# US 10,865,956 B1 · Vehicle light

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- Number: US 10,865,956 B1
- Document ID: US10865956B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/886,313
- Filed: 2020-05-28
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2020-05-28
- Assignees: TYC Brother Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: T.Y.C. Brother Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Ming-Chih Shih
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865956B1

## CPC

- F21S 41/285: {Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805}
- F21S 41/148: the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
- F21S 41/151: arranged in one or more lines
- F21S 41/19: Attachment of light sources or lamp holders (achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657)
- F21S 41/25: Projection lenses
- F21S 41/27: Thick lenses
- F21S 41/322: {the reflector using total internal reflection}
- F21S 43/14: Light emitting diodes [LED]
- F21S 43/15: Strips of light sources
- F21S 43/19: Attachment of light sources or lamp holders
- F21S 43/26: {Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255}
- F21S 43/315: {using total internal reflection}
- F21S 43/40: characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors
- F21S 45/47: Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
- F21V 5/007: {Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane (combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008)}
- F21V 29/763: {the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis}
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

A vehicle light includes a light output lens for refracting light beams outwardly and forwardly in a first direction and a plurality of optical systems. Each optical system includes a light emitting unit and a lens unit positioned relative to the light emitting unit in a second direction transverse to the first direction. The light beams emitted from the light emitting unit propagate in the second direction and are reflected in the lens unit, such that all the extension lines of the light beams reflected in the lens unit extend through a focal region centered at the focus of the light output lens, and then propagate outwardly from the light output lens in directions generally parallel to the first direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle light, comprising:
a light output lens configured to refract a plurality of light beams such that the light beams propagate outwardly and forwardly of said light output lens in a first direction, defining an optical axis that extends along the first direction and a first focus that permits the optical axis of said light output lens to extend therethrough, and having a light output surface that protrudes forwardly in the first direction; and
a plurality of optical systems, each of said optical systems including a light emitting unit emitting the light beam and a lens unit positioned relative to the light emitting unit such that said light emitting unit and the lens unit are arranged along a second direction transverse to the first direction, said lens unit being disposed nearer to the optical axis of said light output lens than said light emitting unit, the light beams that are emitted from said light emitting unit of each of said optical systems propagating in the second direction and being reflected in said lens unit, such that all the extension lines of the light beams reflected in the lens unit extend through a first focal region that is centered at the first focus, and then propagating outwardly from said light output lens in directions generally parallel to the first direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle light as claimed in claim 1, wherein, for each of said optical systems, said lens unit includes a first lens and a second lens connected integrally to said first lens in the second direction and connected integrally to said light output lens in the first direction,
said first lens defining an optical axis of said first lens that extends in the second direction, and having a refracting surface through which the optical axis of said first lens extends, a frusto-conical first reflecting surface surrounding said refracting surface and tapered away from said second lens in the second direction, and a connecting surface surrounding the optical axis of said first lens and interconnecting said first reflecting surface and said refracting surface,
said second lens having a second reflecting surface that extends from said first lens toward said light output surface of said light output lens and away from the light emitting unit and that is inclined relative to the optical axes of said light output lens and of said first lens, a part of the light beams emitted by said light emitting unit propagating into said first lens, being refracted by said refracting surface and being then reflected by said reflecting surface to form a virtual image in the first focal region, another part of the light beams emitted by said light emitting unit propagating into said first lens, being refracted by said connecting surface toward and reflected by said first reflecting surface, and being then reflected by said second reflecting surface to form another virtual image in the first focal region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle light as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of seat units corresponding respectively in position to said optical systems such that each of said seat units and a corresponding one of said optical systems are arranged in the second direction, each of said seat units including a plurality of heat dissipating fins extending in the first direction, inclined relative to both of the second direction and a third direction transverse to the first direction and the second direction, and spaced apart from one another in the third direction such that heat generated by the light emitting unit of the corresponding one of said optical systems is dissipated by said heat dissipating fins.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The vehicle light as claimed in claim 2, wherein, for each of said optical systems, the extension lines of the light beams propagating toward said reflecting surface in said second lens extend through a second focal region that is centered at a second focus, which permits the optical axis of said first lens to extend therethrough, the part of the light beams emitted by said light emitting unit propagating into said first lens, being refracted by said connecting surface, and being then reflected by said first reflecting surface to form a virtual image in the second focal region, said light output lens and said lens unit being configured such that the first focus cooperating with the second focus to define a two-sheeted hyperboloid that includes a first sheet convex toward said light output surface and a second sheet concave toward said light output surface, said second reflecting surface coinciding with a portion of the second sheet.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The vehicle light as claimed in claim 2, wherein said optical systems are arranged along a third direction transverse to the first direction and the second direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The vehicle light as claimed in claim 2, wherein said optical systems include at least one optical system pair consisting of two of said optical systems arranged along the second direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle light as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second reflecting surfaces of said optical systems of said at least one optical system pair cooperate with each other to form a V-shaped recess opposite to said light output surface in the first direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The vehicle light as claimed in claim 6, wherein said optical systems include a plurality of said optical system pairs arranged along a third direction transverse to the first direction and the second direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vehicle light as claimed in claim 8, wherein said second reflecting surfaces of said optical systems of each of said optical system pairs cooperate with each other to form a V-shaped recess opposite to said light output surfaces in the first direction.