# US 11,994,264 B2 · Lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight with a first optical component and second optical system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,264 B2 - Document ID: US11994264B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/123,084 - Filed: 2023-03-17 - Published: 2023-07-20 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-18 - Assignees: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA - Applicants: HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA - Inventors: Piet Risthaus - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994264B2 ## CPC - F21S 41/365: successively reflecting the light - F21S 41/147: the main emission direction of the LED being angled to the optical axis of the illuminating device - F21S 41/151: arranged in one or more lines - F21S 41/265: Composite lenses; Lenses with a patch-like shape - F21S 41/285: {Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805} - F21S 41/322: {the reflector using total internal reflection} - F21S 41/663: by switching light sources (by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162) - F21W 2102/14: having vertical cut-off lines; specially adapted for adaptive high beams, i.e. wherein the beam is broader but avoids glaring other road users - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS - F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS ## Abstract A lighting device for a motor vehicle having a multiplicity of light sources from which light radiates in operation of the lighting device, an optical component that has at least one light entry surface for the light radiating from the light sources and at least one light exit surface for the light that has entered through the at least one light entry surface, as well as a secondary optical system that has at least one light entry surface for the light radiating from the at least one light exit surface of the optical component as well as at least one light exit surface for the light that has entered through the at least one light entry surface, wherein the light that has exited from the at least one light exit surface of the secondary optical system produces a light distribution outside the motor vehicle in operation of the lighting device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lighting device for a motor vehicle, the lighting device comprising: light sources from which light radiates in operation of the lighting device; an optical component that has at least one light entry surface for the light radiating from the light sources as well as at least one light exit surface for the light that has entered through the at least one light entry surface; and a secondary optical system that has at least one light entry surface for the light radiating from the at least one light exit surface of the optical component as well as at least one light exit surface for the light that has entered through the at least one light entry surface, the light that has exited from the at least one light exit surface of the secondary optical system producing a light distribution outside the motor vehicle in operation of the lighting device, wherein the lighting device is designed such that a vertical light/dark boundary is produced in the light distribution by switching the lighting device from a first state in which all of the light sources emit light into a second state in which a plurality of the light sources emit light and one or more of the light sources do not emit light, wherein the light sources are arranged side by side in a first direction, wherein on a light entry side of the optical component, the optical component has a recess that divides the light entry side of the optical component into a first light entry portion and a second light entry portion, such that, with respect to the first direction, the first light entry portion is spaced apart from the second light entry portion by the recess, and wherein the light sources are arranged in a first group and a second group of light sources with the first group of light sources being associated with the first light entry portion of the optical component and the second group of light sources being associated with the second light entry portion of the optical component, such that the first group of light sources is spaced apart from the second group of light sources in the first direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light sources are light-emitting diodes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical component has at least one reflecting surface at which the light that has entered through the at least one light entry surface of the optical component is at least partially reflected toward the at least one light exit surface of the optical component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one reflecting surface is designed such that the light that has entered through the at least one light entry surface of the optical component is reflected by total internal reflection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one reflecting surface includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces, wherein each respective one of the plurality of reflecting surfaces is associated with a respective one of the light sources so that the light radiating from each respective one of the light sources is reflected from a respective one of the plurality of reflecting surfaces. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The lighting device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of reflecting surfaces are arranged in a first group and a second group of reflecting surfaces, wherein the first and second groups are spaced apart from one another or spaced apart form one another in the first direction by the recess, with the first group of reflecting surfaces being provided in the first light entry portion of the optical component and the second group of reflecting surfaces being provided in the second light entry portion of the optical component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of reflecting surfaces are arranged side by side in the first direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one reflecting surface is curved or is concavely curved or is curved in two mutually perpendicular directions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one light entry surface of the secondary optical system together with the at least one light exit surface of the optical component projects a plane, that passes through the optical component in a region of the at least one reflecting surface, onto a projection plane in which the light distribution is created in operation of the lighting device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light entry surface of the secondary optical system is curved or is convexly curved or is designed with an aspheric curve, and wherein the at least one light exit surface of the secondary optical system is flat. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light exit surface of the optical component includes a first light exit surface and a second light exit surface that are arranged side by side in the first direction and/or wherein the at least one light entry surface of the secondary optical system includes a first light entry surface and a second light entry surface that are arranged side by side in the first direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The lighting device according to claim 11, wherein the optical component has at least one reflecting surface at which the light that has entered through the at least one light entry surface of the optical component is at least partially reflected toward the at least one light exit surface of the optical component, wherein the at least one reflecting surface includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces, wherein the plurality of reflecting surfaces are arranged in a first group and a second group of reflecting surfaces, wherein the first group of light sources, the first group of reflecting surfaces, the first light entry surface of the secondary optical system and the first light exit surface of the optical component forms a first optical channel, and wherein the second group of light sources, the second group of reflecting surfaces, the second light entry surface of the secondary optical system and the second light exit surface of the optical component forms a second optical channel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The lighting device according to claim 12, wherein light of the first optical channel overlaps at least partially with light of the second optical channel in the light distribution. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device is a headlight for the motor vehicle and the optical component is monolithic. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the recess is devoid of light sources. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light entry surface of the secondary optical system includes a first light entry surface and a second light entry surface that are arranged side by side in the first direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein the first light entry surface of the secondary optical system faces in a direction towards the first light entry portion of the optical component and the second light entry surface of the secondary optical system faces in a direction towards the second light entry portion of the optical component, and wherein an optical axis of the first light entry surface of the secondary optical system extends so as to intersect one of the light sources in the first group of light sources and an optical axis of the second light entry surface of the secondary optical system extends between two of the light sources in the second group of light sources.