HEAD LAMP MODULE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A head lamp module for a motor vehicle is provided, and includes one single printed circuit board, a first group of light sources, a second group of light sources, a lens and an optical device. The first group of light sources and the second group of light sources are both arranged on the printed circuit board. The first group of light sources and the second group of light sources emit light to the optical device. The optical device is adapted to guide the emitted light in a direction towards the lens. The light leaves the head lamp module through the lens.

Claims

1. A head lamp module for a motor vehicle, the head lamp module comprising: one single printed circuit board, a first group of light sources, a second group of light sources, wherein the first group of light sources and the second group of light sources are both arranged on the printed circuit board, a lens, and an optical device, wherein the first group of light sources and the second group of light sources emit light to the optical device, wherein the optical device is adapted to guide the emitted light in a direction towards the lens, and wherein the light leaves the head lamp module through the lens.

2. The head lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the lens is adapted to assume a first state or a second state, wherein the lens is transferrable from the first to the second state and vice versa, and wherein the lens has a different effect on a light distribution emitted by the headlamp module in the first state than in the second state.

3. The head lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the optical device comprises a first group of light coupling surfaces and a second group of light coupling surfaces, wherein the first group of light coupling surfaces receives light from the first group of light sources, and wherein the second group of light coupling surfaces receives light from the second group of light sources.

4. The head lamp module according to claim 3, wherein each light coupling surface receives light from exactly one single light source of the light sources.

5. The head lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the optical device is dismountable from the head lamp module as a whole.

6. The head lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the optical device comprises geometrical light ways and air channels between the geometrical light ways, wherein each geometrical light way corresponds to one of the light sources of the second group of light sources, wherein light of each of the light sources of the second group of light sources is emitted via the corresponding geometrical light way, and wherein the emitted light is totally reflected at the interfaces between the geometrical light ways and the air channels.

7. The head lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the light emitted by the first group of light sources leaves the head lamp module as low beam light.

8. The head lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the light emitted by the second group of light sources leaves the head lamp module as high beam light.

9. The head lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the optical device comprises a shutter element, the shutter element limiting a range of light emitted by the first group of light sources.

10. The head lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the light sources are light emitting diodes.

11. The head lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the light sources of the second group of light sources are adapted to be switched on and off independently.

12. A head lamp comprising: several module slots and several lighting modules, wherein the lighting modules are mounted in the module slots, and wherein at least one of the lighting modules is a head lamp module according to claim 1.

13. The head lamp according to claim 12, wherein the head lamp module is dismountable from the head lamp as a whole.

14. A motor vehicle comprising a head lamp according to claim 12.

15. A modular system for constructing a head lamp according to claim 12, the modular system comprising: several body units and several lighting modules, wherein each body unit comprises several module slots, and wherein the lighting modules comprise a head lamp module according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] 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.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a head lamp module according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a schematic bottom view of the head lamp module of FIG. 1.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of the head lamp module of FIG. 1.

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a schematic light distribution generated by the head lamp module of FIG. 1.

[0031] FIG. 5 shows a schematic light distribution with an anti-glare tunnel generated by the head lamp module of FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 6 shows a schematic light distribution with a dark middle area generated by the head lamp module of FIG. 1.

[0033] FIG. 7 shows a schematic top view of the head lamp module of FIG. 1 generating the light distribution of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The head lamp module 100 comprises a first group of light sources 101, a second group of light sources 200, an optical device 102, several air channels 103, geometrical light ways 201, a lens 300 and a printed circuit board 301. The first group of light sources 101 is adapted to emit low beam light. The second group of light sources 200 is adapted to emit high beam light. The light emitted by both groups of light sources 101 and 200 is transmitted through the optical device 102. The optical device 102 comprises the geometrical light ways 201 and the air channels 103, wherein the air channels separate the geometrical light ways 201 from each other. Thus, each air channel 103 is located between two geometrical light ways 201. The geometrical light ways 201 may lead through glass and/or plastic material. Thus, this glass and/or plastic material may be separated by the air channels 103.

[0035] In FIG. 3 is shown that the first group of light sources 101 and the second group of light sources 200 are arranged on the same and single circuit board 301. This reduces manufacturing costs. Further, the optical device 102 is mountable to and dismountable from the head lamp module 100 as a whole. This reduces the manufacturing costs even more.

[0036] In operation, the first group of light sources 101 and the second group of light sources 200 emit light towards the optical device 102. Each light source 200 of the second group of light sources 200 corresponds to one single geometrical light way 201. Thus the light of the respective light source 200 of the second group of light sources is only emitted to one single corresponding geometrical light way 201. The light of the second group of light sources 200 is reflected totally at the interfaces between the geometrical light ways 201 and the air channels 103. Thus, the light may not pass from one geometrical light way 201 to another geometrical light way 201. The light passes through the optical device 102 towards the lens 300. The light leaves the head lamp module 100 through the lens 300.

[0037] The light distribution 400 shown in FIG. 4 is generated by the second group of light sources 200 with all light sources 200 switched on. The light distribution 500 shown in FIG. 5 is generated by the second group of light sources 200 with all light sources 200 except for one switched on. Thus, one of the light sources 200 is switched off.

[0038] Due to the light ways 201 being separated by the air channels 103 the tunnel 501 shown in FIG. 5 is created. This tunnel 501 was illuminated in light distribution 400 of FIG. 4 only by the light source 200 that is switched off for creating the light distribution 500 of FIG. 5.

[0039] This principle is further explained with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 6 a light distribution 600 is shown with a dark middle area 601. This light distribution 600 is created by a switching the second group of light sources 200 shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7 two geometrical light ways 700 do not transmit any light. Thus, the corresponding light sources 200 are switched off while all other light sources 200 of the second group of light sources 200 are switched on. This results in the light distribution 600 shown in FIG. 6.

[0040] The tunnel 501 and the dark middle area 601 may be used to avoid glaring of other road users.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0041] 100 Head lamp module [0042] 101 Light source [0043] 102 Optical device [0044] 103 Air channel [0045] 200 Light source [0046] 201 Geometrical light way [0047] 300 Lens [0048] 301 Printed circuit board [0049] 400 Light distribution [0050] 500 Light distribution [0051] 501 Tunnel [0052] 600 Light distribution [0053] 601 Dark middle area [0054] 700 Geometrical light way