A narrow-opening cylindrical optical lens for automobiles

Abstract

The present invention provides a narrow-opening automotive cylindrical optical lens, comprising at least one light entrance surface and a light exit surface with all functions reused, wherein the at least one light entrance surface preferably comprises a high-beam basic light type light entrance surface, a low-beam spot (45° cutoff line) light entrance surface, a low-beam base (horizontal cutoff line) light entrance surface and a high-beam Emax area light entrance surface, and the light converged to the focal points corresponding to the respective light entrance surfaces respectively reaches the corresponding light entrance surfaces after the focal points for the first refraction, propagates to the light exit surface inside the lens for the second refraction to form high-beam and low-beam light types, wherein the at least one light entrance surface is an independently designed, non-continuous optical surface, and the at least one light entrance surface of the cylindrical optical lens is arranged horizontally, so as to realize at least one optical function while reducing the upper and lower opening sizes of the lens, saving the structural space of the module, and meeting the current market modeling requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of automobile lighting, and in particular to an automobile cylindrical optical lens with a narrow opening. Background Art

[0002] The continuous application of new technologies in the automotive field has not only increased the diversity and safety of automobile functions, but also promoted the great innovation of automobile styling. The integration of art and technology has made the concepts that could only appear on drawings become reality. Exaggerated and technological design has become the current market trend. Headlights are the main component of automobile exterior accessories and the eyes of the car. The quality of headlight design seriously affects the overall appearance of the car. The traditional reflective bowl-type headlights, which are the main optical system, are increasingly unable to meet the requirements of the development of headlights due to their large space requirements, low light utilization and light efficiency as the headlight space becomes smaller and the shape becomes narrower, narrower and more peculiar. The module system is increasingly used in headlights due to its advantages of flexible space and high light efficiency, and occupies an increasingly important position. As the core component of the headlight styling of the current and future trends, the development of a variety of new modules will be conducive to meeting different styling requirements.

[0003] At present, the module lenses on the market are generally spherical. Especially as more and more modules adopt dual-function integrated modules, there are problems such as large size, bulky and single shape. Even if some existing technologies use single-function small-size modules, they are only based on spherical lenses for modeling and cutting, and then multiple groups of modules are combined to form dual-function modules. The complex structural design and the combination of multiple groups of modules will also lead to the problem of occupying a large space, many supporting devices and high cost. Therefore, inventing a dual-function lens optical system with small opening size and low cost has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a narrow-opening automotive cylindrical optical lens, in which light is converged to the focus of each light-entering surface through the optical system, and then continues to propagate to the light-entering surface for the first refraction after passing through the focus, and then propagates in the lens to reach the same light-emitting surface, and forms a high and low beam light pattern after refraction again. Each light-entering surface is designed with different focal points and concave-convex shapes due to different functional requirements, and is finally combined on the inner surface of the same lens, while the outer surface is the same cylindrical surface. Compared with the traditional spherical lens, this design not only realizes the reuse of high and low beam functions, but also reduces the upper and lower opening sizes, meeting the market's styling needs.

[0005] The present invention provides a narrow-opening automotive cylindrical optical lens, comprising at least one light entrance surface and a light exit surface with all functions reused, wherein the at least one light entrance surface preferably comprises a high-beam basic light type light entrance surface, a low-beam spot (45° cutoff line) light entrance surface, a low-beam base (horizontal cutoff line) light entrance surface and a high-beam Emax area light entrance surface, and the light converged to the focal points corresponding to the respective light entrance surfaces respectively reaches the corresponding light entrance surfaces after the focal points for the first refraction, propagates to the light exit surface inside the lens for the second refraction to form high-beam and low-beam light types, wherein the at least one light entrance surface is an independently designed, non-continuous optical surface, and the at least one light entrance surface of the cylindrical optical lens is arranged horizontally, so as to realize at least one optical function while reducing the upper and lower opening sizes of the lens, saving the structural space of the module, and meeting the current market modeling requirements.

[0006] A further improvement is that the light incident surface of the cylindrical optical lens where light needs to converge is designed to be convex, and the light incident surface of the cylindrical optical lens where a wide illumination range is required is designed to be concave, and the concave-convex shape and degree of concave-convexity of at least one of the light incident surfaces are adjusted according to design requirements to meet different regulations and road lighting requirements and achieve the optimal lighting effect.

[0007] Preferably, the low beam spot (45° cutoff line) light type requires a large central light intensity, and the system design needs to achieve light convergence, so the low beam spot (45° cutoff line) light entrance surface is convex; the low beam base (horizontal cutoff line) light type requires a wide illumination range, and the system design needs to achieve light diffusion, so the low beam base (horizontal cutoff line) light entrance surface is concave; similarly, the two light entrance surfaces of the high beam, namely the high beam basic light type light entrance surface and the high beam Emax area light entrance surface, the optical requirement is that the central light intensity is strong, and the system design is that the light converges, so the high beam basic light type light entrance surface and the high beam Emax area light entrance surface are both convex.

[0008] A further improvement is that the light-emitting surface of the cylindrical optical lens is a cylindrical optical surface, not a conventional spherical optical surface, which achieves a significant reduction in the opening size and is a continuous curved surface shared by all functions. Its curvature and size can be adjusted according to design requirements, thereby improving the appearance and scope of use of the lens.

[0009] A further improvement is that, taking into account the requirements of low beam regulations, the low beam pattern is distributed near 0°, and the focus of all low beam incident surfaces of the cylindrical optical lens, preferably including the low beam 45° cut-off line incident surface and the low beam horizontal cut-off line incident surface, is on the center line of the cylindrical optical lens, and the focal length is adjustable and variable according to design requirements. This design is conducive to achieving the optimal low beam pattern, and the adjustable and variable focal length increases the design diversity.

[0010] Preferably, the focal lengths of all the low beam incident surfaces, preferably including the low beam 45° cut-off line incident surface and the low beam horizontal cut-off line incident surface, are kept consistent, which can avoid deviation caused by convergence of the two groups of light, and is conducive to improving the consistency of product performance.

[0011] A further improvement is that, considering that the high beam regulations have light distribution requirements for the high beam light type around 0° and a maximum value limit at -4°, all the high beam light incident surfaces of the cylindrical optical lens (preferably including the high beam basic light type light incident surface and the high beam Emax area light incident surface) have an inclination angle based on the plumb plane, and their focal positions are higher than the center line of the cylindrical optical lens, and the height of the focus of at least one of the high beam light incident surfaces relative to the center line of the cylindrical optical lens is adjustable and variable. The design that the at least one high beam light incident surface and the plumb plane have an inclination angle and its focal position is higher than the center line of the cylindrical optical lens shifts the overall high beam light type upward, thereby improving the high beam optical efficiency and avoiding the risk of regulatory over-brightness; the focal length of the at least one high beam light incident surface is adjustable and variable according to design requirements, and the adjustable and variable focal length increases the design diversity.

[0012] Preferably, the focal lengths of all the high beam incident surfaces, preferably including the high beam basic light type incident surface and the high beam Emax area incident surface, are kept consistent, which can avoid deviation caused by convergence of the two groups of light and increase the consistency of product performance.

[0013] Preferably, the focal lengths of at least one of the light incident surfaces, including the light incident surfaces of the low beam and the high beam, are designed to be consistent values ​​to ensure the consistency of product deviations.

[0014] A further improvement is that the number of light incident surfaces of the cylindrical optical lens is further divided or merged according to functional requirements, that is, a single light incident surface can be further divided into at least two sub-light incident surfaces, or at least two light incident surfaces can be merged into one surface, and the number is variable. Combined with the individual design of each light incident surface area of ​​the lens of the present invention and integrated into one, more functional multiplexing is achieved, more than dual-function multiplexing, such as adding corner lights and front fog lights to achieve three functions, four functions, etc., which are not further listed.

[0015] A further improvement is that the lens of the present invention is also applicable to single-function systems, preferably for example to realize single-function low beam, single-function high beam, and other single-function optical light types applicable to the lens of the present invention.

[0016] A further improvement is that the size of at least one light incident surface of the cylindrical optical lens is adjustable according to the modeling requirements, and the position and design arrangement of at least two of the light incident surfaces are interchangeable, which is flexible and has a wide range of modeling applications.

[0017] A further improvement is that the shape of the cylindrical optical lens can be partially cut according to modeling requirements, thereby increasing the modeling application range of the lens and the modeling possibilities.

[0018] A further improvement is that the light is converged to various focal points (preferably focus one, focus two, focus three, focus four) by the light source or light source system after passing through a series of optical systems. The light source or light source system that converges the light to the focal points of each light incident surface can be reflective, direct, or projective.

[0019] A further improvement is that the material of the cylindrical optical lens can be polycarbonate (ie PC) or polymethyl methacrylate (ie PMMA) or glass.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the outer surface of the lens adopts the same light-emitting surface, while the inner surface is designed in a partitioned manner, and each functional area is designed independently. The integrated lens not only realizes the dual functions of high and low beams, but also reduces the number of lenses, simplifies processing and reduces production costs. The horizontally arranged light incident surface, combined with the design of the light-emitting surface of the cylindrical optical surface rather than the spherical optical surface, greatly reduces the upper and lower opening sizes, solves the space problem and meets the requirements and development trends of market styling. The interchangeability of the position design and arrangement of the light incident surface, the adjustability of the size of the light incident surface, the concave-convex design of the light incident surface and the variability of the concave-convex shape and degree provide designers with more choices, and can also meet the requirements of the market for changing styling. The design that the high beam light incident surface has an inclination angle with the plumb plane and its focal position is higher than the center line of the cylindrical optical lens will shift the overall high beam light type upward, improve the high beam optical efficiency, and avoid the risk of regulatory over-brightness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is an axial view of the light incident surface side of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is the front view of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 The present invention Figure 2 AA, BB, CC, DD profile combination diagram.

[0024] Figure 4 The present invention Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of EE.

[0025] Figure 5 It is an axial view of the light emitting surface side of the present invention.

[0026] Among them: 1-high beam basic light type light entrance surface; 2-low beam spot light entrance surface; 3-low beam base light entrance surface; 4-high beam Emax area light entrance surface; 5-light exit surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] 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.

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the cylindrical optical lens of the present invention is composed of four individually designed light incident surfaces and the same light exit surface 5, wherein the light incident surfaces include a high beam basic light type light incident surface 1, a low beam spot (45° cutoff line) light incident surface 2, a low beam base (horizontal cutoff line) light incident surface 3 and a high beam Emax area light incident surface 4. The light emitting surface 5 is a continuous curved surface with all functions reused. The light emitting surface 5 is a cylindrical optical surface, not a conventional spherical optical surface, which can achieve a significant reduction in the opening size; the high beam basic light type light incident surface 1, the low beam spot (45° cutoff line) light incident surface 2, the low beam base (horizontal cutoff line) light incident surface 3 and the high beam Emax area (high beam maximum value area) light incident surface 4 are multiple independently designed, non-continuous optical surfaces, among which the high beam basic light type light incident surface 1, the low beam spot (45° cutoff line) light incident surface 2 and the high beam Emax area light incident surface 4 are designed to be convex because the designs of the low beam spot, the high beam basic light type and the high beam Emax area require light convergence, while the low beam base (horizontal cutoff line) light incident surface 3 requires a wide illumination range and is designed to be concave.

[0029] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, Figure 2 The figure is a front view of a cylindrical optical lens. Figure 3 The diagram is Figure 2AA is a cross-sectional view of the entrance surface 1 of the basic high beam light type, BB is a cross-sectional view of the entrance surface 2 of the low beam spot (45° cut-off line), CC is a cross-sectional view of the entrance surface 3 of the low beam base (horizontal cut-off line), and DD is a cross-sectional view of the entrance surface 4 of the high beam Emax region. Light rays are converged to various focal points by a light source or a light source system after passing through a series of optical systems. In this embodiment, they are focus one, focus two, focus three, and focus four. After passing through the above-mentioned focal points, they respectively reach the corresponding entrance surface 1 of the basic high beam light type, the entrance surface 2 of the low beam spot (45° cut-off line), the entrance surface 3 of the low beam base (horizontal cut-off line), and the entrance surface 4 of the high beam Emax region, undergo a first refraction, and then continue to propagate inside the lens 1 to the light exit surface 5, and form a light type after the second refraction. Considering the requirements of low beam regulations, the low beam pattern is distributed near 0°, so the focal points of low beam spot (45° cutoff line) light entrance surface 2 and low beam base (horizontal cutoff line) light entrance surface 3 are designed on the center line of the lens. The high beam pattern has requirements above and below 0°, and there is a maximum limit at -4°, so the focal points of high beam base light entrance surface 1 and high beam Emax area light entrance surface 4 are 5mm higher than the center line of the lens. High beam base light entrance surface 1 and high beam Emax area light entrance surface 4 have an inclination angle based on the plumb plane. This design can shift the overall high beam pattern upward to ensure that regulatory requirements are met, while improving the optical efficiency of the high beam. In order to ensure the consistency of product deviations and avoid deviations caused by light convergence, Figure 3 The focal lengths of all the high beam basic light types shown in the figure, the low beam spot (45° cut-off line) light entrance surface 2, the low beam base (horizontal cut-off line) light entrance surface 3 and the high beam Emax area light entrance surface 4 are designed to be consistent.

[0030] All high beam basic light type light entrance surfaces 1, low beam spot (45° cutoff line) light entrance surface 2, low beam base (horizontal cutoff line) light entrance surface 3 and high beam Emax area light entrance surface 4 of the cylindrical optical lens are arranged and arranged horizontally. The design of the light exit surface 5 combined with the cylindrical optical surface rather than the spherical optical surface greatly reduces the upper and lower opening sizes of the lens, saves the structural space of the module, and meets the current market styling requirements; the separate design and integrated design of each light entrance area of ​​the cylindrical optical lens not only realizes the multiplexing of multiple functions (such as the preferred dual functions in this embodiment), but also reduces the number of lenses, simplifies processing and reduces production costs.

[0031] Light rays are converged to various focal points (preferably focus one, focus two, focus three, and focus four) after passing through a series of optical systems from a light source or a light source system. The light source or light source system that realizes the convergence of light rays to various focal points (such as focus one, focus two, focus three, and focus four in this embodiment) can be reflective, direct, or projective.

[0032] The material of the cylindrical optical lens can be polycarbonate (ie PC) or polymethyl methacrylate (ie PMMA) or glass.

Claims

1. A narrow-opening cylindrical optical lens for automobiles, characterized in that: The invention comprises at least one light incident surface and a light exiting surface (5) with multiplexed functions. The at least one light incident surface comprises a high beam basic light type light incident surface (1), a low beam spot light incident surface (2), a low beam base light incident surface (3) and a high beam Emax area light incident surface (4). Lights converged to the focal points corresponding to the respective light incident surfaces reach the corresponding light incident surfaces after the focal points, undergo a first refraction, propagate inside the cylindrical optical lens to the light exiting surface (5), undergo a second refraction, and then form a light type. The at least one light incident surface is an independently designed, non-continuous optical surface. The at least one light incident surface of the cylindrical optical lens is arranged horizontally, so that the upper and lower opening sizes of the lens are reduced while achieving at least one optical function, thereby saving the structural space of the module. The high beam base light type incident surface (1) of the cylindrical optical lens that requires light convergence, the low beam spot light type incident surface (2) and the high beam Emax area light type incident surface (4) are convex, and the low beam base light type incident surface (3) of the cylindrical optical lens that requires a wide irradiation range is concave; The focal points of the low beam spot light incident surface (2) and the low beam base light incident surface (3) are on the center line of the cylindrical optical lens; The high beam basic light type light incident surface (1) and the high beam Emax region light incident surface (4) have an inclination angle based on the plumb plane, and the focal positions of the high beam basic light type light incident surface (1) and the high beam Emax region light incident surface (4) are higher than the center line of the cylindrical optical lens.

2. A narrow-opening automotive cylindrical optical lens as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The light-emitting surface (5) is a cylindrical optical surface, which can significantly reduce the size of the opening and is a continuous curved surface shared by all functions.

3. The narrow-opening automotive cylindrical optical lens according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the cylindrical optical lens (1) is polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate or glass.

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