Automobile headlight device fitted with electroluminescent diodes

• US 20040156211A1
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Blusseau, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/771,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156211A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/545
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/148 the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/335 with continuity at the junction between adjacent areas
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/00 Exterior vehicle lighting devices for illuminating purposes
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/30 Fog lights
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/20 of different form
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The object of the invention is a headlight device, the intention of which is to emit at least one type of luminous beam, comprising at least one luminous source and at least one reflecting surface, to reflect luminous rays produced by the luminous source, the luminous source, or at least one of the luminous sources, comprising at least one element of the electroluminescent diode type.

Claims

1. - Headlight device, the intention of which is to emit at least one type of luminous beam, comprising at least one luminous source and at least one reflecting surface, to reflect luminous rays produced by the luminous source, wherein the luminous source or at least one of the luminous sources comprises at least one element of the electroluminescent diode type.

2. - Headlight device in accordance with claim 1, which emits at least one luminous beam of the same type as those emitted by a dipped headlight, or by a sidelight or by a main-beam headlight, or by a fog light, or corresponding to one of the functions known as AFS, or to a DRL function.

3. - Headlight device according to claim 1, wherein each element of the electroluminescent diode type is oriented in such a way that at least one part of its ray propagation reaches, on the reflecting surface, a specific area of reflection which is dedicated to it, each specific area being more specially intended to fulfil a particular contribution in the production of the luminous beam.

4. - Headlight device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the different specific areas of reflection are sectionalized.

5. - Headlight device according to claim 3, wherein the particular contribution is either a contribution of range, or a contribution of breadth, or a contribution of comfort.

6. - Headlight device according to claim 3, wherein each electroluminescent diode, of the headlight device is oriented so that the totality of its ray propagation reaches the specific area of reflection which is dedicated to it.

7. - Headlight device according to claim 5, wherein at least two electroluminescent diodes are used for the contribution of range, the number of electroluminescent diodes being understood to be, for example, between 2 and 20, or between 4 and 14.

8. - Headlight device according to claim 3, wherein at least one specific area of reflection intended for a contribution of range, is a non-horizontal area of the reflecting surface.

9. - Headlight device according to claim 1, wherein the luminous source or at least one of the luminous sources is supplemented by an element giving out rays of the halogen-lamp type or of the discharge-lamp (xenon-lamp) type.

10. - Headlight device in accordance with claim 9, wherein the element giving out rays of the halogen-lamp type or of the xenon-lamp type radiates onto a specific area of reflection which is dedicated to it, the said area being preferably used for a contribution of range.

11. - Headlight device according to claim 1, wherein the switching on of at least one element of the electroluminescent diode type can be controlled independently of the switching on of the other elements of the luminous source.

12. - Headlight device according to claim 1, wherein the different electroluminescent diodes are grouped together, for example in a cylinder shaped arrangement, or are separate from each other.

13. - Device according to claim 1, wherein the diodes are associated with reflecting surfaces composed of matrices of mirrors.

14. - Headlight device in accordance with claim 4, wherein each element of the electroluminescent diode type is set up in a section of the reflecting surface which is dedicated to it, the said section comprising one of the specific areas of reflection, the different sections being set up in an adjacent or in a separate manner.

15. - Motor vehicle fitted with a headlight device in accordance with claim 1.