VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICE

Abstract

A vehicle lighting device comprising a housing and a plastic cover pane covering the front opening of the housing. The vehicle lighting device comprises an illuminant configured to emit light into the cover pane via a rim-sided light-incoupling section. The cover pane is configured at least in sections as a light-guide element featuring a light-outcoupling section with outcoupling elements such that light of the illuminant is emittable from the light-outcoupling section.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting device comprising: a housing; a plastic cover pane covering a front opening of the housing; and an illuminant configured to emit light into the cover pane via a rim-sided light incoupling section, the cover pane being configured at least in sections as a light guide element having a light outcoupling section with outcoupling elements such that light of the illuminant is emittable from the light-outcoupling section.

2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light incoupling section extends over the lateral, upper and/or lower rim of the light-guide element with respect to the intended mounting pose of the vehicle lighting device.

3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the cover pane comprises a transparent component forming the light-guide element and an opaque component forming a cover element, wherein the cover element covers the light-incoupling section such that the light incoupling section is not visible from outside in an intended mounting position of the vehicle lighting device.

4. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the outcoupling elements are arranged on an inner side of the light guide element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0016] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawing which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein the sole FIGURE shows a cross-sectional partail top view of a vehicle device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The FIGURE shows a cross-sectional partial top view of a vehicle lighting device 100 according to the invention comprising the housing 1, the plastic cover pane 2 covering the front opening of the housing 1, and the two lighting modules 4, 5 accommodated in the interior of the housing 1.

[0018] The vehicle lighting device 100 furthermore comprises the illuminant 3 with the light-emitting diode 31 on the printed-circuit board 32 configured to emit light L into the cover pane 2 via the rim-sided light-incoupling section 21, wherein the cover pane 2 is configured in sections as the transparent light-guide element 2a featuring the light-outcoupling section 22 with outcoupling elements 23, such that the light L of the illuminant 3 is emittable from the light-outcoupling section 22. The irradiation of the light L into the cross-section of the light-guide element 2a takes place via the narrow end face at the rim-sided light-incoupling section 21. With respect to the intended mounting pose of the vehicle lighting device 100, the light-incoupling section 21 extends over the left lateral rim of the light-guide element 2a.

[0019] The propagation of the light L inside the light-guide element 2a towards the light-outcoupling section 22 is based on total reflection at the interface. The light-outcoupling section 22 features the outcoupling elements 23 on the inner side of the light-guide element 2a. The outcoupling elements 23 are exemplarily formed as half-spheres and are distributed in a dedicated pattern for homogeneous light emission.

[0020] In addition to the transparent component forming the light-guide element 2a, the cover pane 2 comprises an opaque component forming the cover element 2b, wherein the cover element 2b covers the light-incoupling section 21 such that the light-incoupling section 21 is not visible from the outside in an intended mounting position of the vehicle lighting device 100.

[0021] 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.