Headlight for vehicles

Abstract

A headlight for vehicles having a projection module containing a low beam primary lens and a first light source, a high beam primary lens and a second light source, a secondary lens arranged in the main beam direction in front of the low beam primary lens and the high beam primary lens, a secondary lens by means of which, in a low beam mode, in which only the first light source is activated, a first light bundle emitted from the low beam primary lens is mapped according to a specified low beam distribution and, in a high beam mode, in which the first light source and the second light source are activated, the first light bundle is mapped together with the second light bundle emitted from the high beam primary lens in order to produce the high beam distribution, wherein the high beam primary lens has compensator.

Claims

1. A headlight for vehicles having a projection module, the headlight comprising: a low beam primary lens; a first light source associated with the low beam primary lens, a high beam primary lens; a second light source associated with the high beam primary lens; a secondary lens arranged in a main beam direction in front of the low beam primary lens and the high beam primary lens, wherein, in a low beam mode in which only the first light source is activated, a first light bundle emitted from the low beam primary lens is mapped via the secondary lens according to a specified low beam distribution and, in a high beam mode in which the first light source and the second light source are activated, the first light bundle is mapped together with a second light bundle emitted from the high beam primary lens in order to produce a high beam distribution; and a lens face of the low beam primary lens having a recess, so that in the low beam mode, a test point region of the low beam distribution has a reduced illuminance compared to an adjacent region of the low beam distribution and/or an illuminance in the test point region of the low beam distribution is less than an illuminance threshold value specified by a legal provision, wherein the high beam primary lens has a compensator such that, in the high beam mode, a part of the second light bundle is guided by the compensator so that a test point region of the high beam distribution has an illuminance which is higher in comparison to the test point region of the low beam mode and/or the test point region of the high beam distribution has the same illuminance as an adjacent region of the high beam distribution, wherein the compensator of the high beam primary lens is formed as a projection disposed on a side facing the low beam primary lens, wherein the projection of the high beam primary lens engages in the recess of the low beam primary lens, wherein the recess is formed as a groove and wherein the projection is formed as a spring, which engages precisely in the groove of the low beam primary lens.

2. The headlight according to claim 1, wherein the recess of the low beam primary lens is disposed at a lower edge of the lens face, the edge forming a light/dark boundary, and/or the recess is disposed on a side of the lens face, the side facing the high beam primary lens.

3. The headlight according to claim 1, wherein the recess is formed as a groove which extends from a front edge of the lens face to a rear edge of the the lens face.

4. The headlight according to claim 1, wherein the high beam primary lens is disposed below the low beam primary lens, wherein a lower edge of the low beam primary lens rests on an upper edge of the high beam primary lens.

5. A headlight for vehicles having a projection module, the headlight comprising: a low beam primary lens; a first light source associated with the low beam primary lens, a high beam primary lens; a second light source associated with the high beam primary lens; a secondary lens arranged in a main beam direction in front of the low beam primary lens and the high beam primary lens, wherein, in a low beam mode in which only the first light source is activated, a first light bundle emitted from the low beam primary lens is mapped via the secondary lens according to a specified low beam distribution and, in a high beam mode in which the first light source and the second light source are activated, the first light bundle is mapped together with a second light bundle emitted from the high beam primary lens in order to produce a high beam distribution; and a lens face of the low beam primary lens having a recess, so that in the low beam mode, a test point region of the low beam distribution has a reduced illuminance compared to an adjacent region of the low beam distribution and/or an illuminance in the test point region of the low beam distribution is less than an illuminance threshold value specified by a legal provision, wherein the high beam primary lens has a compensator such that, in the high beam mode, a part of the second light bundle is guided by the compensator so that a test point region of the high beam distribution has an illuminance which is higher in comparison to the test point region of the low beam mode and/or the test point region of the high beam distribution has the same illuminance as an adjacent region of the high beam distribution, wherein the compensator of the high beam primary lens is formed as a projection disposed on a side facing the low beam primary lens, and wherein the projection is disposed at a distance to the recess, wherein a light exit face of the projection is formed such that the part of the second light bundle, the part guided through the projection, exits at the light exit face in a direction of the recess.

6. A headlight for vehicles having a projection module, the headlight comprising: a low beam primary lens; a first light source associated with the low beam primary lens, a high beam primary lens; a second light source associated with the high beam primary lens; a secondary lens arranged in a main beam direction in front of the low beam primary lens and the high beam primary lens, wherein, in a low beam mode in which only the first light source is activated, a first light bundle emitted from the low beam primary lens is mapped via the secondary lens according to a specified low beam distribution and, in a high beam mode in which the first light source and the second light source are activated, the first light bundle is mapped together with a second light bundle emitted from the high beam primary lens in order to produce a high beam distribution; and a lens face of the low beam primary lens having a recess, so that in the low beam mode, a test point region of the low beam distribution has a reduced illuminance compared to an adjacent region of the low beam distribution and/or an illuminance in the test point region of the low beam distribution is less than an illuminance threshold value specified by a legal provision, wherein the high beam primary lens has a compensator such that, in the high beam mode, a part of the second light bundle is guided by the compensator so that a test point region of the high beam distribution has an illuminance which is higher in comparison to the test point region of the low beam mode and/or the test point region of the high beam distribution has the same illuminance as an adjacent region of the high beam distribution, wherein the compensator of the high beam primary lens is formed as a projection disposed on a side facing the low beam primary lens, and wherein the high beam primary lens has a plurality of light fingers, wherein the projection is disposed on a single one of the light fingers and the light fingers converge to form a common lens face of the high beam primary lens, and wherein the second light source is disposed at a free end of the light fingers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) 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:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective illustration of a projection module;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of a primary lens of the projection module;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an exploded illustration of a low beam primary lens and a high beam primary lens of the primary lens according to a first embodiment of the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a side illustration of the primary lens according to a second embodiment of the invention;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a rear view of the primary lens according to FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6a shows a low beam distribution of the projection module with an illumination dip in a test point region X;

(8) FIG. 6b shows a high beam distribution of the projection module of the invention with the compensator in the test point region X; and

(9) FIG. 6c shows a high beam distribution of the projection module without a compensator of the invention for the test point region X.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) A headlight of the invention for vehicles is designed as a projection module 1 which is disposed within a headlight housing. The headlight housing is usually closed by a crystal-clear cover plate. Projection module 1 has a plurality of light sources 2, 3, which are shown schematically and only by way of example by a circle in the figures. Light sources 2, 3 are associated with a primary lens 4, which transforms the light emitted by light sources 2, 3 so that it strikes secondary lens 5, by means of which the light is mapped to the specified low beam distribution AL or high beam distribution FL.

(11) Primary lens 4 has, on the one hand, a low beam primary lens 4′ with which a first light source 2 is associated. Low beam primary lens 4′ has a one-piece optical element, on the edge sides of which first light bundle 6 emitted by first light source 2 is deflected repeatedly before it exits on a front lens face 7 in the main beam direction H or in the direction of secondary lens 5 designed as a projection lens. Low beam primary lens 4′ has a plurality of lens segments, each of which is associated with a separate first light source 2.

(12) A recess 10 is provided on a lower edge 9 of low beam primary lens 4′ or the front lens face 7. In comparison to a conventional low beam primary lens 4′ without a recess 10, front lens face 7 and thus the light exit face of low beam primary lens 4′ are reduced. Recess 10 is located in such an area of front lens face 7 of low beam primary lens 4′ that corresponds to a test point region X in the low beam light distribution AL. According to legal requirements, this test point region X must have a lower illuminance than an adjacent region N of the low beam distribution AL. The test point region X is the test point 50 L, which must not exceed a specified illuminance threshold value according to an ECE regulation. This is therefore a matter of a local decrease in intensity or decrease in brightness in the test point region X. The requirements with regard to the legal provisions with respect to the production of the low beam distribution AL can thus be met. A light component of first light bundle 6, which would essentially be responsible for the illumination of the test point region X, is “masked” or not made available to secondary lens 5 due to the presence of recess 10. In the mapping plane of secondary lens 5, there is no light due to recess 10, so that a “hole” forms in the low beam distribution AL.

(13) Recess 10 is designed as a groove which extends from a front edge 11 of lens face 7 to a rear edge 12 of the same lens face 7. Front edge 11 and rear edge 12 delimit lower edge 9 of low beam primary lens 4′, which is mapped as a light/dark boundary of the low beam distribution AL.

(14) The low beam distribution AL is produced in the low beam mode, wherein only first light sources 2 are activated. Second light sources 3 are deactivated. First light bundle 6 emitted by first light sources 2 is emitted solely by low beam primary lens 4′ in the direction of secondary lens 5.

(15) In a high beam mode, a high beam distribution FL is produced in which first light sources 2 and second light sources 3 are activated. Whereas first light bundle 6 is made available to secondary lens 5 by means of low beam primary lens 4′, a second light bundle 13 emitted by second light sources 3 is made available to secondary lens 5 via high beam primary lens 4″. High beam primary lens 4″ is arranged below low beam primary lens 4. It has a front lens face 14 (common light exit face) from which a plurality of light-guiding light fingers 15 protrude counter to the main beam direction H. Second light sources 3 are each arranged at the free ends of light fingers 15. Front lens face 14 has a plurality of segments 14′ at which second light bundle 13 is emitted so that it is mapped together with first light bundle 6 by secondary lens 5 according to the high beam distribution FL. So that the illumination dip in the test point region X is compensated, high beam primary lens 4″ has a projection 16 as a compensator, which is designed so that a part 13′ of second light bundle 13 is mapped to the test point region X by means of secondary lens 5. In the mapping plane of secondary lens 5, there is additional light in the area of recess 10 compared to the low beam mode. In the high beam mode, this light is mapped onto the road by secondary lens 5, so that the “hole” is closed.

(16) Projection 16 is preferably associated with a light finger 15 or forms an extension or a lateral bulge of this light finger 15. Projection 16 has a light exit face 17 which, according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention according to FIG. 3, continuously or differentially continuously adjoins front face 14 or segments 14′. Projection 16 extends here as a spring 16′, which is arranged precisely in recess 10 of low beam primary lens 4. As a result, low beam primary lens 4′ is connected positively to high beam primary lens 4″ transverse to the main beam direction H.

(17) As can be seen from FIG. 6b, a homogeneous transition from the test point region X to the adjacent region N of the high beam distribution FL can be achieved hereby. Without the presence of projection 16, a high beam distribution 18 in the test point region X would have an illuminance dip or intensity reduction (dark area).

(18) According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, according to FIGS. 4 and 5, a projection 16″ can also be formed on light finger 15 so that light exit face 17 of projection 16″ is disposed at a distance from recess 10 of low beam primary lens 4′. Projection 16′ is shaped or light exit face 17 of the same is formed such that part 13″ of second light bundle 13, said part exiting through light exit face 17, exits through recess 10 from primary lens 4 and strikes secondary lens 5. The recess or groove 10 of low beam primary lens 4′ is “illuminated”, so to speak, from behind by means of projection 16″.

(19) The same components or component functions of the exemplary embodiments are provided with the same reference characters.

(20) Lower edge 9 of low beam primary lens 4′ rests on an upper edge of high beam primary lens (4″), preferably in a planar manner.

(21) The invention thus uses recess 10, required to maintain the photometric measured values of the low beam distribution AL, for light emission or transmission of a light bundle part 13″ of high beam primary lens 4″ in order to increase the illuminance in the test point region X.

(22) 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.