here, it can, for example, separate a high beam function provided by the light beam FL, from a direction change indicator (or flashing) function provided by another beam of light produced in the block BO optic above or next to the FL light beam.

The lens LT is located downstream of the photon source SP and suitable for defining with the photons generated and reflected (by the reflector RP) a light beam FL having a main direction relative to the configurable protective glass GP (or variable ) and a configurable (or variable) divergence ensuring at least one photometric signaling function.

For example, this lens LT can be plane convex.

PL board has opposite front and rear ends

0 between them. The LT lens is fixedly secured to the front end of the PL stage. For example, this fixed connection can be made by gluing, screwing or welding.

The rear end of the plate PL is fixedly secured to the displacement means MD.

For example, and as illustrated without limitation in the single figure, the plate PL can have a general L-shape, with a long side having its rear end and substantially parallel to a lower part of the housing BB and secured to the displacement means MD , and a small side forming part of its front end and substantially

0 perpendicular to this lower part of the housing BB and to which the LT lens is fixedly secured.

The displacement means MD are suitable for translating and / or driving the plate PL in rotation relative to the housing BB in order to place the lens LT in a chosen position relative to the reflector RP (and therefore also relative to the photon source SP ), suitable for inducing a chosen main direction and a chosen divergence.

In other words, depending on the context of the vehicle at the instant 5 considered, the displacement means MD will either maintain the plate PL in its current position, or only translate the plate PL relative to the housing BB, or only entrain in rotation the plate PL with respect to the housing BB, that is to say both translate and drive in rotation the plate PL with respect to the housing BB. This makes it possible to fix very precisely and very simply the main direction and divergence of the light beam FL at each instant, thanks to a simple arrangement, compact and inexpensive.

It will be understood that due to the large distance between the point of rotation of the plate PL and the lens LT, there is a leverage effect. The rotation therefore induces not only a deviation in the vertical plane XZ of the main direction of the light beam FL, but also a slight variation in the divergence (or focusing) of the light beam FL due to a slight offset of the lens LT with respect to the photon source SP in the longitudinal direction X. A translation in the direction

Longitudinal 0 X can then amplify or reduce this divergence if necessary.

For example, the displacement means MD can comprise a support piece PS, a rack CR, and first ME1 and second ME2 electric motors.

The plate PL is fixedly secured to the support piece PS, for example by gluing, screwing or welding.

The support piece PS is rotatably mounted on the rack CR. This rotational mounting can be done around an axis substantially parallel to the transverse direction Y, to allow tilting of the lens LT

0 forward or backward with strong leverage (arrow F2), as shown without limitation. This makes it possible to easily vary the main direction of the light beam FL relative to the protective glass GP in the plane XZ). But in an alternative embodiment, the rotational mounting could be done around an axis substantially parallel to the vertical direction Z, to allow rotation of the lens LT to the right or to the left intended to easily vary the main direction of the beam of light FL with respect to the protective glass GP in the XY plane.

The first ME1 electric motor is capable of translating the CR rack. This translation is preferably done in a direction F1 slightly inclined relative to the longitudinal direction X, as shown without limitation. This makes it possible to easily vary the divergence of the light beam FL. But in an alternative embodiment the translation could be done in the transverse direction Y.

For example, this first electric motor ME1 can be of the stepping type.

The second electric motor ME2 is capable of rotating the support piece PS with respect to the rack CR.

For example, this second electric motor ME2 can be of the stepping type and associated with reduction means.

The first ME1 and second ME2 electric motors can optionally be installed outside the BB housing, which requires the

0 presence of through holes in the lower part of the housing BB for the passage of drive axes, as illustrated without limitation. But in an alternative embodiment they could be installed in the cavity CB.

In a first alternative embodiment, the rack CR could be replaced by an endless screw on which the support piece PS is rotatably mounted. In this case, the first electric motor ME1 is capable of driving the worm in rotation to translate the plate PL.

In a second variant embodiment, the rack CR (or the worm) and the first electric motor ME1 could be replaced by a jack. In this case, the support piece PS is rotatably mounted on a translatable end of the jack.

It will be noted that one could envisage more complex means of displacement allowing two perpendicular translations between them (according to F1 and Y) and / or two rotations around perpendicular axes between them (Y and Z).

It will also be noted, as illustrated without limitation in the single figure, that the reflector RP may include a central part in which is defined at least one hole TS crossed by the photon source SP. In this case, the cavity CB can fixedly accommodate, behind the reflector RP, a support plate PQ to which the (each) photon source SP is fixedly attached. This support plate PQ can, for example, be a printed circuit board, of PCB type (“Printed Circuit Board”), rigid or flexible (of “Flex” type).

Claims (10)

1. Optical unit (BO) intended to equip a vehicle and comprising a 5 housing (BB) delimiting a cavity (CB) closed at the front by a protective glass (GP) and housing a source of photons (SP) capable of generating photons, a reflector (RP) capable of reflecting generated photons forward, and a lens (LT) located downstream of said photon source (SP) and adapted to define with said generated and reflected photons a beam of light (FL) having a main direction relative to said lens protection (GP) and a divergence and ensuring at least one photometric signaling function, characterized in that said reflector (RP) is fixed, and in that said cavity (CB) also houses, on the one hand, a plate (PL ) comprising a front end to which said fixedly is secured 15 lens (LT) and a rear end, and, on the other hand, at least a part of displacement means (MD) to which said rear end is fixedly secured and capable of translating and / or rotating said plate (PL) relative to said housing (BB) in order to place said lens (LT) in a chosen position with respect to said reflector (RP), suitable for inducing 2 0 main direction and divergence chosen. 2. Optical unit according to claim 1, characterized in that said plate (PL) has a general L-shape, with a large side comprising said rear end and secured to said displacement means (MD), and a small side forming part of said front end and 25 which is fixedly secured to said lens (LT). 3. Optical unit according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said displacement means (MD) comprise i) a support piece (PS) to which said plate (PL) is fixedly secured, ii) a rack (CR) on which said support piece is rotatably mounted (PS), iii) a first electric motor (ME1) capable of translating said rack (CR), and iv) a second electric motor (ME2) capable of rotating said support piece (PS) relative to said rack (CR). 4. Optical unit according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that ίο said displacement means (MD) comprise i) a support piece (PS) to which is fixedly secured said plate (PL), ii) a worm on which said support piece is rotatably mounted (PS), iii) a first electric motor (ME1) capable of rotating said worm without rotation 5 end for translating said plate (PL), and iv) a second electric motor (ME2) capable of rotating said support piece (PS) relative to said worm. 5. Optical unit according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said reflector (RP) comprises a central part in which is defined at least one hole (TS) through which said photon source (SP). 6. Optical unit according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said photon source (SP) is chosen from a set of at least one light-emitting diode, a set of at least one laser diode, a lamp discharge and a filament lamp. 15 7. Optical unit according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said photometric signaling function is chosen from a high beam function, a low beam function, and a fog light function. 8. Optical unit according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that 2 0 that it constitutes a headlight. 9. Vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one optical unit (BO) according to one of the preceding claims. 10. Vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that it is of the automobile type. 1/1