Headlight lens for a motor vehicle headlight

• US 20050207164A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Docter Optics Se
• Original Assignee: Docter Optics GmbH
• Inventors: Holtz, Steffen, Willke, Alois
• Granted Patent: US 7,303,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/487
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/255 Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/275 Lens surfaces, e.g. coatings or surface structures

Abstract

The present invention relates to a headlight lens for a vehicle headlight having a light source, in particular for a motor vehicle headlight, as well as a vehicle headlight, in particular a motor vehicle headlight, having a light source and a headlight lens. The headlight lens including a lens body is made of a transparent material, which includes a surface to face the light source and a surface to face away from the light source. The headlight lens having an emblem, on the surface to face the light source, having a basal surface, which, with respect to the surface to face the light source or with respect to an optical axis of the headlight lens, is sloped in such a way that light entering into the lens body through the surface to face away from the light source parallel to the optical axis of the headlight lens is subject to a total reflection at the basal surface.

Claims

1. A headlight lens for a vehicle headlight having a light source, in particular for a motor vehicle headlight, the headlight lens including:

a lens body made of a transparent material, which includes a surface to face the light source and a surface to face away from the light source; and

an emblem, situated on the surface to face the light source, having a basal surface, which, with respect to the surface to face the light source or with respect to an optical axis of the headlight lens, is sloped in such a way that light entering into the lens body through the surface to face away from the light source parallel to the optical axis of the headlight lens is subject to a total reflection at the basal surface.

2. The headlight lens as recited in claim 1, wherein the basal surface is offset by between 0.2 mm and 6 mm with respect to the surface to face the light source.

3. The headlight lens as recited in claim 1, wherein the emblem extends in a relief-like manner beyond a part of the surface to face the light source or of the surface to face away from the light source or is situated in a recess in the lens body.

4. The headlight lens as recited in claim 3, wherein the emblem extends in a relief-like manner beyond a bottom surface of the recess.

5. The headlight lens as recited in claim 1, wherein a projection of the basal surface onto the surface to face the light source covers less than 30% of the surface to face the light source or a projection of the basal surface onto the surface to face away from the light source covers less than 30% of the surface to face away from the light source.

6. The headlight lens as recited in claim 1, wherein the surface to face the light source or the surface to face away from the light source includes:

a region having a roughness of at least 0.05 μ

m.

7. A headlight lens for a vehicle headlight having a light source, in particular for a motor vehicle headlight, the headlight lens including:

a lens body made of a transparent material, which includes a surface to face the light source and a surface to face away from the light source; and

an emblem, situated on the surface to face the light source, having a basal surface, which, with respect to the surface to face the light source, is sloped at an angle between 25° and

80°

or, with respect to an optical axis of the headlight lens, is sloped at an angle between 30° and

550.

8. The headlight lens as recited in claim 7, wherein the basal surface is offset by between 0.2 mm and 6 mm with respect to the surface to face the light source.

9. The headlight lens as recited in claim 7, wherein the emblem extends in a relief-like manner beyond a part of the surface to face the light source or of the surface to face away from the light source or is situated in a recess in the lens body.

10. The headlight lens as recited in claim 9, wherein the emblem extends in a relief-like manner beyond a bottom surface of the recess.

11. The headlight lens as recited in claim 7, wherein a projection of the basal surface onto the surface to face the light source covers less than 30% of the surface to face the light source or a projection of the basal surface onto the surface to face away from the light source covers less than 30% of the surface to face away from the light source.

12. The headlight lens as recited in claim 7, wherein the surface to face the light source or the surface to face away from the light source includes:

a region having a roughness of at least 0.05 μ

m.

13. A headlight lens for a vehicle headlight having a light source, in particular for a motor vehicle headlight, the headlight lens including

a lens body made of a transparent material, which includes an essentially flat surface and an essentially convex surface;

and

an emblem, situated on the essentially flat surface, having a basal surface,

which, with respect to the essentially flat surface or with respect to an optical axis of the headlight lens, is sloped in such a way that light entering into the lens body through the essentially convex surface parallel to the optical axis of the headlight lens is subject to a total reflection at the basal surface, or

which, with respect to the essentially flat surface, is sloped at an angle between 25° and

80°

or, with respect to an optical axis of the headlight lens, is sloped at an angle between 30° and

55°

.

14. The headlight lens as recited in claim 13, wherein the basal surface is offset by between 0.2 mm and 6 mm with respect to the essentially flat surface.

15. The headlight lens as recited in claim 13, wherein the emblem extends in a relief-like manner beyond a part of the essentially flat surface or of the essentially convex surface or is situated in a recess in the lens body.

16. The headlight lens as recited in claim 15, wherein the emblem extends in a relief-like manner beyond a bottom surface of the recess.

17. The headlight lens as recited in claim 13, wherein a projection of the basal surface onto the essentially flat surface covers less than 30% of the essentially flat surface or a projection of the basal surface onto the essentially convex surface covers less than 30% of the essentially convex surface.

18. The headlight lens as recited in claim 13, wherein the essentially flat surface or the essentially convex surface includes:

a region having a roughness of at least 0.05 μ

m.

19. A vehicle headlight, in particular a motor vehicle headlight, the vehicle headlight including:

a light source;

a lens made of a transparent material, which includes a surface facing the light source and a surface facing away from the light source; and

an emblem, situated on the surface facing the light source, having a basal surface,

which, with respect to an optical axis of the headlight lens, is sloped in such a way that light entering into the lens body through the surface facing away from the light source parallel to the optical axis of the headlight lens is subject to a total reflection at the basal surface, or

which, with respect to the surface facing the light source, is sloped at an angle between 25° and

80°

or, with respect to an optical axis of the headlight lens, is sloped at an angle between 30° and

55°

.

20. The vehicle headlight as recited in claim 19, wherein the basal surface is offset by between 0.2 mm and 6 mm with respect to the surface facing the light source.

21. The vehicle headlight as recited in claim 19, wherein the emblem extends in a relief-like manner beyond a part of the surface facing the light source or of the surface facing away from the light source or being situated in a recess in the lens body.

22. The vehicle headlight as recited in claim 21, wherein the emblem extends in a relief-like manner beyond a bottom surface of the recess.

23. The vehicle headlight as recited in claim 19, wherein a projection of the basal surface onto the surface facing the light source covers less than 30% of the surface facing the light source or a projection of the basal surface onto the surface facing away from the light source covers less than 30% of the surface facing away from the light source.

24. A motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including;

a vehicle headlight as recited in claim 19.

25. A headlight lens for a vehicle headlight having a light source, in particular for a motor vehicle headlight, the headlight lens including:

a lens body made of a transparent material, which includes a surface to face the light source and a surface to face away from the light source; and

an emblem, situated on the surface to face the light source, having a basal surface, which is offset by between 0.2 mm and 6 mm with respect to the surface to face the light source or with respect to the surface to face away from the light source.