REFLECTOR SYSTEM, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A REFLECTOR SYSTEM AND LIGHT MODULE COMPRISING SUCH A REFLECTOR SYSTEM

Abstract

A reflector system to form a light module for an illuminating device of a vehicle. The reflector system has a base body and a reflector arranged on the base body. A light module comprises such a reflector system. The base body is made of a metal body and the reflector is made of a thermoplastic material, and the thermoplastic material forming the reflector is injection molded onto the metal body which forms the base body.

Claims

1. A reflector system to form a light module for an illuminating device of a vehicle, the reflector system comprising: a base body made of a metal body; and a reflector made of a thermoplastic material and arranged on the base body, wherein the thermoplastic material that makes up the reflector is injection molded onto the metal body that makes up the base body.

2. The reflector system according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic material that makes up the reflector is injection molded as a thin layer onto the metal body that makes up the base body.

3. The reflector system according to claim 1 wherein the metal body that makes up the base body is formed: by means of a metal die-cast body, an aluminum die-cast body, or a zinc die-cast body and has a magnesium alloy, an aluminum alloy or a zinc alloy, or is made up of a metal extruded body or from a sheet metal body.

4. The reflector system according to claim 1, wherein a metalization layer is applied to one surface of the reflector.

5. The reflector system according to claim 1, wherein the reflector has a depth (d) which is smaller than 300 mm.

6. A method for manufacturing a reflector system to form a light module for an illuminating device of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: forming a base body made from a metal body; forming a reflector from a thermoplastic material on the base body, wherein the thermoplastic material that makes up the reflector is injection molded onto the base body made of metal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a magnesium alloy is used to form the base body.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein a metalization layer is applied to one surface of the reflector.

9. The reflector system of claim 1, further comprising: a printed circuit board, and at least one semiconductor light source arranged on the printed circuit board, and the reflector system, printed circuit board and reflector system forming a light module for a vehicle.

10. The reflector system of claim 9, wherein the printed circuit board is attached to the reflector of the reflector system, where the reflector has a mounting device in which the printed circuit board is secured that is created when injecting the reflector onto the base body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] 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.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic drawing of a top view of a light module with a reflector system according to the invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-section of the light module shown in FIG. 1 along the line A-A.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a schematic drawing of a flowchart for manufacturing a reflector system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a light module 200 with a reflector system 100 in accordance with the invention for an illuminating device for a motor vehicle, whereas FIG. 2 shows a cross-section along the line A-A from FIG. 1.

[0026] The reflector system 100 has a base body 10 and a reflector 11 arranged on the base body 10. The base body 10 is shown in the design shown here designed as a heat sink, and has a block-like basic body 12 with multiple cooling fins 13 parallel to one another arranged on it.

[0027] The base body 10 is made of a metal body, particularly of a metal die-cast body. In the design shown here, the preference is for the metal die-cast body to be made of a magnesium alloy.

[0028] The base body 10 has a curved outer surface 14 on its basic body 12 upon which the reflector 11 is arranged. The reflector 11 is made of a thermoplastic material and is injection molded onto the reflector 11 and on the curved outer surface 14 of the base body 10 or the basic body 12. In the process, the reflector 11 is applied in a thin, flat layer on the base body 10 in an injection molding process so that the reflector 11 is injection molded onto the base body 10 as a thin layer. In the process, the reflector 11 has a depth d which is smaller than 25 mm.

[0029] A metalization layer 16 is applied to a surface 15 of the reflector 11 pointing away from the base body 10, which is shown here as a dashed line. The metalization layer 16 forms an optically reflecting layer.

[0030] A printed circuit board 20 with a semiconductor light source 21 arranged on it is arranged on the reflector system 100, where the reflector system 100, together with the printed circuit board 20 and the semiconductor light source 21 form the light module 200.

[0031] The printed circuit board 20 is secured in a mounting device 22 in that the printed circuit board 20 is inserted into the mounting device 22. The mounting device 22 can be molded for this in such a way that it is a type of guide rail. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mounting device 22 projects beyond the reflector 11 so that the mounting device 22 extends along an upper side 17 of the base body 10 at least in certain areas.

[0032] The mounting device 22 is made of the same material as the reflector 11, and can be formed at the same time the reflector 11 is injection molded onto the base body 10.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the design of a reflector system 100 such as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0034] In the process, the base body 10 is first manufactured in a die casting process. Then, the reflector 11 and the mounting device 22 are injection molded onto the base body 10 in the injection molding process. Afterwards, the metalization layer 16 can be applied directly on the surface 15 of the reflector 11 without a previous painting process. Furthermore, there is the option to passivate the surface of the base body 10 prior to injecting the reflector 11, for example by applying a passivating layer, for example using paint. Passivating achieves the benefit that magnesium hydroxide from the metal body including a magnesium alloy is prevented from diffusing into the plastic layer.

[0035] The design of the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment specified here. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable, which make use of the present solution even in designs of a fundamentally different type. All of the features and/or advantages arising from the claims, description or drawings, including design details, physical layout and process steps, may be vital to the invention both by themselves and in a wide variety of combinations.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0036] 200 Light module [0037] 100 Reflector system [0038] 10 Base body [0039] 11 Reflector [0040] 12 Basic body [0041] 13 Cooling fins [0042] 14 Outer surface [0043] 15 Surface [0044] 16 Metalization layer [0045] 17 Upper side [0046] 20 Printed circuit board [0047] 21 Semiconductor light source [0048] 22 Mounting device [0049] d depth