Side-incident linear light-emitting vehicle lamp module

Abstract

A side-incident linear light-emitting automotive lighting module includes a housing, a light guide, and a light source unit. The housing forms a light source housing, and the light source unit is at least partially housed within the light source housing, with its light-emitting side facing one of the side-incident portions of the light guide. Light emitted from the light source unit enters the light guide laterally, is guided by the light guide, and exits from one of the light-emitting surfaces of a linear light-emitting portion extending along its length, forming linear light emission. The light-emitting surface is at least partially exposed within the automotive lighting module. This allows the light source unit to be at least partially shielded by the housing, while the light-emitting surface is at least partially exposed, thus balancing light source configuration and linear appearance.

Claims

1. A side-incident linear light-emitting vehicle lamp module, comprising: a housing including a light source accommodating portion; a light guide attached to the housing, the light guide including a side-incident portion, a light guide portion and a linear light-emitting portion extending along a length direction, the side-incident portion corresponding to the light source accommodating portion, the linear light-emitting portion having a light-emitting surface, the light-emitting surface being at least partially exposed in the vehicle lamp module; and a light source unit at least partially housed within the light source accommodating portion, and having a light-emitting side facing the side-incident portion, light emitted from the light source unit entering the light guide through the side-incident portion and being guided by the light guide portion to be emitted from the linear light-emitting portion.

2. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 1, wherein, The light guide has a thickness gradient region. At one end of the light guide corresponding to the thickness gradient region, the light guide has a first thickness in a thickness direction. At the same end of the light guide corresponding to the linear light-emitting part, the light guide has a second thickness in the same thickness direction. The first thickness is greater than the second thickness. The light guide is combined with the housing in the region with the first thickness.

3. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 2, wherein, The thickness change of the thickness gradient region is a linear gradient, a convex arc gradient, a concave arc gradient, a segmented gradient, or a combination thereof, and when the thickness change is a segmented gradient, the segmented gradient includes at least two gradient segments, and the at least two gradient segments have different gradient gradients.

4. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 1, wherein, The light guide includes an optical structure located on one side of the light guide relative to the light-emitting surface, and the optical structure includes a refractive structure, a reflective structure, a total internal reflection structure, a prism structure, a sawtooth structure, a patterned structure, an optical microstructure, or a combination thereof.

5. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 4, wherein, The automotive lighting module further includes a sealing structure, the housing, the light guide and the sealing structure together define a sealed space, and the optical structure is located within the sealed space.

6. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 1, wherein, The linear light-emitting part is provided with a diffusion structure, which is formed on the light-emitting surface or on one of the surfaces adjacent to the light-emitting surface in the linear light-emitting part, and the diffusion structure is a lens structure, a concave-convex structure, a ridge structure, a frosted structure, a pattern structure, or a combination thereof.

7. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 1, wherein, The linear light-emitting section has a center line in a height direction, and the center line extends along the length direction of the linear light-emitting section. The automotive lighting module has a reference plane, which includes the center line, extends along the length direction, and is perpendicular to the height direction. One of the light-emitting centers of the light source unit is located on or near the reference plane.

8. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 1, wherein, The light source unit is a plug-in light-emitting diode light source unit. The plug-in light-emitting diode light source unit includes a plug-in body. The plug-in body is at least partially housed in the light source housing, and the light-emitting side of the plug-in body faces the lateral light-incident part.

9. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 1, wherein, The light source unit is a light-emitting diode circuit board light source unit. The light-emitting diode circuit board light source unit includes a light-emitting diode circuit board, at least one light-emitting diode disposed on the light-emitting diode circuit board, and an electrical connector. The light-emitting side of the at least one light-emitting diode faces the lateral light-incident part.

10. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 1, wherein, The light source unit includes at least one light-emitting diode, which includes a first-color light-emitting diode, a second-color light-emitting diode, a multi-color polycrystalline light-emitting diode, or a combination thereof.

11. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 1, wherein, The automotive lighting module further includes an exterior component, which is attached to the light guide such that the light guide is located between the housing and the exterior component. The exterior component is either a first exterior component or a second exterior component. The first exterior component has a first outer contour, and the second exterior component has a second outer contour that is different from the first outer contour. At least one of the first exterior component and the second exterior component includes an airflow guide.

12. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 1, wherein, The automotive lighting module further includes a sealing structure. The housing, the light guide, and the sealing structure together define a sealed space. The sealing structure includes a first sealing mating part formed on the housing and a second sealing mating part formed on the light guide. The first sealing mating part and the second sealing mating part are engaged with each other.

13. The automotive lighting module as described in claim 11, wherein, The automotive lighting module further includes an assembly structure, which includes a first assembly mating portion formed on the light guide and a second assembly mating portion formed on the exterior component. The first assembly mating portion and the second assembly mating portion cooperate with each other to form a hot plate welding structure, a hot riveting structure, a snap-fit ​​structure, an adhesive structure, an ultrasonic welding structure, a laser welding structure, or a combination thereof, so that the exterior component is attached to the light guide.

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