Tail light for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A taillight for a motor vehicle, comprising a light guide element, a light source, and a light emission surface. The light source emits light in the direction of a first end of the light guide element. The light guide element is designed to guide the light from the first end in the direction of a second end. The light guide element is designed to output a part of the light between the first end and the second end through the light emission surface to an environment of the taillight. The light guide element has a curved region in which the light guide element is curved away from the light emission surface. The taillight also comprises a reflector designed to reflect light emitted by the light guide element in the direction of the light emission surface. The reflector being arranged directly adjacent to the curved region.

Claims

1. A taillight for a motor vehicle, the taillight comprising: a light guide element; a light source; and a light emission surface; a reflector; and a light body, wherein the light source emits light in a direction of a first end of the light guide element, wherein the light guide element guides the light from the first end in a direction of a second end, wherein the light guide element outputs a part of the light between the first end and the second end through the light emission surface to an environment of the taillight, wherein the light guide element has a curved region in which the light guide element is curved away from the light emission surface, wherein the reflector reflects light emitted by the light guide element in a direction of the light emission surface, wherein the reflector is arranged directly adjacent to the curved region of the light guide element, wherein the light body is arranged adjacent to the curved region between the light guide element and the light emission surface, wherein the light body is adapted to receive light from the light guide element and to emit light to the environment through the light emission surface, and wherein an entirety of a surface of the light body that faces the light guide element is concave.

2. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the curved region of the light guide element is arranged between the reflector and the light emission surface.

3. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the taillight comprises a rear wall that is arranged opposite the light emission surface, and wherein at least a part of the reflector is arranged between the rear wall and the light guide element.

4. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the reflector has a curvature.

5. The taillight according to claim 4, wherein the the reflector has a same radius of curvature as the curved region of the light guide element.

6. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the reflector surrounds the light guide element.

7. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the light body is arranged adjacent to the reflector and to the light guide element.

8. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the light guide element has a first boundary pointing in the direction of the light emission surface, wherein the first boundary defines a geometric straight line, wherein the light body has a second boundary pointing in the direction of the light emission surface, and wherein the second boundary runs along the geometric straight line.

9. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the light body is arranged between the reflector and the light emission surface.

10. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the light guide element is designed to diffusely radiate the light between the first end and the second end.

11. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein an entirety of a surface of the light body that faces the reflector is convex.

12. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the light body is provided on a same side of the curved region of the light guide element as the reflector.

13. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the light body that faces the light guide element faces the curved region of the light guide element.

14. The taillight according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the light body that faces the light emission surface extends along a same plane as a portion of a surface of the light guide element that faces the light emission surface and is provided between the curved region and the second end.

15. A taillight for a motor vehicle, the taillight comprising: a light guide element; a light source; a light emission surface; and a light body that comprises optical structures, wherein the light source emits light in a direction of a first end of the light guide element, wherein the light guide element guides the light from the first end in a direction of a second end, wherein the light guide element outputs a portion of the light between the first end and the second end through the light emission surface to an environment of the taillight, wherein the light guide element has a curved region in which the light guide element is curved away from the light emission surface, wherein the optical structures face the light emission surface so that the light body is designed to guide light emitted by the light guide element and to emit the light in a direction of the light emission surface through the optical structures, wherein the light body is arranged adjacent to the curved region between the light guide element and the light emission surface, and wherein an entirety of a surface of the light body that faces the light guide element is concave.

16. The taillight according to claim 15, wherein the optical structures are designed as optical systems or a diffractive diffuser.

17. The taillight according to claim 15, wherein a region between the light body and the light guide element is free of optical elements.

18. The taillight according to claim 15, wherein the optical structures comprise an electric discharge machined, etched, or laser-formed structure, or a diffractive or a microoptical diffuser structure.

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 is a schematic perspective view of part of a taillight according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a light guide element with reflector arranged adjacent thereto and with light body;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a light guide that is surrounded by a reflector;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a detail of a taillight according to the invention with light body;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of a detail of a taillight according to the invention with no light body; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a light body according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) The taillight 100 includes a light guide element 101, a light body 102, and a reflector 103. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the light source is hidden. The light source is arranged opposite a first end of the light guide element 101 and emits light in the direction of the first end so that the light is coupled into the light guide element 101. The light guide element 101 guides the light to a second end, which is not shown in the figures. The second end is furthest distant from the first end of the light guide element 101. Between the first and second ends, the light guide element 101 diffusely radiates a part of the light.

(9) Adjoining the first end is a curved region of the light guide element 101, which is surrounded by a reflector 103 that likewise is curved. The reflector 103 has the same radius of curvature as the curved region. The light radiated in the curved region by the light guide element 101 is reflected in the direction of a light body 102 by the reflector 103. This is represented in FIG. 4, for example, wherein the light beams are represented using some arrows by way of example. The light source 400 is also shown in FIG. 4.

(10) The light body 102 is arranged directly adjacent to the light guide element 101 and to the reflector 103. The light body 102 receives light from the light guide element 101 and from the reflector 103 and emits it in the direction of a light emission surface (not shown) of the taillight.

(11) It can be seen especially well in FIGS. 2 and 4 that an edge of the light body 102 facing the light emission surface 401 aligns with an end of the light guide element 101 facing the light emission surface 401. As a result, a light pattern that is especially visually appealing from outside the taillight 100 is produced.

(12) The way the reflector 103 surrounds the light guide element 101 from above, from below, and to the side can be seen especially well in FIG. 3.

(13) The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 includes no light body. This light guide element 101 emits light both directly and indirectly through the reflector 103 in the direction of the light emission surface 401. Because of the light reflected by the reflector 103, the light emitted by the taillight appears to be relatively homogeneous, even though no light body is present.

(14) The light body 102 shown in FIG. 6 has optical structures 600 on its side facing the light emission surface 401. These optical structures 600 can be electric discharge machined, etched, or produced with a laser, for example. Diffractive and/or microoptical diffuser structures can be involved here. This is advantageous for homogeneous emission of light by the taillight.

(15) 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.