Lighting device for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A lighting device is provided for a motor vehicle. The lighting device contains a printed circuit board populated with light-emitting diodes and a reflector element. The reflector element is on the same side of the printed circuit board as the light-emitting diodes. The reflector element is subdivided into numerous segments. Each light-emitting diode is dedicated to a segment, such that the light from the light-emitting diodes can be reflected away from the printed circuit board by the reflector element in a beam direction (S). An optical element for the lighting device is placed downstream of the reflector element in the beam direction (S). The optical element has different optical properties above the reflective surface of the reflector element.

Claims

1. A lighting device for a motor vehicle, the lighting device comprising: a printed circuit board populated with numerous light-emitting diodes; a reflector element positioned on a side of the printed circuit board, wherein the light-emitting diodes are also positioned on said side of the printed circuit board, wherein the reflector element is subdivided into numerous polygonal segments that can be combined to form light patterns having the shape of a polygon, and wherein each light-emitting diode is dedicated to a segment that reflects light from each of the light-emitting diodes away from the printed circuit board in a beam direction(S); an optical element positioned downstream of the reflector element in the beam direction (S), wherein the optical element extends over at least part of a reflective surface of the reflector element, and the optical element has a variety of optical properties over this reflective surface, and a diffusing optical layer positioned between the reflector element and the optical element.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element contains at least one region that is opaque.

3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element has at least one transparent region.

4. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element has at least one region forming an optical diffusor.

5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element contains an image, and/or a symbol, and/or a letter, and/or a numeral.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element has a light emitting sector(S) ranging from 90 to 180.

7. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diodes are white light-emitting diodes, and/or monochrome light-emitting diodes, and/or color-changing light-emitting diodes, which can be controlled individually or in groups.

8. A lighting system for a motor vehicle, the lighting system comprising: at least one lighting device according to claim 1; a control unit for controlling a light symbol display of the lighting device.

9. The lighting system according to claim 8, further including numerous lighting devices, wherein the control unit controls at least two of the numerous lighting devices to display a light symbol.

10. A motor vehicle that contains a lighting device according to claim 1.

11. A motor vehicle that contains a lighting system according to claim 8.

12. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical layer has a thickness between 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm.

13. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical layer includes a first diffusion film adjacent to a second diffusion film, wherein the first diffusion film has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm, and wherein the second diffusion film has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm.

14. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical layer is separated from the light-emitting diodes by a distance greater than 2 mm and less than 15 mm.

15. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein two or more light-emitting diodes directly abutting each other are dedicated to each of the polygonal segments of the reflector element.

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 lighting device from above, without a housing, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the lighting device in FIG. 1 from above, with a housing and without an optical element.

(4) FIG. 3 shows the lighting device in FIG. 2 from a diagonal perspective.

(5) FIG. 4 shows the lighting device in FIG. 2 from above, without a housing and without a grid mask.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a printed circuit board for the lighting device in FIG. 1 from above.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a diagonal perspective of the printed circuit board in FIG. 5, with an optical element.

(8) FIG. 7 shows the printed circuit board from above, with the optical element in FIG. 6.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a diagonal perspective of the lighting device in FIG. 4 with an optical element.

(10) FIG. 9 shows the lighting device in FIG. 8 from above.

(11) FIG. 10 shows a diagonal perspective of the lighting device in FIG. 9, with an additional optical layer.

(12) FIG. 11 shows the lighting device in FIG. 10 from above.

(13) FIG. 12 shows a diagonal perspective of the lighting device according to a preferred third embodiment of the invention.

(14) FIG. 13 shows a side view of the lighting device in FIG. 12.

(15) FIG. 14 shows a side view of a lighting device according to a preferred third embodiment of the invention.

(16) FIG. 15 shows a side view of a motor vehicle according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(17) The same or identical elements have the same reference symbols in FIGS. 1 to 15. For purposes of clarity, not all of the same or identical elements have a reference symbol in all of the figures.

(18) FIGS. 1 to 11 show a lighting device 1 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, from above and from various perspectives.

(19) The lighting device 1 comprises a housing 4 in the form of a housing frame that has a first housing part 2 and second housing part 3. The housing 4 is relatively thin in relation to its width and length. In other words, the housing 4 forms a plate, or is flat. The housing 4, in particular the first housing part 2, is rectangular in the present case, in particular square, such that the overall lighting device 1 is rectangular. The housing 4, or the lighting device 1, can also have another shape, e.g. rectangular, round, oval, or it can have some other arbitrary shape.

(20) As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 4, the lighting device 1 contains a reflector element 9 comprising numerous patterns 5, each of which has multiple segments 6. These patterns 5 are square, and each contain four segments 6, each of which forms an isosceles triangle, such that the pattern 5 is completely filled therewith. A first element part 8a of an optical element 8 (see FIG. 6) in the form of a logo is indicated in front of the reflector element 9.

(21) The reflector element 9 contains the square patterns 5 arranged in five adjacent lines and five adjacent columns, each of which is subdivided into four segments 6. The reflector element 9 in the present case forms an integral element containing all of the patterns 5 and segments 6. The segments 6 could also be produced separately, but this is more difficult. The reflector element 9 can be placed on a printed circuit board 10 (see FIG. 5), such that in each case, two light-emitting diodes 11 on the printed circuit board extend into a segment 6 of the reflector element 9, such that each of the segments 6 in this example encompasses two light-emitting diodes 11 from the side and in their entirety.

(22) The individual segments 6 can be illuminated individually and evenly with the light-emitting diodes 11 behind them. In this case, there are two light-emitting diodes 11 in each segment 6, which can preferably be controlled separately, and also preferably have different colors, i.e. can emit light of different wavelengths. Each of the segments 6 could also have just one light-emitting diode 11 or more than two light-emitting diodes 11. The light-emitting diodes 11 illuminate the respective segments 6. The walls of the segments 6 are designed to reflect the light from the light-emitting diodes 11 within the respective segments 6. There is an optional grid mask 7 in front of the reflector element 9. The grid mask 7 is flush with the walls of the segments 6, such that these walls are covered by the grid mask 7, leaving the interiors of the segments 6 free.

(23) FIG. 5 shows a printed circuit board 10 for the lighting device 1 in FIG. 1 from above. It is clear that there are four pairs of light-emitting diodes 11 in each square pattern 5. The light-emitting diodes 11 thus form a repeating O-pattern that corresponds to the patterns 5.

(24) FIG. 6 shows a diagonal view of the printed circuit board 10 in FIG. 5, with an optical element 8 in front of it. FIG. 7 shows the printed circuit board 10 from above, with the optical element 8 placed in front of it. The printed circuit board 10 is placed on a rear wall of the housing 4. A mounting flange 13 is formed on the rear wall of the housing 4. The reflector element 9 is not shown here. It is clear in FIG. 7 in particular that the optical element 8 only covers part of the light-emitting surfaces of the light-emitting diodes 11 on the printed circuit board 10. The optical element 8 has a raised first element region 8a that forms a logo, and a second element region 8b that is flat. The first element region 8a and second element region 8b have different optical properties. The first element region 8a can be designed, for example, to absorb light at the upper surface, or reflect this light back to the printed circuit board, and to allow light to pass through the sides, e.g. through diffusion. The second element region 8b can be transparent or translucent, in particular in the form of an optical diffusor. The upper surface of the first element region 8a can also be transparent or translucent, in particular in the form of an optical diffusor.

(25) FIG. 8 shows a diagonal view of the lighting device 1 in FIG. 4, with an optical element 8 placed in front of it. FIG. 9 shows the printed circuit board 10 from above, with the optical element 8 placed in front of it. Only the rear wall of the housing 4 is shown.

(26) FIG. 10 shows a diagonal view of the lighting device 1 in FIG. 9, in which an optical layer 12 is placed between the reflector element 9 and the optical element 8. FIG. 9 shows the printed circuit board 10 from above, with the optical element 8 placed in front of it. The optical layer 12 is preferably an optical diffusor, diffusor film, etc. and completely covers a reflective region of the reflector element 9.

(27) FIGS. 12 to 14 show a lighting device 1 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, in both perspective views and from above. The optical element 8 in this second exemplary embodiment completely covers the reflective surface of the reflector element 9, such that there is no need for an additional optical layer 12.

(28) The beam direction S of the light-emitting diodes 11 obtained with the reflector element 9, as well as various light emitting sectors A of the lighting device 1, are shown by way of example in FIGS. 13 and 14. The light-emitting sector A is obtained by the formation of the raised first element region 8a. As a result, the lighting device 1 can satisfy the requirements for a lateral marking light or for an auxiliary turn signal.

(29) FIG. 15 shows a side view of a motor vehicle 30 according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention. A preferred embodiment of the lighting device 1 according to the invention in a lighting system 20 is placed in a lateral receiver on the body 31 of the motor vehicle 30 at the rear, and thus integrated in the body 31 of the motor vehicle 30, such that the first element region 8a of the optical element 8 is raised laterally from the contour line of the body 31. As a result, the light emitted from the lighting device 1 can be seen from motor vehicles 30 that are travelling both in front of and behind the motor vehicle 30. The lighting device 1 forms a light marking the sides of the vehicle or a supplementary turn signal. The lighting system 20 has a control unit 21 that controls the light-emitting diodes 11 in the lighting device 1 in a targeted manner.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(30) 1 lighting device 2 first housing part 3 second housing part 4 housing 5 pattern 6 segment 7 grid mask 8 optical element 8a first element region 8b second element region 9 reflector element 10 printed circuit board 11 light-emitting diode 12 optical layer 13 mounting flange 20 lighting system 21 control unit 30 motor vehicle 31 body A light-emitting sector S beam direction