Headlight module for motor vehicle, reflector for such a module, and headlight equipped with this module

• US 20050180153A1
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Albou, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,186,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/507
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/147 the main emission direction of the LED being angled to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/32 Optical layout thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

Headlight module for a motor vehicle comprising a light source having a planar surface, immersed in a volume of transparent material having a refractive index greater than 1, and a reflector comprising a focus situated at a point of the source chosen so that the light rays emitted by this point are diverted by refraction on emerging from the transparent volume in order to pass into the air, and the reflector is constructed so that these diverted light rays, after reflection on the reflector, become parallel to a predetermined direction.

Claims

1. Headlight module for a motor vehicle, comprising a light source having a planar surface, immersed in a volume of transparent material having a refractive index greater than 1, and a reflector comprising a focus situated at a point of the source, wherein the point of the light source situated at the focus of the reflector is chosen so that the light rays emitted by this point are diverted by refraction by emerging from the transparent volume in order to pass into the air, and in that the reflector is constructed so that these diverted light rays, after reflection on the reflector, become substantially parallel to a predetermined direction.

4. Headlight module according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode immersed in a hemispherical volume of transparent material having a planar base turned in the opposite direction to the reflector.

5. Headlight module according to claim 1, wherein the focus of the reflector is situated at a point adjacent to one edge of the light source so that a light beam with cut-off is obtained.

6. Headlight module according to claim 5, wherein the focus is situated at a point adjoining the top (or front) edge of the light source for a beam with cut-off below a horizontal line, in particular for a main beam or DRL function.

7. Headlight module according to claim 5, wherein the focus is situated at a point close to the bottom (or rear) edge of the light source for a beam with a cut-off above a horizontal line.

8. Reflector for a headlight module according claim 1, wherein the surface of the reflector is such that light rays issuing from a point situated at the focus, and refracted on emerging from a volume of transparent material surrounding the focus, become after reflection parallel to a predetermined direction.

9. Headlight for a motor vehicle comprising at least one module according to claim 1.

10. Headlight according to claim 9, comprising several modules giving individually beams with different characteristics for producing a satisfactory overall beam.

2. Headlight module for a motor vehicle, comprising a light source immersed in a volume of the volume of revolution type or of the hemispherical type made from transparent material having a refractive index greater than 1, and a reflector comprising a focus situated at a point of the source, wherein the point of the light source situated at the focus of the reflector is away from the centre of the hemispherical volume, and the reflector comprises a stigmatic surface between the point of the source and a straight-line segment situated in front of or behind the surface of the reflector.

3. Headlight module for a motor vehicle, comprising a light source immersed in a hemispherical volume of transparent material having a refractive index greater than 1, and a reflector comprising a focus situated at a point of the source, wherein the point of the light source situated at the focus of the reflector is away from the centre of the hemispherical volume, the reflector being constructed so that, by substituting for the point of the light source a frosted point of the planar base of the hemispherical volume and illuminating this frosted point with a laser beam, there is obtained with the optical system comprising the hemispherical volume and the reflector a beam to infinity formed by a horizontal segment or by a point.