LIGHTING DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE HEADLIGHT

Abstract

A lighting device (1) for a motor vehicle headlight, having at least one illumination module (2) for emitting visible light, at least one optical component (3) deflecting and/or shaping the light of the illumination module (2) and a holding module (4) which is connected with the illumination module (2) and in which the at least one optical component (3) is supported, the illumination module (2) comprising at least one laser light source (2a) and a light conversion element (2b), the light of the at least one laser light source (2a) being directed onto the light conversion element (2b), which converts the light into visible light and emits it into the optical component (3), the holding module (4) having at least one first and one second guidance means (4b, 4h), the first guidance means (4b) being able to move the optical component (3) in a first direction (x) with respect to the light conversion element (2b), and the second guidance means (4h) being able to move the optical component (3) in a second direction (z), the first and the second directions (x, z) being different from one another.

Claims

1. A lighting device (1) for a motor vehicle headlight, having at least one illumination module (2) for emitting visible light; at least one optical component (3) configured to deflect and/or shape the visible light emitted from the at least one illumination module (2); and a holding module (4) which is connected with the at least one illumination module (2) and in which the at least one optical component (3) is supported, wherein the at least one illumination module (2) comprises at least one laser light source (2a) and a light conversion element (2b), the at least one illumination module being configured to direct the light of the at least one laser light source (2a) onto the light conversion element (2b), which converts the light into visible light and emits it into the at least one optical component (3), and wherein the holding module (4) has at least one first and one second guidance means (4b, 4h), the first guidance means (4b) being able to move the at least one optical component (3) with respect to the light conversion element (2b) in a first direction (x), and the second guidance means (4h) being able to move the at least one optical component (3) in a second direction (z), the first and the second directions (x, z) being different from one another.

2. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one illumination module (2) comprises a housing (2c) surrounding the laser light source (2a) and the light conversion element (2b), and the holding module (4) comprises a supporting element (4b) that is set up to hold the at least one optical component (3), the supporting element (4b) being movable with respect to the housing (2c) by means of the first guidance means (4b), the first guidance means (4b) acting directly on the housing (2c).

3. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one illumination module (2) comprises a housing (2c) surrounding the laser light source (2a) and the light conversion element (2b), and the holding module (4) comprises a supporting element (4b) and an adapter element (4a), the supporting element (4b) being set up to hold the at least one optical component (3) and the adapter element (4a) being solidly connectable with the housing (2c), the supporting element (4b) acting upon the adapter element (4a, 4a) by means of the first guidance means (4b) and being movable with respect to the adapter element (4a).

4. The lighting device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the second guidance means (4h) is arranged on the supporting element (4b) and can move the at least one optical component (3) with respect to the supporting element (4b).

5. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second directions (x, z) are oriented normal to one another.

6. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein a movement position in each of the first and/or second directions (x, z) can be determined by means of an adjusting screw (8a, 8b).

7. The lighting device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the supporting element (4b) has an opening to hold a first adjusting screw (8a) that engages in a screw thread of the adapter element (4a) and/or of the housing (2c) of the at least one illumination module (2), a first spring element (7a) arranged between the supporting element (4b) and the at least one illumination module (2) pressing the supporting element (4b) in the direction of the screw head of the first adjusting screw (8a) and into a rest position.

8. The lighting device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the first spring element (7a) is a hollow cylindrical rubber element that is arranged between the at least one illumination module (2) and the supporting element (4b) and that envelops the first adjusting screw (8a).

9. The lighting device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the adapter element and/or the housing of the at least one illumination module (2) have a first stop (4d) to limit the displacement movement of the supporting element (4) in the direction of the spring force of the first spring element (7a).

10. The lighting device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the at least one illumination module (2) and the supporting element (4b) have a second stop (4g) arranged between them, that limits the displacement movement of the supporting element (4b) in the direction opposite the direction of the spring force of the first spring element (7a).

11. The lighting device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the second guidance means (4h) is arranged on the supporting element (4b) and can move the at least one optical component (3) with respect to the supporting element (4b).

12. The lighting device (1) according to claim 11, wherein the second guidance means (4h) has at least one guide rail which projects away from the supporting element (4b) and in which the at least one optical component (3) is movably supported, the projecting end of the guide rail having an end element (9) arranged on it that can be fastened to the guide rail, this end element (9) limiting the movement of the at least one optical component (3) toward the end of the guide rail, a second spring element (7b) acting on the supporting element (4b), this second spring element pressing the at least one optical component (3) in the direction of the end of the guide rail and the end element (9) having a second adjusting screw (8b) which can move the at least one optical component (3) against the spring force of the second spring element (7b).

13. The lighting device (1) according to claim 12, wherein the at least one optical component (3) has an adjustment bevel (3a) on which a contact section of the second adjusting screw (8b) lies, the adjustment bevel (3a) and the contact section being arranged to convert axial displacement of the second adjusting screw (8b) into a displacement movement of the at least one optical component (3) in the second direction (z) or opposite the second direction.

14. The lighting device (1) according to claim 13, wherein the second adjusting screw (8b) passes through the end element (9), which has the screw head of the adjusting screw (8b) arranged on one side of it and the contact section arranged on the opposite side of it, the contact section having a stop face (8b) facing the end element (9), the screw head preferably also having a stop face (8b) facing the end element (9).

15. The lighting device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the first and the second adjusting screws (8a, 8b) are oriented essentially parallel to one another.

16. The lighting device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the at least one illumination module (2) has reference marks (10) arranged on it, which indicate a neutral position of the displacement in the first and second directions (x, z) and which are visible from at least one common direction (BR), which preferably is oriented parallel to the adjusting screws (8b).

17. The lighting device (1) according to that claim 1, wherein the at least one optical component (3) comprises a lens and/or a reflector, in particular a hyperbolic reflector with a lens.

18. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein a separate heat sink (5) is arranged on the at least one illumination module (2).

19. A vehicle headlight comprising at least one lighting device (1) according to claim 1.

Description

[0022] The invention is explained in detail below using a non-restrictive sample embodiment, which is illustrated in the figures. The figures are as follows:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of the inventive lighting device;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of an illumination module;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the illumination module according to FIG. 2;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective representation of the illumination module with an adapter element arranged in it;

[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective representation of the illumination module with a supporting element that acts comes in contact with the adapter element;

[0028] FIG. 6 is a detail view of FIG. 5;

[0029] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the supporting element, viewed at an angle from above;

[0030] FIG. 8 is a representation of an optical component held in the supporting element of FIG. 7; and

[0031] FIG. 9 is the representation according to FIGS. 7 and 8 with an end element.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of the inventive lighting device 1 for a motor vehicle headlight having at least one illumination module 2 for emitting visible light, an optical component 3 deflecting and/or shaping the light of the illumination module 2, the optical component 3 in the embodiment shown being in the form of a reflector. The optical component 3 can also be a lens system consisting of at least one lens, combinations of lenses and/or reflectors, or in theory any other optical components that are suitable to form a light pattern for illumination purposes. The lighting device 1 also has a holding module 4 connected with the illumination module 2, the holding module 4 in the embodiment shown having two components, namely an adapter element 4a and a supporting element 4b, which interact as described below. The holding module 4 is set up to hold the optical component 3 so that it is movable. As can be seen especially in FIG. 3, which is a schematic representation of the illumination module 2, this illumination module 2 comprises at least one laser light source 2a and a light conversion element 2b (e.g., a phosphor), the light of the at least one laser light source 2a being directed onto the conversion element 2b, which converts the laser light into visible light and emits it into the optical component 3. Commonly used illumination modules 2 frequently comprise multiple laser light sources 2a, whose concentrated laser light is directed onto a conversion element 2b.

[0033] The holding module 4 has, as is discussed in greater detail in relation to the following Figures, guidance means 4b and 4h which can displace the optical component 3 with respect to the conversion element 2b in a first direction x and a second direction z, the directions x and z being different from one another.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of the illumination module 2, which additionally has a heat sink 5 to cool its electronic components, the heat sink 5 being omitted from the following figures to give a better overview. The laser light source 2a is enclosed by a housing 2c, which surrounds the light conversion element 2b.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective representation of the illumination module 2 with an adapter element 4a arranged on it. The adapter element 4a is pushed onto the illumination module 2 and fastened, for example by means of screws 4c or other suitable means, to the illumination module 2, so that the adapter element 4a is solidly connected with the illumination module 2. Furthermore, the adapter element 4a has a first stop 4d to limit the displacement movement of the supporting element 4b in the direction of the spring force of a first spring element 7a shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. This first stop 4d is typically put on after assembly of the supporting element 4b; in the embodiment shown it is in the form of a screw. The adapter element 4a has, on each of its opposite sides, a depression 4a that is set up to hold and guide the contact sections 4b of the supporting elements 4b that engage into the depression 4a. The first guidance means are formed by the engagement of the contact section 4b into the depression 4a. Of course the person skilled in the art also knows other arrangements and possibilities that allow guidance of the holding module 4 in the first direction x. For instance, instead of the depressions 4b, the adapter element 4a could have projections on it that engage into the corresponding guide grooves on the supporting element 4b. Embodiments are also conceivable in which the adapter element 4a can be omitted and the supporting element 4b comes in direct contact with the illumination module 2, for example if the illumination module 2 already has components, in particular projections or depressions, corresponding with the guidance means 4b of the supporting element 4b.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective representation of the illumination module 2 with a supporting element 4b that comes in contact with the adapter element 4a. The supporting element 4b is supported on the adapter element 4a so that it is movable in the first direction x, and it has a projection 4c that is set up to make contact with a first stop 4d when the supporting element 4b is at a maximum displacement, and thus to prevent further displacement in the first direction X. Furthermore, the supporting element 4b has an opening 4f to hold a first adjusting screw 8a, which screws into a screw thread of the adapter element 4a and/or of the housing 2c of the illumination module 2, the adapter element 4a and the illumination module 2 having a first spring element 7a arranged between them. The first spring element 7a is set up to press the supporting element 4b in the direction of the screw head of the adjusting screw 8a, into a rest position, and is in the form of a hollow cylindrical rubber element arranged between the illumination module 2 or adapter element 4a and the supporting element 4b that surrounds the adjusting screw 8a. FIG. 6 shows a detail view of this.

[0037] This figure shows a second stop 4g that is arranged between the illumination module 2 or the adapter element 4a and the supporting element 4b and that limits the displacement movement of the supporting element 4b in the direction opposite the direction of the spring force of the first spring element 7a. This can prevent excessively strong squashing of the spring element 7A and resulting damage. The two stops 4d and 4g can limit the adjustment range for displacement of the supporting element 4b with respect to the housing 2c and for displacement of the conversion element 2b arranged in it to a useful amount.

[0038] For displacement of the optical component 3 in a second direction z, a second guidance means 4h is provided, which is arranged on the supporting element 4b and which will now be discussed in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 through 9.

[0039] In the sample embodiment shown, the second guidance means 4h consist of two guide rails which project away from the supporting element 4b and which are set up to hold the optical component 3 so that it is movable in the second direction z. Of course the second guidance means 4h can also have a different design, as long as they allow guidance in the second direction z. The optical component 3 is supported so that it is movable in the guide rail 4h, whose projecting end has, as shown in FIG. 9, an end element 9 arranged on it (or that can be fastened to the end of the guide rails), which limits the movement of the optical component 3 toward the end of the guide rails. The end element 9 has a second adjusting screw 8b that passes through the end element 9, which has, arranged on one side of it, the screw head of the screw 8b and, arranged on the opposite side, a contact section, which is cone-shaped in the sample embodiment shown. Facing the end element 9, the contact section has a stop face 8b which limits the maximum adjustment of the adjusting screw 8b with respect to the end element 9. Moreover, the screw head can have another stop face 8b facing the end element 9, it being possible in such a case for the end element 9 to be made in two pieces, to surround the adjusting screw 8b and hold it between the two pieces. The threaded connections by means of which the end element 9 is arranged on the guide rails 4h, can be used for solid connection of the two pieces.

[0040] As can easily be seen in FIG. 8, the optical component 3 has an adjustment bevel 3a on which the contact section of the second adjusting screw 8b lies, the adjustment bevel 3a and the contact section being arranged to convert axial displacement of the second adjusting screw 8b into a displacement movement of the optical component 3 in the second direction z, or opposite the second direction.

[0041] In FIG. 7 it can be seen that the supporting element 4b has a second spring element 7b arranged on it, which presses the optical component 3 in the direction of the end of the guide rails 4a, ensuring that the adjustment bevel 3a is pressed against the contact section of the second adjusting screw 8b, thus establishing a defined rest position of the optical component 3. The second spring element 7b advantageously sits in a recess in the supporting element 4b (easily visible in FIG. 5), which first secures the position of the spring element 7b in the lateral direction and can additionally prevent excessively strong squashing and thus damage of the spring element 7b, since the supporting element 4b limits the displacement movement of the optical element 3 in the direction opposite the direction of the spring force of the spring element 7b.

[0042] As can be seen in FIGS. 5, 7, 8, and 9, there are reference marks 10 arranged on the holding module 4, in the sample embodiment shown specifically on the supporting element 4b, these reference marks 10 indicating a neutral position of the movement position in the first or second direction and preferably being visible from at least one common viewing direction BR. These reference marks 10 can be in the form of notches or projections, for example.

[0043] This can clearly be seen in FIG. 1, which shows the inventive lighting system 1 in an assembled state. In it, the adjusting screws 8a and 8b are oriented parallel to one another, which makes it simple for them to be reached by a user, without this requiring access from different directions.

[0044] The inventive lighting device 1 makes it simple to adjust the optical component 3 with respect to the conversion element 2b, in particular to displace it in the already described first and second directions x, z, which are different from one anotherpreferably being oriented normal to one another. In a motor vehicle headlight with the inventive lighting device 1, the directions x and z are preferably selected so that when the vehicle headlight is installed in the vehicle the direction x coincides with the vehicle's main direction of travel (the so-called longitudinal axis of the vehicle), and the direction z corresponds to the vertical axis.

[0045] In consideration of this teaching, the person skilled in the art is able to arrive at other embodiments of the invention that are not shown. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown. What is essential are the ideas on which the invention is based, which can be realized in diverse ways by the person skilled in the art who knows this description, but nevertheless remain the same.