Light module of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a light module (1) for a motor vehicle comprising at least a plurality of selectively activatable light sources (2), at least one monobloc primary optical device (3) having an input face (31) and an output face (32) connected by a body (33), the monobloc primary optical device (3) comprising at least one primary optical element (4) juxtaposed to the input face (31) and connected to the body (33) by a junction face (41), at least one of the light sources (2) being arranged opposite the input face (31) and at least one other of the light sources (2) being arranged opposite the primary optical element (4), and at least one optical projection device (5) arranged to project images of each of the light sources (2) arranged opposite the input face (31) and the junction face (41) of each of the Primary optical elements (4). Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Lighting module for a motor vehicle technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of light modules of a motor vehicle. State of the art

[0002] Motor vehicles are equipped with headlights designed to produce a beam of light that illuminates the road in front of the motor vehicle, particularly at night or in cases of reduced brightness due to adverse weather conditions such as fog.

[0003] These headlights are generally used in two main lighting modes: a mode called "high beam" and another called "low beam." The "high beam" mode produces a long-range beam of light that brightly illuminates the road ahead of the vehicle. The "low beam" mode, on the other hand, provides more moderate illumination to avoid dazzling other drivers within the headlights' beam.

[0004] These two lighting modes are complementary and can be manually changed by the vehicle driver depending on road conditions, such as the presence of other vehicles and the type of road being traveled. However, manually changing the lighting mode can be unreliable and may dazzle other road users.

[0005] To overcome these problems, some headlights have been equipped with an adaptive lighting function. This function is designed to automatically detect a vehicle, and therefore a road user, that could be dazzled by a beam of light emitted in high beam mode. Once detected, the adaptive lighting function modifies the contour of the light beam to create a shadow zone in the area where the detected road user is located.

[0006] Thus, ease of use, visibility, reliability for mode change are improved and the risk of glare is reduced.

[0007] A known lighting system having such a function includes a primary optical module comprising a plurality of light sources, such as light-emitting diodes and a secondary optical projection element, for example a lens associated with the primary optical module.

[0008] The light emitted by each light-emitting diode enters the associated light guide and is emitted from an output face. The associated secondary optical element projects the image of the output face of the light guide in order to form, at At the front of the vehicle, vertical light segments are projected. The light segments produced partially overlap. The LEDs can be switched on independently of each other, selectively, to achieve the desired lighting.

[0009] However, such a primary optical module, comprising a plurality of independent light guides each associated with a light source, is very complex and expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the resolution of the light segments is limited by the thickness of the light guides. Yet, there is a need for adaptive lighting formed by a segmented beam with particularly high resolution at the center of the beam, notably to avoid dazzling road users located far in front of the vehicle.

[0010] Another lighting system for achieving adaptive lighting involves directly imaging a plurality of light sources using an optical projection device. While this type of system does significantly increase the resolution of the segments, it requires the use of a particularly large number of sources.

[0011] The invention therefore falls within this context and seeks to resolve all the in aforementioned agreements.

[0012] Thus, the invention seeks to make the use of a light module less expensive while maintaining the desired lighting functions. Presentation of the invention

[0013] The invention relates to a reliable motor vehicle lighting module capable of performing a segmented lighting function with high resolution at the center of the beam, while minimizing the number of light sources used.

[0014] Another object of the invention relates to a lighting and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle comprising the light module according to the invention.

[0015] To this end, a light module for a motor vehicle has been developed according to the invention, comprising at least a plurality of selectively activatable light sources, at least one monobloc primary optical device having an input face and an output face connected by a body, the monobloc primary optical device having at least one primary optical element juxtaposed to the input face and connected to the body by a junction face, at least one of the light sources being arranged opposite the input face and at least one other of the light sources being arranged opposite the primary optical element, at least one optical projection device arranged to project images of each of the light sources arranged opposite the input face and the junction face of each of the primary optical elements.

[0016] The plurality of selectively activatable light sources is arranged so as to be in the same plane, on the same printed circuit board, called "PCB for printed circuit board".

[0017] By "monobloc" we mean to designate the fact that the elements of the structure are not separable without destruction of at least one of the elements.

[0018] The one-piece primary optical device is in the form of a substantially hemispherical dome comprising an aberration correction function.

[0019] Thus, a vehicle light module is obtained that allows a segmented light beam to be produced, with a limited number of light-emitting diodes, thereby reducing the cost of said light module.

[0020] Indeed, direct imaging is obtained, allowing for satisfactory resolution with good intensity, particularly at the center of the light beam, and the primary optical elements allow for the creation of a spreading of the image of the light sources, which minimizes the number of light sources used, consequently reducing the cost of the light module according to the invention.

[0021] In a particular embodiment, the light module comprises several primary optical elements, on either side of the entrance face.

[0022] The junction face is arranged between the body of the primary optical device, joining the input face and the output face, and the primary optical element. Thus, the junction face extends the input face of the primary optical device.

[0023] By "juxtaposed", we mean that the primary optical element is in the vicinity of the entrance face of the primary optical device, more particularly we mean that an element can be positioned between the entrance face and a primary optical element without departing from the definition of the term "juxtaposed".

[0024] The primary optical element is arranged to form a primary image from said light source at its junction face with the body.

[0025] In a particular embodiment, the optical projection device has a focal surface passing through the entrance face at the right of each of the light sources arranged opposite this entrance face and through the junction face of each of the primary optical elements.

[0026] It is thus understood that, given the dimensions of the light module, the image projection device projects, on the one hand, the light sources arranged opposite the entrance face and, on the other hand, the junction face of each of the primary optical elements. Alternatively, the focal surface could be provided for to pass through each of the light sources arranged opposite this entrance face and through the junction face of each of the primary optical elements.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of light sources comprises a first row of light sources arranged opposite the entrance face of the primary optical device.

[0028] Preferably, the monobloc primary optical device comprises a plurality of primary optical elements adjacent to each other and arranged on one side of the entrance face and the plurality of light sources comprises a second row of light sources adjacent to the first row, each light source of the second row being arranged opposite one of said primary optical elements.

[0029] In another embodiment, the monobloc primary optical device comprises a plurality of primary optical elements adjacent to each other and arranged on the other side of the entrance face and the plurality of light sources comprises a third row of light sources adjacent to the first row, each light source of the third row being arranged opposite one of said primary optical elements.

[0030] In yet another embodiment, the monobloc primary optical device comprises a plurality of primary optical elements adjacent to each other and arranged on either side of the entrance face and the plurality of light sources comprises a second and third row of light sources adjacent to the first row, each light source of the second and third row being arranged opposite one of said primary optical elements, in which the primary optical device comprises an axis of symmetry longitudinally passing through at least one central point of the entrance face of the primary optical device.

[0031] Consequently, a light module is obtained comprising a similar number of primary optical elements on either side of the entrance face of the primary optical device.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the light sources of the first row are spaced apart according to a first constant distance, and the light sources of the second row are spaced apart according to an increasing distance greater than the first constant distance, as the light sources of the second row move away from the entrance face.

[0033] The light sources of the second and third rows are spaced apart from each other according to an increasing distance, so that the distance between the light sources of the second and third rows arranged in the vicinity of the entrance face is a short distance, but greater than that of the constant distance of the first row, so as to be slightly spaced apart from each other and the light sources of the second and third rows arranged away from the entrance face are spaced apart by a long distance, greater than the short distance, so as to be increasingly spaced apart from each other, as the light sources move away from the entrance face.

[0034] In a particular embodiment, each primary optical element has a light entry surface opposite which is arranged one of said light sources of the second row, said entry surfaces of said primary optical elements being coplanar and the length of each primary optical element, measured between its junction face and its light entry surface, increases with the distance of said primary optical element from the entry face of the primary optical device.

[0035] The entrance face and the junction faces of each of the primary optical elements together form the same curved surface and can be, for example, confused with the focal surface of the optical projection device.

[0036] In addition, the light sources of the first and second and / or third rows are arranged coplanarly so as to be arranged on the same flat support, in particular on the same printed circuit board.

[0037] Preferably, the primary optical device comprises at least one transient optical element arranged between the input face of the primary optical device and at least one primary optical element and connected to the body by a junction face, at least one other of the light sources of said plurality being arranged opposite the transient optical element.

[0038] The optical projection device is arranged to project an image of an area of ​​the transient optical element located between a light entry surface of the transient optical element and the junction face of the transient optical element.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, several light sources are arranged opposite the light entry surface of the transient optical element.

[0040] The light-entry surface of the transient optical element extends the light-entry face of the primary optical device.

[0041] According to a particular embodiment, each primary optical element comprises a light guide.

[0042] Preferably, for each primary optical element, the entrance surface of said primary optical element is connected to the junction face by an envelope. The light emitted by the light source located opposite the entrance face is coupled to the light guide when the light enters the light guide through the entrance face and propagates by successive total internal reflections against the envelope until it reaches the junction face, where the light is decoupled from the light guide and enters the body of the primary optical element. The junction face forms a dummy exit face of the light guide.

[0043] In a particular embodiment, the entrance face and the junction face of each of the primary optical elements are in the form of a curve.

[0044] In a particular embodiment and in order to obtain a biluminescent module functionally, the plurality of light sources is a plurality of first light sources and each primary optical element is a first primary optical element, the projection optical device being arranged to form, from the images of each of the first light sources arranged opposite the entrance face and the junction face of each of the first primary optical elements, a first segmented light beam delimited by a horizontal cut, said light module includes at least one second light source and the monobloc primary optical device includes at least one second primary optical element connected to the body, said second light source being arranged opposite the second primary optical element, said projection optical device is arranged to form, from the light from the second light source,collected by the second primary optical element and exiting the primary optical device through said exit face, a second light beam delimited by said horizontal cut.

[0045] According to a particular embodiment, the second secondary optical element comprises at least one collimator, and a first reflecting surface intended to reflect the light rays from said second light source arranged opposite said collimator towards a junction face of the second primary optical element, and the body comprises a second reflecting surface adapted to receive said rays reflected by the first reflecting surface of the second primary optical element and arranged to reflect said rays towards the exit face of the primary optical device, said second reflecting surface of the body being arranged to form said horizontal cut in the second light beam.

[0046] Preferably, the second reflection surface of the body has an edge that coincides with or is arranged in the vicinity of an upper edge of the entrance face of the body.

[0047] The light module is arranged so that the first segmented light beam performs, totally or partially, a non-glaring segmented road lighting function, and the second light beam performs, totally or partially, a dipping lighting function.

[0048] The invention also relates to a lighting and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle comprising a light module according to the invention.

[0049] The lighting and / or signaling device of a motor vehicle also includes a control unit capable of selectively controlling each of the light sources. Brief description of the figures

[0050] Other advantages and features of the present invention are now described by means of examples which are purely illustrative and in no way limiting in scope. of the invention, and based on the attached drawings, drawings in which the various figures represent:

[0051] [Fig. 1] is a schematic representation of the light module seen from the side, according to the invention.

[0052] [Fig.2] is a schematic perspective representation of the light module.

[0053] [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective representation of the light module, seen from high.

[0054] [Fig.4] is a schematic perspective representation of the isolated primary optical device.

[0055] In the following description, identical elements, by structure or by function, appearing on different figures retain, unless otherwise specified, the same references. Description of the implementation methods

[0056] With reference to [Fig.1] to [Fig.4], the present invention relates to a light module 1 of a reliable and inexpensive motor vehicle.

[0057] The light module 1 comprises a plurality of selectively activatable light sources 2. In the example described, these light sources 2 are light-emitting semiconductor chips, and more specifically light-emitting diodes, arranged on the same common support, namely a printed circuit board (not shown).

[0058] The light module 1 also includes a one-piece primary optical device 3 having an input face 31 and an output face 32 connected by a body 33.

[0059] Part of the light sources 2 are arranged opposite the entrance face 31.

[0060] Furthermore, the monobloc primary optical device 3 comprises several elements primary optical elements 4 juxtaposed on either side of the entrance face 31 and connected to the body 33 by a junction face 4L The primary optical elements 4 are thus adjacent to each other.

[0061] Each primary optical element 4 forms a light guide 43, having a light entrance surface 42 opposite which one of the light sources 2 is arranged. This light guide 43 is delimited by lateral walls joining the entrance surface 42 to the junction face 41 such that the light guide 42 flares out towards the junction face 4L. These lateral walls form surfaces of total internal reflection, allowing light rays emitted by the light source arranged opposite the entrance surface 42 and entering the guide 43 through this surface 42 to be guided towards the junction face 41 so as to form an image of the light source 2 at the level of this junction surface 4L.

[0062] The entrance surfaces 42 of the primary optical elements 4 are coplanar and the length of each primary optical element 4, measured between its junction face 41 and its light entrance surface 42, increases with the distance of said primary optical element 4 from the entrance face 31.

[0063] Furthermore, the primary optical device 3 comprises a first 6 and a second 6' transient optical elements arranged between the entrance face 31 of the primary optical device 3 and the primary optical elements 4. These transient optical elements 6, 6' are arranged on either side of the entrance face 31.

[0064] Each transient optical element 6, 6' is connected to the body 33 by a junction face 61, and has an entrance surface opposite which light sources 2 are arranged. The entrance surface of each transient optical element 6, 6' is continuous with the entrance face 31. Each transient optical element 6, 6' is thus delimited by a lateral wall joining the entrance surface to the junction face 61, this transient optical element having a shape that flares out from its entrance surface towards the junction face 61.

[0065] It will be noted that the entrance face 31 of the primary optical device, the junction faces 61 of the transient optical elements 6, 6' and the junction faces 41 of the light guides 43 form a single continuous and curved surface.

[0066] The plurality of light sources 2 thus comprises a first row of light sources 21 arranged opposite the entrance face 31 of the primary optical device 3 and, on either side of the entrance face 31, a second 22 and third 23 row of light sources. The second 22 and third rows of light sources 23 are adjacent to and continuous with the first row 21.

[0067] The second row 22 is arranged opposite a transient optical element 6 and several primary optical elements 4 arranged on one side of the entrance face 31. More specifically, several light sources 2 of the second row 22 are arranged opposite the entrance surface of the transient optical element 6, while a single light source of the second row 22 is arranged opposite the entrance surface 42 of each light guide 43. Symmetrically, the third row 23 is arranged opposite the other transient optical element 6' and several primary optical elements 4 arranged on the other side of the entrance face 31 of the primary optical device 3.

[0068] The light sources 2 in the first row 21 are spaced apart at a first constant distance, and the light sources in the second 22 and third row 23 are spaced apart at an increasing distance greater than the first constant distance. In other words, the distance between two successive light sources 2 in the second 22 and third rows 23 increases as the light sources 2 move away from the entrance face 31 of the primary optical device 3.

[0069] Therefore, thanks to the invention, the plurality of light sources 2 can be aligned on a single printed circuit board with a reduced number of light sources.

[0070] The light module 1 has an axis of symmetry longitudinally passing through a central point of the entrance face 31 of the primary optical device 3.

[0071] The light module 1 also includes an optical projection device 5, namely a lens 5, arranged to project images of each of the first light sources 2 arranged opposite the entrance face 31, the junction face 61 of each of the transient optical elements 6, 6' and the junction face 41 of each of the primary optical elements 4.

[0072] The optical projection device 5 has a curved focal surface 51 passing through the entrance face 31 directly opposite each of the light sources 2 arranged opposite the entrance face 31 and through the junction face 41, 61 of each of the primary optical elements 4 and the transient elements 6, 6'. This curved focal surface 51 thus coincides with the continuous curved surface formed by the entrance face 31 and the junction faces 41, 61.

[0073] Thus, the optical projection device 5 is arranged to form, from the images of each of the first light sources 2 arranged opposite the entrance face 31 and the junction face 41, 61 of each of the first primary optical elements 4 and of each of the transient optical elements, a first segmented light beam delimited by a lower horizontal cut defined by an upper edge 31a of the entrance face 31 and the junction faces 41,61.

[0074] We then obtain a light module 1 in which all the light sources 2 are arranged on a single printed circuit board (not shown) which makes it possible to produce, with a reduced number of light sources, a segmented type lighting beam, for example of a non-glaring road type.

[0075] The light module 1 also includes a plurality of second light sources 7 and the one-piece primary optical device 3 includes a second primary optical element 8 connected to the body 33 by being arranged below the entrance face 31 and the primary optical elements 4.

[0076] The second primary optical element comprises a plurality of collimators 81, and a plurality of first reflection surfaces 82 each arranged opposite one of the collimators 81.

[0077] Each of the second light sources 7 is arranged opposite one of the collimators 81 of the second primary optical element 8.

[0078] Furthermore, the primary optical device 3 comprises a second reflecting surface 83, arranged above the entrance face 31, and a rim 9 of the body 33 connects This second reflective surface 83 is connected to the entrance face 31. More specifically, the second reflective surface 83 and the rim 9 are joined by an edge 91 having a crossover cut profile. The profile of this edge 91 extends along the entire rim 9 to the upper edge 31a of the entrance face 31.

[0079] It is therefore understood that the light rays emitted by the second light sources 7 and entering the primary optical device 3 are collimated by the collimators 81 towards the first reflection surfaces 82, then reflected by these first reflection surfaces 82 towards the second reflection surface 83, then reflected by this second reflection surface 83 towards the exit surface 32 and the lens 5.

[0080] The focal plane of the lens 5 passing in the vicinity of the edge 91 and the profile of this edge 91 extending over the rim 9 to the upper edge 31a of the entrance face 31, it is therefore understood that these light rays are projected by the lens 5 to form a second light beam delimited by an upper horizontal cut defined by the upper edge 31a of the entrance face 31 and the junction faces 41, 61. This second light beam thus forms a crossing type lighting beam which complements the first non-glaring road type lighting beam.

[0081] The preceding description clearly explains how the invention makes it possible to achieve the objectives it has set for itself, namely the reduction of the production cost of a light module 1 of a motor vehicle.

[0082] In any event, the invention cannot be limited to the embodiments specifically described in this document, and extends in particular to all equivalent means and to any technically operative combination of these means.

Claims

Demands

1. Light module (1) of a motor vehicle comprising: - at least a plurality of selectively activatable light sources (2); - at least one monobloc primary optical device (3) having an input face (31) and an output face (32) connected by a body (33), the monobloc primary optical device (3) having at least one primary optical element (4) juxtaposed to the input face (31) and connected to the body (33) by a junction face (41), at least one of the light sources (2) being arranged opposite the input face (31) and at least one other of the light sources (2) being arranged opposite the primary optical element (4); and - at least one optical projection device (5) arranged to project images of each of the light sources (2) arranged opposite the entrance face (31) and the junction face (41) of each of the primary optical elements (4).

2. Light module (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the optical projection device (5) has a focal surface (51) passing through the entrance face (31) at the right of each of the light sources (2) arranged opposite this entrance face (31) and through the junction face (41) of each of the primary optical elements (4).

3. Light module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of light sources (2) comprises a first row of light sources (21) arranged opposite the entrance face (31) of the primary optical device (3).

4. Light module (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the one-piece primary optical device (3) comprises a plurality of primary optical elements (4) adjacent to each other and arranged on one side of the entrance face (31) and in that the plurality of light sources (2) comprises a second row (22) of light sources (2) adjacent to the first row (21), each light source of the second row (22) being arranged opposite one of said primary optical elements (4).

5. Light module (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the light sources (2) of the first row (21) are spaced apart according to a first constant distance, and the light sources (2) of the second row (22) are spaced apart according to an increasing distance greater than the first constant distance, as the light sources (2) of the second row move away from the entrance face (31).

6. Light module (1) according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that each primary optical element (4) has a light entry surface (42) opposite which is arranged one of said light sources (2) of the second row (22), said entry surfaces (42) of said primary optical elements (4) being coplanar and in that the length of each primary optical element (4), measured between its junction face (41) and its light entry surface (42), increases with the distance of said primary optical element (4) from the entry face (31) of the primary optical device (3).

7. Light module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the primary optical device (3) comprises at least one transient optical element (6) arranged between the input face (31) of the primary optical device (3) and at least one primary optical element (4) and connected to the body (33) by a junction face (61), at least one other of the light sources (2) of said plurality being arranged opposite the transient optical element (6).

8. Light module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each primary optical element (4) comprises a light guide (43).

9. A light module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of light sources (2) is a plurality of first light sources (2) and each primary optical element (4) is a first primary optical element (4), the projection optical device (5) being arranged to form, from the images of each of the first light sources (2) arranged opposite the entrance face (31) and the junction face (41) of each of the first primary optical elements (4), a first segmented light beam delimited by a horizontal cut, characterized in that it comprises at least one second light source (7), in that the one-piece primary optical device (3) comprises at least one second primary optical element (8) connected to the body (33), said second light source (7) being arranged opposite the second optical element primary (8), and in that the optical projection device (5) is arranged to form, from the light from the second light source (7), collected by the second primary optical element (8) and exiting the primary optical device (3) through said exit face (32), a second light beam delimited by said horizontal cut.

10. Light module (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the second primary optical element (8) comprises at least one collimator (81), and a first reflection surface (82) intended to reflect the light rays from said second light source (7) arranged opposite said collimator (81) towards a junction face of the second primary optical element (7), and in that the body (33) comprises a second reflection surface (83) adapted to receive said rays reflected by the first reflection surface (82) of the second primary optical element (8) and arranged to reflect said rays towards the exit face (32) of the primary optical device (3), said second reflection surface of the body (83) being arranged to form said horizontal cut in the second light beam.

11. Light module (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that said second reflective surface of the body (83) has an edge (91) coincident with or arranged in the vicinity of an upper edge (31a) of the entrance face (31) of the body (33).

12. Light module (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that it is arranged so that the first segmented light beam performs, totally or partially, a non-glaring segmented road lighting function, and in that the second light beam performs, totally or partially, a dipping lighting function.

13. Lighting and / or signaling device for a motor vehicle, comprising a light module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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