LIGHTING UNIT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting unit (1) for a motor vehicle, which comprises a light module (2) and a mirror module (3), wherein the mirror module (3) is designed to reflect the light emission produced by the light module (3) in an emission direction of the lighting unit (1), characterized by: the light module (2), which comprises at least one light source (4) and a first heat sink (5), the mirror module (3), which comprises a mirror unit (6) and a second heat sink (7), a cooling system (8), which comprises at least one inlet (9), at least one outlet (10), at least one line (11), at least one flow unit (12), a cooling medium, a first cooling sink, and a second cooling sink, wherein the inlet (9) and the outlet (10) are connected by the line (11), and the flow unit (12) is inserted into the line (11) in order to produce a flow of the cooling medium in the line (11) and sucks in the cooling medium through the inlet (9) and discharges the cooling medium through the outlet (10), and the first cooling sink is formed by the first heat sink (5) of the light module (2) and the second cooling sink is formed by the second heat sink (7) of the mirror module (3), wherein the first cooling sink is arranged downstream of the second cooling sink.

Claims

1. A lighting unit (1) for a motor vehicle, the lighting unit comprising: a light module (2); and a mirror module (3), wherein the mirror module (3) is adapted to reflect light emission produced by the light module (2) in an emission direction of the lighting unit (1), wherein: the light module (2) comprises at least one light source (4) and a first heat sink (5), the mirror module (3) comprises a mirror unit (6) and a second heat sink (7), the lighting unit further comprises a cooling system (8) which comprises at least one inlet (9), at least one outlet (10), at least one line (11), at least one flow unit (12), a cooling medium, a first cooling sink and a second cooling sink, wherein the at least one inlet (9) and the at least one outlet (10) are connected by the at least one line (11) and the at least one flow unit (12) is inserted into the line (11) and configured to produce a flow of the cooling medium in the line (11) and thereby suck in the cooling medium through the at least one inlet (9) and expel the cooling medium through the at least one outlet (10), and the first cooling sink is formed by the first heat sink (5) of the light module (2) and the second cooling sink is formed by the second heat sink (7) of the mirror module (3), wherein the first cooling sink is arranged downstream of the second cooling sink.

2. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flow unit (12) is disposed in the at least one line (11) between the first heat sink (5) and the second heat sink (7).

3. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first heat sink (5) is disposed in the at least one line (11) upstream of the at least one outlet (10).

4. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first heat sink (5) is arranged downstream of the outlet (10) in such a manner that the first heat sink (5) is cooled by the expelled cooling medium.

5. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the second heat sink (7) is disposed in the at least one line (11) downstream of the at least one inlet (9).

6. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the second heat sink (7) is arranged upstream of the at least one inlet (9) in such a manner that the second heat sink (7) is cooled by the sucked in cooling medium.

7. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one line (11) of the cooling system (8) runs through the first heat sink (5) of the light module (2) or rests upon the first heat sink.

8. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one line (11) of the cooling system (8) runs through the second heat sink (7) of the mirror module (3) or rests upon the second heat sink.

9. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first heat sink (5) of the light module (2) is structurally separated from the second heat sink (7) of the mirror module (3).

10. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cooling medium is air and the at least one flow unit (12) is a fan.

11. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cooling medium is a cooling liquid or oil and the at least one flow unit (12) is a pump.

12. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the light module (2) comprises at least one semiconductor light source.

13. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the mirror unit (6) comprises a digital or analogue micro-mirror array.

14. The lighting unit (1) according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor light source comprises at least one power LED or at least one semiconductor laser.

Description

[0027] The invention and its advantages will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to non-restrictive examples which are illustrated in the appended drawings. In the drawings:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from the front of a lighting unit according to the invention,

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a view from above of the lighting unit with the position of section A-A,

[0030] FIG. 3 shows the lighting unit in section A-A,

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view from the side of the lighting unit,

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view from behind of the lighting unit with a second board upstream of a heat sink of a mirror module,

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view from behind of the lighting unit without the second board upstream of a heat sink of a mirror module,

[0034] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view from upstream of the cooling system.

[0035] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is now explained in detail with reference to FIG. 1. In particular, the important parts for the lighting unit according to the invention are shown, wherein it is clear that a lighting unit also contains many other parts which enable an appropriate use in a headlamp in a motor vehicle such as, in particular a passenger car or a motorcycle.

[0036] FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 show a lighting unit 1 for a motor vehicle in overview and in various perspectives. The light emission generated by a light module 2 is reflected at a mirror module 3 in the emission direction of the lighting unit. The light module 2 comprises a light source 4, preferably a semiconductor light source, for example a power-LED, and a first heat sink 5. The first heat sink 5 and the light source 4 are connected to one another in a thermally conductive manner, for example through a direct mechanical contact of these two components.

[0037] The mirror module 3 comprises a mirror unit and a second heat sink 7. The mirror unit preferably comprises a digital or analogue micro-mirror array (AMD, analog micro mirror device or DMD, digital micro mirror device). The second heat sink 7 and the mirror unit 6 are connected to one another in a thermally conductive manner, for example through a direct mechanical contact of these two components.

[0038] In order to remove the heat generated by the light emission, a cooling system 8 is arranged in the lighting unit 1 which comprises an inlet 9, an outlet 10, a line 11, a flow unit 12, a cooling medium, here ambient air, a first cooling sink and a second cooling sink.

[0039] The inlet 9 and the outlet 10 are connected by the line 11 and the flow unit 12 in this exemplary embodiment a fan, is inserted in the line 11 in order to produce a flow of the cooling medium in the line 11.

[0040] In this case, the cooling medium is sucked in through the inlet and expelled again through the outlet 10 and the first cooling sink is formed by the first heat sink 5 of the light module 2 and the second cooling sink is formed by the second heat sink 7 of the mirror module 3, wherein the first cooling sink is arranged downstream of the second cooling sink.

[0041] The flow unit 12 is inserted in the line 11 between the first heat sink 5 and the second heat sink 7 and the first heat sink 5 is arranged downstream of the outlet 10 in such a manner that the first heat sink 5 is cooled by the expelled cooling medium. The second heat sink 7 is arranged upstream of the inlet 9 in such a manner that the second heat sink 7 is cooled by the sucked-in cooling medium.

[0042] The first heat sink 5 of the light module 2 is here structurally separated from the second heat sink 7 of the mirror module 3.

[0043] FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of the components of the cooling system 8 of the lighting unit 1. For a better understanding no holder and no imaging optics are shown. What is shown is the light source 4 with the first heat sink 5, the mirror unit 6, the inlet 9, the outlet 10 and the fan as flow unit 12.

REFERENCE LIST

[0044] 1 Lighting unit [0045] 2 Light module [0046] 3 Mirror module [0047] 4 Light source [0048] 5 First heat sink of light module [0049] 6 Mirror unit [0050] 7 Second heat sink of mirror module [0051] 8 Cooling system [0052] 9 Inlet [0053] 10 Outlet [0054] 11 Line [0055] 12 Flow unit