Headlight module for motor vehicle, reflector for such a module, and headlight equipped with this module

• US 8,186,854 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Albou, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): MAY, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US11/055,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20050180153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,665 Days
• Field of Search: 362/516, 362/520, 362307-308, 362/296, 362255-256, 362/518, 362/519, 362/341, 362/347, 362/350, 362/296.01, 36229602-2961, 257/100, 257/520, 257307-308, 313/512, 315/12
• US Class Current: 362/307
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/147 the main emission direction of the LED being angled to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/32 Optical layout thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

In a headlight module for a motor vehicle, a light source having a planar surface, is immersed in a volume of transparent material, which has a refractive index greater than 1. A reflector having a focus is disposed relative to the light source so that the focus of the reflector is at a point of the light source. Accordingly, light rays emitted by light source are refracted by the transparent volume and reflected by the reflector so that such light rays become parallel to a predetermined direction.

Claims

1. A headlight module for a motor vehicle, comprising a light source having a planar surface, said light source immersed in a volume of transparent material having a refractive index greater than 1, and a reflector comprising a focus situated at a point of the light source separate from a center of the light source, wherein

at least a portion of the transparent material is between the light source and the reflector,

the light rays emitted by the light source are diverted upon exiting the transparent material, and

the reflector is constructed to reflect and transform the diverted light rays emitted by the light source at the focus into reflected light rays having a cylindrical wave surface and forming a horizontal cut-off.

2. The headlight module of claim 1, wherein the focus of the reflector is situated at an upper edge of the light source, whereby a light beam with cut-off for a main beam or DRL function is obtained.

3. The headlight module of claim 1, wherein the focus of the reflector is situated in the vicinity of a bottom edge of the light source, whereby a light beam with cut-off for a dipped or fog-type beam is obtained.

4. A motor vehicle headlight module method for checking the properties of a reflector of the headlight module having a light source immersed in a hemispherical volume of transparent material having a refractive index greater than 1, and a reflector having a focus, a point of the light source being situated at the focus of the reflector away from a center of the hemispherical volume, the headlight method comprising:

installing a frosted point on a planar base of the hemispherical volume,

illuminating the frosted point with a laser beam,

obtaining a beam to infinity formed by the reflector; and

observing a segment of the beam to infinity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the light source and the hemispherical volume of transparent material are components of an LED.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein installing the frosted point includes substituting the frosted point for the point of the light source.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein installing the frosted point includes placing the frosted point at the vertex of the light source.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein observing the segment of the beam includes at least one of

determining the distance between an axis of a wave surface and the center of the light source,

determining the angle between the optical axis and the horizontal direction, and

determining at least one coordinate of the focus of the reflector in reference to a three-dimensional coordinate system that includes the center of the source as the origin of the coordinate system.

9. A headlight module for a motor vehicle, comprising a light source having a planar surface, said light source immersed in a volume of transparent material having a refractive index greater than 1, and a reflector comprising a focus situated at a point of the light source separate from a center of the light source, wherein

at least a portion of the transparent material is between the light source and the reflector,

the light rays emitted by the light source are diverted upon exiting the transparent material, and

the reflector is constructed to reflect and transform the diverted light rays emitted from a point on the planar surface of the light source into reflected light rays having a cylindrical wave surface and forming a cut-off.