An optical system with a gradient light guide structure

Abstract

The present invention provides an optical system with a gradually widened light guide structure, including a light source and a gradually changing light guide. The light guide is divided into four sections and the light guide transition structure is controlled by different cross-sectional shapes, so that the light can be fully coupled from the ordinary light guide part at the light source end, and then gradually enter the deformed light guide part. By controlling the shape of the light guide deformation, the light in the light guide is gradually widened toward the upper and lower sides, so that the requirement of illuminating a wider light guide tail end can be achieved. This light guide structure optical system has a high light utilization rate, and can evenly illuminate a particularly long light guide structure. Compared with the same shape, it saves cost compared to thick-walled parts, and is very suitable for lighting a shape with a very long length and a very wide tail.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of automobile lamps, and in particular to an optical system with a gradually widened light guide structure. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of automobile lighting technology, on the premise that the designed headlights can strictly comply with regulations, vehicle customers pay more and more attention to the appearance of the headlights, the overall lighting streamline and the overall brightness uniformity. In general light guide shaping, the light guide teeth are placed on the focal length of the lens so that the light guide teeth pass through the lens to form a magnified image. This light guide has high efficiency and can transmit a long distance. However, due to the limitation of its own magnification system, the lighting width is very narrow and cannot light up a wide distance. Ordinary square light guides have no focal length, and the image is an image with the same height as the tooth height. Therefore, the width of the square light guide is the same as the tooth width. This light guide can light up a wider width, but cannot transmit a long distance, and is usually only used in taillights. At present, more and more automobile headlights use light guides combined with LEDs as the optical system of signal lights. This optical structure is very uniform and space-saving, and has a variety of shapes, which is very suitable for the current mainstream streamlined headlight design. Therefore, it is favored by major OEMs. Using LED as the light source to design the light guide can achieve a variety of shapes, and there is also a greater choice for the use of space. Although ordinary light guides have various shapes, they are limited by the narrow lighting width and cannot meet the needs of some customers to light up a particularly wide shape, especially when applied to forward-looking headlight shapes. Therefore, how to take advantage of the advantages of light guides as a premise, break through their own defects, and achieve a wider lighting effect has become a future development trend and research focus. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an optical system with a gradually widened light guide structure. By controlling the shape of the light guide deformation, the light in the light guide is gradually widened toward the upper and lower sides, thereby achieving the requirement of illuminating a wider light guide tail end. It has a high light utilization rate and can evenly illuminate a particularly long light guide structure. Compared with the same shape, it saves cost compared to thick-walled parts and is very suitable for lighting shapes with a very long length and a very wide tail.

[0004] The present invention provides an optical system with a gradually widened light guide structure, including a light source and a gradually changing light guide, wherein the gradually changing light guide includes a four-region structure, wherein the first region is a normal light guide region, which is used to illuminate a relatively narrow region at the front of the shape, wherein the light guide efficiency of the first region is very high, and a small amount of light is used to illuminate the shape, so that a large amount of light is propagated to the rear end, in preparation for widening the rear end, wherein the second region II is a transition region of the cross section of the circular light guide shape, and the rear end cross section is a slight deformation of the circular light guide, wherein the radius of the light guide from AA to BB in region II becomes larger, the light guide teeth are shortened to a distance from the semicircle, the light guide teeth are defocused, and the defocus distance becomes larger and larger, and light generates a small angle deviation in this section of the gradually changing light guide, and will not cause the phenomenon of unevenness caused by the destruction of the total reflection of the light guide due to a large angle deviation, and the main purpose of this region is to smoothly transition the circular light guide to the square light guide, and will not cause a sudden change in the width and brightness of the lighting, so that the light does not light up at the rear, and the third region is the main region of the gradually deformed light guide, and is the key point of whether the rear end can be illuminated particularly wide, and the rear end of the third region The cross-sectional sketch is a quasi-square light guide. The front end surface of the light guide uses an arc surface with an arc instead of the flat surface of the traditional square light guide. The curvature of the front surface can not only magnify the light, but also make the light guide smoothly transition from the front circular cross-sectional area, which is conducive to the transition of light from the circular light guide to the square light guide. At the same time, the arc surface will have a defocusing effect on the light reflected from the light guide teeth like a magnifying glass, and it also has an amplifying effect on the square light guide teeth, making the light illuminated width wider than the light guide teeth themselves, improving efficiency. The fourth area is the transition area of ​​the square light guide. The cross-sectional sketch of the tail end of the fourth area is infinitely close to the square light guide. The light guide continues to narrow to further maximize the use of the light at the tail end to bounce between the teeth. The front surface of the light guide in the fourth area adopts a micro-curved surface. Although the curvature of the front surface of the fourth area is closer to a flat surface than that of the third area, it still has a certain curvature, which makes the light diverge slightly, plays a magnifying role in the light, further smoothes the transition, and improves efficiency. The main purpose of the fourth area is to maximize the use of light and complete the widest area of ​​lighting the shape.

[0005] A further improvement is that when the gradient light guide emits, the width of the light at the first, second, third and fourth regions gradually widens, that is, the width of the light emitted by the light source gradually widens when propagating along the light guide.

[0006] The distance, position and cross-sectional size of the four-segment structural area are adjustable and non-fixed. The lighting widths of different shapes can have different spacing, positions and cross-sectional sizes to adjust the uniformity of the overall lighting effect.

[0007] A further improvement is that the material of the gradient light guide is PC or PMMA.

[0008] A further improvement is that the thickness of the square light guide becomes smaller, equal to or less than half of the circular light guide. Due to the reduction in thickness, the number of light bounces per unit area in the light guide in this section increases, which increases the number of times the light guide teeth come into contact with the light, so that the light has more opportunities to contact each tooth surface of the wide light guide teeth, thereby improving the uniformity of the wide light guide teeth.

[0009] The size of the third area, that is, the area length is adjustable, and the position of the third area is adjustable, that is, there is no fixed area starting point and ending point requirement. The fine adjustment of the area size and position of the third area can achieve a uniform lighting effect and control the uniform transition of light in this area of ​​the entire light guide.

[0010] A further improvement is that the number of the light sources is at least one and has no upper limit.

[0011] The tooth shape of the light guide can be various, and the purpose of the tooth shape of the light guide is to make the light propagate in the direction of travel.

[0012] The light source color can be white, red, yellow, or other colors required by the optical design of the headlights, and the number of light sources is at least one, with no upper limit.

[0013] The beneficial effect of the present invention is: a special-shaped light guide is made by combining the respective advantages of a circular light guide and a wide light guide. At the same time, the uniformity of the light guide is regulated by four special-shaped sections, so as to achieve this effect. By dividing the light guide into four sections and controlling the light guide transition structure through different cross-sectional shapes, the light can be fully coupled from the ordinary light guide part at the light source end, and then gradually enter the deformed light guide part. By controlling the shape of the light guide deformation, the light in the light guide is gradually widened toward the upper and lower sides, so that the requirement of illuminating a wider tail end of the light guide can be achieved. The optical system of the light guide structure has a high light utilization rate, and at the same time, it can evenly illuminate a particularly long light guide structure, which saves cost compared to thick-walled parts of the same shape, and is very suitable for lighting shapes with a very long length and a very wide tail. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the gradient light guide structure of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 It is an overall view of the light guide tooth surface of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a BB cross-sectional view of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 5 It is a CC sectional view of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 6 It is a DD sectional view of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 7 It is a rear view of the light guide of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram showing that the emission width of the light propagating in the light guide of the present invention gradually widens.

[0022] Among them: 1-light source, 2-gradient light guide. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to deepen the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with examples. The examples are only used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present invention.

[0024] The present embodiment provides an optical system with a gradually widened light guide structure, including a light source 1 and a gradually changing light guide 2, wherein the gradually changing light guide 2 includes four area structures, wherein the first area is a normal light guide interval, which is used to illuminate a narrow area at the front of the shape, and the light guide efficiency of the first area is very high, and a small amount of light is used to illuminate the shape, so that a large amount of light is transmitted to the tail end, in preparation for widening the rear, and the second section II is a transition area of ​​the circular light guide shape cross section, and the tail end cross section is a slight deformation of the circular light guide, and the light guide radius from AA to BB in area II becomes larger, and the light guide teeth are shortened to the distance from the semicircle, and the light guide teeth are defocused and the defocus distance is getting larger and larger, and the light produces a small angle deviation in this section of the gradually changing light guide, which will not cause the non-uniform phenomenon caused by the large angle deviation destroying the total reflection of the light guide, and the main purpose of this section is to smoothly transition the circular light guide to the square light guide, and will not cause a sudden change in the lighting width and brightness, so that the back does not light up, and the third area is the main area of ​​the light guide gradual deformation, which is the key to whether the tail end can be lit particularly wide, and the tail of the third area The cross-sectional sketch of the end is a quasi-square light guide. The front end surface of the light guide uses an arc surface with an arc instead of the flat surface of the traditional square light guide. The curvature of the front surface can not only magnify the light, but also make the light guide smoothly transition from the front circular cross-sectional area, which is conducive to the transition of light from the circular light guide to the square light guide. At the same time, the arc surface will have a defocusing effect on the light reflected from the light guide teeth like a magnifying glass, and it also has an amplifying effect on the square light guide teeth, making the light illuminated width wider than the light guide teeth themselves, improving efficiency. The fourth area is the transition area of ​​the square light guide. The cross-sectional sketch of the tail end of the fourth area is infinitely close to the square light guide. The light guide continues to narrow to further maximize the use of the light at the tail end to bounce between the teeth. The front surface of the light guide in the fourth area adopts a micro-curved surface. Although the curvature of the front surface of the fourth area is closer to a flat surface than that of the third area, it still has a certain curvature, which makes the light diverge slightly, magnifying the light, further smoothing the transition, and improving efficiency. The main purpose of the fourth area is to maximize the use of light and complete the widest area of ​​lighting the shape. When the gradient light guide is emitted, the gradual trend of the emission width at the first area, the second area, the third area and the fourth area is gradually widened, that is, the width of the light emitted by the light source has a gradual trend of gradually widening when propagating along the light guide. The distance, position and cross-section size of the four-segment structure area are adjustable and non-fixed. The lighting width of different shapes can have different spacing, positions and cross-sections of different sizes to adjust the uniformity of the overall lighting effect.

[0025] This four-segment control method can well constrain the light guide and accurately control the lighting width of each section of the light guide. Because the light guide of this design actively widens the light-emitting light guide, compared with the traditional technology that increases the distance from the light guide to the inner mirror to obtain a wider lighting effect, this design of the present invention can ensure that the distance from the light guide to the inner mirror is small, saving space, and still has the advantages of the light guide. Compared with the lighting effect of thick-walled parts, the light guide of the present invention is still very uniform at a large angle. The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical system with a gradually widened light guide structure, characterized in that: It comprises a light source (1) and a gradient light guide (2), the gradient light guide (2) comprising a four-region structure, the four regions comprising a first region, a second region, a third region, and a fourth region connected in sequence, the light source being incident from the first region; The first area is a normal light guide area, used to receive light from the light source; The second region is a transition region of the circular light guide cross section. The light guide radius from the front end cross section of the second region to the rear end cross section gradually increases, the light guide teeth are defocused and the defocus distance is getting larger and larger, and the light produces an angle deviation in the progressively changing light guide in the second region; The third region is a light guide gradual deformation region, the front end surface of the third region is a curved surface with a curvature, and the rear end cross section of the third region is a quasi-square light guide; The fourth region is a transition region of the square light guide. The front end surface of the fourth region adopts a slightly curved surface. The curvature of the front end surface of the fourth region is closer to a straight surface. The tail end cross section of the fourth region is infinitely close to a square light guide. The light guide continues to narrow to further maximize the use of the light at the tail end to be ejected between the light guide teeth. The material of the gradient light guide (2) is PC or PMMA; The number of the light sources (1) is at least one, and there is no upper limit.

2. An optical system with a gradually widened light guide structure as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: When the gradient light guide (2) emits light, the gradient trend of the emission width at the first area, the second area, the third area and the fourth area is that it gradually becomes wider.

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