Led headlight for a motor vehicle

• US 20060164853A1
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Moisel, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 7,534,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/545
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/13 Ultraviolet light; Infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/153 arranged in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/28 Cover glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The invention relates to a headlight for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing and a plurality of LED-chips (1) that are configured so as to give an asymmetric array (5) and that are disposed on a common support. Said LED-chips (1) are combined with a lens system (2) that works as a common converging lens into an LED-module (3) and the LED-chips (1) are disposed in the area of the focal plane of the lens system (2). The vehicle headlight allows for an asymmetric light distribution while having a compact design.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A vehicle headlight with

multiple LEDs provided on a carrier and organized into array,

at least one optical element functioning as common collection lens, and

a housing,

wherein this overall array has an asymmetric design arrived at by starting with an overall symmetric design and providing therein at least one area with non-functional or missing LEDs,

wherein the LEDs are LED-chips, and

wherein the array and optical element are assembled into a LED-module.

19. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein the LED-chips are disposed in the region of the focal plane of the lens.

20. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein the vertical angle of beam spread φ

of the headlight is less than 5° and

the horizontal angle of beam spread φ

of the vehicle headlight lies in the range of less than 20°

.

21. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein an optically transparent material is cast into the LED-module.

22. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein the LED-chips are hard wired together and this hard wiring or hard circuit is bonded to the carrier.

23. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein LED-chips are arranged in the LED-module in a hexagonal, quadratic or square pattern.

24. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein the asymmetric array exhibits a design which corresponds to an asymmetric distribution of the vehicle headlight beam.

25. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein the LED-chip of the LED-module emits exclusively IR radiation, or IR radiation with visible light, or exclusively visible light.

26. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein a part of the LED-chip is provided with only IR emitting and another part with visible light emitting LEDs.

27. The vehicle headlight according to claim 26, wherein these IR and visible LEDs are arranged alternating in the asymmetric ray.

28. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein a part of the LED-chip emits only IR radiation and another part only visible light, and the one part is separated from the other part in an asymmetric array.

29. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, comprising multiple LED-modules, which are arranged in one plane.

30. The vehicle headlight according to claim 29, wherein the LED-modules contact each other.

31. The vehicle headlight according to claim 30, wherein the LED-modules are releasably connected with each other.

32. The vehicle headlight according to claim 29, wherein the LED-modules are provided upon a common carrier which is shaped or has circuitry which is vehicle-specific.

33. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein multiple LED-modules are provided, which corresponding to the curvature of a curved vehicle surface

34. The vehicle headlight according to claim 33, wherein the LED-modules contact each other.

35. The vehicle headlight according to claim 34, wherein the LED-modules are releasably connected with each other.

36. The vehicle headlight according to claim 33, wherein the LED-modules are provided upon a common carrier which is shaped or has circuitry which is vehicle-specific.

37. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein multiple LED-modules are associated with a common supplemental optical element, which cooperates collectively with the lenses of each module.

38. The vehicle headlight according to claim 18, wherein LED-chips are laser diodes or laser diodes with vertical resonators.