Headlight module

Abstract

A headlight module comprising: a light source (110) that emits light, a lens (120) which directs the light emitted by the illuminant (110) to an outer side, a light-transmitting aperture (130) arranged in a predetermined area around the lens (120), and a surface illumination source (200) which emits light to a side end surface and a rear surface of the aperture (130), wherein the light emitted by the surface illumination source (200) is directed to a front surface of the aperture (130), wherein a reflection layer (220) is formed on the rear surface of the aperture (130) to reflect the light emitted from the area illumination source (200) toward a front surface, characterized in that the reflective layer (220) has a plurality of projections; and the projections each have a substantially spherical shape and have a size that depends on a distance between the respective projection and the area illumination source (200), the size being smaller the further the distance is.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the InventionThe present invention relates to a headlight module that improves product appearance and quality of a vehicle and reduces cost and number of components.Description of the Related ArtA headlight module, also called a headlight, is a device that serves to illuminate a front path on which a vehicle (e.g., an automobile) travels, and requires brightness to allow a driver to verify obstacles on a road that are 100 m in front of the front of the vehicle at night.A related art headlamp assembly (JP 2001-110 213 A) includes a lighting means (lamp), a reflector that supports the lighting means and reflects the light emitted from the lighting means forward, and a lens connected to a front side of the reflector by a holder.Generally, a head lamp module of a vehicle includes a head lamp that emits light to a front side of a vehicle to establish a field of view of a driver, and a combination lamp that emits light to perform various functions.The combination lamp includes a front combination lamp and a rear combination lamp. The front combination lamp includes a headlight, a turn signal lamp used during a right turn or a left turn, and a position lamp, and the rear combination lamp includes a tail lamp (e.g., backup lamp) that is lit during a reverse state, a brake lamp that is lit during braking, and a tail lamp.The combination lamp includes a light source using a light emitting diode (LED for short) or an incandescent lamp which distributes light intensities to form various patterns.Recently, surface lighting position lamps using a plurality of LED lamps have been applied, and components such as LEDs are increased, the area of the headlamp is increased, and the cost is also increased.From JP 4 735 852 B2 a headlight module according to the preamble of claim 1 is known. Further headlight modules are known from US 2012 / 0 069 592 A1, JP 2008-123 718 A and US 2010 / 0 254 152 A1.The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an admission or any suggestion that this information belongs to the prior art already known to the person skilled in the art.EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention has been made in an effort to provide a headlight module that has advantages of improving appearance and quality of a vehicle through a bezel and a surface illumination source, and reduces an overall size, cost, and number of components.This object is achieved by a headlight module according to claim 1.A headlight module according to the present invention includes a lighting means that emits light, a lens that directs the light emitted by the lighting means to an outer side (e.g., directs it to an outer side), a light-transmissive panel that is arranged (e.g., partially or sectionally) in a predetermined region around the lens (e.g., surrounding), and a surface illumination source that emits light to a side end surface and a back surface of the panel, wherein the light emitted by the surface illumination source is directed (e.g., directed) to a front surface of the panel.The surface illumination source may include a light emitting diode (LED). A light source groove may be formed at an end surface of the aperture, and the surface illumination source may be accommodated (e.g., set in) the light source groove. A convex portion may be formed on the end surface (e.g., the aperture) to make the end surface convex.A reflective layer is formed on the back surface of the aperture to reflect the light emitted from the surface illumination source toward a front side, the reflective layer including a plurality of protrusions. Each protrusion has a substantially spheroidal shape and has a size that depends on a distance between the respective protrusion and the surface illumination source, the smaller the distance.A coloring layer may be formed on the front surface of the bezel to form a color, and the coloring layer may be / be formed by a light transmissive color.A light shielding layer may be formed between the back surface and the front surface of the bezel, the light shielding layer preventing the light emitted from the surface illumination source from being transmitted to the back surface of the bezel and directing (e.g., directing) the light emitted from the surface illumination source to the front surface of the bezel.In a headlamp module according to the present invention, a surface illumination source is disposed on an end surface of a bezel, and the light emitted from the surface illumination source passes an inner portion of the bezel to be irradiated toward the front surface, so that a small number of the surface illumination source are used to realize a surface illumination effect.Also, the surface lighting effect is realized by a new structure of the surface lighting source and the bezel, so that the design level is improved and the size of the entire module is reduced.The apparatus of the present invention has other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.Explanation of the DrawingsFIG. 1 is a partial front view of an exemplary headlamp module according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a headlight module taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a partial detailed cross-sectional view of an exemplary aperture in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a bezel of an exemplary headlamp module according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a bezel of an exemplary headlamp module according to the present invention.Detailed DescriptionReference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the invention to these exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended that the invention cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, variations and other embodiments, which fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.FIG. 1 is a partial front view of a headlight module according to various embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a headlight module 100 includes a lighting means 110, a lens 120, and a bezel 130. The illuminant performs emission of light, the lens 120 is disposed on the front side of the illuminant 110, and the light emitted from the illuminant 110 passes through the lens 120.The bezel 130 according to various embodiments of the present invention is disposed (e.g., partially or sectionally) around the lighting means 110 (e.g., and performs a surface lighting function toward a front side of a vehicle. That is, a surface illumination source 200 such as an LED is disposed on an upper end surface, a side end surface, or a lower end surface of the shade 130, the light emitted from the surface illumination source 200 passes through the inner portion of the shade 130 to be irradiated toward a front side, and thus the product quality and the design level of the headlight module are improved and the cost is reduced.FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a headlight module taken along line A-A in FIG. 1 ; referring to FIG. 2, the surface illumination source 200 such as an LED is disposed on an end portion surface 222 of an upper end portion of the shade 130, and the reflective layer 220 is formed on a rear surface of the shade 130.In various embodiments of the present invention, the reflective layer 220 includes one or more protrusions of a parabolic shape or a spherical shape (e.g., a spherical surface shape), or a substantially parabolic shape or a substantially spherical shape. In some embodiments, when the protrusion is proximate (e.g., disposed) to the surface illumination source 200, the protrusion is relatively larger (e.g., configured), and when the protrusion is away from the surface illumination source 200, the protrusion is relatively smaller (e.g., configured). Accordingly, the uniformity of the light radiated toward the front surface of the aperture 130 is improved.A convex portion 210 is formed at an upper end portion of the bezel 130, and the surface illumination source 200 is disposed at a central portion of the convex portion 210. The light emitted from the surface illumination source 200 is radiated to an inner side of the shade 130, is radiated to a front surface of the shade 130, or is reflected from a rear surface of the shade 130 to be radiated to a front surface of the shade 130.FIG. 3 is a partial detailed cross-sectional view of a bezel according to various embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, a convex portion 210 is formed on an upper end surface of the shade 130, and a light source groove 300 in which the surface illumination source 200 is accommodated is formed at a central portion of the convex portion 210.The light emitted from the surface illumination source 200 accommodated in the light source groove 300 is transmitted to an inside of the shade 130. A part of the light irradiated to an inner side of the aperture 130 is reflected by the convex portion 210 and irradiated to an inner side of the aperture 130, a part of the light irradiated to an inner side of the aperture 130 is reflected by the reflection layer of the back surface to be irradiated to a front surface of the aperture 130.FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a bezel of a headlight module according to various embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the surface illumination source 200 is disposed at an upper end portion of the bezel 130, a coloring layer 400 forming colors is formed on a front surface of the bezel 130, and the coloring layer may be formed by a light transmissive color (e.g., paint or paint). The aperture 130 is made of a transparent material.Further, a reflection layer 220 is formed on a back surface of the aperture 130 to reflect the light emitted from the surface illumination source 200.In various embodiments of the present invention, it is described that the surface illumination source 200 is disposed on an upper end portion of the bezel 130, but the source may be disposed on a lower end portion or a side end surface.FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a bezel of a headlight module according to various embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, a coloring layer 400 is formed on (e.g., on) a front surface of the shade 130, a reflective layer 220 is formed on (e.g., on) a back surface (e.g., the shade 130), a light shielding layer (e.g., a light shielding layer) 500 is formed in an inner portion of the shade, and the light shielding layer 500 may be formed by a paint (e.g., paint) or a film (e.g., a sheet). The light shielding layer 500 prevents the light from being transmitted to a back surface and makes the light radiated toward a front side.For convenience in description and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper" or "lower", "front" or "rear", and etc. are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures.The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and use the various embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

A headlight module, comprising: a lighting means (110) that emits light; a lens (120) that directs the light emitted from the lighting means (110) to an outside; a light transmissive shade (130) disposed in a predetermined area around the lens (120); and a surface illumination source (200) that emits light toward a side end surface and a back surface of the shade (130), wherein the light emitted from the surface illumination source (200) is directed toward a front surface of the shade (130), wherein a reflective layer (220) is formed on the back surface of the shade (130) to reflect the light emitted from the surface illumination source (200) toward a front surface, characterized in that the reflective layer (220) includes a plurality of protrusions; and the protrusions each have a substantially sphere-shaped shape and have a size depending on a distance between the respective protrusion and the surface illumination source (200), the smaller the distance.The headlamp module of claim 1, wherein the surface illumination source (200) includes a light emitting diode (LED).The headlight module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a light source groove (300) is formed on an end surface of the shade (130), the surface illumination source (200) being accommodated in the light source groove (300).The headlight module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a convex portion (210) is formed on the end surface to make the end surface convex.The headlight module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a coloring layer (400) is formed on the front surface of the bezel (130) to form a color, and the coloring layer (400) is formed by a light transmissive color.The headlight module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a light shielding layer (500) is formed between the back surface and the front surface of the bezel (130), the light shielding layer (500) prevents the light emitted from the surface illumination source (200) from being transmitted to the back surface of the bezel (130), and directs the light emitted from the surface illumination source (200) to the front surface of the bezel (130).

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