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(11) | EP 4 296 564 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | AUTOMOTIVE LIGHT |
| (57) Automotive light (1) comprising: a rear body (2) adapted to be fixed on the vehicle;
a front half-shell (3) arranged to close the mouth of said rear body (2); and at least
one lighting assembly (4), which is placed inside the rear body (2), is adapted to
back light a corresponding transparent or semi-transparent sector of the front half-shell
(3) and in turn comprises: a reflector body (5a) provided with a reflective surface
adapted to reflect and direct the light towards the corresponding transparent or semi-transparent
sector of the front half-shell (3); a light source (6) adapted to emit and direct
the emitted light towards said reflective surface; and a corrective optics (5b) that
is placed between the reflector body (5a) and the front half-shell (3), so as to be
crossed by the light (r) reflected by the reflector body (5a) towards the front half-shell
(3), and is structured so as to direct and/or distribute and/or filter and/or diffuse
in a predetermined manner the light (r) directed towards the front half-shell (3);
the reflector body (5a) and the corrective optics (5b) being made in a single piece
and of transparent plastic material.
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[0002] In more detail, the present invention relates to a headlight or taillight for cars and similar vehicles, i.e. a lighting apparatus adapted to be incorporated into a motor vehicle with the function of signalling the position, the sudden deceleration and/or the turning direction of the vehicle, and/or with the function of lighting the area surrounding the vehicle. Use to which the following disclosure will make explicit reference without however losing generality.
[0003] As is well known, a headlight or taillight for cars and similar motor vehicles is, conventionally, a lighting device which is to be placed in the front, rear or side part of the vehicle, and which has the function of illuminating the area surrounding the vehicle and/or the function of signalling the position of the vehicle, the sudden deceleration of the vehicle and/or the turning direction of the vehicle, in accordance with certain photometric type-approval standards.
[0004] Most of the taillights for cars and similar motor vehicle usually comprise: a rigid and substantially basin-shaped rear body, which is structured so as to be stably recessed into a compartment specially realized in the rear part of the bodywork of the vehicle; a front half-shell which is arranged to close the mouth of the rear body so as to surface outside of the vehicle bodywork, and is generally provided with a plurality of transparent or semi-transparent sectors, optionally coloured differently from one another; and a series of lighting assemblies that are located inside the body, each immediately beneath a respective transparent or semi-transparent sector of the front half-shell, so as to be able to selectively back light the overlying transparent or semi-transparent sector of the front half-shell.
[0005] Usually, each transparent or semi-transparent sector of the front half-shell is also uniquely associated with a specific light signal, thus each lighting assembly is specifically structured so as to be able to emit, on command, a light beam that, once exiting the taillight through the corresponding transparent or semi-transparent sector of the half-shell, meets the photometric type-approval specifications (colour and light distribution) provided for the corresponding light signal.
[0006] In recent years, many car manufacturers have also chosen to equip their car models with taillights that use a series of high-power LEDs (acronym for Light Emitting Diode) as light sources.
[0007] Clearly, the use of the LEDs has radically changed the structure of the lighting assemblies, because LEDs are point-type light sources that emit a light beam with a rather narrow opening angle.
[0008] In the new taillights, in fact, the lighting assemblies usually use corrective optics and shielding masks to adapt the light beam emitted by the various LEDs to the photometric and aesthetic needs associated with automotive use.
[0009] In other words, the corrective optics and the shielding masks are interposed between the LEDs and the front half-shell, and are overall structured so that the light reaching the inner face of the front half-shell, is able to back light the corresponding sectors of the front half-shell in a substantially uniform manner, and at the same time have a predominant component of the light beam substantially parallel to a predetermined optical axis, so as to meet the photometric type-approval specifications.
[0010] In more detail, some models of taillights for cars are provided with lighting assemblies comprising: a reflector body, which is made of opaque plastic material via injection moulding, is located close to the bottom of the rear body and is provided with a concave reflective surface with a roughly semi-parabolic profile, which is oriented so as to reflect the incident light towards the facing transparent or semi-transparent sector of the front half-shell; and a series of high-powered LEDs that are placed close to the bottom of the rear body, at the side of the reflector body, and are oriented so as to direct the light produced towards the reflective surface of the reflector body.
[0011] In addition, these lighting assemblies moreover comprise a plate-like corrective optics and an opaque shielding mask, both separated and distinct from the reflector body.
[0012] The corrective optics usually consists of a plate-like element made of transparent plastic material via injection moulding, which is provided with a lens system and is placed between the reflector body and the front half-shell so as to be crossed by the light reflected by the reflector body towards the front half-shell. The lenses of the plate-like element are shaped so as to direct/forward and/or appropriately distribute the light directed towards the front half-shell.
[0013] The opaque shielding mask, on the other hand, is placed immediately beneath the front half-shell, i.e. between the corrective optics and the front half-shell, so as to hide the rest of the lighting assembly from view, and is provided with one or more through openings or transparent sectors of predetermined shape, which allow the light to reach the front half-shell.
[0014] Unfortunately, despite working very well, the taillights that use the lighting assemblies described above are relatively complicated to assemble, with the high production costs that this entails.
[0015] In fact, the correct operation of each lighting assembly is subject to the perfect arrangement and alignment between the reflector body, the corrective optics, the LEDs and the shielding mask, so these components have to be placed inside the rear body at later times, with a relatively high precision.
[0016] To at least partially overcome this problem, the inner surface of the rear body is currently provided with a series of stops and/or centring pins that allow the reflector body, the LEDs, the corrective optics and the shielding mask to be placed precisely inside the rear body in succession.
[0017] Aim of the present invention is to simplify the assembly of the lighting assemblies inside the rear body, so as to reduce the overall production costs of the taillight.
[0018] In accordance with these aims, according to the present invention there is provided an automotive light as defined in Claim 1 and preferably, though not necessarily, in any one of the claims depending on it.
[0019] The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which show a non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein:
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automotive light realized according to the teachings of the present invention, with parts in section and parts removed for clarity's sake;
- Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the automotive light shown in Figure 1, with parts removed for clarity's sake;
- Figure 3 is a side view of the automotive light shown in the previous figures, with parts in section and parts removed for clarity's sake;
- Figure 4 is a perspective view of a lighting assembly of the automotive light shown in the previous figures, with parts removed for clarity's sake;
- Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of the lighting assembly of Figure 4, with parts in section and parts removed for clarity's sake; whereas
- Figure 7 is a perspective view of a component of the lighting assembly shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, with parts removed for clarity's sake.
[0020] With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, number 1 denotes as a whole an automotive light, i.e. a lighting apparatus particularly adapted to be firmly fixed on the front or rear part of the bodywork of a motor vehicle, with the function of emitting light signals adapted to signal/indicate the position of the vehicle and/or the sudden deceleration of the vehicle and/or the turning direction of the vehicle during travel and/or with the function of illuminating the area surrounding the vehicle.
[0021] In other words, the automotive light 1 is adapted to be fixed to the front or rear part of the bodywork of a car, van, truck, motorcycle or other similar motor vehicle, to perform the function of a headlight or taillight.
[0022] Clearly, the automotive light 1 could also be placed on a lateral side of the car or other similar motor vehicle.
[0023] Preferably, the automotive light 1 is furthermore structured so as to be stably recessed into the vehicle bodywork (not shown) and so as to surface outside the latter.
[0024] In the example shown, in particular, the automotive light 1 is preferably structured to be stably recessed into the rear part of the bodywork of a car or other similar motor vehicle.
[0026] Obviously, in a different embodiment the automotive light 1 may also be structured so as to be simply fixed cantilevered on the front, side or rear part of the vehicle bodywork (not shown).
[0027] With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the automotive light 1 in particular comprises: a substantially rigid and preferably made of plastic material, concave rear body 2 which is substantially basin-shaped and is preferably structured so as to be firmly fixed to the vehicle bodywork (not shown); and a substantially rigid and preferably made of plastic material, front half-shell 3, traditionally called lens, which is arranged to close the mouth of the rear body 2, preferably so as to be able to surface outside of the vehicle bodywork.
[0028] In addition, the automotive light 1 also comprises one or more electrically-powered lighting assemblies 4, each of which emits light on command and is placed inside the rear body 2, beneath a corresponding transparent or semi-transparent sector of front half-shell 3, so as to be able to selectively back light the same transparent or semi-transparent sector of the front half-shell, preferably separately and independently from the other lighting assemblies.
[0029] Optionally, one or more transparent or semi-transparent sectors of the front half-shell 3 may also be coloured. Clearly, the front half-shell 3 may also include opaque sectors.
[0030] Preferably, the lighting assembly 4 or at least one of the lighting assemblies 4 of automotive light 1 is moreover structured so as direct the light towards the corresponding and facing transparent or semi-transparent sector of front half-shell 3, preferably with a predominant component of the light beam substantially parallel to a predetermined reference optical axis A.
[0031] Preferably, the optical axis A is moreover substantially parallel to the vehicle longitudinal axis when the automotive light 1 is mounted/placed on the vehicle bodywork.
[0032] In more detail, the rear body 2 is preferably made of an opaque plastic material advantageously via injection moulding, and is preferably structured so as be at least partially recessed into a seat specially made in the rear part of the vehicle bodywork.
[0033] Obviously, in a different embodiment, the rear body 2 may also be structured so as to be at least partially recessed into a seat specially made in the front or side part of the vehicle bodywork (not shown), or so as to be simply fixed cantilevered on the front, side or rear part of the vehicle bodyworK.
[0034] The front half-shell 3, on the other hand, is preferably made of a transparent plastic material, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or polycarbonate (PC), advantageously via injection moulding, and is preferably provided with a number of adjacent transparent or semi-transparent sectors, each of which is separately backlighted by a corresponding lighting assembly 4.
[0035] With reference to Figures 1 to 7, the lighting assembly 4, or at least one of the lighting assemblies 4 of automotive light 1, in turn comprises: a concave moulded piece 5 with monolithic structure, which is made of transparent plastic material preferably via injection moulding, is placed inside the rear body 2 advantageously near the bottom of the latter, and is provided with a concave reflecting portion 5a advantageously with a roughly semi-parabolic profile, which is oriented so as reflect the incident light towards the facing transparent or semi-transparent sector of the front half-shell 3; and an electrically-powered light source, which emits light on command and is arranged inside the rear body 2, at the side of the concave moulded piece 5 and preferably also close to the bottom of rear body 2, so as to direct the light produced towards the concave reflecting portion 5a of the concave moulded piece 5.
[0036] Preferably, said light source furthermore includes one or more LEDs 6 (acronym for Light Emitting Diode), which are placed at the side of the concave moulded piece 5, preferably near the bottom of the rear body 2, and are oriented so as to direct the produced light towards the concave reflecting portion 5a.
[0037] Furthermore, the one or more LEDs 6 emit a light beam having at least 50% of the light energy concentrated in an emission cone having an angle preferably less than or equal to 60°, and are preferably oriented so as to direct said light beam substantially only towards the concave reflecting portion 5a of the concave moulded piece 5 with monolithic structure.
[0038] In addition, the concave moulded piece 5 with monolithic structure is moreover provided with a transparent portion 5b preferably with substantially plate-like structure, which is placed spaced in front of the concave reflecting portion 5a, so as to be interposed between the concave reflecting portion 5a and the front half-shell 3 and thus be crossed by the light reflected by the reflecting portion 5a. The transparent portion 5b is furthermore provided with a corrective optical structure adapted to direct/address and/or distribute and/or diffuse and/or filter the light that comes from the concave reflecting portion 5a of concave moulded piece 5 and is directed towards the front half-shell 3.
[0039] The reflector body and the corrective optics of lighting assembly 4 are therefore made in a single piece and of transparent plastic material, advantageously via injection moulding.
[0040] In more detail, the concave moulded piece with monolithic structure 5 is preferably made of transparent polycarbonate, advantageously via injection moulding. In addition, at the concave reflecting portion 5a, the inner and/or outer surface of the concave moulded piece 5 is preferably coated with a thin film 7 of opaque, reflective material, advantageously of a metallic type, so as to reflect the incident light.
[0041] In the example shown, in particular, the film 7 of opaque, reflective material is preferably realized on the inner surface of the concave moulded piece 5 advantageously via a metallization process of known type.
[0042] With reference to Figures 2 to 7, in the example shown, in particular, the corrective optical structure of transparent portion 5b is preferably structured to direct/ address, in a predetermined manner, the light rays r that come from the concave reflecting portion 5a and are directed towards the front half-shell 3.
[0043] In more detail, at the transparent portion 5b, the outer and/or inner surface of concave moulded piece 5 is preferably provided with a multitude of small-sized lenses 8, advantageously with cylindrical and/or barrel and/or cushion profile, which are arranged side by side and are preferably overall shaped so as to distribute, in a predetermined manner, the light rays r that come from the concave reflecting portion 5a and are directed towards the front half-shell 3.
[0044] In other words, at the transparent portion 5b, the outer and/or inner surface of concave moulded piece 5 preferably has a bossaged profile with substantially lenticular bosses.
[0045] In more detail, the lenses 8 are preferably overall shaped so as to substantially uniformly distribute the light rays r that come from the concave reflecting portion 5a and are directed towards the front half-shell 3.
[0046] In addition, the lenses 8 are preferably also locally shaped and/or oriented so as to orient more or less parallel to the optical axis A, the light rays r that come from the concave reflecting portion 5a and are directed towards the front half-shell 3.
[0047] With reference to Figures 2 to 7, additionally the concave moulded piece 5 is preferably shaped so as to form at least one cup-shaped body 9 with monolithic structure, which is advantageously placed inside the rear body 2 with its mouth at least partially facing and/or adjacent to the inner surface 2i of the rear body 2. The concave reflecting portion 5a and the transparent portion 5b of the concave moulded piece 5 are two distinct and opposite sectors of said cup-shaped body 9 with monolithic structure.
[0048] Furthermore, the light source of the lighting assembly 4, or rather the LED(s) 6, is preferably placed substantially at the mouth of said cup-shaped body 9.
[0049] In more detail, the LED(s) 6 are advantageously fixed on a printed circuit board 10 with plate-like structure, which is adapted to power and/or drive the LED(s) 6. Preferably, the printed circuit board 10 moreover extends substantially flush with the mouth of cup-shaped body 9, partially or totally covering the same mouth.
[0050] With reference to Figures 4 to 7, in the shown example, in particular, the concave moulded piece 5 with monolithic structure is preferably shaped so as to form a plurality of adjacent cup-shaped bodies 9, which are advantageously arranged one beside the other so as to form a row, and each cup-shaped body 9 is preferably provided with its own concave reflecting portion 5a and its own transparent portion 5b, arranged facing each other.
[0051] Preferably, the lighting assembly 4 is moreover provided with a plurality of LEDs 6 (acronym for Light Emitting Diode), which are advantageously placed at the mouths of the various cup-shaped bodies 9, and are oriented so as to direct the light produced towards the concave reflecting portion 5a of the corresponding cup-shaped bodies 9.
[0052] In more detail, the lighting assembly 4 comprises two or more LEDs 6 per each cup-shaped body 9.
[0053] Preferably, the LEDs 6 are additionally fixed, one beside the other, on a single, oblong-shaped, printed circuit board 10 that extends flush with the mouths of all the cup-shaped bodies 9.
[0054] The LEDs 6, in addition, are preferably divided into small groups, each of which is aligned with a respective cup-shaped body 9, and the printed circuit board 10 is preferably structured so as to be able to switch on and off each group of LEDs 6 independently of the other groups of LEDs 6.
[0055] With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, preferably the or each lighting assembly 4 also comprises an opaque shielding mask 11, which is arranged immediately beneath the front half-shell 3, i.e. between the transparent portion(s) 5b of the concave moulded piece 5 and the front half-shell 3, so as to conceal the rest of the components of the lighting assembly 4 from view, and is provided with one or more limited light-passage areas 11a of predetermined shape, each of which allows the light coming from the transparent portion(s) 5b of the concave moulded piece 5, to freely reach the front half-shell 3.
[0056] In the example shown, the shielding mask 11 preferably has a monolithic structure, and is preferably made of opaque plastic material advantageously via injection moulding. In addition, the limited light-passage area(s) 11a preferably consist of sectors of the mask made of transparent or semi-transparent plastic material, optionally also coloured.
[0057] Clearly, the light passage area(s) 11a of the opaque shielding mask 11 may also be pass-through openings of given shape.
[0058] General operation of automotive light 1 is easy inferable from what written above and does not require further explanation.
[0060] Firstly, the assembly of automotive light 1 is simpler and faster than the current ones, because the reflector body and the corrective optics of the or of each lighting assembly 4 do not require any mutual alignment. The reflector body and the corrective optics of the or of each lighting assembly 4, in fact, are incorporated into the concave moulded piece 5 with monolithic structure.
[0061] In addition, the concave moulded piece 5 has larger dimensions, so it can be handled more easily, and requires fewer stops and/or centring pins within the rear body 2, with the resulting reduction in plastic material.
[0062] It is finally clear that modifications and variations may be made to the automotive light 1 described above without however departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0063] For example, the transparent plastic material forming the concave moulded piece 5 may also be coloured. In this case, at the transparent portion 5b, the outer and/or inner surface of the concave moulded piece 5 may optionally also be substantially smooth.
[0064] In a first alternative embodiment, moreover, the corrective optical structure of the or of each transparent portion 5b of the concave moulded piece 5 may comprise, in addition to or as an alternative to the lenses 8, one or more deflector prisms of given shape.
[0065] In a second alternative embodiment, in addition, the corrective optical structure present on the or on each transparent portion 5b may be structured so as to diffuse the light coming from the concave reflecting portion 5a.
[0066] In more detail, at the transparent portion 5b, the outer and/or inner surface of the concave moulded piece 5 may be provided with an embossing, satin-finishing or the like, which is capable of diffusing the light rays r that come from the concave reflecting portion 5a and are directed towards the front half-shell 3. Clearly, embossing, satin-finishing or similar can be made in addition to or instead of the lenses 8.
[0067] In a third alternative embodiment, finally, the concave moulded piece 5 may be made of an opalescent plastic material.
[0068] In this case, the light rays r that come from the concave reflecting portion 5a and are directed towards the front half-shell 3 are diffused directly by the opalescent plastic material. The corrective optical structure is therefore incorporated within the transparent portion 5b of the concave moulded piece 5.
1. Automotive light (1) comprising: a rear body (2) adapted to be fixed on the vehicle;
a front half-shell (3) arranged to close the mouth of said rear body (2); and at least
one lighting assembly (4), which is located inside the rear body (2) and is adapted
to back light a corresponding transparent or semi-transparent sector of the front
half-shell (3);
said lighting assembly (4) comprising: a reflector body (5a) provided with a reflective surface adapted to reflect and direct the light towards the corresponding transparent or semi-transparent sector of the front half-shell (3); a light source (6) adapted to emit and direct the emitted light towards said reflective surface; and a corrective optics (5b) which is placed between the reflector body (5a) and the front half-shell (3), so as to be crossed by the light (r) reflected by the reflector body (5a) towards the front half-shell (3), and is structured so as to direct and/or distribute and/or filter and/or diffuse the light (r) directed towards the front half-shell (3) in a predetermined manner;
said automotive light (1) being characterized in that said reflector body (5a) and said corrective optics (5b) are made in a single piece and of transparent plastic material.
2. Automotive light according to Claim 1, wherein said lighting assembly (4) comprises
a concave moulded piece (5) with monolithic structure, which is made of transparent
plastic material and is provided with at least one concave reflecting portion (5a)
and a corresponding transparent portion (5b) distinct and opposite to said concave
reflecting portion (5a); the concave reflecting portion (5a) being oriented so as
to reflect the incident light towards the facing transparent or semi-transparent sector
of the front half-shell (2); the transparent portion (5b) being placed spaced in front
of the concave reflecting portion (5a), so as to be interposed between said concave
reflecting portion (5a) and the front half-shell (3) and be crossed by the light (r)
reflected by the concave reflecting portion (5a); the transparent portion (5b) being
provided with a corrective optical structure (8) adapted to address and/or distribute
in a predetermined manner the light (r) coming from the concave reflecting portion
(5a) and directed towards the front half-shell (3).
3. Automotive light according to Claim 2, wherein the light source (6) is placed inside
the rear body (2), at the side of said concave moulded piece (5), and directs the
produced light substantially only towards the concave reflecting portion (5a) of said
concave moulded piece (5).
4. Automotive light according to Claim 3, wherein the light source (6) comprises one
or more LEDs.
5. Automotive light according to Claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the concave moulded piece (5)
is shaped so as form at least one cup-shaped body (9) with monolithic structure; the
concave reflecting portion (5a) of the concave moulded piece (5) and the corresponding
transparent portion (5b) being two distinct and opposite sectors of said cup-shaped
body (9).
6. Automotive light according to Claim 5, wherein said at least one cup-shaped body (9)
is arranged inside the rear body (2) with its mouth at least partially facing and/or
adjacent to the inner surface (2i) of the rear body (2).
7. Automotive light according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the light source (6) is placed
substantially at the mouth of said cup-shaped body (9).
8. Automotive light according to Claim 7, wherein the light source (6) comprises one
or more LEDs, which are located on a printed circuit board (10) with a plate-like
structure, which extends substantially flush with the mouth of said at least one cup-shaped
body (9), partially or totally covering the same mouth.
9. Automotive light according to any one of Claims 2 to 8, wherein the concave reflecting
portion (5a) of the concave moulded piece (5) has a substantially semi-parabolic profile.
10. Automotive light according to any one of Claims 2 to 9, wherein the transparent portion
(5b) is substantially plate-like.
11. Automotive light according to any one of Claims 2 to 10, wherein the corrective optical
structure (8) of the transparent portion (5b) comprises a multitude of lenses and/or
deflector prisms.
12. Automotive light according to any one of Claims 2 to 11, wherein the concave moulded
piece (5) with monolithic structure is made of transparent polycarbonate.
13. Automotive light according to Claim 12, wherein the inner and/or outer surface of
said concave moulded piece (5) is coated, at said concave reflecting portion (5a),
with a film (7) of opaque and reflective material.
14. Automotive light according to any one of Claims 2 to 13, wherein said lighting assembly
(4) additionally comprises an opaque shielding mask (11), which is placed between
the front half-shell (3) and the transparent portion (s) (5b) of the concave moulded
piece (5), and is provided with one or more limited light-passage areas (11a) of predetermined
shape, each of which allows the light coming from the transparent portion(s) (5b)
of the concave moulded piece (5), to freely reach the front half-shell (3).
15. Automotive light according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the automotive
light (1) is a headlight or taillight for cars and the like.