Lighting device for illuminating a lighting surface in an interior of a vehicle, lighting system and vehicle having the lighting system

Abstract

A lighting device for illuminating an illuminated surface in the interior of a vehicle is specified. The lighting device comprises at least one controllable mirror element (1) with a deformable deflecting mirror (3) for generating a variable luminance distribution on the illuminated surface, and a number of statically mounted electromagnetic actuators (8), wherein the electromagnetic actuators (8) are designed to control the mirror element (3) to deform the deformable deflecting mirror (3). Furthermore, a lighting system (25) and a vehicle are proposed, wherein the vehicle has at least one lighting device and / or at least one lighting system.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a lighting device. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a lighting device for illuminating a lighting surface in an interior of a vehicle, as well as to a lighting system and a vehicle having the lighting system.

[0002] Lighting devices for illuminating illuminated surfaces in vehicle interiors are known. Lighting devices using LEDs (light-emitting diodes) as light sources for generating light patterns on illuminated surfaces are also known. With these known lighting devices, the generation of different light patterns or the adjustment of the luminance distribution across the illuminated surfaces, for example, by switching individual LEDs on or off, is only possible to a limited extent. The use of movable optical components to modify the luminance distribution makes the design of the lighting devices more complex and prone to failure.

[0003] An object of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an improved lighting device for illuminating a lighting surface in an interior of a vehicle, which enables a high degree of design flexibility when illuminating the lighting surface.

[0004] To achieve this object, according to a first aspect, a lighting device for illuminating an illuminated surface in the interior of a vehicle is provided. The lighting device comprises at least one mirror element with a deformable deflecting mirror for generating a variable luminance distribution on the illuminated surface.

[0005] In particular, the deflecting mirror can be designed to be illuminated by one or more light sources, for example LED light sources, in order to deflect the light generated by the light source(s) onto the illuminated surface.

[0006] The lighting device further comprises a number of statically mounted electromagnetic actuators, wherein the electromagnetic actuators are designed to control the mirror element for deforming the deformable deflecting mirror.

[0007] By deforming the deformable deflecting mirror, the light incident on it can be directed in different directions, thus modifying the luminance distribution across the illuminated surface. In particular, by combining light rays emanating from different areas of the deformable deflecting mirror, different luminance distributions or different light patterns can be created on the illuminated surface.

[0008] The mirror element can comprise a number of magnetic elements, wherein the number of electromagnetic actuators can comprise a number of electromagnetic actuators for driving the magnetic elements. The electromagnetic actuators can be designed, in particular, to exert a magnetic force on the magnetic elements to deform the deformable deflecting mirror. The electromagnetic actuators can thus drive the deflecting mirrors contactlessly, thus generating less noise and gently, in particular with minimal wear.

[0009] The deformable deflecting mirror can comprise a mirror foil mounted on a deformable, in particular elastically or viscoelastically deformable, body, wherein the number of magnetic elements can comprise a number of magnetic elements embedded or anchored in the deformable body. Due to the embedding of the magnetic elements in the deformable body or carrier matrix, the electromagnetic force acting on the magnetic elements can lead to the deformation of the deformable body and thus to the deformation of the deflecting mirror mounted on the deformable body. Thus, the deflecting mirror can be deformed in a particularly gentle manner by means of the deformable body, in particular without direct contact with magnetic elements or actuators. The deformable body can, in particular, comprise silicone as its material and be designed as a type of flexible mirror base on which the deflecting mirror is attached as a mirror foil.

[0010] The preformable body can include a number of local material recesses or cutouts for local mechanical weakening of the deformable body. These local cutouts can help to locally modify the mechanical properties of the body, allowing the deflection mirror to be deformed with little force or energy expenditure.

[0011] The number of material recesses can include at least one groove formed in an edge region of the deformable body. In some embodiments, the mirror element has a substantially round shape, wherein the at least one groove can include at least one substantially circumferential groove. By means of the groove in an edge region of the deformable body, the deformability of the body can be increased, in particular, so that the deflecting mirror can be easily deformed by means of the actuators.

[0012] The lighting device can comprise a support or support frame for supporting the elastic support, wherein the number of electromagnetic actuators can comprise a number of electromagnetic actuators fixed on and / or in the rigid support. The rigid support or support frame of the lighting device can, in particular, ensure that the lighting device has a high degree of robustness and dimensional stability.

[0013] In the case of an elastically deformable body, the elasticity of the carrier material can be exploited to move the deflecting mirror from any deformed position to a home or nominal position without activating the actuators. Furthermore, vibrations from dynamic vehicle excitation can be filtered out by the silicone relative to the deflecting mirror. The vibration is thus not transmitted to the deflecting mirrors, and the mirror arrangement remains stable overall. Conversely, the magnetic elements can also be controlled at a high frequency without transmitting vibrations to the carrier element or vehicle or causing noise, as is commonly found in mechanical systems.

[0014] The lighting device can comprise a number of light sources for illuminating, in particular for dedicated illumination, the deflecting mirror of the at least one mirror element. The light sources can be accommodated, in particular, on a separate support or in a separate housing. In some embodiments, a dedicated light source is assigned to each deformable deflecting mirror. Due to the dedicated illumination of the deflecting mirrors, the luminance distribution or the light animation across the projection surface can be precisely designed.

[0015] The lighting device can comprise a mirror arrangement with a number of mirror elements to form a substantially closed mirror surface. By controlling the actuators of individual mirror elements, such combined mirror surfaces can be used to create different lighting scenarios in vehicle interiors.

[0016] According to a second aspect, a lighting system is provided. The lighting system comprises a lighting device according to the first aspect and a control unit for controlling the lighting device. The control unit comprises an interface for receiving sensor signals and / or user instructions and for outputting control signals for controlling the lighting device. The control unit is configured to evaluate the sensor signals and user instructions and to control the lighting device based on the sensor signals and / or user instructions. The control unit can, in particular, contain a processor and a memory unit for storing data and machine-readable instructions for the processor to receive and evaluate the sensor data and / or user instructions via the interface.The memory unit may further contain instructions for the processor to control the lighting device via the interface based on the evaluation.

[0017] Using the lighting system, the luminance distribution across the illuminated area can be modified depending on the situation, in particular depending on sensor signals, for example, ambient brightness, as well as user specifications. In particular, the light patterns generated by individual areas of the deflection mirror can be combined in different ways to create an appealing dynamic lighting animation, in particular according to an algorithm stored in the memory unit.

[0018] According to a third aspect, a vehicle is proposed. The vehicle comprises at least one interior with at least one illuminated surface, as well as at least one lighting device according to the first aspect and / or at least one lighting system according to the second aspect for illuminating the at least one illuminated surface.

[0019] Due to the flexible design of the light patterns and the dynamic light animation on at least one lighting surface, the vehicle offers the vehicle occupants an improved driving experience and increased well-being.

[0020] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. The same reference numerals are used throughout the figures for identical or equivalent parts. Fig. 1 shows schematically a lighting system according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 shows a mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a first state, Fig. 3 shows a mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a second state, Fig. 4 shows a mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a third state, Fig. 5 shows a mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a fourth state, Fig. 6 shows a mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a fifth state, Fig. 7 shows a mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a sixth state, Fig. 8 shows a mirror arrangement according to an embodiment in a first state, Fig. 9 shows a mirror arrangement according to Fig. 8 in a second state, and Fig. 10 shows a mirror arrangement according to Fig. 8 in a third state.

[0021] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows an illumination system according to an embodiment. The illumination system 20 comprises an illumination device with a mirror element 1 and a control unit. The mirror element 1 has a deformable deflecting mirror 3 formed on a deformable body 2. In Fig. 1 the mirror element 1 is shown in plan view (top of the picture) and in side cross-section (bottom of the picture).

[0022] In the illustrated embodiment, the deformable body 2 is designed as an elastically deformable body made of silicone or a silicone body with a mirrored outer surface to form the deformable deflecting mirror 3. In particular, the deflecting mirror 3 is designed in the form of a thin and easily deformable mirror coating. The deflecting mirror can be curved around at least one axis, in particular around at least two axes.

[0023] The mirror element 1 has a substantially flat, round shape, with the deflecting mirror 3 or the mirror surface being designed as a round disk. An elastic support element 4 in the form of an elastic ring or carrier ring is formed or embedded in the elastically deformable body 2 between the fixed magnets and the mirror surface. The carrier ring or support element 4 transmits the control to the adjacent magnet pair. Depending on the strength of the support element, the support effect can be increased or decreased, or the support element can be omitted to enable more sharply defined surface deformations.

[0024] This ring or disc supports a homogeneous and continuous curvature across the entire mirror surface. The support element also transmits the control to the adjacent pair of magnets.

[0025] The mirror element 1 further comprises magnetic elements 5 or magnetic elements, wherein the magnetic elements 5 are embedded in the elastically deformable body 2 in the vicinity of the deflecting mirror 3 or the elastic mirror surface. The magnetic elements 5 can be designed as permanent magnets. For the sake of simplicity, Fig. 1, only the south poles of the magnetic elements 5 are shown as black rectangles. Without loss of generality and for the sake of simplicity, it is assumed below that the south poles of the magnetic elements 5 are directed downwards or toward the actuators 8.

[0026] In the embodiment shown, the elastically deformable body 2 is designed as a silicone body, wherein material recesses 6 and an air chamber 7 are provided in the elastically deformable body 2.

[0027] The mirror element 1 also comprises actuators 8 and a substantially rigid support 9 or support frame, on or to which the actuators 8 are fixed. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the actuators 8 are embedded in a base of the support 9 or in a support plate. In some exemplary embodiments, the support 9 is designed as a housing part and / or as a fastening element. The support 9 serves as a carrying element or as a base for the elastically deformable body 2. The air chamber 7 is formed centrally and borders on the support 9, wherein the support 9 has an opening or ventilation opening 10 for ventilating the air chamber 7. The material recesses 6 or air chamber 7 can reduce the mechanical inertia or the internal moment of inertia of the silicone body. In addition, these local material weakenings enable greater adjustment paths of the mirror surface in the axial direction orlower magnetic forces and also lower power consumption.

[0028] Each actuator 8 is assigned a magnetic element 5, so that the actuators 8 and the magnetic elements 5 form laterally distributed magnet pairs. The lateral positioning of the magnet pairs is shown in the top view of the Fig. 1. One pair of magnets is located in a central position and four pairs of magnets are located in the edge area of ​​the mirror element 1.

[0029] The actuators 8 are designed as electromagnets and can have different switching states depending on the current supply. For example, an actuator 8 or electromagnet can have an "off state" 8.0 or a zero state, in which, in particular, no current flows through the electromagnet. An actuator 8 can also be in a "north state" 8.1.N, for example if the electromagnet has a north pole facing the deflecting mirror 3, or in a "south state" 8.1.S, for example if the electromagnet has a south pole facing the deflecting mirror 3. These three states of the electromagnets are illustrated by three different representations for electromagnets, see three different symbols for the states 8.1.N, 8.0 and 8.1.S in the center of the image.

[0030] The Fig. The lighting system shown in Figure 1 comprises a light source 11 or illuminant for illuminating the deflecting mirror 3, as well as a control unit 30. The control unit 30 is connected to the light source 11 or to the actuators 8 of the mirror element 1 via control lines 31 and 32 and is designed to control the light source 11 and the actuators 8. An LED light source can be used as the light source, in particular.

[0031] If the electromagnets are energized via the control unit, the fixed magnets embedded in the silicone body can be attracted or repelled toward the carrier plate with the appropriate polarity (8.0, 8.1.N, or 8.1.S). The fixed magnet, whose spatial position changes due to the magnetic field, moves with it through its fixed connection in the silicone body, thereby changing the position of the mirrored outer surface or deflecting mirror 3.

[0032] In the Fig. In the state shown in Figure 1, the lighting system is in a deactivated state. In this state, the actuators 8 and the light source 11 are not energized. This is symbolically represented by a "0" at the corresponding control outputs 31 and 32 of the control unit 30.

[0033] Fig. 2 shows a mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a first state. In particular, Fig. 2 shows the mirror element 1, the light source 11, and the light cone 12 of the light emitted by the light source 11. The propagation of the light is illustrated by light vectors 13.

[0034] In the first state, or ground state, the actuators or electromagnets 8 are not energized, so that all electromagnets are in the off state 8.0 or zero state. The actuators 8 thus exert no force on the magnetic elements 5, so that the elastically deformable body 2 and the deflecting mirror 3 are each in a ground state. In the ground state, the deflecting mirror 3 has a planar or flat shape.

[0035] The light rays emanating from the light source 11 strike the mirror surface of the deflecting mirror 3 and are reflected by the mirror surface, with a local angle of reflection equal to the local angle of incidence. Due to the planar shape of the deflecting mirror 3, the aperture angle of the light cone 12 or cone angle does not change. The angle of inclination of the light cone 12 or the central light vector 13, in particular relative to the base of the carrier 9, also does not change due to the reflection.

[0036] Fig. 3 shows the mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a second state. In the second state, the actuators 8 or electromagnets are supplied with different currents. In particular, the actuator 8 on the left in the image is in the north state 8.1.N, the actuator 8 on the opposite side on the right in the image is in the south state 8.1.S and the actuators 8 in the center of the image are in the off state 8.0 or zero state. The south pole of the magnetic element 5 on the left in the image is attracted by the north pole of the actuator 8 or the electromagnet on the left in the image and the south pole of the magnetic element 5 on the right in the image is repelled by the south pole of the actuator 8 or the electromagnet on the right in the image. Due to the deformability of the elastically deformable body 2, the body 2 deforms so that the mirror surface or the deflecting mirror 3 is tilted laterally in a first direction (to the left). The support element 4 orThe support ring ensures that the mirror surface is tilted largely evenly, so that the deflecting mirror 3 essentially retains its flat or planar shape. The light cone 12 is directed at a shallow angle onto the projection surface (not shown), with the aperture angle of the light cone 12 not changing or not changing significantly.

[0037] Fig. 4 shows the mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a third state. In the third state, the actuator 8 on the right in the image is in the north state 8.1.N and the actuator 8 on the left in the image is in the south state 8.1.S. The actuators 8 in the center of the image are in the off state 8.0. Similar to the Fig. In the state shown in Figure 3, the actuators 8 exert different magnetic forces on the magnetic elements 5 assigned to the actuators. In particular, the magnetic element 5 is attracted to the actuator 8 on the right in the image, and the magnetic element 5 on the left in the image is repelled by the actuator 8 on the left in the image. The elastically deformable body 2 deforms in such a way that the deflecting mirror 3, and thus also the reflected light beam, is tilted in a second direction opposite to the first direction, namely to the right. Similar to the first state, the deflecting mirror 3 essentially retains its flat or planar shape, so that the shape or aperture angle of the light cone 12 does not change significantly as a result of the reflection.

[0038] Fig. 5 shows the mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a fourth state. In the fourth state, the actuators on the right and in the center of the image are in the off state, while the actuator 8 on the left of the image is in the south state. The right or middle actuators thus exert no magnetic force on the corresponding magnetic elements 5, with the left magnetic element 5 being repelled by the left actuator 8. This leads to a deformation of the elastically deformable body 2 and the deflecting mirror 3, as shown in Fig. 5 is shown schematically. The mirror surface is curved around an axis so that the deflection mirror can act as a focusing reflector optic. The focusing effect of the deformed deflection mirror 3 is determined by the Fig. 5 shown light vectors 13. This is because a diverging light cone (before reflection) becomes a bundled light beam with rectified light vectors 13, at least in the section plane of the Fig. 5. With such a mirror control, the luminance on the projection surface can be increased locally.

[0039] Fig. 6 shows the mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a fifth state. In this state, all actuators 8 are activated. The actuators located in the edge region are in the north state and the central actuator 8 is in the south state. Thus, the outer magnet pairs are controlled in an attractive manner and the inner magnet pair is controlled in a repulsive manner. Accordingly, the magnetic elements 5 located in the edge region are attracted downwards and the magnetic element 5 located in the center is repelled upwards. This leads to an essentially spherical curvature of the elastically deformable body 2 and thus also of the deflecting mirror 3, so that the deflecting mirror 3 can act like a defocusing reflector optic. The reflection of the light at the mirror surface leads to the maximum widening of the light cone, which can be determined based on the beam guidance in Fig. 6. By widening the light cone, the luminance on the project surface can be minimized and the illumination area maximized.

[0040] Fig. 7 shows the mirror element according to Fig. 1 in a sixth state. This state essentially corresponds to the one in Fig. 6, only with reversed polarity of the actuators 8. The actuators 8 located in the edge region are in the south state and the central actuator 8 is in the north state. Thus, the outer magnet pairs are repelled and the inner magnet pair is attracted. Accordingly, the magnetic elements 5 located in the edge region are repelled upwards by the actuators 8 and the magnetic element 5 located in the center is attracted downwards. This leads to an essentially spherical, concave mirror surface of the deflection mirror 3, so that the deflection mirror can act like a focusing reflector optic. The reflection of the light at the mirror surface thus leads to the focusing of the light emitted by the light source 11, which can be determined by the beam guidance in Fig. 7. By controlling the mirror element in this way, the light cone can be focused on a small area of ​​the projection surface, whereby the luminance can be locally increased or maximized.

[0041] Fig. Figure 8 shows a mirror arrangement according to an embodiment in a first state. In particular, Fig. 8 shows the mirror arrangement 14 in a cross-section (bottom of the image) and in plan view (top of the image). The mirror arrangement 14 comprises a number of mirror elements 1 arranged side by side according to Fig. 1. The mirror elements 1 can be arranged linearly or in a matrix. In particular, Fig. 8 shows an example of an arrangement of three mirror elements 1, wherein the mirror elements are arranged so close to one another that the supports 9 of adjacent mirror elements 1 touch each other.

[0042] The Fig. The mirror elements 1 shown in Figure 8 are in different states. The left mirror element 1 is in the third state, see Figure 8. Fig. 4 above, the right mirror element 1 is in the second state, cf. Fig. 3 above, and the middle mirror element 1 is in a state in which all magnetic elements 5 are attracted by actuators 8. The mirror elements 1 are aligned towards a central point, so that when the mirror surfaces of the mirror elements are illuminated by the light source (not shown), the light cones emanating from the individual mirror elements 1 are directed towards a centrally located area of ​​the projection surface. To clarify the height progression or the deformation of the deflecting mirrors, the deflecting mirrors of the mirror elements are shown in the top view together with a color gradient or grayscale gradient, with lighter areas corresponding to higher areas, cf. the cross-sectional view at the bottom of the image.

[0043] Fig. 9 shows the mirror arrangement according to Fig. 8 in a second state. The second state essentially corresponds to the one in Fig. 8, wherein the central actuator 8 of the central mirror element 1 is in the south state. In contrast to the state shown in Fig. In the state shown in Figure 8, the central magnetic element 5 of the middle mirror element 1 is repelled by the corresponding actuator 8 or electromagnet. This leads to a bulging of the central deflection mirror, as shown in Fig. 9. With this control of the mirror elements 1, the light is focused onto a centrally located area via the outer mirror elements 1, because the central mirror distributes the light outward. Thus, the illumination area from the outside is superimposed on that from the inside.

[0044] Fig. 10 shows the mirror arrangement according to Fig. 8 in a third state. In the third state, the left mirror element 1 is in the second state, cf. Fig. 3 above, the right mirror element 1 is in the fourth state, cf. Fig. 5 above, and the central mirror element 1 is in the sixth state, cf. Fig. 7 above. This leads to a Fig. 10 shown mirror profile of the mirror arrangement.

[0045] The states of the lighting arrangement or the individual mirror elements shown above as examples are intended to illustrate in particular that there are a multitude of control variants for the magnet pairs. In particular, the actuators can be controlled to generate a dynamic light animation according to predefined scenarios. Furthermore, in addition to the round mirrors shown here, other mirror shapes, such as honeycomb or rectangular, can also be used. Furthermore, such mirror elements can be used to form large, essentially closed mirror surfaces that can be deformed or shaped using the described control.

[0046] This provides a lighting device with a high degree of lighting design freedom. A light cone emanating from a light source is reflected on an elastic mirror surface, the shape or curvature of which can be changed via an arrangement of actuators, particularly electromagnets. Due to the change in shape of the elastic mirror surface, the light cone can be shifted, focused, or widened, for example, to create dynamic lighting effects on an illuminated or projection surface.

[0047] Although at least one exemplary embodiment has been shown in the foregoing description, various changes and modifications may be made. The recited 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 road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment; 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. Furthermore, multiple modules or multiple products may be connected together in accordance with the principles described herein to obtain additional functions. List of reference symbols 1 mirror element 2 deformable bodies 3 deflecting mirrors 4 Support element 5 magnetic element 6 air chambers 8 Actuator 8.0 Off state 8.1.N North State 8.1.S South State 9 carriers 10 Ventilation opening 11 Light source 12 light cones 13 Light vector 14 Mirror arrangement 20 Lighting system 30 Control unit 31 Lighting control cable 32 Solenoid control line

Claims

[1] Lighting device for illuminating a lighting surface in an interior of a vehicle, comprising: - at least one controllable mirror element (1) with a deformable deflecting mirror (3) for generating a variable luminance distribution on the illumination surface, and - a number of statically mounted electromagnetic actuators (8), wherein the electromagnetic actuators (8) are designed to control the mirror element (3) for deforming the deformable deflecting mirror (3). [2] The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the mirror element (3) comprises a number of magnetic elements (5), and wherein the number of electromagnetic actuators (8) comprises a number of electromagnetic actuators (8) for driving the magnetic elements (5). [3] Lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the deformable deflecting mirror (3) comprises a mirror film mounted on a deformable, in particular elastically deformable, body (2), and wherein the number of magnetic elements (5) comprises a number of magnetic elements (5) embedded in the body (2). [4] Lighting device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the deformable body (2) comprises a number of local material recesses (6, 7) for local mechanical weakening of the deformable body (2). [5] Lighting device according to claim 4, wherein the number of local material recesses comprises at least one groove formed in an edge region of the body (2). [6] Lighting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lighting device comprises a support (9) for supporting the deformable body (2), and wherein the number of electromagnetic actuators (8) comprises a number of electromagnetic actuators (8) fixed on and / or in the rigid support. [7] Lighting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lighting device comprises a number of light sources (11) for illuminating, in particular for dedicated illumination, the deflecting mirror (3) of the at least one mirror element (1). [8] Lighting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lighting device comprises a mirror arrangement with a number of mirror elements (1) for forming a substantially closed mirror surface. [9] Lighting system comprising: - a lighting device according to one of the preceding claims, and - a control unit (30) for controlling the lighting device, wherein the control unit (30) has an interface for receiving sensor signals and / or user instructions and for outputting control signals for controlling the lighting device, and wherein the control unit (30) is configured to evaluate the sensor signals and user instructions and to control the lighting device (20) based on sensor signals and user instructions. [10] Vehicle, wherein the vehicle has at least one interior space with at least one illumination surface and at least one illumination device (20) according to one of claims 1 to 8 and / or at least one illumination system (25) according to claim 9 for illuminating the at least one illumination surface.

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