Headlights for vehicles and adjustment procedures

Abstract

The invention relates to a headlight for vehicles with a light source unit (15) comprising a number of light sources (2) and a lens arrangement (3) arranged at a predetermined distance (x) from the light source unit (15) for generating a predetermined light pattern, with a circuit board (9) to which the light source unit (15) is electrically contacted, and with a holding device (6, 6') for holding the lens arrangement (3) on a body (7) that is fixedly connected to the circuit board (9), wherein a distance adjustment device (10) is provided with an actuating element (11) movable back and forth in the direction of an optical axis (A) of the lens arrangement (3), which acts on the light source unit (15) and on the circuit board (9), an actuator (12) which can be brought into operative contact with the actuating element (11) for adjusting the same, and a control device (5) comprising control means (14) for controlling the actuator (12) such thatthat the actuating element (11) is moved by a path difference (ΔX) in the direction of the optical axis (A) until the currently generated light image matches a predetermined light image.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a headlight for vehicles with a light source unit containing a number of light sources and a lens arrangement which is arranged at a predetermined distance from the light source unit for generating a predetermined light image, with a printed circuit board to which the light source unit is electrically contacted, and with a holding device for holding the lens arrangement on a body which is firmly connected to the printed circuit board.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a distance adjustment device and a method for adjusting a predetermined light image according to the preamble of patent claim 13.

[0003] DE 10 2020 114 767 A1 discloses a headlight for vehicles comprising a number of individually controllable light sources and a lens arrangement for generating a predetermined light distribution. The light sources are arranged on a common circuit board. The lens arrangement comprises a basic adjustment lens, which can be adjusted by means of an actuator in the direction of an optical axis of the lens arrangement, so that the light distribution is adjusted for a desired spread width or a predetermined light pattern. Once the basic adjustment lens is fixed, the light pattern of the headlight is fixed. A disadvantage of the known headlight is that adjustment is relatively complex.

[0004] CN 2 07 350 212 U discloses a headlight for vehicles with a light source and a reflector for generating a predetermined light distribution. The reflector is adjustable by means of an actuator.

[0005] WO 2019 / 170 270 A1 discloses a headlight for vehicles comprising a number of light sources and a lens arrangement for generating a predetermined light distribution. The light sources are arranged on a circuit board. The lens arrangement is attached to a body by means of a holding device, which is firmly connected to the circuit board. The lens arrangement is arranged at a fixed distance from the light sources.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a headlight for vehicles, a distance adjustment device and a method for adjusting a predetermined light pattern at low manufacturing costs in such a way that the possibility of subsequent basic adjustment is made possible.

[0007] To achieve this object, the invention in conjunction with the preamble of patent claim 1 is characterized in that a distance adjustment device is provided with an actuating element which can be moved back and forth in the direction of an optical axis of the lens arrangement and which engages the light source unit and the circuit board, an actuator which can be brought into operative connection with the actuating element for adjusting the same, a control device containing control means for controlling the actuator in such a way that the actuating element is moved by a path difference in the direction of the optical axis until the currently generated light image corresponds to a predetermined light image.

[0008] The particular advantage of the headlight according to the invention is that a distance adjustment device according to the invention enables simple optical focusing of the light source unit. The distance between the light source unit and the lens arrangement required to generate the specified light image or light distribution is simply achieved by a controllable, reciprocating adjusting element that acts on both the light source unit and a circuit board to which the light source unit is electrically connected. The basic idea of ​​the invention is to subsequently change the distance between the light source and the circuit board, i.e. after the lens arrangement and the light source unit have been fastened within a housing of the lighting device, such that the light source unit is arranged at the distance from the lens arrangement required for the specified light distribution.Advantageously, there is no need to adapt the lens arrangement to the light source unit, which is relatively complex with regard to the material connection of the holder of the lens arrangement.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the adjusting element is designed as a spring element whose physical extension can be varied in the direction of an optical axis of the lens arrangement. Advantageously, by applying a moving force to the spring element, the distance of the light source unit from the lens arrangement can be adjusted such that the predetermined light field is generated. Adhesive processes, which are inherently undesirable, are not required for this purpose.

[0010] According to a further development of the invention, the spring element is designed as a magnetizable spring element, with an actuator being designed as a magnetic field generator. By means of a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator, the shape of the spring element or the extension of the spring element in the direction of the optical axis can be changed.

[0011] According to a further development of the invention, the magnetic field generator is designed as a current-carrying coil whose axis is aligned with the optical axis of the lens arrangement. This creates a maximum magnetic field strength in the direction of the optical axis, which easily leads to a change in the physical extension of the spring element in the direction of the optical axis. The current-carrying coil can be arranged on a side of the circuit board facing away from the light source unit without causing optical interference.

[0012] According to a further development of the invention, the spring element is designed as a spacer ring with a ring axis that runs perpendicular to the optical axis and an axis of the magnetic field coil. In this way, compressing and stretching the spring element can easily lead to a change in the path difference of the light source unit relative to the lens arrangement. Furthermore, the ferromagnetic material of the spring element allows heat to be dissipated from the light source unit toward the circuit board or an adjacent heat sink.

[0013] According to a further development of the invention, electrical terminals of the light source unit are connected to electrical terminals of the circuit board via an electrical connection, in particular via a wire connection. The light source unit is thus electrically connected or coupled to the circuit board, while it is mechanically coupled and / or connected to the spring element. The light source unit is thus always physically arranged at a distance from the circuit board.

[0014] According to a further development of the invention, the light source unit is arranged flatly on the spring element. On the one hand, the spring element can be arranged loosely at the points of engagement of the light source unit and the circuit board, with the spring force of the spring element clamping the spring element between the circuit board and the light source unit. Alternatively, the spring element can also be integrally connected to the light source unit and the circuit board, so that no measures for fastening the light source unit are required.

[0015] According to a further development of the invention, the spring element is arranged in a spring-loaded manner between the light source unit and the circuit board. This advantageously allows the spring element to be clamped between the light source unit and the circuit board.

[0016] According to a further development of the invention, the light source unit has a plurality of individually controllable light sources in a matrix form, which can be focused relative to the lens element via the same spring element.

[0017] To achieve the object, the method according to the invention with the preamble of patent claim 13 is characterized in that the light source unit is moved relative to the circuit board until the currently generated light image corresponds to a predetermined light image, and that the set distance between the light source unit and the circuit board is then fixed.

[0018] The particular advantage of the method according to the invention is that a simple basic adjustment of the headlight is enabled by moving a light source unit relative to a stationary lens arrangement. Advantageously, the at least one lens of the lens arrangement can be attached to a body, for example, a housing of the lighting device, via a lens holder. Tolerances that arise in the integral fastening of the lens arrangement can be easily compensated by moving the light source unit.

[0019] According to a further development of the method according to the invention, the movement of the light source unit is effected by means of a magnetizable spring element that engages the light source unit and is compressed or stretched by varying the magnetic field, with the effect that the relative position of the light source unit to the lens arrangement can be adjusted or set. This adjustment can advantageously also be performed during vehicle inspections, whereby the adjustment can be carried out simply by electrically controlling the magnetic field generator.

[0020] Further advantages of the invention emerge from the further subclaims.

[0021] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0022] It shows: Figure is a schematic representation of a headlight according to the invention.

[0023] A headlight according to the invention has a housing 1 in which a plurality of individually controllable light sources 2 and a lens arrangement 3 designed as a light guide means for generating a predetermined light distribution or light image are arranged.

[0024] The light sources 2 are each designed as LED light sources or LED chips, which are mounted on a common substrate 4. A control device 5 is provided for electrically controlling the light sources 2, which can be arranged inside the housing 1 or outside the housing 1. For example, 16,000 light sources 2 are arranged in an mxn matrix, so that, depending on the control of the light sources 2, a glare-free high beam distribution (adaptive light) can be generated via the lens arrangement 3.

[0025] The lens arrangement 3 can comprise one or more lenses. In the present embodiment, the lens arrangement 3 comprises a plano-convex lens that is fixed to a body 7 via a holding device 6. The holding device 6 has a number of holding arms 6' that are inserted into an adhesive bed of holding tabs (not shown) of the body 7.

[0026] The body 7 is designed as a heat sink to which a circuit board 9 is fixed. The circuit board 9 contains electronic components by means of which the headlight is operated. For example, the control device 5 can be arranged on the circuit board 9.

[0027] For the basic adjustment of the headlight, namely for setting a predetermined distance x between the light sources 2 on the one hand and the lens arrangement 3 on the other hand, a distance adjustment device 10 is provided which has on the one hand a reciprocating actuating element 11 and on the other hand an actuator 12 which is operatively connected to the actuating element 11.

[0028] The adjusting element 11 is arranged between the plurality of light sources 2 on the one hand and the circuit board 9 on the other. The adjusting element 11 is designed as a spring element whose extension can be changed in the direction of an optical axis A of the lens arrangement 3.

[0029] In the present embodiment, the actuator 12 is designed as a magnetic field generator, in particular as an electric coil for generating a magnetic field, with the spring element 11 being magnetizable. The spring element 11 is made of a ferromagnetic material. In the present embodiment, it is designed as a spacer ring having an axis of symmetry S running perpendicular to the optical axis A.

[0030] The current-carrying coil 12 is electrically connected to the control device 5, so that signals 14, namely an electric current, are generated by corresponding distance control means of the control device 5. By means of the control signal 14, the magnetic field generated by the current-carrying coil 12 is changed in such a way that the magnetizable spring element 11 is compressed or stretched by a path difference ΔX in the direction of the optical axis A, with the effect that the distance x of the light sources 2 to the lens arrangement 3 changes until the predetermined light image, for example on a measuring wall, is set. The change in shape of the spring element 11 causes a change in the path difference ΔX, i.e. a distance or the distance x of the light sources 2 to the lens arrangement 3 and a distance a between the light sources 2 on the one hand and the circuit board 9 on the other.

[0031] For example, the substrate 4 of a light source unit 15 formed by the plurality of light sources 2 and the substrate 4 can be firmly and preferably flatly connected to one side 16 of the spring element 11, and the circuit board 9 can be connected to an opposite side 16' of the spring element 11. For example, this connection can be materially or force-fit.

[0032] Alternatively, the spring element 11 can be arranged in a spring-loaded manner between the light source unit 15 and the circuit board 9, wherein the spring element 11 is clamped between the light source unit 15 and the circuit board 9. In this case, the light source unit 15 would have to be held at a maximum distance a from the circuit board 9 by fastening means (not shown), so that the spring element 11 can only be compressed but not stretched for basic adjustment.

[0033] The spring element 11 is made of a metal material so that heat generated in the light source unit 15 can flow away to the circuit board 9 or the heat sink 7.

[0034] If the spring element 11 is designed, for example, as a metal spring, it preferably has a constant spring stiffness, so that there is a proportionality between the magnetic force acting on it and the path difference ΔX.

[0035] The current-carrying coil 12 can be controlled by the same control device 5 that is responsible for controlling the light sources 2. For example, the control device 5 is positioned on the circuit board 9. The substrate 4 or the light source unit 15 is mechanically connected to the actuating element 11. Electrical connections of the light sources 2 of the light source unit 15 are electrically connected to the circuit board 9. For example, the electrical connection is established by an electrical wire 17 (wire connection). Electrical connections 18 of the circuit board 9 are arranged at a distance from one another that is greater than a minimum extension of the actuating element 11 running transversely to the optical axis A. The two electrical wires 17 must therefore be routed past the actuating element 11 so that the circuit board 9 is at least as long or as wide as the length or width of the actuating element 11.

[0036] The actuating element 11 is arranged symmetrically to a center plane M, wherein the center plane M runs through the optical axis A and perpendicular to the circuit board 9. In this way, a defined linear movement perpendicular to the circuit board 9 or in the direction of the optical axis A can be achieved by appropriately controlling the actuating element 11 by the actuator 12.

[0037] Alternatively, the actuator 12 can also be positioned in a different position relative to the circuit board 9, or additional actuators can be arranged to effect not only a linear adjustment of the light source unit 15, but also to cause a tilting effect of the light source unit 15, so that the light source unit 15 cannot be adjusted parallel to the circuit board 9. For example, this can enable a three-dimensional adjustment of the light source unit 15 relative to the circuit board 9 and to the lens arrangement 3.

[0038] The distance adjustment process is as follows. The components of the headlight, namely the light source unit 15, the circuit board 9 with the electronic components, and the lens arrangement 3, are fixed, with the light source unit 15 being fixed on one side 16 and the circuit board 9 on the other side 16' of the actuating element 11, preferably by means of a material bond. The actuator 12 is positioned and fastened on a side of the circuit board 9 facing away from the light source unit 15 such that an axis of the current-carrying coil 12 runs on the optical axis A of the lens arrangement 3. The current-carrying coil 12 is fastened, for example, to a side of the circuit board 9 facing away from the light source unit 15, with electrical connections 13 of the coil 12 being connected to the electronic control device 5.The electrical contact between the light sources 2 is established via the wire connection 17 with corresponding electrical connections 18 of the circuit board 9. The electrical connections 18 are electrically connected to corresponding connections of the control device 5. For this purpose, the circuit board 9 has corresponding conductor tracks.

[0039] The basic adjustment of the headlight is performed by the manufacturer in a corresponding device. By controlling the light source unit 15 via the control device 5, the currently generated light image is compared with a predetermined light image (target light image), for example, on a measuring screen. By controlling the actuator 12, the adjusting element 11 is moved, compressed, or stretched until the current light image corresponds to the target light image. Finally, the control signal 14 (control means), which is sent from the control device 5 to the actuator 12, is fixed or "frozen." The basic adjustment is thus completed.

[0040] Since the components of the distance adjustment device 10, namely the adjusting element 11, the actuator 12, and the control device 5, are installed in the headlight, the basic setting can be adjusted even after the headlight has been installed in the vehicle, for example, during a service inspection at a workshop. This advantageously allows the basic setting to be quickly adjusted in the event of changed environmental conditions or altered disturbances.

[0041] According to an alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown), the actuating element 11 can also be designed as a cylindrical or spiral spring element. The travel difference ΔX is preferably in the millimeter range. List of reference symbols 1 housing 2 light sources 3 lens arrangement 4 Substrat 5 Control device 6.6' holding device / holding arms 7 bodies 9 Circuit board 10 Distance adjustment device 11 Actuator / spring element 12 Actuator 13 electrical connection 14 Distance control means 15 Light source unit 16.16' page 17 electrical wire 18 electrical connections a distance X distance ΔX path difference A optical axis S axis of symmetry M Middle level

Claims

[1] Headlight for vehicles with a light source unit (15) containing a number of light sources (2) and a lens arrangement (3) which is arranged at a predetermined distance (x) from the light source unit (15) to produce a predetermined light image, with a printed circuit board (9) to which the light source unit (15) is electrically contacted, and with a holding device (6, 6') for holding the lens arrangement (3) on a body (7) which is firmly connected to the printed circuit board (9), characterized by that a distance adjustment device (10) is provided with - an adjusting element (11) which can be moved back and forth in the direction of an optical axis (A) of the lens arrangement (3) and which acts on the light source unit (15) and on the printed circuit board (9), - an actuator (12) which can be brought into operative connection with the actuating element (11) for adjusting the same, - a control device (5) containing control means (14) for controlling the actuator (12) in such a way that the actuating element (11) is moved by a path difference (ΔX) in the direction of the optical axis (A) until the currently generated light image corresponds to a predetermined light image. [2] Headlight according to claim 1, characterized by that the adjusting element (11) is designed as a spring element whose extension in the direction of the optical axis (A) is variable. [3] Headlight according to claim 2, characterized by that the spring element (11) is designed as a magnetizable spring element and that the actuator (12) is designed as a magnetic field generator. [4] Headlight according to claim 3, characterized by that the magnetic field generator (12) is designed as a current-carrying coil which is arranged on a side of the circuit board (9) facing away from the light source (2). [5] Headlight according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by that the magnetizable spring element (11) consists of a ferromagnetic material. [6] Headlight according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized by that the spring element (11) is designed as a spacer ring which has an axis of symmetry (S) running perpendicular to the optical axis (A) and perpendicular to the path difference (ΔX). [7] Lighting device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that electrical connections of the light source unit (15) are connected to an electrical connection (18) of the printed circuit board (9) via an electrical connection (17). [8] Headlight according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized by that the spring element (11) is designed to be heat-conducting. [9] Headlight according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized by that the spring element (11) engages flatly on the light source unit (15) and on the circuit board (9). [10] Headlight according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized by that the spring element (11) is spring-loaded and arranged between the light source unit (15) and the circuit board (9). [11] Headlight according to one of claims 2 to 10, characterized by that the spring element (11) is designed as a metal spring with a constant spring stiffness. [12] Headlight according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by that the light source unit (15) has a matrix field with a plurality of LED light sources (2). [13] Method for setting a predetermined light pattern for a headlight, wherein light guiding means (3) and a circuit board (9) associated with a light source unit (15) are firmly connected to one another, characterized bythat the light source unit (15) is moved relative to the circuit board (9) until the currently generated light image corresponds to a predetermined light image, and that the set distance (a) between the light source unit (15) and the circuit board (9) is then fixed. [14] Method according to claim 13, characterized by that the light source unit (15) is moved relative to the circuit board (9) by means of a magnetizable spring element (11).

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