Headlight for a motor vehicle comprising a reflector and an optical deviation element

• US 7,121,705 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Godbillon, Vincent, Moisy, Eric, de Lamberterie, Antoine, Albou, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shallenberger, Julie A.
• Application Number:
  US10/877,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 362/297, 362/346, 362/517, 362/518, 362/304, 362/302, 362/305, 362/328, 362/221
• US Class Current: 362/517
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/162 Incandescent light sources, e.g. filament or halogen lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/26 Elongated lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/323 the reflector having two perpendicular cross sections having regular geometrical curves of a distinct nature
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/336 with discontinuity at the junction between adjacent areas
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/365 successively reflecting the light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/31 Optical layout thereof

Abstract

Headlight for a motor vehicle comprising a reflector with an optical axis and at least one focus, a light source placed close to a focus of the reflector, and a transparent optical deviation element placed in front of part of the reflector, this element consisting of a module comprising a so-called “square lens” and the reflector placed behind the said lens, the module being able to provide an essentially horizontal spread of the light. The wall of the reflector comprises at least one scallop on one side of a plane passing through the optical axis of the reflector, and at least one additional reflector is disposed on the side of the scallop opposite to the optical axis, this additional reflector being designed to collect at least some of the light coming from the source emerging from the scallop, and to produce an additional beam which is not intercepted by the lens.

Claims

1. A headlight for a motor vehicle comprising:

a reflector having a wall, an optical axis and at least one focus;

a light source disposed near said at least one focus, and

a transparent optical deviation element disposed in front of a portion of the reflector, for providing a substantially horizontal spread of light, wherein the reflector includes at least one arcuate portion on at least one side of a plane passing through the optical axis of the reflector, at least one additional reflector being disposed adjacent to and on a side of the at least one arcuate portion opposite the optical axis, for collecting at least part of the light from the source passing through the at least one arcuate portion so as to produce at least one light beam is not intercepted by the transparent optical deviation element.

2. The headlight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one arcuate portion is disposed on a plane that is vertical, horizontal or oblique with respect to the optical axis.

3. A headlight according to claim 1, wherein the transparent optical deviation element is optimized in terms of total flux collected, with regard to its horizontal directing curve, for a given depth of the headlight and with a longest possible focal length.

4. A headlight according to claim 1, wherein the transparent optical deviation element is optimized in terms of total flux collected, with regard to a height of its vertical section, for a given depth of the headlight and with a longest possible focal length, when the at least one arcuate portion is disposed on one side of a vertical or oblique plane passing through the optical axis.

5. A headlight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one arcuate portion comprises two arcuate portions disposed on each side of a plane passing through the optical axis.

6. A headlight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one arcuate portion is situated in a plane which is horizontal, vertical or oblique with respect to the vertical.

7. A headlight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one additional reflector has a complex surface for increasing the range of the light beam.

8. A headlight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one additional reflector is vertically or horizontally separated from the transparent optical deviation element by a distance sufficient to prevent the light reflected by said at least one additional reflector from interfering with the transparent optical deviation element.

9. A headlight according to claim 8, wherein the transparent optical deviation element is illuminated at an edge thereof by light reflected by said at least one additional reflector.

10. Headlight according to claim 1, wherein surfaces of the at least one additional reflector are limited by a plane tangent to an exit surface of the optical deviation element and orthogonal to the optical axis.

11. Headlight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one additional reflector reaches at least a shadow limit created by the reflector in the light emitted by the light source.

12. A vehicle equipped with at least one headlight according to claim 1.

13. A headlight for a motor vehicle comprising:

a reflector having a wall, an optical axis and at least one focus;

a light source disposed near said at least one focus and

a transparent optical deviation element disposed in front of a portion of the reflector for providing a substantially horizontal spread of light, wherein the reflector includes at least one arcuate portion on at least one side of a plane passing through the optical axis of the reflector, at least one additional reflector being disposed adjacent to and on a side of the at least one arcuate portion opposite the optical axis, for collecting at least part of the light from the source passing through the at least one arcuate portion so as to produce at least one light beam is not intercepted by the transparent optical deviation element, and

wherein the at least one additional reflector includes a cut-off of light inclined to 15°

to the horizontal.

14. A headlight for a motor vehicle comprising:

a reflector having a wall, an optical axis and at least one focus;

a light source disposed near said at least one focus and

a transparent optical deviation element disposed in front of a portion of the reflector for providing a substantially horizontal spread of light, wherein the reflector includes at least one arcuate portion on at least one side of a plane passing through the optical axis of the reflector, at least one additional reflector being disposed adjacent to and on a side of the at least one arcuate portion opposite the optical axis, for collecting at least part of the light from the source passing through the at least one arcuate portion so as to produce at least one light beam is not intercepted by the transparent optical deviation element, and

wherein space created between the at least one additional reflector and a reflector of the transparent optical deviation element is used for additional lighting or indicating function.

15. A headlight according to claim 14, wherein of the said additional lighting or indicating function is a day running light.

16. A headlight according to claim 14, wherein the reflector of the transparent optical deviation element is a single piece and is removable in the direction of the optical axis.

17. A headlight according to claim 16, wherein a lowering of the light through the optical deviation element is provided by a prism added against an exit face of the optical deviation element.

18. A headlight for a motor vehicle comprising:

a reflector having a wall, an optical axis and at least one focus;

a light source disposed near said at least one focus and

a transparent optical deviation element disposed in front of a portion of the reflector for providing a substantially horizontal spread of light, wherein the reflector includes at least one arcuate portion on at least one side of a plane passing through the optical axis of the reflector, at least one additional reflector being disposed adjacent to and on a side of the at least one arcuate portion opposite the optical axis, for collecting at least part of the light from the source passing through the at least one arcuate portion so as to produce at least one light beam is not intercepted by the transparent optical deviation element, and

an additional two-part reflector for providing a long range and an area with an inclined cut-off, and a special part, closer to the optical axis, designed to spread its images below the cut-off towards the apex of the V-shaped cut-off, in particular when the at least one arcuate portion is in a horizontal or oblique plane.

19. A headlight according to claim 18, further includes a means for vertically moving the light beam issuing from the square lens with respect to the light reflected by the at least one additional reflector.

20. A headlight for a motor vehicle comprising:

a reflector having a wall, an optical axis and at least one focus;

a light source disposed near said at least one focus and

a transparent optical deviation element disposed in front of a portion of the reflector for providing a substantially horizontal spread of light, wherein the reflector includes at least one arcuate portion on at least one side of a plane passing through the optical axis of the reflector,

at least one additional reflector being disposed adjacent to and on a side of the at least one arcuate portion opposite the optical axis, for collecting at least part of the light from the source passing through the at least one arcuate portion so as to produce at least one light beam is not intercepted by the transparent optical deviation element, and

an oblique glass having reflecting surfaces which project beyond an exit plane of the optical deviation element.