Light guiding headlight for a vehicle

• US 6,471,382 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HELLA KG Hueck & Co.
• Original Assignee: HELLA KG Hueck & Co.
• Inventors: Eichhorn, Karsten
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELGIZZI, RONALD ERNEST
• Application Number:
  US09/732,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20010006466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 362/511, 362/551, 362/552, 362/583, 362/554
• US Class Current: 362/511
• 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 41/675 by moving reflectors

Abstract

A lighting device for motor vehicles, having at least one light output element to produce a given light distribution, having at least one light source arranged at a distance from the light output element, having at least one optical fiber for connecting the light source to the light output element, where a plurality of light output elements are provided, and a light function selector is connected upstream for optional selection of the light output elements.

Claims

1. A lighting device for a vehicle, comprising:

at least one light output device for producing a light distribution and having a plurality of light output elements (LA₁, LA₂, LA₃, LA₄, . . . LA_n);

an upstream light function selector (1) for optional selection of the light output elements (LA₁, LA₂, LA₃, LA₄, . . . LA_n), said upstream light function selector (1) operatively connected to said at least one light output element;

at least one light source (LQ₁, LQ₂, . . . LQ_n) arranged at a distance from the light output element; and

at least one optical guide (5) for connecting the light source (LQ₁, LQ₂, . . . LQ_n) to the light output device, wherein said light function selector (1) is disposed between said light source (LQ₁, LQ₂, . . . LQ_n) and said optical guide, said light function selector (1) and said light source (LQ₁, LQ₂, . . . LQ_n) combined being a light input unit (2) into which said optical guide interfaces to receive light emitted from said light source (LQ₁, LQ₂, . . . LQ_n).

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light input unit (2) has a light deflecting element (10) which is provided for said at least one light source (LQ₁, LQ₂, . . . LQ_n) and is mounted to be pivotable.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the light deflecting element is a reflector (13) which can be brought into at least two light input positions, in which said light source (LQ₁, LQ₂, . . . LQ_n), mounted at a preferred point (focal point), is alignable with said at least one optical guide (5).

4. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein at least two light output elements (LA₁, LA₂, LA₃, LA₄ . . . LN₄), which produce a segmented basic light distribution (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d), are connected together to form a given light function (NL, AL, FL).

5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical guide (5) has a light outlet face (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), which is shaped so that it produces a basic light distribution (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) in conjunction with one of the light output elements (LA₁, LA₂, LA₃, LA₄, . . . LA_n).

6. The lighting device according to claim 5,wherein the number of said at least one optical guide (5), downstream from said light function selector (1) in the direction of propagation of light, corresponds to a number of light output elements (LA₁, LA₂, LA₃, LA₄, . . . LA_n).

7. The lighting device according claim 4, wherein the light distributions (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) are designed so that a light function (AL, FL, NL) can be produced by combining two light distributions (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d).

8. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein said light source (LQ₁, LQ₂, . . . LQ_n) is a gas discharge lamp.

9. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein said optical guide (5) is a two-armed optical fiber (5) having two component optical fibers fused together.