Lighting device for illuminating a lighting surface in the interior of a vehicle

Abstract

A lighting device for illuminating an illuminated surface (4) in the interior of a vehicle is specified. The lighting device (1) comprises a pressure chamber (5) for accommodating a pressure medium (15), wherein the pressure chamber (5) has a wall element (6) with a reflective outer surface. The reflective outer surface is designed to be illuminated by one or more light sources (3), such that the illuminated surface (19) can be illuminated by light reflected from the reflective outer surface. The wall element (6) is designed to be deformable such that a change in the pressure of the pressure medium (15) in the pressure chamber (5) can cause a change in the shape of the reflective outer surface of the wall element (6) and thus a change in the luminance distribution across the illuminated surface (19). Lighting device for illuminating an illuminated surface in the interior of a vehicle

Description

The present disclosure generally relates to a lighting device. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an illumination apparatus for illuminating an illumination surface in an interior of a vehicle.Lighting devices for illuminating lighting surfaces in vehicle interiors are known. Lighting devices having LEDs (light emitting diodes) as light sources for generating light patterns on lighting surfaces are also known. In the known lighting devices, the generation of different light patterns or an adaptation of the luminance distribution over the lighting surfaces is only possible to a limited extent, for example by switching individual LEDs on or off. However, using movable optical components to modify the luminance distribution makes the construction of the lighting devices more complex and prone to breakdown.An object of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a robust lighting apparatus for illuminating an illumination surface in an interior of a vehicle, which enables high design flexibility in illuminating illumination surfaces.To achieve this object, according to a first aspect, there is provided an illumination device for illuminating an illumination surface in an interior of a vehicle. The lighting device comprises a pressure chamber for receiving a pressure medium, wherein the pressure chamber has a wall element with a specular outer surface. The specular outer surface is configured to be illuminated by one or more light sources, such that the illumination surface can be illuminated by a light reflected on the specular outer surface. The wall element is formed to be deformable in such a way that a change in shape of the specular outer surface of the wall element and thus a change in a luminance distribution over the illumination surface can be achieved by a change in pressure of the pressure medium in the pressure chamber.In particular, the pressure chamber can have a housing, on which the wall element is hermetically sealed. The housing can have at least one opening for connecting at least one connecting line, so that the pressure chamber can be connected to a pressure generator or reservoir of the pressure medium by means of the at least one connecting line. In principle, a fluid or gaseous medium can be used as the pressure medium. It would also be conceivable to use a mixed medium. In particular, the pressure medium could be stored in a high-pressure accumulator in liquid form, in order to refill the pressure generator if necessary.The pressure generator can be designed to generate a variable, in particular controllable, pressure, for example an overpressure and / or underpressure, in particular with respect to the ambient air pressure. In the event of pressure changes in the pressure generator, pressure gradients can occur along the at least one connecting line, so that the pressure medium can flow from the pressure chamber into the reservoir of the pressure generator or from the reservoir of the pressure generator into the pressure chamber. Due to the deformability of the wall element of the pressure chamber, such a transport of the pressure medium between the pressure chamber and the reservoir can cause a deformation of the specular outer surface and thus a change in the luminance distribution on the illumination surface.Thus, a particularly robust lighting device with adjustable optics for the indirect interior lighting of a vehicle can be provided. In particular, the illumination device for mirror adjustment does not require any complicated electromechanical components, such as, for example, servomotors, gears, levers or the like. In addition, the pressure generator can be arranged at a distance from the pressure chamber and can be connected to the pressure chamber by means of a correspondingly formed connecting line. The illumination device or illumination unit and the pressure generator can thus be spatially separated. Such an illumination device can be designed to be particularly compact, wherein the change in the mirror adjustment can be effected particularly silently.The wall element may comprise an elastic support, wherein the specular outer surface of the wall element may be formed by an extensible mirror element formed on an outer side of the support. The mirror element can be formed in particular as a thin film mirror or mirror layer and / or specular coating applied to the carrier.The elasticity of the support can ensure that the support and thus also the specular outer surface assumes or maintains its basic shape if no pressure is generated by the pressure generator. Thus, an original luminance distribution or a basic illumination pattern can be easily restored by turning off the pressure generator or equalizing the internal pressure of the pressure chamber and the ambient pressure.The wall element can be designed to form a concave, convex and / or planar outer surface at least in regions depending on the pressure within the pressure chamber, in particular with respect to the ambient air pressure. In particular, the elastic support can be configured such that in a basic state, when the same pressure prevails inside and outside the pressure chamber, the specular outer surface has substantially a planar shape. By generating an overpressure in the pressure chamber, the wall element can be bent or bulged, so that the outer surface produces a convex mirror surface. In the event of a negative pressure in the pressure chamber, the wall element bends inward, so that the outer surface results in a concave mirror surface. The direction and the strength of the deformation of the wall element depend on the respective current pressure conditions, so that by means of a pressure regulation in the pressure chamber by means of the pressure generator, the shape and thus the reflector properties of the specular outer surface can be regulated or finely adjusted.The pressure chamber can in particular have a rear wall, and the wall element can be designed to be pressed against the rear wall by a negative pressure in the pressure chamber, so that the specular outer surface assumes a shape conforming to the rear wall at least in regions. The shape of the rear wall of the pressure chamber or of the housing can thus be transferred to the mirror or to the specular outer surface of the illumination surface. In particular, the mirror shape in such a vacuum state can be accurately defined by the shape of the rear wall.The lighting device can comprise a number of light sources for illuminating, in particular for targeted illumination, the specular outer surface of the wall element. The light sources and the pressure chamber can in particular be formed together as part of a common assembly. Alternatively, the light sources can be formed as part of a separate, in particular separately mountable, assembly. By specifically illuminating the specular outer surface, in particular the light efficiency of the overall arrangement can be increased.The number of light sources can comprise a number of light modules each having a lighting means, wherein at least some of the light modules can comprise a light screen for restricting light cones generated by the light modules. By means of the light diaphragm, in particular the amount of the scattered light can be reduced.According to a second aspect, a lighting system is provided. The lighting system has at least one lighting device according to the first aspect and at least one pressure generator for setting or changing the pressure of the pressure medium in the pressure chamber of the at least one lighting device. The pressure generator can be designed, in particular, to be actuated by a control unit or by a vehicle control unit. The control unit can in particular comprise an interface for receiving sensor signals and / or user instructions and for outputting control signals for driving the lighting device. The control unit can be configured to evaluate the sensor signals and user instructions and to actuate the lighting device or the light sources of the lighting device and / or the pressure generator on the basis of the sensor signals and / or user instructions. The control unit may in particular contain a processor and a storage unit for storing data and machine-readable instructions for the processor. The sensor data and / or the user instructions can be received via the interface and evaluated by the processor. The memory unit can further contain instructions for the processor to actuate the lighting device or the light sources and / or the pressure generator via the interface based on the evaluation.By means of the illumination system, the luminance distribution over the illumination surface can be modified depending on the situation, in particular depending on sensor signals, for example depending on the ambient brightness, or depending on user specifications. In particular, the light pattern generated on the illumination surface by the reflection on the specular outer surface can be made flexible.The illumination system can be designed, in particular, to produce a curvature of the specular outer surface of the wall element by a negative pressure in the pressure chamber such that at least one dark zone or zone with reduced luminance can be produced on the at least one illumination surface. Regions of illumination surfaces, in particular in the form of interior cladding parts, can thus be selectively hidden or shaded in order to suppress or prevent or reduce disruptive reflections which occur in the vehicle windows, for example in the case of dark surroundings.The at least one pressure generator can be formed as part of a pneumatic and / or hydraulic system for controlling the pressure of a gaseous and / or liquid pressure medium within the pressure chamber. The pneumatic or hydraulic system can be designed in particular as part of an existing pneumatic or hydraulic system of the vehicle. In this way, the existing pneumatic or hydraulic components of the vehicle can be used, so that the lighting system can be provided in a particularly resource-saving and favorable manner.According to a third aspect, a vehicle is proposed. The vehicle comprises at least one interior with at least one illumination surface and at least one illumination device according to the first aspect for illuminating the at least one illumination surface and / or at least one illumination system according to the second aspect. Due to the flexible and quiet mirror adjustment for shaping the light patterns on the at least one illumination surface, the vehicle offers the vehicle occupants an improved driving experience and increased well-being.The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the appended figures. The same reference numerals are used in the figures for the same or identically functioning parts. FIG. 1 schematically shows an illumination system with an illumination device and with a pressure generator according to an exemplary embodiment in a first operating state, FIG. 2 schematically shows the lighting system according to FIG. 1 in a second operating state, FIG. 3 illustrates the illumination of an illumination surface by the illumination system according to FIG. 1 in the first operating state, and FIG. 4 illustrates the illumination of the illumination surface according to FIG. 3 by the illumination system according to FIG. 2 in the second operating state.FIG. 1 schematically shows an illumination system with an illumination device and with a pressure generator according to an exemplary embodiment in a first operating state. The illumination system has an illumination device 1 according to the first aspect, a pressure generator 2 and a light source 3. The lighting device 1 is designed as an interior lighting unit of a vehicle for illuminating at least one lighting surface in the interior of the vehicle.The lighting device 1 comprises a housing 4, wherein the housing 4 is configured to form a pressure chamber 5, and has a deformable wall element 6 with a specular outer surface.In the exemplary embodiment shown, the wall element 6 comprises a planar elastic carrier 7 and a planar mirror element 8 formed on the outer surface of the carrier 7. The wall element 6 is accommodated in a receptacle 9 or in a flange of the housing 4 and is sealed with a seal 10 or with a sealing element on the housing 4 to form a closed pressure chamber 5. The housing 4 has a rear wall with an opening 11 which is connected to the pressure generator 2 via a connecting line 12. The rear side of the housing 4 is also designed such that the inner surface of the rear wall forms a support surface 13 as a shaping counter bearing for the elastic support 7. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the seal 10 terminates flush with the bearing surface 13, so that a continuous bearing surface 13 is formed. In the working position shown in FIG. 1, the elastic carrier 7 is clamped in a planar manner on the housing 4.The pressure generator 1 or the pump unit comprises an accumulator 14 for storing a working medium 15 or pressure medium and an actuator 16, wherein the actuator 16 is designed to generate a pressure, in particular an overpressure and / or underpressure. In particular, the actuator can comprise a movable piston or a blade for building up pressure or reducing pressure in the working medium 15. The pump unit can in principle be arranged in the vehicle as desired. In particular, the pressure generator 2 can be positioned at a location in the vehicle where its accommodation is less space-critical and the possible noise generation in the pump unit is not perceptible or is less perceptible to the vehicle occupants. For example, the pump unit may be accommodated in the engine compartment or in the underbody of the vehicle. The connecting line 12 or supply line to the pressure chamber 5 can be routed, similar to a cable connection for supplying voltage, for example with a cable harness or cable harness. In some exemplary embodiments, a pressure or vacuum source already present in the vehicle is used as or for the pressure generator 2.The light source 3 is designed in the form of a light module and comprises a lighting means 17 and a light diaphragm 18 for restricting the light cone of the light source. In particular, an LED or an LED illuminant can be used as illuminant. The illumination device 1 can also have a plurality of light sources 3. The light sources 3 can be formed together with the pressure chamber 5 of the lighting device 1 as a module. Alternatively, the light sources 3 can be formed as part of a separate, in particular separately mountable, lighting means assembly.In the first operating state shown in FIG. 1, equal pressure conditions prevail on both sides of the wall element 6, so that as a result the wall element 6 or the elastic support 7 retains its planar basic shape. The mirror element 8 formed on the carrier 7 correspondingly has a planar shape, so that the mirror element can function as a planar reflector.FIG. 2 schematically shows the lighting system according to FIG. 1 in a second operating state. In the operating state shown in FIG. 2, the actuator 16 has been displaced in order to generate a negative pressure in the pressure clamp 5. In this case, the wall element 6 has bent inwardly toward the rear wall of the chamber 5 under the effect of the ambient air pressure and has assumed a second working position. In order to transfer the wall element 6 or the mirror element 8 from the nominal first working position into the second working position, the working medium 15 is suctioned out of the pressure chamber 5 via the opening 11 and via the connecting line 12 via the pressure generator 2, wherein the elastic carrier 7 is pressed into the rear forming housing rear wall by the ambient pressure as a result of the vacuum or reduced pressure that arises. The support surface 13 serves as a stop which restricts the maximum deformation of the wall element 6 and thus defines the shape of the mirror element 8 in this limit position. In particular, the shape of the wall element 6 and thus also of the flat mirror element 8 substantially corresponds to the shape of the support surface 13 formed by the rear wall of the chamber 5 and by the seal 10.By controlling the pressure generator 2, the working medium 15 can be conveyed via the connecting line 12 and via the opening 11 into the pressure chamber 5. In this case, the elastic support 7 together with the mirror element 8 can be brought from the curved concave position into a less strongly concave curved, planar and / or convex position.FIG. 3 illustrates the illumination of an illumination surface by the illumination system according to FIG. 1 in the first operating state. In particular, FIG. 3 shows an illumination surface 19 or projection surface which is illuminated with the illumination system according to FIG. 1 in the first operating state. At the bottom right of the image, the illumination surface 19 is shown in a lateral cross section. The illumination surface 19 can be formed, for example, by a surface of an interior cladding element in the front and / or lateral region of the interior. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the illumination surface 19 has a curved profile with a plurality of substantially planar sections, wherein two longer sections are connected to one another with a shorter transition section. At the bottom left of the image, the illumination surface 19 is shown in a plan view, wherein the luminance distribution is visualized by gray levels. To clarify the mode of operation of the illumination system, the beam guidance of the illumination device is visualized on the basis of exemplary light beams 20 and the light cone 21.As can be seen with reference to the light beams 20 on the right in the image and gray levels on the left in the image, the illumination surface 19 has an illuminated region 22 and an unexposed region 23. The unexposed area 23 is small compared to the illuminated area 22, so that the illumination surface 19 is largely illuminated by the illumination device 1.FIG. 4 illustrates the illumination of the illumination surface according to FIG. 3 by the illumination system according to FIG. 1 in the second operating state. As already explained in the discussion of FIG. 2 above, the mirror element has a concave shape in the second operating mode, so that it can function as a concave reflector. Accordingly, the beam guidance in the second operating state differs from the beam guidance in the first operating state, which can be clearly seen in particular on the basis of the exemplary light beams 20 and the light cone 21. The luminance distribution is significantly shifted over the illumination surface 19. In particular, the unexposed region 23 or the dark zone is formed to be significantly larger than in the first operating state, cf. FIG. 3 above.Although only two operating states of the illumination system are shown in the above figures, it is understood by the person skilled in the art that other operating states or mirror settings can be achieved by suitable pressure regulation in the pressure chamber 5. Thus, the specular outer surface of the wall element 6 can assume a substantially convex shape in the event of an overpressure in the pressure chamber 5, in particular when the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 5 exceeds the ambient air pressure. The resulting light cone and thus also the illumination area on the illumination surface 19 can thereby be widened. It is also conceivable that the deformable wall element assumes any desired intermediate position in the pressure chamber 5 in the case of a corresponding pressure setting, so that the luminance distribution over the illumination surface 19 can be finely adjusted by gradual setting of the pressure generator 2. It is also conceivable to change from a homogeneous flat illumination into an illumination with a higher luminance concentrated on a small area, in order, for example, to undersal the state of another driving mode or in order to obscure trim parts in the interior in a "night panel" mode. By specifically dimming interior cladding regions, it is possible to avoid, in particular, any disruptive reflections in the vehicle windows that otherwise occur in the case of dark surroundings.In addition, the illumination system can be designed as an "open arrangement", in which one or more light sources and the mirror arrangement or pressure chamber form components or assemblies which are spatially separated from one another. This makes it possible to simplify the assembly of the lighting system and to install the components in a particularly space-saving manner.As can be seen from the above, the illumination system enables simple, robust and noise-free adjustment of the mirror optics, so that the resulting light pattern or the luminance distribution over the illumination surface 19 or projection surface can be flexibly adjusted as required.Although at least one exemplary embodiment has been shown in the foregoing description, various changes and modifications may be made. The foregoing embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing description provides those skilled in the art with a plan for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, and numerous changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the appended claims and their legal equivalents. In addition, according to the principles described here, it is also possible for a plurality of modules or a plurality of products to be connected to one another in order to obtain further functions.List of reference characters1 Lighting device 2 Pressure generator 3 Light source 4 Housing 5 Pressure chamber 6 Wall element 7 Carrier 8 Mirror element 9 Receptacle 10 Seal 11 Opening 12 Connecting line 13 Contact surface 14 Storage 15 Working medium 16 Actuator 17 Illuminant 18 Light diaphragm 19 Lighting surface 20 Light beam 21 Light cone 22 Illuminated region 23 Non-illuminated region

Claims

Lighting device (1) for illuminating an illumination surface (19) in an interior of a vehicle, comprising a pressure chamber (5) for receiving a pressure medium (15), wherein the pressure chamber (5) has a wall element (6) with a specular outer surface, and wherein the specular outer surface is configured to be illuminated by one or more light sources (3) such that the illumination surface (19) can be illuminated by a light reflected at the specular outer surface, and wherein the wall element (6) is configured to be deformable such that a change in shape of the specular outer surface of the wall element (6) and thus a change in a luminance distribution over the illumination surface (19) can be achieved by a change in pressure of the pressure medium (15) in the pressure chamber (5).The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the wall element comprises an elastic support (7), and wherein the specular outer surface of the wall element (6) is formed by an extensible mirror element (8) formed on an outer side of the support (7).Lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wall element (6) is configured to form with the specular outer surface, depending on the pressure inside the pressure chamber (5), at least in regions a concave, convex and / or planar outer surface.Lighting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pressure chamber (5) comprises a rear wall, and wherein the wall element (6) is configured to be pressed against the rear wall by a negative pressure in the pressure chamber (5), such that the specular outer surface assumes a shape conforming to the rear wall at least in regions.Lighting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lighting device (1) comprises a number of light sources (3) for illuminating, in particular for targeted illumination, the specular outer surface of the wall element (6).The lighting device according to claim 5, wherein the number of light sources (3) comprises a number of light modules each having a lighting means (17), and wherein at least some of the light modules comprise a light shutter (18) for restricting light cones generated by the light modules.Lighting system, wherein the lighting system comprises at least one lighting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims and at least one pressure generator (2) for adjusting the pressure of the pressure medium (15) in the pressure chamber (5) of the at least one lighting device (1).Lighting system according to claim 7, wherein the at least one pressure generator (2) is formed as part of a pneumatic and / or hydraulic system for controlling the pressure of a gaseous and / or liquid pressure medium (15) within the pressure chamber (5).Lighting system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the lighting system is configured to generate, by means of a negative pressure in the pressure chamber (5), a curvature of the specular outer surface of the wall element (6) such that at least one dark zone can be generated on the at least one lighting surface (19).Vehicle, wherein the vehicle has at least one interior with at least one illumination surface (19) and at least one illumination device (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6 and / or at least one illumination system according to one of Claims 7 to 9.

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