Vehicle lamp module and vehicle lamp

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are a vehicle lamp module and a vehicle lamp. The vehicle lamp module comprises: a light source comprising a plurality of light-emitting units arranged in a first direction, the light-emitting units being configured to emit visible light; a light guide member comprising a light guide base and a plurality of light guide portions arranged on the side of the light guide base close to the light source, each light guide portion comprising a first light incident surface, and a first total reflection surface and a second total reflection surface which are arranged on two opposite sides of the first light incident surface in the first direction, each first light incident surface being arranged opposite a light-emitting surface of a light-emitting unit, the light guide base comprising a first light exit surface extending linearly in the first direction, the first light exit surface being a freeform surface having continuous curvature, the first light incident surface being used for refracting visible light into the light guide member, the first total reflection surface and the second total reflection surface being used for collimating visible light into parallel light in the first direction and emitting the parallel light via the first light exit surface, and the first light exit surface being used for refracting visible light in a second direction into outgoing light having a preset divergence angle; and an outer lens arranged on the side of the light guide member facing away from the light source.

Description

Headlight modules and headlights Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of automotive lighting technology, and in particular to an automotive lighting module and automotive lighting.

[0002] Background of the Invention

[0003] With the development of intelligent vehicle technology, vehicle lighting is becoming increasingly intelligent, and adaptive high beam systems (ADB) that can adapt to different scenarios are gradually becoming standard equipment in intelligent vehicles.

[0004] In related technologies, the ADB module consists of a light source, a collimator, and an outer lens. The collimator includes multiple light guides. The light from the light source is collimated in the horizontal and vertical directions through the total internal reflection of the light guides, and then emitted to the outer lens, which then projects the light to form a high beam pattern.

[0005] However, in the above scheme, the light source is collimated in both directions by total internal reflection of the light guide. In order to ensure the efficiency of total internal reflection and the quality of the collimated light, the length of the light guide needs to be relatively long, usually more than 7mm, making the light guide slender and long, which in turn makes the light guide more difficult to process and more expensive. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure proposes a vehicle lighting module and a vehicle lighting, aiming to improve the problem of high processing difficulty and high cost caused by excessively long light guide length.

[0007] In a first aspect, this disclosure provides a vehicle headlight module. The headlight module includes: a light source comprising a plurality of light-emitting units arranged along a first direction, the light-emitting units emitting visible light; a light guide comprising a light guide substrate and a plurality of light guide portions disposed on the side of the light guide substrate near the light source, the light guide portions comprising a first light-incident surface and a first total internal reflection surface and a second total internal reflection surface disposed on opposite sides of the first light-incident surface along the first direction, each of the first light-incident surfaces being disposed opposite to the light-emitting surface of one of the light-emitting units, the light guide substrate comprising a first light-emitting surface extending linearly along the first direction, the first light-emitting surface being a free-form surface with continuous curvature; the first light-incident surface being a light-emitting unit ... An incident light surface is used to refract the visible light into the light guide. The first total reflection surface and the second total reflection surface are convex curved surfaces. The first total reflection surface and the second total reflection surface are used to collimate the visible light into parallel light along the first direction and emit it through the first light emitting surface. The first light emitting surface is configured to refract the visible light into emitted light with a preset divergence angle along the second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. An outer lens is disposed on the side of the light guide away from the light source. The outer lens is configured to receive the emitted light from the first light emitting surface and project it to form a high beam pattern.

[0008] In the disclosed automotive lighting module, a light guide is used to distribute the visible light from the light source. The light guide includes a light guide substrate and a light guide portion. In a first direction, the light guide portion of the light guide confines the visible light into parallel light through total internal reflection; in a second direction, the light guide substrate confines the visible light into emitted light with a preset divergence angle through the refraction of a first light-emitting surface with continuous curvature. Compared to the method in related technologies where light guides use total internal reflection to converge light in both directions, the length of the light guide portion can be reduced, making it a short-sized light guide. Thus, firstly, the processing and assembly difficulty of the light guide can be reduced, thereby improving the manufacturing yield of the automotive lighting module. Secondly, the material requirements for the light guide portion and the light guide substrate are reduced, allowing the use of lower-cost transparent plastic materials, which also helps to reduce the manufacturing cost of the automotive lighting module.

[0009] Secondly, this disclosure provides a vehicle lamp including the lamp module described in the first aspect. This configuration reduces the length of the light guide, making it a short-sized light guide. This firstly reduces the processing and assembly difficulty of the light guide, thereby improving the manufacturing yield of the vehicle lamp. Secondly, it lowers the material requirements for the light guide and the light guide substrate, allowing the use of lower-cost transparent plastic materials, thus further reducing the manufacturing cost of the vehicle lamp.

[0010] Brief description of the attached figures

[0011] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle headlight module provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0012] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle headlight module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure from another perspective;

[0013] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle headlight module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure from another perspective.

[0014] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a light source and a light guide provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0015] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the light source and light guide provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure from another perspective;

[0016] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the light distribution emitted from a light guide provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0017] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the high beam pattern when a single light-emitting unit in a vehicle headlight module provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is lit.

[0018] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the high beam pattern when all the light-emitting units in the vehicle headlight module provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure are lit.

[0019] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the high beam pattern of a vehicle headlight module provided in an embodiment of this disclosure after the two middle light-emitting units are turned off.

[0020] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0021] 10. Headlight module;

[0022] L, optical axis; X, first direction; Z, second direction;

[0023] 100. Light source; 110. Light-emitting unit;

[0024] 200, light guide component; 210, light guide substrate; 211, first light emitting surface; 212, first side surface; 213, second side surface; 214, first plane; 2141, first region;

[0025] 220, light guide section; 221, first light incident surface; 222, first total reflection surface; 223, second total reflection surface;

[0026] M1, the first refracted beam; M2, the second refracted beam;

[0027] 300, outer lens; 310, first sidewall; 320, second sidewall; 330, third sidewall; 340, fourth sidewall; 350, second incident light surface; 360, second exit light surface.

[0028] Methods of implementing the present invention

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0030] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as implying or suggesting relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0032] In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] As described in the background section, in the ADB module of the related art, the light source is collimated in both the horizontal and vertical directions through total internal reflection by the light guide. The light guide needs to meet the reflection path length requirements in both dimensions. In order to ensure the efficiency of total internal reflection and the quality of the collimated light, the length of the light guide is relatively long, usually more than 7 mm, thus making the light guide slender.

[0034] When the light guide is elongated and slender, the processing and assembly are more difficult, resulting in a low yield rate. Furthermore, elongated light guides require high-quality materials, typically high-cost silicone, which also incurs higher mold-making costs, leading to higher production costs.

[0035] Based on the above problems, this disclosure proposes a vehicle lighting module and a vehicle lighting, aiming to improve the problems of high processing difficulty and high processing cost of vehicle lighting modules.

[0036] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a vehicle headlight module 10. As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the vehicle headlight module 10 includes a light source 100, a light guide 200, and an outer lens 300. The light source 100 includes a plurality of light-emitting units 110 arranged along a first direction X. The light-emitting units 110 are used to emit visible light. The light guide 200 includes a light guide substrate 210 and a plurality of light guide portions 220 disposed on the side of the light guide substrate 210 near the light source 100. The light guide portion 220 includes a first light-incident surface 221 and a first total internal reflection surface 222 and a second total internal reflection surface 223 disposed on opposite sides of the first light-incident surface 221 along the first direction X. Each first light-incident surface 221 is disposed opposite to the light-emitting surface of a light-emitting unit 110. The light guide substrate 210 includes a first light-emitting surface 211 extending linearly along the first direction X. The first light-emitting surface 211 is a free-form surface with continuous curvature. The first incident surface 221 is used to refract visible light into the light guide 200. The first total internal reflection surface 222 and the second total internal reflection surface 223 are used to collimate the visible light into parallel light along the first direction X and emit it through the first emitting surface 211. The first emitting surface 211 is configured to refract the visible light along the second direction Z into emitted light with a preset divergence angle. The second direction Z is perpendicular to the first direction X. The outer lens 300 is disposed on the side of the light guide 200 away from the light source 100. The outer lens 300 is configured to receive the emitted light from the first emitting surface 211 and project it into a high-beam pattern.

[0037] The light source 100 includes multiple light-emitting units 110, which may be, for example, LED (Light Emitting Diode) chips. The multiple light-emitting units 110 are arranged in a single row along a first direction X, thus forming a linear light source. The activation and deactivation of each light-emitting unit 110 can be individually controlled by a control unit to achieve dynamic beam pattern switching for ADB (Advanced Headlight Control). For example, when meeting oncoming traffic, one or more light-emitting units 110 can be turned off to create a dark area in the corresponding region of the high beam pattern, thus avoiding glare.

[0038] The light guide 200 is used to initially distribute the visible light from the light source 100. Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the light guide 200 includes a light guide substrate 210 and a light guide portion 220. The light guide portion 220 includes a first light incident surface 221, a first total reflection surface 222, and a second total reflection surface 223. The first light incident surface 221 can refract all the visible light from the light source 100 into the light guide 200. The refraction angle depends on the refractive index of the material of the light guide 200. As shown in Figure 5, the light beam after the visible light enters the light guide 200 is denoted as the first refracted beam M1.

[0039] The light guide substrate 210 and the light guide section 220 can achieve decoupling control of the light pattern of the first refracted beam in the first direction X and the second direction Z. As shown in Figure 3, in the first direction X, the first total reflection surface 222 and the second total reflection surface 223 of the light guide section 220 can perform total reflection on the first refracted beam M1, constraining the first refracted beam M1 into parallel light in the first direction X. Since the first light emitting surface 211 of the light guide substrate 210 extends linearly along the first direction X, the first light emitting surface 211 can be regarded as a cylinder. The first light emitting surface 211 has no converging or diverging effect on parallel light in the first direction X, and the parallel light in the first direction X can be directly emitted through the first light emitting surface 211.

[0040] Parallel light refers to a beam of light that maintains a consistent direction during propagation after total internal reflection, without divergence or convergence, with a divergence angle of 0°. However, in practice, due to limitations such as installation and manufacturing errors, perfect parallelism may not be achievable. Therefore, light with extremely small divergence angles, such as beams with divergence angles less than or equal to 5°, 4°, 3°, 2°, or 1°, can be approximated as parallel light. The smaller the divergence angle, the better the control of the first refracted beam M1 by the first total internal reflection surface 222 and the second total internal reflection surface 223 in the first direction X, but the higher the manufacturing precision requirements. Optionally, the first total internal reflection surface 222 and the second total internal reflection surface 223 can be symmetrically arranged convex curved surfaces to improve manufacturing convenience while achieving collimation control of the first refracted beam M1 in the first direction X.

[0041] Furthermore, the first emitting surface 211 is a freeform surface with continuous curvature, and is cylindrical in the first direction X. A freeform surface with continuous curvature means that the curvature of the first emitting surface 211 in the second direction Z changes continuously, and there are no seams, creases, steps, or other rough microstructures on the surface. Therefore, the first emitting surface 211 can only control the first refracted beam M1 in the second direction Z. As shown in Figure 1, in the second direction Z, through curvature changes, the first emitting surface 211 refracts the first refracted beam M1 into an emitted light with a preset divergence angle. Thus, after the first refracted beam M1 exits from the first emitting surface 211, it remains collimated in the first direction X, and the divergence angle is controlled in the second direction Z by the freeform surface, thereby converting the linearly diffused light from the light source 100 into a light spot of a preset shape, which is then incident into the outer lens 300.

[0042] The outer lens 300 is used to perform a second adjustment on the visible light from the light source 100. The outer lens 300 receives the emitted light from the first light-emitting surface 211 and converges the emitted light a second time, so that it projects a uniformly distributed high beam pattern, thereby realizing the basic function of the vehicle lamp module 10.

[0043] As described above, in the automotive lighting module 10 of this disclosure, a light guide 200 is used to distribute the visible light from the light source 100. The light guide 200 includes a light guide substrate 210 and a light guide portion 220. In the first direction X, the light guide portion 220 of the light guide 200 constrains the visible light into parallel light through total internal reflection; in the second direction Z, the light guide substrate 210 constrains the visible light into emitted light with a preset divergence angle through the refraction of the first light-emitting surface 211 with continuous curvature. Compared to the method in related technologies where light guides use total internal reflection to converge light in both directions, the length of the light guide portion 220 can be reduced, making it a short-sized light guide. Thus, firstly, the processing and assembly difficulty of the light guide 200 can be reduced, thereby improving the manufacturing yield of the automotive lighting module 10. Secondly, the light guide 220 and the light guide substrate 210 have lower material requirements and can be made of lower-cost transparent plastic materials such as polymethacrylimide (PMI) and polycarbonate (PC), which also helps to reduce the manufacturing cost of the vehicle light module 10.

[0044] In addition, since the first light-emitting surface 211 is a free-form surface with continuous curvature, it does not have splicing marks, creases, steps or other rough microstructures, which can avoid the problem of light spot breakage, and thus also help to improve the uniformity of emitted light and illumination effect.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, along the second direction Z, the optical axis L of the outer lens 300 coincides with the light-emitting center of the light-emitting unit 110. Referring to FIG5, the divergence angle of the first refracted beam M1 after the visible light is refracted through the first incident surface 221 is greater than or equal to -41° and less than or equal to 41°. That is, the divergent light emitted by the light-emitting unit 110 is refracted by the first incident surface 221 into a light cone of ±41°. This arrangement ensures that as many of the first refracted beams M1 as possible undergo total internal reflection at the first total internal reflection surface 222 and the second total internal reflection surface 223, and are refracted at the first light-emitting surface 211, thereby improving the optical efficiency of the light guide 200 and reducing light loss.

[0046] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6, along the second direction Z, the divergence angle of the second refracted beam M2 after the first refracted beam M1 is refracted through the first light-emitting surface 211 is greater than or equal to -22° and less than or equal to 7.5°.

[0047] This embodiment defines the specific range of the divergence angle of the first refracted beam M1 after refraction by the first light-emitting surface 211 in the second direction Z. The divergence angle of the second refracted beam M2 in the second direction Z is set to be greater than or equal to -22° and less than or equal to 7.5°. On the one hand, the downward divergence angle of -22° becomes upward light after passing through the outer lens 300, which can also provide long-distance illumination, allowing the light to illuminate a farther area ahead and enhancing the driver's ability to anticipate road conditions ahead. The upward divergence angle of 7.5° becomes downward light after passing through the outer lens 300, allowing the light to better cover the road surface ahead, providing the driver with a clear road vision. This allows the light to be concentrated in the area requiring illumination, reducing light scattered in unnecessary directions, thereby improving the optical efficiency, reliability, and illumination effect of the headlight module 10. On the other hand, the upward divergence angle being smaller than the downward divergence angle can also effectively reduce the direct light hitting the eyes of oncoming vehicle drivers, reducing glare and thus improving driving safety.

[0048] In the divergence angle, a positive value represents the angle at which the light ray in the second direction Z is deflected relative to the optical axis L of the outer lens 300 toward the side away from the ground, while a negative value represents the angle at which the light ray in the second direction Z is deflected relative to the optical axis L of the outer lens 300 toward the side closer to the ground.

[0049] Furthermore, the control of the divergence angle of the first refracted beam M1 in the second direction Z by the first emitting surface 211 is achieved through the design of the continuous curvature of the freeform surface. Specifically, by precisely designing the continuous curvature of the first emitting surface 211 in the second direction Z, and using optical simulation software such as Zemax and LightTools for simulation and optimization, the first refracted beam M1, after being refracted by the first emitting surface 211 in the second direction Z, forms a light spot with a preset diffusion angle. For example, the curvature of the freeform surface can be adjusted according to the light rays incident on the first emitting surface 211 at different positions and with different deviation angles in the second direction Z, so as to achieve precise control of the refraction direction of the first refracted beam M1 by the first emitting surface 211.

[0050] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, along the second direction Z, as the angle of deflection of the light ray in the first refracted beam M1 with the optical axis L gradually increases from -8° to 41°, the angle of deflection of the light ray in the second refracted beam M2 with the optical axis L gradually increases from -8° to +7.5°. As the angle of deflection of the light ray in the first refracted beam M1 with the optical axis L gradually decreases from -8° to -41°, the angle of deflection of the light ray in the second refracted beam M2 with the optical axis L gradually decreases from -8° to -22°.

[0051] This embodiment proposes a light control method for the first refracted beam M1 in the second direction Z via the first light-emitting surface 211. Specifically, in the first refracted beam M1, light rays with a deflection angle of -8° to the optical axis L do not refract after passing through the first light-emitting surface 211. In other words, the line containing the light ray with a deflection angle of -8° to the optical axis L can be considered as the "optical axis" of the first light-emitting surface 211. When the incident angle of the first refracted beam M1 towards the first light-emitting surface 211 changes from -8° to +41°, the exit angle of the second refracted beam M2 gradually increases from -8° to +7.5°; when the incident angle of the first refracted beam M1 towards the first light-emitting surface 211 changes from -8° to -41°, the exit angle of the second refracted beam M2 changes from -8° to -22°. Based on the above light distribution, the curvature distribution of the first light-emitting surface 211 in the second direction Z can be designed, which is beneficial to improve the optical efficiency, reliability and lighting effect of the vehicle lamp module 10, while realizing the curved surface design of the first light-emitting surface 211, thereby improving the convenience and reliability of the design of the first light-emitting surface 211.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, the visible light includes a first ray S1 and a second ray S2. Along the second direction Z, the first ray S1 has an angle of 0° with the optical axis L. After the first ray S1 exits through the first light-emitting surface 211, the angle between the first ray S1 and the optical axis L is -6.4°. After the second ray S2 exits through the first light-incident surface 221, the first refracted ray S21 has an angle of 18° with the optical axis L. After the first refracted ray S21 exits through the first light-emitting surface 211, the second refracted ray S22 has an angle of 0° with the optical axis L.

[0053] This embodiment further defines the light distribution in the second direction Z of the two incident rays of the light source 100 after passing through the first light-incident surface 221 and the first light-exit surface 211. The first ray S1 has an angle of 0° with the optical axis L; therefore, it does not refract after passing through the first light-incident surface 221, but only after passing through the first light-exit surface 211, and the angle between it and the optical axis L after refraction is -6.4°.

[0054] The second ray S2, after passing through the first incident surface 221, will be refracted into the first refracted ray S21. The first refracted ray S21, after passing through the first exit surface 211, will be refracted into the second refracted ray S22. The angle between the first refracted ray S21 and the optical axis L is 18°, and the angle between the second refracted ray S22 and the optical axis L is 0°. That is to say, in the second direction Z, the refracted ray with an incident angle of 18° towards the first exit surface 211 will form a ray parallel to but not collinear with the optical axis L of the outer lens 300 after passing through the first exit surface 211.

[0055] Based on the first ray S1 and the second ray S2, the ray distribution of the emitted light from the first light-emitting surface 211 can be further enriched, which is conducive to further improving the convenience and reliability of the design of the first light-emitting surface 211.

[0056] Optionally, more light rays at different positions and angles can be added, and their deflection angle after exiting the first light-emitting surface 211 can be limited, thereby controlling the curved shape of the first light-emitting surface 211 more precisely, and further improving the convenience and reliability of the design of the first light-emitting surface 211.

[0057] For example, as shown in Figure 5, visible light also includes a third ray S3, a fourth ray S4, and a fifth ray S5. Along the second direction Z, the angle between the third ray S3's refracted ray S31, after exiting the first incident surface 221, and the optical axis L is 41°. The angle between the third refracted ray S31's refracted ray S32, after exiting the first exiting surface 211, and the optical axis L is +7.5°. Along the second direction Z, the angle between the fourth ray S4's refracted ray S41, after exiting the first incident surface 221, and the optical axis L is -41°. The angle between the fifth refracted ray S41's refracted ray S42, after exiting the first exiting surface 211, and the optical axis L is -22°. Along the second direction Z, the fifth ray S5, after exiting the first incident surface 221, forms a seventh refracted ray S51 with an angle of -18° with the optical axis L. The seventh refracted ray S51, after exiting the first exit surface 211, forms an eighth refracted ray S52 with an angle of -9° with the optical axis L. It can be understood that the third ray S3 and the fourth ray S4 are two boundary rays of the light source 100 entering the first incident surface 221 in the second direction Z.

[0058] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, the first total reflection surface 222 and the second total reflection surface 223 of two adjacent light guides 220 are connected by an arc surface with a radius greater than 0.2 mm. This arrangement ensures a certain gap between adjacent light guides 220, which helps to ensure that the transmitted light spots of adjacent light-emitting units 110 have a suitable overlap area in the first direction X. This, in turn, helps to improve the illuminance of the high beam pattern of the headlight module 10 while ensuring a suitable illumination angle range of the high beam pattern in the first direction X. Optionally, the radius of the arc surface can be 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, etc., and can be flexibly designed according to actual conditions.

[0059] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the light guide substrate 210 further includes a first side surface 212 and a second side surface 213 disposed on opposite sides of the first light-emitting surface 211 along the first direction X. The first side surface 212 and the second side surface 213 are provided with a leather-textured structure. A leather-textured structure refers to a surface treatment structure with minute textures, typically exhibiting a texture similar to leather. The leather-textured structure can diffusely reflect the light from the light source 100, causing the light that would normally leak directly from the first side surface 212 and the second side surface 213 to change direction due to the scattering effect of the leather-textured structure. This reduces stray light and thus improves the lighting effect.

[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the light guide substrate 210 further includes a first plane 214 opposite to the first light-emitting surface 211. The light guide portion 220 is disposed on the first plane 214. The first plane 214 has a first region 2141 that does not overlap with the light guide portion 220, and the first region 2141 is provided with a textured structure. This configuration can further reduce stray light from the light guide substrate 210, thereby helping to further improve the lighting effect.

[0061] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the outer lens 300 includes a first sidewall 310, a second sidewall 320, a third sidewall 330, and a fourth sidewall 340. The first sidewall 310 and the second sidewall 320 are disposed on opposite sides of the outer lens 300 along a first direction X, and the third sidewall 330 and the fourth sidewall 340 are disposed on opposite sides of the outer lens 300 along a second direction Z. The first sidewall 310, the second sidewall 320, the third sidewall 330, and the fourth sidewall 340 are provided with a textured structure. This configuration can further reduce stray light from the outer lens 300, thereby improving the illumination effect of the vehicle lamp module 10.

[0062] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the focal point of the outer lens 300 is located within the first plane 214. The high beam pattern formed by the outer lens 300 in the second direction Z is a virtual image formed by the light rays emitted from the first light-emitting surface 211 extending backward to the first plane 214. Thus, combined with the collimation of the visible light from the light source 100 by the light guide 220 in the first direction X, a high beam pattern with a long strip of light spot is projected.

[0063] This configuration ensures that all light rays emitted from the first light-emitting surface 211 are properly distributed by the outer lens 300 to form a preset high-beam pattern. On one hand, this improves light utilization, thereby reducing the power consumption of the headlight module 10 and enhancing illumination. On the other hand, the shape of the light spot projected by the outer lens 300 is determined by the virtual image on the first plane 214 formed by the reverse extension of the light rays emitted from the first light-emitting surface 211, which further improves the accuracy of the light spot shape and the uniformity of illumination to meet road requirements. Furthermore, since the first plane 214 of the light guide substrate 210 directly serves as the focal plane of the outer lens 300, an additional focusing structure is unnecessary, which also improves assembly precision and reduces assembly size.

[0064] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the high beam pattern when a single light-emitting unit 110 in the vehicle headlight module 10 of this disclosure is lit. When one of the light-emitting units 110 is lit, the light spot projected by the outer lens 300 is a long rectangular light spot extending along the second direction Z.

[0065] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the high beam pattern when all the light-emitting units 110 in the vehicle headlight module 10 of this disclosure are lit. When all the light-emitting units 110 are lit, the light spots corresponding to multiple light-emitting units 110 overlap, so that the light spot finally projected by the outer lens 300 is a long rectangular light spot extending along the first direction X.

[0066] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the high beam pattern of the vehicle headlight module 10 after the two middle light-emitting units 110 are turned off. When the two middle light-emitting units 110 are turned off, a dark area will be formed in the high beam pattern. The dark area has a clear boundary and a regular shape, which enables the vehicle headlight module 10 to achieve a better adaptive anti-glare function.

[0067] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, the distance between the emitting surface of the light-emitting unit 110 and the first light-incident surface 221 is greater than 0.5mm. Since the light guide 200 can be made of transparent plastic materials such as polymethacrylimide (PMI) or polycarbonate (PC), setting the distance between the emitting surface of the light-emitting unit 110 and the first light-incident surface 221 to be greater than 0.5mm can prevent the heat of the light-emitting unit 110 from being directly transferred to the light guide 200, thus avoiding heat melting or deformation of the light guide 200. This is beneficial to improving the heat dissipation performance and reliability of the vehicle lamp module 10. Optionally, the distance between the emitting surface of the light-emitting unit 110 and the first light-incident surface 221 can be 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm, 1mm, etc., and can be flexibly designed according to the specific situation.

[0068] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, the length of the light guide portion 220 along the axial direction of the optical axis L of the outer lens 300 is less than or equal to 3 mm. Since the light guide portion 220 collimates visible light only in the first direction X through total internal reflection, and controls the divergence angle of visible light in the second direction Z through the first light-emitting surface 211, the length of the light guide portion 220 can be reduced. This helps to reduce the processing difficulty of the light guide component 200, lower costs, and improve yield. Optionally, the length of the light guide portion 220 can be 3 mm, 2.9 mm, 2.8 mm, 2.7 mm, 2.6 mm, etc.

[0069] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the outer lens 300 includes a second light-incident surface 350 and a second light-exiting surface 360. The second light-incident surface 350 is located between the second light-exiting surface 360 ​​and the first light-exiting surface 211. In the second direction Z, the line connecting the center of the second light-incident surface 350 and the center of the second light-exiting surface 360 ​​does not coincide with the optical axis L of the outer lens 300.

[0070] Since the first light-emitting surface 211 of the light guide 200 is a freeform surface, it collimates light rays in the first direction X and forms light rays with a preset divergence angle in the second direction Z, resulting in a center offset in the light beam emitted from the first light-emitting surface 211. In this embodiment, the optical axis L of the outer lens 300 is also set to an offset state. Firstly, the initial deviation of the light beam emitted from the first light-emitting surface 211 can be compensated by asymmetric refraction, so that as much light as possible from the first light-emitting surface 211 enters the outer lens 300, reducing the problem of light leakage at the edges, thereby improving the light utilization rate. Secondly, it can further achieve precise control of the light beam emitted from the first light-emitting surface 211 in the second direction Z, which also helps to improve the uniformity of the light intensity distribution of the high beam pattern.

[0071] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the second light-incident surface 350 is a plane, the second light-exiting surface 360 ​​is a convex curved surface, and the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit 110, the first light-incident surface 221, and the second light-incident surface 350 are parallel to each other. With this configuration, only the curved surface of the second light-exiting surface 360 ​​needs to be designed, which helps to reduce the processing difficulty of the outer lens 300 and improve design convenience.

[0072] In other embodiments, both the second light-incident surface 350 and the second light-exiting surface 360 ​​are convex curved surfaces. With this configuration, the light emitted from the first light-exiting surface 211 can be precisely controlled by designing the second light-incident surface 350 and the second light-exiting surface 360, thereby improving the illumination effect of the high-beam pattern projected by the outer lens 300.

[0073] In some embodiments, the outer lens 300 has a width greater than 50 mm in the first direction X and a height greater than 25 mm in the second direction Z. This configuration ensures that the outer lens 300 has a certain size to receive all the emitted light from the first light-emitting surface 211, so that the light intensity and luminous flux of the projected far-beam pattern meet the illumination requirements.

[0074] In some embodiments, the second light-emitting surface 360 ​​of the outer lens 300 is provided with a microstructure pattern, wherein the edge shape of the microstructure pattern can be rectangular, rhomboid, or other polygonal shapes, and each microstructure pattern can be a convex curved surface, a concave curved surface, or a plane. This is beneficial to further improve the uniformity of the emitted beam pattern.

[0075] Secondly, this disclosure provides a vehicle lamp including the vehicle lamp module 10 described in the first aspect. This configuration reduces the length of the light guide 220, making it a short-sized light guide. This firstly reduces the processing and assembly difficulty of the light guide 200, thereby improving the manufacturing yield of the vehicle lamp. Secondly, the material requirements for the light guide 220 and the light guide substrate 210 are reduced, allowing the use of lower-cost transparent plastic materials, which also helps to lower the manufacturing cost of the vehicle lamp.

[0076] In some embodiments, the vehicle headlight typically also includes a housing for accommodating the headlight module 10. To ensure the high beam pattern projected by the headlight module 10 meets the vehicle's lighting requirements, the mounting angle of the headlight module 10 within the housing can be adjusted. For example, if the high beam projected by the headlight module 10 deviates too much from the horizontal plane, resulting in poor ground illumination, the entire headlight module 10 can be rotated downwards relative to the housing about a first direction X as its axis by a certain angle, such as 1° or 2°. Similarly, if the high beam projected by the headlight module 10 deviates too much from the horizontal plane, resulting in poor illumination of distant objects, the entire headlight module 10 can be rotated upwards relative to the housing about a first direction X as its axis by a certain angle, such as 1° or 2°. This ensures the headlight's lighting effect meets regulatory requirements. Here, "upper" refers to the direction away from the ground, "lower" refers to the direction closer to the ground, the first direction X can be the left-right direction of the vehicle, and the second direction Z can be the vehicle's height direction.

[0077] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlight module, comprising: The light source includes a plurality of light-emitting units arranged along a first direction, the light-emitting units being used to emit visible light; A light guide includes a light guide substrate and a plurality of light guide portions disposed on the side of the light guide substrate near the light source. Each light guide portion includes a first light incident surface and a first total reflection surface and a second total reflection surface disposed on opposite sides of the first light incident surface along the first direction. Each first light incident surface is disposed opposite to the light emitting surface of a light emitting unit. The light guide substrate includes a first light emitting surface extending linearly along the first direction. The first light emitting surface is a free-form surface with continuous curvature. The first light-incident surface is used to refract visible light into the light guide. The first total reflection surface and the second total reflection surface are convex curved surfaces. The first total reflection surface and the second total reflection surface are used to collimate visible light into parallel light along the first direction and emit it through the first light-emitting surface. The first light-emitting surface is used to refract visible light into emitted light with a preset divergence angle along the second direction. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. An outer lens is disposed on the side of the light guide away from the light source. The outer lens is used to receive the emitted light from the first light-emitting surface and project it into a high-beam pattern.

2. The vehicle headlight module according to claim 1, wherein, Along the second direction, the optical axis of the outer lens coincides with the light-emitting center of the light-emitting unit; The divergence angle of the first refracted beam after the visible light is refracted through the first incident surface is greater than or equal to -41° and less than or equal to 41°. Along the second direction, the divergence angle of the second refracted beam after the first refracted beam is refracted by the first light-emitting surface is greater than or equal to -22° and less than or equal to 7.5°.

3. The vehicle headlight module according to claim 2, wherein, Along the second direction, as the angle of deflection between the light rays in the first refracted beam and the optical axis gradually increases from -8° to 41°, the angle of deflection between the light rays in the second refracted beam and the optical axis gradually increases from -8° to +7.5°. As the angle of deflection of the light rays in the first refracted beam relative to the optical axis gradually decreases from -8° to -41°, the angle of deflection of the light rays in the second refracted beam relative to the optical axis gradually decreases from -8° to -22°.

4. The vehicle headlight module according to claim 3, wherein, The visible light includes a first ray and a second ray, wherein: Along the second direction, the angle between the first ray and the optical axis is 0°, and the angle between the first ray and the optical axis after exiting the first light-emitting surface is -6.4°. The angle between the first refracted ray after the second ray is refracted by the first incident surface and the optical axis is 18°, and the angle between the second refracted ray after the first refracted ray is 0° and the optical axis is 0°.

5. The vehicle headlight module according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The light guide substrate further includes a first side surface and a second side surface disposed on opposite sides of the first light emitting surface along the first direction, and the first side surface and the second side surface are provided with a textured structure. And / or, the light guide substrate further includes a first plane opposite to the first light emitting surface, the light guide portion is disposed on the first plane, the first plane has a first area that does not overlap with the light guide portion, and the first area is provided with a textured structure; And / or, the outer lens includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, the first sidewall and the second sidewall being disposed on opposite sides of the outer lens along the first direction, the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall being disposed on opposite sides of the outer lens along the second direction, and the first sidewall, the second sidewall, the third sidewall, and the fourth sidewall being provided with a textured structure.

6. The vehicle headlight module according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The light guide substrate further includes a first plane opposite to the first light-emitting surface, the light guide portion is disposed on the first plane, and the focal point of the outer lens is located in the first plane.

7. The vehicle headlight module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The distance between the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting unit and the first light-incident surface is greater than 0.5 mm; And / or, the length of the light guide portion along the axial direction of the optical axis of the outer lens is less than or equal to 3 mm.

8. The vehicle headlight module according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The outer lens includes a second light-incident surface and a second light-outcident surface. The second light-incident surface is located between the second light-outcident surface and the first light-outcident surface. Along the second direction, the line connecting the midpoint of the second light-incident surface and the midpoint of the second light-outcident surface does not coincide with the optical axis of the outer lens.

9. The vehicle headlight module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second light-incident surface is a plane, the second light-emitting surface is a convex curved surface, and the light-emitting surface, the first light-incident surface, and the second light-incident surface of the light-emitting unit are parallel to each other; Alternatively, both the second light-incident surface and the second light-exit surface may be convex curved surfaces.

10. The vehicle lighting module according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The second light-emitting surface of the outer lens is provided with a microstructure pattern.

11. The vehicle headlight module according to claim 10, wherein, The edge shape of the microstructure pattern is rectangular or rhomboid, and each microstructure pattern is a convex curved surface, an inward curved surface, or a plane.

12. The vehicle headlight module according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein, The first total reflection surface and the second total reflection surface of two adjacent light guides are connected by an arc surface with a radius greater than 0.2 mm.

13. The vehicle headlight module according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein, The outer lens has a width greater than 50 mm in the first direction and a height greater than 25 mm in the second direction.

14. A vehicle light, comprising a vehicle light module as described in any one of claims 1-13.

15. The vehicle light according to claim 14, wherein, It also includes a housing that accommodates the headlight module, the mounting angle of which is adjustable.

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