Illuminating device for vehicles

• US 5,567,032 A
• Filed: 11/16/1994
• Issued: 10/22/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Heizmann, Frieder
• Primary Examiner(s): Gromada, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan B.
• Application Number:
  US08/340,223
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 362/32, 362/37, 362/39, 362/41, 362/43, 362/44, 362/66, 362/71, 362/276, 362/802, 362/284, 362/324, 362/420, 362/425, 362/277, 362/319, 315/81-83
• US Class Current: 362/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0011 with light guides for distributing the light between several lighting or signalling devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/24 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/635 by moving refractors, filters or transparent cover plates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0005 the light guides being of the fibre type G02B6/0003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

An illuminating device for a vehicle has at least one light generating unit, at least one light distributing unit, at least one light conducting element connecting the units with one another, the light distributing unit being provided with at least one lens element for projecting and distributing light exiting from an end of the light conducting element associated with light distributing element, the units and the element being arranged so that a relative arrangement between the end of the light element associated with the light distributing element and also the lens element is changeable in a substantially horizontal direction for changing a distribution of light exiting the light conducting elements, and an adjusting device provided for changing the arrangement and activated by steering of the vehicle so that an illumination provided by the light distributing unit is increased in an actual driving direction.

Claims

1. An illuminating device for a vehicle, having at least one light generating unit;

at least one light distributing unit arranged separately from said at least one light distributing unit;

at least one light conducting element composed of light conducting fibers and connecting said units with one another, said light distributing unit being provided with at least one lens element for projecting and distributing light exiting from an end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit, said units and said element being arranged so that a relative arrangement between said end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit and also said lens element is changeable in a substantially horizontal direction for changing a distribution of light exiting said light conducting elements; and

an adjusting device provided for changing said arrangement and activated by steering of the vehicle so that an illumination provided by said light distributing unit is increased in an actual driving direction.

2. An illuminating device as defined in claim 1, wherein said end of said light conducting element and said lens element are located relative to one another in a definite first arrangement during a straight driving of the vehicle, while during a steering actuation said end of said light conducting element and said lens element are moved by said adjusting device to a definite second arrangement.

3. An illuminating device as defined in claim 1, wherein said adjusting device is formed so that the change of the arrangement of said end of said light conducting element and said lens element is performed continuously with a steering actuation.

4. An illuminating device as defined in claim 1, wherein said light distributing unit has a plurality of light distributing subunits each provided with one said lens element and with an associated one said light conducting element, said adjusting device being formed so that the change of the arrangement between said light conducting element and said lens element is performed in different light distributing subunits to a different extent.

5. An illuminating device as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a control device which detects a steering action and is connected with said adjusting device so as to activate said adjusting device in dependence of the detection of the steering action.

6. An illuminating device as defined in claim 5, wherein said control device is formed so that said control device supplies additional informations about a driving speed of the vehicle and activates said adjusting device additionally in dependence on the driving speed.

7. An illuminating device for a vehicle, having at least one light generating unit;

at least one light distributing unit;

at least one light conducting element connecting said units with one another, said light distributing unit being provided with at least one lens element for projecting and distributing light exiting from an end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit, said units and said element being arranged so that a relative arrangement between said end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit and also said lens element is changeable in a substantially horizontal direction for changing a distribution of light exiting said light conducting elements;

an adjusting device provided for changing said arrangement and activated by steering of the vehicle so that an illumination provided by said light distributing unit is increased in an actual driving direction; and

a second such light distributing unit arranged so that said light distributing units are to be located at sides of the vehicle and correspondingly at a traffic side and a counter traffic side, said adjusting device being formed so that during driving over a curve oriented toward the counter traffic side, only in said light distributing unit which faces the counter traffic side said light conducting element is moved from its arrangement for a straight driving toward the traffic side, while during driving over the curve oriented toward the counter traffic side only in the light distributing unit facing the traffic side said light conducting element is moved from its arrangement for a straight driving toward the counter traffic side.

8. An illuminating device for a vehicle, having at least one light generating unit;

at least one light distributing unit;

at least one light conducting element connecting said units with one another, said light distributing unit being provided with at least one lens element for projecting and distributing light exiting from an end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit, said units and said element being arranged so that a relative arrangement between said end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit and also said lens element is changeable in a substantially horizontal direction for changing a distribution of light exiting said light conducting elements;

an adjusting device provided for changing said arrangement and activated by steering of the vehicle so that an illumination provided by said light distributing unit is increased in an actual driving direction; and

a second such light distributing unit arranged so that said light distributing units are to be arranged at sides of the vehicle and face a counter traffic side and a traffic side correspondingly, said adjusting device being formed so that during driving over a curve oriented toward the counter traffic side, only in the light distributing units facing the counter traffic side said lens element is moved from its arrangement for a straight driving toward the counter traffic side, while during driving over the curve oriented toward the traffic side only in the light distributing unit facing the traffic side said lens element is moved from its position for a straight driving toward the traffic side.

9. An illuminating device for a vehicle, having at least one light generating unit;

at least one light distributing unit;

at least one light conducting element connecting said units with one another, said light distributing unit being provided with at least one lens element for projecting and distributing light exiting from an end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit, said units and said element being arranged so that a relative arrangement between said end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit and also said lens element is changeable in a substantially horizontal direction for changing a distribution of light exiting said light conducting elements; and

an adjusting device provided for changing said arrangement and activated by steering of the vehicle so that an illumination provided by said light distributing unit is increased in an actual driving direction, said adjusting device being activated additionally during an activation of a driving direction indicator of the vehicle so that an illumination provided by said light distributing unit is increased in a driving direction indicated by the driving direction indicator.

10. An illuminating device as defined in claim 9, wherein said adjusting device is formed so that said end of said light conducting element and said lens element is moved by said adjusting device from a first definite position with a non-actuated driving direction indicator to a second definite position during an actuation of the driving direction indicator.

11. An illuminating device for a vehicle, having at least one light generating unit;

at least one light distributing unit;

at least one light conducting element connecting said units with one another, said light distributing unit being provided with at least one lens element for projecting and distributing light exiting from an end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit, said units and said element being arranged so that a relative arrangement between said end of said light conducting element associated with said light distributing unit and also said lens element is changeable in a substantially horizontal direction for changing a distribution of light exiting said light conducting elements;

an adjusting device provided for changing said arrangement and activated by steering of the vehicle so that an illumination provided by said light distributing unit is increased in an actual driving direction;

a device for regulating a light and associated with said light distributing unit, said device for regulating including an evaluating device for detecting a vehicle inclination and a sensor device provided for sensing a light width or a value representing said light width and connected with said evaluating device; and

a further adjusting device connected with said device for regulating for adjusting said light distributing unit for changing said light width.

12. An illuminating device as defined in claim 11, wherein said further adjusting device is formed so as to change a relative arrangement between said light conducting element and said lens element in a vertical direction.

13. An illuminating device as defined in claim 11, wherein said further adjusting device is formed so that said light distributing unit is turnable about a horizontal axis.

14. An illuminating device as defined in claim 11;

and further comprising a second such light distributing unit arranged so that one of said light distributing units illuminates a traffic side while another of said light distributing units illuminates both the traffic side and the counter traffic side, said device for regulating a light width being associated with said light distributing unit illuminating the counter traffic side.