Lighting device for a vehicle comprising an actuator for a rotary movement of an illuminable cover element, and vehicle lighting with at least one such lighting device and at least one cover plate

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device (3) with light sources (6) for emitting light into a vehicle environment, with a cover element (4) and at least one actuator (8, 13) for moving the cover element (4), which together are configured to selectively expose or cover the light sources (6). The lighting device according to the invention is characterized in that the at least one actuator (8, 13) is configured to rotate the cover element (4) transversely to the direction of the emitted light from the light sources (6). The lighting device (3) can be part of a vehicle lighting system (1) and is preferably arranged behind a cover lens (29) thereof.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a lighting device for a vehicle with lighting means for emitting light into the vehicle environment according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle lighting system with at least one such lighting device.

[0002] Vehicle lighting systems with lighting devices that include light sources are known from the prior art. In practice, such vehicle lighting systems, especially when daytime running lights and night running lights are to be combined in one headlight, place high design demands on the headlight. The same applies to rear lights, where the so-called cold design is intended to ensure an equally attractive appearance when switched off, as is the so-called warm design when switched on.

[0003] DE 10 2019 007 736 A1 describes a headlight with a flap element and a cover element for covering a light-emitting surface of the headlight. The flap element and the cover element are each pivotably mounted and can be moved into a corresponding position by an actuator to which they are mechanically coupled, thus creating an open position on the one hand and a closed position on the other.

[0004] The KR 10 2020 0 073 026 A and also the DE 20 2023 105 815 U1 essentially show generic lighting devices.

[0005] Furthermore, reference can be made to DE 11 2014 002 157 T5 and DE 10 2021 119 264 A1, which show vehicle lighting.

[0006] CN 115 218 159 A describes an iris-like cover for lighting elements.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an even further improved lighting device which makes various design aspects easy to implement within the lighting device.

[0008] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a lighting device for a vehicle with illuminants for emitting light into the vehicle's surroundings and with the features of claim 1, and in particular in the characterizing part of claim 2. Advantageous embodiments and further developments emerge from the dependent subclaims. Claim 10 further specifies a vehicle lighting system with at least one such lighting device, which also achieves the object. Here, too, advantageous embodiments and further developments emerge from the dependent subclaims.

[0009] The lighting device according to the invention, similar to the prior art design, provides a cover element and at least one actuator that moves the cover element. Together, these are configured to selectively expose or cover the lighting means of the lighting device. According to the invention, the at least one actuator is configured to rotate the cover element transversely to the direction of the light emitted by the lighting means. Such rotation of the cover element can be implemented particularly easily and efficiently. Preferably, the rotation can occur about a central axis, which lies approximately in the region of the center of gravity of the cover element. This enables particularly efficient movement without complex gear elements or the like. Particularly preferably, the actuator can be implemented as a simple electromotive actuator for this purpose.

[0010] According to the invention, the cover element itself is designed to be illuminated by additional lighting. If necessary, the cover element itself can also be illuminated. For example, it can provide light in addition to the lighting during nighttime operation, or, with the lighting covered, can provide light alone for daytime driving.

[0011] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention, it can additionally be provided that the at least one actuator is further configured to move the cover element translationally parallel or substantially parallel to the direction of the emitted light of the illuminant. In addition to the rotation of the cover element, it can therefore also be moved translationally. This allows a rotation of the cover element transversely, i.e. substantially perpendicular to the direction of the emitted light. Combined with this or also temporally subsequent to it, a movement substantially parallel to the direction of the emitted light can occur. This makes it possible to achieve a very complex and interesting optical effect.

[0012] A preferred further development provides that an actuator for the translational movement and an actuator for the rotational movement are present, so that a simple control of both the rotational movement and the translational movement is possible without complex gear elements or the like.

[0013] A particularly advantageous variant of the lighting device according to the invention can provide for the cover element to be star-shaped with at least three points, wherein the points cover the lighting means in at least one position. The points, which can be designed, for example, as a three-pointed star in accordance with the applicant's trademark logo, can then cover, for example, three lighting means accordingly. These lighting means, which are intended in particular to emit light in night mode, are thus concealed by the cover element in one or more positions. If necessary, the cover element can then be rotated to expose the lighting means, thus enabling a simple, yet visually impressive change between day mode with covered lighting means and night mode with exposed lighting means.

[0014] According to a very advantageous development of this, the lamps can be arranged such that the prongs can be moved circumferentially between the lamps. According to a very advantageous development, the cover element can then be moved translationally between the lamps when its prongs are positioned circumferentially between the lamps. The cover element can thus first be rotated and then retracted between the lamps, so that, with a comparable thickness of the receptacles for the lamps on the one hand and the cover element on the other, the cover element cannot impair the light flow from the lamps.In addition, this combination of rotation and subsequent translation creates a very interesting optical effect when releasing the lamps, for example when changing from daytime operation to nighttime operation or vice versa when covering the lamps again, for which the cover element is moved translationally in front of the front level of the lamps and then rotated accordingly.

[0015] A further very advantageous embodiment can also provide for the cover element to have at least one decorative element. Such a decorative element can influence the appearance of the cover element accordingly. For example, a brand logo or the like could be positioned on the cover element as a decorative element. A very advantageous development of this can also provide for the decorative element to be designed so that it can be illuminated via the additional lighting means or even further lighting means. The decorative element can therefore be illuminated together with the cover element or alternatively to the cover element. Furthermore, only the decorative element can be illuminated. It would also be conceivable to illuminate the cover element and the decorative element positioned on it independently of one another, so that, for example, the cover element can be illuminated in a different color and / or light intensity than the decorative element.The decorative element itself could also be chrome-plated, so that when the lights are off, the chrome look is prominent, while when the lights are on, the light shines through the chrome plating like a semi-transparent mirror, so that only the illumination is visible. Of course, this technique could also be applied analogously to the cover element itself.

[0016] The vehicle lighting according to the invention comprises, in a manner known per se, a cover plate and at least one of the lighting devices according to the invention. In particular, several lighting devices according to the invention can be used, for example, two identically constructed lighting devices according to the invention.

[0017] An exceptionally advantageous development of the vehicle lighting system provides for the at least one lighting device, including its cover element, to be arranged behind the cover plate, as viewed from the vehicle lighting system. The entire structure of the at least one lighting device can thus be integrated into the vehicle lighting system and is located behind its cover plate. It is thus maximally protected from mechanical damage and / or contamination, thus ensuring proper functionality of the mechanical actuator system in all cases.

[0018] The vehicle lighting can be designed in the form of a headlight or can of course also be implemented in the form of a rear light for the vehicle in the manner described.

[0019] Further advantageous embodiments of the lighting device according to the invention and of the vehicle lighting according to the invention also emerge from the exemplary embodiment, which is described in more detail below with reference to the figures and is explained using the - non-limiting - example of a vehicle headlight.

[0020] Showing: Fig. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional representation of a headlight with two lighting devices according to the invention in a first operating position; Fig. 2 a schematic three-dimensional representation of a headlight with two lighting devices according to the invention in a second operating position; Fig. 3 a three-dimensional view of one of the lighting devices from the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 in a view from the front; Fig. 4 a three-dimensional view of one of the lighting devices from the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 in a view from the rear; Fig. 5 a section analogous to the representation in Fig. 3 in another operating position; and Fig. 6 a section analogous to the representation in Fig. 3 in an even further operating position.

[0021] In the presentation of the Fig. 1 shows a vehicle lighting system, designated in its entirety by 1. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, this consists purely of a headlight. Instead of being configured as a headlight, it could also be configured as a rear light.

[0022] In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the vehicle lighting system 1 comprises two lighting devices 3 behind an indicated cover plate 2, which will be discussed in more detail later. A cover element 4 and a decorative element 5 arranged thereon can be seen for each of these two lighting devices 3. The cover element 4 here consists of a trident cover element, and the decorative element 5 consists of the trident star used by the applicant as its trademark logo. The structure is, of course, chosen purely as an example. A structure with a cross, a five-pointed star, or the like would be equally conceivable, as would a triangle, a square, a pentagon, an oval, or the like.

[0023] In the presentation of the Fig. 1, the two cover elements 4 are positioned such that, when looking at the vehicle lighting 1, only the cover elements 4 with the decorative elements 5 arranged thereon are visible. The cover elements 4 and / or the decorative elements 5 can now be illuminated accordingly, for example, to implement daytime running lights. For this purpose, both the cover elements 4 and the decorative elements 5 could be illuminated together. They could also be illuminated in different colors, or only the decorative element 5 could be illuminated and the cover element 4 not, or vice versa.

[0024] In the presentation of the Fig. 2 shows the same structure of the vehicle lighting 1. The two cover elements 4 with their decorative elements 5 are now opposite to the illustration in Fig. 1 is rotated by 60°, for example. This results in the representation of the Fig. 1 under the cover elements 4 lying in the illustration of the Fig. 2, the light sources designated 6 are released. These light sources 6 serve to radiate the light of the vehicle lighting 1 into the surroundings. In contrast to the previously mentioned daytime running lights, they radiate light in the sense of nighttime driving lights, i.e., with correspondingly higher intensity, brightness, and range. The six light sources 6 visible in the exemplary embodiment shown here can be combined to implement the desired lighting functions accordingly. It would also be conceivable to use individual light sources 6 for different lighting functions, for example, two of them for a low beam and the rest for a high beam or similar.

[0025] In the presentation of the Fig. 3, the lighting device 3 is shown again in detail in a view from the front. In addition, the illustration in Fig. 4 an analogous view from the rear. In both Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 is the Fig. 1 with the lamps 6 covered by the cover element 4. These lamps 6 comprise sockets designated 61 on the visible front side of a carrier plate 7, and the associated control electronics designated 62 on the other side of the carrier plate 7. Within the sockets 61, as shown in the illustration of the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the light-emitting diodes 63 are arranged. From the viewpoint of the vehicle lighting 1, in the illustration of the Fig. 3, i.e. from the left, behind the carrier plate 7, in addition to the control electronics 62 for the lamps 6, there is also an actuator designated 8 for implementing a rotary movement of the cover element 4. For this purpose, it is connected to the cover element 4 via a shaft designated 9, preferably in the area of ​​the center of gravity of the cover element 4. The shaft 9 is in a Fig. 4, which is preferably formed integrally with the carrier plate 7. The actuator 8 for the rotational movement of the cover element 4 is arranged on a rail 12, which guides the actuator 8 accordingly. Via a linear drive 13, the actuator 8 can now be moved translationally, i.e. pushed back and forth on the rail 12. The cover element 4, which is firmly connected via the shaft 9 both in terms of rotation and in terms of the distance between the cover element 4 and the actuator 8, is moved together with the actuator 8 in the event that the actuator 8 is moved on the rail 12 via the linear drive 13.

[0026] As it is in the context of the presentation of the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the cover element 4 can now be rotated accordingly via the actuator 8. In the illustration of the Fig. 5, which essentially shows an excerpt from the presentation in Fig. 3 shows, this rotation has taken place accordingly. It is indicated in the area of ​​shaft 9 by the arrow marked 14. The cover element 4 is now in the illustration of the Fig. 5 has been rotated approximately into the position in which the cover elements 4 are shown in the illustration of the Fig. 2. In addition to this rotation, a translational movement now occurs in the representation of the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 from left to right, as indicated by the arrow marked 15 in the illustration of the Fig. 6 is indicated. The cover element 4 together with its decorative element 5 is thus retracted between the lamps 6 or their sockets 61 in order to create a largely flat structure of the lighting device 3.

[0027] These basic movements can of course also be combined or superimposed with one another and performed continuously, individually or together, so that, for example, a continuous rotation 14 can be superimposed with a translation 15, so that a continuous rotational movement and a forward and backward movement of the cover element 4 with its decorative element 5 can be realized. This can be realized, for example, independently of an activation of the lighting means 6 for a night-time running light in order to make the daytime running light dynamic and to implement a special design aspect for the daytime running light.

[0028] In addition, it is of course also conceivable to use the lighting device 3 in such a way that the lamps 6 are released by rotating the cover element 4 only when nighttime driving lights are required, after which the cover element 4 is optionally retracted between the lamps 6. This ensures a very tidy daytime appearance, in which, as indicated here, a brand logo or similar can be placed in the center.

[0029] The complex movement patterns of the cover element 4 resulting from such mobility enable an exclusive and high-quality appearance both in a headlight and in a rear light as vehicle lighting 1.

Claims

[1] Lighting device (3) for a vehicle with lighting means (6) for emitting light into the vehicle environment, with a cover element (4) and at least one actuator (8, 13) moving the cover element (4), which together are designed to selectively expose or cover the lighting means (6), wherein the at least one actuator (8, 13) is designed to rotate the cover element (4) transversely to the direction of the emitted light of the lighting means (6) characterized by that the cover element (4) is designed to be illuminated by means of further lighting means (6). [2] Lighting device (3) according to claim 1, characterized by that the at least one actuator (8, 13) is designed to additionally move the cover element (4) translationally parallel to the direction of the emitted light of the illuminating means (6). [3] Lighting device (3) according to claim 2 characterized byan actuator (8) for the rotational movement and an actuator (13) for the translational movement. [4] Lighting device (3) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized by that the cover element (4) is star-shaped with at least three points, wherein the points cover the lighting means (6) in at least one position. [5] Lighting device (3) according to claim 4, characterized by that the lighting means (6) are arranged such that the prongs of the cover element (4) are movable in the circumferential direction between the lighting means (6). [6] Lighting device (3) according to claims 2 and 5, characterized by that the cover element (4) is movable in a position of its prongs in the circumferential direction between the lighting means (6) in a translational manner between the lighting means (6). [7] Lighting device (3) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the cover element (4) has at least one decorative element (5). [8] Lighting device (3) according to claim 7, characterized by that the decorative element (5) is designed to be illuminated by further lighting means (6). [9] Vehicle lighting (1) with at least one cover plate (2) and with at least one lighting device (3) according to one of claims 1 to 8. [10] Vehicle lighting (1) according to claim 9, characterized by that the at least one lighting device (3) together with its cover element (4) is arranged behind the cover plate (2) in the direction of view towards the vehicle lighting (1). [11] Vehicle lighting (1) according to claim 9 or 10 characterized by their training as spotlights. [12] Vehicle lighting (1) according to claim 9 or 10 characterized by her training as a taillight.

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