Illumination Device for a Motor Vehicle Headlight

Abstract

The invention relates to an illumination device (1) for a motor vehicle headlight, comprising: a lighting means (2); a primary optic element (3), which has a primary light input face (3a) for receiving light emitted by the lighting means (2), the light being guided to a primary light output face (3b) and emitted in a main emission direction (4); a secondary optic element (5), which has a secondary light input face (5a), the light from the lighting means (2) being emitted from the primary light output face (3b) via the secondary light input face (5a) into the secondary optic element (5) and being guided inside the secondary optic element (5) to a secondary light output face (5b), wherein the secondary light input face (5a) is formed by a plurality of optical elements (6) which are arranged next to one another in a planar manner and are designed to refract the light beams as they enter the secondary optic element (5) such that the light beams are oriented in the direction of the main emission direction (4) after they are refracted on exiting the secondary light output face (5b).

Claims

1. An illumination device (1) for a vehicle headlight, comprising: a lighting means (2), which is configured to generate and emit light; a primary optic element (3), which is assigned to the lighting means (2), the primary optic element (3) having a primary light input face (3a) for receiving light emitted by the lighting means (2), the primary optic element (3) being configured to guide the light to a primary light output face (3b) of the primary optic element (3) and to emit it through the primary light output face (3b) in a main emission direction (4); a secondary optic element (5), which is arranged after the primary optic element (3) in the light propagation direction and is spaced from the primary optic element (3), the secondary optic element (5) having a secondary light input face (5a), the secondary light input face (5a) and the primary light output face (3b) being arranged relative to each other such that the light from the lighting means (2) is emitted from the primary light output face (3b) via the secondary light input face (5a) into the secondary optic element (5), the light being guided inside the secondary optic element (5) to a secondary light output face (5b) of the secondary optic element (5), at least the secondary light input face (5a) and/or the secondary light output face (5b) being curved, the secondary optic element (5) having a spatial extent of at least 2 mm in the light propagation direction between the secondary light input face (5a) and the secondary light output face (5b), wherein the secondary light input face (5a) is formed by a plurality of optical elements (6) which are arranged next to one another in a planar manner and are configured to refract the light beams as they enter the secondary optic element (5) such that the light beams are oriented in the direction of the main emission direction (4) after they are refracted on exiting the secondary light output face (5b).

2. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein each optical element (6) on the secondary light input face (5a) is formed as a facet, which are arranged together on the secondary light input face (5a).

3. The illumination device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the facets are each oriented at an angle γ≠0° relative to the secondary light input face (5a).

4. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the primary optic element (3) and the secondary optic element (5) is 1 mm.

5. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the primary light output face (3b) comprises light-scattering means (7) in order to scatter the light input by the lighting means (2) around the main emission direction (4) as it exits the primary light output face (3b).

6. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the secondary optic element (5) is in the form of a transparent solid body.

7. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the primary optic element (3) is in the form of a transparent solid body.

8. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the secondary light input face (5a) and the secondary light output face (5b) are curved.

9. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the primary optic element (3) has a single primary light input face (3a), wherein the lighting means (2) comprises a light source support (8) a printed circuit board, and a number of light sources (9), which can be activated individually, arranged thereon, wherein the light source support (8) is arranged on the primary light input face (3a) such that the light from the light sources (9) is exclusively emitted into the primary optic element (3) via the one primary light input face (3a).

10. The illumination device (1) according to claim 9, wherein the light sources (9) are arranged on the light source support (8) along a substantially annular light source path, wherein the light source path is composed of an arrangement of the shortest distances between two adjacent light sources (9), wherein the light sources (9) are in particular distributed at uniform distances over the entire light source path.

11. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the secondary optic element (5) has a cutout (11) such that the secondary light output face (5b) has the shape of a closed path (12).

12. The illumination device (1) according to claim 11, wherein the light source path reproduces the geometric shape of the closed path (12).

13. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lighting means (2) is arranged relative to the primary light input face (3a) such that the light is emitted from the lighting means (2) into the primary optic element (3) in a direction other than the main emission direction (4), wherein deflection means (3c) are arranged inside the primary optic element (3) and are configured to deflect the light, after it enters the primary optic element (3), in the direction of the main emission direction (4) inside the primary optic element (3) by means of the deflection means (3c).

14. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein a screen (13) is arranged between the primary optic element (3) and the secondary optic element (5).

15. A motor vehicle headlight having an illumination device (1) according to claim 1.

16. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the spatial extent is more than 15 mm.

17. The illumination device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the optical elements are arranged together in a uniform grid on the secondary light input face.

18. The illumination device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the primary optic element (3) and the secondary optic element (5) is 2 mm.

19. The illumination device (1) according to claim 8, wherein there is a substantially constant normal distance between the secondary light input face (5a) and the secondary light output face (5b), starting from the secondary light output face (5b).

20. The illumination device (1) according to claim 13, wherein the lighting means (2) is arranged relative to the primary light input face (3a) such that the light is emitted from the lighting means (2) into the primary optic element (3) in a direction orthogonal to the main emission direction (4).

Description

[0025] The invention is explained further below using a preferred exemplary embodiment, to which it is not intended to be limited, however. In the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a side view of an illumination device according to the invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a primary optic element;

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the secondary optic element;

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a further view of the primary optic element;

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a further view of the illumination device; and

[0031] FIGS. 6 to 8 show different views of a secondary optic element.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows an illumination device 1 for a motor vehicle headlight. The illumination device 1 has a lighting means 2, which is configured to generate and emit light. A primary optic element 3 has a primary light input face 3a for receiving light emitted by the lighting means 2, the primary optic element 3 being configured to guide the light to a primary light output face 3b of the primary optic element 3 and to emit it through the primary light output face 3b in a main emission direction 4.

[0033] The illumination device 1 also has a secondary optic element 5, which is arranged after the primary optic element 3 in the light propagation direction and is spaced from the primary optic element 3. The distance between the primary optic element 3 and the secondary optic element 5 is 1 mm, preferably 2 mm.

[0034] The secondary optic element 5 has a secondary light input face 5a, the secondary light input face 5a and the primary light output face 3b being arranged relative to each other such that the light from the lighting means 2 is emitted from the primary light output face 3b via the secondary light input face 5a into the secondary optic element 5. The light is then guided inside the secondary optic element 5 to a secondary light output face 5b of the secondary optic element 5. The secondary light input face 5a and/or the secondary light output face 5b are uneven, in particular curved. The secondary optic element 5 has a spatial extent of at least 2 mm, preferably more than 15 mm, in the light propagation direction between the secondary light input face 5a and the secondary light output face 5b. This can be seen in particular in FIG. 6. The primary optic element 3 and the secondary optic element 5 are in the form of transparent solid bodies.

[0035] FIGS. 2 and 4 show the primary optic element 3, in particular the primary light output face 3b, which has light-scattering means 7. By means of the light-scattering means 7, the light input by the lighting means 2 is scattered around the main emission direction 4 as it exits the primary light output face 3b. The primary optic element 3 has a single primary light input face 3a. The lighting means 2 comprises a light source support 8, preferably a printed circuit board, and a number of light sources 9, which can in particular be activated individually, arranged thereon. The light source support 8 is arranged on the primary light input face 3a such that the light from the light sources 9 is exclusively introduced into the primary optic element 3 via the one primary light input face 3a. The light sources 9 are arranged on the light source support 8 along a substantially annular light source path, the light source path being composed of an arrangement of the shortest distances between two adjacent light sources 9, the light sources 9 in particular being distributed at uniform distances over the entire light source path.

[0036] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the secondary light input face 5a is formed by a plurality of optical elements 6 which are arranged next to one another in a planar manner and are configured to refract the light beams as they enter the secondary optic element 5 such that the light beams are oriented in the direction of the main emission direction 4 after they are refracted on exiting the secondary light output face 5b (see FIG. 6). Each optical element 6 on the secondary light input face 5a is formed as a facet, which are arranged together in a preferably uniform grid on the secondary light input face 5a. The facets are each oriented at an angle γ≠0° relative to the secondary light input face 5a.

[0037] As can be seen in FIG. 5, the secondary optic element 5 has a cutout 11 such that the secondary light output face 5b has the shape of a closed path 12. The light source path reproduces the geometric shape of the closed path 12. In particular, a screen 13 is arranged between the primary optic element 3 and the secondary optic element 5.

[0038] As can be seen in FIG. 6, the secondary light input face 5a and the secondary light output face 5b are curved, there being a substantially constant normal distance between the secondary light input face 5a and the secondary light output face 5b, starting from the secondary light output face 5b.

[0039] In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the lighting means 2 is arranged relative to the primary light input face 3a such that the light is emitted from the lighting means 2 into the primary optic element 3 in a direction other than the main emission direction 4, in this case orthogonal to the main emission direction 4. Deflection means 3c are arranged inside the primary optic element 3 and are configured to deflect the light, after it enters the primary optic element 3, in the direction of the main emission direction 4 inside the primary optic element 3 by means of the deflection means 3c (see FIG. 2).

[0040] In a further embodiment, the primary optic element 3 and the secondary optic element 5 can be formed as a single part.