Multi lens array, luminous source and vehicle

Abstract

A multi-lens array is provided for a luminous source of a vehicle. The array includes at least one light source and multiple lens arrangements. Each lens arrangement includes a condenser lens and a projector lens as optical elements. The at least one light source is enabled to expose each of the multiple lens arrangements with light, and the projections of the multiple lens arrangements of this light interfere to form a single projected image.

Claims

1. A multi lens array for a luminous source of a vehicle, the multi lens array comprising: at least one light source; and multiple lens arrangements, wherein each lens arrangement includes respective optical elements that include a respective condenser lens and a respective projector lens, wherein light from the at least one light source is gathered by the respective condenser lens of each lens arrangement and outputted therefrom through the respective projector lens, wherein the respective projector lens of each lens arrangement outputs the light received from the respective condenser lens of each lens arrangement as a respective interfering light projection, wherein the respective interfering light projection output from the respective projector lens of each lens arrangement combine together to form a single projected image, wherein at least one of the lens arrangements comprises a first at least partly transparent colored picture element that forms a colored image in the respective interfering light projection output from the at least one lens arrangement, and wherein the first at least partially transparent colored picture element comprises pigment elements arranged in and/or on at least one of the respective optical elements of the at least one lens arrangement.

2. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein the pigment elements comprises a pigment material with temperature durability higher than 80° C. and/or illuminance durability higher than 500 klx.

3. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein the pigment elements of the picture element are arranged on and/or in the respective condenser lens of the at least one lens arrangement.

4. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein the pigment elements of the picture element are arranged on and/or in the respective projection lens of the at least one lens arrangement.

5. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein the respective optical elements of the at least one lens arrangement comprises a picture frame, wherein the picture element is arranged on and/or in the picture frame.

6. The multi lens array according to claim 5, wherein the picture frame of the at least one lens arrangement is arranged after the respective projection lens.

7. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein a second one of the lens arrangements comprises a second at least partly transparent colored picture element having pigment elements that are (1) arranged in and/or on at least one of the respective optical elements of the second one of the lens arrangements and (2) the same as the pigment elements of the first at least partly transparent colored picture element.

8. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein the pigment elements and the at least one of the respective optical elements on and/or in which the pigment elements are arranged, are monolithically built in a sandwich molding process.

9. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein the pigment elements and the at least one of the respective optical elements on and/or in which the pigment elements are arranged, are monolithically built in an additive assembly process.

10. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein the pigment elements are formed as a printed layer onto a surface of the at least one of the respective optical elements on which the pigment elements are arranged.

11. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein at least one lens arrangement comprises an actuator element to change a focal point of the lens arrangement.

12. The multi lens array according to claim 1, wherein several of the lens arrangements are grouped in at least two groups of lens arrangements, wherein the multi lens array comprises at least one additional light source, wherein each of the at least one light source and the at least one additional light source are controlled separately and assigned to one of the at least two groups of lens arrangements.

13. The multi lens array according to claim 12, wherein a second one of the lens arrangements of the at least two groups of lens arrangements comprises a second at least partly transparent colored picture element having pigment elements that are (1) arranged in and/or on at least one of the respective optical elements of the second one of the lens arrangements and (2) different from the pigment elements of the first at least partly transparent colored picture element.

14. A luminous source for a vehicle, the luminous source comprising the multi lens array according to claim 1.

15. A vehicle comprising the luminous source according to claim 14.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

(2) FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of an inventive multi-lens array.

(3) FIG. 2 is a second embodiment of an inventive multi-lens array.

(4) FIG. 3 is a third embodiment of an inventive multi-lens array.

(5) FIG. 4 is a fourth embodiment of an inventive multi-lens array.

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates an inventive vehicle with an inventive luminous source.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(7) FIGS. 1 to 3 show different embodiments of an inventive multi-lens array 10 as part of an inventive luminous source 2. The different embodiments are different in respect to the placement of the picture element 30 in one of the optical elements 20 of the multi-lens arrays 10. In the following, the FIGS. 1 to 3 are described together, wherein the differences of the different inventive multi-lens arrays 10 are addressed separately.

(8) An inventive multi-lens array 10 is used in an inventive luminous source 2 to provide a projected image 43 on a projection surface 3. Therefore, the multi-lens array 10 comprises a light source 11 which emits light 40 in a light direction 41. The light source 11 exposures several lens arrangements 12 with light 40. The lens arrangements 12, grouped in one or several groups of lens arrangements 13, comprise at least a condenser lens 21 and a projector lens 22. Light 40 of the light source 11 is condensed by the condenser lenses 21 transmitted to the projector lenses 22 and afterwards send as projections 42 onto the projection surface 3. The projections 42 of the several projector lenses 22 of the lens arrangements 12 of a multi-lens array 10 interfere to form a single projected image 43. The shown embodiments of the inventive multi-lens array 10 comprise further an actuator element 14, for instance located in the projection lenses 22, see FIG. 1, or in the condenser lenses 21, see FIGS. 2 and 3. These actuator elements 14 allow changing a focal point of the projections 42 of the several lens arrangements 12 and therefore an adaptation on different projection surfaces 3.

(9) To form a coloured image 44 as part of the projected image 43, it is essential for an inventive multi-lens array 10 that at least one of the optical elements 20 of at least one of the lens arrangements 12 comprises a picture element 30. These picture elements 30 respectively comprise pigment elements 31 containing pigment material 32. The pigment material 32 can be chosen such that it comprises temperature durability higher than 80° C. and/or illuminance durability higher than 500 klx. The usage of an inventive multi-lens array 10 and an inventive luminous source 2 respectively in a vehicle 1 (not shown) can therefore be provided easily.

(10) In FIG. 1 the condenser lens 21 is used as optical element 20 to bear the pigment elements 31 of the picture element 30. As shown, the pigment elements 31 can be inserted into the condenser lens 21 as optical element 20, for instance in a sandwich moulding process or an additive assembling process.

(11) FIG. 2 shows another possible embodiment of an inventive multi-lens array 10, wherein the protector lenses 22 are used as optical elements 20 to arrange the pigment elements 31 of the picture elements 30. As described above, the pigment elements 31 can be inserted into the projector lenses 22 already in the assembly of the projector lenses 22, for instance by using a sandwich moulding process or an additive assembling process.

(12) FIG. 3 shows another possible embodiment of the inventive multi-lens array 10. In this embodiment, a picture frame 23 is inserted as an additional optical element 20 into the lens arrangement 12 of the multi-lens arrays 10. In this special embodiment, the picture frame 23 is placed after the projection lenses 22 in direction 41 of the light 40, wherein in other embodiments also different positions of the picture frame 23 in the respective lens arrangement 12 is possible. As shown, a common picture frame 23 can be provided for several lens arrangements 12. In this embodiment, the pigment elements 31 are placed onto a surface of the picture frame 23 as optical element 20. Such a placement can, for instance, be provided by a printing process.

(13) The aforesaid possible embodiments of an inventive multi-lens array 10 are alternatives, wherein the different features can be exchanged. For instance, also in FIG. 1 or 2 a printing method can be used to print the pigment elements 31 as part of the picture element 30 onto the surface of the condenser lens 21 or projector lens 22, respectively. Also a picture frame 23 build up in a sandwich moulding process or an additive assembly process with pigment elements 31 inserted into the picture frame 23 is possible.

(14) In FIG. 4 another possible embodiment of an inventive multi-lens array 10 of an inventive luminous source 2 is shown. In this embodiment, the multi-lens array 10 comprises two different groups of lens arrangements 13, wherein for each group of lens arrangements 13 a separate light source 11 is assigned. All other features regarding both of the group of lens arrangements 13 are similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, whereby also an exchange of this features with the respective features shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are possible. The focus of FIG. 4 lies especially on the possibility to provide further control options of an inventive multi-lens array 10. By choosing the number of used light sources 11, a brightness and/or intensity of the projected image 44 can easily be adjusted. On the other hand, if the picture elements 30 of the two different groups of lens arrangements 13 are different, by choosing the respective light source 11, a change of the projected image 43, especially of the coloured image 44, can be provided easily.

(15) FIG. 5 shows an inventive vehicle 1, on which an inventive luminous source 2 comprising an inventive multi-lens array 10 is used. A projection 42 onto a surface 3 to form a projected image 43, comprising a coloured image 44 is shown. In this embodiment the luminous source 2 is form as a head light of the vehicle 1. In other embodiments, the luminous source 2 can be used also as rear light, interior light, exterior light or similar.

REFERENCE LIST

(16) 1 vehicle 2 luminous source 3 projection surface 10 multi lens array 11 light source 12 lens arrangement 13 group of lens arrangements 14 actuator element 20 optical element 21 condenser lens 22 projector lens 23 picture frame 30 picture element 31 pigment element 32 pigment material 40 light 41 direction 42 projection 43 projected image 44 coloured image