Optical arrangement, light, vehicle

Abstract

Optical arrangement (10), characterized in that it comprises: a light source section (1) that is capable of emitting a light beam (20); a light guide section (2) which has a light entry surface (21) of the light guide section at one end and a light exit surface (22) of the light guide section at the other end; a scattering element (3) which is arranged downstream of the light guide section (2) receives the light beam emerging from the light output surface (22) of the light guide section and covers the light output surface (22) of the light guide section; a cover (4) arranged downstream of the diffusing element (3) and covering the diffusing element (3), wherein the material of the cover (4) does not contain any light-diffusing additives, wherein the light path provided by the optical arrangement (10) comprises the following: A light beam (20) is emitted from the light source section (1), enters the light guide section (2) via the light entry surface (21), leaves the light guide section (2) via the light exit surface (22), is subsequently scattered by the scattering element (3) and then passes through the cover (4), and finally exits the light exit surface (41) of the cover.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present application relates to an optical arrangement, a light fixture, and a vehicle. background

[0002] LEDs are typically used as the light source in luminaires – for example, in ambient lighting in vehicle interiors. To prevent the impression of a grainy light effect from the LED light source, some luminaires incorporate light-diffusing optics into their covers ("masks"). This means that the light is scattered as it passes through the cover – for example, by adding light-diffusing additives to the cover material. This achieves a uniform distribution of the emitted light and avoids the undesirable grainy appearance.

[0003] The inventor, however, determined that while the above solution resolves the problem of the grainy light effect, it simultaneously results in a rather blurred light output and therefore cannot meet the requirements for a clear and sharp light effect in certain application scenarios. For example, ambient lighting also serves an informational function in some situations: Inside a vehicle, changes in color or flashing frequency of the ambient lighting can provide information – such as vehicle speed, distance to the vehicle in front, or whether the doors are closed.

[0004] Therefore, in this technical field there is a need for an optical arrangement, a light, and a vehicle to solve at least one of the problems mentioned above. Content of the utility model

[0005] The present application aims to solve the technical problem by providing an optical arrangement, a lamp and a vehicle that makes it possible, on the one hand, to avoid the grainy light impression and, on the other hand, to achieve a clear, sharp light effect.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, an optical arrangement comprises: a light source section capable of emitting a light beam; a light guide section having at one end a light entry surface of the light guide section and at the other end a light exit surface of the light guide section; a scattering element arranged downstream of the light guide section, receiving the light beam exiting from the light exit surface of the light guide section and covering the light exit surface of the light guide section;A cover arranged downstream of the scattering element and covering the scattering element, wherein the material of the cover does not contain any light-scattering additives, wherein the light path provided by the optical arrangement comprises the following: a light beam is emitted from the light source section, enters the light guide section via the light entry surface, exits the light guide section via the light exit surface, is subsequently scattered by the scattering element, then passes through the cover, and finally exits the light exit surface of the cover.

[0007] The advantageous effects of the optical arrangement described above include, but are not limited to, the fact that the arrangement of a light guide section, a diffusing element, a cover, and the corresponding optical structural relationships—and the fact that the cover material contains no light-scattering additives—not only avoids a grainy light appearance but also achieves a clear and sharp light effect. This allows the requirements for the light effect to be met in a wide variety of application scenarios.

[0008] In one or more embodiments of the optical arrangement, the diffusing element has a first contour, and the cover has a second contour, wherein the first and second contours are arranged to align with each other. The first contour surrounds the light-emitting surface of the light-guiding section.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of the optical arrangement, the cover material consists of a transparent material without the addition of light-scattering substances. The outer surface of the cover has a coating, while the inner surface has a pattern. When the light beam passes through this pattern, the pattern becomes visible on the surface of the cover of the optical arrangement. When the light source section is not activated, the surface of the cover appears the color of the coating.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the optical arrangement, the coating is applied to the outer wall surface of the cover by physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the optical arrangement, the material of the diffusing element consists of polypropylene (PP) to which a light-diffusing material is added. The light-guiding section is plate-shaped and consists of polycarbonate (PC) or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

[0012] In one or more embodiments of the optical arrangement, the light source section comprises several LED beads integrated onto a printed circuit board.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the optical arrangement, a housing is further provided which, together with the cover, defines a space, wherein the light source section, the light guide section and the scattering element are all arranged within this space.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present application, a luminaire comprises an optical arrangement according to the first aspect.

[0015] The aforementioned technical solutions of the luminaire have advantageous effects, which include the fact that, by using the optical arrangement according to the first aspect, a grainy light emission effect is avoided on the one hand and a clear and sharp light emission effect is achieved on the other.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the present application, a vehicle comprises the light according to the second aspect, wherein the light comprises an interior ambient light and wherein the light guide section, the diffuser element and the cover of the optical arrangement are all arranged along the extension direction of the interior trim provided for the interior ambient light.

[0017] The aforementioned technical solutions of the vehicle have advantageous effects, which include the fact that, by using the light according to the second aspect, a grainy light emission effect is avoided on the one hand and a clear and sharp light emission effect is achieved on the other. Description of the drawing

[0018] In order to make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present application clearer and more understandable, the specific embodiments of the present application are explained in detail below in conjunction with the attached drawings. Fig. Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. Figure 2 is a structural diagram of the optical arrangement based on a comparative example. Fig. Figure 3 is a structural diagram of an optical arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 4A and Fig. Figure 4B shows the effect views of the optical arrangement according to a comparative example and the optical arrangement according to an embodiment when used as interior ambient lighting. List of designations: 1000 vehicles 1001 Dashboard 1002 Door trim 1003 Center console 1004 Interior trim 100 lights Room 101 200 Interior ambient lighting 10, 10a optical arrangement 20 light beam 1 light source section 11-LED bead 12 circuit boards 2 Light guide section 21 Light entry surface of the light guide section 22 Light emission surface of the light guide section 3 scattering element 31 first shape contour 4, 4a Cover 41.41a Light emission area of ​​the cover 42 second shape contour 43 Interior wall surface of the cover 44 Outer wall surface of the cover 5 cases Detailed forms of application

[0019] In order to make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present application clearer and more understandable, the specific embodiments of the present application are explained in detail below in conjunction with the attached drawings.

[0020] The following description sets out many specific details to facilitate a complete understanding of the present application, but the present application can also be implemented in other ways that differ from those described here, and therefore the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0021] As shown in the present application and the claims, the words "a", "an", "a", and / or "the" do not specifically refer to the singular and also to the plural, unless the context clearly indicates an exception. In general, the terms "comprise" and "contain" merely imply the inclusion of clearly identified steps and elements, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. The method or apparatus may also contain other steps or elements.

[0022] In describing the present application, it must be understood that the orientation or position relationships indicated by orientation words such as "front, rear, above, below, left, right," "transverse, longitudinal, vertical, horizontal," and "top, bottom" are generally based on the orientation or position relationships shown in the drawings and serve only to facilitate and simplify the description of the present application. Unless otherwise indicated, these orientation words do not show or imply that the designated devices or elements must have a particular orientation or be constructed and function in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. The orientation words "inside, outside" refer to inside and outside with respect to the contour of the individual components themselves.

[0023] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of words such as "first" and "second" to delimit parts serves only to facilitate the distinction between the respective parts. Unless otherwise stated, the aforementioned words have no special meaning and therefore cannot be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. Although the terms used in the present application are selected from generally known terms, some of the terms mentioned in the description of the present application may also be selected by the applicant at his discretion, and their detailed meanings are described in the relevant parts of the description herein. Moreover, it is claimed that the present application will be understood not only on the basis of the terms actually used, but also on the basis of the meaning implied by each term.

[0024] Although the optical arrangement and luminaire disclosed in the exemplary embodiments of the present application are explained using the example of interior ambient lighting for vehicles—for example, vehicle interior ambient lighting—this does not constitute a limitation. They can also be used, for example, in other means of transport, such as rail vehicles, ships, or aircraft. Furthermore, they are not limited to means of transport but can also be used in stationary installations, such as event venues, cinemas, or similar scenarios where interior ambient lighting is required. In principle, all application scenarios are suitable in which not only a grainy light emission effect is avoided but a clear and sharp light emission effect is achieved, thus fulfilling a wide range of requirements for the lighting effect.The optical arrangement and luminaire disclosed in the exemplary embodiments are applicable in such cases.

[0025] With regard to the in the Fig. 1 and Fig. In the embodiments shown in Figure 3, the vehicle 1000 is described as an exemplary motor vehicle. The vehicle's interior includes a light 100, which contains the optical arrangement 10 described in detail below. The interior may, for example, include the dashboard 1001, door panels 1002, and center console 1003. Currently, the dashboard 1001 and the door panels 1002 are generally structurally separate, making them visually distinct. However, this does not preclude the possibility that the dashboard 1001 and the door panels 1002 could have a similar structure, creating a visual impression of a unified system. Thus, the interior could be designed to convey a unified visual impression of the dashboard 1001 and the door panels 1002.

[0026] The luminaire 100 can include an interior ambient lighting 200, wherein the light guide section 2, the diffuser element 3, and the cover 4 of the optical arrangement 10 are all arranged along the extension direction of the interior lining 1004, which is associated with the interior ambient lighting 200. For example, the light guide section 2, the diffuser element 3, and the cover 4 can be arranged as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the lines run along the surface of the dashboard 1001. Since the dashboard 1001 is located in a central front position, its appealing visual effect is particularly noticeable to the vehicle user. However, this arrangement is not limited to this; alternatively, they can also run, for example, along the surfaces of other interior components such as the door trim 1002 or the center console 1003.

[0027] By using the optical arrangement 10 described in the following embodiments as a luminaire 100, it can be achieved that the light emission effect is not only free from a grainy impression, but also appears clear and sharp.

[0028] Regarding Fig. Figure 2 shows a comparative example of an optical arrangement 10a comprising a light source section 1, a light guide section 2, and a cover 4a. The light source section 1 is designed to emit a light beam 20. The light guide section 2 has a light entry surface 21 at one end and a light exit surface 22 at the other end. The cover 4a is located downstream of the light guide section 2 and covers it. The material of the cover 4a contains added light-scattering substances. The light path provided by the optical arrangement 10a comprises: The light beam 20 is emitted from the light source section 1, enters the light guide section 2 at the light entry surface 21, and exits at the light exit surface 22. It then passes directly through the scattering effect of the cover 4a and exits through the light exit surface 41a of the cover.

[0029] As described above, the inventors found that while the optical arrangement 10a of the comparison example solves the problem of the grainy light effect, it produces a rather blurry light output and therefore cannot meet the requirement for a clear and sharp light output in certain application scenarios.

[0030] Regarding Fig. 3 comprises the optical arrangement 10 in some embodiments: a light source section 1, a light guide section 2, a diffuser 3 and a cover 4, wherein the light source section 1 is capable of emitting a light beam; wherein the light guide section 2 has a light entry surface 21 at one end and a light exit surface 22 at the other end; wherein the diffuser 3 is arranged downstream of the light guide section 2, receives the light beam exiting from the light exit surface 22 of the light guide section and covers the light exit surface 22 of the light guide section; wherein the cover 4 is arranged downstream of the diffuser 3 and covers the diffuser 3, wherein the material of the cover 4 does not contain any light-diffusing additives. wherein the light path provided by the optical arrangement 10 comprises the following: A light beam 20 is emitted from the light source section 1, enters the light guide section 2 via the light entry surface 21, leaves the light guide section 2 via the light exit surface 22, is then scattered by the scattering element 3 and then passes through the cover 4, and finally exits the light exit surface 41 of the cover.

[0031] The direction of the light beam 20 in Fig. Figure 3 merely serves as a schematic illustration of the general direction of propagation of light from upstream to downstream; therefore, the actual deflection of the light by scattering at the scattering element 3 is not explicitly shown.

[0032] In some embodiments, the exact structure of the light source section 1 can be described as comprising several LED beads 11 integrated onto a circuit board 12. This structure is compact and exhibits a high integration density.

[0033] The meaning of light guide section 2 essentially corresponds to the usual technical definition: It is a structural element that uses a light guide to direct the light emitted by a light source (e.g., an LED) from the light source to the front panel or the desired light output position. Light guide section 2 is typically made of PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) because these materials have excellent light-guiding properties. Light guide section 2 can have a plate-like structure in which light guide tubes, light guide pins, or similar structures are distributed. However, this design is not a mandatory limitation.

[0034] It is understandable that the scattering element 3 here and the cover 4a in the comparison example fulfill essentially similar optical functions, namely acting as optical elements that provide a scattering effect. The term "scattering" here corresponds to its usual technical meaning: light scattering describes the phenomenon in which a portion of the light is deflected from its original direction of propagation when passing through an inhomogeneous medium. The deflected light is called scattered light.

[0035] The light-scattering function of the scattering element 3 and the cover 4a is typically achieved by adding light-scattering materials. For example, these components can be produced by compounding a transparent polymer matrix material with scattering particles. Scattering particles include inorganic microparticles such as glass beads, SiO2, or BaSO4, as well as organic polymer particles such as polyglycidyl methacrylate, polystyrene (PS), or silicone resins. Transparent polymers are primarily used as the transparent polymer matrix for common light-scattering materials; these include polycarbonate (PC), transparent polyolefin (transparent PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).The statement that the material of the cover 4 contains no light-scattering additives means that the cover 4 consists, for example, exclusively of the aforementioned transparent polymeric matrix material and that no light-scattering particles have been added. In some embodiments, the matrix of the scattering element 3 consists of polypropylene (PP), which allows for simpler shaping and lower costs.

[0036] The advantage of the optical arrangement 10 described above lies in the fact that the inventor has determined that, through the arrangement of the light guide section 2, the diffusing element 3, and the cover 4, as well as their specific optical structural relationships—combined with the fact that the cover 4 material contains no light-scattering additives—a comparatively minor modification compared to the reference example (namely, simply by adding the diffusing element 3 and using a cover 4 without light-scattering additives) achieves both a grainy light emission effect and a clear and sharp light emission effect. This allows for the fulfillment of diverse requirements for the light effect in various application scenarios, while the overall structure is also simple and easy to implement.The resulting lighting effect not only effectively avoids the appearance of a grainy impression, but also ensures a clear and sharp lighting effect.

[0037] Referring to the in Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B shown photos - whereby Fig. 4A the comparison example and Fig. Figure 4B, which depicts the embodiment of the optical arrangement as interior ambient lighting, shows that no grainy light effect occurs in either case. At the same time, it is clearly evident that the light effect in Fig. 4B compared to Fig. 4A is significantly clearer and sharper.

[0038] Regarding Fig. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the diffusing element 3 has a first contour 31 and the cover 4 has a second contour 42. The first contour 31 is arranged to align with the second contour 42, with the first contour 31 surrounding the light-emitting surface 22. In this way, the light effect can be further optimized.

[0039] In some embodiments, the cover 4 is made of a transparent material without any additional light-scattering substances. The outer surface 44 of the cover has a coating, while the inner surface 43 has a pattern. When the light beam 20 passes through this pattern, the surface of the cover 4 displays the pattern to the optical arrangement 10. When the light source section 1 is not illuminated, the surface of the cover 4 appears in the color of the coating. The specific method for coating the outer surface 44 of the cover may involve physical vapor deposition (PVD) to apply an aluminum layer. However, it is also understood that chemical vapor deposition (CVD) can be used to achieve the desired coating.Additionally, the inner wall surface 43 of the cover features a pattern created by means of lacquer application and laser engraving. When the light source section 1 is switched on and emits the light beam 20, the laser-engraved pattern becomes visible on the surface. When the light source section 1 is switched off, however, the surface appears silvery. In this way, the light effect produced by the optical arrangement is further enhanced, and an appealing visual impression is also achieved in the switched-off state, thus further improving the user experience.

[0040] Regarding Fig.3. In some embodiments, the optical arrangement 10 additionally comprises a housing 5. This housing 5, together with the cover 4, forms a chamber 101, inside of which the light source section 1, the light guide section 2, and the diffuser 3 are arranged. In this way, the structure of the optical arrangement 10 can be made even more compact, while at the same time interference with the light path from external environments is avoided.

[0041] In summary, the advantageous effects of the optical arrangement, luminaire, and vehicle described in this application include, among others, the following: By integrating the light guide section 2, the diffuser element 3, and the cover 4, as well as their specific optical structural relationships within the optical arrangement, and considering that the material of the cover 4 contains no light-diffusing additives, not only is a grainy light emission effect avoided, but a clear and sharp light emission effect is also achieved. This fulfills a wide range of requirements for the light effect in various application scenarios. The provided lighting effect thus successfully avoids a grainy appearance while simultaneously achieving a clear and sharp light output.

[0042] Although the present application has been described with reference to the current specific embodiments, a person skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments serve only to illustrate the present application and that various equivalent modifications or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present application. Therefore, all modifications and variations to the above embodiments fall within the scope of the claims of the present application, in accordance with the essential spirit of the present application.

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