Motor vehicle headlight with light pipe

• US 6,547,428 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Delattre, Hugo
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US09/675,443
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 362/551, 362/554, 362/556, 362/581, 362/507, 362/511, 362/311, 362/516, 362/517, 362/520, 362/521, 362/296, 362/297, 362/346
• 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

Abstract

A headlight for a motor vehicle has a light source which illuminates the end of a light pipe. The light pipe has a number of transparent blades defining a plurality of oblique reflection facets cooperating with lenses. The transparent blades are bonded together at discrete points. Preferably, the bonding is accomplished with dots of glue, where each dot of glue has a diameter of between approximately 3 and 5 mm.

Claims

1. A method for producing a headlight for a motor vehicle, comprising:

bonding together at discrete points a plurality of transparent blades to form a single-piece light pipe, each transparent blade having an oblique reflection facet at one end, such that all the transparent blades in the light pipe are longitudinally aligned with their reflection facets on the same end;

mounting the light pipe on a blade support; and

combining the mounted light pipe with parts to form the headlight comprising;

a real light source,

a reflector to concentrate light from the real light source onto the end of the light pipe opposite the oblique reflection facets, thereby causing each oblique reflection facet to act as a virtual light source, and

a plurality of interface elements whose axes are parallel to the direction of illumination so that they project images corresponding to the oblique reflection facets in this direction.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein, the bonding of the transparent blades further comprises using a mounting plate to provide the alignment and indexed positioning of the transparent blades, which form the single-piece light pipe.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein, the transparent blades are bonded together with dots of glue having diameters of approximately 3 to 5 mm.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein, the transparent blades have different lengths and are bonded together in order from longest to shortest.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein, the transparent blades are bonded together with a single-component glue that can be cross-linked under ultraviolet radiation, moisture or heat.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the blade support comprises a reference piece mounted with at least one clamp, wherein the reference piece comprises a horizontal reference plane and a vertical reference plane, which runs along the longitudinal axis of the light pipe, such that the light pipe abuts the vertical and horizontal reference plane to provide proper alignment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the horizontal reference plane comprises a high part and a low part, and the high part has a slanted edge running across the longitudinal axis, wherein the slanted edge has a gauge to aid in the positioning of the light pipe along the longitudinal axis.

8. A headlight for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a real light source;

a light pipe, for directing light in a direction of illumination, and having a light receiving end closest to the real light source and a light emitting end farthest from the real light source, comprising;

a plurality of transparent blades stacked one.atop another, aligned along the axis from the light receiving end to the light emitting end, and adhered to one another at discrete points;

wherein each of the transparent blades have at least one oblique reflection facet at the light emitting end of the light pipe, such that each facet constitutes a virtual light source;

a reflector to concentrate the light emanating from the real light source onto the light receiving end of the light pipe;

a plurality of interface elements that have axes of illumination parallel to the direction of illumination so that they can project light emanating from the virtual light sources in the direction of illumination;

a reference piece for mounting the light pipe;

at least one clamp, to clamp the transparent blades against the reference piece to form a single-piece assembly;

a compressible flexible element, provided between the light pipe and a first horizontal flat part of the reference piece; and

wherein the flexible element is a silicone shoe able to be compressed by approximately 20% of its thickness under the effect of the clamping of the reference piece and the transparent blades in each clamp.

9. A headlight for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a real light source;

a light pipe, for directing light in a direction of illumination, and having a light receiving end closest to the real light source and a light emitting end farthest from the real light source, comprising;

a plurality of transparent blades stacked one atop another, aligned along the axis from the light receiving end to the light emitting end, and adhered to one another at discrete points;

wherein each of the transparent blades have at least one oblique reflection facet at the light emitting end of the light pipe, such that each facet constitutes a virtual light source;

a reflector to concentrate the light emanating from the real light source onto the light receiving end of the light pipe;

a plurality of interface elements that have axes of illumination parallel to the direction of illumination so that they can project light emanating from the virtual light sources in the direction of illumination;

a reference piece for mounting the light pipe, the reference piece having a first flat horizontal part comprising a horizontal high flat part and a horizontal low flat part, wherein the horizontal high flat part is connected to the horizontal low flat part by a step;

at least one clamp, to clamp the transparent blades against the reference piece to form a single-piece assembly, wherein each clamp acts on the horizontal low flat part; and

wherein the horizontal high flat part has a slanting edge which carries a gauge for positioning, along the longitudinal axis of the light pipe, of the transparent blade directly in abutment against the horizontal high flat part.