Automobile headlight and optical unit with hyperbolic reflector and plano-convex or toric convergent lens

• US 6,123,440 A
• Filed: 12/04/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Albou, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELGIZZI, RONALD ERNEST
• Application Number:
  US09/205,737
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 362/516, 362/518, 362/522, 362/297, 362/309, 362/328, 362/335, 362/346
• US Class Current: 362/516
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/255 Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/321 the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/07 with hyperbolic curvature

Abstract

A lighting device (100) for an automobile has a light source (101), a reflector (102), and a convergent lens (103) positioned in front of the reflector in order to form an illuminating light beam. The reflector is of the hyperbolic type with an internal focus (F₁), and an external focus (F₂) positioned behind said reflector in a region of the focus of said convergent lens, the light source being placed in a region of the internal focus of said reflector so that the latter forms a virtual light source in the region of the focus of said convergent lens.

Claims

1. A lighting device for an automobile comprising a light source, a reflector associated with the light source, and a covergent lens positioned in front of the reflector and the light source in order to form an illuminating light beam, said reflector being of a hyperbolic type with an internal focus and an external focus positioned behind said reflector in a region of the focus of said convergent lens, the light source being placed in a region of the internal focus of said reflector so that the latter forms a virtual light source in the region of the focus of said convergent lens.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the convergent lens has dimensions at least equal to those of the front opening of said reflector.

3. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the convergent lens is a plano-convex lens.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the convergent lens is a toric lens.

5. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the reflector has roughly vertical serrations providing the horizontal spread of the illuminating light beam issuing from the lighting device.

13. The lighting device according to claim 3 wherein the plano-convex lens has a diameter in the range of 60-120 mm.

14. The lighting device according to claim 3 wherein the plano-convex lens has a diameter of approximately 90 mm.

15. The lighting device according to claim 3 wherein the plano-convex lens has a thickness in the range of 5-30 mm.

16. The lighting device according to claim 3 wherein the plano-convex lens has a thickness of approximately 10 mm.

17. The lighting device according to claim 3 wherein the depth of the lighting device as measured from an apex of the reflector to the lens is in the range of 70-100 mm.

18. The lighting device according to claim 3 wherein the depth of the lighting device as measured from an apex of the reflector to the lens is approximately 70 mm.

6. A lighting device for an automobile comprising a light source, a reflector associated with the light source, and a covergent lens positioned in front of the reflector and the light source in order to form an illuminating light beam, said reflector being of a hyperbolic type with an internal focus, and an external focus positioned behind said reflector in a region of the focus of said convergent lens, the light source being placed in a region of the internal focus of said reflector so that the latter forms a virtual light source in the region of the focus of said convergent lens wherein the reflector is configured so that it has a hyperbolic horizontal section containing the optical axis of said lighting device, with an internal focus and an external focus situated behind the reflector, and each vertical section containing at least one light ray reflected by said hyperbolic horizontal section, which follows a hyperbola whose internal focus corresponds to the internal focus of said hyperbolic horizontal section, and whose external focus is situated behind the external focus of said hyperbolic horizontal section, all the external foci of the different hyperbolic vertical sections of said reflector being situated on a portion of a circle whose centre is positioned in a region of the external focus of said hyperbolic horizontal section.

7. The lighting device of claim 6, wherein the convergent lens has dimensions at least equal to those of the front opening of said reflector.

8. The lighting device of claim 6, wherein the convergent lens is a plano-convex lens.

9. The lighting device of claim 6, wherein the convergent lens is a toric lens.

10. The lighting device of claim 6, wherein the reflector has roughly vertical serrations providing the horizontal spread of the illuminating light beam issuing from the lighting device.

11. An optical unit for an automobile, which has a first lighting device fulfilling the function of dipped headlight or foglight, comprising a reflector of the elliptical type carrying a light source in the region of its internal focus, and a convergent lens whose focus is situated in a region of the external focus of said reflector, and a second lighting device fulfilling the main-beam function, the two lighting devices being disposed side by side, the second lighting device comprising a light source, a reflector associated with the light source, and a covergent lens positioned in front of the reflector and the light source in order to form an illuminating light beam, said reflector being of a hyperbolic type with an internal focus, and an external focus positioned behind said reflector in a region of the focus of said convergent lens, the light source being placed in a region of the internal focus of said reflector so that the latter forms a virtual light source in the region of the focus of said convergent lens.

12. The optical unit of claim 11, wherein the convergent lens of the second lighting device is positioned adjacent to the convergent lens of the first lighting device.