LIGHTING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES

Abstract

A lighting device for vehicles having a laser light source and an optical unit which is associated with the laser light source and which generates a predetermined light distribution. A diffusion element is arranged between the laser light source and the optical unit for reducing and/or preventing a speckle pattern in the light distribution.

Claims

1. A lighting device for a vehicle, the lighting device comprising: a laser light source; an optical unit associated with the laser light source to generate a predetermined light distribution; and a diffusion element for reducing and/or avoiding a speckle pattern in the light distribution is arranged between the laser light source and the optical unit.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion element is positioned directly in front of the laser light source in a direction of emission.

3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion element is a scattering lens or a diffuser film.

4. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion element is an elastic membrane that, via an electric voltage source, executes an extension/compression motion in a longitudinal plane in accordance with a predetermined frequency.

5. The lighting device according to claim 4, wherein the diffusion element is switched on and/or off with a time shift from the laser light source.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion element is a light guide element having a length such that the emerging light has a uniform light distribution.

7. The lighting device according to claim 6, wherein the light guide element has at least two light input branches, each of which has a laser light source associated with it.

8. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion element is a diffractive optical element or a holographic optical element.

9. A lighting device for a vehicle, the lighting device comprising: a laser light source; an optical unit associated with the laser light source to generate a predetermined light distribution; and at least two laser light sources so that the light distribution is formed by the superposition of at least two illumination patterns to reduce and/or avoid a speckle pattern in the light distribution.

10. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light source is a laser light source emitting a red light.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a lighting device according to an embodiment,

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the lighting device according to an embodiment,

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the lighting device according to an embodiment,

[0022] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the lighting device according to an embodiment,

[0023] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the lighting device according to an embodiment,

[0024] FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the lighting device according to an embodiment, and

[0025] FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the lighting device according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] A lighting device according to the invention for vehicles can be used, for example, in the front end and rear end region for producing signal functions, for example daytime running lights, tail lights, brake lights, cornering lights. In the front end region, the lighting device can serve to produce a high beam/low beam distribution. The lighting device thus serves to generate a predetermined light distribution with which an area outside the vehicle is illuminated or with which a light-emitting area of the lighting device is provided. The light-emitting area is preferably a lamp lens of the lighting device that covers or seals a housing of the lighting device.

[0027] According to a first embodiment of the lighting device from FIG. 1, the lighting device has a laser light source 1, a diffusion element 2 arranged in front of the laser light source 1 in the direction of emission A of said light source for the purpose of reducing and/or avoiding a speckle pattern in a light distribution produced by the lighting device, as well as an optical unit 3 arranged in front of said diffusion element 2 in the direction of emission A. The optical unit 3 includes a lens 4, by means of which light 5 emitted by the laser light source 1 is projected in accordance with a predetermined light distribution. In addition, the optical unit 3 has a lamp lens 6—that preferably is designed to be transparent, like the lens 4—arranged in front of the lens 4 in the direction of emission A. If the lighting device is a tail light with signaling function, the diffusion element 2 achieves a homogeneous and uniform illumination pattern on the lamp lens 6.

[0028] The diffusion element 2 is implemented as an active component that provides an elastic membrane which is positioned between two electrodes connected to an electric voltage source. When the diffusion element 2 is switched on and a voltage in a predetermined frequency range, for example 150 to 350 Hz, is applied thereto, an extension/compression motion of the elastic membrane takes place in its longitudinal plane, which is perpendicular to the direction of emission A. By this means, a scattering of the light 5 is made possible, which results in the homogeneous illumination pattern.

[0029] The diffusion element 2 can be arranged directly in front of the laser light source 1 in the direction of emission A. FIG. 1 shows merely a schematic representation of the configuration of this lighting device.

[0030] For example, the diffusion element 2 can be switched on and/or off with a time shift from the laser light source 1. The non-time-synchronous switching on and/or off of the laser light source 1 and diffusion element 2 achieves the result that the observer sometimes perceives the homogeneous illumination pattern (diffusion element switched on) and sometimes perceives the non-homogeneous illumination pattern (diffusion element switched off). In this way, the attention-getting character of the signal function can be further increased, for example if the diffusion element 2 is switched on after the laser light source 1 by a time lag.

[0031] The laser light source 1 can be implemented as a laser light source emitting a red light, so that no conversion of the light in, e.g., a white color of the spectrum is required. Consequently, the components of the optical unit 3 can be transparent in design in order to produce the tail light or brake light function.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the invention from FIG. 2, a diffuser film or a scattering lens can be provided as diffusion element 7 for reducing and/or avoiding a speckle pattern in the light distribution. What is involved here is a passive component that is not supplied with electric power, but instead brings about a scattering of the light 5 on account of its design. This diffusion element 7 causes an expansion of the laser beam 5. In particular, the laser light 5 is scattered non-uniformly so that a homogeneous illumination area with a reduced speckle pattern or with no speckle pattern at all appears on the downstream lamp lens 6.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the invention from FIG. 3, the diffusion element for reducing and/or avoiding a speckle pattern in the light distribution or in an illumination area is implemented as a light guide element 8. The light guide element 8 has a light input surface 9 facing the laser light source 1 and a light output surface 10 facing away from the laser light source 1, between which extends a cylindrical lateral surface 11. The light 5 coupled in through the light input surface 9 undergoes multiple total internal reflection at the lateral surface 11 within the light guide element 8 before it is emitted toward the lamp lens 6 at the light output side through the light output surface 10. The multiple total internal reflection permits a scattering to prevent or reduce the speckle pattern, for example on the lamp lens 6. The light guide element 8 may have a length I that is greater than a coherence length of the laser light source 1 or of the laser light 5. The emerging light 5 has a uniform light distribution here. The light guide element 8 can be made of a transparent material or of a material mixture with a low diffusivity. The light guide element 8 can be rigid or flexible, for example can be implemented as a glass fiber light guide element or as a silicone light guide element.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the invention from FIG. 4, a lens 4 can be arranged between the light guide element 8 and the lamp lens 6.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the invention, the optical unit 3 can also have a Fresnel lens, aspheric lenses, or freeform lenses as the lens 4. According to another embodiment, the optical unit 3 can also have a reflector instead of the lens 4.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the invention from FIG. 5, a light guide element 12 can be provided that has a multiplicity of light input branches 13. In the present example embodiment, the light guide element 12 has two light input branches 13, each of which has associated with it a laser light source 1. The light guide element 12 thus has two light input surfaces 9 by means of which the light emitted by the different laser light sources 1 is brought together in a main section 14 of light guide element 12 and is then coupled out toward the lamp lens 6 at the shared light output surface 10. A superposition of the radiation intensities of the two laser light sources 1 takes place in the main section 14 of the light guide element 12, resulting in a reduction in the speckle effect.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the invention, the diffusion element for reducing and/or avoiding the speckle pattern can also be implemented through a diffractive optical element and/or through a holographic optical element. The hologram structure of the holographic optical element is calculated such that a desired scattering or phase shifting of the laser light 5 is achieved, with the result that the speckle effect or the speckle pattern is reduced or avoided.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the invention from FIG. 6, in order to reduce and/or avoid a speckle pattern in the light distribution, multiple laser light sources 1, in the present case two laser light sources 1, are provided that emit laser light 5 toward the lamp lens 6. Occurring as a result are a superposition of the laser beams produced by the different laser light sources 1, and hence a superposition of the individual illumination patterns. As a result, the speckle effect can be reduced.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the invention from FIG. 7, a lens 4 associated with each of the laser light sources 1 can be arranged between the laser light sources 1 and the lamp lens 6. As a result, a predetermined light distribution or illumination pattern can be created, preferably outside the vehicle.

[0040] It is a matter of course that the features cited above can each be used individually or in any desired combination of more than one.

[0041] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.