ILLUMINATION DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

An illumination device for a motor vehicle having a printed circuit board with a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed thereon. An optical pane and a reflector element are provided, whereby the reflector element is disposed between the printed circuit board and the optical pane. The reflector element has a plurality of segments into which the reflector element is divided. Each light emitting diode is assigned a segment so that light emitted from the light emitting diodes is reflected by the segments of the reflector element and passes through the optical pane.

Claims

1. An illumination device for a motor vehicle, the illumination device comprising: a printed circuit board; a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged on the printed circuit board; an optical pane; a reflector element arranged between the printed circuit board and the optical pane, the reflector element having a plurality of segments into which the reflector element is divided, wherein each light emitting diode is assigned a segment so that light emitted from the light emitting diodes is reflected by the segments of the reflector element and passes through the optical pane, and wherein the light emitting diodes are radial-beam light emitting diodes.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the radial-beam light emitting diodes are designed to radiate light radially outwards at their circumference.

3. The illumination device according to claim 2, wherein the radial-beam light emitting diodes are designed to radiate light radially outwards at least over half of their circumference or substantially along their entire circumference.

4. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein each light emitting diode is assigned a segment such that light emitted from each light emitting diode is reflected by the reflector element and passes through the optical pane in the area of the segment assigned each of these light emitting diodes.

5. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the light emitting diodes and the optical pane is less than 15 mm.

6. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the segments have a triangular, rectangular, pentagonal or hexagonal shape or other polygonal shape.

7. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of segments are each combined to form a repeating row-and column-by-column arrangement on the reflector element.

8. The illumination device according to claim 7, wherein the arrangements each have a corresponding form to the segments.

9. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination device has a grating mask, which delimits the segments from each other.

10. The illumination device according to claim 9, wherein the grating mask is designed as a sheet metal, a foil, an injection molding part and/or a laser ablation of the optical pane.

11. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination device also has a housing in which the printed circuit board, the reflector element and the optical pane are included.

12. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the optical pane has optical scattering elements on its front and/or back.

13. An illumination system for a motor vehicle, the illumination system comprising an illumination device according to claim 1 and a control unit to control a light signature display of the illumination device.

14. The illumination system according to claim 13, wherein the illumination system further comprises a plurality of illumination devices and wherein the control unit is set up to control at least two of the plurality of illumination devices to display a common light signature.

15. A motor vehicle comprising an illumination device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] 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:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an illumination device according to an example of the invention;

[0037] FIG. 2 shows an oblique view of the illumination device from FIG. 1;

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the illumination device from FIG. 1;

[0039] FIG. 4 shows the side view of the illumination device from FIG. 1 without a housing;

[0040] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the illumination device from FIG. 1;

[0041] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the illumination device from FIG. 1 without housing and without a grating mask;

[0042] FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the printed circuit board of the illumination device from FIG. 5;

[0043] FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a section of the illumination device from FIGS. 1 to 7 in operation;

[0044] FIG. 9 shows a schematic view of an illumination system according to an example of the invention in operation with different light signatures;

[0045] FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of an illumination system according to another example of the invention in operation with a common light signature;

[0046] FIG. 11 shows a schematic view of the illumination system from FIG. 9 in operation with a common light signature;

[0047] FIG. 12 shows a schematic view of the illumination system from FIG. 9 in operation with another common light signature;

[0048] FIG. 13 shows a schematic view of the illumination system from FIG. 9 in operation with yet another common light signature; and

[0049] FIG. 14 shows a rear view of a motor vehicle according to an example of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] FIGS. 1 to 3 each show an illumination device 1 according to an example of the invention in a plan view, a perspective view and a side view.

[0051] The illumination device 1 comprises a housing 4, which in the present case is designed as a housing frame with an upper part 2 and a lower part 3. The housing 4 has a thickness that is small compared to its width and height extension. In the present case, by way of example the housing 4 is rectangular, in particular square, so that the illumination device 1 has a rectangular shape as a whole, especially in the upper part 2. Alternatively, the housing 4 or the illumination device 1 may have other shapes, such as rectangular, round or oval.

[0052] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the illumination device 1 has several arrangements 5, each comprising a plurality of segments 6. In the present case, by way of example the arrangements 5 are square in their basic shape or appearance on the optical pane 8 (see FIG. 5) of the illumination device 1 and each comprise four triangular segments 6. The individual segments 6 can be individually and uniformly illuminated by means of light emitting diodes 11 (see FIG. 5) arranged behind them.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows in a perspective view of the illumination device 1 without housing 4 that for this purpose the light emitting diodes 11 (see FIG. 5) are arranged on a printed circuit board 10 or plate 5 and behind a reflector element 9.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the illumination device 1, from which it can be seen that the reflector element 9 has the segments 6 arranged in arrangements 5 and the repeating arrangements 5. In the present case, the reflector element 9 is arranged in a single piece with all arrangements 5 and segments 6. Alternatively, the segments 6 can also be manufactured individually, but this is more complex.

[0055] The reflector element 9 is arranged on the printed circuit board 10 with the light emitting diodes 11. Here, one light emitting diode 11 is assigned one segment 6 each in the reflector element 9 or one segment 6 surrounds one of the light emitting diodes 11 each on the printed circuit board 10.

[0056] On the reflector element 9, an optical pane 8, for example made of glass or plastic, is arranged. On the optical pane 8, on the other hand, there is a grating mask 7, which provides an optical separation of the segments 6 from each other. All of the above-mentioned components are included in the housing 4.

[0057] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the illumination device 1 without housing 4, without optical pane 8 and without grating mask 7. Here you can see well how each light emitting diode 11 is assigned one segment 6 in each case, which can illuminate the light emitting diode 11. Each of the light emitting diodes 11 is surrounded by a segment 6 of the reflector element 9, respectively.

[0058] FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the printed circuit board 10 with the light emitting diodes 11. As can be seen, the light emitting diodes 11 are arranged here corresponding to the arrangements 5 on the printed circuit board 10.

[0059] FIG. 8 shows a section of the illumination device 1 in a cross-sectional view. Here you can see an example of a section of a printed circuit board 10 with three light emitting diodes 11 as well as a partial structure or wall elements of the reflector element 9. Finally, the grating mask 7 is located behind the optical pane 8.

[0060] The distance between the light emitting diodes 11 and the optical pane 8 is particularly small, for example only 10 cm or less, in order to achieve the compactness or low thickness of the illumination device 1 mentioned above. Accordingly, there is little space for the corresponding reflector element 9 or corresponding reflections. At the same time, however, it is necessary to ensure that the illumination of the respective segment 6 or the area of the optical pane 8 in front of the respective segment 6 is as uniform as possible.

[0061] In order to ensure this, light emitting diodes 11 are used in the present case, which radiate in a radial or ring-shaped manner. These light emitting diodes 11 radiate light mainly from their circumference, as can be seen from FIG. 8. They can emit the light along their entire circumference or by 360?. This provides a short path to the reflector element 9, which is set up in such a way that it deflects the light from the light emitting diodes 11 onto the optical pane 8 in front of the segments 6. This is shown in FIG. 8 by the first area 12 of the light beams.

[0062] Together with a possible small proportion of light, which is emitted directly from the front of the light emitting diodes 11 onto the optical pane 8, a particularly uniform illumination of the individual segments 6 or the optical pane 8 in the area in front of the segments 6 is possible. The light beams passing directly through the optical pane 8 from the light emitting diode 11 are represented by the second area 13.

[0063] FIG. 9 schematically shows an illumination system 20 with a plurality of, in the present case only four, illumination devices 1. The illumination devices 1 can be controlled by means of individual control units or as shown, by a common control unit 21.

[0064] FIG. 9 shows different light signatures displayed by the respective illumination devices 1. Individual contents or symbols are reproduced by means of the light signatures, such as a cross for a stop, a walking pedestrian or a standing pedestrian.

[0065] When using light emitting diodes 11 covering the color spectrum (yellow, red, blue), it is also possible to split the surface of an illumination device 1, for example with a larger red area (red light emitting diodes) and a smaller yellow area (yellow light emitting diodes) or a different color division. As a result, two functions, e.g., tail light and direction indicator, or three functions, e.g., tail brake light and direction indicator, can also be realized.

[0066] However, it is also possible to match the light signatures of the individual illumination devices 1. For example, FIG. 10 shows three illumination devices 1 of an illumination system 20, each of which shows the same light signature.

[0067] FIGS. 11 and 12 each show a different and self-contained or common light signature, which is produced by them together when four illumination devices 1 are lined up or connected in series.

[0068] FIG. 13, on the other hand, shows a repetition of a light signature on four illumination devices 1 of an illumination system 20, in which the light signature has an indicator function that can be used, for example, when driving the motor vehicle 30 equipped with the illumination system 20, namely the display of a right-pointing arrow, which can also be referred to as a driving indicator and can be used, for example, to drive the motor vehicle 30 equipped with it (see FIG. 14) to the right.

[0069] FIG. 14 shows a motor vehicle 30 according to an example of the invention in a rear view. The motor vehicle 30 is designed with the illumination systems 20 described above, which in the present case are designed as rear lights of the motor vehicle 30 and thus enable the display of various common or different light signatures, for example of a turn using corresponding arrow representations as light signatures.

[0070] 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