Low profile, highly efficient vehicular LED modules and assemblies

• US 10,088,120 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• 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): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): ULANDAY, MEGHAN K
• Application Number:
  US15/272,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20170009949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 362487, 362509, 362520, 362522
• 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 vehicular LED assembly is provided that includes a plurality of vehicular LED modules, each 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. The input surface comprises a plurality of near-field lens elements for shaping the incident light into a collimated light pattern emanating from the exit surface. Further, the plurality of optical elements may be configured in a step-wise pattern defined by a sweep angle.

Claims

1. A vehicular LED module, comprising:

a lens having a 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.

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

3. The LED module according to claim 1, the collimated light pattern emanating from the exit surface contains at least 50% of the incident light.

4. The LED module according to claim 1, wherein the collimated light pattern is selected from the group consisting of a high-beam headlamp, a low-beam headlamp, a fog lamp, a static bending lamp and a daytime running lamp light pattern.

5. The LED module according to claim 1, wherein the canted input surface is canted according to a canting angle and the exit surface is not canted according to the canting angle.

6. The LED module according to claim 5, wherein the canting angle is set between −

20 and +20 degrees.

7. The LED module according to claim 5, wherein the canting angle is based at least in part on an exterior shape of the lens.

8. A vehicular LED 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 50% of the incident light.

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

10. The LED module according to claim 8, wherein the collimated light pattern is selected from the group consisting of a high-beam headlamp, a low-beam headlamp, a fog lamp, a static bending lamp and a daytime running lamp pattern.

11. The LED module according to claim 8, wherein the step-wise pattern is defined by a sweep angle, and the input surface is not defined according to the sweep angle.

12. The LED module according to claim 11, wherein the sweep angle is set between −

45 and +45 degrees.

13. The LED module according to claim 11, wherein the sweep angle is based at least in part on an exterior shape of the lens.

14. A vehicular LED assembly, comprising:

a plurality of vehicular LED modules, each 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 the incident light into a collimated light pattern emanating from the exit surface.

15. The LED assembly according to claim 14, wherein the collimated light pattern is selected from the group of light patterns consisting of a high-beam headlamp, a low-beam headlamp, a fog lamp, a static bending lamp, a daytime running lamp light, and combinations of these light patterns.

16. The LED assembly according to claim 14, wherein the canted input surface is canted according to a canting angle and the exit surface is not canted according to the canting angle.

17. The LED assembly according to claim 16, wherein the canting angle is based at least in part on an exterior shape of the lens.

18. The LED assembly according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of optical elements is configured in a step-wise pattern defined by a sweep angle.

19. The LED assembly according to claim 18, wherein the sweep angle is based at least in part on an exterior shape of the lens.