METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN OPTICAL COMPONENT AND AN OPTICAL COMPONENT

Abstract

A method for producing an optical component of a lighting device for vehicles, wherein a base body is made of a translucent or transparent material, a screen coating is applied to an outer surface of the base body by vapor deposition or by sputtering of a coating material, wherein the screen coating is applied as a reflective coating, wherein, during the application process, first a first reflective laminate layer with a low degree of reflection and then a second reflective laminate layer with a high degree of reflection are applied.

Claims

1. A method for producing an optical component of a lighting device for vehicles, the method comprising: providing a base body of a translucent or transparent material; and applying a screen coating to an outer surface of the base body by vapor deposition or by sputtering of a coating material, wherein the screen coating is applied as a reflective coating, wherein, during the application process, first a first reflective laminate layer with a low degree of reflection and then a second reflective laminate layer with a high degree of reflection are applied.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a nonmetallic coating material formed as an auxiliary gas is added to a metallic coating material in such a concentration that an intermetallic phase is applied to the outer surface, wherein the degree of reflection of the first reflective laminate layer to be applied and of the second reflective laminate layer is set as a function of the amount of the auxiliary gas.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the volume fraction and/or weight fraction of the auxiliary gas in the intermetallic phase decrease stepwise or continuously from the beginning of the application process to the end of the application process.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the base body is provided with the first reflective laminate layer and the second reflective laminate layer is partially removed by laser ablation to form a light entry surface.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reflective coating is applied to the outer surface of the base body after the placing of a mask.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein chromium is applied as a metallic coating material as the intermetallic phase and nitrides or oxides as a nonmetallic coating material.

7. An optical component of a lighting device for vehicles, the optical component comprising: a base body made of a translucent or transparent material; and a screen coating on an outer surface of the base body, the screen coating being applied to the outer surface of the base body by vapor deposition or by sputtering of a coating material, wherein the screen coating is formed as a reflective coating, which comprises a first reflective laminate layer with a low degree of reflection and a second reflective laminate layer with a high degree of reflection, and wherein the first reflective laminate layer is disposed between the outer surface of the base body and the second reflective laminate layer.

8. The optical component according to claim 7, wherein the optical component is embodied as a primary optical component with a light entry side on which the reflective coating is provided and to which the light source is disposed at a distance of less than or equal to 2 mm, and with a light exit side where the light is adapted to be coupled out.

9. The optical component according to claim 7, wherein the reflective coating covers more than half of the outer surface of the base body, the outer surface being disposed on a light entry side.

10. The optical component according to claim 7, wherein peripheral edges of the first reflective laminate layer and the second reflective laminate layer are arranged flush with one another.

11. The optical component according to claim 7, wherein the base body of the optical component is formed of a glass or plastic material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0015] 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 side view of an optical component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] A lighting device of the invention for vehicles is preferably formed as a headlight which has a light source unit and an optical unit for generating a predetermined light distribution, for example, a low beam distribution, a glare-free high beam distribution, etc. The optical unit can have at least one lens element as an optical component and/or a surface modulation device (DMD element (digital micromirror device), LCD element (liquid crystal display)).

[0017] In the present exemplary embodiment, the lighting device has a light source device with a number of light sources, each of which is assigned an optical component 1, shown in the FIGURE, as a primary optical component. Primary optical component 1 is formed substantially flat on a light entry side 2, facing the light source, and is formed convex-shaped on a light exit side 3, facing away from the light source. The light source is disposed at a distance of a maximum of 2 mm from the primary optical component.

[0018] The optical component 1 has a base body 4 which is formed of a translucent or transparent material, preferably glass or plastic (PMA, PC).

[0019] In the present exemplary embodiment, base body 4 includes a cylindrical section 5, which is disposed facing the light source, and a lens-shaped section 6, which is disposed on a side, facing away from the light source, of base body 4. Base body 4 is formed in one piece and is preferably produced by injection molding. An outer surface 7, facing the light source, of base body 4 is formed flat. It forms an end face of cylindrical section 5 of base body 4.

[0020] Arranged on outer surface 7 of cylindrical section 5 of base body 4 is a screen coating in the form of a reflective coating 8, which delimits a central light entry surface 9 on cylindrical section 5 of base body 4. Reflective coating 8 has the effect that a light beam L1 striking it is reflected and cannot enter base body 4. Only a light beam L2 striking light entry surface 9 is coupled into base body 4 and emerges again from base body 4, for example, on light exit surface 10 disposed on light exit side 3.

[0021] Reflective coating 8 has a first reflective laminate layer 11 with a low degree of reflection, wherein first reflective laminate layer 11 is disposed on a side facing outer surface 7 of base body 4. In this case, first reflective laminate layer 11 adhesively abuts outer surface 7 of base body 4. Further, reflective coating 8 comprises a second reflective laminate layer 12 with a high degree of reflection, which is disposed on a side of reflective coating 8, said side facing away from outer surface 7, therefore, on a side facing the light source. First reflective laminate layer 11 is located between second reflective laminate layer 12 and outer surface 7. Second reflective laminate layer 12 thus forms an outer side of reflective coating 8.

[0022] Reflective coating 8 is applied to outer surface 7 of base body 4 by vapor deposition or by sputtering of a coating material or an intermetallic phase. Added to the preferably metallic coating material, which can be formed, for example, as chromium (Cr), during the application process is an auxiliary gas with such a concentration that an intermetallic phase is applied with a different degree of reflection. Depending on the concentration of the auxiliary gas, the composition of the intermetallic phase, formed of the metallic coating material and the nonmetallic coating material, changes.

[0023] According to a first embodiment of the invention, the amount of auxiliary gas can be high in a first time period of the application process, so that the applied coating material has a relatively low metallic coating material content and a relatively high nonmetallic coating material content. In this way, first reflective laminate layer 11 is produced with a low degree of reflection. If the metallic coating material is chromium and the nonmetallic coating material is nitride or oxide, the degree of reflection can be, for example, in the range from 30% to 35% by means of the auxiliary gas which forms the nonmetallic coating material. In a second time period of the application process, the amount of the auxiliary gas or the nonmetallic coating material amount is reduced stepwise or continuously, so that the amount of the metallic coating material in the intermetallic phase is higher than in the first time period. The reduction in the concentration of the auxiliary gas in the second period can be selected such that second reflective laminate layer 12 is produced in the second time period with a degree of reflection in the range from 55% to 65%. The degree of reflection of the respective laminate layers 11, 12 can thus be set as a function of the concentration or amount of the auxiliary gas in the intermetallic phase.

[0024] Alternatively, another metal, for example, stainless steel, can be used as the metallic coating material, wherein accordingly the metal oxide or metal nitride is used as the nonmetallic coating material.

[0025] In a final processing step, reflective coating 8 can then be partially removed by laser ablation in order to form light entry surface 9. Alternatively, reflective coating 8 can also be applied by masking of the outer surface 7, so that a subsequent laser ablation is not necessary.

[0026] As can be seen from the FIGURE, reflective coating 8 covers more than half of outer surface 7 of base body 4, said surface disposed on light entry side 2. Peripheral edges 13, 14 of first reflective laminate layer 11 and second reflective laminate layer 12 are arranged flush with one another, so that a sharp screen edge is formed.

[0027] The degree of reflection of second reflective laminate layer 12 is greater than the degree of reflection of first reflective laminate layer 11. The degree of reflection of second reflective laminate layer 12 is preferably greater than 50% and the degree of reflection of first reflective laminate layer 11 is less than 50%.

[0028] 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.