LIGHTING DEVICE AND PRODUCTION METHOD

Abstract

A lighting device for vehicles having a light source apparatus for emitting light, having an optical apparatus, which contains a lens arrangement with a multiplicity of lenses, for deflecting the light in accordance with a specified light distribution, and having a positioner for adjusting a lens along an optical axis of the lens arrangement, wherein the positioner is implemented as an apparatus for setting basic scatter width in such a manner that light can be projected in different scatter widths for a specified basic lighting function.

Claims

1. A lighting device for a light source apparatus to emit light; an optical apparatus that contains a lens arrangement with at least two lenses to deflect the light in accordance with a specified light distribution; and a positioner to adjust a lens along an optical axis of the lens arrangement, the positioner being implemented as an apparatus adapted to set a basic scatter width such that light is projected in different scatter widths for a specified basic lighting function.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the lens arrangement has a basic setting lens that is arranged to be movable as a function of a specified scatter width wherein the basic lighting function.

3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the basic setting lens that has been placed in a basic setting via the apparatus for setting basic scatter width is fixed in its basic setting, wherein a light distribution for creating the basic lighting function is defined.

4. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the basic setting lens is mounted such that the lens arrangement has a first focal length in a maximum focal length range in a first end position of the basic setting lens, and has a second focal length in a minimum focal length range in a second end position of the basic setting lens.

5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the basic setting lens is mounted such that it is adapted to be adjusted by 40 mm to 60 mm or by 50 mm, between the first end position and the second end position.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein an aperture stop is arranged to be movable along the optical axis of the lens arrangement.

7. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the lens arrangement has at least four lenses.

8. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the lens arrangement has five lenses, and wherein the basic setting lens is arranged between two pairs of lenses.

9. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the basic setting lens is implemented as a converging lens.

10. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light source apparatus has a plurality of individually controllable light sources that are arranged in the manner of a matrix.

11. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical apparatus includes a liquid crystal arrangement or a micromirror arrangement with a plurality of individually controllable liquid crystal elements or micromirror elements.

12. A method for producing a lighting device, wherein components of the lighting device are assembled for producing it, and wherein a lens of the lighting device is moved along an optical axis, wherein the lens, as a basic setting lens is moved into a scatter width setting position in which the lighting device creates a specified basic lighting function, during assembly of the lighting device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] 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:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the lighting device in a first end position of a basic setting lens,

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the lighting device in a second end position of a basic setting lens,

[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a basic lighting function when the basic setting lens is fixed in the first end position as in FIG. 1, and

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the basic lighting function when the basic setting lens is fixed in the second end position as in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The lighting device has a light source apparatus 1 (component), which includes a multiplicity of light sources 2 that are arranged in the manner of a matrix and that are each individually controllable. The individual light sources 2 can be controlled in accordance with a specified lighting function or light distribution by means of a control device 3.

[0026] In addition, the lighting device includes an optical apparatus 4 by means of which the light 5 emitted by the light source apparatus 1 can be deflected in accordance with a specified light distribution. The optical apparatus 4 includes a lens arrangement 6 with a multiplicity of lenses (components), in the present exemplary embodiment five lenses 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. A first pair of lenses 7, 8 is arranged at the back in the main direction H of emission, which is to say the light 5 emitted by the light source apparatus 1 strikes the first pair of lenses 7, 8 first. The first pair of lenses 7, 8 is arranged in a fixed position. A second pair of lenses 10, 11 of the lens arrangement 6 is arranged in front of the first pair of lenses 7, 8 in the main direction H of emission, namely is arranged in a fixed position at a defined distance a. The light 5 from the light source apparatus 1 impinges on the second pair of lenses 10, 11 only after it has impinged on the first pair of lenses 7, 8.

[0027] Arranged between the first pair of lenses 7, 8 and the second pair of lenses 10, 11 is a lens that is movable along an optical axis A of the lens arrangement 6 and that, as basic setting lens 9, is arranged so as to be adjustable between a first end position shown in FIG. 1 and a second end position shown in FIG. 2. An apparatus 12 for setting basic scatter width, which preferably is implemented as an actuator or motor and receives a control signal from the control device 3, serves to adjust the basic setting lens 9. When the basic setting lens 9 is in the first end position, it is located in the vicinity of the second pair of lenses 10, 11, wherein the lens arrangement 6 has a first focal length in a maximum focal length range, preferably in a focal length range from 30 mm to 40 mm, in particular 34 mm to 38 mm, in particular 36 mm. In the second end position according to FIG. 2, the basic setting lens 9 is located in the vicinity of the first pair of lenses 7, 8. In the second end position of the basic setting lens 9, the lens arrangement 6 has a minimum focal length range, wherein a second focal length is in the range from 15 mm to 25 mm, preferably 18 mm to 22 mm, in particular 20 mm. In the present exemplary embodiment, the maximum adjustment travel or the distance between the first pair of lenses 7, 8 and second pair of lenses 10, 11 is in the range from 40 mm to 60 mm, preferably 50 mm, so that the projection scale or a scatter width of the basic lighting function can be virtually doubled.

[0028] As is evident from FIGS. 3 and 4, a scatter width 13, 13' of the basic lighting function implemented as a low beam light distribution 14, 14' can be increased from ±10° to ± 20° by moving the basic setting lens 9 from the first end position according to FIG. 1 to the second end position according to FIG. 2. The scatter width can thus be preset between the minimum scatter width 13 according to FIG. 3 and the maximum scatter width 13' according to FIG. 4, namely as a function of requirements of the vehicle manufacturer. While the scatter widths 13, 13' of the low beam light distributions 14, 14' can be different, the low beam light distributions 14, 14' each have the same cutoff line 15, which is to say the cutoff lines 15 of the light distributions 14, 14' extend at the same vertical height. The desired scatter width of the specified light distribution 14, 14' for creating the basic lighting function is accomplished at production of the lighting device with the fixing of the basic setting lens 9 in its basic setting, wherein the basic setting is located in a range between the locations shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The basic setting constitutes a scatter width setting position of the basic setting lens 9. As soon as the basic setting lens 9 is fixed during production of the lighting device, the basic scatter width of the lighting device is permanently set. After installation of the lighting device in the vehicle, a calibration of the lighting device takes place, wherein the height or vertical setting of the cutoff line 15 of the basic lighting function is set.

[0029] According to the invention, therefore, a basic setting of the scatter width 13, 13' takes place solely during the production of the lighting device, which is to say prior to installation of the lighting device in the vehicle.

[0030] Preferably, the lens arrangement 6 has an aperture stop 16, which can be arranged so as to be movable along the optical axis A of the lens arrangement 6 by means of an aperture positioner 17. As a result, the projection quality can be improved as a function of the position or preset location of the basic setting lens 9.

[0031] In the present exemplary embodiment, the basic setting lens 9 is implemented as a converging lens.

[0032] According to an example, the optical apparatus 4 can have, in addition to the above-described embodiment, a liquid crystal arrangement (LCD pixel arrangement) with a multiplicity of individually controllable pixels (liquid crystal elements) or a micromirror arrangement (DMD pixel arrangement) with a multiplicity of individually controllable micromirrors (pixels). As a result, the basic light distribution or low beam light distribution 14, 14' can thus be addressed on a pixel basis and with high resolution (angle less than 0.1°), which results in a glare-free high beam light distribution (adaptive high beam) when the pixels are driven appropriately.

[0033] 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.