LED illumination unit having mask and reflector

Abstract

An illumination unit for a motor vehicle includes at least one LED, a reflector defining a main light exit aperture, and a shading element with an opening provided between the reflector and the LED, with the light from the LED leaving through the opening and the shading element limiting the emission area.

Claims

1. An illumination unit for a motor vehicle, comprising: at least one LED having a light emission area, a main light exit aperture, a reflector configured for deflecting light by the LED towards the main light exit aperture, and a shading element formed as a sheet having a through-hole therethrough, the shading element positioned between the reflector and the LED to allow only substantially essentially orthogonally emitted light from the LED through the through-hole in the sheet toward the reflector, wherein a longitudinal axis of at least a portion of the sheet extends perpendicularly with respect to light emitted essentially orthogonally by the LED, and wherein essentially non-orthogonally emitted light encounters the portion of the sheet that extends perpendicularly with respect to the essentially orthogonally emitted light.

2. The illumination unit according to claim 1, wherein the shading element comprises at least a first shading area and a second shading area, wherein the first shading area is arranged offset relative to the second shading area.

3. The illumination unit according to claim 1, wherein the shading element has a surface, wherein the surface of the shading element has a glossy surface.

4. The illumination unit according to claim 1, wherein the shading element is made from metal or plastic material.

5. The illumination unit according to claim 1, wherein the shading element has a lower side being in the color white.

6. The illumination unit according to claim 1, further comprising an assembly body on which the LED is arranged.

7. The illumination unit according to claim 6, wherein the assembly body is a heatsink.

8. The illumination unit according to claim 6, wherein the assembly body comprises at least one cooling fin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic section through an illumination unit and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an illumination unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) In the following detailed description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. For example, the invention is not limited in scope to the particular type of industry application depicted in the figures. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

(5) FIG. 1 represents a schematic section through an illumination unit 1. Herein, an LED 10 emits visible light 38 essentially orthogonally onto a reflector 12. The emitted light 38 is herein deflected by the reflector 12 and emitted through a main light exit aperture 11. The emission area of the LED 10 is herein limited by the shading element 18, thus achieving an essentially orthogonal emission 38. Essentially non-orthogonal emission 39 is limited by the shading element 18. To this end, the shading element 18 has an opening 14 through which the emitted light of the LED 10 can leave. The size of this opening 14 can be variable. Herein, the shading element 18 has a first area 34 and a second area 36. The first area 34 is arranged offset in height relative to the second area 36. By this means, the second area 36 of the shading element 18 is arranged at a larger distance from the LED 10. A deformation of the shading element 18 due to the heat development of the LED 10, particularly in an embodiment made from plastic material, can be effectively avoided. The first area 34 can herein have holding elements, which with the shading element 18 can be arranged on an assembly carrier 22. A gluing- or welding process may also be applied to arrange the shading element 18 on the assembly carrier 22. Herein, the LED 10 is arranged on a module 38 in which the strip conductors for the energy supply of the LED can be arranged. The module 38 can be made from a material with high thermal conductivity. By this means, the transmission of the heat developed by the LED 10 by the module 38 to the assembly carrier 22 is possible; therefore it is particularly advantageous if the assembly carrier 22 is embodied as a heatsink 22. Herein, the assembly carrier 22 can comprise cooling fins 24 to dissipate the heat to the ambient air. A surrounding component part 32 is arranged around the shading element 18 of the LED module 38 of the LED 10 and the assembly carrier 22 to protect these component parts. The surrounding component part 32 extends to the opening 14, so that an observer looking into the main light exit aperture 11, essentially only perceives the surrounding component part 32, the shading element 18 and the reflector 12. Herein, the surface 26 of the shading element 18 can be executed glossy or matte. A matte execution of the surface 26 allows a dispersion of the light being reflected from the reflector 12 and falling onto the surface 26. The lower side 28 can be executed in the color white, so that the shading element 18 experiences less heat absorption than with an execution in the color black.

(6) In FIG. 2, an illumination unit 1 is represented schematically. Herein, an LED 10 can emit light 38 through an opening 14 of a shading element 18. The opening 14 of the shading element 18 comprises herein a freeform contour. Various contours can be applied, such as e.g. a circular, triangular, rectangular or also star-shaped form of the opening 14. Only the LED-module 40 can be noticed through the opening 14 of the shading element 18. The LED 10 is not visible, no matter from which viewing angle the observer looks into the illumination unit. The shading element 18 does herein have a surface 26 which can be executed in metal. By this means, reflections can leave the main light exit aperture 11 in a directed manner. The surface 26 can also be executed matte to achieve a dispersion of the emitted light of the LED 10, though. The surface 26 can also be executed corrugated or fluted, which would also lead to a dispersion of the light. A further component part 30, the surface of which is corrugated, serves the further dispersion of the emitted light of the LED 10. A surrounding component part 32 covers a part of the shading element 18 and of the LED-module 10, so that only the further component part 30, the reflector 12, the shading element 18 with its opening 14 and the surrounding component part 32 are visible through the main light exit aperture 11.

(7) TABLE-US-00001 List of Reference Signs 1 Illumination unit 10 LED 11 Main light exit aperture 12 Reflector 14 Opening 18 Shading element 22 Assembly carrier, heatsink 24 Cooling fins 26 Surface 28 Lower side 30 Component part 32 Surrounding component part 34 First area 36 Second area 38 Emitted light 39 Non-Orthogonal Emitted Light 40 LED Module