Headlight module with a low-beam function and a high-beam function based on light emitting diodes

Abstract

A headlight module with a minimum of one LED for generating a low beam and with a minimum of one LED for generating a high beam. An optical element is provided into which light from the minimum of one LED for generating the high beam can be emitted. The optical element is arranged as a cover for a portion of the light that can be generated by the LED for generating a low beam. The optical element features a decoupling surface that at least partially includes a surface structure with a composition such that, in the area of the surface structure, light is emitted that can be decoupled from the optical element.

Claims

1. A headlight module comprising: at least one first LED, wherein a first light from the at least one first LED generates in part a low beam; at least one second LED positioned in an area spatially in front of the at least one first LED with respect to a direction of propagation of the low beam, wherein a second light from the at least one second LED generates in part a high beam; an optical element that receives the second light and generates in part the high beam therefrom; wherein the optical element is set up as a cover for a part of the first light, wherein the optical element comprises: at least one first light guide coupled to the at least one second LED and entirely positioned and entirely located on a first side of the optical element; surface structuring formed on a second side of the optical element, wherein the second side is opposite the first side; a decoupling surface that at least partially surrounds the surface structuring on the second side of the optical element, the decoupling surface including a bump along its top edge defined by a special contour that serves as a contour for a cut-off line; wherein within the area of the surface structuring, decoupled light is emitted out of the optical element; and wherein the surface structuring further includes at least one section corresponding to the at least one first light guide.

2. The headlight module according to claim 1, wherein the surface structuring is formed by a roughening of the decoupling surface.

3. The headlight module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second LED includes a plurality of LEDs and the at least one light guide includes a plurality of light guides, wherein each of the plurality of LEDs are arranged at respective free ends of corresponding ones of the plurality of light guides constructed adjacent to each other.

4. The headlight module of claim 1, wherein the optical element has a mirrored surface, and wherein the optical element is arranged in such a way relative to the low beam that the low beam is at least partially reflected on the mirrored surface.

5. The headlight module of claim 1, further comprising a cooling and support element on which the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED are arranged.

6. The headlight module of claim 1, further comprising a lens positioned in relation to a direction of propagation of the low beam and of the high beam in front of the optical element and the low beam and high beam can be emitted into this lens together.

7. The headlight module of claim 1 further comprising: at least one second light guide coupled to the at least one first LED.

8. The headlight module of claim 4, wherein the mirrored surface appears on a top surface of the optical element, whereby the top surface and the decoupling surface form a bezel edge where the top surface and the decoupling surface meet, and wherein the bezel edge is a top edge of the decoupling surface.

9. The headlight module of claim 8, wherein the mirrored surface continuously extends from a rear edge of the top surface proximate to the first side to a location partially along the top surface and set back from the bezel edge so as to produce a non-mirrored and at least partially transparent coupling area on the top surface between the location partially along the top surface and the bezel edge, wherein the coupling area enables a part of the low beam to pass through the top surface and become decoupled by the decoupling surface.

10. A headlight module comprising: at least one first LED, wherein a first light from the at least one first LED generates in part a low beam; at least one second LED, wherein a second light from the at least one second LED generates in part a high beam; an optical element that receives the second light and generates in part the high beam therefrom; wherein the optical element comprises: at least one first light guide coupled to the at least one second LED and entirely positioned and entirely located on a first side of the optical element; surface structuring formed on a second side of the optical element, wherein the second side is opposite the first side; a decoupling surface that at least partially surrounds the surface structuring on the second side of the optical element, the decoupling surface including a bump along its top edge defined by a special contour that serves as a contour for a cut-off line; a mirrored surface on a top surface of the optical element that forms a bezel edge where the top surface and the decoupling surface meet; wherein the bezel edge is a top edge of the decoupling surface; wherein the mirrored surface continuously extends from a rear edge of the top surface proximate to the first side to a location partially along the top surface and set back from the bezel edge so as to produce a non-mirrored and at least partially transparent coupling area on the top surface between the location partially along the top surface and the bezel edge; wherein the coupling area enables a part of the low beam to pass through the top surface and become decoupled by the decoupling surface; wherein within the area of the surface structuring, decoupled light that includes the high beam and the part of the low beam that passes through the top surface is emitted out of the optical element; and wherein the surface structuring further includes at least one section corresponding to the at least one first light guide.

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 is a perspective view of an optical element.

(3) FIG. 2 is a transverse section view of the optical element with an LED for generating a high beam.

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the headlight module with the inventive optical element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(5) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an optical element (14), whereby the view shows a decoupling surface (15) on the front side. On the side opposite from the decoupling surface (15), the optical element (14) has multiple light guides (17). At the open end surfaces of the light guides, LEDs for generating the high beam can be positioned such that the number of LEDs may correspond to the number of light guides (17). The LEDs assigned to the individual light guides (17) can, for example, be switched on and off individually, fulfilling a matrix function. A decoupling surface (15) has a section with surface structuring (16). The surface structuring (16) can be designed to extend in the crosswise direction over the entire area of the multiple light guides (17). As an alternative, the surface structuring (16) can be divided into sections (27). Here, each section (27) can be assigned to a light guide (17).

(6) On a top surface (19), the optical element (14) has a mirrored surface (18). The top surface (19) is equipped with a special contour (23) that serves as a contour for a cut-off line. Low beam light hitting near the rear of the mirrored surface (18) can form a cut-off line with the front-side bezel edge (20) so that the contour (23) of the bezel edge (20) can appear in the distant field in front of the vehicle. FIG. 2 shows a cross section through the optical element (14) along the I-I cut line.

(7) FIG. 2 shows the I-I cross section view in accordance with FIG. 1 and the optical element (14) with a light guide (17) is shown. At the open end of the light guide (17), there is an LED (12) for coupling the high beam (13) into the light guide (17) and thus into the optical element (14).

(8) On the coupling surface (15) positioned across from the light guide (17), there is a surface structure (16). The surface structure (16) causes the high beam (13) to be scattered in such a way that it is also is directed into the area of the low beam (11).

(9) The top surface (19) has a mirrored surface (18) that does not reach the front bezel edge (20) of the optical element (14). This creates a coupling area (21) on the top side, into which a portion of the low beam (11) can be coupled, and this portion can be decoupled again by the decoupling surface (15) with the surface structuring (16). This also causes a partial scattering of the low beam (11), which creates additional “blurring” of the cut-off line between the low beam (11) and the high beam (13).

(10) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a headlight module (1) with an abstracted illustration of an optical element (14). The main body of the headlight module (1) is a cooling and support element (22). The LEDs (10) for the low beam and the LEDs (12) for the high beam are held by the cooling and support element (22). There is a light guide element (26) positioned in front of the LEDs (10) for the low beam (11) and the optical element (14) is positioned in front of the LEDs (12) for the high beam (13). This design allows the light from the LEDs (10) to be coupled into the light guide element (26) and the light from the LEDs (12) for the high beam (13) to be coupled into the optical element (14). The optical element (14) has the roughened decoupling surface (15) positioned across from the arrangement of LEDs (12) for the high beam (13). Relative to the direction of propagation (24) of the low beam (11) or the high beam (13), optical element (14) is spatially positioned in front of the LED (10) with the light guide element (26). At a minimum, however, the optical element (14) extends into an area spatially positioned in front of the LED (10) with the light guide element (26) with respect to the direction of propagation (24) of the low beam (11).

(11) The low beam (11) and the high beam (13) are coupled together into a lens (25) that is spatially located in front of the optical element (14) based on the direction of propagation (24) of the light. In this design, the light guide element (26) for the low beam is located behind the optical element (14) in a position arranged above the optical element (14). This way, a portion of the low beam (11) can reach the mirrored surface (18) of the optical element (14) and a cut-off line can be created by the bezel edge (20) on the optical element (14).

(12) If a low beam is required, then only the LEDs (10) for the low beam (11) are activated. If a high beam is required, then the LEDs (10) for the low beam (11) remain activated and the LEDs (12) for the high beam (13) are added. For each of the low beam (11) and/or the high beam (13), multiple LEDs (10, 12) may be provided that are set up to be activated individually to fulfill a matrix function.

(13) The optical element (14), the illustration of which is merely a rough diagram, may feature an embodiment as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. The surface structuring (16) of the decoupling surface (15) and the top-side coupling area (21) for the low beam (11) result in a “blurring” of the cut-off line when the high beam (13) is operated, presenting a simple solution to the problem being addressed by this invention.

(14) In its embodiment, the invention does not relate solely to the preferred design example described above. On the contrary, a number of variants that use the solution as represented above are conceivable, even on designs that are fundamentally different. All characteristics resulting from the claims, the description or the drawings and/or advantages, including design details or spatial arrangements may be essential to the invention, both in their own right and in the wide variety of combinations.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(15) 1 Headlamp module 10 LED for low beam 11 Low beam 12 LED for high beam 13 High beam 14 Optical element 15 Decoupling surface 16 Surface structuring 17 Light guide 18 Mirrored surface 19 Top surface 20 Bezel edge 21 Top-side coupling area 22 Cooling and support element 23 Contour for a cut-off line 24 Direction of propagation 25 Lens 26 Light guide element 27 Section