Optical module, lamp device and motor vehicle
By designing an optical module and using optical and reflective elements to collect and redirect light, the problem of excessively large headlights in the height direction is solved, resulting in a compact optical module and efficient lighting effect, enhancing the vehicle's technological appeal.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-03
AI Technical Summary
In the existing technology, the size of vehicle headlights in the height direction is usually too large, resulting in an unsophisticated appearance and making it difficult to achieve a compact lighting device design.
The optical module design utilizes first and second light sources and optical elements to collect and redirect light. Combined with reflective elements and total reflection surfaces, it achieves multiple lighting functions through a projection optical system. Furthermore, the structure is simplified by integrating the metal parts with the optical elements.
It achieves a compact optical module design, improves the light extraction efficiency of optical components and the utilization rate of the beam, simplifies the manufacturing process, and enhances the technological feel of the vehicle.
Smart Images
Figure CN224080024U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of lighting and / or signal indication, and more specifically, to optical modules capable of providing lighting effects, and to lamp devices and motor vehicles equipped with such optical modules. Background Technology
[0002] Lighting devices are used to provide light for illumination and / or optical indication functions, and are widely used in various fields. For example, in motor vehicles, lighting devices such as headlights are used to ensure safe driving. Motor vehicles often require various types of lights to achieve different functions, including headlights, fog lights, taillights, turn signals, brake lights, side marker lights, parking lights, and so on.
[0003] Existing lighting devices, especially headlights, are typically much larger in width than in height to create an ultra-thin design that enhances the vehicle's futuristic appearance. Achieving this type of lighting device presents a significant challenge. Summary of the Invention
[0004] One object of this disclosure is to solve or overcome at least one of the above-mentioned and other problems and defects existing in the prior art.
[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an optical module is provided, comprising a first light source and a first optical element, and a second light source and a second optical element, wherein the first and second optical elements collect light emitted by the first and second light sources such that the light emitted by the first and second light sources enters the first and second optical elements respectively and is redirected; a projection optical system is configured to project the redirected light from the first and second optical elements; the first optical element has a reflective element disposed on its surface, the reflective element reflecting a portion of the light propagating inside the first optical element according to a cutoff line profile and / or the reflective element reflecting some or all of the light from the light-emitting surface of the second optical element according to a cutoff line profile; the second optical element has at least one total reflection surface to change the direction of light emitted from the second light source so that the light exits from the light-emitting surface of the second optical element; the optical focus of the projection optical system is disposed at or near the edge of the reflective element along the light propagation direction of the first light source.
[0006] In some embodiments, the projection optical system includes at least one projection lens.
[0007] In some embodiments, the first light source and the second light source are arranged on different supports, wherein the supports have different orientations.
[0008] In some embodiments, the first light source and the second light source are arranged on the same support.
[0009] In some embodiments, the second optical element includes at least two total reflection surfaces to continuously change the light from the second light source, such that the light exits from the light-emitting surface of the second optical element.
[0010] In some embodiments, the reflective element of the first optical element is a metal part integrally formed with the first optical element.
[0011] In some embodiments, the metal element is a metal layer formed on the surface of the first optical element.
[0012] In some embodiments, a reflective element is disposed on the surface of the first optical element near the optical axis of the projection optical system.
[0013] According to another aspect of this disclosure, embodiments also provide a lamp device including a housing and an optical module described in any embodiment of this disclosure, the optical module being at least partially mounted in the housing.
[0014] In some embodiments, the lighting device includes at least one of a headlight for a motor vehicle, a signal indicator, and an ambient light.
[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, embodiments also provide a motor vehicle that includes the optical module or lamp device described in any embodiment of this disclosure.
[0016] Other objects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of the disclosure. Attached Figure Description
[0017] These and / or other aspects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of illustrative embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical path of an optical module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0019] Figure 2 This is an exploded view showing the structure of an optical module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an optical module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0021] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, identical or similar components are indicated by identical or similar reference numerals. The following description of embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the overall concept of this disclosure and should not be construed as a limitation thereof.
[0022] Furthermore, in the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are illustrated to simplify the figures.
[0023] Figures 1 to 3 The diagram schematically illustrates the structure and optical path of an optical module 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as an example, such as... Figure 1 The optical module 10 shown can be installed in a motor vehicle as a headlight, for example, including but not limited to, low beam headlights and / or high beam headlights.
[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical path of an optical module 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is an exploded view showing the structure of an optical module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the optical module 10 includes at least one first light source 110 and at least one first optical element 200, as well as at least one second light source 120 and at least one second optical element 300.
[0025] In this example, the first optical element 200 and the second optical element 300 are adapted to collect light emitted by the at least one first light source 110 and the at least one second light source 120 such that light emitted by the at least one first light source 3 and the at least one second light source 4 enters the at least one first optical element 200 and the second optical element 300 respectively and is redirected.
[0026] Figure 1 The first light source 110 and first optical element 200, as well as the second light source 120 and second optical element in the illustrated optical module 10, are used to generate two beams that achieve two different lighting functions, such as lighting with a cutoff profile to prevent glare from oncoming vehicles (corresponding to a "low beam" type lighting function); and lighting without a cutoff profile (corresponding to a "full beam" or "high beam" type lighting function). It should be understood that the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to this, but other beams with different lighting or signal indication functions may be used.
[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 The illustrated optical module 10 further includes a projection optical system 400 configured to project light that has been redirected from the first optical element 200 and the second optical element 300. In some embodiments, the projection optical system 400 includes one or more projection lenses, wherein the projection lenses may be configured to be shared by a plurality of first optical elements and / or a plurality of second optical elements. The projection optical system 400 is arranged along an optical axis and projects light beams from the first optical element 200 and / or the second optical element 300 to produce at least one of two illumination functions.
[0028] According to the technical solution of this disclosure, the first optical element 200 has a reflective element 210 disposed on the surface of the first optical element 300, the reflective element 210 reflecting some or all of the light rays from the light-emitting surface of the second optical element 300 according to the cutoff line profile. This improves the light extraction efficiency of the second optical element 300.
[0029] Simultaneously or alternatively, in some embodiments, the reflective element 210 reflects some or all of the light propagating inside the first optical element 200 according to the cutoff line profile. The optical focus F of the projection optical system 400 is located at or near the edge of the reflective element 210 along the light propagation direction of the first light source, so that the cutoff line profile of the light beam of the first light element 200 is generated by the reflective element 210 at the focus F.
[0030] In some embodiments, the reflective element 210 is disposed on the surface of the first optical element near the optical axis of the projection optical system, such that some or all of the light rays from the second optical element are reflected and redirected toward the lower edge of the projection optical system 400. Due to the high reflectivity of the metal of the reflective element 210, the reflective element 210 enables the luminous efficiency of the second light source and the portion of the second optical element in the optical module. Furthermore, the reflective element 210 can easily generate the desired cutoff line profile. By generating the cutoff line profile with the reflective element 210 and integrating the reflective element 210 with the first optical element 200 as a single component, the structure of the optical module can be greatly simplified.
[0031] In some embodiments, the reflective element 210 of the first optical element 200 is a metal piece integrally formed with the first optical element, without the need for additional attachment structures to fix the reflective element. For example, the reflective element 210, as a metal piece, is integrally formed with the first optical element by injection molding. In other embodiments, the aforementioned metal piece may be a metal layer formed on the surface of the first optical element, for example, by metal deposition. When the reflective element 210 is set as a metal piece, the first optical element 200 and the second optical element 300 do not need to be in strict contact.
[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second optical element 300 shown has at least one total internal reflection surface to change the direction of light emitted from the second light source, such that the light exits from the light-emitting surface of the second optical element. In some embodiments, the second optical element 300 has two or more total internal reflection surfaces to continuously change the optical path of light incident from the second light source. It should be understood that a "total internal reflection surface" in an optical element means that the surface has such a refractive index that light arriving at the surface at an angle of incidence greater than a predetermined value is totally internally reflected at the surface, without any significant portion of the energy of the light being transmitted through the surface. Because the second optical element has multiple total internal reflection surfaces, the size of the projection optical system can be further compressed in the vertical direction, resulting in a more compact optical module.
[0033] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the aforementioned first and second optical elements are made of a transparent material having a refractive index greater than that of air. Polycarbonate (PC), which can withstand heat generated by the light source, is preferably used. A particular advantage of this material is that the light source can be positioned near the transparent optical element without being affected by the heat it generates. In other embodiments, the optical element may be made of polypropylene carbonate (PPC) or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the first light source 110 and the second light source 120 are arranged on the same support member 100. It should be understood that the first light source 110 and the second light source 120 can also be arranged on different supports, and the supports have different orientations, thereby achieving higher utilization and better light output.
[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an optical module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the optical module may further include a housing 500 and a heat sink 600. The optical module may be at least partially mounted in the housing 500, such as within the receiving space of the housing 500. The heat sink 600 may be attached to or integrally formed with the support member 100 of the light sources 110 and 120 to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat generated by the light sources 110 and 120.
[0036] According to embodiments of this disclosure, multiple beams containing horizontal cutoff lines can be generated using a single module that remains compact (particularly in height) and simple to manufacture. For example, the light-emitting surface height of the module according to embodiments of this disclosure can be less than or equal to 8 mm. Imaging the illuminated reflective surface with sufficient depth of field allows for a clear projected luminous image, and thus allows for the generation of equally clear, bluish cutoff lines by means of the edges of the reflective surface of the optical elements. Furthermore, when paraxial approximation is applicable (i.e., when the light rays are slightly tilted relative to the optical axis and not very far from said axis), the lens forming the projection system can be, for example, a thin lens with a thickness of less than 6 mm, which allows the lens to be manufactured in a single plastic injection molding operation.
[0037] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide motor vehicles that include optical modules or lighting devices as described in any of the foregoing embodiments.
[0038] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of this disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure. The dimensions in the drawings are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure.
[0039] While some embodiments of the general concept of this disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general concept of this disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An optical module, characterized by comprising: The optical module comprises: at least one first light source (110) and at least one first optical element (200), and at least one second light source (120) and at least one second optical element (300), wherein the first optical element (200) and the second optical element (300) are adapted to collect light emitted by the at least one first light source (110) and the at least one second light source (120) so that the light emitted by the at least one first light source (110) and the at least one second light source (120) enters the first optical element and the second optical element, respectively, and is redirected, a projection optical system (400) configured to project the light redirected by the first optical element (200) and the second optical element (300), wherein the first optical element (200) has a reflective element (210) disposed at a surface of the first optical element (200), the reflective element (210) reflecting a portion of the light rays propagating inside the first optical element (200) according to a cutoff line profile and / or the reflective element (210) reflecting some or all of the light rays from an exit surface of the second optical element (300) according to a cutoff line profile, the second optical element (300) has at least one total reflection surface to change the direction of the light emitted from the second light source so that the light exits from an exit surface of the second optical element, an optical focal point (F) of the projection optical system (400) is disposed at or near an edge of the reflective element (210) along a light propagation direction of the first light source.
2. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein The projection optical system (400) comprises at least one projection lens.
3. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein The first light source and the second light source are arranged on different supports, wherein the supports have different orientations.
4. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein The reflective element (210) has an edge corresponding to the cutoff line profile.
5. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein The second optical element comprises at least two total reflection surfaces to successively change the light rays from the second light source so that the light exits from an exit surface of the second optical element.
6. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein The reflective element (210) of the first optical element is a metal piece formed integrally with the first optical element.
7. The optical module according to claim 6, wherein The metal piece is a metal layer formed on a surface of the first optical element.
8. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein The reflective element (210) is disposed at a surface of the first optical element close to an optical axis of the projection optical system.
9. A lamp arrangement, characterized in that comprises: a housing; and The optical module according to any one of claims 1-8 is at least partially mounted in the housing. The motor vehicle comprises the optical module according to any one of claims 1-8, or the lamp device according to claim 9.
10. Motor vehicle, characterised in that