Low profile highly efficient vehicular LED modules and headlamps

• US 9,476,557 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kumar, Arun, Ekladyous, Albert, Dassanayake, Mahendra Somasara, Williams, Bruce Preston, Park, Junmo, Stoddard, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Coughlin, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): ULANDAY, MEGHAN K
• Application Number:
  US14/551,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20150078029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 362/487, 362/509, 362/520, 362/522
• 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 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/24 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/285 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24-F21S41/28
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/336 with discontinuity at the junction between adjacent areas
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A vehicle headlamp module is provided that includes a lens having a plurality of near-field lens elements, a canted input surface, an exit surface and a cavity between the surfaces. The headlamp module also includes an LED lighting module that directs incident light through the input and exit surfaces. The lens elements are configured to transmit from the exit surface a collimated light pattern containing at least 60% of the incident light. In some embodiments, the exit surface includes a step-wise pattern of optical elements. In other implementations, a headlamp assembly is provided that includes a plurality of vehicle headlamp modules. Each headlamp module includes: a lens with a canted input surface and an exit surface, a bezel surrounding the lens, and an LED light source that directs incident light through the input surface. The lens of each module includes a plurality of near-field lens elements.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlamp module, comprising:

a lens having canted input surface including a plurality of near-field lens elements, an exit surface and a cavity between the surfaces; and

an LED light source positioned to direct incident light through the input surface,

wherein the elements are configured to shape the light from the input surface into a collimated light pattern emanating from the exit surface containing at least 60% of the incident light.

2. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of near-field lens elements are three, near-field lens elements, each element having a different focal length.

3. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 1, wherein the light source and the exit surface of the lens collectively define a depth of approximately 50 millimeters or less.

4. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 1, wherein the light source and the exit surface of the lens collectively define a depth of approximately 25 millimeters or less.

5. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 1, wherein the exit surface of the lens is arranged in a substantially hexagonal shape.

6. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 1, wherein the exit surface of the lens comprises a plurality of optical elements configured to shape the collimated light pattern into a low-beam light pattern.

7. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 1, wherein the exit surface of the lens comprises a plurality of optical elements configured to shape the collimated light pattern into a high-beam light pattern.

8. A vehicle headlamp module, comprising:

a lens having an input surface including a plurality of near-field lens elements, and an exit surface having a step-wise pattern of optical elements; and

an LED light source positioned to direct incident light through the input surface,

wherein the elements are configured to shape the light from the input surface into a collimated light pattern emanating from the exit surface containing at least 60% of the incident light.

9. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of near-field lens elements are three, near-field lens elements, each element having a different focal length.

10. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 8, wherein the light source and the exit surface of the lens collectively define a depth of approximately 50 millimeters or less.

11. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 8, wherein the light source and the exit surface of the lens collectively define a depth of approximately 25 millimeters or less.

12. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 8, wherein the exit surface of the lens is arranged in a substantially hexagonal shape.

13. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 8, wherein the step-wise pattern of optical elements is configured to shape the collimated light pattern into a low-beam light pattern.

14. The vehicle headlamp module according to claim 8, wherein the step-wise pattern of optical elements is configured to shape the collimated light pattern into a high-beam light pattern.

15. A vehicle headlamp assembly, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle headlamp modules, each module comprising;

a lens with a canted input surface and an exit surface;

a bezel surrounding the lens; and

an LED light source positioned to direct incident light through the input surface,

wherein the input surface comprises a plurality of near-field lens elements for shaping at least 60% of the incident light into a collimated, vehicular light pattern emanating from the exit surface.

16. The vehicle headlamp assembly according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of vehicle headlamp modules comprises a low-beam headlamp module and a high-beam headlamp module.

17. The vehicle headlamp assembly according to claim 16, wherein the exit surface of the lens comprises a plurality of optical elements configured to shape the collimated light pattern into a low-beam or high-beam light pattern.

18. The vehicle headlamp assembly according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of optical elements is configured in a step-wise pattern.

19. The vehicle headlamp assembly according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of vehicle headlamp modules are mounted within a vehicle having a vehicle front design that sweeps in an upward direction from the vehicle forward to the vehicle rearward direction.

20. The vehicle headlamp assembly according to claim 19, wherein the canted input surface of the lens of each module is canted relative to the exit surface and to a degree based at least in part on the vehicle front design.