Headlight assembly with interchangable composite lens

• US 9,970,618 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Zawacki, Jeffrey T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trail, Allyson
• Application Number:
  US15/147,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20170321859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 362520, 362516, 362509, 362465, 362456
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0041 of several lamps in relation to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/141 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/28 Cover glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/285 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/29 Attachment thereof for achieving variable light distribution F21S41/63

Abstract

A lighting assembly includes a composite lens, an optical reflector housing, and a lighting source. The composite lens has a clear lens portion, an opaque lens portion, and a first attachment feature. The optical reflector housing has a second attachment feature engaged with the first attachment feature, and further has a reflective inner surface. The optical reflector housing reflects incident light internally via the reflective inner surface and directs the reflected incident light through the clear portion. The composite lens defines a lighting cavity in conjunction with the optical reflector housing when the first and second attachment features are mutually engaged. The lighting source irradiates the lighting cavity with the incident light. A stacked headlight assembly includes vertically stacked first and second headlight assemblies, each having a composite lens, optical reflector, and lighting source.

Claims

1. A stacked headlight assembly for a vehicle body, comprising:

a first headlight assembly; and

a second headlight assembly, wherein the first and second headlight assemblies are vertically stacked one on top of the other, configured to connect to the vehicle body, and wherein each of the first and second headlight assemblies respectively includes;

a composite lens having a clear lens portion, an opaque lens portion that is integrally co-molded with the clear lens portion, and a first attachment feature that is integrally formed with the opaque lens portion, the clear lens portion having a height and a width that is greater than the height, and;

an optical reflector housing having a second attachment feature that is engaged with the first attachment feature, and further having a reflective inner surface, wherein the optical reflector housing reflects incident light corresponding to the respective low-beam or high-beam function via the reflective inner surface and directs the reflected light through the clear lens portion; and

a lighting source configured to irradiate the lighting cavity with the incident light;

wherein the composite lens defines a lighting cavity in conjunction with the optical reflector housing when the first and second attachment features are mutually engaged.

2. The stacked headlight assembly of claim 1, wherein the opaque lens portion of the composite lens includes an inlaid film.

3. The stacked headlight assembly of claim 1, wherein the opaque lens portion is constructed from black or chrome-plated plastic.

4. The stacked headlight assembly of claim 1, wherein the lighting source includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

5. The stacked headlight assembly of claim 1, wherein the first attachment feature includes a tabular extension oriented in a first direction, and the second attachment feature includes a tabular extension oriented in a second direction that is 150-180 degrees opposite the first direction.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a body; and

a vertically-stacked lighting assembly positioned with respect to the body, including;

a first lighting assembly that houses a low-beam lighting function; and

a second lighting assembly that houses a high-beam lighting function, wherein the first and second headlight assemblies are vertically stacked one on top of the other, and wherein each of the first and second headlight assemblies respectively includes;

a composite lens having a clear lens portion, an opaque lens portion integrally co-molded with the clear lens portion, and a first attachment feature, the clear lens portion having a height and a width that is greater than the height, and;

an optical reflector housing having a second attachment feature engaged with the first attachment feature, and further having a reflective inner surface configured to reflect incident light corresponding to the respective low-beam or high-beam function and direct the reflected incident light through the clear lens portion; and

a lighting source configured to irradiate the lighting cavity with the incident light;

wherein the composite lens defines a lighting cavity in conjunction with the optical reflector housing when the first and second attachment features are engaged with each other.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the opaque lens portion of the composite lens includes an inlaid film.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the opaque lens portion is constructed from black or chrome-plated plastic.

9. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the lighting source includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

10. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the lighting assembly includes first and second lighting assemblies that are vertically stacked with respect to each other.

11. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first attachment feature includes a tabular extension oriented in a first direction, and the second attachment features includes a tabular extension oriented in a second direction that is 150-180 degrees opposite the first direction.