Lighting, especially for motor vehicles

• US 6,367,957 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Beleuchtung Deutschland GmbH
• Original Assignee: Valeo Beleuchtung Deutschland GmbH
• Inventors: Hering, Oliver, Lendle, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, BAO Q
• Application Number:
  US09/517,208
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 362/511, 362/560, 362/26, 362/327, 362/31, 362/551, 362/555, 362/242, 362/243, 362/27
• US Class Current: 362/511
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/237 rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/245 emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/249 with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide

Abstract

The invention is lighting that has at least one light-conducting rod, which features at least one light inlet surface and a light outlet surface, and a light source, wherein the light inlet surface is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the light-conducting rod.

Claims

1. Lighting, with at least one light-conducting rod which has at least one light inlet surface and at least one light outlet surface, and with at least one light source, characterized in that the light inlet surface is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the light-conducting rod and the light source is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the light-conducting rod and wherein a direction of inclination of the light inlet surface and a direction of inclination of the light source with respect to the longitudinal axis of the light-conducting rod are mutually opposite each other.

2. Lighting according to claim 1, characterized in that an angle of inclination of the light inlet surface and an angle of inclination of the light source with respect to the longitudinal axis of the light-conducting rod are equal to each other.

3. Lighting according to claim 1, characterized in that an angle of inclination of the light source, an angle of inclination of the light inlet surface and a geometric shape of the light source are dimensioned so that a light beam from a conical axis of the light source runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the light-conducting rod.

4. Lighting according to claim 1, characterized in that at an angle of inclination of the light source, an angle of inclination of the light inlet surface is dimensioned so that the light beams in the light-conducting rod follow a particular path which is obtained by various requirements of a light distribution.

5. Lighting according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of light-conducting rods are positioned side-by-side, and wherein a plurality of light inlet surfaces includes the at least one light inlet surface and wherein a plurality of light sources includes the at least one light source and wherein the plurality of light inlet surfaces is arranged so that the plurality of light sources is located in a single plane.

6. Lighting according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of light inlet sues of a plurality of light-conducting rods is positioned side-by-side to form a sawtooth profile.

7. Lighting according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined light inlet surface has an arbitrary geometric shape.

8. Lighting according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross section of the light-conducting rod is one of round and rectangular.

9. Lighting according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one light source is at least one light-emitting diode.

10. Lighting, characterized in that a plurality of light-conducting rods are positioned side-by-side, each rod having a light inlet surface and a light outlet surface and a light source, and wherein the light inlet surfaces of the rods form a sawtooth profile.

11. Lighting according to claim 10, characterized in that each light source is a light-emitting diode.

12. Lighting according to claim 10, characterized in that each light inlet surface has an arbitrary geometric shape.

13. Lighting according to claim 10, characterized in that the cross section of each light-conducting rod is one of round and rectangular.

14. Lighting according to claim 10, characterized in that a plurality of light sources allocated to the plurality of light-conducting rods is located in a single plane.

15. Lighting according to claim 10, characterized in that each light inlet surface is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of each respective light-conducting rod and each light source is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis.

16. Lighting according to claim 15, characterized in that a direction of inclination of the light inlet surface rod and a direction of inclination of the light source are opposite with respect to the longitudinal axis of each light-conducting rod.

17. Lighting according to claim 10, characterized in that an angle of inclination of the light source, an angle of inclination of the light inlet surface and a geometric shape of the light source are dimensioned so that a light beam from a conical axis of the light source for each light-conducting rod runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the respective light-conducting rod.