Vehicle Headlamp with Orthogonal Mirror Optics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle headlights with optically active bodies lack efficient methods to prevent dispersion and chromatic aberration while maintaining compactness and precise imaging, especially when dynamically changing light distributions are required.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle headlight design featuring a light module with a DMD module and an optically active body with flat, orthogonally aligned light entry and exit surfaces, utilizing two mirror surfaces within the body to reflect light beams orthogonally, eliminating refractive elements and ensuring a high-resolution, achromatic final light distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If refractive imaging lenses are used to project light distribution, then imaging precision can be achieved, but the system becomes bulky and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple optical functions (light shaping, imaging, and projection) into a single optically effective body made from one casting. This integration eliminates the need for separate refractive imaging lenses and multiple light-shaping elements, achieving compact dimensions while maintaining high imaging precision through the unified optical design with two mirror surfaces.
2Ease of operation
If multiple separate light-shaping elements are used, then light distribution can be controlled, but positioning errors and tolerance sensitivity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple light-shaping functions into a single optically effective body with two integrated mirror surfaces. This eliminates positioning errors between separate elements and reduces tolerance sensitivity, as all light-shaping operations occur within one monolithic structure manufactured from a single casting.
3Use of energy by moving object
If light rays incident at oblique angles onto the light entrance surface, then light can enter the optically active body, but refraction-induced dispersion and chromatic aberration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the light entrance surface as planar and orthogonal to the incident parallel light rays, creating an equipotential interface where all rays strike at the same angle (zero incidence angle). This eliminates refraction-induced dispersion and chromatic aberration that would occur with oblique incidence, while maintaining efficient light transmission into the optically active body.
4Ease of operation
If the optically effective body uses curved surfaces to shape light, then light distribution can be controlled, but the manufacturing complexity and precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the light-shaping function into two distinct mirror surfaces within the optically effective body, each with specific geometric configurations. This segmentation allows for more manageable manufacturing of individual surface profiles while achieving complex light distribution patterns through the combined action of both surfaces, reducing overall manufacturing complexity compared to a single complex curved surface.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design achieves a compact, precise, and aberration-free high-resolution light distribution, capable of illuminating or hiding individual segments with angular widths less than 1°, maintaining constant or variable resolution across the field of view, and preventing dispersion and chromatic aberration.
Implementation Method 1
the DMD module is configured to reflect the parallel directed light of the light source system and thus to emit the high-resolution, dynamically variable intermediate light distribution
Implementation Method 2
two spaced-apart light-shaping mirror surfaces are formed on or in the optically effective body, which are shaped in such a way as to that light entering the body through the light-entry surface and striking a second light-shaping mirror surface is reflected onto a first mirror surface and reflected via this first light-shaping mirror surface
Implementation Method 3
The parallel incidence of the light, in turn, ensures that, when using a flat light entrance surface, the angle of incidence of all light rays is the same. This fact is specifically utilized in the present invention by selecting, in normal operation, the direction of the light rays incident on the light entrance surface and designing the light entrance surface such that the light rays are incident on the light entrance surface at a right angle (i.e., orthogonally). This effectively avoids refraction-induced dispersion and chromatic aberration.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a high-resolution vehicle headlight (1), in particular a motor vehicle headlight, comprising: - a light module (2) for emitting a high-resolution, dynamically variable intermediate light distribution, and - an optical lens system (3) downstream of the light module (2) for projecting the intermediate light distribution emitted by the light module (2) in the form of a finite distribution onto an area located in front of the vehicle headlight, in particular a roadway (4), wherein the lens system (3) comprises an optically effective body (3a) made from a single casting with a light entry surface (LE) located on a first side (3a') and a light exit surface (LA) arranged on a second side (3a") spaced apart from it, wherein the optically effective body (3a) consists of a translucent material, the first (3a') and second side (3a") of which are each sectionally coated with a reflective material (3b',3b") are coated and shaped such that light entering the body (3a) via the light entry surface (LE) and striking a second mirror surface (3b") arranged on the second side (3a") is reflected onto a first mirror surface (3b') arranged on the first side (3a') - and is reflected again via this towards the second side (3a") and emitted outwards from the body (3a) through the light exit surface (LA) arranged on the second side (3a"), wherein the light module (2) for emitting the high-resolution dynamically variable intermediate light distribution comprises a light source system (2') for emitting parallel directed light rays and a DMD module (2c),wherein the DMD module (2c) is configured to reflect the parallel light of the light source system (2') and thus to emit the high-resolution, dynamically variable intermediate light distribution onto the light-intake surface (LE) of the optically effective body (3a), wherein the light-intake surface (LE) and the light-outtake surface of the optically effective body (3a) are planar and the DMD module (2c) and the optically effective body (3a) are oriented and configured relative to each other such that the light rays of the intermediate light distribution emitted by the DMD module (2c) incident orthogonally onto the light-intake surface (LE) of the optically effective body (3a), are shaped by the light-shaping second (3b") and first mirror surfaces (3b') and exit orthogonally through the light-outtake surface (LA) of the optically effective body (3a) to form the final distribution.