# US 12,000,555 B2 · Optical assembly and vehicle lamp

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- Number: US 12,000,555 B2
- Document ID: US12000555B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/764,592
- Filed: 2020-10-06
- Published: 2022-11-03
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-14
- Assignees: Valeo Vision
- Applicants: Valeo Vision
- Inventors: Qiang Hu; Piao Zhang; Anna Gu; Liangliang Fei; Fang Fang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000555B2

## CPC

- F21S 41/24: Light guides
- G02B 6/0028: {Light guide, e.g. taper}
- F21S 43/237: rod-shaped
- F21S 43/245: emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
- F21S 43/247: with a single light source being coupled into the light guide
- F21S 43/27: Attachment thereof
- G02B 6/0016: {Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces}
- G02B 6/001: {the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre}
- G02B 6/0036: {2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces}
- G02B 6/04: formed by bundles of fibres (G02B6/24 takes precedence)
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

An optical assembly and a vehicle lamp are described. The optical assembly has a main exit direction, and includes a light source, a first light guide element and a second light guide element which are arranged in a superposed fashion in the main exit direction. The light source is allocated to the first light guide element, and the first light guide element has a first light in-coupling region and a first light out-coupling surface, the second light guide element has a second light in-coupling surface and a second light out-coupling surface, with the first light out-coupling surface facing the second light in-coupling surface. A light distribution structure is provided on at least a partial segment of at least one of the first light out-coupling surface and the second light in-coupling surface. The vehicle lamp includes the optical assembly described above.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical assembly of a vehicle lamp, comprising:
a light source allocated to a first light guide, where the first light guide takes a form of an elongate rod; and
a second light guide where the second light guide is a light guide block, and where the thickness of the light guide block is greater than a cross-sectional dimension of the first light guide;
where the first light guide extends along the second light guide in a superposed fashion and extends along a number of integrally formed fixing structure with the second light guide;
the first light guide including a first light in-coupling region and a first light out-coupling surface;
the second light guide including a second light in-coupling surface and a second light out-coupling surface, where the first light out-coupling surface faces the second light in-coupling surface;
where the first light guide and the second light guide include a number of curved segments;
where a light distribution structure is provided on a curved partial segment of at least one of the first light out-coupling surface and the second light in-coupling surface; and
wherein the curved partial segment is offset in a main axis direction and the first light guide is partially nested within the second light guide.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein a length running direction of the first light guide corresponds to a length running direction of the second light guide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second light out-coupling surface includes a light homogenizing structure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the light distribution structure includes a geometric structure that is convex or concave from a corresponding surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The optical assembly according to claim 4, wherein the geometric structure takes the form of a strip array, a pillow-like array or a combination thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The optical assembly according to claim 4, wherein the geometric structure has a triangular or arc-shaped cross section.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The optical assembly according to claim 4, wherein the geometric structure is disposed on an extended surface of an adjacent segment or on a surface parallel to a surface of an adjacent segment.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein a side surface between the second light in-coupling surface and second light out-coupling surface of the second light guide includes a reflection surface provided on the side surface.

### Claim 9

An optical assembly of a vehicle lamp, comprising:
a light source allocated to a first light guide, where the first light guide takes a form of an elongate rod; and
a second light guide where the second light guide is a light guide block, and where the thickness of the light guide block is greater than a cross-sectional dimension of the first light guide;
where the first light guide extends along the second light guide in a superposed fashion and extends along a number of integrally formed fixing structure with the second light guide;
the first light guide including a first light in-coupling region and a first light out-coupling surface;
the second light guide including a second light in-coupling surface and a second light out-coupling surface, where the first light out-coupling surface faces the second light in-coupling surface; and
where a light distribution structure is provided on a curved partial segment of at least one of the first light out-coupling surface and the second light in-coupling surface;
where the first light guide and the second light guide include corresponding curved segments; and
where the light distribution structure is disposed on the first light guide's corresponding curved segment, which is offset from the second light guide in a main exit direction.

### Claim 10

An optical assembly of a vehicle lamp, comprising:
a light source allocated to a first light guide, where the first light guide takes a form of an elongate rod; and
a second light guide where the second light guide is a light guide block, and where the thickness of the light guide block is greater than a cross-sectional dimension of the first light guide;
where the first light guide extends along the second light guide in a superposed fashion and extends along a number of integrally formed fixing structure with the second light guide;
the first light guide including a first light in-coupling region and a first light out-coupling surface;
the second light guide including a second light in-coupling surface and a second light out-coupling surface, where the first light out-coupling surface faces the second light in-coupling surface; and
where a light distribution structure is provided on a partial segment of at least one of the first light out-coupling surface and the second light in-coupling surface; and
wherein a side surface between the second light in-coupling surface and second light out-coupling surface of the second light guide includes a reflection surface and a light exit structure with a predetermined pattern provided on the side surface.