Lighting Device for a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A lighting device for a motor vehicle includes a lighting apparatus which has one or more light sources and one or more transparent bodies which each have a surface made of a plurality of flat facets. The lighting device is configured such that light which comes from a light source at least in part passes through a transparent body and is refracted at facets of the transparent body. The light which passes through the transparent body at least in part exits from the lighting device in order to create a light distribution. An associated transparent body is a molded component having one or more recesses which are integrally molded in the molded component, the molded component being clamped in the lighting device by the engagement of one or more projections into the one or more recesses.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A lighting device for a motor vehicle, the lighting device comprising: a lighting apparatus which has one or more light sources and one or more transparent bodies, each of which has a surface consisting of a plurality of planar facets, wherein: the lighting device is configured such that light emanating from the one or more light sources of the lighting apparatus at least in part passes through the one or more transparent bodies while being refracted at facets of the one or more transparent bodies, the light which passes through the one or more transparent bodies at least in part emerges from the lighting device in order to generate a light distribution, and a respective transparent body of the one or more transparent bodies is a molded component having one or more recesses, which are integrally molded in the molded component, the molded component being clamped in the lighting device by engagement of one or more projections into the one or more recesses.

17. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein a first transparent body of the one or more transparent bodies is configured such that, when the lighting device is installed in the motor vehicle, a first recess of the one or more recesses is located on an upper side of the first transparent body and/or a second recess of the one or more recesses is located on a lower side of the first transparent body.

18. The lighting device according to claim 17, wherein the first recess on the upper side is offset relative to the second recess on the lower side in a transverse direction and/or a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle.

19. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein a first transparent body of the one or more transparent bodies is configured such that, when the lighting device is installed in the motor vehicle, a longitudinal direction of a first recess of the one or more recesses, which is configured as an elongate recess, extends substantially in a transverse direction of the motor vehicle.

20. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein a first transparent body of the one or more transparent bodies is arranged between a plurality of plate-shaped elements on which at least one projection for engagement into a first recess of the one or more recesses is provided.

21. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein a first transparent body of the one or more transparent bodies has an opaque coating, which is provided in a region of a first recess of the one or more recesses on a part of an outer side of the first recess.

22. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein a first transparent body of the one or more transparent bodies is formed from glass, and/or a second transparent body is formed from plastic.

23. The lighting device according to claim 22, wherein the first transparent body is formed from crystal glass.

24. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein a first light source of the one or more light sources is a polychromatic light source, and light of the polychromatic light source is spectrally broken up by light refraction at facets of a first transparent body of the one or more transparent bodies and subsequently emerges from the lighting device.

25. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein a first light source of the one or more light sources is a substantially point light source.

26. The lighting device according to claim 25, wherein the first light source is an LED unit consisting of one or more LEDs or a laser light source consisting of one or more laser diodes.

27. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein the lighting apparatus is operable in one or more operating modes, light for a light function that is assigned to a respective operating mode being provided in the respective operating mode.

28. The lighting device according to claim 27, wherein the one or more operating modes comprise at least one of: a first operating mode for providing a flashing light as a first light function; a second operating mode for providing a daytime running light as a second light function; a third operating mode for providing a position light as a third light function; or a fourth operating mode for providing a lighting effect before starting or after parking of the motor vehicle.

29. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein the lighting apparatus comprises one or more lighting groups, each consisting of one or more of the light sources, one or more light sources of a first lighting group emitting light with a same color and one or more light sources of different lighting groups emitting light with a different color.

30. The lighting device according to claim 29, wherein: the lighting apparatus is operable in one or more operating modes, light for a light function that is assigned to a respective operating mode being provided in the respective operating mode; and a lighting group of the one or more lighting groups is assigned to each operating mode of the one or more operating modes and, in a respective operating mode, only the one or more light sources of the assigned lighting group are turned on.

31. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein the lighting apparatus and the one or more transparent bodies are accommodated in a common housing, which has a transparent lens for the light emission.

32. The lighting device according to claim 16, further comprising at least one further lighting apparatus.

33. A motor vehicle comprising the lighting device according to claim 16.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of a variant of a lighting device according to the invention, seen from above.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a perspective representation of the lighting device of FIG. 1, seen from below.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a cross section along the line L-L of FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a cross section along the line L′-L′ of FIG. 1.

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a pair of transparent bodies of the lighting device of FIG. 1, seen from above; and

[0037] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the pair of transparent bodies of FIG. 5, seen from below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] An embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention will be described below with the aid of a vehicle signal lamp 1. The vehicle signal lamp is in this case installed above a left front headlamp (not shown) of a motor vehicle. According to the coordinate system represented in all figures, the x axis represents the driving direction in which the motor vehicle moves forward when driving straight ahead. This direction extends along the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle. Conversely, the y is the transverse direction of the motor vehicle and the z direction is the vertical direction, or height direction.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from above of the constituent parts of the vehicle signal lamp 1 that are essential to embodiments of the invention. The component parts represented are in this case accommodated together in a housing (not represented), which is bounded at the front by a transparent cover lens (likewise not shown). Inside the housing, there are two pairs of transparent bodies 2, 2′, which in the embodiment described here are crystal glass bodies. Each of the pairs of crystal glass bodies comprises a bulbous crystal glass body 2 and an elongate crystal glass body 2′ arranged next to the latter. All the crystal glass bodies have a plurality of facets 2a on their outer side, only some of which are provided with this reference for reasons of clarity. Above the four crystal glass bodies 2, 2′, there is a continuous cover component 3. On the other hand, two carrier components 4 are provided on the lower side of the crystal glass bodies, one carrier component lying below one pair of the crystal glass bodies and the other carrier component lying below the other pair of crystal glass bodies, as may be seen from the perspective view of FIG. 2.

[0040] Behind the crystal glass bodies, a lighting apparatus 7 that may be seen from the cross-sectional views of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 extends in the y direction. The lighting apparatus is not essential for embodiments of the invention. It is therefore indicated only schematically in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The lighting apparatus 7 comprises a plurality of LEDs 7a, of which a single LED is likewise indicated only schematically in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Along the extent of the lighting device in the y direction, a plurality of LEDs 7a are arranged next to one another. In this case, a white light LED alternates with a yellow LED. For example, ten or more white light LEDs and a corresponding number of yellow LEDs may be provided. The lighting apparatus 7 with the LEDs 7a emit light into the respective crystal glass bodies 2 and respectively 2′ from behind. This light passes through the crystal glass bodies 2 and respectively 2′ and is then reflected and refracted. A part of the light guided through the crystal glass bodies is emitted outward through the cover lens (not shown) of the lighting device.

[0041] The LEDs 7a of the vehicle signal lamp 1 may be used both to provide a flashing light and to provide a part of the daytime running light. For the flashing light, only the yellow LEDs among the LEDs 7a are turned on and off with a predetermined frequency. At the same time, yellow light is delivered at the predetermined frequency into a light guide 8, which is arranged below the four crystal glass bodies in the housing of the vehicle signal lamp 1 and can be seen from FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The yellow light of the LEDs shines into the four crystal glass bodies 2, 2′, the crystal glass bodies then starting to shine in the color yellow because of the ground facets 2a. An optically appealing flashing light is thereby generated.

[0042] If, on the other hand, a part of the daytime running light function is being produced by the LEDs, only the white light LEDs are turned on. The light of these LEDs again enters the four crystal glass bodies 2, 2′, the ground facets 2a leading to a spectral breakup of the white light so that an appealing light distribution with a rainbow effect is generated by the crystal glass bodies. When the daytime running light is activated, white light is furthermore delivered into the light guide 8. The daytime running light therefore also comprises the illuminating light guide 8.

[0043] One essential feature of the vehicle signal lamp 1 is the fastening of the crystal glass bodies 2 and respectively 2′ by clamping in the interior of the lamp. For this purpose, recesses or grooves 5, 6 are provided on the upper side and lower side in each of the crystal glass bodies 2, 2′, as may be seen from the perspective representations of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. The individual crystal glass bodies are in this case molded components, in which the corresponding grooves are integrally molded, that is to say the grooves are already a constituent part of the blank used for the molding. This has the advantage that a separate working step in order to form the grooves in the corresponding crystal glass bodies is not required. Furthermore, the grooves are transparently clear and not transparently matt, as is the case for example with milled grooves. In this way, the optical properties of the crystal glass body are improved.

[0044] It may be seen from FIG. 5 that two grooves 5 are formed in the respective upper sides of the two crystal glass bodies 2 and 2′. The longitudinal direction of the grooves 5 extends in the transverse direction (that is to say the y direction) of the motor vehicle, the bottom of the grooves extending from the respective ends in the y direction obliquely downward to a central section with the maximum depth. Projections 3a (see FIG. 4) that are provided in the cover component 3, on the lower side of the latter, engage in the grooves 5. The projections are in this case located approximately at the positions P1, P2, P3 and P4 of FIG. 5. By way of example, one of the projections 3a may be seen from the sectional view of FIG. 4. This figure corresponds to a section along the line L′-L′ (that is to say along the x-z plane) of FIG. 1 at the position P4 of FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the projection 3a is arranged in the groove 5 of the elongate crystal body 2′. The further groove 6 described below on the lower side of the crystal body 2′ may also be seen from FIG. 4. At the position P4, which corresponds to the sectional view of FIG. 4, no projection in this case engages into the groove 6.

[0045] The lower sides of the corresponding crystal glass bodies 2 and 2′ may be seen from FIG. 6. As is shown, there are continuous grooves 6 on the lower sides of the two crystal glass bodies, which extend in the transverse direction of the motor vehicle (that is to say in the y direction) over the entire length of the respective crystal glass bodies 2 or 2′. Projections 4a (see FIG. 3) that are provided in the carrier component 4, on the upper side of the latter, in turn engage into these grooves. The projections are in this case located approximately at the positions P5, P6, P7 and P8 of FIG. 6. By way of example, one of the projections 4a may be seen from the sectional view of FIG. 3. This sectional view is a section along the line L-L (that is to say along the x-z plane) of FIG. 1 at the position P5 of FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the projection 4a, which is configured as a curved segment in the carrier component 4, is positioned in the groove 6 of the crystal glass body 2. Conversely, no recess and no groove are provided on the upper side of the crystal glass body 2 at the position P5, which corresponds to the sectional view of FIG. 3.

[0046] By the engagement of corresponding projections 3a and respectively 4a into the grooves 5 and respectively 6, the crystal glass bodies 2 and 2′ are clamped between the cover component 3 and the carrier component 4. The retention of the crystal glass bodies 2 and 2′ is in this case achieved both by a form-fit and by a force-fit. The crystal glass bodies may therefore be retained straightforwardly in the interior of the lighting device, without additional fasteners needing to be provided for this purpose.

[0047] The embodiment described above has a number of advantages. In particular, a vehicle signal lamp that is constructed compactly and allows the generation of various light functions with one or more light sources is provided. The crystal glass bodies used for this purpose, with ground facets, are in this case clamped straightforwardly in the lighting device. For this clamping, recesses that are molded integrally into the crystal glass bodies are provided. That is to say, the recesses are formed toollessly (that is to say without an additional tool) in the scope of the molding of the crystal glass bodies. A separate working step in order to form the corresponding recesses in the crystal glass bodies is therefore not required. By the engagement of corresponding projections into the recesses, very good retention of the crystal glass bodies in the interior of the lighting device by way of a form-fit and force-fit may be achieved.

TABLE-US-00001 List of References 1 lighting device 2, 2′ transparent bodies 2a facets of the transparent bodies 3 cover component 3a projection in the cover component 4 carrier component 4a projection in the carrier component 5, 6 recesses 7 lighting apparatus 7a light source 8 light guide L-L section line L′-L′ section line x, y, z coordinates P1, P2, ...,P8 positions of projections