Lighting and/or signalling device with optical guide for a motor vehicle

• US 20050276565A1
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Bourdin, David, De Lamberterie, Antoine
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/146
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/237 rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/245 emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/247 with a single light source being coupled into the light guide

Abstract

Lighting and/or signalling device with optical guides for a motor vehicle.

The invention concerns a lighting and/or signalling device for a motor vehicle comprising at least one light source emitting a light beam and at least one optical guide in which the light beam propagates, said optical guide comprising an output face for the light beam, and another reflection face, opposite to the output face, having a serrated profile forming a reflection face for the light beam, notably comprising a series of prisms, each prism forming, with the following prism (8), a bottom angle (D). At least one bottom angle of the reflection face is truncated, and/or in that the output face has a profile comprising flutes.

Claims

1. Lighting and/or signalling device for a motor vehicle comprising at least one light source emitting a light beam and at least one optical guide in which the light beam propagates, said optical guide comprising

an output face for the light beam, and

another reflection face, opposite to the output face, having a serrated profile forming a reflection face for the light beam

wherein

the reflection face comprises a series of prisms, each prism forming, with the following prism, a bottom angle, said at least one bottom angle of the reflection face being truncated,

and/or the output face has a profile comprising flutes.

2. Lighting and/or signaling device according to claim 1, where at least some of the bottom angles of the reflection face comprise a truncated area, the size of the truncated area being variable from one angle to another.

3. Lighting and/or signaling device according to claim 2, wherein the size of the truncated areas of the reflection face decreases as the distance from the light source increases.

4. Lighting and/or signaling device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection face comprises both prisms with a truncated bottom angle and prisms with a non truncated bottom angle.

5. Lighting and/or signaling device according to claim 1, wherein the prisms of the reflection face have variable pitches and a constant height.

6. Lighting and/or signaling device according to claim 1, wherein the prism of the reflection face have a constant pitch and variable heights.

7. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 5, wherein the pitch of the prisms of the reflection faced has a size less than or equal to 2.5 millimetres, in particular of the order of 0.2 to 2 millimetres.

8. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 5, wherein the height of the prisms of the reflection face is less than or equal to 2.5 millimetres, in particular of the order of 0.2 to 2 millimetres.

9. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the prisms of the reflection face are symmetrical.

10. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the prisms of the reflection race are dissymmetrical.

11. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein each flute of the output face is situated opposite a prism of the reflection face.

12. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the flutes of the output face, or a least one of them, each have a curved shape, in particular in an arc of a circle.

13. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the flutes of the output face, or a least one of them, each have the shape of a prism, in particular with plane facets.

14. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 13, wherein the prisms of the output face are symmetrical or dissymmetrical.

15. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the flutes of the output face each comprise a curved facet and a plane facet.

16. Lighting or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein the flutes of the output face are contiguous or non-contiguous.

17. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein each flute of the output face forms a flute angle with an axis of the optical guide, of the order of 1°

to 30°

.

18. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein it comprises at least two light sources each placed at one end of the optical guide.

19. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 1, wherein it comprises several optical guides having a common intersection, at least one light source being situated at this intersection point.

20. Lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 6, wherein the pitch of the prisms of the reflection face has a size less than or equal to 2.5 millimetres, in particular of the order of 0.2 to 2 millimetres.