Lighting device for a motor vehicle

• US 9,188,726 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Erdl, Helmut, Hanafi, Abdelmalek
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F
• Application Number:
  US14/256,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/145 the main emission direction of the LED being opposite to the main emission direction of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/176 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/24 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/245 emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0005 the light guides being of the fibre type G02B6/0003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide

Abstract

A lighting device for a motor vehicle, includes a light guide for total-reflective guiding of light along a direction of light propagation. The light originates from at least one light source and can be coupled-in via at least one coupling surface on one end face of the light guide. The light guide further includes a coupling-out surface disposed along the direction of light propagation for coupling out light that exits from the light guide where the total-reflection condition no longer exists at the exit surface disposed along the direction of the light propagation. The lighting device is characterized in that the at least one light source, the light from which can be coupled in on the at least one coupling-in surface, is a laser light source.

Claims

1. A lighting device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a laser light source;

an optical waveguide for total reflective guidance of light along a light propagation direction, the optical waveguide having a coupling-in surface on a face thereof, a coupling-out surface arranged along the light propagation direction and an exit surface arranged along the light propagation direction, wherein

light of the laser light source is coupled-in to the optical waveguide via the coupling-in surface;

a collimator arranged to convert the light of the laser light source at the coupling-in surface of the optical waveguide to a collimated ray beam, wherein the collimator comprises a curved face of the optical waveguide, on which the light of the laser light source is diffracted or reflected; and

the coupling-out surface couples out the light at the exit surface where a total-reflection condition does not exist.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light source is a punctiform light source.

3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a converter is arranged for converting the light of the laser light source to a punctiform light source.

4. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the punctiform light source, in a top view, has a maximal dimension of 500 μ

m or less.

5. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the punctiform light source, in a top view, has a maximal dimension of 20 μ

m or less.

6. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the punctiform light source, in a top view, has an emitting surface of 0.5 mm² or less.

7. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the punctiform light source, in a top view, has an emitting surface of 0.0002 mm² or less.

8. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the punctiform light source has an emitting cornered surface with edges each having a length of 500 m or less.

9. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the punctiform light source at least one of (i) generates a light flux of at least 100 lm and (ii) has a radiant power of at least 1 Watt and a luminance of at least 10⁸ Cd/m².

10. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a front lens system by which the light of the laser light source generates a collimated laser beam, wherein

the collimated laser beam being coupled into the optical waveguide via a planar coupling-in surface.

11. The lighting device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a deflector operatively arranged to deflect the collimated laser beam for guiding the laser beam into the optical waveguide.

12. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light source is a laser diode.

13. The lighting source according to claim 1, wherein the coupling-out surface of the optical waveguide comprises a deflection device by which light incident on the coupling-out surface is deflected in the optical waveguide to the exit surface.

14. The lighting device according to claim 13, wherein the deflection device is a prism arrangement.

15. The light device according to claim 13, wherein the deflection device is configured such that an intensity of the light exiting via the exit surface is substantially constant along the light propagation direction of the optical waveguide.

16. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide has a rectangular cross-section, and wherein a maximum dimension of the cross-section being 10 mm or less.

17. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide has a rectangular cross-section, wherein one edge has a length of 10 mm or more and another edge has a length of 4 mm or less.

18. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling-out surface and the exit surface are identical.

19. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the converter comprises at least one of a front lens system and a phosphor conversion layer which, from monochromatic laser light, generates a punctiform white light source or a punctiform light source of a wavelength differing from the light of the laser light source.

20. The lighting device according to claim 13, wherein the deflection device is a roughened surface.

21. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide has a round cross-section, and wherein a maximum dimension of the cross-section being 10 mm or less.

22. A lighting device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a laser light source;

an optical waveguide for total reflective guidance of light along a light propagation direction, the optical waveguide having a coupling-in surface on a face thereof, a coupling-out surface arranged along the light propagation direction and an exit surface arranged along the light propagation direction, wherein

light of the laser light source is coupled-in to the optical waveguide via the coupling-in surface, and

the coupling-out surface couples out the light at the exit surface where a total-reflection condition does not exist,

wherein the laser light source is a monochromatic light source, the lighting device further comprising;

a phosphor conversion layer configured to convert the monochromatic light from the monochromatic light source to white light or light of a wavelength differing from that of the monochromatic light source, wherein

the phosphor conversion layer is configured to be one of;

arranged in front of the face of the optical waveguide,

mounted in a recess of the optical waveguide,

formed on the coupling-out surface of the optical waveguide,

forming the coupling-out surface of the optical waveguide, and

mounted downstream of the coupling-out surface of the optical waveguide.

23. A lighting device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a laser light source;

an optical waveguide for total reflective guidance of light along a light propagation direction, the optical waveguide having a coupling-in surface on a face thereof, a coupling-out surface arranged along the light propagation direction and an exit surface arranged along the light propagation direction, wherein

light of the laser light source is coupled-in to the optical waveguide via the coupling-in surface, and

the coupling-out surface couples out the light at the exit surface where a total-reflection condition does not exist, wherein the exit surface of the optical waveguide is curved to generate collimated light exiting from the exit surface.

24. A lighting device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a laser light source;

an optical waveguide for total reflective guidance of light along a light propagation direction, the optical waveguide having a coupling-in surface on a face thereof, a coupling-out surface arranged along the light propagation direction and an exit surface arranged along the light propagation direction, wherein

light of the laser light source is coupled-in to the optical waveguide via the coupling-in surface,

the coupling-out surface couples out the light at the exit surface where a total-reflection condition does not exist; and

a deflecting arrangement configured to generate collimated light from the light exiting from the exit surface of the optical waveguide.