Light module, in particular for use in a lighting device for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A light module is particularly suited for use in a lighting device for a motor vehicle. The light module has at least one extensive light body and at least one illuminant, the light rays of which are able to exit, or exit, to the outer side via a light-exit area that is surrounded by side areas of the light body. At least one part of the side areas and a back area lying opposite the light-exit area are covered by a reflective or diffusely back-scattering cover. The cover is formed by a frame-like component with a back wall. A side wall of the frame-like component has an opening. The light body is able to be laterally slid into, or is laterally slid into, the frame-like component through the opening. The at least one illuminant is disposed on the side wall with the opening of the frame-like component.

Claims

1. An illumination apparatus for a motor vehicle, comprising a light module comprising, at least one light body having side faces, said light body having side faces, a light exit face surrounded by said side faces, and a rear-side face opposite said light exit face, said light exit face of said light body having a given area extent; at least one light-emitting light source configured to generate light beams to be coupled into a side face of said light body and to exit outwardly via said light exit face of said light body; a reflective or diffusely back-scattering covering disposed to cover at least a part of said side faces and said rear-side face opposite said light exit face; said covering being a frame component with a rear wall, a front wall opening, and a side wall, said side wall being formed with an opening configured to receive said light body therethrough for lateral insertion into said frame component and said front wall opening having opening dimensions smaller than said given area extent, with said frame component retaining the light body after the lateral insertion through said opening in said side wall; and wherein said at least one light-emitting light source is arranged at said side wall of said frame component that is formed with said opening; where the at least one light module is a plurality of light modules; wherein said frame components are connected on one side and said light bodies are connected on another side in each case in one piece and wherein said frame components are attached to a common printed circuit board carrying said light-emitting light sources that are assigned to said light bodies.

2. The light module according to claim 1, wherein said light body contains light-scattering defects distributed in said light body.

3. The light module according to claim 2, wherein said light body has a transmittance in a range from approximately 85% to approximately 95%.

4. The light module according to claim 2, wherein said light body has a transmittance of approximately 92%.

5. The light module according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light-emitting light source is arranged at a distance from said side wall of said frame component.

6. The light module according to claim 1, further comprising at least one converging optical unit arranged between said at least one light-emitting light source and said side wall of said frame component.

7. The light module according to claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board and a holder attaching said frame component to said printed circuit board that also carries said at least one light-emitting light source.

8. The light module according to claim 7, wherein said frame component is latched to said holder.

9. The light module according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting light source is one of a plurality of light-emitting diodes disposed at a mutual spacing from one another of more than 4.5 mm and less than 6.5 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a light module,

(2) FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration along the section line II from FIG. 1,

(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the mounted light module,

(4) FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a light unit consisting of three light modules,

(5) FIG. 5 shows a sectional view along section line V from FIG. 4,

(6) FIG. 6 shows an illustration of a taillight with light modules and light units according to the invention, and

(7) FIG. 7 shows a motor vehicle having taillights with light modules and light units according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) Reference is first made to FIGS. 1 and 2. The figures show an exploded view of a light module 1, which comprises a frame-type component 10, held therein a two-dimensional light body 30, and a printed circuit board 50 with light-emitting means 51.

(9) The frame-type component 10 has a rectangular outline, formed by side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14. The side walls 11 to 14 are connected by a rear wall 16 in one piece. An opening 17, which preferably nearly corresponds to the outline of the component 10, is present opposite the rear wall 16.

(10) The side wall that is the lower side wall 14 in the figure has an opening 15 that has a rectangular outline. The two-dimensional light body 30 can be slid through the opening 15 into the frame-type component 10 in an insertion direction R. Inside, the component 10 can additionally have guiding and/or holding means (not illustrated in more detail) for the light body 30.

(11) The light body 30 has, like the component 10, a rectangular outline and has a two-dimensional design. It has an area extent F, which is multiple times its thickness d in every direction.

(12) The dimensions of the light body 30 are such that it substantially fills the frame-type component 10 in its mounted position.

(13) The light body 30 has side faces 31, 32, 33 and 34. These side faces surround a light exit face 35. The light exit fact 35 lies opposite a rear-side face 36. The dimensions of the frame-type component 10 and of the light body 30 are preferably chosen such that the light body 30 is securely held therein after the component 10 has been slid in. Alternatively, a latching mechanism (not illustrated in more detail) is also conceivable.

(14) The light body 30 is embodied in the form of a light guide and preferably has a transmittance in a range from approximately 85 percent to approximately 95 percent. The transmittance is with particular preference approximately 92 percent.

(15) The only slight scatter property of the light body 30 is caused by light-scattering defects 38, which are arranged distributed in the light body 30. The light-scattering defects 38 can have been introduced into the light body 30 during the production in the form of disturbing particles. It is alternatively also conceivable to introduce the light-scattering defects into the light body 30 via laser processing.

(16) The frame-type component 10 is embodied to be reflective or diffusely back-scattering on the inside. For this purpose, an interior surface 16a of the rear wall 16 can be embodied to be reflective or diffusely scattering. This can be implemented for example by way of a white or red coating. An interior surface 11a of the side wall 11 can be embodied in the same way.

(17) The color of the outside surfaces of the frame-type component 10 is preferably opaque. For example, it may be black. Other colors are conceivable.

(18) The printed circuit board 50 already mentioned having the light-emitting means 51, which are in the form of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), is arranged at a close distance b below the side wall 14. The distance b is preferably approximately 10 millimeters. It is furthermore evident that the light-emitting means 51 have a mutual spacing a, which is preferably approximately 5 millimeters in the exemplary embodiment.

(19) The light body 30 is preferably colored red. It can consist of, for example, PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) or of PC (polycarbonate).

(20) The embodiments of the component 10 and of the light body 30 result in light beams L, which are coupled into the light body 30 via the light-emitting means 51, “sticking to”, or being diffusely scattered at, the light-scattering defects 38. This contributes to homogeneous full lighting of the light body 38.

(21) Light beams L, which are incident on the interior surfaces 16a or 11a, are reflected back or are diffusely scattered back in the direction of the light body 30. This constitutes a significant contribution to the attainment of a homogeneous light emission of the light module 1. However, this effect is further optimized by said defects 38.

(22) It is then evident from FIG. 3 how the light module 1 can be preferably mounted. Angled holders 53, which are connected, preferably screw-connected or adhesively bonded, to the printed circuit board 50, are thus present on the printed circuit board 50.

(23) The frame-type component 10 has at its opposite side walls 12, 13 in each case protruding latch means 18. The latch means 18 engage in a latching manner into counter-latch means 52 of the resiliently deflectable holders 53.

(24) Converging optical units 60 are furthermore indicated in each case by a dashed line between the lower side wall 14 of the component 10 and the light-emitting means 51. Said converging optical units 60 are optional and contribute to light beams L emitted by the light-emitting means 51 being “gathered” and aligned in the direction of the light body 30.

(25) FIG. 4 shows a light unit 100 consisting of three light modules (as described).

(26) In this way, three frame-type components 10 are present, which are connected in each case in one piece via a bar-type connection element 19. On the other side, three light bodies 30 are connected in each case in one piece via a bar-type connection element 37.

(27) The components 10 and the light bodies 30 can thus be produced simply in one work step, preferably in each case in an injection mold tool.

(28) To simplify mounting, the cross section of each of the connection elements 19 has a curved shape, with the result that a semicircular receiving space 19a is created. The receiving space 19a for its part serves for receiving the connection element 37, whose cross section is semicircular, during the mounting (cf. FIG. 5).

(29) Finally, a printed circuit board 50′ is present, which is accordingly embodied to be longer than the printed circuit board 50 (cf. FIG. 1) and receives a plurality of, preferably three, light-emitting means 51, which are in each case assigned to the light bodies 30.

(30) FIG. 6 illustrates that the light modules 1, or the light units 100′ or 100″ that consist of the light modules 1, can also be used in an illumination apparatus 2 of a motor vehicle (which is indicated by dashes). The illumination apparatus 2 can be a taillight of a motor vehicle, wherein a body-side part 2a of the illumination apparatus 2 can be fitted in a body 3 and a tailgate-side part 2b of the illumination apparatus 2 can be fitted into a tailgate 4 of a motor vehicle.

(31) It is conceivable to control the individual light modules 1 successively via a control unit (not illustrated in more detail here) such that light-technical animations A1 or A2 (compare arrow direction) are generated. This is conceivable for example for implementing what is known as a coming-home or leaving-home function.

(32) FIG. 7, finally, shows a motor vehicle K, in which two illumination apparatuses 2 serving as taillights are installed. A control unit 5 serves, via signal and control lines S, for controlling the illumination apparatuses 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(33) 1 Light module 2 Illumination apparatus 2a Body-side part of the illumination apparatus 2b Tailgate-side part of the illumination apparatus 3 Body 4 Tailgate 5 Control unit 10 Covering, frame-type component 11 Side wall 11a Interior surface 12 Side wall 13 Side wall 14 Side wall 15 Opening 16 Rear wall 16a Interior surface 17 Opening 18 Latch means 19 Bar-type connection element 19a Receiving space 30 Two-dimensional light body 31 Side face 32 Side face 33 Side face 34 Side face 35 Light exit face 36 Rear-side face 37 Bar-type connection element 38 Light-scattering defects 50, 50′ Printed circuit board 51 Light-emitting means, LEDs 52 Counter-latch means 53 Holder 60 Converging optical unit 100, 100′, 100″ Light units a Spacing A1, A2 Animations b Distance d Thickness F Area extent L Light beams R Insertion direction S Signal and control line