Lighting system with shutter, reflector, primary light engine and a secondary light engine coupled to shutter

• US 8,905,609 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Tessnow, Thomas, Tucker, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAY, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US12/924,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20120081902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 362/539, 362/543, 362512-513, 362/277, 362279-284, 362544-545, 362520-522
• US Class Current: 362/539
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0058 Stacked, i.e. one lamp located behind the other in the optical axis direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2692 retractable lights retractable headlights B60Q1/05
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/28 for indicating front of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/30 Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor
• 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 41/148 the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/17 Discharge light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/172 High-intensity discharge light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/18 Combination of light sources of different types or shapes
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/25 Projection lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/657 by moving light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/689 Flaps, i.e. screens pivoting around one of their edges

Abstract

A lighting system (10) comprising a primary light engine (20); a secondary light engine (22); and a projection apparatus (14, 14a-b) comprising a reflector (28) configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation emitted from the primary light engine (20); a projector lens (28) configured to project at least a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation from the reflector (28); and a shutter (24, 24a-c) disposed between the secondary light engine (22) and the reflector (28). The shutter (24, 24a-c) is configured to selectively obscure a portion of the projector lens (28) from the reflected electromagnetic radiation and is further configured to selectively emit at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from the secondary light engine (22) through at least a portion of the projector lens (28).

Claims

1. A projection apparatus (12, 12a-b) comprising:

a reflector (28) configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation emitted from a primary light engine (20);

a projector lens (30) configured to project at least a portion of said reflected electromagnetic radiation from said reflector (28); and

a shutter (24, 24a-c) disposed between a secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) and said reflector (28), said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) being coupled to said shutter (24, 24a), said shutter (24, 24a-c) configured to selectively obscure a portion of said projector lens (30) from said reflected electromagnetic radiation, said shutter (24, 24a-c) further configured to selectively emit at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through at least a portion of said projector lens (30), said shutter (24, 24a-c) further being configured to selectively prevent emission of at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through at least a portion of said projector lens (30) when said shutter (24, 24 a-c) is not obscuring said portion of said projector lens (30) from said reflected electromagnetic radiation;

wherein when said shutter (24, 24a-c) is selectively emitting electromagnetic radiation from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through said at least a portion of said projector lens (30), said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) is disposed below a focal point (F1) of said projector lens (30).

2. The projection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said primary light engine (20) coupled to said reflector (28).

3. The projection apparatus of claim 2, wherein said primary light engine (20) comprises at least one high intensity discharge (HID) light source.

4. The projection apparatus of claim 2, wherein said primary light engine (20) comprises at least one incandescent light source.

5. The projection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said projector lens (30) comprises an upper partial projector lens (40) and a lower partial projector lens (42), said upper partial projector lens (40) configured to project the reflected electromagnetic radiation to create a first emission distribution from said projection apparatus (12, 12a-b) and said lower partial projector lens (42) configured to project the reflected electromagnetic radiation to create a second emission distribution from said projection apparatus (12, 12a-b).

6. The projection apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first emission distribution comprises electromagnetic radiation emitted generally below a horizon and said second emission distribution comprises electromagnetic radiation emitted generally above said horizon.

7. The projection apparatus of claim 6, wherein said shutter (24, 24a-c) is configured to obscure said lower partial projector lens (42) such that said reflected electromagnetic radiation is projected from substantially only said upper partial projector lens (40).

8. The projection apparatus of claim 6, wherein said shutter (24, 24a-c) is configured to emit said electromagnetic radiation from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through said upper partial projector lens (40) and said lower partial projector lens (42).

9. A projection apparatus (12, 12a-b) comprising:

a reflector (28) configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation emitted from a primary light engine (20);

a projector lens (30) configured to project at least a portion of said reflected electromagnetic radiation from said reflector (28); and

a shutter (24, 24a-c) disposed between a secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) and said reflector (28), said shutter (24, 24a-c) configured to selectively obscure a portion of said projector lens (30) from said reflected electromagnetic radiation, said shutter (24, 24a-c) further configured to selectively emit at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through at least a portion of said projector lens (30), and

further comprising said secondary light engine (22) coupled to said shutter (24, 24a), wherein said shutter (24, 24a) is also configured to selectively position said secondary light engine (22) to emit electromagnetic radiation through said at least a portion of said projector lens (30) when said shutter (24, 24a) is obscuring said portion of said projector lens (30) from said reflected electromagnetic radiation;

wherein when said shutter (24, 24a-c) is selectively emitting electromagnetic radiation from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through said at least a portion of said projector lens (30), said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) is disposed below a focal point (F1) of said projector lens (30).

10. The projection apparatus of claim 9, wherein said secondary light engine (22) comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED) light source.

11. The projection apparatus of claim 9, wherein said secondary light engine (22) comprises at least one incandescent light source.

12. A lighting system (10) comprising:

a primary light engine (20);

a secondary light engine (22, 22a-b);

a projector lens (30) comprising an upper partial projector lens (40) and a lower partial projector lens (42), said upper partial projector lens (40) configured to project electromagnetic radiation generally below a horizon and said lower partial projector lens (42) configured to project electromagnetic radiation generally above said horizon;

a reflector (28) configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation emitted from said primary light engine (20); and

a shutter (24, 24a-c) disposed between said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) and said reflector (28), said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) being coupled to said shutter (24, 24a), said shutter (24, 24a-c) configured to move between a first and at least a second position;

wherein in said first position, said shutter (24, 24a-c) is configured to obscure said lower partial projector lens (42) from said reflected electromagnetic radiation, said shutter (24, 24a-c) further configured to selectively emit at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through said upper partial projector lens (40) and said lower partial projector lens (42);

wherein in said second position, said shutter (24, 24a-c) is configured to allow said reflected electromagnetic radiation from said primary light engine (20) to be emitted from said upper partial projector lens (40) and said lower partial projector lens (42) and to prevent emission of at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through at least a portion of said projector lens (30); and

wherein when said shutter (24, 24a-c) is in said first position, said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) is disposed below a focal point (F1) of said upper partial projector lens (40).

13. The lighting system of claim 12, wherein said primary light engine (20) comprises at least one high intensity discharge (HID) light source and said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED) light source.

14. A method (1300) comprising:

selecting (1314) a daytime running light mode comprising;

positioning (1328) a shutter (24, 24a-c) in a first position at least partially obscuring a lower partial projector lens (42) of a projector lens (30) from a primary light engine (20);

energizing (1330) a secondary light engine (22, 22a-b), said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) disposed between said shutter (24, 24a-c) and said projector lens (30), wherein said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) is coupled to said shutter (24, 24a); and

disposing said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) below a focal point (F1) of said upper partial projector lens (40); and

emitting (1332) radiation generated from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through an upper partial projector lens (40) and said lower partial projector lens (42) such that said radiation is emitted generally above and generally below a horizon.

15. A method comprising:

selecting (1314) a daytime running light mode comprising;

positioning (1328) a shutter (24, 24a-c) in a first position at least partially obscuring a lower partial projector lens (42) of a projector lens (30) from a primary light engine (20);

energizing (1330) a secondary light engine (22, 22a-b), said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) disposed between said shutter (24, 24a-c) and said projector lens (30), wherein said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) is coupled to said shutter (24, 24a); and

emitting (1332) radiation generated from said secondary light engine (22, 22a-b) through an upper partial projector lens (40) and said lower partial projector lens (42) such that said radiation is emitted generally above and generally below a horizon;

selecting (1310) a low beam mode comprising;

positioning (1316) said shutter (24, 24a-c) in said first position;

energizing (1318) a primary light engine (20); and

emitting (1320) radiation from said primary light engine (20) through said upper partial projector lens (40) such that said radiation is emitted generally below said horizon; and

selecting (1312) a high beam mode comprising;

positioning (1322) a shutter (24, 24a-c) in a second position;

energizing (1324) said primary light engine (20); and

emitting (1326) said radiation generated from said primary light engine (20) through an upper partial projector lens (40) and said lower partial projector lens (42) such that said radiation is emitted generally above and generally below said horizon.