LIGHT DEVICE, ESPECIALLY SIGNAL LAMP, FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

Abstract

The light device, especially a signal lamp, for motor vehicles, comprises a carrier housing and a translucent cover of the carrier housing that delimit an inner chamber, wherein a planar light-guide is mounted to conduct light rays generated by a lighting element comprising at least one light source, and to emit them from at least a part of the front surface of the light-guide. In the area of the front surface, elevations and/or recesses are formed comprising surface areas of parts of macroscopic crystals

Claims

1. A light device for motor vehicles, comprising a carrier housing and a translucent cover of the carrier housing that delimit an inner chamber wherein a planar light-guide is mounted to conduct light rays generated by a lighting element comprising at least one light source, and to emit them from at least a part of the front surface of the light-guide, wherein in the area of the front surface, elevations and/or recesses are formed comprising surface areas of parts of macroscopic crystals.

2. The light device according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the said elevations or recesses are produced by formative bending of the flat light-guide body.

3. The light device according to claim 1, wherein the front surface comprises a base area that the said parts of macroscopic crystals protrude from and/or form recesses therein.

4. The light device according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the parts of macroscopic crystals overlap each other in the longitudinal sectional view.

5. The light device according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the edges and/or corners of the parts of macroscopic crystals are rounded.

6. The light device according to claim 1, wherein the light-guide is configured for the output of light rays from the said surface areas of parts of macroscopic crystals or their parts.

7. The light device according to claim 3, wherein the light-guide is configured for the output of light rays from at least a part of the base area.

8. The light device according to claim 1, wherein the light-guide comprises at least one reflective area to reflect light rays conducted by the light-guide in such a way to make them proceed through the light-guide towards the front surface.

9. The light device according to claim 8, wherein the reflective area is configured to reflect light rays conducted by the light-guide directly to the front surface and from the front surface out of the light-guide to produce output light regions on the front surface with a different luminous intensity than exhibited by adjacent locations of this region on the front surface.

10. The light device according to claim 8, wherein the light-guide comprises a planar binding part to conduct light rays that have exited from the lighting element, and an adjacent planar unbinding part that comprises the front surface, the reflective area being part of the binding and/or unbinding part and being configured to reflect rays in such a way to make them proceed through the unbinding part.

11. The light device according to claim 10, wherein the binding part is comprised of polycarbonate (PC) or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

12. The light device according to claim 10, wherein the unbinding part comprises unbinding elements on its outer shell or in its inner structure to direct and/or diffuse light rays.

13. The light device according to any of claim 10, wherein at least a part of the surface of the unbinding part is fitted with a reflective layer.

14. The light device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting element comprises a lighting linear light-guide fitted with an input area and an output area, wherein at the input area of the lighting linear light-guide, at least one light source is situated, and the output area of the linear light-guide is situated opposite an input area of the light-guide.

15. The light device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting element comprises a lighting planar light-guide fitted with an input area and an output area, wherein at the input area of the lighting planar light-guide, at least one light source is situated, and the output area of the lighting planar light-guide is situated opposite an input area of the light-guide.

16. The light device according to claim 1, wherein in a view of the inner chamber, after the light-guide, an active optical element is arranged comprising an area facing the rear area of the light-guide with diffusing and/or reflective properties to return rays that have escaped from the light-guide in another way than through the front surface back to the light-guide body.

17. The light device according to claim 1, wherein in a view of the inner chamber, after the light-guide, at least one reflector is arranged to reflect light rays produced by the secondary lighting element.

18. The light device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of outer edges of the light-guide is covered by a covering mask in a view of the inner chamber of the light-guide from the side of the translucent cover.

19. The light device according to claim 1, further comprising a lighting element, wherein the lighting element comprises multiple light sources installed on a common board.

20. The light device according to claim 1, wherein light sources are LED sources.

Description

CLARIFICATION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] The invention will be clarified in more detail with the use of its embodiment examples with references to attached drawings where:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a view of the first embodiment example of a light device according to the invention and its parts in a disassembled state,

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the light device of FIG. 1 with the translucent cover removed,

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the light device with the translucent cover attached and the cross-sections A-A and B-B indicated,

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a view of the light device of FIG. 1 in the cross-section A-A indicated in FIG. 3,

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a view of the light device of FIG. 1 in the cross-section B-B indicated in Fig.,

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a front view of the light-guide and its front surface according to the second embodiment example,

[0034] FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device comprising the light-guide with the covering mask according to the third embodiment example,

[0035] FIG. 8 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device comprising the light-guide with the covering mask according to the fourth embodiment example,

[0036] FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device comprising multiple lighting element according to the fifth embodiment example,

[0037] FIG. 10 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device according to the sixth embodiment example wherein light rays are bound to the planar light-guide from a side through a linear light-guide,

[0038] FIG. 11 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device according to the seventh embodiment example wherein light rays are bound to the planar light-guide from a side directly from the light sources,

[0039] FIG. 12 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device according to the eighth embodiment example wherein light rays are bound to the planar light-guide through an array of optical parts, and

[0040] FIG. 13 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device according to the ninth embodiment example wherein parts of macroscopic crystals overlap each other in the front view.

EMBODIMENT EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Before the description of individual particular embodiments, some aspects concerning the invention in general will be mentioned.

[0042] The light-guide 3 of this invention is generally planar, i.e. it has the shape of a thin plate that can be variously spatially formed. The front surface 9 of the light-guide 3 refers to the surface of the light-guide or its part intended to emit light rays 10 out of the light device. The area of the front surface 9 comprises elevations and/or recesses while generally at least some of these elevations/recesses are formed by surface areas 6 of parts 8 of macroscopic crystals. The fact that the said elevations/recesses are situated in the area of the front surface 9 is meant in such a way that the elevations/recesses are not only present e.g. along an edge of the front surface 9.

[0043] In an embodiment, at least some of the said elevations or recesses are produced by formative bending of the flat light-guide 3 body (understood as bending through the entire thickness of the light-guide 3 body)see e.g. FIGS. 1 to 8, while in other embodiments (see e.g. FIG. 9), the shape of any of elevations or recesses does not result from such bending of the planar light-guide 3 body.

[0044] Further, in some embodiments, the front surface 9 of the light-guide 3 comprises a base area 17 that the said parts 8 of macroscopic crystals protrude from and/or are formed by recessesthis is typically the case of the embodiment of FIG. 6.

[0045] Further, in some embodiments, at least some of the parts 8 can overlap each other in a longitudinal section viewthis is the case of the embodiment of FIG. 13.

[0046] The invention generally also comprises an embodiment (not shown in the drawings) wherein some edges and/or corners of the parts 8 of macroscopic crystals are rounded.

[0047] Concerning the output of light rays 10 from the front area 9 of the light-guide 3, the invention comprises embodiments wherein the light-guide 3 is configured for the output of rays 10 from the whole region of all the surface areas 6, but also embodiments where rays are only output from some of the surface areas 6, or even their parts.

[0048] If an embodiment of the invention comprises the base area 17, light rays 10 may exit from the whole base area 17 or from its part only, or in some embodiments, they do not exit from the base area 17 at all.

[0049] The light sources 13 according to the invention can be LED sources.

[0050] In an embodiment, the light-guide according to the invention comprises at least one reflective area 7 to reflect light rays 10 conducted by the light-guide 3 in such a way to make them proceed through the light-guide 3 towards the front surface 9. This comprises an embodiment envisaged by the invention (see claim 9) wherein the reflective area 7 is configured to reflect light rays 10 conducted by the light-guide 3 directly to the front surface 9 and from the front surface 9 out of the light-guide to produce output light regions 33 (see FIG. 10) on the front surface with a different luminous intensity than exhibited by adjacent locations of this region on the front surface 9. The invention also envisages an alternative configuration of the reflective area 7 wherein the reflective area 7 is configured to reflect rays 10 to another part of the light-guide 3 oriented in a different direction (see the embodiment of FIG. 7).

[0051] From the point of view of the effect that is achieved using the inventive solution, it should be mentioned that in the off state, the adjacent surface areas 6 of the parts 8 of macroscopic crystals produce a crystalline effect caused by reflection of daylight (solar radiation) due to a different inclination of the surface areas 6. The result is a different appearance (brightness and reflections) of adjacent surface areas 6. In the lit-up state, an analogous effect is achieved thanks to guiding of light from the light source/s 13 and its unbinding with the use of the surface areas 6, or possibly in embodiments where reflective areas 7 are present, by means of a combination of surface areas 6 and the inclination of the reflective area 7.

[0052] Now, to individual particular embodiments.

[0053] FIGS. 1 to 5 show the first embodiment example of the light device according to the invention in different views.

[0054] FIG. 1 shows the light device in the disassembled condition. The light device comprises a carrier housing 5 designed to hold a planar light-guide 3 that a board 4 carrying not shown light sources 13 that are part of the lighting element 18 to supply the light-guide 3 is associated with.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows the light-guide 3 with a covering mask 2 mounted in the carrier housing 5. It further shows the surface areas 6 of a part 8 of a crystal. Light rays 10 exit from the surface areas 6 or at least their parts out of the light-guide 3.

[0056] FIG. 3 is a front view of the light device with the translucent cover 1 installed, indicating the cross-sections and corresponding views A-A and B-B, which are then shown in the next FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0057] In the assembled condition of the light device, the carrier housing 5 is covered by a translucent cover 1 and it holds a planar light-guide 3 to conduct light rays 10 generated by the lighting element 18 comprising at least one light source 13, and to emit them from at least a part of the front surface 9 of the light-guide 3. The light-guide 3 comprises at least one reflective area 7. In this embodiment, the reflective area 7 is part of the surface of the binding part 11 and is designed to reflect light rays 10 conducted by the binding part 11 of the light-guide 3 in such a way to direct them to the unbinding part 12 and to make them proceed towards the front surface 9. The covering mask 2 is configured in such a way to cover the outer edges 16 of the unbinding part 12 of the light-guide 3 in a view through the translucent cover 1 of the inside of the light device. The unbinding part 12 is plastically (i.e. three-dimensionallyspatially) bent in such a way that the front surface 9 at least partly comprises the surface areas 6 of parts 8 of macroscopic crystals. In general, each of the parts 8 forms a recess or an elevation on the front surface 9 in the front view.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment example of the light-guide according to the invention. In this example, the front surface 9 of the light-guide 3 comprises a base area 17 while the part of the light-guide carrying the front surface 9 is bent in such a way that parts 8 of crystals protrude from the base area 17, forming elevations on the front surface, while other parts 8 may form recesses with respect to the base area 17. So in this embodiment example, the front surface 9 of the light-guide 3 is partly formed by the base area 17 and partly formed by the surface areas 6.

[0059] FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light-guide 3 with the covering mask 2, according to another embodiment example. The light-guide 3 comprises a planar binding part 11 to bind light rays 10 produced by at least one light source 13, and a bent planar unbinding part 12. The sources 13 can be situated on a common board 4. The sources 13 are part of the lighting element 18. The planar unbinding part 12 carries the front surface 9, which is used to emit light rays 10 out of the light-guide 3. The outer edges 16 of the light-guide 3 are covered by the covering mask 2 in a view of the front surface 9 from the outside of the light device. In this embodiment, the unbinding part 12 comprises unbinding elements 14 in its inner structure to direct and/or diffuse light rays 10. The binding part 11 comprises a reflective area 7 that reflects light rays 10 passing through the binding part 11 to the unbinding part 12.

[0060] FIG. 8 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light-guide 3 with the covering mask 2, according to another embodiment example. Similar to the previous embodiment, the light-guide 3 comprises a planar binding part 11 to bind light rays 10 produced by at least one source 13, and a bent planar unbinding part 12. The sources 13 can be situated on a common board 4. The sources 13 are part of the lighting element 18. The planar unbinding part 12 carries the front surface 9, which is used to emit light rays 10 out of the light-guide 3. The outer edges 16 of the light-guide 3 are covered by the covering mask 2 in a view of the front surface 9 from the outside of the light device. The binding part 11 comprises a reflective area 7 that reflects light rays 10 passing through the binding part 11 to the unbinding part 12. In this embodiment, at least a part of the surface of the binding part 11 is fitted with a reflective layer 15 supporting reflection of light rays 10 passing through the binding part 11 from the surface of the binding part 11. The reflective area 7 can also be fitted with a reflective layer 15. Similar to the previous embodiment, the unbinding part 12 is fitted with an unbinding element 14, this time having the form of a layer that adheres from the inside to the surface of the unbinding part 12 opposite its front surface 9 and is configured to reflect light rays 10 to the front surface 9 through which the light rays 10 exit from the light-guide 3. The binding part 11 can be made of polycarbonate (PC) or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). As regards the material of the unbinding part 12, it is can be based on material comprising diffusing particles in its inner structure to diffuse light rays.

[0061] FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device according to another embodiment example. The lighting element 18 comprises a lighting linear light-guide 19 fitted with an input area 20 and output area 21, while at the input area 20 of the lighting linear light-guide 19, at least one light source 13 is situated, and the output area 21 of the linear light-guide 19 is situated against the input area 22 of the light-guide 3. In a view of the inner chamber, at least one reflector 30 is arranged behind the light-guide 3 to reflect light rays produced by the secondary lighting element 31. The light-guide comprises a reflective area 7. In a view of the inner chamber of the light-guide 3 from the side of the translucent cover 1, the outer edges 16 of the light-guide 3 are covered by a covering mask 2.

[0062] FIG. 10 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device according to another embodiment example. The lighting element 18 comprises a lighting linear light-guide 19 fitted with an input area 20 and output area 21 while at the input area 20 of the lighting linear light-guide 19, at least one light source 13 is situated, and the output area 21 of the linear light-guide 19 is situated against the input area 22 of the light-guide 3. In a view of the inner chamber, behind the light-guide 3, an active optical element 26 is situated comprising an area 27 facing the rear area 28 of the light-guide 3 with diffusing and/or reflective properties to return rays 10 that have escaped from the light-guide 3 in other ways than through the front surface 9 back to the light-guide 3 body. The light-guide comprises multiple unbinding reflective areas 7. At least one of the outer edges 16 of the light-guide is covered by a covering mask 2 in a view of the inner chamber of the light-guide 3 from the side of the translucent cover 1.

[0063] FIG. 11 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device according to another embodiment example. The lighting element 18 comprises an array of light sources 13 positioned on a board 4carrier. The array of light sources 13 is adapted to emit light rays 10 towards the input area 22 of the light-guide 3. At least one of the outer edges 16 of the light-guide 3 is covered by a covering mask 2 in a view of the inner chamber of the light guide 3 from the side of the translucent cover 1. In a view of the inner chamber, behind the light-guide 3, an active optical element 26 is situated comprising an area 27 facing the rear area 28 of the light-guide 3 with diffusing and/or reflective properties to return rays 10 that have escaped from the light-guide 3 in other ways than through the front surface 9 back to the light-guide 3 body. The light-guide comprises multiple unbinding reflective areas 7.

[0064] FIG. 12 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device according to another embodiment example. The lighting element 18 comprises a lighting planar light-guide 23 fitted with an input area 24 and output area 25 while at the input area 24 of the lighting planar light-guide 23, at least one light source 13 is situated, and the output area 25 of the planar light-guide 23 is situated against the input area 22 of the light-guide 3. At least one of the outer edges 16 of the light-guide 3 is covered by a covering mask 2 in a view of the inner chamber of the light guide 3 from the side of the translucent cover 1. In a view of the inner chamber, behind the light-guide 3, an active optical element 26 is situated comprising an area 27 facing the rear area 28 of the light-guide 3 with diffusing and/or reflective properties to return rays 10 that have escaped from the light-guide 3 in other ways than through the front surface 9 back to the light-guide 3 body. The light-guide comprises multiple unbinding reflective areas 7.

[0065] FIG. 13 shows a longitudinal section of a part of the light device according to another embodiment example. The above-mentioned description of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 applies adequately to this embodiment except that the parts 8 of macroscopic crystals forming elevations on the front surface 9 overlap each other in the longitudinal section view in FIG. 13. In addition, the light-guide 3 comprises unbinding elements 14 in its inner structure to direct and/or diffuse light rays 10.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment examples described above with references to the respective attached drawings and comprises all adaptations and modifications that fall within the scope of the patent claims below.

LIST OF REFERENCE MARKS

[0067] 1translucent cover [0068] 2covering mask [0069] 3light-guide [0070] 4board [0071] 5carrier housing [0072] 6surface area [0073] 7reflective area [0074] 8part (of a macroscopic crystal) [0075] 9front surface (of the light-guide) [0076] 10light ray [0077] 11binding part (of the light-guide) [0078] 12unbinding part (of the light-guide) [0079] 13light source [0080] 14unbinding elements [0081] 15reflective layer [0082] 16outer edge [0083] 17base area [0084] 18lighting element [0085] 19lighting linear light-guide [0086] 20input area (of the lighting linear light-guide) [0087] 21output area (of the lighting linear light-guide) [0088] 22input area (of the light guide) [0089] 23lighting planar light guide [0090] 24input area (of the lighting planar light-guide) [0091] 25output area (of the lighting planar light-guide) [0092] 26active optical element [0093] 27area [0094] 28rear area [0095] 30reflector [0096] 31secondary lighting element [0097] 33region