Lighting and / or signalling device for a motor vehicle.

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting and / or signalling device (12) for a motor vehicle, comprising glass (40) defining a projection (47) having a first side wall (PLD) and a second side wall (PLG) which face outwards and a front face (FAV) connecting the first and second side walls (PLD, PLG) with a closed angle (α) and an open angle (β) respectively, the opaque layer (42) covering the inside of the projection (47) except for a translucent lens (43), ending on the inside face of the front face (FAV) and having, in the closed angle (α), an inclined plane (50) defining a reflective facet at the edge of the lens (43) for the incident rays (R) scattered by the light guide (52) through the translucent lens (43); said incident rays (R), reflected by said facet (50), exiting the lens (43) at a predetermined angle included in the regulatory lateral viewing angle.

Description

[0001] The invention generally relates to lighting and / or signaling devices for motor vehicles and is more particularly concerned with a lighting and / or light signaling device whose main function is to signal the position of the vehicle during the day. Such devices, designated DRL for Daytime Running Light (or Lamp) in English, meaning daytime running light, perform a signaling function automatically switched on when the vehicle is started, during the day, to improve the visibility of said vehicle. These devices are mainly installed on at least one of the corners of a motor vehicle, generally on the two corners of the front face of a motor vehicle on either side of the grille by being integrated into the front bumper of the vehicle.

[0002] According to the state of the art, a lighting and / or signaling device comprises, in a known manner, a housing closed by a wall, designated a glass, consisting more precisely of a two-color glass, having a base opaque to light and at least one part, or translucent, transparent, opaline or colored window. The housing receives at least one light source and a light guide capable of homogeneously diffusing the light emitted by the light source through the translucent window arranged in said glass, towards the outside of said housing (towards the outside of the vehicle). Such windows, depending on their shape, their number and their positioning also make it possible to confer a light signature characteristic of the vehicle concerned.

[0003] These windows must comply with a photometric grid imposed by regulations, particularly European directives ECE R87 and R85. In a vehicle lighting and / or signaling function, said function must comply with a regulatory photometric grid imposing a certain quantity of light (photons) in very specific directions.

[0004] In the field of traffic lights, it is imperative that they are seen by the various actors present around the vehicle, namely: other motor vehicles as well as cycles and pedestrians. Thus, the visibility angles of a traffic light are defined with respect to minimum values. The angles of frontal interior and lateral exterior visibility of the traffic light of the motor vehicle are determined with reference to a longitudinal axis passing through the center of the traffic light, and parallel to the vertical plane of symmetry of the motor vehicle as well as to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling (considered as the horizontal reference plane). The angles of frontal interior and lateral exterior visibility are swept in a horizontal plane parallel to the ground between the longitudinal reference axis and, respectively, half-lines originating from the center of the light.In this reference system, the so-called "inward-facing" half-line (i.e., facing the front of the vehicle towards the plane of symmetry) forms a minimum frontal visibility angle of 45° for an observer positioned in front of the light, with ±15° of regulatory visibility in a vertical plane perpendicular to the ground plane. The other so-called "outward-facing" half-line (i.e., facing the front of the vehicle away from the plane of symmetry) forms a minimum lateral visibility angle (for an observer positioned in front of the light) of 80° of regulatory visibility, with lateral and frontal visibility inclinations of ±15° of regulatory visibility in the vertical plane.

[0005] The lateral visibility angle constraint of 80° is difficult to achieve when the window is in the form of a "narrow" rectangular strip of light, extending substantially in a vertical direction on the front of the vehicle, and this is even more so when the curve of the angles of the front is pronounced.

[0006] A "narrow" light strip, or "narrow" opening, means a window whose width does not allow the regulatory lateral visibility angle of 80° to be reached.

[0007] To overcome this visibility angle problem, it is common to use optical prisms made of the same material as the glass (or formed on an intermediate internal screen) in order to deflect the rays of the light beam in the directions allowing the lateral visibility angle (80°) to be satisfied.

[0008] It is also common to use a two-color external glass (translucent + opaque black) obtained by a bi-injection molding process of two different materials: one translucent and the other opaque to light in order to mask technical areas and games, while being more compact than with a completely translucent glass and an internal mask attached behind the translucent glass.

[0009] However, adding prisms to the internal wall of the glass to try to deflect the light rays is not enough when the curve of the angles of the front of the vehicle is too great.

[0010] Furthermore, beyond a certain angle presented by the prisms with respect to the incident light rays, the rays pass into total reflection and then propagate in the thickness of the ice which behaves like a light guide.

[0011] Adding prisms to the outer face of the glass to combine double refraction is not permitted because the prisms have acute angles that could injure people.

[0012] Furthermore, overly prominent prisms arranged inside the glass can cause unsightly accumulations / drips when the anti-condensation varnish is applied to the inside of the glass.

[0013] Furthermore, the state of the art is known from document EP3543598A1.

[0014] The invention therefore aims in particular to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a simple and inexpensive solution.

[0015] To this end, the invention has as its first object a lighting and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing open towards the outside when the device is mounted on a vehicle, a light guide arranged inside the housing, a glass closing the housing, said glass being essentially opaque and comprising a translucent opening of determined width defining a window arranged opposite the light guide to allow the emission of the light diffused by the light guide towards the outside, in which the glass comprises a translucent wall and an opaque layer both obtained after bi-material injection molding, and in which the glass defines a protuberance with respect to the housing centered on the light guide,having first and second side walls extending substantially in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle towards the outside of this vehicle and a front face respectively connecting the first and second side walls with a closed angle and an open angle, characterized in that said opaque layer covering the internal faces of the side walls of the translucent wall by ending on the internal face of the front face of the window by having, in the closed angle of the protuberance, an inclined plane defining a reflective facet at the edge of the window for the incident rays diffused by the light guide through the translucent window; the inclination of the facet making it possible to orient the rays reflected by said facet in determined directions capable of being contained in the regulatory lateral visibility angle when the device is mounted on a vehicle.,

[0016] According to one feature, the translucent window defines a generally rectangular light strip extending in a substantially vertical direction when the device is mounted on a vehicle.

[0017] According to another feature, the housing has a protrusion centered on the protrusion of the glass and supporting the light guide.

[0018] According to another characteristic, the light guide is a cylindrical guide of circular section.

[0019] According to another characteristic, the thickness of the opaque layer is constant up to the front face of the protuberance at the open angle of the protuberance and increases constantly in the vicinity of the closed angle up to the front face of the protuberance to form the inclined plane.

[0020] According to another feature, the reflective facet is obtained by mirror polishing of the inclined plane.

[0021] The second subject of the invention is an arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising a bodywork element and at least one lighting and / or signaling device as described above, installed in the bodywork element. The third subject of the invention is an arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising a front bumper comprising at least one lighting and / or signaling device as described above, installed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, respectively in the vicinity of the left and right front corners of the front bumper; the inclination of the front face of the protuberance following the curve of the front bumper of the vehicle.

[0022] The fourth subject of the invention is an arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising a first and a second set of three lighting and / or signaling devices as described above, installed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, respectively in the vicinity of the left and right front corners of the front bumper; the three devices of the first and second sets being respectively installed in three adjacent openings arranged in the front bumper in the vicinity of the left and right front corners of the front bumper; each of the three devices of the first and second sets sharing the same housing and the same glass.

[0023] Finally, the invention has as its fifth subject, a motor vehicle comprising at least one lighting and / or signaling device as described above or at least one of the arrangements as described above.

[0024] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the attached drawing, in which: [ Fig.1 ] illustrates a front view of an arrangement of lighting and / or signaling devices installed in the front left corner of the bumper of a motor vehicle; [ Fig.2 ] illustrates the arrangement of the figure 1 , according to a top view in section along the section axis II-II; [ Fig.3 ] illustrates one of the lighting and / or signaling devices of the arrangement in accordance with figures 1 et 2 ; [ Fig.4 ] illustrates a first embodiment of a lighting and / or signaling device according to the invention in an arrangement in accordance with the figures 1 et 2 ; And [ Fig.5 ] illustrates a second embodiment of a device according to the invention in an arrangement in accordance with the figures 1 et 2 .

[0025] In the following, it is considered that the elements represented in the figures are oriented within the same orthonormal XYZ reference frame and identical elements are designated by the same alphanumeric references.

[0026] For this purpose and unless otherwise specified, reference is made to the orthonormal reference system XYZ to identify the directions of extension of the vehicle and the associated relative concepts, including a longitudinal direction (along X), a transverse direction (along Y) and a vertical direction (along Z). The longitudinal direction X extends between the front and rear of the vehicle, the transverse direction Y extends between the right and left lateral sides of the vehicle identified in relation to the driver at the vehicle's driving position, and the vertical direction Z defines the extension of the vehicle in elevation from its rolling plane on the ground. Consequently, the relative concepts front and rear are identified longitudinally, the lateral concept and the relative concepts right and left are identified transversely, the concepts such as upper and lower or other related relative concepts such as low and high, ...are defined vertically relative to the vehicle's rolling plane on the ground.

[0027] There figure 1 illustrates an arrangement of a first set 10 of three identical lighting and / or signaling devices 11, 12 and 13 installed respectively in openings 21, 22 and 23 provided in a bodywork element 20 arranged on the front face of a motor vehicle V, and in particular at the left corner of the front bumper 20 of the vehicle V. There is a second set, identical to the first 10, not shown and therefore not referenced, arranged symmetrically with respect to the vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle V at the right corner of the front face of the vehicle V. The devices 11 to 13 of the first 10 and second sets fulfill the function of daytime running lights (DRL) and operate simultaneously as soon as the vehicle V is started.

[0028] The three devices, or lights, 11-13 appear to an observer placed in front of the front face of the vehicle V, as three identical, narrow and elongated light strips, of generally rectangular shape, and of the same width, arranged parallel to each other in a substantially vertical direction or substantially inclined relative to the vertical direction Z. The width of the rectangular strips 11-13 corresponds substantially to the width of the bumper parts 24 and 25 separating respectively the openings 21 and 22 and the openings 22 and 23. The openings 21-13 match, with the clearance, the three light strips. The three light strips 11-13 have the same center distance.

[0029] There figure 2 illustrates the arrangement of the figure1 according to a top view, in section along the cutting axis II-II of the figure 1 .

[0030] In this arrangement, the devices 11-13 comprise a common housing 30 closed at the front (towards the outside of the vehicle V) by a common window 40. The window 40 is a so-called two-tone window in that it has an external wall transparent to light 41 (translucent) and in that this external wall is completely covered on its internal face with a layer of material opaque to light 42 (black) with the exception of the zones 43-45 respectively defining transparent windows through which the light rays coming from the inside of the housing 30 can pass towards the outside of the window 40. These windows 43-45 respectively define light strips 11-13 seen from the outside of the vehicle V.

[0031] In the example described with reference to the figure 2 , the external profile of the window 40 seen from above, follows the curve G of the bumper 20. The profile of the window 40 defines a series of hollows and bumps with three protuberances 46-48 oriented towards the front of the vehicle V, front of the vehicle V which is symbolized on the figure 2 by a solid arrow. The protrusions 46-48 are all centered respectively on the axes X1-X3 parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle V along X. Only the front faces of the protrusions 46-48, contained in the openings 22-23 of the bumper 20, are visible from the outside of the vehicle V and correspond respectively to the windows 43-45 of the three devices or lights 11-13. They are flush with the skin of the bumper 20 which follows the same curve G.

[0032] The profile of the common housing 30, seen from above, follows substantially the same profile as the window 40, at the rear of the common window 40, being spaced from the common window 40, and also comprises protrusions 31-33 oriented towards the front of the vehicle V and which, seen from above, are respectively centered on the protrusions 46-48 of the window 40. The three protrusions 31-33 of the housing 30 respectively support three cylindrical light guides with a circular section 51-53, arranged inside the housing 30 which extend respectively opposite the windows 43-45 of the three devices 11-13 in a general Z direction while being centered relative to the windows 43-45.

[0033] The light guides 51-53 are capable of homogeneously diffusing the light emitted by at least one light source not shown, through the windows 43-45 of the devices, or lights, 11-13.

[0034] There figure 3 illustrates in detail one of the 12 devices 12-13 of the arrangement of the figure 2 The narrowness of the device 12 (small width of the protuberance 47 along Y) and its curve G imposed by the style, must meet the double constraint of masking the technical zones / elements located at the rear of the window 40 and, on the other hand, of respecting the exterior lateral visibility angle of 80°.

[0035] The left and right side walls PLG and PLD of the protuberance 47 extend substantially in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle V (along X) towards the outside of the vehicle V. Due to the pronounced curve G at the right angle (respectively left) of the front face of the vehicle V, the front face FAV of the protuberance 47 is inclined at a determined angle θ relative to an imaginary straight line D passing through the front face of the vehicle V (along Y) while being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle V (along X). The curve G, reduced to the scale of the protuberance 47, can be considered as a straight line segment SD. It can therefore be considered that the front face FAV of the protuberance 47 forms a determined angle θ with the straight line D.Due to the inclination of the angle θ and the direction along the X axis of the left PLG and right PLD side walls of the protuberance 47, the latter has a closed angle α between the right PLD side wall and the front face FAV of the protuberance 47 and an open angle β between the left PLG side wall and the front face FAV of the protuberance 47. In this configuration, it is the closed angle α of the protuberance 47 which is critical with regard to compliance with the lateral visibility angle of 80°.

[0036] As illustrated in the figure 3 , the opaque layer 42 covers the internal faces of the external wall 41 of the glass 40 up to the front face FAV of the glass 40. Its thickness is conditioned by the molding process and its extent inside the protuberance 47 parallel to the side walls PLG and PLD makes it possible to mask the technical zones / elements which could be visible to an observer placed in front of the glass 40. The opaque layer 42 is of constant thickness up to the bottom of the protuberance 47; bottom which corresponds to the internal face of the front face FAV of the protuberance 47. In such a configuration, the light rays R diffused by the light guide 52 are emitted through the window 43, delimited by the thickness of the opaque layer 42, with a maximum angle exceeding the authorized visibility angle of 80°, considered at the level of the closed angle α of the protuberance 47.At the level of the closed angle α, the rays R are not contained in the lateral visibility angle of 80° as symbolized on the . figure 3 .

[0037] There figure 4 illustrates a first embodiment of a device or light 12 according to the invention making it possible to contain the rays R within the authorized lateral visibility angle of 80°, at the level of the closed angle α of the protuberance 47. For this, the thickness of the opaque layer 42, obtained during the bi-injection molding process with the translucent material used to produce the external wall 41 of the glass 40, is no longer constant along the internal face of the right side wall PLD of the glass 40 but increases constantly from a determined distance from the bottom of the protuberance 47 to the bottom of the protuberance so as to define an inclined plane 50 opposite the rays R.

[0038] The surface condition of the inclined plane 50 is treated so that the latter has a surface condition similar to that of a mirror (obtained by mirror polishing in the mold for example). The inclined plane 50 then behaves like the facet of a mirror. When the incident light rays R meet the facet 50, the light is reflected at an angle determined by the inclination of the facet 50 relative to the rays R so as to fill the photometric grid throughout the range of the lateral visibility angle of 80°.

[0039] There figure 5 illustrates, as a variant, an embodiment according to the invention, in which the opaque material 42 extends on the internal face of the front face FAV of the protuberance 47 following the right side wall PLD then the bottom of the protuberance 47, filling the closed angle α of the protuberance 47, over a determined length, with the same thickness. The edge of the opaque material 42 has an inclined plane 50 similar to that of the embodiment of the figure 4 which also behaves like the facet of a mirror for the incident rays R. It is thus possible to adapt the length of the opaque layer 42 on the internal wall of the front face FAV and the inclination of the facet 50 to adapt the angle of visibility and the width of the window 43.

Claims

1. Device (12) for lighting and / or signalling a motor vehicle (V), comprising a housing (30) open towards the outside when the device (12) is mounted on a vehicle (V), a light guide (52) arranged inside the housing (30), a crystal (40) closing the housing (30), said crystal (40) being essentially opaque and comprising a translucent opening of determined width defining a window (43) arranged opposite the light guide (52) to allow the emission of the light diffused by the light guide (52) towards the outside, in which the glass (40) comprises a translucent wall (41) and an opaque layer (42) both obtained after injection moulding by two-material, and in which the glass (40) defines a protuberance (47) in relation to the housing (30) centred on the light guide (52), having a first (PLD) and a second (PLG) side walls extending substantially along a management parallel to the longitudinal axis (X) of the vehicle (V) towards the outside of this vehicle and a front face (FAV) connecting respectively the first and second side walls (PLD, PLG) with a closed angle (α) and an open angle (β), said opaque layer (42) covering the inner faces of the side walls (PLD and PLG) of the translucent wall (41) terminating on the inner face of the front face (FAV) of the crystal (40), the device being characterised in that said opaque layer (42) has, in the closed angle (α) of the protuberance (47), an inclined plane (50) defining a reflective facet in the edge of the window (43) for the incident rays (R) scattered by the light guide (52) through the translucent window (43); the inclination of the facet (50) makes it possible to orient the rays (R) reflected by said facet (50) according to determined managements capable of being contained in the prescribed lateral visibility angle when the device (12) is mounted on a vehicle (V).

2. Device (12) according to the previous claim, wherein the translucent window (43) defines a generally rectangular strip of light extending in a substantially vertical management when the device (12) is mounted on a vehicle (V).

3. Device (12) according to one of the previous claims, wherein the housing (30) comprises a protuberance (32) centred on the protuberance (47) of the crystal (40) and supporting the light guide (52).

4. Device (12) according to one of the previous claims, in which the light guide (52) is a cylindrical guide of circular cross-section.

5. Device (12) according to one of the previous claims, wherein the thickness of the opaque layer (42) is constant up to the front face (FAV) of the protuberance (47) at the level of the open angle (β) of the protuberance (47) and increases in a constant manner in the vicinity of the closed angle (α) up to the front face (FAV) of the protuberance (47) to form the inclined plane (50).

6. Device (12) according to one of the previous claims, in which the reflecting facet is obtained by mirror polishing of the inclined plane (50).

7. Arrangement for a motor vehicle (V) comprising a bodywork element (20) and at least one lighting and / or signalling device (12) according to one of the previous claims, installed in the bodywork element (20).

8. Arrangement for a motor vehicle (V) comprising a front bumper (20) comprising at least one lighting and / or signalling device (12) according to one of claims 1 to 6, installed symmetrically by report to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (V), respectively in the vicinity of the left and right front angles of the front bumper (20); the inclination of the front face (FAV) of the protuberance (47) along the curve (G) of the front bumper (20) of the vehicle (V).

9. Arrangement for a motor vehicle (V), comprising a first (10) and a second set of three lighting and / or signalling devices (11-13) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, installed symmetrically by report to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (V), respectively in the vicinity of the left and right front angles of the front bumper (20), the three devices (11-13) of the first (10) and second sets being respectively installed in three adjacent openings (21-23) arranged in the front bumper (20) in the vicinity of the front angles left and right of the front bumper (20); each of the three devices (11-13) of the first and second assemblies sharing the same housing (30) and the same crystal (20).

10. Motor vehicle (V) comprising at least one lighting and / or signalling device (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or at least one arrangement according to one of claims 7 to 9.

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